The phone rings, but goes to voicemail before I have a chance to pick it up. A couple of minutes later, I retrieve the message and get assaulted by the following words: "PLEASE CALL ME BACK! I NEED TO TALK TO YOU!!” I dial the number. A lady answers. She’s yelling. She’s sobbing. Anger fills her voice. Hysterical best describes this scene. After several minutes passed she calmed down, and we started making progress toward me figuring out the problem. She breathes deeply and then informs me that she had just found out that her 17 year-old daughter had undergone her 2nd abortion. Mom was emotionally volatile, the daughter was scared into a state of silence and I had never received a phone call like this before and didn’t know exactly what to do. So I said a quick prayer asking the Lord for wisdom & guidance. The next statement out of my mouth shocked even me, but I know it was directly from the heart of God. I asked the mother, “Have you ever have an abortion?” Dead silence...

Why does living transparently bother us so much? Obviously, discretion should guide with whom and how much we share with others. And no, this is not an endorsement for exalting your previous sins. But let’s get real: if you’re in Christ, you are emphatically an ex-______________ (you fill in the blank). Until Christ returns or we’re called home, we’ll continue to work through various temptations & tests, but we need to be reminded that we’re not who we used to be! When we forget who we are in Christ, our actions tend to contradict what we know to be true. Why? (Don’t hurry past the next sentence . . .)

It’s because we’re afraid of what others will think of us. Re-read that previous sentence and let’s get introspective for a moment by answering the $20 million dollar question: “What’s the real impetus for being so concerned with what others will think?” It’s pride. I don’t think it’s coincidental that the letter “I” is at the very center of the word either. Pride alienates man from God by motivating us to hide behind these flimsy masks of religious pretense or vocational success or God-given beauty or abilities, all in an attempt to appear as if we have it all together. The crazy thing is none of us have it all together! And everyone knows it!

Transparency risks vulnerability, and the idea of complete vulnerability can feel like a dangerous way to live. But how else will others get to see Christ through the story of our lives? For someone, your story communicated from your heart and through your mouth represents the master key needed to unlock them from their own self-imposed prisons. The mother who called me could’ve bonded with her daughter in a completely different way had she chosen to live transparently before her child. Until we’re willing to share our shortcomings as well as our successes, others who are struggling may very well wonder, "What's wrong with me that I can't overcome my problems too?"

Honesty with self, with others and with God leads to wholeness. But before you can tackle that, you’ve got to have an honest confrontation with Truth (not something, but Someone). Transparency is yours when you make the conscious decision to get off the surface & get deeper with Christ! Living transparently isn’t a struggle when you’ve learned how to walk in the forgiveness that comes from knowing Christ intimately. How can your past failures be used in someone else's life to bring God glory? Who is it that needs to know you haven't always got it right?


“The sins we tend to commit repeatedly are the ones we confess to God, but not to each other.” – Andy Stanley

So here's the scenario: I'm listening to a news report. I'm reading a text message. I'm overhearing a conversation at church. I'm replying to an email. I'm talking to a friend. And even though none of those instances are directly related, there's this uncomfortable synergy lining them up and placing each one of them side by side. The point of connection? The season of struggle is upon us . . .

Even though struggle is hovering overhead and very much a part of our reality right now, I'm convinced that the Holy Spirit is pleading with each of us to walk upright before God. The sticky part in all of this comes when struggle takes an appearance of authenticity, making it even more difficult to do the right thing. And let's be honest . . . one of the hardest things to do is walk in integrity when you have a legitimate need you can satisfy in an illegitimate way. Integrity is doing the right thing no matter who’s looking and no matter what the cost. Salvation is free, but progressing in your walk with Christ costs. In essence, struggle is often the price we pay to develop more Christlikeness.

In being charged to submit ourselves to God, man is challenged to abandon his selfish pride. Admit it, you cannot handle "IT" alone. If you could've, you would've already fixed "IT" . Whatever your "IT" is, yielding to God's authority is the first step. I think we've all been guilty of praying with every intention of casting our cares on the Lord, only to continue holding onto the very same burdens we really want to let go of. Can I make a suggestion that might help you? Quit asking God to deliver you from the affliction. Ask him to make you what you should be while in the midst of the affliction. When He changes you in your situation, but allows your situation to remain, know that you're in good company (i.e. Moses, Job, David, Jesus, Peter, Paul, etc.). God selects the best and most notable of His servants for the best and most notable afflictions, for those who have received the most grace from Him are able to endure the most afflictions.

The next aspect of this submission process comes in the form of repentance. Repentance is the divinely wrought conviction of sin in the heart that the soul is guilty before God, AND a resolute turning away from the sin. Repentance involves both a change of mind about the sin and a change of heart (attitude) toward the sin. Simply saying "Lord, I'm sorry" is not true repentance. You've got to get "IT" completely out of your sphere of influence as well. A great deal of our struggles occur because we make decisions based on unreliable authorities, such as culture ("Everybody’s doing it"), tradition ("We’ve always done it this way"), reason ("It seems logical") or emotion ("It just feels right"). All these are flawed because they come from us, not God.

When James says "Resist the devil", he's reiterating the "a" part of verse 7. Resisting the devil is submitting to God. Resist means "to withstand, to strive against, to refrain, to abstain, to oppose" or simply put, TO FIGHT! To resist the devil does not mean to be passive by remaining indifferent or deflecting the struggle! Nor does it give license to abuse our Christian liberty by using freewill to justify ungodly actions. This is our charge to fight, knowing other less important battles will flair up (sidebar: that's a tactic used to divert your attention from what's really important). Waging war on too many fronts results in battle-fatigue, so choose battles only big enough to matter.

No matter what uproar is going on around you, no matter how much pressure is applied, God will wait to answer us until it is clear to Him, to us and to those who observe us, that our heart is resolutely fixed on Him. God does not remain silent in His love towards us when we do not remain silent in our devotion towards Him. To those of you hurting as you seek Christ in the midst of the struggle, I urge you to be encouraged and to suffer well. Christ may let you experience a hard time, but never without abundant grace and it’s never indefinitely. There will be relief.

One last thought: There is no social promotion in Jesus. If you don't pass this test, you'll continually retake the same test until you do pass.

"The time of testing that distinguishes and greatly enriches a person’s spiritual career is not an ordinary one but a period when it seems as if all hell were set loose." - Unknown
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Bea Arthur . . . David Carradine . . . Dom DeLuise . . . Danny Gans . . . Farrah Fawcett . . . Paul Harvey . . .Michael Jackson . . . Billy Mays . . . Ed McMahon . . . Natasha Richardson . . . Gale Storm . . . Fred Travalena & countless others who had little to no media coverage; different people with different contributions to our society. With all that has transpired in the past couple of months, I wonder if anyone has given any thought to what their lives signify.

Jesus uses the parable of a wedding feast to explain the difference between being called and being chosen. Many guests are invited to this dinner, but few accepted. A second and even third invitation follows, but some still neglect and despise it. Others cast dishonor upon the one who invites, by the self-willed and irreverent way in which they accept his invitation.

The many “called” are the ones who are invited to embrace the Gospel. The “chosen” are those who actually respond to the invitation. These “chosen” individuals are specific people with a specific work to accomplish. I do not proclaim to know why God put each of the fore mentioned individuals here. But I can say this: our purpose is God-given & involves using our talents, gifts and abilities to serve others. When you choose not to fulfill the mandate God impresses upon you, you run the risk of dying with your purpose being left undone.

Whenever the topic of death is before us, the discussion of life after time here on Earth always seems to come knocking. Too many people, though, make the mistake of not letting that thought propel them to action. It's no different than the person who continually makes horrible relationship decisions, only to keep repeating them in the future. At some point, we've got to do things differently than we've always done them, if we ever expect to see change.

Jesus says in Matthew 22:14 that many will hear, but few will believe. There's some bad news and some good news associated with these 8 words:

The Bad News - Just because you heard it doesn't mean you truly believe it. If you expect the sermons you hear and the words you read to make you godly, expect frustration unless you are diligent in meditating on the truth and applying it to your life. Wisdom is not gained by passive absorption. Hearing, understanding & agreeing without application is a self-deceptive dynamic. The word “hear” in the Greek actually means to not only hear, but to comprehend & to put into action. So until you live out truth, you don't really know it at all. Confucius hit the nail on the head when he said "I hear and I forget"; "I see and I remember"; "I do and I understand".

The Good News - Your need for Christ is a legitimate need, not just a perceived one. I could ask if you know Him, but the better question is "Does He know you?" If so, shine your light. If not, the hour is drawing near. Just look around you.

“Only put off until tomorrow what you are willing to die having left undone.” – Pablo Picasso

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An acquaintance recently approached me seeking advice on how to handle a potentially volatile situation. She saw a leader in her church make disparaging comments to a person in such a way that it commanded lots of negative attention. After praying about it, I told her to “encourage this leader by praying and specifically ask God to send conviction that would result in repentance.” She had difficulty understanding how praying for conviction would be an “encouragement” to him. I quoted the words of evangelist R.A. Torrey: “The chief purpose of prayer is that God may be glorified in the answer.” When God is glorified, our corporate encouragement is a natural by-product (see Nehemiah 8:10). Today, the Apostle Paul is going to help us to better understand the richness of encouragement.

“Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.” – Philippians 2:4 (NIV)

Even though these words were penned centuries ago, people nowadays are not much different than the Philippians. We wrestle with external circumstances affecting our joy. We strive to find the value in suffering. We long for God to pour more of Himself into us that we might mature in our understanding of His ways. The irony in each of these instances is the not-so-obvious common denominator. When Paul told these Christians in Philippi to “look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others”, he was promoting an idea that goes completely contrary to our modus operandi by advocating unity through humility.

When it comes to external circumstances, unity through humility is realized as we fellowship to remind each other that joy springs from the internal, not the external. The value in suffering emerges when Person A's transparency about past struggles becomes Person B's motivation to continue pressing onward. Desiring more of God is a tangible reality when we come together in humility because everyone thrives in an environment where there is more affirmation than criticism. Living in this fashion completely violates the human ego because it insists that the only service with significance is service directed toward another's benefit.

Here are a few ways in which we can put this into practice:

1. Pray more, criticize less. Should the Lord allow you to be close to someone and make you privy to certain information, unity through humility looks like you praying instead of judging. God Himself does not propose to judge a man until he is dead. So why should we? As God grants opportunities for you to be a conduit for change, remember you are a vital cog in His eternal plan.

2. If you’re thankful, let them know. We have a tendency to inadvertently take the people we admire for granted. Be liberal with your encouragement by telling others how much you appreciate them for operating in their giftedness. The Lord could very well be positioning you to encourage someone who has considered throwing in the towel because they’ve been beaten down by cruel words, lack of support or feelings of abandonment. One simple way to do this is to smile more.

When you push a child on a swing, eventually he/she will start doing it with no assistance needed. At times, we are all like that child needing a push. Think of the people who've cheered you on as you've labored through life’s highs and lows: relatives, teachers, friends, coaches, employers, people you didn’t even know, etc. If indeed you are thankful for their encouragement, show your appreciation by humbly doing the same for someone else.

"One of the commodities in life that most people can't get enough of is compliments. The ego is never so intact that one can't find a hole in which to plug a little praise. Compliments by their very nature are highly bio-degradable and tend to dissolve hours or days after we receive them - which is why we can always use another." – Phyllis Theroux

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“Then the LORD did exactly what he had promised. Sarah became pregnant, and she gave a son to Abraham in his old age. It all happened at the time God had said it would. And Abraham named his son Isaac. And Sarah declared, "God has brought me laughter! All who hear about this will laugh with me.” - Genesis 21:1-3; 6 (NLT)
 For years, I’ve subscribed to the belief that God has a sense of humor. How else would you explain things like the multi-cultural church that now meets in a place that used to house KKK meetings. Or what about the lady that prayed to find a new jaguar in her driveway? She found it alright . . . it just drove off after the person in it realized he was at the wrong house! (By the way, these are both true stories.)

Even in the Bible, God shows us His sense of humor. Abraham was 100 and Sarah was 90 years old when God honored a promise He had made 25 years earlier. Notice that the scriptures did not say that Sarah conceived from the Holy Spirit, like Mary did with Baby Jesus. So you know what that means! Abraham took care of his “husbandly duties”! The thought of a 100-year old man and his 90-year old wife going through the motions of procreating is quite laughable! Even Sarah laughed at the thought of having a child well beyond the normal child-bearing years (see Genesis 18:12). This promise from God was a manifested in the form of a son named Isaac.

Many people refuse to see God as having a sense of humor because they view Him as one who keeps a checklist of rights & wrongs committed. But the notion of God being a compassionate Father who loves on His children is one we need to wholeheartedly embrace. If you have a God that you cannot have a relationship with, eventually frustration sets in. Consider this: a believer in the Muslim faith cannot even call his God “Father” because it’s considered blasphemy! That’s no laughing matter.

If God, in His infinite wisdom, would allow us to benefit from laughter, do you think He’d prevent us from having access to it? Think about this:

On average, children laugh 300 times a day, but adults laugh only 17 times a day. Laughter decreases blood pressure. Laughter calms the nervous system. Laughter strengthens your midsection muscles. Laughter burns calories. Laughter is one of the greatest builders of your immune system. Laughter increases your capacity to fight disease. Laughter relaxes the body. Laughter reduces stress. Laughter elevates your mood. Laughter improves brain functioning. Laughter gives you energy. And last, but definitely not least, laughter makes you feel good!

And if, by chance, you still have doubts about God having a sense of humor, please consider the meaning of Isaac’s name (“He laughs”). Take a wild guess as to who the “He” is.

"If you're not allowed to laugh in heaven, I don't want to go there." - Martin Luther

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I just returned from a week-long missions trip to Los Angeles. After a week of service, our team took some time to enjoy God’s creation: the beaches. As I walked the beach, my mind wandered to the birds that spent their lives by the ocean’s side. Particularly, I noticed the seagulls standing and shivering in small water puddles. It seemed obvious that because the water was very cold, these feathered hunters stood on only one leg. Having two feet in the water would have increased their discomfort. For whatever reason though, they persisted in standing in the cold water on one foot. They wanted both their comfort and whatever little morsels the tiny pools of water had to offer. Watching these birds, I continued to wonder why they didn’t just take one step aside and stand firmly on solid and comfortable ground. They could have still hunted and pecked in the luscious pools . . .

Those seagulls wanted to be as close to the tiny crabs, clams and sea morsels as they could be. So, they insisted on standing in the middle of the puddles, even though doing so caused them great hardship. By allowing one little foot to be chilled, while warming the other foot deep in the folds of their feathers, I couldn’t help but wonder, “How relaxing can that stance really be?” I wanted to go up to each little bird and plant it, with both feet, on dry, solid ground. Then it hit me like large wave crashing against the coastline: “How could I go about dictating their life when I so often justify how I stand; one foot in the pool of God’s will while looking to justify placing the other foot in the pool of life?” Too often, I want to live in the world, and at the same time, stand on God’s grace. I am drawn to what the world has to offer, but I also want God’s unconditional love, His pardon for my sins, His eternal blessings and peace that come from walking with Him.

On the days I stand with one foot in the world, I spend more time in front of the television than I should. The news I watch depresses me. Programs I click through agitate me. Show hosts attempt to mislead me. In disgust, I click off. I bring in the mail and leaf through the many catalogs that point out all my shortcomings. The living room would be more elegant and fashionable with more throw pillows and crown molding. The dining room could use an extreme makeover. My neglected yard could use a few more flowers, exotic ones at that. My kids need more educational games. I would love to get a diamond bracelet for my wife. The gorgeous models on those slick pages, dressed in the latest, expensive fashions, certainly do not bring contentment to my day, either. After five catalogs and a lost hour, I toss them away because I start feeling like I don’t measure up.

Other days, I place both feet in God’s will. I deliberately move at a snail’s pace as I inhale & digest the scriptures, amazed at God’s ways and what I am learning about my heavenly Father. I spend time in prayer, comforted by God’s Spirit. I encourage a newcomer to Christianity and teach a Bible class, surrounded by eager-to-learn young Christians. I make sure my house is a peaceful place for my family when they pour in at the end of the day.

Watching the seagulls I thought, “You silly birds! Find a place where you can stand confidently and comfortably on both feet.” Holding that thought I realized, “You silly man! Don’t move from that solid place where you can safely and surely plant both feet.”

“If we have only what we have experienced, we have nothing. If we have the inspiration of the vision of God, we have more than we can experience.” – Oswald Chambers

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Living a life of faith often requires us to leave certain things alone.  When we choose not to, we inevitably self-destruct.  One great biblical example of such can be found in Samson (see Judges 13:1-25 & Judges 16:1-31).

Samson was a Nazirite with great physical strength who had been set apart for God's service.  His accomplishments included tearing a lion apart with his bare hands (see Judges 14:5-6) and single-handedly destroying a thousand Philistine soldiers with the fresh jawbone of a donkey (see Judges 15:14-16).  But like a man trying to grasp oil with his hands, Samson failed to see that lasting contentment ultimately escapes all who seek it outside of the Lord.  The inner loneliness that so often follows great victory pushed him into the clutches of a Philistine woman named Delilah.  She enticed Samson to reveal the secret of his strength, thus causing him to lose all of his vigor.  Often in the Bible, a person's name was indicative of an aspect of his/her character.  Delilah literally means "languishing" or "to be or become weak or feeble; lose strength or vigor".  Samson tasted the sweetness of bitter fruit by languishing with Delilah.

The Psalmist cried, "For You have been a refuge for me, A tower of strength against the enemy." David found his answer in God's presence; Samson never did and it killed him.  The seduction of Delilah appealed so greatly to Samson that he stayed too long, shared too much and lost everything.  The end result of many of our choices may not be obvious enough at first for us to recognize how damaging they'll be in the long run.   Are you in danger of that happening to you?

Your Delilah can be anything that attempts to derail you and deplete you spiritually.  It can be a career you work at around the clock, a bad relationship or a destructive habit.  It's what you turn to when you need escape.  Don't be fooled.  Delilah may delight you tonight, but she'll destroy you tomorrow because there is no right way to do a wrong thing.  Get up while you can and run!  Don't walk - run to the arms of Jesus before you lose everything!  If you think it can't happen to you, consider this your warning sign on the road to destruction.

"The more a man was in the Devil's power, the less he would be aware of it, on the principle that a man is still fairly sober as long as he knows he's drunk." - C.S. Lewis

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