Baseball Baseball Baseball!

Breathe in real deep. Now, do it again. You smell that? That’s baseball in the air! These cold, windy, and wet days of winter are finally filled with the hope and anticipation of renewal, with green grass and warm breezes.

Spring training kicks off this week with full team workouts. Pitchers and catchers have been in camp for a week now, along with most outfielders. The rest of the position players report today with full workouts commencing.

The Cardinals (and we Cardinal fans), coming off a disappointing 2007 season, are filled with anticipation, as key veterans such as Jim Edmonds, Scott Rolen, David Eckstein, and So Taguchi are gone, bringing fresh competition to key positions. Rick Ankiel, Colby Rasmus, Brian Barton, Ryan Ludwick, Chris Duncan, and Skip Shumaker are competing for three outfield spots, with no one a shoe-in. The pitching staff is also very deep. If and when everyone gets healthy it’ll be a challenge to find a place to use some of these guys.

Breathe in deep my friend, ’cause that’s baseball in the air. WOOHOO!!

The Single Purpose of Jesus

To be obedient to the will of the Father….Period! That’s it, see you later.

Seriously, there would be no need to write another word. But since I’m here why not dive into it a little more.

We complicate things. We also de-simplify things. I know, that means the same thing. My point is, living for Jesus is not complicated. Yet we think that by involving ourselves in a multitude of religious activity that we become more acceptable to the Father. Simple observation proves that burn-out, frustration, defeat, discouragement, even depression can result from a complicated and “busy” spiritual existence.

Although his ultimate task required immeasurably more than we could ever hope to possess, Jesus lived life by a single eye. That is, he lived to accomplish one thing…to obey the will of the Father. Read about it here.

We also are called to nothing more than that. Read about it here.

But how do we know what the will of God is for our lives? Again, let’s look at the life of Jesus. In John 5:19 Jesus says that even he can do nothing without the Father; that he does only what he sees the Father doing. How did Jesus see what the Father was doing? Jesus spent time with his Father. On countless occasions Jesus went off by himself to pray. In the garden, when the hour of his crucifixion was painfully close, the intensity of his prayers produced blood sweat. Yet it was his single purpose that rings out clearly to us as he cried, “yet not My will, but Your’s be done.”

We involve ourselves in so many activities today that we neglect the one most important activity….time with God. How can I claim to know Him if I don’t intimately interact with Him. The spiritual picture of the Bride/Groom relationship in scripture is there for a purpose. My wife and I know each other so well because we’ve spent quality time together over the past 24 years. She would say not enough quality time. I have faults as a husband, but that’s for another day. Our relationship with our spouse is a direct reflection of our relationship to Jesus. I have a single eye for my wife. On this earth I put nothing in front of her. If my relationship with her is strained, just about everything else is strained as well. And when things in our marriage are strained, it usually means that my time with God has diminished, and that I’m in need of a spiritual readjustment.

A single purpose; to live in obedience, faithful to Jesus.

Time with him will reveal a specific course. The course of Jesus led him to glory to sit at the right hand of the Father. To get there he endured the cross (Hebrews 12:2). The cross was worth it for Jesus. For you and me the cross of Jesus is our certain hope of glory; our only pathway to eternal life. We also have “crosses” to endure to reach our destination.

Will you today, with me, pray for a single eye toward God? Would you find a secret place, without distraction, and stay there until the noises fade, and allow his spirit to envelop you? Would you reduce your interests to a few things, and allow Jesus to be the gaze of your soul?

Lord, may the distractions and the clutter of my life be lifted so that a single eye toward you is my only desire. Amen.

Finding Pearls

The name of this blog site is Pursuing God. And the theme is “Occasional thoughts on the deeper things of God.” Much of my writing is dedicated to finding God by going deeper with Him; by getting past what’s on the surface and prevailing through tough times to experience a deeper intimacy with our Father. The promises of God are to never leave us or forsake us, and to never give us more than we can bare. And we know from scripture that Jesus faced and encountered every temptation that man would ever face. Yet, our lack of faith hinders us from diving deeper. We fear the unknown; we fear the darkness that God promises to lead us through.

I visited Dr. Ray Pritchard’s blog again today. He compares going deeper to diving for pearls. I’ve pasted it here today…enjoy.

“The Almighty who blesses you with blessings . . . of the deep that lies below” (Genesis 49:25).

Several years ago a good friend called out of the blue to say hello and to see how I was doing. During the course of our conversation he gave me an insight about God’s purposes in allowing us to go through hard times. “If you want to find pearls, you’ve got to go deep, a lot deeper than most people are willing to go.” Pearls divers know that you can’t find pearls by staying near the surface. Pearls are found by going down deep, all the way to the ocean floor. It’s safer to stay near the surface, but that’s not where the pearls are. “Lots of people, most people in fact, stay near the surface. There’s a lot more pressure and the water is darker, but sometimes the Lord puts us in the deep because that’s where you find the pearls.”

God never sends a trial without some blessing attached. Often we will have to go very deep to find that blessing, the pearl of insight that God has for us. If you are content to stay near the surface, you will have only surface blessings.

How deep are you willing to go?

Resolutions

Well, we’re a week into the new year. How are those new year’s resolutions working out for you? Are you sticking to your new diet and exercise programs? No? Me neither. Frustrating isn’t it. It’s amazing how gung-ho and determined we can be on January 1st, and by January 3rd we’ve forgotten how serious we were this year to finally make our health a priority. That’s why I usually don’t make new year’s resolutions. But I did make a resolution to be healthier this year. I even watched “The Biggest Loser” for inspiration. And it worked, for a few days anyway. The thing about getting physically healthy is changing our lifestyle. We have to turn away from certain foods permanently; decide to eat the things that will promote good health, permanently; exercise regularly, and be focused on those things for the long-haul, not for just a season to lose a certain amount of weight.

Our spiritual life is really no different. We determine that we’re going to get serious about our walk with Jesus, but we continue to “eat” the same old things that prohibit us from getting “fit.” Romans 12:2 says to be transformed by the renewing of your mind. It’s a transformation that can only come by spiritual means. But it takes the physical discipline to open the Word of God daily and meditate on the Volume of Truth it contains. God’s Word will change the way we think. I’m amazed at how differently I begin to think when I’ve been out of the Word for even a few days. I start believing lies that Satan plants in my head. I get discouraged much easier. I begin doubting, and forgetting about, the promises of God. Ephesians 5:26-27 confirms this by saying that this renewing (or washing) of our mind comes from the reading and study of God’s Word. In the same way that our way of thinking needs to change for our physical well-being, so also our way of thinking needs to change for our spiritual well-being. No amount of new-age meditation, humming, folded-legs, or positive confession will renew you into the image of Jesus. Only the washing of His Word and a life of selflessness will cause us to live and think more like Jesus.

Here is a list of things that, if attempted or committed to, might make a better you. Special thanks to Dr. Ray Pritchard for this list…

You could read through the Bible in 2008.
You could decide to be baptized.
You could join a short-term missions trip.
You could memorize Romans 8.
You could get involved in a small group.
You could take an online course in how to study the Bible.
You could start a prayer journal.
You could pick 10 good books you want to read this year.
You could stop making excuses and join a church.
You could join the choir.
You could help start a Moms in Touch group.
You could start praying for 3 friends to come to Christ.
You could read “My Utmost For Highest Highest” by Oswald Chambers
You could listen to Christian music while you work out.
You could volunteer to help out at a local public school.
You could try to heal a broken relationship.
You could fast one day a week.
You could pray for an unreached people group.
You could volunteer to help the sound team at your church.
You could visit your local jail once a month.
You could ask God to help you grow in patience (or joy or courage) this year.

Have great 2008!!

Brian

Listen and I will tell you of God’s goodness

One thing I remember about growing up in a traditional church is that we would go to Revival meetings on a regular basis. And since I come from a musical family, we provided special music for many many revival meetings through the years. In much the same way, I have the fondest of memories for Sunday night and Wednesday night services. They weren’t as formal as the Sunday morning service, and many times featured a time of fellowship (eating) afterwards.

One of my fondest memories of such meetings are of the “pop-up” testimonies. The evangelist or music leader would ask the congregation, “does anyone have a testimony for the Lord tonight?” And one by one people would stand up and offer thanks to God for salvation, good health, food on the table, physical healing, providing through tough times, opportunities to be a witness, etc.

When I was a kid I used to dread testimony time because some people were long-winded and seem to go on forever. Now it seems that these testimonies are rare occurrences. Is this an act of the evil one to distract us from acknowledging the goodness of God? Has the contemporary movement forgotten or even placed a lesser importance on giving witness to God’s goodness and provision in the public meeting? It’s an honest concern that may need to be addressed. If you’ve read previous posts on this site, you know that I am an active member and supporter of a contemporary church. And we see over 100 salvations and baptisms per year.

Revelation 12:11 says this…
“They overcame him (the evil one)
by the blood of the Lamb
and by the word of their testimony;
they did not love their lives so much
as to shrink from death.”

How important does this tell us of speaking and telling others of His provision. Our spoken words are so powerful. Matthew 12:34 says… “out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.”

One of my favorite scriptures has become Psalm 66

I hope you’ll take time to read it, even click on the bold link to go directly to it. It speaks of telling others of what God has done, even speaking of the trials and hard times that seem initiated by God…

8 Praise our God, O peoples,
let the sound of his praise be heard;

9 he has preserved our lives
and kept our feet from slipping.

10 For you, O God, tested us;
you refined us like silver.

11 You brought us into prison
and laid burdens on our backs.

12 You let men ride over our heads;
we went through fire and water,
but you brought us to a place of abundance.

That’s a true testimony. When was the last time you said to someone…”come and listen, all you who love God, and I will tell you of what he has done for me.”

Our testimony is key to overcoming the devil. Don’t hesitate share with anyone who’ll listen the goodness of God in your life, and what he has done to show himself faithful.

Brian

Sweet Comfort Band 1977

These guys were one of the first Christian bands I listened to after I got saved. The CCM world never knew quite what to make of them because of their musical diversity. They experienced some inner turmoil in the early 80’s, and broke up in ’84. I got to see them on their farewell tour. Bryan Duncan is the best singer on the planet. Still today, in his mid 50’s, he’s better than ever. Enjoy this blast from the past.

Prayer aligns us

God wants us to pray. He wants us to pray often, even always, without ceasing. Prayer is the key to our intimacy with our Father. Prayer is how we are instructed to request healing for others. The prayer of faith leads us to salvation. Prayer should be our first move when seeking wisdom and direction in our life situations. Prayer is a priority. It is THE communication that has been established by God for us to acknowledge, seek, request, cry out, pour out, thank, and worship Him.

Through my life experiences and limited knowledge of scripture, I’ve learned that prayer is meant primarily to align us with the Father’s will. There are exceptions in the Old Testament where God’s course of action was changed by the prayer of righteous men (see the story of Abraham pleading for Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 18). We can also activate the healing power of God as we pray for the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of others. And it’s awesome to see those who have been distressed with ailments healed by God’s hand.

But as we pray for ourselves and our family’s needs, and seek direction and wisdom, I have found for myself, and observed in others, that these prayers teach us to align ourselves with God’s will. So many times we pray, “God, if you would just let me win Publishers Clearinghouse, I can get out of debt, feed the poor, build churches, and help so many people out.” That’s a noble prayer; one that I’ve prayed before, and probably you have as well. And while financial circumstances are a serious issue for many of us today, God’s will and design for us goes far beyond our petty financial issues. We get so engrossed in our own dilemmas that we allow ourselves to be blinded to God’s ultimate will for us………To grow into the image of His Son Jesus, and to glorify Him alone. Period.

How many times have you pleaded and pleaded your case before God only to hear silence. Is God deaf? Is he busy listening to Billy Graham? No, trust me, he is actively at work building his character in you. The Bible talks here about asking and receiving from God. We don’t have because we don’t ask, and when we do ask we don’t receive because we ask with wrong motives. In other words, we don’t know what his will is. He is at times silent in order to get us to listen more intently; to press into Him with greater effort.

The box we have God in needs to be destroyed. Of course we have needs. Of course we get stressed and distressed. And God wants to heal us and relieve us from our pain and suffering. But as we press into him with worship, and as we focus our requests on what pleases him and brings him glory, our needs will shrink; our suffering begins to be less self-indulgent. And the limits we have placed on God will begin to disappear.

Are you in physical pain? Press into him to heal you, but worship him that he provided a way for you to spend eternity with him.

Are you in emotional stress? Ask him to renew your mind with the washing of the Word. And worship him that he’s made you a new creature in Christ Jesus (2 Corin. 5:17).

Are you in financial stress? Don’t ask him to drop money in your lap. God honors a hard worker. Pray for opportunities in your existing job, or for a new job if it’s his will.

Pray without ceasing.

Brian

California trip

We had a great trip to California to visit Austin last weekend. We had long lay-overs there and back in Minneapolis, which made for very long flight days, but the time spent with him made it well worth it.

We were curious about the fires that were out of control at the time we were going, but once you get out there and witness the vastness of the area, you see that a very small portion of the region was actually affected by the fires. Yet, the presence of the fires was evident throughout the whole region of Southern California, as the sky was a constant haze of smoke, swimming pools filled with ash, and parked cars were lightly sprinkled with soot. The only time we experienced the intensity of the fires was when we went to church at Saddleback Church, which was very near one of the major blazes. We got out of our car to the stench of the smoky air. Many of the church personnel were walking around the church campus with masks on, covering their nose and mouths.

The visit to the church was also a treat. I won’t go into great detail here, but as many of you know, the pastor of Saddleback Church is Rick Warren, author of “The Purpose Driven Life.” Saddleback has begun a new season of “40 Days of Purpose.” Three years ago the church we were attending went through “40 Days…” and it was through that program that I realized my pastoral calling. So it was very cool to sit there in the original building, listening to the original author, present the Purpose Driven message.

We had the opportunity to enjoy and witness many things that I would consider once-in-a-lifetime things. We walked along the Pacific coast beach; took a long walk high above the beach (800 ft up) on a ridge over-looking the ocean, which was very cool. We drove into Hollywood and walked around for a few hours. We visited Grauman’s Chinese Theatre with all the feet and hand prints of movie stars past and present. And we walked up and down the sidewalks looking at all the stars on the walk of fame. Then we drove into Beverly Hills on Rodeo Dr. and saw all the famous designer boutiques and such. It was all cool to see, but it’s not a lifestyle I long for in the least.

Since Austin and Bryce don’t keep much “good” food in their apartment, we were compelled to eat out much more than we should’ve. And wanting to stay on a tight budget, the places we ended up eating at were McDonalds, Wendy’s, Taco Bell, and Pizza Hut. On our last day there Tina went to the grocery store and bought ingredients for vegetable soup. Mmmmmm! It was good!

With our visit Austin said it felt like Christmas. He’s anxious to come home and be with his real friends again, and to be a part of a new college ministry he hopes to start at church.

Late night thoughts

I’ve had trouble lately getting to sleep at a normal bed time, and tonight is turning out to be no different. I’m not sure what the deal is; my body is plenty tired, but my mind just won’t shut down. I’m sure you’ve experienced similar nights. If you have a remedy for me, I’m all ears. So I thought I’d get up and write a few random thoughts.

The next few days should prove to be interesting for Tina and me. You’re well aware of the out-of-control fires in Southern California; and that our son Austin is out there going to school. He has informed us that smoke fills the sky where he lives, and that ash is filling up the pool at their apartment complex. But so far there are no fires close enough to them that they need to evacuate. Tina and I have had plans to visit Austin this week for some time now, and we’re just a little apprehensive about what awaits us. We fly out there on Thursday. It’ll be interesting to view the fires from the plane. And hopefully there will be no flight delays. We’ve not seen Austin now for 2 and a half months, and he’s as excited to see us as we are him.

Let’s see, what else……….

The World Series starts tomorrow night, but who cares, the Cardinals aren’t playing! They did bring Tony LaRussa back to manage for two more years, and I find myself happier about it than I expected. I really expected him to not come back, with the firing of GM Walt Jocketty. I was prepared for the Cardinals to go a different direction, even hoping they’d bring some former Redbirds players in as coaches. But Tony seems genuinely excited about what ownership is doing, and if we can get healthy and stay healthy, we should have a good run next year. Spring Training is 3 and a half months away!!

The STL Rams REALLY stink, so no need to go there!

I actually have water standing in my yard! Yippee!! After months of no significant rainfall (traces only), we’ve had nothing but a good, steady rain the last two days. I have mowed my lawn once since the 4th of July, and that was only to knock down a few patches of growth and some weeds. I believe they’re calling for some more rain tomorrow. I’ve never been so happy about rain. Let’s hope the South East gets some too.

I’ll be posting some thoughts on Psalm 66 soon. It’s a great chapter about testifying to God’s goodness. Now I’m going to try to go to sleep.

Brian

Jesus understands

In our small group we’ve been going through the book Hebrews. Hebrews is not a book easily understood with a simple, once-through reading. I recommend commentaries and other respected writings to assist you as you delve into the depths of Hebrews’ writings. As its Truth is revealed and understood, we see and understand Jesus as superior to any created being, whether prophet of old, or angel. And that we can trust Him to understand our dilemmas, knowing that he encountered and withstood suffering of every kind.

A book I’ve been reading to assist me in my journey through Hebrews is entitled, “Hoping For Something Better,” by Nancy Guthrie. It’s a 10 chapter/10 week study through Hebrews. It has done wonders in presenting the Truth and depth of Hebrews in a way that makes it much easier to comprehend. And, as a good book should do, it compels me to dive deeper into God’s Word.

A couple of paragraphs jumped out at me as I was reading recently, and I thought it might do others good as it has me. It is based on Hebrews 5: 7-9, which says…

7 During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. 8 Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered 9 and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him…

The following is the excerpt from the book…

“Do you know what it is like to offer up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears? Do you know what it is to ask God for strength to submit to his plan that brings you pain? Jesus does too. And that is why he is able to deal gently with those who are in the heat of the battle over obedience. Jesus is gentle with us because he has cried out to God like we have.

What does it mean that Jesus “learned obedience” from what he suffered? Was he in some way disobedient before? No. This means that his obedience was tested and proven. He moved from obeying without suffering to obeying through unspeakable suffering. His was not automatic obedience. It was authentic obedience. This obedience was prayed for and begged for and cried out for and wept over with tears. Jesus learned through his own experience what it feels like for obedience to God to cost something-something painful.”

It’s a great comfort to know that Jesus understands. Our pain will never begin to measure up against his pain and suffering. Knowing that he cried out loudly to God for strength and help, doesn’t that give you encouragement and hope that we can, and should, do the same.

It does me.

Brian