The Tree that Wouldn't Change

It has become a fall and winter ritual for me to talk to, or more likely about, the tree that is in my front yard. You see, the tree is not an evergreen, but it wants to be -- really bad! Every year it is the same old routine. The trees on our street begin to change the colors of their leaves and then they slowly dispense them, generally into my yard. I end up raking more leaves out of my yard that come from my neighbor's trees than I do of the tree that sits squarely in the middle of my yard.

Resistant to Change
I have come to realize that my tree, like many people, doesn't like change. In fact, it is incredibly resistant to change. Some years, it does not shed its leaves at all. Even though it is surrounded by other trees that actually know what season it is, it adamantly fights to keep it's green coat.

A few mornings back, Karlene and I went out in front of the house and took pictures of our delusional tree and also our neighbor's trees (that do not seem to have the same allusions of grandeur). You can see the trees that are across the street in photos 1, 2, and 3. But take a look at our tree -- clearly it has issues.


As I am writing this, it is but a few minutes away from a new year and a new decade. Nothing that I can do will stop the inevitable march of time. Change comes whether we want it or not and whether we like it or not. In fact, change is constant. It is continual. So why is it that people (like my tree) are so resistant to change? Here are a few reasons...

1. People misunderstand why they must change.

2. People lack ownership in the changing process.

3. People don’t like to change their habit patterns.

4. People feel the new is not worth the price.

5. People resist when they are threatened with the loss of something valuable.

6. People are satisfied or comfortable with the old.

7. Tradition: we have never done it that way before.

Change is the Price All of Us Must Pay for Growth.
Growth equals change; you cannot grow unless you change. Too often, people confuse immobility with stability. Just because one remains entrenched in the status quo doesn't mean that things are stable as a result. Time keeps on ticking and change keeps on happening -- no matter what we think or do. It takes place in spite of us.

It's important to recognize that in order to go "up" we must give up. Don't fight change, curse change or fear change. Instead, remember that the author of change is the very one who, by nature, is unchangeable (Malachi 3:6). He is the one who set the "times and seasons" in order!

Don't be like the tree in my yard and fight change, but be a change agent! This new year, make those changes that you need to make in order to move forward in your faith, in your family and in life. You can do it! Start today!

Translating the Language of Church-Hoppers

I haven't posted in awhile, but this was too humorous to not re-post. So, I thought I would pass on this top ten list I saw on a blog by Josh Reich, a young pastor in Tuscon, Arizona. Below is his post on a book by Bob Franquiz entitled, Zero to Sixty. It has a chapter on Church Hoppers. Here is how to spot a church hopper and what they mean:

1. “But my old church…”
This usually means they want your church to be like their old church.

2. “I just need time to be fed.”
This means, “I don’t want to do anything. I’m here just to sit and see what I can get out of this church, so don’t expect me to serve in any way, shape, or form.

3. “I’m looking for a church that teaches the Word.”
This means, “I’m looking for a church that dispenses lots of information without challenging me to do anything.”

4. “We came here because we are looking for deep teaching.”
This usually means their last church focused too much on actually obeying the Word. They want a church that just talks about the Rapture, the Second Coming, who the Hittites were and the identity of Theophilus.

5. “I should know my pastor.”
This means, “In my last church, I got to know the pastor, but when the church grew, and the pastor couldn’t have dinner with us every Tuesday night, I left and came here.”

6. “We want a church that’s focused on discipling people.”
This means, “I want a church that’s focused on me, not people who are lost.”

7. “I wish you wouldn’t focus so much on what people need to do.”
This means they don’t like commitment, they don’t like to be told the Bible actually tells them how to live and follow Jesus. They want to come to church, live in their sin and have no one tell them this is wrong.

8. “I wish you wouldn’t talk about money.”
This is the best way to tell a pastor “I don’t give.”

9. “My old church/pastor was…”
The way people come to your church is how they will leave. If your first conversation with them is all about their last church and pastor, that is how they will leave your church and how they will go to their next church.

10. “Pastor, I’ve been talking to a lot of people and they all say…”
Translation: “Me, my spouse and my mother think…” If they start this way, 99.9% of the time they have no one else who thinks this way, it is just the best way to complain. If someone has a complaint and uses this line with me, they need to list all of the names or my best assumption is they talked to the same person 10 times.

16 and Surgery

God has blessed me with a wonderful wife, Karlene, and two great kids, Tara and Zac. All of them are precious gifts from God – and I’m sure, better than I deserve. The youngest is my son, Zac. He was born in 1993 -- with a myriad of issues. For starters with the following: Microdeletion-22, PPD-NOS (Autism), Cleft Palate, and missing part of his abdominal muscle. There is more, but you get the picture.

A few days ago, Zachary had his 7th surgery overall and 2nd this year. I must admit that I am amazed by his incredible courage. He is quite the trooper. He seems to be able to manage the difficult hand that he has been dealt with much fortitude – it’s admirable, really.

As he was being prepped for his surgery, something out-of-the-ordinary – for us, anyway -- happened as Zac had an allergic reaction to some meds that they put in his IV. He started itching and freaking-out, which, in turn, caused Karlene and I to freak-out. Fortunately, his Anesthesiologist was right there with his two nurses and they were able to give him something that counteracted the allergic reaction and calmed Zac down. Karlene asked if they had a little of that to spare, they could also give some to us!

Dr. Pianim, (Zac's surgeon), then came in and reassured Zachary and ourselves that everything was going to be fine. We said our “good-byes” to Zac and they wheeled him down the hall and through the doors into the Operating Room. We went out to the lobby where our support team (Karlene’s parents and my mother) was waiting and gathered them to go get lunch while we waited for it to be over.

The surgery went well -- even though it ended up being more extensive than the good doctor had expected – and we were able to bring Zachary back home late that afternoon to his makeshift recovery room in the back of the house.

The surgery has left Zachary with a surgical wound that is about 3” long, 1” wide and 1” deep. That wound has to be packed and dressed a couple of times each day. I have attempted to help my wife with the process, but am almost useless when it comes down to it. She does an incredible job of cleaning, dressing and packing the wound. Zac willingly endures the painful procedure dutifully and without much complaint. I tend to get nauseous and have to leave the room.

We are blessed with family, both naturally and spiritually. For the first several days after the surgery, Karlene’s mother, (a retired nurse), stayed with us to help out with whatever was needed. We also were blessed with the expert care of Kelly, another nurse who is a member of our church, who dropped-in to provide competent help and encouragement the first few days that Zac was home from the hospital. Then there have been the meals, the calls, the cards, the prayers and well wishes from our loving family at Cornerstone and even from friends all around the world!

So far, Zachary is doing well in his recovery. We are one week out from his surgery. We will see the surgeon, Dr. Pianim, on Monday, August 3rd, to officially see where he stands. There is not a whole lot that Zachary can physically do right now. He is mobile, though and they recommend that he can be somewhat active -- he just needs to be careful. Therefore, he has to take it easy for the next several weeks’ (the healing/recovery process is about 8 weeks). So he is doing pretty much what he really likes doing… playing video games.

Zac loves the thoughts, cards, balloons and the attention that is coming his way as a result of the surgery. He can’t wait to be able to get out of the house so that he can share the latest chapter of his story with whoever will be willing to hear it.

Thanks for the prayers.

The Parable of the Pencil

I am presently sharing a series at Cornerstone entitled "Under Construction." The premise is that we are all works in progress. We are not perfect, but are being changed into the image of the Lord from glory to glory. The processes of life are in place to help us progress and become what God intends us to be.

I came across the following parable while researching for the series on the Internet and found it to be a wonderful illustration to share. Therefore, I used it do drive home the 2nd message of the series and, as a result, have had many requests for a copy of it – so I am posting it here.

I would love to credit the author of this piece, but as far as I can tell, its authorship is unknown. FYI: The theme of the message (to which this parable was the main and closing illustration) was “Why Am I Here?” Before I spoke, our Usher Team passed-out brand new, unsharpened pencils to everyone in the audience. The crowd was somewhat confused by this “gift,” but it all made sense at the end of the message and drove home the point quite dramatically.

The Parable...

The Pencil Maker took the pencil aside, just before putting him into the box. There are 5 things you need to know, he told the pencil, before I send you out into the world. Always remember them and you will become the best pencil you can be.

1) You will be able to do many great things, but only if you allow yourself to be held in someone's hand.

2) You will experience painful sharpening from time to time, but you'll need it to remain useful and become a better pencil.

3) You will be able to correct mistakes you will make.

4) The most important part of you will always be what's inside.

5) On every surface you are used on, you must leave your mark. No matter what the condition, you must continue to write.

The pencil understood and promised to remember, and went into the box with purpose in its heart.

The Pencil is YOU. If you always remember the 5 Principles of the Pencil, you can – and will -- live a useful and fulfilled life.

1) You will be able to do many great things, but only if you allow yourself to be held in God's hand. The pencil can be used to make works of art and tell wonderful stories, but only when placed in the right hands. By itself, it can do nothing.

2) You will experience painful sharpening from time to time, by going through various problems, difficulties and trials, but the sharpening is necessary in order to become a stronger and more useful person.

3) You will be able to correct mistakes you might make or grow through them. You have been divinely fitted with an eraser, called “grace.” The Bible claims that "none are perfect, no not one."

4) The most important part of you will always be what's on the inside. “Man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks on the heart.” Jesus on the inside -- working on the outside.

5) On every surface you walk, you must leave your mark. No matter where you are or what the situation may be, you are leaving a mark. What type of mark are you leaving with your life?

God designed each of us for a purpose. The reason that we are on this earth is to fulfill the purpose for which God made us. We are fearfully and wonderfully made – and when we allow ourselves to be placed in God’s hand to be used by him, great things are – and will be - the result.

I encourage you today to live the life that God created you to live. Be the gift that God created you to be. Put yourself in the Master's hand and bring glory to your Creator by making your unique mark upon this world.

The Ant Colony

Jude 1:12 “They are clouds without water, carried about by the winds; late autumn trees without fruit…”

Jude’s letter to the church is the shortest, but perhaps the most potent and scathing in the entire New Testament. In it, he contends for the faith once delivered to the saints and admonishes the church in regards to certain individuals that have crept into the church unnoticed. Incredibly, his warning is just as relevant today as it was over 1900 years ago.

The Ant and the Grasshopper, is a fable attributed to Aesop, providing a moral lesson about hard work, commitment and preparation. The fable concerns an apathetic grasshopper who has spent the warm months playing and singing his time away while the committed ants worked diligently in the colony to store up food for the coming winter.

A couple of years ago, Karlene gave me a dvd collection of classic Disney animation. Included in that dvd set was the classic tale "the Grasshopper and the Ants" as re-told in 1934 by Disney. In the Bible, Solomon said that we should learn from the way of the ants and get wisdom (Proverbs 6:6). So, I thought, maybe I would learn something from this animated short – and boy, did I ever.


The ants were busy working, harvesting and storing food in their colony during the season of plenty -- preparing for the winter season ahead. The grasshopper, however, had no intention of working, helping or being a part of the colony. He was unconcerned about the colony. He was apathetic towards work, involvement or commitment. Quite unconcerned about the future -- he just wanted to play and have a good time.

Jude was writing to the “colony” of believers – the church. He was warning them about a new danger in, and to, the church: the “grasshopper” Christian (note: In this instance I use the term “Christian” in the most liberal sense). Among many other metaphors, he called them “a spot on your love feast.” They come when they want, they eat what they want and then they leave. They don’t help the colony. They don't serve the colony, because they don't really care about the colony -- they care about themselves. Though they won't serve the colony, they sure want the colony to serve them! They are "takers," not givers, sapping the resources of the colony for their own benefit.

“Grasshopper” Christian's “reject God’s authority” (verse 8). They listen, but they do not hear. They tend not to give, but are always ready to receive for themselves. When they hear something they do not like, they reject the message and/or the messenger. Either through ignorance or insolence, they are not afraid to speak against Pastors, church leaders, or other Christians. When things aren't how THEY want them, they simply fly away, leaving the colony -- with their full-bellies and empty-spirits -- loudly proclaiming to any and all who will listen, “I’ve gotta go somewhere so I can be fed!”

Jude called the grasshopper-types “waterless clouds, fruit-less trees, and wandering stars.” They have the appearance of a Christian, but don't be fooled, it is only an appearance. It is akin the back-lot at Universal Studios. It is a facade. These are persons who “cause divisions, not having the Spirit.” Jude warns the church to beware of them. They are destroyers, not builders. Beware, indeed – for their end is “the blackness of darkness forever” (verse 13).

However, the colony -- God's Church -- continues on. It repairs the breaches to the body. It soothes and bandages the wounds. It picks up the pieces and rebuilds. It knows its mission and continues once again in fulfilling its God-given purpose.

The grasshoppers come and the grasshoppers go, but the colony – just like the one who established it – lives on.

God never intended us to be like the nomadic grasshoppers. Rather, we are called by God to be like the ants in the colony. Living, working and thriving for the good of the church. Giving, serving and sharing for the glory of God and the benefit of others. We are a part of God's divine design -- created for good works in Christ. We have been placed here to help God, help the church, help others and, in doing so, help ourselves.

The wisest man who ever lived said it; "Consider the ant."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmtSprLhfKI

Build Yourself an Altar

Genesis 26:24-25
24) That night the LORD appeared to him and said, "I am the God of your father Abraham. Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bless you and will increase the number of your descendants for the sake of my servant Abraham."
25) Isaac built an altar there and called on the name of the Lord.

It was a time of great difficulty for Isaac. God had greatly blessed him in the land of the Philistines where he was living, so that the Bible says (verse 13): “(Isaac) began to prosper, and continued prospering until he became very prosperous; for he had possessions of flocks and possessions of herds and a great number of servants. So the Philistines envied him”.

The envious Philistines filled in all his wells, and their king, Abimelech, said to Isaac: “Go away from us, for you are much mightier than we”. So he began moving from place to place, encountering opposition and conflict all along the way, until he was finally pushed all the way into the desert area of Beersheba.

At Beersheba, which is located in the northern part of the Negev Desert, God reminded Isaac of his promised blessing. Immediately, Issac went into action. He began building upon that promised blessing of God by erecting an Altar and calling upon the name of the Lord! Verse 25 says, “So he built an altar there and called on the name of the Lord.” This action shows us the priority that God took in Isaac's life. His God-connection superseded everything else.

THE IMPORTANCE OF AN ALTAR

Isaac realized an important fact that many people miss even today. He understood that if he was going to be a priority for God, then God must be a priority for him. If he was to be honored by God, then he was going to have to honor God. If he was going to see the promised blessing of God become a reality for him, then he must make blessing the Lord the main goal in his life. The building of an altar symbolized that fact.

What is so important about an altar, anyway?

1) An Altar is a place of Consecration to God.
Leviticus 11:44; “I am the Lord your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy.” “Consecration” means dedicating yourself to the service and worship of God. What have you given to God? What have you placed on the Altar? Is the Lord the priority in your life or is He somewhere down the list of your "top ten"?

2) An Altar is a place of Connection with God.
1 Chronicles 21:26 tells us that; “David built an altar to the Lord there… He called on the Lord, and the Lord answered him.”
We personally connect with God at the altar. It is our point of connection. It is where we commune with Him and He with us! God is a personal God. He wants to connect and commune with His Son's and Daughter's. He wants to spend time with his favorite people -- His family!

3) An Altar is a place of Commission from God.
A “Commission” is an authoritative order, charge, or direction. We read in Psalms 37:23 that “The steps of the godly are directed by the LORD. He delights in every detail of their lives.” God is a personal God that will direct your steps, direct your future -- direct your life. We simply need to hear and heed His voice.

CONCLUSION: The Altar is about: Consecration, Connection, & Commission.

But most Importantly, that Altar is NOT optional. In Exodus 20:24, God said; “An altar… you shall make for me.” This is not something that you can choose to take or leave. This is a necessity. We must have a personal relationship with the Lord.
So the question begs to be asked... Do You Have an Altar? If not, build one today. It can be your couch, your bed, your chair or even just your own personal space. Turn it into a place where you can Call on God, Connect with God, and Commit to God and His direction for your life. Like Isaac, it can be the difference-maker in your life.

Thriving in the Desert

The desert can be a harsh and even deadly place to be. However, in several places the desert has been made not just habitable, but thriving! Cities like Palm Springs, Las Vegas and others have turned harsh wilderness environments into oasis-like destinations. Places that, at one time, were endured, now can be enjoyed.

In the Bible, Abrahams' son, Isaac, settled in a desert area. It was called Beersheba in the northern part of the Negev desert. What caused Issac to thrive in the desert? Was it because of his father, Abraham, or his son,Jacob? No. Issac thrived in spite of his surroundings because of three things that he did.

In Genesis 26:25, we read ”So (Isaac) built AN ALTAR there, and called upon the name of the Lord, and he pitched HIS TENT there: and there Isaac’s servants dug A WELL”. There you go. The three things Issac did are quite significant for us today and are symbolic of spiritual necessities for anyone who desires to live a victorious life of faith. If you examine the life of any man or woman who is experiencing real spiritual victory, you will discover these three characteristics... An Altar, A Tent and A Well.

I will be back to share in-depth about how these three precepts took Issac from simply surviving to really thriving! Also, how that these precepts actually apply to the lives of Christians today. It is God's will for you to thrive, not just survive! This special series is beginning tomorrow at Cornerstone.

Good news... You CAN thrive, even in the desert-times of your life!