UNDER CONSTRUCTION

"And the house, when it was in building, was built of stone made ready

before it was brought thither: so that there was neither hammer nor axe nor any

tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building"

I Kings 6:7

That old story in the Bible tells us some amazing things about the building of God’s Temple in Jerusalem. This was the most incredible construction project in human history. Designed by God Himself, it would be His residence on earth. But, this was no ordinary architectural dream coming to life. Every stone used in the building was beautifully crafted at another location far away from the Temple itself. These tremendous pieces of rock were cut and carved to fit exactly in their specific places in the great building. And these were no ordinary stones. These were enormous boulders that were sculpted by artists, moved over the desert to the Temple and then finally with perfect precision.

I love this story because it reminds me of what God is continually building in our individual lives. The Holy Spirit is carving and crafting each of us – You! – to fit precisely into a specific place in God’s Kingdom. Just like those old stone-carvers centuries ago, He is the Master Artist who sees the finished product long before anyone else. It is that great vision which guides His hands in creating you.

Don’t ever forget that you are a magnificent sculpture; a true Master-Piece. Yes, the Holy Spirit is building a beautiful temple in your heart right now. You have been carefully cut from a heavenly quarry; carefully chiseled and perfectly smoothed to fulfill your unique role in the Kingdom of God. But unlike structures built by the hands of men, sitting on the shifting sands of earth, this great Kingdom will never fall . . . for Jesus is the Chief Cornerstone.

And His Kingdom, with all us rocks inside, will have no end.

This Week’s Prayer

Dear Lord, Thank you for choosing me to be a precious stone. Please break down my own walls so that I can become a strong boulder in the walls in your Kingdom. Chisel me into whatever shape you desire. You are the Master Craftsman of my heart, my soul and my mind. I ask you, dear Jesus, to smooth out my rough edges so that I will be of greater service to You and to my brothers and sisters in Christ. Amen.

DON'T BE AFRAID . . . EVEN IF YOU REALLY WANT TO

But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, saying, "It is a ghost!" And they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them and said,

"Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.”

Matthew 14:26-27

We have a lot to be afraid of. Our nation is at war, our economy is uncertain, fuel prices are on the rise, our youth face evils from every direction, even nature itself seems to be working against us.

Yes, there is much to fear. Or so it would seem.

Why fear when Christ is with us? Indeed, when Christ comes walking into our lives, the way He walked on water to reach the terrified men on the boat, the time for fear is over.

However, like the men who thought they saw “a ghost,” we may not recognize Him right away. To see the Lord coming; to allow Him into your open heart, you must accept that He does not want you to live a life of fear. Knowing Jesus and allowing yourself to hear Him say, “do not be afraid,” is the end of your long journey of fear.

During the Vietnam War, Dave Roever, an honored Veteran was getting ready to throw a phosphorus grenade from his gun boat on a dark river in Vietnam. When the device was just six inches from his face a sniper's bullet ignited the explosive.

He awoke in an army hospital a few days later. He recalls, "When I looked in that mirror, I saw a monster, not a human being . . . My soul seemed to shrivel up and collapse in on itself, to be sucked into a black hole of despair. I was left with an indescribable and terrifying emptiness. I was alone in the way the souls in hell must feel alone."

When Dave Roever returned to America, he was terrified about the reaction of his new wife, Brenda. Why would she want to spend the rest of her life waking up next to this horror of a man. His fear was fueled by something that happened just before Brenda arrived at the hospital for the first time. Roever watched the wife of another burned veteran tell her husband she wanted a divorce.

Then Brenda walked in.

He tells the story this way, "Showing not the slightest tremor of horror or shock, she bent down and kissed me on what was left of my face. Then she looked me in my good eye, smiled, and said, Welcome home, Davey! I love you.' To understand what that meant to me you have to know that's what she called me when we were most intimate; she would whisper Davey,' over and over in my ear . . . By using her term of endearment for me, she said, You are my husband. You will always be my husband. You are still my man."

This is the very meaning of grace. The kind of grace and love that Christ has for us. We are all ugly and disfigured in our sin. We have all been burned beyond recognition. Yet Jesus, still loves us, no matter what we look like inside or out. There is no need to be terrified – ever!

Yes, when Jesus walks into your life, the long journey of fear is over and the great journey of love, courage and hope has begun.

This Week’s Prayer

Loving Jesus, in your glory and grace, you have held me and walked with me through good times and bad. Let me march courageously through the coming hours and days with the grace and love I have found in you. And when fear creeps into my heart, allow me to hear Your gentle voice telling me, “Don’t be afraid.” With you, dear Jesus, I have nothing to fear. Amen.

GET IN SHAPE!

Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes, will find watching. Assuredly, I say to you that he will gird himself and have them sit down to eat, and will come and serve them

Luke 12:37

What kind of shape are you in? I don’t mean physical shape or financial shape. I mean what shape has your life taken. How are you shaped? Are you shaped like a caregiver?
A mentor? A teacher? A Leader?

You see, we are all shaped by the Lord in a particular way. And you are no exception. You have been shaped by God to fulfill His needs here on earth. Yes, every day you are surrounded by important situations, large and small, in which you can play a vital role.

Just think of the possibilities you will discover if you set your mind to continually seek opportunities to inspire, help, heal, free and encourage others throughout your day. Jesus needs you along with Him on this wonderful adventure and you can begin right now. How? Let me tell you a little.

A short time ago in Cambridge, Massachusetts, an extraordinarily well crafted red granite bench mysteriously appeared in a public park. And no one, except the person who placed it there, knew where it came from. Not only is this a beautiful bench, but it also has inscribed upon it a passage from Virginia Woolf's 1928 novel Orlando. Carved into the stone are the words, "There are wild birds' feathers--the owls, the nightjars. I shall dream wild dreams. I should lie at peace here with only the sky above."

It is estimated that the bench weighs 600 pounds and sits peacefully at the bottom of a small hill by a pond. So, in order to place it where they did, the mysterious givers had to haul the heavy bench down a steep embankment for it to be placed in the perfect spot.  Obviously, they were in fine physical and spiritual shape!

I love silent gestures like that. I think it takes a special kind of hero to quietly enter a situation and make it better than it was before simply by making people’s lives better than they were before. At this very moment you have the same kind of opportunity to be a hero in someone’s life. Because there are always creative ways to fill the needs and heal the hurts of those around you.

But, you must be vigilant. You must be actively looking for the kinds of situations that you can influence with whatever gifts you posses. And while you should act upon any invitation or opportunity God has set before you, remember that He will not ask you to do something that you don’t have the ability to do.

Is something you see out of your league or beyond your knowledge and gifts? Don’t worry. The Lord has placed it there for a reason. Pick up the phone, send an email, do whatever it takes to move the message along to those who have the exact shape to fill that kind of gap. You have a role to play. Sometimes you get the call. Sometimes you make the call. Either way, you’ve done your part. Remember, it took more than one person to haul that 600 pound stone bench through the park!

Jesus has confidence in you. Has anyone ever told you that? It’s something you need to know because there is so much He needs you to do. And He absolutely will not ask you to do something you do not have the gifts to fulfill. He won’t try to put a round peg into a square whole. He knows what shape you are in!

Start today by thinking creatively. You only need to ask Jesus how He needs you to serve. Ask Him how the shape you are in can fill the gaps in the lives of His people.

This Week’s Prayer

Dear Lord, thank you for making me the way I am. Please make me keenly aware of what gifts you have given me and how I can put them to work for you. Open my eyes to the needs around me and open my mind to the blessings you are ready to bring upon them. Give me Your strength so that I may forever prepared to serve You when called upon. Allow me to always hear Your call on my life and give me the strength to act. In your name I pray. Amen.

THE MAIN THING is to keep THE MAIN THING THE MAIN THIING

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.’”

Mark 12:30-31

Every year thousands of Christian books are published, millions of people go to Christian Conferences and billions of dollars are spent on Christian broadcasting. And all of this wonderfully energetic activity takes place for one reason: People are just trying to understand Christ and how to live as Christians.

It’s encouraging that so many people have a hunger to know God’s truth. When they find it, it is a privilege and honor to witness. You can see the light shine in someone’s eyes the minute they see the full vision of their life in Christ. It may be during a worship service, or while attending a gathering of leaders, or reading a book, or watching a Christian video. Suddenly there is an eternal spark in their soul.

While all those educational and enriching programs are a blessing, it is important to remember that for centuries, Christians lived their lives without any of it. No conferences, no television shows and very few Christians were able to read the few books that were available, even the Bible.

Yet, they understood the main thing about Christ and how to be a Christian. How? Because through the simple teachings of Christ they were able to grasp His simple message: Love God with everything you’ve got and love other people the same way you want to be loved. For almost two-thousand years it’s all that most Christians had to go on.

For Christians then and now, this is the Main Thing and according to Christ Himself, this sums up everything else.

So if you’re looking for the main thing; something new in Christianity or if you’re waiting for some great revelation about your life, let me remind you what an old preacher used to tell his congregation, “You got the blues? Well, I’ll give you ten ways to get over it! The first way is to help someone else. Next, repeat that nine times!

There is no great mystery to the love of Jesus. He made it so plain for all of us. The main thing is to remember that the Main Thing is the main thing.

This week’s prayer

Dear Jesus, please forgive me for the times I have been distracted by the details. Remind me every day that following you means looking for the need in others and helping them find their way. I am no longer lost when I help my neighbor find their path in through the darkness. Give me the strength and courage to bring your light to those who need. And always help me to keep my mind on the main thing, You, my Lord and Savior. Amen.