Putting Legs on Your Dream

Joshua 18:3

“Joshua said to the Israelites: “How long will you wait before you begin to take possession of the land that the LORD, the God of your fathers, has given you?”

I like to-do lists. They help my productivity. But the least effective dot-points on those lists are the ones that name a whole project and not a manageable action-step. Examples:

• Visit Africa
• Write a book
• Learn Italian

That is what Israel was doing and it stymied them. They had a to-do list that looked like this:

• Take possession of the land
• Live faithfully for God

A great list, but nothing happened! The to-do list was actually a wish-list.

What big dream has God given you? Is it getting traction? Have you dreamed but never acted. Maybe you have talked about:

• Learning to read New Testament Greek
• Doing a mission trip
• Planting a church
• Starting a prayer cluster
• Leading a small group
• Changing your career
• Starting some new ministry
• Taking on a leadership role

God may be speaking Joshua 18:3 to you: “How long will you wait before you begin …?” Don’t stay stuck. Consider these five avenues of advance.

1. Decide the “next action”. Put it on your to-do list. If you can reduce the mega-project to one actionable first step (less than 30 minutes) you are on your way. Use this list to help you get started:

• Information? Is the first step a Google search, a phone call or time to read a book?
• Resources? Is there a tool you need to acquire or a work space you need to create?
• Support? Do you need to recruit someone’s help?
• Skill? What do you need to learn?
• Motivation? Do you need to listen to a DVD, go to a seminar or talk to a pastor?
• 2 hours? For some projects you can just put time in your diary, sit down and begin.

2. Relive the dream. Go back to the reason for the project. Remind yourself why this matters. When Israel remembered that the conquest of Canaan was actually God’s promise, they became engaged with vigour again.

3. Examine your emotional responses. Is there a sub-conscious barrier? What are you fearful of? What can you not let go of? What are you stressed about? Be honest about your emotions.

4. Seek wise counsel. Find someone with experience, buy them lunch and let them talk. Tell someone your dream and ask them to follow-up on your progress. Make yourself accountable.

5. Organise firm deadlines and great rewards. People remain motivated when they experience progress. Set targets and celebrate at intervals as your project unfolds.

Don’t procrastinate on God’s best for your life. What dream has he given you? “How long will you wait before you begin …?”

Questions

• In what area are you most likely to procrastinate?
• Is there an outstanding dream that you need to address today?
• What would you add to these five avenues of advance?
• Please leave a comment.

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Who Will Help the Next Amy Winehouse?

Proverbs 9:13

“Folly sits at the door of her house … calling out to those who pass by … ‘Stolen water is sweet, food eaten in secret is delicious!’ But little do they know ...”

The news of Amy Winehouse’s death is heart breaking. Young people aren’t meant to die like this. I feel so sorry for her parents and all those who loved her. Who is next? Can anything be done to stop it?

I know she made bad choices. But that doesn’t make this tragedy any easier. Her addiction “took hold of her” and she just couldn’t shake it. Maybe you have felt a force like that too. It doesn’t have to be drugs. The bible calls this strange coercion “folly”.

The author of Proverbs pretends that both WISDOM and FOLLY are people and then writes a very penetrating poem based on that idea. Imagine if Wisdom lived on one side of the street and folly on the other. As you walk by each day they both call to you: “Are you confused about life? Don’t know what it all means? Come eat with me!” And every day, you must respond - wisdom or folly (Prov. 9:1-18).

This poem makes me think about bigger forces at work. The Apostle Paul says: “our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against … the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces”. That is what Proverbs 9 depicts as well.

Of course we are all accountable. If we live stupid, we pay a price. But that is not the whole picture. There is more going on here. There is a fight for your soul. The world we live in is a spiritual place! Consider the poem.

Lady Folly’s Front Door

She sits on the front porch

   of her house on Main Street,

And as people walk by minding

   their own business, calls out,

"Are you confused about life, don't know what's going on?

   Steal off with me, I'll show you a good time!

   No one will ever know—I'll give you the time of your life."

(Prov 9:14-17 Message)

Fun, fun, fun! But once inside, once addicted, the pain begins.

Lady Folly’s House of Horrors

She says …

“Stolen water is sweet;

   Food eaten in secret is delicious!”

But little do they know that the dead are there,

   that her guests are in the depths of the grave.

(Prov. 9:17-18 NIV)

What starts as fun, ends in a house of horrors. I wish we could just board-up Folly’s front door. But we can’t. What we can do, however is stand at Wisdom’s front door and help her! We can raise our voices, we can pray.

Is there someone you should call on today? Are you meant to be someone’s voice of wisdom NOW? Are you meant to “add years to their life” (Prov. 9:11)? Ask God to prompt you. Think about “at risk” people you know (or knew). Maybe you can keep the next Amy out of tomorrow’s newspapers!

Questions

• Prov. 9:10 says: "Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom". What does that mean to you?
• How would you define folly? How do you fight it?
• Please leave a comment

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God Loves Trees!

Joshua 19:33 

“For Naphtali … their boundary went from Heleph and the large tree in Zaanannim, passing Adami Nekeb and Jabneel to Lakkum and ending at the Jordan (River).”

How quaint! They used an old tree as the boundary marker. This may look like primitive naïveté but I am not so sure. There is an environmental attentiveness here that we should reclaim.

If you use a tree to mark one corner of your property, and a river to define another border, you are implicitly making claims like these:

1. I believe that mighty trees and rivers will outlast mighty men and their Empires.
2. I think the old growth trees are the marker points not our possessions.
3. We need to work together and care for the tree and the river because they help to define us.
4. Trees and rivers matter. They are gifts from the Creator and we live among them and beside them. They bless us.

The Israelites expected that "large tree" to remain there for a very long time. I acknowledge that they were not modern day environmentalists. But they had a view of nature and its gifts that we can learn from.

At one time trees covered much of the earth. Today they cover less that 30% of the globe. An area of primary forest the size of Ireland is cut down every year (See GreenFacts). Given that trees are a critical element in the ecosystem that sustains life this is unacceptable. We don’t need to become “tree-huggers” or get weird about it, but we do need to respect these "givers" of clean air and beauty.

Rivers are not safe either. In 2007 the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) issued a report on the “World’s Top 10 Rivers at Risk”. It includes the Danube, the Rio Grande, the Ganges, the Nile and the Murray-Darling. Contributing factors include: pollution, over extraction, dams, climate change and invasive species. This too is unacceptable.

Genesis 1:31 describes God surveying his finished creation and declaring it “very good!” I can’t imagine that God is happy when Adam and Eve’s grand kids (us!) rip up the trees, extinguish various animal species, poison the rivers and punch death holes in the ozone. Surely God is grieved. I wonder if he is more aligned with the naïveté of Joshua 19:33 than we may think.

It needs to be said that positive effort makes a difference. In the USA there are more trees today than 100 years ago, thanks to conservation work (Source: FAO). And concerted efforts to clean up rivers like the Songhua in China and to provide "landcare" of water catchments like the Port Phillip and Westernport region in Australia, achieve excellent results.

Some books and media reports are sensationalist. That is unhelpful. It is also true that an individual can’t go out and save a river or a forest. We feel helpless. But here are a few actions we can take:

• Get informed. Learn about endangered trees, rivers and animals.
• Repent of our environmental apathy.
• Plant some trees with friends. 
• Lobby for the parts of creation that have no voice. 
• Practice "Sabbath" (rest) in the bush. Slow down and let nature speak. Listen for God's voice here.
• Pray about environmental issues. Ask God to speed the hope of Romans 8:21.
• Use less paper and recycle wherever possible.
• Shop ethically. It is not a direct fix, but it is an important link to the big issues.
• Remind yourself and others that God loves trees (and rivers and animals …)! 

If we refuse to believe what ancient Israel knew, that mighty trees outlive might men and their Empires, we will soon discover that no trees means no men, no women, no children! Heaven help us.

Questions

• Where are you on this continuum: Couldn’t care less about trees and environmental stuff … Think trees and our planet’s health is more important than anything else? Why?
• Where do you think God is on that continuum? 
• What would you add to the list of practical things we can do?
• Please leave a comment.

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Those Boring Bible Genealogies: 7 Tips

Luke 3:23-37

"... Joseph, the son of Heli, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melki, the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph, the son of ... zzzz"

This is boring! Lists like this are found all through the bible. How should I read them? Or should I even bother?

An analogy. We have a Christmas card mailing list. Everyone on it is part of the Demond story and just reading the list of names brings joy. On the other hand, it would be torture to have to read your list (unless we have lots of common friends). And that’s what it can feel like to read Luke 3 (or Gen. 36, Numb. 34, Josh. 12, 1 Chron. 1-9, etc.). The only way I will ever enjoy these passages is if I get to know the people. Can that happen?

Here are seven strategies that help. I pick one each time I encounter a boring people list.

1. Scan the passage for familiar names. When I find a name I stop and remember that person’s story. Because we are both in God’s family that person is in my story too. This becomes more rewarding the more I get to know my bible. The goal: celebrate the people I know in God’s story.

2. Read a few verses slowly and go deep. I choose only two or three verses. I have a go at saying each name. Then I check cross-references in the margins and notes to learn where else these names turn up in bible. The goal: discover something new about a person God wants us all to remember.

3. Speed read the whole thing, surf the text. I don’t actually read the names. I just slur past them and try to “feel” the flow of the text. Some lists have little or no cadence, but some genealogies almost sing themselves (e.g. Josh. 12:9-34). I imagine an Elder standing in an ancient assembly of God’s people chanting this family story, this great poem of praise. The goal: “sense” the poetry, “feel” the history.

4. Skim the section looking for an unexpected tidbit. Example Gen 36:24: “… This is the Anah who discovered the hot springs in the desert while he was grazing the donkeys of his father Zibeon.” How random! I let my mind play with this bit of history. Why is it even in the bible? Anah is known for something that happened while he was faithfully tending his donkeys. With God you can become a hero just doing your job in the desert. The goal: find the unexpected and reflect on it.

5. Read with the aid of an expert. Check a bible commentary. Scholars who study the names and make connections across the whole Bible often give me gems. The goal: gain new insight.

6. Study one of the places named. Many of the lists include geography. So, I choose the first place name I do not know and find it on a map (sometimes Google earth). I might consult a bible dictionary. The goal: become aware of a real place.

7. Pray it instead of reading it. I put my hand on the text and pray. I thank God that he loves people enough to preserve ancient lists like this, that I am part of his family and that my name is written in his eternal book together with all of their names (Rev 3:5). Then I turn the page and keep reading. The goal: embrace the purpose of the text whether I read the words or not.

Two cautions

• Be aware that lots of people have the same name.
• Don’t build a new theology out of a random tidbit of information found in a people list.

Happy list reading! I hope these tips will help you stay awake.

Questions

• What gems have you found hidden in people lists in the bible? 
• Do you have another approach for addressing lists like Luke 3? 
• Please leave a comment.

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Dealing with Bitter Disappointment

Joshua 14:10-11 

Caleb: “So here I am today, eighty-five years old! I am still as strong today as the day Moses sent me out; I’m just as vigorous to go out to battle now as I was then. Now give me this hill country that the LORD promised me that day.”

Disappointments abound. Some disappointments are huge. They can impact our careers, our relationships, our dreams and our entire self-worth. No one escapes. But some people – like Caleb – navigate disappointment exceptionally well. What can we learn?

When Caleb was age 40, he met with a serious disappointment. After serving on a special research task-group of twelve, he and one other (Joshua) presented a minority report in the recommendations they made to Moses and to Israel. These recommendations were not adopted and Caleb was sidelined. In contemporary terms we might say that he was overlooked for the big promotion and his career went nowhere for most of his life! (Number 13)

His experience is familiar to many people. It is very challenging to triumph in the face of bitter disappointment. But Caleb did! His path from disappointment to blessing is a model for all of us. Here is what we can learn from his life.

1. Keep your dream alive. At age 85 he is still ready to go. It took 45 years for his advice to be accepted and when it was, Caleb was eager to participate. He has been in the gym working out all these years. He has remained on “standby” waiting for his moment and ready whenever God needs him.

Recognise that your disappointment may only be for a season. Don’t worry about how long the season will be, just hold onto God. Remain on alert, ready to serve the Lord.

2. Don’t get bitter. In my bible there are 71 pages between Caleb’s disappointment and his joy. Throughout most of the books of Numbers, Deuteronomy and Joshua we hear nothing about the man. Then, when he does appear in the story, he is bold and obedient. There is no hint of ill-temper, just a man with his spiritual engine revving and ready.

Refuse to become angry and embittered. Don’t take offense at the situation even if it is wrong (as it certainly was for Caleb).

3. Follow the Lord with life-long passion. The bible remembers Caleb most for one thing: “wholehearted" devotion to the Lord. This expression is repeated six times in connection with Caleb. It is what people thought of first when they spoke his name. What a testimony! He had a different spirit. (Numb. 14:24)

Submit your steps to God. If someone rejects you, let it drive you back to God. Put your whole heart into knowing and doing God's will. That's what it means to live with a different spirit.

4. Anticipate God’s future blessing. God gave Caleb great honour. He allowed him to lead a successful campaign in the very region he had spied out 45 years earlier. Caleb was able to be the one who fulfilled his own recommendations. And, his memory is preserved in God’s book. (I’ll bet you can’t remember one of the guys who gave the majority report in Numb 13. Although they were big news then they are nothing now.)

Hold on to hope. God has a way of surprising his faithful children. Never assume that an opportunity missed is the worst thing that could happen in your life. God who sees all may intend it for good.

Tie your heart to God’s design. If you get disappointed, chill. He will lift you up in HIS time.

Post Script

According to the majority report back in Numb 13 there were giants in the land too big to defeat (Anakites). When Caleb goes to battle 45 years later as an 85 year old man he takes on that very group of people and inherits the city named after the biggest-badest giant of them all (Josh 14:15). What they said he couldn't do when he was 40 he did when he was 85. You have to laugh. Caleb is vindicated, God is glorified and we can be encourage.

Questions:

• What would you add to this list of insights concerning disappointment?
• How do you deal with unfair things that happen in your life?
• Please leave a comment.

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Invest 5 Seconds in Your Success

Joshua 9:14-22 

“The men of Israel sampled their provisions but did not inquire of the Lord. Then Joshua made a treaty of peace with them … three days after … Joshua summoned the Gibeonites and said, ‘Why did you deceive us …?’”

Before you act, take five seconds and ask God. He knows stuff! And amazingly, he is willing to tell. He knows heaps concerning your circumstances, your future, your real motives and your deep desires. He knows how to direct your path and he wants to do it. He wants to participate in your life as you work through every-day issues.

The bible calls this “inquiring of the Lord”. It means simply asking God for input, advice, wisdom or direction on a regular basis. It is what Paul called praying without ceasing. Failing to “inquire” leaves you half-blind and vulnerable. Joshua can tell you all about that. He jumped in without talking to God and was badly deceived. 

Don’t think that God is going to write an answer in the clouds. But then again, don’t think he will ignore you. He can whisper his promptings into your subconscious. He can open and close doors of direction. He can bring a friend or a book or a briefing paper into your awareness at “just the right time”. He can, and he WILL, get involved if you ask him. And he won’t if you don’t!

Failing to “inquire of the Lord” not only robs you of opportunity, it also diminishes your relationship with God. It is like only kissing your partner good morning one day of the week (and then taking up an offering). God relishes constant conversation and a deepening relationship with us.

This requires a handful of whispered prayers each day. To help you remember, you might scribble “Inquire” at the top of each diary page, each meeting agenda and all your to-do lists. You could encourage your Christian colleagues to jog your memory and “inquire” together at the beginning of new projects. Make it a habit.

It’s not magic. It’s not a guarantee for prosperity. But it is wise. If you are a leader and you fail at this point, Jeremiah has some harsh words for you: “The shepherds are senseless and do not inquire of the LORD; so they do not prosper and all their flock is scattered” (Jer. 10:21). Don't let that happen.

Inquire of the Lord! Save yourself some bother and deepen your friendship with God at the same time.

Questions:

• Do you have a story of successfully "inquiring of the Lord"? Or, of failing to do so? What were the consequences?
• What helps you to consistently "inquire"?
• How would you answer someone's resistance to this idea?
• Please leave a comment.

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Evil Always Gets its Comeuppance!

Psalm 37:1 

“Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong … like green plants they will soon die away.”

It is hard to watch bad people get ahead. It can bring out the worst in us if we are not careful. Sometimes life seems unbalanced and unfair.

When evil people appear to win, David says we can be assured of seven things:

1. Regardless of how it looks at the moment, there is nothing in their lives worth envying. (Ps. 37:1)
2. The power of evil is more frail and temporary than might appear (37:2, 20, 35-36)
3. The perpetrators of evil will be cut off and their power will be broken (37:9, 17)
4. If you react with anger and frustration it is likely to lead to more evil. Choose peace. (37:8, 37)
5. God is “laughing” at the perpetrators knowing that “there day is coming”. You can laugh too. (37:13)
6. Evil eventually turns on its own, it self destructs. (37:15)
7. God delivers the upright from the wicked. (37:23-31, 40)

Don’t despair at the work of evil people. Confront the wrong, pray against wicked acts, weep over the consequences of evil and be an agent of grace. Rehearse the seven realities above and wait for the Lord as you keep his way. “There is a future for the person of peace.” (37:37)

And if you want the best model in the universe, look at Jesus who endured such opposition from evil people. His example will help you not to get weary or to lose heart. (Heb 12:2-3)

Questions

• How do you respond when evil is victorious around you?
• What would you add to this list of seven?
• Please leave a comment.

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Stable Living in an Unstable World

Colossians 1:17

“He [Jesus] is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”

Jesus is the gravity of my spiritual universe! Thank God he does indeed hold all things together.

Reflect on the marvel of gravity. Things stay put, mostly. Furniture remains on the floor and dropped things reliably fall towards the ground. It may not seem like much, but we depend on this constancy to live. Thank you gravity!

Jesus has this same effect on my inner world. The cosmic dimensions of his love and power produce a gravity-like stability in me. That is why I seek to put him first in my diary, my decisions, my interactions and my aspirations. Jesus holds things together. (Col. 1:15-20)

The forces affecting my heart and mind can be volatile and nasty. I can “lay down” a worry or an angry thought and a few moments later it is free floating in my mind again. The tide of my emotions can rise and fall as if 25 moons pull on the oceans of my soul. And achieving life balance is as improbable as tight-rope walking in orbit.

Left to itself, my inner world operates like an alien planet. But when Jesus, my “Morning Star”, defines the orbit and destiny of my life, things in me settle. Being a disciple of Jesus changes me. This is mystery and a marvel.

I don’t pretend to understand it all. Einstein’s explanation of gravity as the curvature of space-time exhausts my brain. But I am a big user of gravity nonetheless. Similarly, Paul’s portrait of a cosmic Jesus leaves me breathless and bewildered. But it doesn’t stop me from experiencing his grace. More understanding will not stabilise your inner world, only trust will do that.

Here are fifteen ways of letting Jesus “hold things together” in your life:

1. Talk to him often in prayer
2. Read the gospels each year
3. Learn and retell stories from his life
4. Memorise his words
5. Obey his words
6. Trust in him
7. Thank him at the end of the day
8. Ask him for advice and help
9. Invite his forgiveness
10. Treat him like a friend
11. Treat him like a judge
12. Tell others about him
13. Expect him to surprise you
14. Understand he holds you, you don’t hold him
15. Expect to meet him face to face one day

Questions

• What is the hardest part of your life to hold together?
• Have you experienced Jesus help holding your life together? How?
• Please leave a comment

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Finding the Courage to Prosper

Joshua 1:9

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Courage is putting your mission ahead of your fears. We are all afraid of many things. But when fear takes the front seat we lose direction and momentum. Having a clear passionate purpose sets you up to succeed. Fear seeks safety. Mission risks and gets results.

To get courage you must have a mission. What summit are you aiming at? What matters to you? The clearer your purpose and the more important it is to you, the greater your capacity for courage will be. If that purpose is tied to God's plans it will have even more capacity to generate courage in you.

Joshua had a purpose. Lead God's people into God's land of promise. Cross the Jordan River and establish Israel's new home. Finish what Moses began. The vision was clear and bold. And, it was a call from God.

Take time to think about your purpose. Are you seeking to leave a legacy through your art, raise Godly children, feed the poor, grow an aspect of your knowledge, develop the best business in your field, mentor a successor, etc.? Work at naming and then sharpening your purpose. Share it with someone you love. Keep at it, it may take years to polish your mission.

To keep courage you must repeatedly choose to put your fear behind your mission. Fear seems to have legs. You send it to the back of the room and before you know it, fear has taken a front seat again. When that happens it is time to re-engage with the your passion for mission. Let your destination (goals) stir you.

Joshua is instructed to meditate on God's laws day and night so he can understand his mission and obey it fully. This constant attention to God's plan was critical to his courage. God promises that this will lead to prosperity and success (Josh 1:8).  

To grow courage you need someone who will put more courage in you, someone to "en"-courage you! We all need people who will help us. Those who invest in our mission, speak well of our efforts and help us to confront and disarm fear, are friends of our courage. 

In Joshua chapter 1, God repeats the charge “Be strong and courageous!” several times. God is not simply Joshua's "boss". God is Joshua's number one fan. He keeps saying (in effect) you can do this son! He invests in the mission with Joshua.

God has the same attitude towards you. He is a champion for your life. He wants to put his courage in you. 

Know your mission, put it out in front of your fears and seek champions for that mission who will pour even more encouragement into you. Get, keep and grow COURAGE!

Questions

• How do you foster courage in your life?
• What does courage allow a person to do? What is the consequent of a lack of courage?
• Please leave a comment. 

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The Art of Acceptance

Romans 15:7

“Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.”

This post is by my friend and GUEST BLOGGER: Mark Conner, Senior Pastor of City Life Church, Melbourne.

The apostle Paul understood the vital importance of healthy relationships in every area of life - with our families at home, with friends, with co-workers in the workplace, with neighbours, and in small groups and serving teams within our church community. In order for us to relate effectively with other people, we need to learn some important skills. One of the most important relationship skills is the art of acceptance.

Paul tells us to accept one another in the same way that Christ accepts us. How did Christ accept us? He loved us and died for us while we were still his enemies and living in a life of sin. He didn’t wait for us to get our act together before he reached out to us. We are to do the same for others.

Jesus had an amazing ability to accept people – all people, just as they were. He treated every person as if they were very important – even those despised by others in his culture, such as beggars, women, and children. Most of us treat people based on the value we place on them. Jesus placed a #10 on everyone; then he treated them that way. What a difference that makes.

In contrast, the Pharisees and the religious leaders of Jesus’ day only accepted people who were like them. Everyone else they kept at a distance. Their attitude was ‘change and then you can come and be with us’ while Jesus’ approach to all people was ‘come as you are and let my grace change you.’ The story of Zacchaeus (Luke 19) is a great example of the power of acceptance in a person’s life.

Jesus told us to love our neighbour as ourselves (Matt.22:39). We all want to be accepted. Let’s do the same for others. Learn how to accept people as they are. Everyone wants to feel worthwhile. People want to feel important. Of course, acceptance does not mean approval of someone's behaviour. Acceptance is not the same as tolerance. Jesus was a friend of sinners without condoning their sin. It is an act of the heart that shows a person’s value and worth.

How do you approach people – with a smile or a frown, with a sense of acceptance or rejection? Let go of condemnation and judgment. Genuinely accept others ... just as they are ... warts and all.

Questions

• Have you ever been accepted when you were expecting rejection? How did it feel? 
• Who do you image would be most likely to fear rejection in a church?
• What are the greatest barriers in your life to becoming more accepting? 
• Please leave a comment.

Visit Mark's Blog at Mark Conner's Space. Thanks for a great guest blog!

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