Hello! Several of you asked about the video clip shown in this weekend's message.
It is a powerful reminder to me of how different our world can be when we learn to think differently. Sometimes as countries, groups, or individuals, we get used to hearing the same words about ourselves over and over until we believe them to be true. Too often, these "truths" are only negative language that we have learned to accept as reality. The exciting TRUTH is that God has great plans for each and every one of us. As we are reminded in Romans 12:2, 'let God transform you by changing the way you think!' One of the greatest keys to knowing and following God is learning to think and see life as He does. Is it time to turn your thinking upside-down?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFz5jbUfJbk
This is the truth:
For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11
For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. Psalm 139:13, 14
"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?" Matthew 6:25, 26
Praise the Lord, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits-- who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's. Psalm 103:1-5
This is the truth! May you experience God's blessing as you journey on.
Nick
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Friday, April 13, 2007
Distinguishing Between Sounds
The other day, I had the opportunity to take a run/hike in the beautiful Columbia River Gorge near Multnomah Falls. As any of you know who have visited the area, this is beautiful country. The rush of the falls, the lush green forest, and the views up and down the river are all awe inspiring. In my mind, though, some of the best views are discovered beyond the falls themselves. A steep climb to the top of the falls will take you to higher country, where the rushing stream cascades over several more waterfalls. These picturesque scenes were the perfect backdrop for a cool morning outing.
I had a unique experience on the way back. When you come down from the high country, there is a small ridge you must cross to descend back into the Columbia River Gorge. As I came to the top of this ridge, the sound of the rushing stream behind me gave way to a new sound- the rush of the freeway below in the river gorge. It struck me how similar these two sounds are. If you weren't paying much attention, the steady buzz of the river and the highway would be almost indistinguishable. In my mind, the natural beauty of God's creation was being mimicked by what man had made.
It came to me that this is a frequent occurrence in our lives. We live in a world that offers us this constant balance of what God has created and what man has made. And if we're not paying attention, it is easy to exchange one for the other. God in his wisdom and goodness has given us the gifts of marriage and sexual intimacy. Man has given us exploitative images and one night stands. God invites us to experience purpose and meaning through knowing Him. Man offers the illusion of purpose through accumulation and achievement. God offers rest and peace through reflection and stillness. Man has promised relaxation with bigger boats or better spa treatments.
And in every case, what man has made is usually easier to come by and more readily available. The rush of the freeway is available just a few miles from my front door. In order to hear the rush of a mountain stream, I have to go there. It takes effort to leave the freeway and climb to the top of the falls. And yet that experience, of entering in to God's creation, was more satisfying by far.
So, are we listening? Are we learning to distinguish between the noise of culture around us and the gentle music of God's grace around us, made evident in His creation? If you're having a hard time recognizing the difference between the real life God offers, and the mimicking of man, then go to the source. Discover again the richness of God's plan in His Word. Sit in stillness and enjoy the beauty of His creation. Reflect on the joy you find in your heart when you trust in Him above all things. And don't be afraid to leave the buzzing freeway to sit beside the rushing stream.
Journey in the grace of a good Creator.
Nick
I had a unique experience on the way back. When you come down from the high country, there is a small ridge you must cross to descend back into the Columbia River Gorge. As I came to the top of this ridge, the sound of the rushing stream behind me gave way to a new sound- the rush of the freeway below in the river gorge. It struck me how similar these two sounds are. If you weren't paying much attention, the steady buzz of the river and the highway would be almost indistinguishable. In my mind, the natural beauty of God's creation was being mimicked by what man had made.
It came to me that this is a frequent occurrence in our lives. We live in a world that offers us this constant balance of what God has created and what man has made. And if we're not paying attention, it is easy to exchange one for the other. God in his wisdom and goodness has given us the gifts of marriage and sexual intimacy. Man has given us exploitative images and one night stands. God invites us to experience purpose and meaning through knowing Him. Man offers the illusion of purpose through accumulation and achievement. God offers rest and peace through reflection and stillness. Man has promised relaxation with bigger boats or better spa treatments.
And in every case, what man has made is usually easier to come by and more readily available. The rush of the freeway is available just a few miles from my front door. In order to hear the rush of a mountain stream, I have to go there. It takes effort to leave the freeway and climb to the top of the falls. And yet that experience, of entering in to God's creation, was more satisfying by far.
So, are we listening? Are we learning to distinguish between the noise of culture around us and the gentle music of God's grace around us, made evident in His creation? If you're having a hard time recognizing the difference between the real life God offers, and the mimicking of man, then go to the source. Discover again the richness of God's plan in His Word. Sit in stillness and enjoy the beauty of His creation. Reflect on the joy you find in your heart when you trust in Him above all things. And don't be afraid to leave the buzzing freeway to sit beside the rushing stream.
Journey in the grace of a good Creator.
Nick
Friday, March 30, 2007
Finding a Still Center
Many persons, ordained or not, live in a fairly constant state of noise, with their unresolved past and the uncertain present breaking in on them. They lack a still center and it is only for such a quiet point that we can listen attentively. -Urban T. Holmes, Spirituality for Ministry
I've been reflecting quite a bit today on the implications of this quote. I don't know about you, but I know that I live a life that is filled with "the uncertain present." Our world is moving so fast and so much is happening around us that it can be difficult to get our bearings and know who we are in the middle of it all. For me, my life is wrapped up in many things- being a seminary student, a track coach, a pastor, a loving husband and father, a friend- the list could go on. In the midst of all these activities and roles that I play, I wonder about who I really am. Am I by nature a coach? Is that mentoring role where I find my still center? This seems too peripheral a response. Am I by nature a husband and a father? While these are certainly more noble pursuits in my mind, they still come short of defining that still center.
For me, and for so many of you on this journey, that still center is found in one place only- being a loved son or daughter who lives under the grace of an Almighty God. As I reflect on that role, I realize that it demands little from me, in the sense that I cannot perform or work hard enough to belong to God. In another sense, however, I realize that this role requires everything of me. In order to truly live in the still center with God, I must give myself completely. If I am only part His, and part everyone else's, then I fail to discover that center all together.
Today, I want to live as a centered person- that in the midst of all that happens around me, I know who I am at my core. For it is from this still and uncompromising center that we are able to truly live.
May you experience more of God today as you journey on.
Nick
I've been reflecting quite a bit today on the implications of this quote. I don't know about you, but I know that I live a life that is filled with "the uncertain present." Our world is moving so fast and so much is happening around us that it can be difficult to get our bearings and know who we are in the middle of it all. For me, my life is wrapped up in many things- being a seminary student, a track coach, a pastor, a loving husband and father, a friend- the list could go on. In the midst of all these activities and roles that I play, I wonder about who I really am. Am I by nature a coach? Is that mentoring role where I find my still center? This seems too peripheral a response. Am I by nature a husband and a father? While these are certainly more noble pursuits in my mind, they still come short of defining that still center.
For me, and for so many of you on this journey, that still center is found in one place only- being a loved son or daughter who lives under the grace of an Almighty God. As I reflect on that role, I realize that it demands little from me, in the sense that I cannot perform or work hard enough to belong to God. In another sense, however, I realize that this role requires everything of me. In order to truly live in the still center with God, I must give myself completely. If I am only part His, and part everyone else's, then I fail to discover that center all together.
Today, I want to live as a centered person- that in the midst of all that happens around me, I know who I am at my core. For it is from this still and uncompromising center that we are able to truly live.
May you experience more of God today as you journey on.
Nick
Friday, March 23, 2007
The Confluence of Life
Isn't that a great word? I actually had to look it up to make sure I'm using it right, but confluence means "a flowing together or gathering of events." I'm amazed at the number of times in my life it feels like there is a "confluence of events" where different pieces of the day come together in a remarkable way. I find that this is often how God speaks to me- in the random components of life that suddenly don't seem so random. Does this ever happen for you?
I've been reflecting lately on a podcast I picked up from Mars Hill church in Grand Rapids, MI. The pastor, Rob Bell, was giving a talk from the book of Exodus and he spent some time highlighting the way in which God fed the people- bread from heaven. This bread would come down every day, and the people were to gather as much as they needed for that day. I find it humorous how the NLT version of the Bible describes their next activity: "But, of course, some of them didn't listen and kept some of it until morning." The Israelites figured that they should get as much as they could so they could live off of it for awhile. The next morning, however, they found that their heavenly bread had become less than heavenly; maggot-ridden and rotten smelling. Yuck!
Here's the confluence of life. The next morning, I was pulling out my journal, and rather shamefully discovered that it had been quite some time since I had last written. I found this a little frightening because my journal is a good barometer of how often I have stopped to really think deeply- to consider who God is and what he's doing in my life. And so I sat there and wondered about the effects of my rushed life over the last few weeks and my unwillingness to stop and be with God. Suddenly, the message from the podcast came to my mind. God had promised to give his people what they needed for each day, but not enough for the next. I realized that I was living like my heavenly bread would last. I had gathered well one day, and then attempted to live off of that sustenance for the rest of the week. As I reflected on a week that had felt frantic and where I had felt heavily burdened, I wondered if I hadn't suffered the effects of "maggot-ridden bread."
In some way, we may find it frustrating that God only promises to give us enough for each day. Wouldn't it be easier if he was like a holy gas station, where we fueled up and then ran on that gas for several weeks or even a month? But then we'd miss the point. You see, in the desert, God wasn't just trying to feed the Israelites. He was trying to teach them to depend on Him for everything- every day and in every way. Throughout the Bible, He's a day by day kind of God. We're told not to worry about tomorrow, for today has enough trouble. We're told that God's love and mercy is new every morning. We're told not to make promises about what will happen tomorrow, because we've only been given today. Essentially, God is calling people to know Him in this day, and then tomorrow do it all over again.
I wonder how often we get so busy that we try to live off of day-old maggot-ridden bread, and as a result our souls face a slow death. What would it be like to become a "daily collector" of heavenly bread? What would it be like to go to God every day not out of debt, duty, or guilt, but out of a profound sense of our need, a profound sense of our hunger for Him?
May these questions cause you to stop and reflect on your journey.
Nick
I've been reflecting lately on a podcast I picked up from Mars Hill church in Grand Rapids, MI. The pastor, Rob Bell, was giving a talk from the book of Exodus and he spent some time highlighting the way in which God fed the people- bread from heaven. This bread would come down every day, and the people were to gather as much as they needed for that day. I find it humorous how the NLT version of the Bible describes their next activity: "But, of course, some of them didn't listen and kept some of it until morning." The Israelites figured that they should get as much as they could so they could live off of it for awhile. The next morning, however, they found that their heavenly bread had become less than heavenly; maggot-ridden and rotten smelling. Yuck!
Here's the confluence of life. The next morning, I was pulling out my journal, and rather shamefully discovered that it had been quite some time since I had last written. I found this a little frightening because my journal is a good barometer of how often I have stopped to really think deeply- to consider who God is and what he's doing in my life. And so I sat there and wondered about the effects of my rushed life over the last few weeks and my unwillingness to stop and be with God. Suddenly, the message from the podcast came to my mind. God had promised to give his people what they needed for each day, but not enough for the next. I realized that I was living like my heavenly bread would last. I had gathered well one day, and then attempted to live off of that sustenance for the rest of the week. As I reflected on a week that had felt frantic and where I had felt heavily burdened, I wondered if I hadn't suffered the effects of "maggot-ridden bread."
In some way, we may find it frustrating that God only promises to give us enough for each day. Wouldn't it be easier if he was like a holy gas station, where we fueled up and then ran on that gas for several weeks or even a month? But then we'd miss the point. You see, in the desert, God wasn't just trying to feed the Israelites. He was trying to teach them to depend on Him for everything- every day and in every way. Throughout the Bible, He's a day by day kind of God. We're told not to worry about tomorrow, for today has enough trouble. We're told that God's love and mercy is new every morning. We're told not to make promises about what will happen tomorrow, because we've only been given today. Essentially, God is calling people to know Him in this day, and then tomorrow do it all over again.
I wonder how often we get so busy that we try to live off of day-old maggot-ridden bread, and as a result our souls face a slow death. What would it be like to become a "daily collector" of heavenly bread? What would it be like to go to God every day not out of debt, duty, or guilt, but out of a profound sense of our need, a profound sense of our hunger for Him?
May these questions cause you to stop and reflect on your journey.
Nick
Wednesday, March 07, 2007
The Power to Remember
I just thought I'd share an insight from my reading this morning.
When we reflect on the nation of Israel in the Old Testament, it's easy to be critical of how fickle and rebellious they were towards God. From our perspective, we might say that their major problem was a heart attitude; deep down they just didn't want to follow or obey God. Interestingly enough, the Old Testament, particularly the Psalms, give us a different picture of the malady they faced. Psalm 78:10 gives a typical description of how Israel went astray,
They did not keep God's covenant,
and they refused to live by His law.
That sounds plain and simple enough. But the next verse is revealing, as it seems to answer the question, "Why?" Why did they not keep His covenant?
They FORGOT what he had done. (vs. 11)
And again a few verses later,
They forgot about His power...They forgot about His miraculous signs. (vs. 42, 43)
The Israelites plunged themselves into sin and rebellion primarily because they forgot about God! They forgot about His presence, His power, and His provision for them. As their vision of the Divine faded from view, their eyes turned to other things, and soon they were lost in the worship of other so called gods.
But in this passage comes one glimmer of hope; one flash of hope that they might get things right:
Then they REMEMBERED that God was their rock,
that their redeemer was the Most High. (vs. 35)
Unfortunately this awakening was short lived and the very next verse says they only honored God with their words and so fell back into rebellion. But I don't want to miss the point here. Could it be that one of the most spiritual things we do is simply to REMEMBER? To remember God's presence and think about him all through the day?
C.S. Lewis seemed to agree. In his book Letters to Malcom: Cheifly on Prayer, he said, "The real labor is to remember, to attend. In fact, to come awake. Still more, to remain awake." What Lewis was saying in this brief quote was that we don't find God by escaping from life and world around us, but by recognizing God within life and the world around us. As we are constantly aware of Him even in our routine and our common world, we come to know Him in a deeper, more profound way.
So now, may you be awake today; awake and aware to God who surrounds you at all times.
Remember Him on your journey.
Nick
When we reflect on the nation of Israel in the Old Testament, it's easy to be critical of how fickle and rebellious they were towards God. From our perspective, we might say that their major problem was a heart attitude; deep down they just didn't want to follow or obey God. Interestingly enough, the Old Testament, particularly the Psalms, give us a different picture of the malady they faced. Psalm 78:10 gives a typical description of how Israel went astray,
They did not keep God's covenant,
and they refused to live by His law.
That sounds plain and simple enough. But the next verse is revealing, as it seems to answer the question, "Why?" Why did they not keep His covenant?
They FORGOT what he had done. (vs. 11)
And again a few verses later,
They forgot about His power...They forgot about His miraculous signs. (vs. 42, 43)
The Israelites plunged themselves into sin and rebellion primarily because they forgot about God! They forgot about His presence, His power, and His provision for them. As their vision of the Divine faded from view, their eyes turned to other things, and soon they were lost in the worship of other so called gods.
But in this passage comes one glimmer of hope; one flash of hope that they might get things right:
Then they REMEMBERED that God was their rock,
that their redeemer was the Most High. (vs. 35)
Unfortunately this awakening was short lived and the very next verse says they only honored God with their words and so fell back into rebellion. But I don't want to miss the point here. Could it be that one of the most spiritual things we do is simply to REMEMBER? To remember God's presence and think about him all through the day?
C.S. Lewis seemed to agree. In his book Letters to Malcom: Cheifly on Prayer, he said, "The real labor is to remember, to attend. In fact, to come awake. Still more, to remain awake." What Lewis was saying in this brief quote was that we don't find God by escaping from life and world around us, but by recognizing God within life and the world around us. As we are constantly aware of Him even in our routine and our common world, we come to know Him in a deeper, more profound way.
So now, may you be awake today; awake and aware to God who surrounds you at all times.
Remember Him on your journey.
Nick
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