Advent - The Sacrifice

Imagine waiting and waiting and waiting to receive your gift in the mail.  You've been checking the status daily waiting for the elusive "your purchase has shipped message" so you can get a tracking number.  Then you start tracking the package as it moves from facility to facility getting closer and closer.  Finally!  It arrives!  And then you dad tells you that you can open it and play with it once, but then he is going to take it back.  What a rip!!!  How can he be so cruel!!!!!
God had promised Abraham a son and told him that a great nation would come through this son.  After so many years, Isaac is finally born and it seems like the promise is coming true.
Then ...
God tells Abraham, "sacrifice your son to me".  Wow.  At the end of the story, God provides a sacrifice in place of Isaac, but Abraham followed through, trusting in God.

So Abraham called that place The LORD Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided.”

How are you at following even when it doesn't make sense?  That's a tough one.  But, God is faithful.  Do you trust him?

Today's Advent reading: Gen 22:1-14

Advent - God in Tough Places - the "F" word

It's not fair!  Those words are absolutely forbidden in our house.  In fact, we refer to "fair" as "the f_ word."  Ever notice how when we say something is unfair, we are rarely talking about someone else's loss or disadvantage?  Usually what we mean by "it's not fair" is that we didn't get our way or someone else got something we perceive to be better than what we got. 
There is so much that seems to be unfair.  Where is God when things get tough?  So many things are at work in the background, that we often can't see the forest for the trees.  Sometimes we can look back on an event with the perspective of time and find some meaning or purpose in it.  Sometimes it remains a mystery - forever.
No matter the circumstance, you can always be sure that it's not fair.  God always loves you no matter what you do or don't do - no matter how unlovable you are.  That's not fair, but I sure do like it!

Today's Advent reading: Gen 37:1-36, Gen 50:15-21

Advent - Timing Is Everythng

God promissed Abram that he would be the father of a great nation, that his descendants would be numbered as the stars.  But Abraham and Sarah had grown old waiting for God to fulfill his promise.

"You promised!"  All my children went through this phase.  Closely associated with it is "You said ..."  And sometimes they were right.  I have over-promised and under-delivered from time to time.  God, however, never fails, but we often misunderstand his timimg.

Kinda like Gandalf's quote as he arrives at Bilbo's birthday party:

A wizard is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to.

Peter says it this way:

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. 2Pet 3:9

Today's Advent reading: Gen 21:1-7

Advent - Abram's Faith

Then he believed in the LORD; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness.

Gen 15:6

Abram believed.  Yep, that was it.  He believed.

But ...

Not it the sense of, "I believe that the sun is 93 million miles from the earth," or "I believe I'll have some of that there pistachio icecream," or, even, "I believe that God could if He wanted too."  It was a belief that compelled Abram to fully rely on Him.  Our belief resembles the classic, "I believe you can push me across the tightrope over Niagara Falls in a wheelbarrow, but I'm not getting in it!"

What does your belief compel you to do?  Get in the wheelbarrow!

Today's Advent reading: Gen 15:1-6

Advent - The Fall

“For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”   Gen 3:5

We all want things our way.  We want what we want, when we want, how we want and nothing better get in the way!  In our rebellion, we lose sight of everything outside of ourselves.  Yet,  even with all our self-centered, self-absorbed pettiness, He still loves us.

"And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel." Gen 3:15

But even in the midst of our self-serving tantrums, God still pursues us.  Just at the moment when judgement and condemnation seem to be in order, God says, "But it won't always be this way".  He loves you and me, inspite of ourselves.

Go figure.

Today's Reading: Genesis 3:1-19

Advent Reflection - Creation

So God created mankind in his own image, 
   in the image of God he created them; 
   male and female he created them.

Genesis 1:26-31

We are made in the image of God!  God created us and He loves His creation.  From Genesis 1 to Revelation 22 the story of His love for mankind unfolds in unbelievable grace and mercy.  Through the Advent season, look for the manifestations of His love through the scripture readings, Christmas carols, special services and activities.  You are dearly loved by the God of all creation!

Burned Out, Out of Balance or Bad Boundaries

Recently, I was asked this question:

You and Laura are so much to so many...and you have been a part of the church for a long time. How do you avoid/overcome church or spiritual burnout?

At times, not well ...
 I did suffer through a very serious period of depression that was directly related to ministry. I think I understand how to avoid it now, but I am not yet convinced that I will.
There is no "burnout" in the "trust and obey". Burnout comes in the artificial aspects of ministry that we heap upon the more organic call of Christ to simply walk in the manner in which we are called is no burden. To meet the expectations we or others place on ourself is the overwhelming burden. It is the difference that comes with understanding that "I can do all things through Christ" and at the same time knowing that I am not called to do all things.
Probably the best understanding comes from Cloud and Townsends "Boundaries". Being able to distinguish my responsibilities from yours and my responsibilities from God. Usually the issue is an identity crisis. I know I am James Freeman, but I want to be God.
When I begin to see the signs and symptoms of "burnout" approaching, I go back to the old mantra that helped bring me out of depression, "I am the one that Jesus loves and in Him I am enough!" I spend more time with Him simply as His child rather than His servant and things return to their natural balance. Keep in mind that this is very difficult relationally, because you have to give up some things you should have never taken in the first place and the people involved with those things don't want to see them go undone by you.
Of course, that is my mantra, suited to my own personal set of insecurities. Each person has to dig into their own heart to find their deepest area of need. Or better, ask our Father in Heaven to do the digging - "search me and know my innermost being ..."  The reason why we spin out of balance is unique to each of us.
Laura's answer would be completely different. You should ask her. In all likelihood, she will reveal that I am not doing as well at it as I think ;p
As I wait upon the Lord, He renews my strength, I can run effortlessly the race marked out before me, it's like I have wings ...

Do We Believe or Don't We

The classic definition of education is behavior modification.  What we learn should somehow affect how we live.  Yet there seems to be almost no connection between our faith and our life.  We seem to be okay with God is sovereign, the Bible is His word, I really should study it and know what it says, but it really doesn't matter if I live it.
It's like having Jillian Michaels for your personal trainer.  You listen to her about exercise and nutrition, learn how to exercise properly, gain a complete understanding of the interplay between healthy lifestyle and physical health and then sit on the couch watching Gilligan's Island and Brady Bunch reruns eating Twinkies and MooseTrax icecream and get pissed off at Jillian because nothing changed.
We see how ridiculous that is, but how is that any different than the way we treat God?  He told us so many things through scripture for our own good, but we ignore them and live life on our own terms leaving a wake of destruction in our path and then blame God for all the crises and drama in our lives and wonder why He is treating us this way.
Maybe if we listen to the words He has to say and put them into practice, when the storms come (which they always do) we would find ourselves still standing when they pass none the worse for wear for our harrowing experience.
The video is an excerpt from XPerience on Sunday, Sept 11, 2011.

Without ceasing?!?

The idea of praying without ceasing is a difficult one to wrap my head around.  I mean, how long can you keep you head bowed before you get a serious crick in it?

There's a story I once read on the internet that sheds some light on the issue:

A group of theology professors were debating the efficacy of pray within the sovereignty of God and the meaning of "pray without ceasing".  Obviously it had to mean something other the most direct interpretation.  After all, no one can continually pray, there are other aspects of life.  Finally, they settled on the concept that to "pray without ceasing" is an ideal we strive for, but never attain in this life.

Just then a cleaning woman comes in and one of them asks her, "Do you think anyone can pray without ceasing?"  She replies, "Of course!  When I first wake up in the morning I thank God for the new day and ask Him to direct me in a path that is pleasing to Him.  When I put my feet on the floor I thank Him for the health he has given me and I pray for those that I know are ill.  As I pick up my Bible for my morning devotion I ask Him to open my mind to understand, and my heart to want to do what I read in His book.  When I lay it down I ask Him to show me where His word applies in my life and relationships as I go through my day.  When I take a shower I thank Him for his provisions of my home and running water and electricity that puts me among the wealthiest 10% in the whole world.  As I prepare my breakfast I thank Him for His generous provision that is so far beyond what most people in the world have and ask Him to provide for those in need of the basic necessities of life.  And on and on through my day.  Everything offers me a chance to continue my conversation with Him!"

Sometimes I think we over think things a bit in order to give us a way out.  Maybe it does mean exactly what it says - "pray without ceasing."

Just sayin' ...

Edwin L. Freeman Obituary

Edwin L. Freeman Obituary: View Edwin Freeman's Obituary by The Herald

At the memorial service in Boston, Georgia, I spoke of my father's life as a servant.

Mat 5:16 - "Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in Heaven."

I don't think I have ever heard this verse used in a memorial service and I didn't see it on any of the "list of memorial scriptures", but it seemed the most appropriate for dad. He was truly the definition of servant.

On of his favorite movies was "Remains of the Day". There is one scene where Anthony Hopkins character is out on the hunt with the master of the house. His master is just sitting on a horse conversing with another huntsman and Hopkins is standing in the drizzle with a cup upheld just in case his master wanted to drink. Winston Churchill said, "Those also serve who ready stand in wait." Dad was always ready, but he rarely stood. He was always serving.

Her served his family. He provided, sometimes through three jobs. And so, we learned the value of hard work. He could and did fix anything. Some of the most dreaded words came when we would ask him to replace something and he would respond with "I can fix that". We just wanted a new one and instead we ended up with a fully functional, however very ugly, repair. And so, we learned to be content with what we had. He helped people. I remember a time when he had sold a van to a woman. The next week, she called. The van had broken down. We went to pick up the van and he gave her the money back. And so, we learned to help people even when it hurt.

He served his church. Every church he has ever attended recognized that he was a man full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom (Acts 6:3). He became a councilor to every pastor he sat under. He served as Sunday School director and deacon, building , maintenance and sound committees and just took care of things whether he was on the committee or not. And so, we learned the value of church family.

In all of this, he served his god. As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord (Josh 24:15). His house served the Lord, but it was not by command or coercion. He led us by example, service and love. And so, we learned that service of God is no burden, but an expression of love.

I miss him.