Good Communication is Essential

In every type of relationship communication is critical. Without clear ideas of what is intended, only assumptions can be drawn by those that are around us. I am finding that the land of assumptions is dangerous ground. Many good things can be happening in a life or an organization and yet without the relay of that information discouragement will still creep in. It is not just what we say, it is a proper understanding received in the minds of the ones we are saying it to, that completes healthy communication. When we do not understand we need to ask the person talking with us "tell me more." When we believe we do understand it is still a good idea to reflect back "is this what I have heard you say to me." If we have doubts about our words being correctly received, what's wrong with asking "do you understand what I am saying?" Simple misunderstandings can blow up into major relational trouble. A failure to be on the same wave length can completely cripple an organization. Do what it takes to communicate with your friends and loved ones. It will save you a bunch of heartache and unnecessary pain. Find out what is expected from you on your job and what you can expect from your employer too. That will make an excellent performance so much easier to render. "Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding." (Proverbs 4:7)

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Sports and Life

It is always interesting to me how many times sports speak about life. The Steelers, my favorite team, had an outstanding 1st half. They were able to capitalize and build a 24-3 lead over the Jets. In the 2nd half things did not go nearly as well. The Jets stormed back outplaying us on both sides of the ball. We fortunately, at least from the perspective of Pittsburgh fans, had a big enough lead to hold on and win the game 24-19. The life lesson is to stock pile as much as you can when the good times are with you. Joseph, by the wisdom of God, did the same thing in ancient Egypt. He told Pharaoh to store up supplies during the years that bumper crops were coming in so that there would be a surplus during the years of famine. That is simply taking advantage of great opportunities while they are with you. We can never assume that good times are always going to roll. Preparing for the rain while the sun is shining is more than common sense. It's Biblical wisdom to save enough to maneuver through harsh times. A pinpoint scripture is found in Proverbs. Proverbs 6:6-8 NIV Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest. That my friends is a wise way to live.

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Loyalty

It's easy to go hip hip hooray for a winner. There is no problem at all for "black and yellow" cheers in the Steel City for our Steelers of today. Those of you that can back to the 60s and before, know that it wasn't always what it is now. Then there are the Pirates of today. They wear "black and yellow" too. They have won championships too. There were times when the Steelers, Pirates, and Penguins were all rollin. We were called "The City of Champions." I was born in Pittsburgh. I was raised in that Steel City mentality. I twirl my Terrible Towel in my living room during the games. I've lived outside of the city in the low country of beautiful South Carolina for nearly 18 years. There is just something about your roots that never leave you. I see the same thing from family and friends that are scattered all over everywhere. My son is in Afghanistan and "black and yellow" is all in his blood. There is an indescribable something that will be a part of the game Sunday night that people who are not familiar with a Pittsburgh upbringing will not understand. By the way, in the summer I will catch a Pirate game at PNC park as well. It's just loyalty. I don't care what their record has been lately. The spiritual point: unless you are born into it, Jesus said you cannot even see the Kingdom of God. The loyalty to the cause of Christ that causes so much misunderstanding to those who are on the outside looking in is explainable. A person can never understand what they have never seen. Those of us that have seen the King have no problem giving Him our allegiance. Those of us that have felt His divine tug on our hearts find it natural to surrender our time, talent, treasure and all to whatever He says we should do. People that are just familiar with religion can never understand that. Loyalty has nothing to do with outward circumstances. Loyalty rises from within. Support your team whoever they may be; that's alright. You ought to know however, kingdoms are clashing. Darkness and light are at odds with each other. Your loyalty, in this Kingdom thing, is going to have eternal consequences so don't get it wrong. When you read the end of the story in the Revelation of Saint John, we already know it is Jesus Christ the King of all kings that is forever declared the winner. My loyalty lies with Him. How about you?

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A Way For Our Little Ones

Ezra 8:21 Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river of Ahava, that we might afflict ourselves before our God, to seek of him a right way for us, and for our little ones, and for all our substance.

In Ezra 8:21 the people were greatly concerned for themselves and their little ones. They were so concerned that they began to fast and pray. In the political scene, we hear about the financial deficit we have left to the next generation. The question I have is what about the moral, spiritual deficit we have left for them? The vulgar, profane language that is offensive to God and used to be offensive to us, is common to them. The violence of gun play is so ordinary we expect to hear about shootings and robberies daily. Sexually explicit material that used to make us blush is freely portrayed through every form of communication out here. Many of our churches are in such poor spiritual condition that a presentation of the right path is not guaranteed to come from there either. Time is moving us toward a very definite end called judgment and we don't seem to be the least bit interested. If quality of life starts with the spiritual, and I certainly believe it does, than what we are leaving for our children and grandchildren is inexcusable. The only breath of fresh air we have in this crisis is it is not too late. We can still turn the tide with prayer intensified by fasting. The right path that we have all but forsaken can be chosen and traveled by those that come after us. There is good news in the events that Ezra records and there can be for us too. Ezra 8:23 So we fasted and petitioned our God about this, and he answered our prayer. God does answer prayer; especially when intensified with fasting. Do we care enough about us and our little ones to fast and pray? If we do we can see a change where it matters most.

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The Ordinary In An Extraordinary Way

Life is not just about making the most of big opportunities. Sometimes great momentum comes from doing the little things in a big way. We have very little control over when a big break may come. They are few and far between. Everyday however, we have a multitude of little things that we can put our best into. We can be wise with our little choices. We can be excellent in the little things nobody else will even see us do. We can be diligent with our small daily plan. We can put our best into the things we knock off our to do lists. If the big thing never comes, doing little things well means we have maximized our personal situation. If the big break does occur, our attention to detail will make us all the more prepared for it. 1 Corinthians 10:31 says "Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God,..." Those are strong words to live by.

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Knowing God Through The Spirit

We can gain quite a bit of insight from what we read in the Bible. The ultimate test of truth in any arena of life is the written Word of God. There are many things that we can pick up from observing other people. It is undoubtedly valid that persons further down the road of experience than we, can teach us without even knowing they are doing so. I have learned a ton from just simply watching people that I admire. Having said those things, there is a greater reality in terms of our knowing God which cannot be picked up in either of the ways I have mentioned above. Mental knowledge and experience in spiritual things are not the same. Our bodies are literally temples of the Holy Spirit. To put it another way, God dwells inside of us and He can be personally known. The first step in this practical, actual, experiential relationship with God is faith. We must really believe that when Jesus said the Holy Spirit would dwell in us that He was talking about something real. God made the universe and He is all around us; but He also is a Spirit that has chosen to make His home inside of us. If we cannot cling to that reality by faith, as true as it is, we will never experience the power of it. The next step is simply becoming familiar with Him. He is relational. He can be grieved by our poor, ungodly behavior. He can be quenched by our reluctance to yield to His lead. He can also be intimately known as we take the time to sense and understand Him. There is not a friend, or loved one in your life that you did not have to take the time to grow relationally with. The Spirit of God must be learned through the development of a relationship. When you read the Word listen to hear what the Spirit wants to emphasize. When you pray and pour out all your requests, take some time to listen and see if the Spirit has something to say to you. He is the Great Revealer. His assignment is to lead us. How can that happen if He is not personally known? Believe He is there deep within you. Take the time to become acquainted with Him. You will be glad you did.

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Steel Will

I happen to be a huge Steeler fan and so the point I want to make today is not only relevant, it's fun. When down in the first half 21 - 7 things did not look very good. When in a must convert 3rd and 19 situation in the closing minutes of the game, once again things were pretty bleak. The championship pedigree of the Steel town crew prevailed. Victory was the outcome because of the determination of a team that just simply would not give up. It just so happened that a big play with flawless execution, facing that 3rd and 19 mentioned earlier, was the difference in the game. Life can be similar to athletic competition. We can make huge mistakes which can put us in the hole. We can then chose to give up, or we can keep on fighting until the final horn sounds. If you and I are still on top of the ground and not lying in a grave then we still have time to execute a big play. If there is no opportunity for a big play than grind it out bit by bit. Perseverance in football as well as in life is a valuable asset. Don't give up, or give in. Keep on pressing until the resistance breaks. Many times the determining factor in a thing is who will quit. The Bible says it like this: "And let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we shall reap if we do not grow weary." (Galatians 6:9)

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A Rewarding Discipline

There are great rewards to the discipline of fasting. Moses received the Ten Commandments while he was fasting for forty days. The fellowship on Mount Sinai was so sweet that at the close of this session with God his face was shining. The evil plot to destroy the Jewish people in Shushan was reversed by the power of God after a three day fast initiated by Esther. Nehemiah was granted favor from the king, materials to complete an expensive task, and letters ensuring safe passage to Jerusalem. All of that happened after a season of fasting and prayer. There are many other examples that could be given, but I think the point has been made. I don't know why there is power in fasting and it really doesn't matter. The Lord responds to our faith that is intensified somehow through fasting. We will find some of our most precious times with God will come through this discipline. Everything does not have to make sense to us to work. Prayer with fasting yields rewards. The only way to know that is to do it.

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An Action that Speaks Louder Than Words

Fasting is a practical way to show our stomachs that God really is in charge of us. That sounds like a strange thing to say, but when we examine the Word we find that the stomach is a challenger to God's authority. In paradise the temptation Eve faced was fruit from a tree that was "...good for food and pleasant to the eyes..." She ate the fruit disregarding the direct command of God to leave that particular fruit alone. In the Jacob and Esau story the stomach brought chaos into the household. Isaac loved Esau more because of the venison he prepared. Esau valued a pot of stew more than his birthright. Then of course there is Jesus. When tempted to turn stones into bread, which obviously He could have accomplished; He said "...man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God." Job expressed the same thought like this: "I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food." We should be more hungry for God than anything else including food. One practical way to prove that to ourselves is to fast.

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A Bedrock Issue

When it comes to spiritual things these days there is much discussion about overcoming obstacles. We hear allot about gaining abundance. We are coached up on the rewards of wonderful relationships. The development of creativity is highly prized. All of these themes are important, but there is the strange absence of a bedrock theme in the discussions of our times. It may not be popular to think on the separation that God requires of His own, but it is forever true. The declaration from Leviticus 11:45 is, "For I am the Lord who brought you up from the land of Egypt to be your God; thus you shall be holy, for I am holy." This is further established in 1 Peter 1:16 as a New Testament principle; "because it is written, 'You shall be holy, for I am holy.'" Holiness is simply being set apart for God's purposes. We belong to God and so we are to commit ourselves to do everything His way. If we really believed in the importance of this bedrock issue things would be much different in our homes, churches and society at large. There are too many people today that want to be double agents. They wish to love the Lord and be popular in a sinful world at the same time. Don't lower your lifestyle to the lukewarm standards of our age. Set your heart on God and let everything else flow out of your relationship with Him. He has made it clear what He is looking for.

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A Clean Heart

Is there a better way to start off a New Year than with a clean heart? Is there a better way for us to impact our friends and loved ones, in these difficult days, than by acting from the motives produced by a clean heart? There is no doubt that we have not closed out 2010 with an unblemished record. There were things that we would undo if we could. We know however, we can't go back and change anything. One of the beautiful things about our Heavenly Father is the way He offers us the ability to begin again. We can have a clean slate. We can create the next chapter without having to overwrite new things on old mess. David prayed after a miserable failure in his life. His cry in Psalm 51:10 was "Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me." Before too much time passes in 2011, pray a similar prayer from your own heart. I have. I don't ever want to smear the new things God intends to do for me on top of old mess.

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