Revitalize Your Church

Sometimes people avoid reality by praying for painless miracles when they should be dealing honestly with their situation.   " Watch and pray," Jesus said (Matthew 26:41).  To illustrate this point, Anthony de Mello relates the following tale in The Song of the Bird : The old man dearly loved his after-dinner pipe. One night his wife smelled something burning and shouted, "For heaven's sake, Pa!  You've set your whiskers on fire!" "I know it," answered the old man angrily. "Can't you see I'm praying for rain?" Image credit: Old Man Praying , artist Julian Falat

Having problems? Then be happy, because it means you are alive. The only folks in town with no problems are those in the graveyard who have gone to heaven. Any time you attempt something worthwhile, you're going to run into troubles. They come with the territory of progress. Forward movement always brings friction and resistance. These problems in our lives are there to test our resolve and resilience. Here are a few helpful principles for facing life's difficulties: 1. Big problems are reserved for big people.    The person who desires to go forward with life and aim high will have bigger problems than the one who just sits around doing nothing and watching the world go by.  The rewards are bigger, too -- and definitely worth the struggle. 2. Big plans bring big problems. God gives us the vision of what He can accomplish through us. Sometimes, His vision is accompanies by big plans and big problems. One guarantee: If God supplies the vision, He will put a PR...

Strong winds blew down a swath of trees -- leaving jagged trunks jutting from the earth.   Driving by a few days later, we shook our heads and sadly recalled how beautiful the land used to  be.   I grumbled against the wind.   Good hearted loggers tried to clean it up a bit -- by clearing some of the windfall. Their honest efforts,  however, seemed more an invasion of nature than a healing. Their cuttings left deep scars, cold and  stark.   I drove by, shook my head, and grumbled against the loggers.   The burning followed. How the fire started is still a puzzle -- perhaps a lightening strike, an engine  spark, or a careless cigarette. Regardless of the start, it took the firefighting volunteers a full effort for  the finish. Acres of charred stubble marred the landscape.   I grumbled against the fire.   But passing time has a way of healing scarred soil and human hearts. From blackened ground, new ...

I have some bad news and good news. The bad news is that you are going to have big troubles.  It's pretty much a guarantee that problems are headed your way.  Sometime, somehow, somewhere, you are going to experience difficulty. Problems are a part of the human experience.  We shouldn't be so surprised when they show up. The good news is that you don't have to let your troubles get the best of you.  If you process them right, you will grow and become a better as a result. A few years ago, a buddy of mine called and told me his wife left him.  This terrible ordeal was the most painful and discouraging period of his life.   Someone else made an unfortunate choice that caused his life to crash. I was impressed with how he handled this heartwrenching situation.  Instead of caving into dispair and giving up on life, he decided to become a railroad engineer. Even from early childhood, he always wanted to drive a train.  But, li...

I sat in the woods one day, with pen in hand, and open journal, pondering deep spiritual matters, reflecting on the meaning of life and hoping for a burst of inspiration. Instead, I got a mosquito. The pesky little critter buzzed in my ears and bit me! Frustrated, I sputtered, swatted and swung, but the illusive insect must have taken flying lessons from the Red Baron. He dodged me every time. Arrrgh! My tranquility evaporated. How could I possibly contemplate life's deepest meanings, when bombarded by such nuisance? About seven bites later, I finally triumphed. The weary warrior paused for a moment to catch his breath and rest his wings. Giant fighting is hard work, you know. The unfortunate bug came in for a landing right on my open journal. THWACKK!! I slammed the pages together -- and the pesky mosquito was dispatched. I'm sure his relatives would be glad to know he didn't suffer. The little fellow didn't even know what hit him. He started in ...

The noted philosopher, Thomas Carlyle, dressed to speak before a large audience, was walking out the door when his mother spoke to him. "And where might you be going, Thomas?" she asked. "I'm going to tell the people what's wrong with the world." "Aye, Thomas," his mother responded, "But are you going to tell them what to do about it?" It doesn't take a genius to realize that there are a lot of problems in this world. Any simpleton can point out what's wrong. There are flaws and shortcomings in every organization, family, and individual. If you're looking for faults - you'll find them. They're everywhere! In fact, you have a quite a few of them yourself! (If you're not sure about that, ask you family members.) It is no great badge of honor to be a fault -finder. It takes a great person, however, to be a "good-finder". I believe there is a direct link between attitude and emotional health. Nega...

While watering my new planted grass the other day, a swarm of mosquitoes decided to attack me. I ended up on the losing end of that altercation, though I jumped, smacked, flailed and flapped around like a maniac. I’m pretty sure the neighbors wondered why I was break-dancing with a garden hose. Annoyances are like a swarm mosquitoes. They’re everywhere, come at you from every direction, attack when it’s least convenient, and usually they come in swarms. Everybody has to deal with them, as they’re simply an unpleasant part of life. Why do we expect life to be trouble free? No person in the course of human history has experienced a trouble free week, so why should this week be any different for you? Some troubles are huge and life altering. Most, however, are just pesky annoyances that get under our skin and bother us. Here are a few thoughts to help when you’re swarmed by these annoyances. 1. Look for the blessing in it. When faced with annoyances we have a choice. Are we going to focus...

An old farmer placed a weather vane on the roof of his barn with the words “God is Love” painted on it. His neighbor commented, “Doesn’t your weather vane indicate that God’s love is fickle? That it blows one way and then another?” To this, the old farmer replied, “No, it means that ‘God is Love’ no matter which way the wind blows!” Nahum 1:3 says “The Lord has his way in the whirlwind and the clouds are the dust of his feet.” Well, we certainly had some divine foot dust last week in Hayward! We lost most of the majestic old pines in front of our church. The winds also caused some damage at my home, though it is rather insignificant, compared with what a few of our neighbors have experienced. Our hearts and prayers go out to them. The clean-up effort is in full swing. Last Thursday, after a long day of clearing debris, I thought, “How long will it take until we get back to normal?” Then I realized we won’t. Normal is not something you can go BACK to – you have to move forward to a new ...

Life's little detours are only temporary. -- Susan Pearson

Don't let troubles trouble you. Problems are opportunities in disguise! Some of us are blessed with dozens of such opportunities. Perhaps you would like give a few of them to somebody else. We shouldn't really think it's strange when trials come. That's merely a part of the human condition. Trouble comes to everybody. Jesus Christ, himself, said, "In this world, you WILL have tribulation." The more responsibility you have, the more difficulty you will encounter. If your life is full of struggles, it means you are doing something right. A wise old bard once said, "You know when you are on the road to success -- it's uphill all the way!" The other day I thought I would drive to a place in town where there were no troubles. I couldn't go to the hospital -- problems there. I couldn't go to the bank -- problems there. Couldn't go to church either -- problems there. The only place I could find where the people didn't have problems was ...

Troubled? Well, join the club! You're in good company. Troubles are simply a part of living. It's a package deal. You have to accept the bad along with the good. The only way to be trouble free is to be dead! Some folks think they deserve to be excused from problems. Whenever a difficulty arises, they whine and complain about how unfair life is to them. They don't realize that life isn't fair to anybody -- and thus, become swamped in the mire of self pity. Instead of griping about a hard situation, wouldn't it be better to face it boldly -- committed to see things through? You can cry until the cows come home, and that won't fix the situation one bit. It takes courage to buckle down and face the truth. I do not know why heavy hardships are a part of life's package. I don't have a pat answer for the difficult perplexities. Yet, I do know that the struggle helps us grow, if we maintain the right attitude. 1. Troubles teach us wisdom. There is no such thing...

Arctic December air glazed my windshield over with thick ice overnight. Early in the morning before the sun woke up, I found myself trying to carve a hole. I searched for my scraper in vain. It was gone. Some dear friend borrowed it and forgot to bring it back. I improvised by using a cd case, which, though handy and somewhat practical, seemed hardly sufficient for the task. Undaunted, I attacked the windshield with vigorous enthusiasm, struggling in the frigid blasts to shape some semblance of visibility. Unfortunately, as soon as I scraped the ice away, it just frosted over again. A half hour of scratching and scraping brought nothing more than a small peep hole, barely big enough to see while driving. At lunch time, the same, day, however, I went to my car and was surprised to discover all of the windows were clear! Not a patch of ice on them! When the sun rose, it melted all the ice away. I thought, “Now, there’s a lesson on how to deal with difficult situations and re...

"By such things men live, and my spirit finds life in them too." Isa. 38:16

Never trouble trouble Until trouble troubles you; For you only make your trouble Double-trouble when you do; And the trouble — like a bubble — That you're troubling about, May be nothing but a zero With its rim rubbed out. -- David Keppel

The great historian and philosopher, Thomas Carlyle, dressed to speak before a large audience, was walking out the door when his mother spoke to him. "And where might you be going, Thomas?" she asked. "I'm going to tell the people what's wrong with the world." "Aye, Thomas," his mother responded, "But are you going to tell them what to do about it?" It doesn't take a genius to realize that there are a lot of problems in this world. Any simpleton can point out what's wrong. There are flaws and shortcomings in every organization, family, and individual. If you're looking for faults - you'll find them. They're everywhere! In fact, you have a quite a few of them yourself! (If you're not sure about that, ask you family members.) It is no great badge of honor to be a fault -finder. It takes a great person, however, to be a "good-finder" . I believe there is a direct link between attitude and emotional health. N...

Just in case you're in the "pressure cooker", here are a few stress busters. Take one or two as needed. 1) God is bigger than any problem you have. 2) You can accomplish big things only when you can say "no" to little things. 3) When you've done all you can -- let it go. 4) Not much is worth worrying about. Worry selectively. 5) With God all things are possible! 6) An ounce of action is worth a ton of worry. 7) Most of the things we worry about never come true. 8) Live on purpose! Set priorities and use them to chart your course. 9) It's not the big job, but the little worries that drain our energy. 10) Refuse to allow fear to direct your life. 11) Relax. Don't sweat the small stuff. 12) Problems will come. You can't avoid them. The real you will "show through" when the pressure is on. 13) Life goes on. 14) Look for the joyful surprises -- the postcards from heaven -- in every day. They are there, but you must search for them. 15) Few t...

Your problems can help you grow! Life’s difficulties can seem overwhelming. Disappointments, rejection, and painful experiences tempt us to cave into discouragement. When faced with a Goliath sized obstacle, what do you do? Cower in fear? Ignore it? Throw a tantrum? On ignoring: In The Hobbit, Tolkein remarks, “If a dragon lives with you, it’s best never to leave him out of your calculations.” Genuine problems must not be ignored. If you sweep a dead skunk under the rug, it won’t get any better. So how do we deal with difficulty? Put the problem in the right perspective! Realize that life is made up of problems. Troubles are everywhere and everybody has them. Don’t be surprised when they come your way. Problems contain the seeds of their own solution. You can find the answer if you get on the “solution side” rather than the “problem side”. (By the way, you don’t have to be too smart to identify a problem. You need to stretch your brain a little, however, to see the solution.) Proble...

Everybody is tempted to give up sometimes. Even the greatest success stories have the “shadow moments” of futility and hopelessness. It comes with the package of being human. Wouldn’t it be great if we received a dollar for every time we felt like throwing in the towel – but didn’t? We’d be rich! That, ultimately, is the difference between those who rise above the ordinary and others who meander in mediocrity. In order to achieve greatness, you must keep going – even when the way is riddled with difficulty. With your eye on the goal, you must plod forward without wavering. When my children were smaller, they loved it when I read “The Little Engine that Could” to them before bed. “Read it again, Daddy!” my daughter exclaimed, “Read it again!” There’s something about keeping on which inspires all of us: from children to senior citizens. What if Henry Ford would have quit? You’d be walking to work! What if Susan B. Anthony had quit? None of the women would be able to vote! What if Bill Ga...

One day, a few years ago, I was deeply troubled with some issues at the church. It seemed like the problems kept piling up on me. Life was hard, misunderstandings abounded, and everywhere I looked, it seemed that the difficulties multiplied. I decided to call my mentor, Loring Peterson. He'd know just what to do. Loring had preceeded me at the church, and I always could count on him for a good word of wisdom and encouragement. "Hey, Mark!" he answered the phone cheerfully, "How are you doing up there in the frozen tundra??" (He'd retired to Florida.) "Don't ask, Loring! It's just terrible! I have more troubles than I can count. Every time I turn around, a new problem pops up. Loring, would you please pray for God to take away my problems?" I was astonished when my esteemed mentor shouted, "NO!!! Heavens, No!!" "What??? No??? I thought you cared! I thought you understood! Why won't you pray for me??" "I'll pr...

Are you in an impossible situation? Is your life filled with trouble and worry? If so, I have three golden words for you: God Is Able! It's true. He is more than able to carry you through the perplexities of life. God is Able! Tackle those problems by yourself and you will discover just how weak and frail you are. Take your troubles to the Lord, however, and you will realize a power and strength beyond anything you have ever known. God Is Able! I challenge you to take the situation you are fretting over right now, and pray about it. Lift it up to heaven. Say, "God, I can't handle this one by myself. Give me strength to make it through. Show me the way. Show me your mercy. Show me what to do." If you pray this honestly, He will answer powerfully. God is Able! The Bible says, "With God, nothing is impossible!" A prayer of simple faith can move mountains of fear, doubt and discouragement. God Is Able! Do you have a dream? Do you wonder if you have what it takes...