Crazy Eyed

This past Friday, I experienced something that I told myself I would never do. I stayed up all night to await the store opening of our local Wal-Mart, and participate in the after-thanksgiving craziness known to the world as “Black Friday.”

Having worked in retail for several years, I had been on the store side of the craziness before. I had stood inside the nice warm store and looked out at the crazy-eyed shoppers waiting to storm the gates. The experience left a foul impression, and once I was no longer working in retail, I assured my wife that I was never going to be one of “those people.”

However, this Friday, something was different. My wife was in need of a new computer, and Wal-Mart was offering a laptop at an exceptionally low price. My dread of becoming one of the crazy-eyed shoppers was pushed from my mind by my desire to bless my wife with what she needed and desired.

Afraid I wouldn’t wake at the alarm, I stayed up all night. Then, just before 4 AM, I downed a hot coffee and my wife and I headed to the store. When we pulled into the parking lot, we were amazed at the number of people already there. Forty to Fifty people were lined up along the store, the first in line still wrapped in their sleeping bags.

The hour leading up to the store opening went quickly as we conversed with the others in line. Each person echoed the same desire; they had come for the laptop. As the minutes ticked down, the line began to move. Then with a burst of energy, the line surged forward and people began to race into the store. Clerks leapt out of the aisles avoiding the stampede while others tried to run with the bulls. Carts crashed and displays were jostled as the crowd surged to electronics. Just as quickly as the line surged forward, the crowd came to a sudden halt.

The laptops were being sold from the photo kiosk, and the crowd quickly surrounded it. People at the front were smashed into the counters, hardly able to breathe as the crowd continued to push. Then the news began to filter through the crowd. There were only 14 laptops available. The crazy-eyed shoppers became frantic. They began to wave their hands, shout and scream, each hoping the clerk would look their way and select them from the crowd.

Fourteen people left with a laptop that morning. The rest went home without. As I reflected on the experience, I realized there were three different types of people that morning.

There were the people who would suffer discomfort to be sure they didn’t miss their opportunity. They sat in the winter air with their backs knotted from lying on the cold concrete. They fought off the people who tried to steal their place at the front of the line. They didn’t care about the cost. What they wanted was worth it.

The second group came later, their attitude different than the first. They were willing to put up with some discomfort for a chance, but if they didn’t get one it didn’t matter. These, when the news filtered through the crowd, said, “Fourteen? Oh well, I tried,” then shrugged and walked away.

The last group stayed home, their warm beds comforting their muscles, their soft pillows resting their heads. This group had the attitude that the item wasn’t worth their time or energy. It wasn’t important enough to suffer even the slightest bit of discomfort.

There are three types of people who pray for souls, and pray for their churches. The crazy-eyed Christians will suffer through all-night prayer meetings. They will suffer the discomfort because what they desire from God is worth it. The second will pray some, but if they don’t get from God what they ask for, it’s okay. They gave it a shot, oh well. The last? Well, they’ll be to church on Sunday… if they don’t over sleep.

Happy Thanksgiving

It's that time again when we have the opportunity to look over another year and thank the Lord for all He has done.

As I look back over this past year I can immediately think of blessings. A new healthy son. The opportunity to minister to pastors and missionaries in south Texas. The opportunities to see lives changed throughout the US.

But as I look back I can also think of the things that I'm not initially thankful for. Trials and tribulations that came, financial difficulties and stressful situations.

As I stop and meditate upon the year, my initial response is tempered. God has redeemed my trials from every other year.

So this year too, I will thank Him. Not only for the things which are obvious blessings, but I will also thank Him on credit for the trials I know He will make into blessings.

Happy Thanksgiving.

The Secret Covenant

Gen 17:7, 9-11
“‘I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your descendants after you.’”

“God said further to Abraham, ‘Now as for you, you shall keep My covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their generations. This is My covenant, which you shall keep, between Me and you and your descendants after you: every male among you shall be circumcised. And you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskin, and it shall be the sign of the covenant between Me and you.’”

Have you ever thought about this conversation between Abraham and God? I mean, beyond all the natural and somewhat comical responses Abraham could have used such as, “You want me to do what to WHAT!?!?” I am sure Abraham wasn’t too popular with his servants for a week or two after that little conversation with God.

But looking at the conversation, do you see the irony? God tells Abraham to let this be a sign of covenant between you and I. But, I sit and wonder, a sign to whom?

Thinking it over, if I were God, and I wanted everyone to know that I had a covenant with Abraham, I think I would have him tattoo my name on his arm, or forehead. I would want him to place a mark where everyone would see immediately and know. An obvious sign to everyone, “This man is under my protection and covering.”

But not God. No. He chooses to place the mark of his covenant in the one place most unlikely to be seen by anyone. A place of intimacy that only his wife would know and closest family might ever see. However, though the mark of the covenant is hidden, the evidence of the covenant is obvious to all: Wealth beyond measure, a son born in old age, favor and protection.

You can imagine the Canaanites and other inhabitants of the land looking and scratching their heads. Looking at Abraham and wondering. “What is the difference between him and me? What makes him so blessed? I’ve seen the man, and there is nothing special or different about him.”

They couldn’t see.

Behind every mighty man of God, there is a secret covenant. The personal convictions that God has laid upon their heart, that required a cutting away. It never fails. A sacrifice is made. The price is paid.

We often see these men of God standing behind the pulpit, ministering with power and anointing. We see the evidence of the covenant they have with God, but few know the sacrifice and cutting away that was necessary to receive it.

If you long for God’s anointing, deeper revelation or greater intimacy with Him, you will be required to make the secret covenant. To cut things out of your life that may not be obvious to others, but will be a secret sign between you and God.

If you are willing to harken to the voice of God and pay the price, the evidence will be apparent to all; greater anointing, greater authority and power. Most importantly, you will gain an intimacy with God you never knew was available.

It may be natural, but it’s not always easy

This article is the fifth article in a series on spiritual birth and nurturing. If you haven’t read the other articles leading up to this I recommend skipping down to the article “Bringing and Keeping People in the Kingdom” and working your way back to the top.
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Well, Jadon has just crossed the two week line. He is a beautiful baby and we are blessed. He hasn’t given us much trouble, except for the occasional diaper overflow (which I am happy to say he has not yet done to me). We know we are blessed because he is our fourth and we have had other children who weren’t as easy. It is in this light, looking at the things that “Aren’t so easy” that I want to look again at the correlations of nursing our spiritual children.

One of the first problems that a family with an infant finds is that infants have odd schedules. We have had one child who would wake up at 10 PM and not allow us to sleep until seven the next morning. Jadon, on the other hand is already letting us sleep most of the night. No two children have been exactly the same and you learn to work with their schedule until you slowly mold them into yours.

We never reprimand our infant for the odd schedule he keeps, instead we try to work with his schedule and modify it gently. Keep him up a little longer here; play with him a little longer there. We work to gradually change his schedule until he is in synch with the rest of the family. Help your spiritual newborn to learn to adjust their schedule to include prayer times, bible studies and church.

A second issue every mother learns is that when you feed a baby, he makes a mess. Infants are messy people. It never fails. Likewise we need to understand that as we teach and minister to those God has placed in our care that they are going to make mistakes. They are going to make messes, and they are going to need help to clean them up.

Once again, we never reprimand or discipline our child for filling his diaper. So likewise we should not reprimand or discipline those God has entrusted to us for making a mistake. The yoke of Christ is easy, and the burden is light. Let’s not add the weight of guilt or frustration.

As a last issue for this article, I want to discuss “latching on properly.” Many nursing mothers at one time or another find themselves with soreness, irritation, and at times, bleeding. They have become inflamed and irritated because of a poor connection between mother and child. The consultant at the hospital would often warn mothers to be sure that the child is “latching on properly.” A child that isn’t properly connected will bring pain and frustration to the mother attempting to feed it.

Here is a mother, attempting to give of herself and every time she does, she leaves the experience sore, bleeding and dreading the next feeding. It is in these moments when a mother can become discouraged. It is easy to become frustrated when every time to you try to share a revelation and feed your child that you feel irritated, inflamed or hurt.

It is in these times that a spiritual mother must check to see that their child is latched on correctly. Are they bound together by the connection of love and respect, or is it a forced dry ritual? Does the spiritual newborn come seeking to receive because they are growing and pulling from your new spiritual revelations and answers, or are they being forced to come by their mother’s constant nagging?

Allow the connection between newborn and spiritual parent to be the bond of Love, and both will grow from the experience. Spiritual nursing is not always easy, but the benefits are well worth the cost.