It’s funny how God can stop you in your tracks and give you a different perspective.

It’s funny how God can stop you in your tracks and give you a different perspective. It’s not so much the events as much as the timing of those events, sometimes. Case in point, my trip to Arizona this week. I thought I was visiting Scottsdale so God could use me to encourage and challenge people. Instead, God used a new friend to change me.

I had just finished up my third presentation of the day. Honestly, I was pretty wiped out after sharing my story again. (Each time is kind of like tearing the scab off of an old wound. It never gets easier). We (Lisa and I) were hanging around to chat with some new friends we had made at the hospital. I noticed one lady hanging around till all the others had left. She had joined the conversation a few minutes earlier and talked about the presentation. When everyone else had excused themselves from the room, she said, “Can I ask you a question?” I assumed she was going to ask something further about the presentation so I told her yes.

As tears formed in her eyes, she began. “I’m sorry to bother you but…” she hesitated. “My brother is upstairs in this hospital. He’s been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and told he doesn’t have long to live. Would you mind praying for him?” I glanced at Lisa and the look in her eyes told me what we needed to do.

“Do you mind if we go up to see him?” I asked.

“I don’t want to bother you guys. You really don’t have to go to that trouble,” she said.

“It would be our pleasure.” Understatement of the year.

We made our way to the elevator and through the cancer ward there at the hospital. Before we reached his room, I asked the woman to check and make sure her brother was comfortable with a stranger visiting the room. After doing so, she confirmed that he was interested in talking with me.

As I approached his bedside, I asked God to give me something good, something encouraging to share with him (I’ll call him Scott to protect his privacy). “How are you feeling, Scott?” I asked. “And before you answer, tell me how you are REALLY feeling.”

Scott began to cry. I leaned closer to hear what he was trying to say. “I’m scared,” he whispered.
“What scares you the most?” I asked. I was genuinely interested, curious as to what this fifty year old man was facing; even more curious as to how Lisa and I could encourage him.
“Scared of the pain. Scared of death. Scared of what lies after this. Scared for the family I’m leaving behind.” The words came out slowly but with a steady nature. He had obviously spent many hours thinking this through before I had ever arrived.

“Do you believe in God?” I asked him. “Yes,” he replied. “What do you believe?” I continued.
Scott spoke words I have uttered hundreds of times to thousands of people. The difference? Scott said them with more conviction than I could muster as he lay there anticipating what was to come. “I believe He loves me more than anything or anyone.”

I won’t share the rest of our time with you. Some moments are best left for the hearts of those who get to experience them. I knelt by Scott’s bed, took him by the hand, and begged God to give me the words to pray so that Scott would feel stronger and more at peace with what he is facing. When I finished, Scott wouldn’t let go of my hand. I didn’t want him to. I needed him as much as he needed me in those moments. His confidence reminded me that economic downturns and impending elections don’t define life—only God does. And only those who know Him can really know what life is…no matter how long or short that life may be.

I finished my time with Scott. I bent over, kissed him gently on the forehead and said, “I love you.” We both cried a little. I don’t know what Scott took away from our time together. But I know I took his spirit of courage with me. I promised that Lisa and I would pray for him every day.

I’m a better man for knowing Scott. Lisa would tell you she’s a better woman. My prayer for us—all of us—is that we can embrace the challenge of each new day with the quiet confidence that comes from knowing what Scott knows—God loves you desperately.

Then he said to him, "Rise and go; your faith has made you well. Luke 17:19 NIV

Then he said to him, "Rise and go; your faith has made you well. Luke 17:19 NIV

These words, spoken by Jesus, hold the key to many of our unanswered prayers. For many of us, God can sometimes seem absent, unavailable, slow to act (according to our timing) or just indifferent. But nothing could be further from the truth. God cares deeply for every hurt and heartache we have. On some occasions, God is using this “quiet” to test our faith and to make us stronger. More often, God is simply acting in response to your faith. He is acting exactly the way your faith expected Him to.

If you are looking for big answers to big prayers…then you better have a little faith in a big God.
“Praying without faith is like trying to cut with a blunt knife—much labor extended to little purpose.” James O. Fraser

I covet your prayers this week as Lisa and I are in Stocksdale, Arizona Tuesday through Thursday for another speaking engagement. I’m looking forward to what God will do over the next couple of days. Please pray for our kids as we are away as well. “Talk” with you when we get back later this week.

I got one of those e-mails last night that pastors get far too seldom.

I got one of those e-mails last night that pastors get far too seldom. It was one of my dear friends, one of my sisters at RCC, reminding me how much she and her husband pray for me. Right on time. Believe me, no gift was ever more appropriate for Pastor Appreciation month than an e-mail like this one.

I’ve never felt like Satan was more at work than he is right now. I see him going after our families. He’s worked over time on mine in recent weeks. I see him tearing at the fabric of our nation. Don’t fool yourself into believing that an election in a couple of weeks will bring the end to it. It’s just beginning. He’s working overtime on distracting our churches and keeping individuals in bondage. At the top of that list are the men and women that head your churches and hold places of leadership. Just as any smart military leader would, Satan goes after the leaders. Yeah, he’ll take an enlisted man when he gets the opportunity. But the chance to depress or bring down a major or a general is high priority for the “father of all lies.” And he puts an all out effort into targeting those called to lead.

So do your part. Pray for your pastor. Pray for your staff. Pray for their families and for their protection. Pray for the words that are said about them and the truly hateful ones that might be said to them. Do your part to encourage and to strengthen. Serve them, love them, and stand by them. Never forget that they have to answer to God for the leadership that they bring to you. You, however, have to answer for the prayers you failed to pray on their behalf.

Wherever you attend church, whoever your leader may be, don’t hesitate to love on them year round when God brings them to mind. The truth is that you’ll be rewarded with leaders who are more fit for battle and more ready to lead you in the journeys of the Kingdom.

These days, much conversation centers on the subject of values.

These days, much conversation centers on the subject of values. Election years tend to do that for us. Journalists and campaign spin doctors, alike, are making much of the values that they say represent a candidate or his party. I submit to you that most of our political figures have only one value—them.

Look at this definition of a value: “A principle, standard, or quality considered worthwhile or desirable.” Though it’s not stated, I think it’s implied that when one determines something to be of value for them, they are willing to sacrifice to see that “value” upheld. Values become the lens by which we see our world. When we come to value something, it’s not easily changed by culture, conversation or an opinion poll. Values are formed over the course of time and are weathered by the storms that life brings to us.

Now, what are your values? For Christ followers, much of what we value is given to us from God’s word. We value life, forgiveness, grace, family, love and service among many others. These are values that Christ modeled, the prophets taught and Paul preached. Have our churches clung to those values? Or, have we tended to become like political candidates seeking a swing in the popularity polls? Do we compromise what’s important for what’s convenient? Let me get real controversial here and tell you that I believe that’s exactly what many Christ followers have done (some I know and love but am struggling with this election season). Consider a recent conversation I had with a young lady who professes to follow Christ. Her particular support of an anti-life (or pro-death if you choose) candidate wasn’t sitting very well with me. In the interest of friendly debate, I asked her why the candidate’s stance on this issue didn’t bother her. Her reply was, “Oh, I don’t agree with him on this. I just think he’s the best solution for our economy.”

I pondered her response for a brief moment and came back with the only thing I knew to say, “I’m sorry.”

“For what?” she asked.

“I’m sorry that you, along with other Christians who have chosen to support this man, have come to the conclusion that God is more concerned about your stock performance and your fuel bill than He is about unborn babies and families that are under attack.” Our conversation ended there.

Don’t get me wrong. I am equally concerned about my wife’s ability to sell houses and the financial stability of the hundreds of people who are part of my church family. I want them to be able to pay their bills and feed their families. Here’s my concern. I believe our economy has suffered because we’ve forsaken our values, gotten away from what really matters to God, and chosen to seek our comfort rather than keeping our character intact. God help us when bailouts and tax relief become more important than unborn babies and the sanctity of marriage as one man and one woman. When we reach that point (as millions of us have) no amount of economic stimulus can relieve us from the judgment of a God who is holy.

Hope you are making plans to vote if you haven’t already.

It’s a tale of two birthdays.

It’s a tale of two birthdays. Actually, they are tomorrow (October 21st) but it’s a tradition in our family to celebrate your birth as long and as hard as the people around you will allow it. So, I’m thinking about these two special people today.

The first is Joshua Blake or, as I liked to call him, “Joshie.” Josh would be 6 years old tomorrow and God only knows what he would be like. From time-to-time I catch myself day dreaming about the “what might have been” scenarios. For the brief time I had him, Josh was a joy. At 17 months he was already into baseball and chocolate—favorites for both me and his older brother, Harrison. He had won many hearts with his smile and growing personality. Unfortunately, most of you will never know him and we’ll never know exactly what could have happened in his life. The flip side, I often remind people, is that he’ll never know the pain of braces, a chemistry test or being rejected for a date. And he never had to pay one penny in taxes. I’ll get to see him again someday. In the mean time, we continue to celebrate his birthday because of the precious gift he was.

The other birthday belongs to Ermias—someone I’ve yet to meet in person. Ermias is from Ethiopia and loves school, his church and “football” (soccer to us Americans). He lives there with his mom and other siblings. He is a bright-eyed little boy with big dreams of being a doctor. My family’s goal is to do what we can to get him there. In the mean time, my kids pray that his family will get the goat that they need, the clothes to keep him warm and the food to keep them alive. We adopted him just a few months ago and it was my wife’s idea to find a young boy Josh’s age. It was God who gave us a young man born the same day as Josh.

To me, it’s a wonderful illustration of God’s mercy. I will never get the chance to hold my Josh this side of heaven; I hope to someday shake the hand of a young doctor from Ethiopia. Tomorrow (today), October 21st, both are celebrating life and in that celebration I worship a God of second chances—the God who gives back over and over again. Happy birthday, Josh. Happy birthday, Ermias. Whatever you are doing, I pray that both of you know how much you are loved.

"I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten…” Joel 2:25 NIV