God's Tempo

Sunday, June 13, 2010

One of my favorite family vacations when I was a little girl was to Callaway Gardens. I experienced the thrill of life under the big top watching the “Flying High” Circus show. I was mesmerized by the skill of the swinging trapeze artists as they executed their dynamic tricks swinging from bar to bar. Their movements required precise timing and made me gasp and then “ooh” and “ahh!” These artists knew the art of synchronization.

What does it mean to be synchronized? Synchronization is a timekeeping mechanism that keeps a system in unison. The conductor of an orchestra serves to keep the orchestra in time. If the orchestra goes faster than the conductor, the two systems are not in sync. The orchestra will finish before the conductor if the two systems don’t work together on their pace.

In our spiritual life we need to practice synchronization too. We need to be in sync with God’s tempo. God is our conductor who serves to keep our body, mind, and spirit in time. Our lives function best when they’re lived in God’s rhythm. God’s rhythm is seen in his pattern of growth and rest. To create his masterpiece, God spent six days working and then had a day of rest. God’s rhythm often requires us to slow down in order to get in sync with him.

The big challenge is to get our rhythm in sync with God’s. Sometimes musicians use a metronome in order to establish a consistent tempo. A metronome is any device that produces regular, metrical beats. These ticks represent a fixed pulse; some metronomes also include synchronized visual motion like a pendulum or a swing. What can be use as our spiritual metronome? What can we do to understand and get in rhythm with God?

We can observe the tempo of God’s creation. Listen to the melodies of the birds, frogs, crickets, and cicadas. Take note of the steady rhythm of their songs. We see his rhythm in the consistent rise and fall of the ocean tide and in the dependable rising and setting of the sun. God created nature to move in these predictable and steady beats. He created us to follow his steady beat also.

God’s beat is found in his Word and through communication with him. Scripture tells us the pace we are to live.

“Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.” (James 1:19 & 20)

He orders our steps at his pace. He directs our paths at his pace. He leads us by the way we should go at his pace. He teaches us the way to go at his pace. He guides us continually at his pace.

“The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord … ”(Psalm 37:23)

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” (Proverbs 3:5)

“I am the Lord your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you by the way you should go.” (Isaiah 48:17)

“I will instruct you and teach you in the way should go; I will guide you with My eye.” (Psalm 32:8)

“For this is God, our God forever and ever; He will be our guide even to death.” (Psalm 48:14)

“The Lord will guide you continually …” (Isaiah 58:11)

God makes everything beautiful in his time. (Ecclesiastes 3:11) Let's find his tempo.

Divine Energy

Sunday, June 6, 2010

He gives power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increases strength. Isaiah 42:29.

You could make a pretty good case that there are really just two kinds of energy: potential and kinetic. Potential energy is stored and ready to be used. It is energy available for work. There is water in the pipes in my house. The water in the pipe is available but not being used. As long as the water stays in the pipe, it is only potential energy. When the valve is released, the water flows and is in use. This is kinetic energy. Kinetic energy is the application of energy. While potential energy is “energy-waiting-to-happen,” kinetic energy is “happening energy.”

My legs hold potential energy. When I take a step forward, they become kinetic energy. When a student holds a rubber band in his hand, he is holding potential energy (as well as the potential for a trip to the principal’s office!). When he releases the rubber band as a missile toward the teacher, he is demonstrating kinetic energy (and is also on his way to the principal’s office!).

I enjoy eating at The Old Mill Restaurant in Pigeon Forge. As I sit at the large picture window, I see the Old Mill and the beautiful rock filled stream. The water is potential energy. Once it goes into the water wheel at the mill, the wheel begins to turn producing work grinding corn into meal which eventually becomes corn meal. As long as the water is outside the wheel, it is potential energy. The water is beautiful to observe or wade into, but it is not being used in work. It is only when the water enters the wheel that it becomes kinetic. The water goes from a state of rest to a state of action.

God gives us this same type of energy flow. It’s Divine Energy. In fact, God created all the energy in the universe. The Creator is the source of all energy and can provide us all the energy sources we will ever need. The Holy Spirit is available to fill us with God’s power and energy.. We just need to have our heart and mind in tune with God in order to have our vessel filled. Simply by asking him to dwell within us, he will fill us with his power. As long as we keep the Spirit bottled up in us, we are not expending that potential energy. Once we choose to use that energy, it becomes kinetic, active.

In him we live (have vitality), and move (have dynamic energy) and have our being (attain completeness). Acts 17:28

The key is to stay connected to the energy source, for we will lose our spiritual energy if we don’t. Let’s choose to live and move in him this week!

Dear God, I get my vitality and energy from you. You make me complete. I ask the Holy Spirit to dwell within me. Fill me with Divine power and energy to do all things pleasing in thought, word, and actions today.

(Art work by Robyn Webber.)

Biblical Affirmations

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

One of my favorite childhood stories was The Little Engine that Could. In the tale a long train must be pulled over a high mountain. Various larger engines are asked to pull the train, but for different reasons they refuse. Then the request is sent to a small engine, who agrees to try. The engine succeeds in pulling the train over the mountain while repeating the motto: "I-think-I-can." The book is used to teach children the value of optimism and hard work.

By repeating the motto, “I-think-I-can,” the train convinced himself that he could do a feat that seemed impossible. By repeating affirmations, we too can learn to can think positive thoughts that will help us achieve the seemingly impossible.

Affirmations are short positive statements that target a specific set of beliefs. They challenge and undermine negative beliefs and replace them with positive beliefs. It is a kind of "brainwashing" only you get to choose which negative beliefs to wash away. The idea is to focus your mind on an aim and to build an image in your conscious mind which will affect your subconscious.

Affirmations evoke positive images in your mind and are always stated in the present tense. Making statements in the present programs you subconscious mind to believe that what you affirm is already happening. Your mind is helping you to make the circumstance actually happen.
Affirmations help us knock out the feelings of insecurity and create a positive pattern of ideas. Instead of thinking thoughts of defeat and ineffectiveness, we can think thoughts of faith and courage.

Long before the New Age movement began promoting the use of affirmations, the Bible instructed us to think on these things: whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and worthy of praise. These are biblical affirmations. Scripture is filled with life affirming principles that encourage us in our daily walk. These passages remind us that when we face life’s uncertainties, we have the constant presence and support of God.

I encourage you to use the following biblical affirmations to remind you that “nothing is impossible with God.”

I believe nothing is too hard for the Lord. Gen. 18:14
I believe the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart are acceptable to you. Psalm 19:14
I believe the Lord is my light and my salvation, so I do not need to fear. Psalm 27:1
I believe the Lord is good and am blessed because I trust in him. Psalm 34:8-9
I believe you will show me the path of life. Psalm 16:11
I believe in your presence there is fullness of joy. Psalm 16:11
I believe everything has a season. Eccl. 3:1.
I believe there is time for every purpose under heaven. Eccl. 3:1

I am content with such things as I have. Heb. 13:5
I love the Lord my God with all my heart, soul and mind Mt. 22:37
I believe when I pass through the waters the Lord is with me. Is. 43:2
I believe when I pass through the rivers, they shall not overflow me. Is 43:2.
I believe when I pass through the fire, I shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch me. Is. 43:2.
I believe He who is in me is greater than He who is in the world. 1st Jon. 4:4.
I believe God is pouring out on me such a great blessing Mal. 3:10
I believe my blessings are great and there is not room enough to receive it,
Mal. 3:10
I am of good cheer and not afraid Mt. 14:27.
I am walking before God in truth and with a loyal heart. 2nd Kings 20:3.
I am doing what is good in the sight of the LORD 2nd kings 20:3
I believe the LORD’S purpose is prevailing in my life Pro. 19: 21
I believe with God, all things are possible Mk. 10:27
I believe the Lord is fighting for me Ex. 14:14

Emotional Strength

Monday, May 24, 2010

Did you know that if you can master your emotional life, you can produce more joy? Our negative feelings and reactions deplete us of our energy and steal our joy. Emotional strength gives us fuel so that we can experience life the way God wants us to. It is not necessary or even healthy to deny our problems, but if we dwell on them, we become bound to them and they have power over us. Emotional strength is found when we give God our attention instead of our problems.

In his book The 4:8 Principle, Tommy Newberry tells us that emotions are like biochemical couriers that provide feedback about our mood. Emotions help us to feel whatever we are thinking. These couriers tell our bodies whether to communicate pain or joy. What we think shows up in our emotions. It makes sense then to think about things that bring us joy instead of pain.

I encourage you to try Newberry’s strategy for improving your capacity for joy. Make a list of three positive emotions you want to increase and a list of negative emotions that you want to decrease. Then over the next few weeks use the Laws of Emotional Strength to decrease negative emotions and increase positive ones.

The Laws of Emotional Strength
1. The Law of Attention: Knowing that you will feel what you dwell on, make it a practice to broadcast your blessings and think about your hopes and dreams and the future God has planned for you.
2. The Law of Exchange: Replace a negative thought with a positive one. Replace thoughts of fear with thoughts of boldness. Replace thoughts of criticism with thoughts of praise.
3. The Law of Reversibility: Learn to act your way into the feelings you desire. Fake it till you feel it. This is not hypocrisy. It means that you will respond to circumstances in a way that obeys God’s principles and eventually your feelings will follow.

Making our emotions obedient to Christ takes action. It takes motion. In fact, the word emotion is 86% motion! Both our actions and emotions need to be pleasing to God. Let’s work this week to increase our positive emotions so that we will experience the joy and peace that our Father wants us to have.

Take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:5

America's Christian Foundation

Sunday, May 16, 2010

How often have you heard or read media reports that tried to convince you that the foundation of our country was not based on religious principles? Did you know that beginning in the 1960s historians began emphasizing the “economic view of American history” instead of the broad or all-encompassing perspective of our country’s founding which had been recognized for three centuries? It is likely that if you were an American high school student in the last few decades, you were never really exposed to the full view of America’s moral, religious, and constitutional foundation.

Historian Dr. David Barton is trying to change that understanding through WallBuilders, an organization designed to provide a positive influence in government, education, and families through educating the nation about the Godly foundation of our country. As a former American Studies teacher, I sat with rapt attention last week at the Chattanooga Leadership Breakfast where Dr. Barton was the guest speaker. Barton took the 1,800 Christian leaders on an historical journey of America’s early roots. His information is based on extensive research from thousands of first-edition works by our Founding Fathers. From these documents he shared with us a rich moral history of our foundation.

Below you will find excerpts from Barton’s speech and other historical facts I found on his website at http://www.wallbuilders.com/.

In the portrait of the signing of the Declaration of Independence posted on this page, how many forefathers can you identify? Benjamin Franklin? Thomas Jefferson? Any others? Most of us do not recognize the names much less the religious backgrounds of these signers. Unfortunately, these two men have the most questionable faith of all signers. Did you know that 29 of the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence had degrees from seminary or Bible schools? Did you know that most of these men wrote extensively about their Christian faith and belief in God’s divine work in our country’s founding?

From the personal writings of the signers of the Declaration of Independence…
Charles Thomson
"I am a Christian. I believe only in the Scriptures, and in Jesus Christ my Savior."

Samuel Adams
"I . . . [rely] upon the merits of Jesus Christ for a pardon of all my sins."

Robert Treat Paine
"I believe the Bible to be the written word of God and to contain in it the whole rule of faith and manners."

John Witherspoon
"[T]here is no salvation in any other than in Jesus Christ of Nazareth."

Benjamin Rush, signer of the Declaration of Independence and ratifier of the U.S. Constitution started the Sunday School program in America. He wrote,
“If we can live by scriptures, we can solve all our social problems.”

In a letter to Benjamin Rush, John Adams said,
"The Holy Ghost carries on the whole Christian system in this Earth. …There can be no legitimate government but what is administered by this Holy Ghost."

The documents of the founding fathers show that one of the most commonly quoted scriptures was Psalm 33:12
"Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord"

James Madison declared that he saw the finished Constitution as a product of
“the finger of that Almighty Hand which has been so frequently and signally extended to our relief in the critical stages of the Revolution,”

In 1774 the first act of America’s first Congress was to ask a minister to open with prayer and to lead Congress in the reading of four chapters on the Bible.

In 1781 Robert Aitken presented a petition to Congress offering to print
"a neat Edition of the Holy Scriptures for the use of schools."

In 1782 Aitken’s Bible became the first known English-language Bible to be printed in American and the only one to receive Congressional approval.

On religion and government, George Washington wrote in his “Farewell Address,”
"Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports. … reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle."

By 1815 various state governments had issued at least 1,400 official prayer proclamations.

How fitting in this season of political unrest and conflicts abroad that Barton closed his speech with a call to patriotism and Christianity. He reminded us of Washington’s speech to his beleaguered soldiers at Valley Forge in 1778,
“To the distinguished character of patriot, it should be our highest glory to add the more distinguished character of Christian”
An open promoter of Christianity, Washington saw the value of proclaiming his Christianity. How far we have come from a nation that once extolled Christianity and one whose leaders proudly acknowledged their faith to one that denies the rich Christian heritage of our country!

If we, as Christians, do not stand up for our faith and reclaim the truth of our historical and biblical foundations, then who will? The words of President James A. Garfield ring as true today as they did in 1877…
"Now, more than ever, the people are responsible for the character of their Congress. If that body be ignorant, reckless and corrupt, it is because the people tolerate ignorance, recklessness, and corruption. If it be intelligent, brave, and pure, it is because the people demand these high qualities to represent them in the national legislature. . . . [I]f the next centennial does not find us a great nation. . . . it will be because those who represent the enterprise, the culture, and the morality of the nation do not aid in controlling the political forces."

It’s time to learn the truth about our past in order to effect a positive future.

In order to learn more about WallBuilders and David Barton, go to http://www.wallbuilders.com/.

Faith as a Tool

Monday, May 10, 2010

Have you ever received a small appliance that you never put to use? Over the years I have had many domestic devices that I thought looked handy and that I would use frequently. However, I used them a time or two and then stored them in the farthest corner of the pantry never to be seen again. Oh, I’d run across them occasionally and put them in a yard sale or give them away. I readily recall finding new homes for a wok, crepe maker, fancy roaster, and cappuccino machine. They each had a purpose, but I failed to put them to use on a regular basis.

Sometimes our faith is like those gadgets. Some people have faith but rarely use it for its intended purpose. Some call on faith when it’s convenient. Sometimes we shelve our faith instead of exercising it every day. Faith is not just a set of ideas that we think about. An active faith requires action. Faith is living out our God-given beliefs in relation to God and others. Faith is not just something we put on for Sunday mornings in worship services. It is something to be used every day as we study God’s word, worship God, and serve others.

I recently read a story about missionaries in Africa that illustrates this point. Some missionaries were looking forward to working with a primitive tribe in a remote part of Africa. Unsure of how they would be received, the missionaries decided to send a goodwill gift to the tribe. They arranged for a shiny new plow to be dropped by parachute into the village. When the missionaries arrived a few days later, they encountered something unexpected. The natives, who had never seen a plow and had no concept of how to use one, put the mysterious equipment to an unusual use. They put it on a pedestal and worshipped it!

Instead of using the plow as a tool, the natives used it as a reverent ornament. Like the plow, our faith is an active tool. Our faith can revolutionize our lives and the lives of others. We have to put it to use!

Faith is an active tool. Use it in service for Him!

“Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel” Philippians 1:27

Life is good

Sunday, May 2, 2010

Life is good. When brothers Bert and John Jacobs wanted to do something creative to make money, they didn’t have to look far for inspiration. Brought up in a family of eight in very modest means, the sons give their mother Joan credit for her positive outlook and encouragement. Joan saw the bright side of life even in bleak financial circumstances. At dinner each night, Jean cheerfully asked the family, “What good thing happened today?”

Through their highly successful t-shirt company, Life is good® the brothers promote their mission: to spread the power of hope. They have chosen to live a life of optimism. They focus on what’s right in the world, not what’s wrong. People connect with their message, Life is good, and as a result their profits have been very good too. The Life is good® corporation has reached sales of over $100 million a year through nearly 5,000 retailers in 29 countries. Sharing their success, the Jacobs are enthusiastic philanthropists and support the development of at-risk children through their non-profit organization, Project Joy. Their influence doesn’t stop there. The Life is good® company employs productive team members who enjoy their work, have fun, and deliver great customer service. The brothers used three simple words to make a difference in the world.

The story of these men and the choice they made to focus on hope and optimism is inspirational and there are many examples of encouragement.

• Their mother Joan made a lasting impression on her family by choosing to focus on the sunny side of life.
  Bert and John used three words to spread a message of hope.
  They share their good fortune with the less fortunate.
  They provide a workplace that enables employees to be productive and enjoy their work at the same time.

We all have the same opportunity to make a choice about how we view the world. We, as Christians, can reflect on the message we send to the world by asking these questions. Have I made a choice to reflect the hope of Christ to the world? What three words would I use to describe life? Do I share my good fortune with the less fortunate? Do I provide a loving, positive environment for those that work with and for me?

Hebrews 10:24, "So let us spur one another on toward love and good deeds."

Do I spur on one another toward love and good works? Life is truly good. Let us spread that good news in our words and deeds today.