THE TOMORROW TRAP (Part II)

THE TOMORROW TRAP (Part II)

What is the biblical perspective on TIME?  What does GOD have to say about time and our relationship to it?  First, we must be aware that there are GOD-ORDAINED SEASONS that are divinely ordered and strategically positioned throughout our lives.  Ecclesiastes 3:1 reminds us that “to everything there is a SEASON, and a TIME to every purpose under the heaven.”  This scripture identifies SPECIFIC TIMES – to be born, to die, to plant, to harvest, to kill, to heal, to break, to build, to weep, to laugh, to mourn, to dance, to discard, to gather, to embrace, to depart, to gain, to lose, to keep, to cast away, to rend, to sew, to be silent, to speak, to love, to hate, to make war and to make peace.  One practical definition for WISDOM is “the ability to be time-conscious and time-sensitive in our daily decisions.”

Kingdom Principle Number One: GOD ESTABLISHES COVENANT WITHIN SPECIFIC TIME FRAMES AND DEFINITE BEHAVIORAL PARAMETERS.  For example, Sarah bore Abraham a God-promised son – at a set time. (Genesis 17:21 and 18:14) God rested and thereafter mandated our own weekly rest – at a set time. (Genesis 2:2-3 and Exodus 20:8) Every male in Israel was commanded to appear before God in certain ways – at set times. (Exodus 23:14-17) Jesus Christ died for our eternal atonement in a very particular manner – at a divinely appointed and set time. (Romans 5:6)

Kingdom Principle Number Two: WHEN WE FAIL TO OPERATE ACCORDING TO GOD’S CLOCK (KAIROS), WE SET OURSELVES UP FOR FRUSTRATION AND FAILURE.  To wit, we cannot afford to get ‘ahead’ of God; neither will we achieve optimal favor and blessing when we do not step forward (boldly, confidently, immediately and obediently) in absolute alignment with whatever HE commands.  Abraham became both blessed and a blessing because “he staggered not at the promise of God…but was strong in faith, giving glory to God.” (Romans 4:19-21) Despite the fact that Abraham was 100 years old and Sarah’s womb was long since “dead,” he believed God and acted in accordance with divine revelation and timing.

Kingdom Principle Number Three: HUMAN DELAY IS A SATANICALLY INSPIRED PATHWAY TOWARD DIVINE DENIAL AND DISASTER.  Had Moses responded doubtfully (or even casually) to God’s command to ‘cover’ every Jewish home with the blood of an innocent lamb, surely the firstborn of Israel would have perished alongside the firstborn of Egypt.  Had Bartimaeus been hesitant to call out to Jesus at the precise moment Christ was passing by, that blind man would have lived out his remaining days without any possibility of vision.  Had Jairus not moved with a confident and expeditious faith in the direction of The Great Physician, his daughter likely would have died.  Indeed, Hebrews 4:7 informs us that God’s grace and mercy operate within the framework of preset seasons.  Consequently, man’s temporal delay will ultimately result in an eternal separation from God.  There are hundreds of scriptural exemplars where THE TIMELY OPERATION OF FAITH MOVES GOD to transform human circumstances.

Carvin Winans, the twin brother of Pastor Marvin Winans, penned a thought-provoking gospel song entitled “Tomorrow.”  One portion of the song lyrics cautions us thusly: “Tomorrow…who promised you tomorrow…better give your life today…for tomorrow very well might be too late.”  It would do well for those of us who serve the Lord to remember that ‘The Manana Syndrome’ is not only a satanic tactic to prevent our personal salvation (Isaiah 55:6), it is also a delaying strategy designed to marginalize and minimize God’s Kingdom, that is, to block believers from rescuing those who are perishing. (II Corinthians 4:3) So please do not delay!  Despite his failures, one little known secret to David’s life-success was his determination to act in timely obedience to God.  Regarding David’s response to the King of Kings, he wrote “I made haste, and DELAYED NOT to keep thy commandments.” (Psalm 119:60) Jesus Christ sums it up so well: “I must work the works of him that sent me, WHILE IT IS DAY: the night cometh, when no man can work.” (John 9:4)

Prayerfully consider: Are you presently caught in a chronic holding pattern – a place of persistent procrastination and daily delay?  Think carefully.  Examine yourself.  Consider your motives, your motivations, your priorities and your personal agenda.  Do it now!  What specific strategies do you have in place NOW (which you can immediately implement) to ‘hold your feet to the fire’ of God’s perfect will concerning you?  What natural and spiritual choices will you make TODAY to be responsible and accountable for performing YOUR KINGDOM ASSIGNMENT with precision, punctuality, perseverance and power?

Sisters and brothers, be continually blessed, and please (above all else) MAKE SURE YOU ARE READY TO MEET OUR SOON COMING KING. Maranatha!

THE TOMORROW TRAP (Part I)

THE TOMORROW TRAP (Part I)

Many 21th century people are trapped in and victimized by what I call ‘The Manana Syndrome.’ How so? Because life these days is inundated by a host of demanding tasks and activities that monopolize our time and drain our energy. We are busy, busy, busy – and even while insisting that we are MULTI-TASKERS, we typically feel overextended and we truly struggle to handle the multiplicity of ‘stuff’ that is thrown our way simultaneously.  Three primary casualties emerge from such crowded daily agendas: relationships with God, relationships with loved ones and our overall state of health.

In the Spanish language, the word “manana” means TOMORROW.  It suggests that SINCE MOST OF US ARE SO OVERBURDENED WITH MINUTIA, WE HAVE THE TENDENCY TO PROCRASTINATE!  That is, suffering from sensory overload and failing to properly prioritize our time, talent and treasure, we put off for tomorrow mission critical objectives that should be accomplished today.  A wise adage suggests to us that “procrastination is the thief of time.”  It is.  However, on the flip side of the coin, we typically do not allow ourselves the ‘luxury’ of stopping our roller-coaster ride for just 30-minutes-a-day to think deeply about what we have been doing, or not doing.  As I often say, we are too busy…being busy!

Consider this story.  A beautiful brown baby hippo named Daisy was grinning and floating happily on her back in a water-filled mud hole in Central Africa.  At the moment, Mrs. Penelope Hippopotamus, Daisy’s Mom, was emotionally flippin’ out!  You see, Mrs. H was very time conscious and consistently punctual with everything.  With a busy schedule planned for the morning, including a shopping expedition to Hippos-R-Us, Mrs. H had no time to waste with Daisy’s slothful shenanigans.

“Daisy!  DAISY!” she shouted frantically, “Where are you child?”  No answer.  Before long, Mrs. H discovered Daisy at her favorite leisurely hideaway, bathing lazily in the warmth of the African sun.  I don’t have to tell you that she was outraged!  Mrs. H stood for a moment glaring down at Daisy, just before voluminous vexation flowed freely from her lips: “DAISY!  Child, you’ll never amount to anything lying around like this!  What you doin’ down there, gal?  We got THANGS to do!”  However, Daisy just laid back even more so, floating on her muddy river of ease.

Adjusting her position ever so slowly, Daisy smiled up at her mother and offered an excuse: “Uncle Bobo says things will get better SOMEDAY…and I figure he ain’t talkin’ about TODAY…so I’m just chillin’ here, waitin’ on TOMORROW!  Yeah Momma, TOMORROW is my FAVORITE day!  Take it easy…we’ve got TOMORROW!”

[A Serious Question: HAS YOUR MAMA EVER DRILLED A HOLE IN YOUR FACE…using nothing but her eyeballs as power tools?  Your Probable Response: “YES!”  And your Momma’s non-verbal communiqués were the assurance of grave consequences for any failure to immediately comply with her wishes!]

Well, in the heat of such a piercing maternal glare, Daisy was seriously reevaluating her original game plan.  Just then, she heard Momma’s volcanic voice: “DAISY…if you don’t evacuate that mud-hole pronto…I’ll make your TODAY so HOT…it will BURN UP the BACKSIDE of your TOMORROW!”  Well, Daisy recanted her earlier proposition and position – and forthwith headed by Momma’s side to Hippos-R-Us!

Carefully consider this.  Equally as bad as being OVERWHELMED by busy and overcrowded schedules is the prospect of being UNDERWHELMED by inactivity and idleness (e.g. Daisy the Hippo).  Indeed, time is a paradoxical phenomenon.  It can be spent and wasted, but never saved.  It can be lost, but never found.  That is, once lost, it can never be retrieved.  The prolific author of children’s books, Dr. Seuss, once asked this comical question: “How did it get so late…so soon?”  While the question Dr. Seuss poses sounds rather humorous, at its core is a deadly serious matter.  

William Penn, the founder of my home state of Pennsylvania, declared “Time is what we want most, but what we use worst.”  A famous fellow Pennsylvanian, Benjamin Franklin, said “You may delay, but time will not.”  In other words, time is the most precious of human commodities.  The irony is that we spend far too little time or effort ORGANIZING OUR MOST VALUABLE ASSET, i.e. THE GIFT OF TIME.  Only in hindsight do we measure and treasure its true worth.  For example, after a loved one has transitioned, we typically regard prior shared moments with a higher degree of awareness, value and sensitivity.

Here’s an important observation (in the form of a question) that I pray will be taken to heart by each and every reader: ‘Have you ever stopped to reflect on the fact that you are now ___ years old, and that sometimes you have difficulty remembering the specifics of your last 5, 10, 20 (or more) years?’  In a sense, it feels like you have been in a curious sort of coma, passing through YEARS with little or no awareness of what is really going on!  It’s a frightening thought, isn’t it?  I mean, when you stop to think about it, it feels like mere MOMENTS AGO you were age 15, or 21, or 30, or 40, or whatever.  And you ask yourself: ‘Where did it all go…how did it pass by so quickly…and what have I noted, learned, experienced, accomplished, or even celebrated along the way?

That kind of ‘awakening moment’ brings us to another critically important question: What is the biblical perspective on time?  That is, how does GOD VIEW TIME and my relationship to it?  In the next installment of this two-part series, I will provide a few practical scriptural insights, but allow me to offer a preliminary clue.  The late Christian humanitarian, Mother Teresa, said this about time: “Yesterday is gone.  Tomorrow has not yet come.  We have only today.  Let us begin.”  Stay tuned…more to come tomorrow.

Sisters and brothers, be continually blessed, and please (above all else) MAKE SURE YOU ARE READY TO MEET OUR SOON COMING KING.  Maranatha!

THINGS AREN'T ALWAYS WHAT THEY SEEM

THINGS AREN’T ALWAYS WHAT THEY SEEM

I truly love this story because it is a crystal-clear reflection of Romans 8:28, which declares, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.”  Sometimes, our greatest apparent catastrophes are amazing miracles in disguise.  It’s one of the most practical reasons I know for eliminating worry from our daily lives.  God’s got us, appearances notwithstanding.  Whenever I arrive at what ‘feels’ like a low point, I ask myself this important question: ‘Has GOD ever failed?’  After careful reflection, the answer is always a resounding “NO!”  And I am immediately transported to a place of praise and power.  It works!

As our story goes, two traveling angels stopped to spend the night in the home of a wealthy family.  That family was rather rude and they refused to allow the angels to stay in one of the mansion’s guest rooms. Instead, the angels were provided a very modest space in a cold basement.  As they made their bed on the hard floor, the older angel saw a hole in the wall and repaired it forthwith.  When the younger angel asked why, the older angel replied, “Things aren’t always what they seem.”

The next night the angelic duo came to rest at the house of a farmer and his wife, who were very poor, but welcoming, warm and hospitable.  After sharing what little food they had, the couple insisted that the angels sleep in their bed so they could have a good night’s rest.  When the sun rose the next morning, the angels found the farmer and his wife in tears.  Their only cow, whose milk had been their sole income, lay dead in the pasture.

The younger angel was infuriated and asked the older angel “How could you have let this happen!?  The other man had everything, yet you helped him,” the angel apprentice accused.  “This family had so little, but was willing to share everything, and you let their cow die.”

“Things aren’t always what they seem,” the older angel insisted.  “When we stayed in the basement of the mansion, I noticed there was gold stored in that hole in the wall.  Since the owner was so obsessed with greed and unwilling to share his blessings, I sealed the wall so he couldn’t find it.  Last night, as we slept in the farmer’s bed, the angel of death came for his wife.  I gave him the cow instead.  You see, things aren’t always what they seem!”

Sometimes this is exactly the situation when things don’t appear to turn out the way we think they should.  If we have faith, we just need to trust that every outcome is always to our advantage.  We might not know it until a time much later because “THINGS AREN’T ALWAYS WHAT THEY SEEM.”

Your word for today is simply this: NO WORRIES!  GOD, who cannot lie, declares ‘I will supply ALL your need…according to My riches in glory by Christ Jesus.’ (Philippians 4:19)

Sisters and brothers, be continually blessed, and please (above all else) MAKE SURE YOU ARE READY TO MEET OUR SOON COMING KING.  Maranatha!

EL SIMCHATH GILI

EL SIMCHATH GILI

Every day, I awaken with the comforting awareness that GOD is El Simchath Gili, “my exceeding joy.”  In the poetic lyrics of the Psalmist David, “I go unto the altar of God, unto GOD MY EXCEEDING JOY: yea, upon the harp will I praise…my God.” (Psalm 43:4)

It is my delight, indeed my privilege and pleasure, to begin and end every day, every month, every year, every decade of life, with the intimate knowledge that MY JOY ultimately resides in CHRIST JESUS.

Remember this?  JOY is not the equivalency of happiness, which is both situational and transitive.  JOY is the assurance that CHRIST is at the center of your circumstances.

Why should you walk through every day with JOY?  Because, according to The Holy Writ, “with JOY you shall draw water from the wells of salvation.” (Isaiah 12:3) Therefore, even in tempestuous and troubled times, we shall never surrender to doubt or despair.  Rather, we will “COUNT IT ALL JOY” and allow our absolute faith in our good, gracious and great GOD to carry us through. (James 1:2) 

The written will of our Lord and Savior is simply this: “That MY JOY may remain in you, and that YOUR JOY may be full.” (John 15:11) Erase the frown.  Eradicate the worry.  Make a JOY DECISION.

Sisters and brothers, be continually blessed, and please (above all else) MAKE SURE YOU ARE READY TO MEET OUR SOON COMING KING.  Maranatha!

EXPONENTIAL

EXPONENTIAL

Although the term, “EXPONENTIAL,” has mathematical roots, in common usage it means “growing, increasing, expanding, spreading and ascending.” (Dictionary.com – Thesaurus.com) Indeed, it is a powerful portrait of Christ’s GREAT EXPECTATIONS for all His disciples, as we proactively labor to build THE KINGDOM OF GOD.

THE PARABLES OF THE KINGDOM, set forth by our Savior during His earthly ministry, are clear reminders of the EXPONENTIAL GROWTH and EXCEPTIONAL REQUIREMENTS that are part and parcel of THE KINGDOM. The Parable of the Sower, The Parable of the Wheat and the Tares, The Parable of the Mustard Seed, The Parable of the Leaven, The Parable of the Hidden Treasure, The Parable of the Pearl of Great Price and The Parable of the Dragnet (altogether) remind us that being a CHRISTIAN means far more than showing up for worship services or conforming to ecclesiastical creeds and codes of conduct. (Matthew, chapter 13)

CHRIST COMMANDS THE EXPONENTIAL, both in terms of our willingness to invest freely of personal time, talent and treasure, and in terms of our ultimate fruitfulness and productivity. (Genesis 1:28 - John 15:1-8 - Colossians 1:10)

The rich young ruler, who had meticulously observed the Law of Moses from his youth, was required by The Master to sell and share those things he treasured most.  This mandate constituted an entirely unique requirement from THE LIVING WORD, who is fully capable of discerning “the thoughts and intents” of the human heart.  (Luke 18:18-23 – John 1:1 – Hebrews 4:12) While Christ seldom demanded such stringency and totality in giving, since He is our Creator, Savior and Lord, we are His purchased possession and property. (Ephesians 1:14) Therefore, HE has every right to request and require our absolute best.

Remember: THE MANUFACTURER always determines the purpose, value and use of the finished product; such existential variables are never determined by the product itself.  It is solely in the realm of The Spirit.  JESUS IS LORD!  So let’s stop embracing any and all self-produced, inflexible agendas; and, let us resolve to inquire of THE MANUFACTURER as to WHO we are, WHAT we must do, and HOW, WHERE and WHEN we must do it. (Psalm 37:23) This is our safest and surest pathway to THE EXPONENTIAL, or, as Christ called it, THE ABUNDANT LIFE. (John 10:10)

Sisters and brothers, be continually blessed, and please (above all else) MAKE SURE YOU ARE READY TO MEET OUR SOON COMING KING. Maranatha!

LOVE CONQUERS ALL

LOVE CONQUERS ALL

Let’s face this fact.  At times it can be challenging to love.  Not everyone is kind and considerate.  Not everyone is easy to talk to, to connect with, or simply to be around for a few moments in time.  What is most difficult, however, is finding the strength, compassion and love to truly forgive, especially when you are been deeply hurt or wounded and the pain is still fresh.

Consider the story of a handsome baby boy who was born to a childless couple after eleven years of marriage.  They were a very loving couple and their baby boy quickly became the apple of their eyes.

One morning, when the child was two years old, the husband noticed an open medicine bottle.  He was late for work, so he asked his wife to cap the bottle and put it away.  Preoccupied in the kitchen, his wife totally forgot the matter.

Their toddler spotted the bottle and was immediately drawn to it, being totally fascinated with the bright color of the liquid inside.  Tragically, the child drank the entire contents of the bottle, a medicine which benefited adults in prescribed dosages, but was poisonous to young children.

Soon afterwards, the child collapsed.  The mother hurried him to the hospital where he soon died.  The mother was stunned and terrified.  How could she face her husband and tell him this terrible news?

When the distraught father arrived at the hospital and found their beloved child dead, he looked at his wife and uttered just four words.  What do you think those four words were?

The husband simply said, “I love you darling.”

The husband’s totally unexpected reaction was entirely proactive and positive.  Since their child was dead and could not be brought back to life, there was no upside in finding fault with the mother.  ‘Besides,’ the father thought, ‘if only I had taken a little time to put the bottle away, this would not have happened.’

The blame game would be futile and pointless.  This mother had lost her only child, and what she really needed at that moment was genuine consolation, unbridled acceptance and unconditional love.  This husband looked deep within, and that is exactly what he offered her. 

Bottom-line: Let’s treasure the people and blessings that we have.  Let’s refuse to magnify anyone’s anguish, suffering, or pain by holding tenaciously to resentment, anger, bitterness and unforgiveness.

Sisters and brothers, be continually blessed, and please (above all else) MAKE SURE YOU ARE READY TO MEET OUR SOON COMING KING.  Maranatha!

JESUS IS OUR ALL

JESUS IS OUR ALL

As we check out this world’s chaotic conditions, sometimes we are tempted to stress and worry.  But when we pause to consider the fact that we have a SAVIOR who is all-knowing, all-loving, all-present and all-powerful, exactly what is there to become doubtful or despondent about?

The next time you feel overwhelmed, simply pause for one moment to consider WHO is on your side.  His name is JESUS CHRIST.  And despite what comes or what goes…HE IS!

HE IS…THE SAME…YESTERDAY…TODAY…AND FOREVER.

HE IS…THE LIVING WORD.

HE IS…THE CAPTAIN OF OUR SALVATION.

HE IS…THE BISHOP OF OUR SOULS.

HE IS…OUR PLENIPOTENTIARY… OUR PASSOVER…OUR PEACE.

HE IS… THE SEED OF ABRAHAM…THE STEM OF JESSE…THE ROOT OF DAVID.

HE IS…THE DAYSTAR…THE BRIGHT AND MORNING STAR.

HE IS…THE DOOR…THE WAY…THE TRUTH…AND THE LIFE.

HE IS…OUR PROBLEM-SOLVER…OUR BURDEN-BEARER…OUR DELIVERER.

HE IS…THE FIRSTFRUITS OF THEM THAT SLEPT…THE FIRSTBORN OF MANY BRETHREN.

HE IS…THE FAITHFUL WITNESS.

HE IS…A FRIEND THAT STICKS CLOSER THAN ANY BROTHER.

HE IS…THE SURE FOUNDATION LAID IN ZION…THE CHIEF CORNERSTONE.

HE IS…OUR REFINER’S FIRE…OUR FULLER’S SOAP.

HE IS…OUR GOOD SHEPHERD…OUR GREAT PHYSICIAN…MY HEALER.

HE IS…THE HEAD OF THE BODY…THE HEIR OF ALL THINGS.

HE IS…THE JOY OF OUR SALVATION…OUR HIDDEN MANNA.

HE IS…THE ROCK OF AGES…THE STONE HEWED OUT OF THE MOUNTAIN.

HE IS…OUR HIDING PLACE…OUR HIGH TOWER…OUR PROTECTOR.

HE IS…THE GOODMAN OF THE HOUSE…THE GOOD SHEPHERD.

HE IS…THE HOLY ONE OF ISRAEL.

HE IS…THE LILY OF THE VALLEY.

HE IS…THE LAMB OF GOD WHO TAKES AWAY THE SIN OF THE WORLD.

HE IS…THE LION OF THE TRIBE OF JUDAH.

HE IS…THE LORD GOD OMNIPOTENT WHO REIGNS.

HE IS…OUR MIGHTY BATTLEAXE…OUR SWORD…OUR SHIELD.

HE IS…OUR SHEPHERD…OUR MASTER…OUR TEACHER… OUR REDEEMER.

HE IS…OUR MESSIAH…OUR PASSOVER…OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.

HE IS…OUR SHELTER…OUR SAVIOR.

HE IS…OUR WATER IN A DRY AND THIRSTY LAND.

HE IS…THE ROCK THAT IS HIGHER.

HE IS…OUR HOPE FOR THE FUTURE.

HE IS…THE ONLY WISE GOD…THE TRUE AND LIVING GOD.

HE IS…THE AUTHOR AND FINISHER OF OUR FAITH.

HE IS…KING OF KINGS…LORD OF LORDS…OUR SOON COMING KING.

HE IS…ALPHA AND OMEGA…THE FIRST AND THE LAST.

HE IS…THE GREAT I AM.

HE IS…ALIVE FOREVERMORE. 

Therefore, my friend, take THE LORD along with you everywhere you go.  And simply refuse to fret about any momentary situation or long-term circumstance.  WHATEVER happens…WHEREVER you go…HOWEVER things might appear…HE IS!

Sisters and brothers, be continually blessed, and please (above all else) MAKE SURE YOU ARE READY TO MEET OUR SOON COMING KING.  Maranatha!