I Want More ... Immeasurably More

I grew up believing that God would take care of all of our needs out of the abundance of his glorious riches. So like most parents I tried my best to teach my children the difference between needs and wants. One got the lesson the other one, not so much. Isn't that the way it always is. One child gets it the other doesn't. If they all got it we would be perfect parents and teachers, but I haven't met one of them.


Back to my original thought ... I believed for a time that ALL God would take care of was my "needs" and that all the "wants" were all on me. If I worked extra hard, saved and pinched pennies that I might be able to have some of my "wants".

Then I began to realize that God was much bigger than I had been giving Him credit for and that when I learned that I must admit I became even more confused. Why some "wants" and not others? How does He decide which? I know I am supposed to constantly be thinking on heavenly things and not earthly things, but sometimes I want, "not need", some earthly things that I really believe might then be able to help someone. So does that make it a "need"? Like Vinnie Barbarino on Welcome Back Kotter, "I am so confused". Can you relate to that?

Then I was reminded that God has great plans for me (Jer. 29:11) and that He wants big things "for me" as well as "from me". So I started digging through scripture reading about the "mores" that God offers. There was a time when I had some really BIG dreams I thought. In fact I wasn't sure that maybe my dreams might not be too BIG for God. Were my dreams solely based on "wants" and therefore out of the realm of what God might bless. It wasn't long before I began to settle for smaller dreams, they were still dreams but not what I once considered dreams. Not the crazy stuff that guys right out of seminary dream about changed lives and building churches that would bring thousands to Him.

Then I found it. The passage that I needed to see and understand about God!

Ephesians 3 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,

God is not just "OK" with me wanting more, He wants to give me "immeasurably more". He is the one than can "do immeasurably more" than I could ever ask or imagine. God can dream BIGGER than I can ever possibly dream!

Then Eugene Peterson explained it to me even more when he translated those verses this way in the Message.

Ephesians 3 20-21God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us. (The Message)

God can do ANYTHING but He is not going to force it on me, but "gently" nudge me to dream those dreams! God I don't want a nudge, barrel through me with the bulldozer of your love and dreams! OK not my will but yours ... but now know you want "more", "immeasurably more"!

Why do I forget that so easily? How does Satan get me off track with the daily battles? God help me from this day forward to never again lose sight of this truth. It's OK to want "more" ... even "immeasurably more" ... a long as it is in YOU!

Focus on God

This morning we prayed these simple 31 prayers to remind us to focus on God each day of the month.
1. God Our Creator – “Creator God, “I praise You because “You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you.” (Neh. 9:6)


2. The Only God – “God, I praise You because You are the Lord and there is no other; apart from you there is no God.” (Isaiah 45:5)

3. The Almighty God – “O Lord, God Almighty, who is like You? You are mighty, O Lord, and Your faithfulness surrounds you.” (Ps. 89:8)

4. The Everlasting Father – “I praise You, Lord, as ‘the Ancient of Days’ (Dan.7:9); the ‘Everlasting Father’ (Is.9:6); who lives forever and ever.”

5. A Loving God – “I praise You because You are a loving God, whose very nature is love.” (1 John 4:16)

6. A God of Justice – “Lord, I praise and magnify You, who is just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.” (Rom.3:26)

7. A Faithful God – “Heavenly Father, I give You my praise and adoration, because You are a ‘faithful God, keeping Your covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love You and keep Your commands.” (Deut. 7:9)

8. A Merciful God – “You are a gracious and merciful God, and I praise You for Your great mercy.” (Neh. 9:31)

9. God, My Refuge, My Fortress – “I praise You, Lord, for You are ‘my mighty rock, my refuge.” (Ps. 62:7)

10. A Patient Persevering God – “Father, I praise You because You are patient with Your children, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9)

11. An Eternal Saving God – “I give You praise, Father the only God our Savior. To you be glory, majesty, power, and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages now and forevermore.” (Jude 25)

12. The Holy One – “Holy, Holy, Holy are You Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.” (Rev. 4:8)

13. A Personal God – “I praise You, God, because You are a personal God, who gives me the honor of knowing You personally, even inviting me to a feast at Your kingdom’s table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” (Mt.8:11)

14. A Giving God – “All praise and honor be Yours, O God, because You are a generous God, who did not even stop short of giving Your own Son.” (John 3:16)

15. A Provider God – “I praise You today, Lord, as my Jehovah-Jireh, who makes all grace abound in me and generously provides all I need.” (2 Cor. 9:8)

16. God, My Shepherd – “I bless Your name and praise You as my Jehovah-Rohi, who will shepherd me and guide me in the paths of righteousness for Your name’s sake.” (Ps. 23)

17. God of Victory – “Praise to You, my God, because You are Jehovah-Nissi, God my victory, who always leads me in triumphal procession in Christ.” (2 Cor. 2:14)

18. God of Peace – “I praise You with all of my heart, Lord, because You are my Jehovah-Shalom, the God of peace who will soon crush Satan under my feet.” (Rom. 16:20)

19. The God Who Heals – “Father, I praise You because You are the Lord who heals me.” (Ex.15:26)

20. The God of All Comfort – “Praise be to the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort.” (2 Cor. 1:3)

21. The God of Miracles – “Lord, I praise You because you are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the peoples.” (Ps. 77:14)

22. A Forgiving God – I want to bless You with praise, Father, because you are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love.” (Neh. 9:17)

23. The Burden Bearer – “Praise be to the Lord, to God my Savior, who daily bears my burdens.” (Ps. 68:19)

24. A Faithful God – “I praise You because your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies and great is your faithfulness.” (Ps.36:5/Lam.3:23)

25. King of Kings, Lord of Lords – “All honor and praise be to You, my God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light.” (1 Tim. 6:15)

26. God the Liberator – “I will praise You because you are my help and my deliverer; O Lord.” (Ps.70:5)

27. The Lifter of My Head – “Father God, I praise you because you are a shield around me, O Lord; you bestow glory on me and lift up my head when I am weary or despised.” (Ps.3:3)

28. The God of Light – “I praise You, Lord, because You are my light and my salvation, and because You know what lies in darkness, and light dwells with You.” (Dan.2:22)

29. The God of Joy – “I give You praise, O Lord, because you have granted me eternal blessings and made me glad with the joy of your presence.” (Ps. 21:6)

30. The God Who Answers Prayer – “I praise and honor You, Father, because You are a God who loves to answer prayer and who begins to answer even before I pray.” (Is. 65:24)

31. The God of All the Earth – “I praise and adore You, Lord as the Holy One of Israel … my redeemer … the God of all the earth. Help me focus on You!” (Is.54:5)


Excerpted from Pray! Magazine – Issue #12  @2002 by Robert R. Hostetler



PRAY AWAY AND STAY FOCUSED ON GOD!!!!

Be careful what you say! Just walked into a business to find a member of our church really hurting because of the way he had been treated by a customer. Worst part of the problem was the employee knew the customer also went to our church. :-(o

It's Great to Be Alive

Isn't this an incredible view!   Not the big bald guy (although he is cute) but the view from the top of Clinch Mountain is breath taking. Standing there with my lovely wife is one of those times when you think it just doesn't get any better than this.  I got to cross this mountain many times in the 1980's as I traveled back and forth between Lexington and Milligan.

While I was at Milligan I met a friend for life.  When we were freshman his favorite words were "It's Great to Be Alive".  Tim Brokaw must have said that a million times that year.  Here's the deal, I never heard him say that while we were standing on top of some beautiful vista like this one.  In fact many times it was just before, during, or after he had put smelly sweaty basketball gear in to wash as the manager of the basketball team.  Tim was a great manager because he just wanted to do everything he could to help make the team better, even when it included sweaty, smelly laundry.  But those kind of jobs rarely get recognition, yet everytime you asked him how he was doing, his response was "It's Great to Be Alive". 

It was thirty-one years ago that I first that I first heard Tim say that and I am just now starting to really understand what it could mean and learning to believe iteven when I am dealing with smelly stuff.  It is easy to stand on the moutain top and breathe in the fresh air and say "It's Great to Be Alive".  It's much harder to believe that when your child is running around out of control making questionable life decisions.  It's hard to say that when your marriage is really struggling, or your finances are out of whack, or you hate your job, you fill in your own blanks

I want to spend my life on the mountain tops breathing in fresh air and looking over a beautiful view.  However, it's only by living through some dismal valleys that we can really recognize the beauty of the mountain top.  Jesus reminds us in the Sermon on the Mount that "your Father in heaven, causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous."

It has been critical for me to realize over the last few years of struggling that God loves me in the valley just as much as he does on the mountain top. He loves me when the sun is shining as well as when it is raining.  He loves me when I am following Him as closely as I can as well as when I am going my own way.

What I have learned is it's great to be alive when I choose to believe it is great to be alive!  It's my choice!  I'd like to live on the mountain top, but I'm trying to choose to be happy even when it's raining!  

Learning new technologies. Can post to my blog by text. Probably getting Iphone tomorrow. Thinking stating with 3G since I don't need a lot of apps and power.

Do You Want to Get Well?

There is an interesting story about a man who had been sick for years that Jesus comes upon.

John 5:5 One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?”

At first reading it seems like such a silly question. Of course, he wanted to get well. Who wouldn't want to get well. But the man never really answers the question, he just begins explaining why he can't get to the place of healing. In his own way, he was saying I would love to be healed but it is someone elses fault that I can't get there. The blame game seems so unfair, and yet it is so real ... today.

Now I know that this guy was crippled, but it doesn't seem as if he attempted to make any preparations for receiving the cure he so desperately needed until the time was upon him. The water in the pool stirred signifying that a miracle was about to take place. A panic came over the one who couldn't walk or possibly even crawl for that matter, because he had no way to get to the water. Here's my hint, "when the water stirs, it's too late to do anything othr than jump, or fall, in."

I wonder if it ever dawned on him to get closer to the place of healing when everything was quiet. Doesn't seem like it? But what a break ... the ultimate healer happens to walk right up to him. Even though he was in the general neighborhood of healing, he wasn't near the place of supernatural healing, but the healer came to him and ambushes him with his healing touch.

I am learning more and more that God can do anything He wants to do and He typically ambushes me with his love when I least expect it. (thus an ambush) But I am also learning that life tends to go much better and God can work more in my life the closer I am to where He really wants me to be. Unfortunately, like this man I find myself close but not close enough.

Here's my thought. I see a lot of people continually doing the same thing and expecting different results. Always kind of close to where they need to be, but wanting something different to happen without moving even closer to the "pool". "If you keep doing what you've been doing you are going to keep getting what you have been getting."

Do you want to get well? Why not get as close as you can to the pool, so that all you have to do is fall into Jesus arms.

Can You Fix It?

Today I was asked to share the two most important lessons I have learned over the last twenty-eight years of ministry. The more I thought about the question the more I realized that the most important lessons that I have learned, I have learned in just the last few years, maybe even the last few months.

The last class I took in my masters program was a course in Crisis Counseling. The final was a mock counseling session with the professor being my client. After going through all the things I could think to ask and listen to I suggested some steps to deal with the imaginary crisis in her life. Later as we reviewed my exam the professor looked at me and said, "You are never going to be very good at this." How do you respond to that? Thank you maam, may I have another? Instead after the initial shock, I asked the pressing question "why?". She looked at me and said, "because you want to fix everything and some things just can't be fixed."

My beautiful wife had been telling that for years, when rather than just listening to what she was upset about, I started calculating a plan to fix it.

Over the last few years, I have been forced to deal with a lot of things I just couldn't fix. Even though I said the words, I kept trying to fix things. When I did give those things over to God, it wasn't very long until I started taking them back. I am finally getting it.

So when I was asked what the two biggest lessons were, I thought for a moment and said the first one has been a long hard lesson. Lesson one was "I can't fix everything."

Lesson two has just hit me in the last couple of days, "I can't fix anything!" Not the kind of things I have been trying so hard to fix. That's why Jesus had to die. He died to fix me, and everyone of us with sin debt so big that only he could fix it.

Eddie Carswell and Michael O'Brien have written a song that says, "So before the day slips away and want to stop and say I love you and be still and know that you are God!"

So now I am trying so hard, not to try so hard.

The Basement or The Penthouse Vol.2

Joshua said, "Make a choice today who you will serve, but as for me and my house we will serve the Lord." So we are back to choices. Imagine you are in the "elevator of life" and you have 100 buttons in front of you each representing a level of life from the basement to the penthouse. Which button are you going to push?

You might think the choice seems obvious, but not for everyone. It seems that although there are more rewards the higher you go, there are also more expectations. So what will you choose? You can have the best that this has to offer, but there will be expectations. Many choose to settle at this point. So what will you choose?

Have you ever been on a real elevator and thought you were going up only to have the doors open and realize that you had gone in the wrong direction? Or maybe you have just not been paying attention and when the doors opened you hop off only to find out you are on the wrong floor. I have done all those things on real elevators and on that imaginary spiritual elevator as well. Sometimes I mean to make the right choice, but I make the wrong one.

Then the hardest thing is when you make the right choices and still things don't go as you plan. Thieves tend to want to break into penthouse homes more than they do basement apartments. Jesus said that we face a thief that wants to steal from us, kill us and ultimately destroy us. The reality is that there will never be ultimate peace until we are in the ultimate penthouse of heaven at the feet of the Father.

I want to make the best choices I can until I get there. I never met Sharon, but I know her grandparents and I sat in their kitchen this morning listening to great stories of the choices she made to live in the penthouse with Jesus. This morning at the age of twenty-four leukemia took her life here, but allowed her to move into the penthouse permanently. Some will say it is a tragedy. The real tragedy is for those who come to the end of life at whatever age without choosing to live with Jesus. I am so sad for Bill and Wanda and their family, but Sharon chose the penthouse and she only had to wait twenty-four years to get there. What are you going to choose?

The Basement or The Penthouse

You are moving into a new high rise apartment and the manager says you can have your choice of a basement apartment or the penthouse for the exact same price. Which apartment would you choose? The choice may seem obvious, choose the penthouse. But not everyone would make that choice. I wonder why would someone choose to live in a dark gloomy basement, when they have the opportunity to live on top of the world with a bright great view.

In an interesting translation of John 10:10 we might hear Jesus say, "There is a gloomy slum lord that wants you to live in the basement of this world so that he can steal from you, kill you and ultimately destroy you, but I have come to move you into the penthouse so that you can see forever and keep on reaching higher." It's your choice! What are you going to choose?

I struggle sometimes to keep on reaching higher. Sometimes Satan wins the battle and I find myself settling for the life that he wants rather than the life that Jesus came to give me. The abundant life that is available in the penthouse! Abundant life! Jesus wants you to live life abundantly, to the fullest, in the penthouse!

Where do you want to spend your life here on earth? In basements or in penthouses? It's your choice!