A new website is upon us! All the late nights……..all the labor pains…….and now the moment has come. In fact, I am writing this from the ‘Website Hospital’. Annnny moment that little head will crown and 360 church will have a beautiful new place to check out all the happenings and goings on.
So. Break out the cigars folks…….send the ‘Congratulations!’ cards……..we will have the new info in just abit!
Brian
A tree, barren of leaves, rests quietly in the courtyard. Drops of rain from the night before hang, like pearls, on the empty branches. Under a sky clouded shut and sunless morning, she waits…..expectant.
There is no anxiety here, no worry of ‘when’. She waits, quiet and still, arms raised upwards. She will bloom again, this she knows. Leaves lush and green, birds and fruit making a home in her arms. She has only to be still and keep looking up.
How does she know this? Because she knows she is in the hands of a Master. She knows she was created to bloom, to blossom.
She has not been forgotten. Spring is coming.
I am getting over a cold with the usual winter assortment of ailments. Congestion, body aches and watery eyes. Days pass and I try to get through my day as a performer feeling like death warmed over. No energy and even less enthusiasm about anything. I could hide a small child in the mound of spent Kleenex by the bed. I am waiting for this to pass. And it will. But it sure feels like nothing is happening. I jam some Advil or swig the Nyquil hoping to speed the process but still it lingers.
What is going on? Is anything happening?
Yes.
Beneath the surface a terrific battle takes place. A war is waging bare millimeters from the outside world. White blood cells have amassed themselves in a magnificent army against the virus. Back and forth blows are exchanged, the virus runs but cannot escape until the body, in a picture of His wonderful creation, corners and repels it.
Are you stuck in a situation that you are desperate to be free of? Are you down, listless and prayed out? Are you wondering if anything is being done in your behalf or if Anyone is even listening?
Someone is. In fact, if you could see into the supernatural you would see the Almighty waging war on your behalf. Atop His stallion He swings His battle axe for you. Just beyond the gossamer sheet of the natural into the supernatural He is fighting for you. Believe it. Help is coming. Soon this battle will turn. Even now, listen…..trumpets from a distant horizon……His victory comes!
I work with 15 kids picked from the audience in the show I am in at Disney; 15 kids ranging in age from 4 years old to 10 years old, all with hard plastic light sabers in their control; all with too much sugar coursing through their bodies. I go home regularly with welts on my body. I play a Jedi Master instructing these young ones. It is a tricky line to walk, I have found. Maintaining order in this show must happen. HOW it happens is the trick. Should I take one too many steps over the line into being a teacher, then the show is left with an awkward silence from the crowd and the kids feel manhandled. Should I take one too many steps over the line into being just an entertainer then anarchy rules and it’s like herding cats. Some days I walk off stage happy to have survived with my life but also quite amazed something resembling our show goes over; 15 children all with their own personalities and wills.
How does God do it?
Think of this: God not only watches your life and misses nothing; He watches the world and misses nothing. In fact, He is never late. Not even by a nano-second. Remember that whisper of encouragement you received from Him the other day while driving to work? The timing of His whisper was impeccable wasn’t it? Now think of His whispers to everyone in Orlando…..at just the right moment. Now think of those whispers to everyone in this country. Now just imagine His whispers to everyone in the world……at the precise moment….and in the right language!
It is easy to feel our lives are not being cared for as they should by Him. Or that He is not moving fast enough in a certain area.
But remember, He is a master of His own stage play right now and He is well in control.
Steve Beam, the founder of Missionary Ventures, tells the story of a young couple who truly felt they were to be on the mission field but had no clue how to do it. They quit their jobs and waited, feeling they were being obedient that He would show up. One afternoon they had lunch at a café here in Orlando. A man, sitting next to them, struck up a conversation with them. They told him they were going to be missionaries. The man asked what organization they were with to which they said they didn’t have one and were praying for it. The man they ‘just happened’ to be sitting next to was a board member of Missionary Ventures and ‘just happened’ to be having lunch at the exact same time as this young couple. As you can imagine they became involved with MVI and the rest is history. Think of it: one couple praying for His intervention in a world of millions crying out for His intervention and He hears them all and He is never ever late.
Be encouraged today. ‘Just happened’ could be right around the corner for you.
Darkness. The trees whip themselves against each other as if to escape their rooting. Wind and rain tears at the windows and streetlights struggle to hold their light steady. Leaves and branches are carried upwards and thrown with such force as a bullwhip. There is violence in the heavens as fronts collide; each pushing against the other like two rams locking horns on a mountain pass. Behind the curtain of night and storm the sun awaits her cue. Another day is upon us; ushered in with the pains and throes of childbirth. Not with quietness and birdsong but with the thrashing and pushing of two heavyweights in a prize fight.
What a world. What a creation.
Its midnight in the Arizona desert and bats descend on cacti to drink the nectar of flowers that bloom just once a year. They come from Mexico and are migrating north. They cannot make the trip during any other time of year because the desert is too vast and long. But with this blooming they time their trip to re-fuel along the way. How do they know to do this?
Bubbles rise and explode on the surface in a circular pattern in the frigid Antarctic waters. Then, in a moment, the largest mammals the world has ever seen arise gracefully in a blow of air and water. The humpback whales are feeding on krill. Unspoken but working together these hundred ton animals work together by swimming deep, blowing bubbles in a circular pattern that rise to the surface forming a net of air that trap the krill in a central area giving the whales an easy buffet. Who taught them this?
A man wipes the steam from his mirror as he starts to shave. Another morning comes and he prepares for work. A plate of half-eaten toast rests on the edge of the sink and the tiny radio, precariously propped on the windowsill, tells of early morning traffic woes. This man, looking like everyone else, is a priest in His kingdom; his name written in the Book of Life, a soul now sealed and forgiven by the blood of Christ. He ties his tie, still with a stain of ketchup on the corner. He is royalty. A sinner saved by grace.
Who would offer this gift? Who would do this?
Our Father would. What a God.
“Long ago, even before He made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in His eyes. His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into His own family by bringing us to Himself through Jesus Christ. And this gave Him great pleasure. “ Ephesians 1:4,5
A day of putt-putt golf behind them, and now, a plate of spaghetti between them; the eight year old looked up at his father and with the help of sweeping arm motions he told him: “Dad, you are the best dad in the whole world. (Large emphatic arm swings) That’s the one thing I am sure of. There is no one in the world who has a dad as good as you.” His father beamed telling this story, and how could he not? Affection, unabashed, gushing affection from a busy child does not come often. Even less as they get older. The love is there but the distraction of a day and all that lies before them sometimes keeps them from saying: “Thank you” and “I love you.”
How often do we push our plate of busyness away and look up at our Father and tell Him how much we love Him? With emphatic sweeping statements of affection do we speak our love to Him? Or is it too often the only time we give Him is when we are drifting off to sleep or over dinner with food halfway to our mouths?
Try it tonight. Push that busyness aside and sit with Him. Gush over His love and watch how He beams!
I stood outside the convention room at a Holiday Inn. Signed in and waiting for my turn. This was one of those countless auditions I have found myself at throughout the years. I had been called and now waited, along with all the others nervously chatting and pretending to be as cool as a cucumber.
Across the hall from us a job fair went on. Young people streamed in and out looking for a new start. Some would cast a glance over at where we stood and move on. But some actually came over, sensing they were missing something, and asked what we were doing there.
Upon hearing this was an audition the wheels began turning. The casting director came out and looked over the sheet and called the next name. It was at this moment that the scam was tried.
These young people asked if they could be a part of this and were told this was a private audition. But it didn’t stop there. Now the lies came. They were from NY and had an agent up there and could give their number if he needed. But the casting director, having heard this before, calmly instructed that they needed to have been called for this audition. If their name was not on the list then they were not allowed to enter.
Desperation set in from some of these wanting entrance. More lies and now pleading, all to no avail. They would not be allowed in.
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father, who is in heaven. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from Me you evildoers!” Matt. 7:21-23
There is coming a day when you and I will stand before the Lord and He will look over the book for our names. Should He not see our name, we will be thrown into hell. No amount of pleading or lying will change that.
But it does not have to be that way. He loves you more than you can imagine. He is calling you today. Right now. It doesn’t matter who you are or what your background is. He is waiting for you. Why don’t you turn your life over to Him?
Folks, don’t wait. There may not be another chance.
A wall of smoke and fog laid over the interstate in the pre-dawn hours. Visibility was down to a matter of feet. Semis and cars continued their usual routes that morning, following too closely to the red lights in front of them, hoping this would lead them safely through. But it didn’t. A semi, traveling too fast jackknifed along the crowded interstate creating a chain reaction of accidents that did not end till seventy cars collided and four lives were taken over a two mile stretch. For days that stretch of the highway remained closed as crews worked removing cars seared from fire and metal twisted and crushed from blind collisions.
A Florida Highway Patrolman said this: “We can’t control the weather, but we can control our accelerator. These people didn’t slow down.”
A horrible moment this was. But the warning signs were there to slow down or even stop and they were not heeded.
Everyone knows they will die. Everyone knows that this is coming. The warning signs are here, bold and ever-present. Friends and family die, wars and sudden calamities shout the warning to any listening that today may be the day you could step into eternity.
Yet very few slow their lives to listen to reason. Very few take their foot off the accelerator to examine what will come in the next life only to collide with eternity at breakneck speed launching them into darkness with weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Jesus said: “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” Matthew 7:13-14
The answer is not to continue as you have been, following the one in front of you hoping they are headed in the right direction. The answer is to pull off. What you are racing towards will wait. Your eternity will not.
Look….over there….. you just passed Him. It was Jesus standing off to the side of your life waving His arms for you. “I am the Way, the truth and life.”
There is still time. Pull over.
Christmas Eve. I am at a mall. Somebody shoot me. Standing outside the Apple store, waiting for them to open, I was here because it needed to be done. Not by choice. I would rather all my teeth pulled while watching C-Span.
We were having trouble with the churches computer so I was there to see what the trouble was under the hood.
30 minutes before the store opened I was outside waiting. The glass doors were part way open and as the employees entered everyone inside cheered and called out their names. They were having a meeting before they started their day; I could hear the joking and laughing. Everyone was in a great mood. Soon after they took their places in the store as the manager walked out to open the glass doors. Smiling to me he stuck the key in the automatic opener and the gang in the store started rhythmically clapping for my entrance. The doors slid open and I walked inside to cheers and applause. It was Christmas eve. and they were about to be slammed but they didn’t seem to mind the impending madness. I had to walk the length of the store to get to the counter where they would help me and as I walked I was greeted and applauded for. A smile came to my face. Here I was with a problem. This was an inconvenience for me to be here. For all I knew our computer could be fried and everything lost on the hard drive. Yet I was smiling. I felt like they were happy to see me. These young kids (at 38 all of them now seem so young!) looked happy to be there and sincerely enjoyed what they did. The environment they created was instantly warming and inviting. It did not stop with the applause. Once I reached the front I was quickly helped and personally looked after. The whole experience was incredibly surprising to me; especially in a time where customer service is at an all time low.
But here is what struck me about this moment. The greeting I received; the feeling I had upon leaving was, unfortunately, better then most churches give on a Sunday morning. I left the Apple store with a feeling that I was important to them and I wanted to go back. I had a problem when I arrived yet through it all I left feeling special.
Some arrive on a Sunday morning, cross the thresholds of our churches not wanting to be there. They have a chip on their shoulders, a problem they are carrying and they, a lot of times, would rather be home in bed or at Starbucks.
Unfortunately they leave with that same burden and the same feeling of ‘my problem remains’ nothing has changed.
We carry the greatest news the world has ever heard, have been freed from death and will live FOR ETERNITY with Christ; yet have trouble making eye contact with a guest and saying ‘hello’. I understand the concerns for not wanting to be overbearing but we must understand that all of us desire to be special to someone. To be needed by someone. The world is growing increasingly solitary. Relationships, true, honest relationships are becoming scarcer.
We can do more. We can give more. Sunday is not about cliques and social time with the friends we already have. That is secondary to Christ and reaching out to others.
We can no longer be surprised when people find refuge in drugs or gangs or sex. They will find it where they can get it. I found it at the mall. The mall.
The church should be the most exciting, alive place on the planet
I stare at the baseball field now empty and weedy. The scoreboard is rusted and the bleachers warp upward. It is quiet and overcast; memories tug at my sleeve as I stare at the infield. 25 summers ago I was here, right here, sitting cross-legged in the grass hoping to play. Scrawny with glasses too big for my face I sat under my Akron Lions ball cap and kept score. Dreams too big for my little body I would stare at the others and hope for my chance to come. The smell of hot dogs from a nearby vendor would drift over the field as the slap of leather or metallic tink of the bats echoed off the surrounding cornfields. I would chime in my yells of appreciation or encouragement from the bench and watch the game go on without me. It was not for a lack of trying that I sat over here and not stood out there. “I can play”, I told myself, “and I’ll show them”. Kicking the dirt and daydreaming as the game unfolded before me; suddenly my name was called from the baseline. My head jerked up and all 18 players stared over at me as play was stopped and again the coach called my name, this time with a bit of urgency. “Brian, pinch hit” he said as he pointed up to the plate. I had not planned for this moment and threw the stat book off my lap and ran up to grab a bat. I absently hitched up my pants as I frantically scanned the bats lying in the dirt. “32 or 34 I can’t remember” I breathed to myself. The game waited and I just picked up the lightest one I could find, gave it a few swings with as much conviction as I could muster and stepped out into the arena. The nights lying on my bed dreaming of this, the days spent throwing the ball against the wall with the thousands screaming my terrific catch were now suddenly quiet. My uniform felt painfully clean as I dug in to set my dreams in motion. The runner at second stepped off to get his lead and the third base coach shouted his encouragement. The game hung in the balance, this run needed to come home. It was up to me. The pitcher rocked back and gave me his first pitch. The slap of leather and the call of ‘strike’ from the umpire came alarmingly quick.
I felt sick. I couldn’t think straight and wished I was at home where I was a hero.
I stepped out and breathed deeply trying to get my wits. Everything felt too fast. Just moments ago I was sitting in the grass with a pencil in my hand hoping we would win so we could get slushees.
Back in and another pitch. I didn’t even see it and swung. Again the slap of leather and I was now in a hole. I felt like a newborn colt trying to stay upright. Nothing felt connected. I was outside myself looking on in some spirit form. This wasn’t the way it was supposed to be.
“Oh God just let me hit it” I exhaled. The runner at second clapped his encouragement but I swore I saw a look of ‘this is not going to work’ cross his face. As much as I dreamed for this moment I couldn’t wait for it to be over. I came to as the pitcher settled into his motion and fired. “DO SOMETHING!” my mind screamed to my body that was staging a coup. Arms flailed out and somehow the bat came around……somehow, some miraculous way the bat hit the ball. I could’ve sworn the earth shook and dead men rose from graves to new life. The hot dog vendor paused, mid grill. Children dropped their sno-cones and dogs jerked awake from sleepy naps. The Second Coming must be eminent.
The ball, beaten down into the ground skidded with as much authority as one kicked off the foot of a newborn. I ran for all I was worth, helmet bouncing on my head, keeping time with my fogged over glasses sliding down my nose. Out by a mile, inning over. Dream shattered.
The wind picked up as I remembered, now with a smile. I touched the tree by the spot where I sat that summer long ago. My daughter called from the playground as I turned and left the memories for another day. One dream forgotten another given.
