IF YOU ASK THEM, THEY WILL COME; THEN WHAT?

She slipped into the church a little late and sat 3 rows from the back.  She might have gone unnoticed and even slipped out a little early saying nothing to anyone, if it hadn’t been a Wednesday evening and the congregation was dismissed to go to their Life Group classes.  Walking down the aisle, I noticed the bewildered look on her face as most people walked past and down the stairs.  I stopped, introduced myself and said, “Why don’t you come with me.  I will show you the way and sit with you.”  She smiled grateful for a friendly face and together we walked to the Adult Life Group.  

For conversation’s sake, I asked what brought her to our church; had someone invited her; did she know someone that attended the church?  She said softly, “My Jesus-level was real low.”  I replied that I was very happy she had decided to join us this night.  The lesson was about spiritual growth and seemed directed at mature, committed Christians.  I listened to the teacher, all the while praying that something was getting through to her and at least would bring her “Jesus-level” up to a readable measure.  After the teacher finished his lesson, some comments were made and she raised her hand; “Thank you, this really spoke to me tonight,” she said.

After the class, I told her again how happy we were that she had come and invited her back for Sunday worship.  She said, “I want to come back and I will, but tomorrow I am going into Rehab for a few weeks.”  I hugged her, told her to take the time to get better and when she got out of Rehab, we would be here to love her and her children.  I have her name, phone number and address and I intend to follow up and help her raise her “Jesus-level” to the top.

We are encouraged to invite our friends and neighbors to come with us to church.  So we invite, they come and then what?  What do we have to offer; what are we serving up when they come?  Most cities have “Heinz 57” or “Baskin Robbins 31 flavors” when it comes to church variety.  There are architecturally-beautiful buildings, multi-program mega churches, rock-star music complete with flashing lights, pastors preaching in robes, suits  or jeans, rumpled shirts and tennis shoes; but what happens when our “Jesus-level” is low?

I recently read an article about a church in Oklahoma that is offering a Sunday evening service of Beer & Hymns.  Sure, they check your Id and there is a 3-beer limit.  And after all, you are singing hymns that hopefully mention Jesus.  Perhaps after you have consumed your 3 beers you might even be ready to listen to a salvation sermon and pray the “Sinner’s Prayer,” but what about the emptiness in your soul?  What about your Jesus-level?

Jesus asks the woman at the well for a drink of water, how different the story would have been if His next comment had been, “Come on down to the synagogue with me.  We can have a beer together and sing a few songs.”  It wouldn’t have satisfied her thirst or upped her Jesus-level; she needed the Living Water that Jesus offered.  What hope would the young lady at our Bible Study carried with her to Rehab, if we had shook her hand, offered her a beer and sang a few hymns?  She needed some Living Water.

When we invite our friends and the come, they are not looking for programs; they can find that at the local community center.  They are not looking for professional music or flashing lights; they can find a concert to attend every weekend of the year.  They are not looking for a cold drink and friendly faces, where “everyone knows your name,” chances are they know a better bar that serves better beer.  They are not even looking for an eloquent, hip speaker sporting the latest clothing trends and spiky hair.  NO, they are hungry for something that satisfies the longing deep inside.  Life probably hasn’t worked out so well, they want things to change and just maybe you will provide some answers. 

When we invite them and they come, we must offer HOPE!!!  HOPE that there is “something more.”  HOPE that they can be free of sin’s chains.  HOPE that the weight of the load they carry can be lightened.  HOPE that their “Jesus-level” can be filled to overflowing.  When you invite them and they come, then what?

WHEW!!! TIME TO CLEAN OUT THE GARBAGE DISPOSAL!

I stumbled, sleepily to the sink, desperately needing that first cup of coffee.  As I turned on the water to fill the Keurig, a nasty smell cleared the fog from my brain.  The sink was clean, checking the trash can under the sink revealed nothing.  What was hiding in my kitchen?  Once more leaning over the sink, the smell took my breath away and the truth hit me; the garbage disposal needed to be cleaned out.  A couple of days ago, I had rinsed off the dinner plates and scrubbed the sink but I had forgotten to flip the switch to clear out the disposal and wash its contents down the sewer.  A garbage disposal is a wonderful kitchen tool to rid your house of unwanted food garbage but if you don’t flip the switch daily to clear out the unwanted fragments, you will eventually have a bigger problem in your kitchen today than you had yesterday.

How many times have we pushed aside the garbage that accumulates in our life every day, cleaning up the surface but forgetting the important next step; clearing out the garbage disposal.  You may go on happily through life for a few days and then at the most inopportune time, you notice a stench emanating from deep within.  You thought you had gotten rid of it but there were little bits and pieces lying there, putrefying, and just waiting to invade your life once again.  It is time to flip the switch and clear out your personal garbage disposal.

We can fool ourselves and those around us for a time but eventually the garbage that we have just set aside and forgotten to get rid of will make itself known.
Luke 6:4 The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

Check yourself, do your words carry an unpleasant aroma; sarcastic and cutting instead of edifying?  What about your attitude?  Are you guilty of “stinkin’ thinkin’” instead of hope and thanksgiving?  Even your actions can tell the tale of a full garbage disposal; you begin to consider your own lusts and desires instead of following the Will of God.  Don’t despair, there is an easy solution; FLIP THE SWITCH!!!

Prayer is a beautiful cleanser for our personal “garbage disposal.”  Spend a little time allowing God to give you a thorough cleansing.  He will take away the garbage of the day, the hurts and slights, the aggravations and even the little things we allow to discourage and weigh us down.  Then as an added benefit, God sprinkles on a little Grace to keep you smelling sweet.  You will feel fresher and those closest to you will begin to notice the pleasant aroma of God’s love that emanates from deep inside.  It is time to CLEAN OUT THE GARBAGE DISPOSAL!  Don’t wait, the smell will just get worse; DO IT TODAY!!!

GOD DIDN'T MAKE MONSTERS ANYWHERE

We can talk ourselves into or out of believing almost anything.  If you don’t believe me, try this…Tomorrow morning, when you get out of bed, look at yourself in the mirror and tell yourself you don’t feel good and think you are getting sick.  Brush your teeth and tell yourself again that you think you are coming down with something.  Chances are you can convince yourself to get back into bed and lounge around in your pajamas all day.  By afternoon or late evening you may experience cold chills and a pounding headache.  Are you really sick? Probably not, but you have talked yourself into believing that you are, complete with symptoms, which are very likely due to hours of inactivity.   The reverse also works.  Truthfully, most of us do not feel energetic and ready to conquer the world when we roll out of bed.  It may take a shower and hot cup of coffee before you can think about facing the day but look in the mirror, take several deep breaths, smile and say, “This is the day the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it.”  Tell yourself that you are “more than a conqueror” and “can do all things through Christ.”  Sing a praise and worship song as you brush your hair and get dressed, grab that cup of coffee as you walk out the door thanking God for the beautiful morning.  Are you really going to conquer the world today?  Possibly because you have just convinced yourself that you can accomplish whatever comes your way, today.

This is true in just about every area of life; when we speak, we are often speaking prophetically, our words have power.   We find  that during Job’s great trials, he makes this statement in Job 3:25, “For the thing that I fear comes upon me, and what I dread befalls me.”  When Job stopped fearing and began to speak blessing, everything he had lost and more was restored to him.  Now before I am accused of being a “prosperity preacher” or of embracing the “name it and claim it doctrine,” let me assure you that I believe we pray and receive according to the will of God not according to our own selfish lust and desires.  I also believe that we talk ourselves into many situations that are not according to the will of God because of negative, fearful, discouraging words and even sometimes go against the will of God by convincing ourselves that our desires our God’s primary priority in His plan for us.

On my birthday, my little 3-year old granddaughter, Maicie sang a song to me that came straight from her mind and heart.  She called it the “Rainbow Song.”  It began with a line about rainbows in your eyes than veered off into the things that were really on her mind.  The 3rd line of the song went like this, “God didn’t make monsters anywhere, not in your bedrooms.”  I’m sure Maicie didn’t realize what she was doing, but she was speaking prophetically, WORDS OF FAITH to herself.  I’m sure she has imagined monsters in her room and probably even dreamed of them.  I also know that she has a Mommy and Daddy who pray with her and assure her that there are no monsters in her bedroom because “God didn’t make monsters.”  As Maicie continues to speak or sing her words, she is convincing herself to believe what Mommy and Daddy tell her and eventually the “monsters in the room” become a non-issue.

Philipians 4:8 Finally brethren, whatsoever things are true; whatsoever things are honest; whatsoever things are just; whatsoever things are pure; whatsoever things are lovely; whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Whatever “monster” you are facing in your life, try Maicie’s “prophetic singing.”  Substitute words of FAITH for words of FEAR.  Begin to PRAISE instead of COMPLAIN; BLESSINGS instead of CURSINGS.  Not only will you feel a lifting in your spirit but the negativity will flee and you will begin to believe that GOD IS WORKING ALL THINGS OUT FOR YOUR GOOD because GOD DIDN'T MAKE MONSTERS ANYWHERE!

YOU CAN HAVE IT ALL (Just not all at once)

My pantry holds an assortment of yummy treats just waiting to fill my grandbabies tummies.  One of the favorite treats of the younger grandkids is Fruit Snacks.  For you who may not know, a fruit snack is a small packet of different colored gummy candies in the shape of a favorite cartoon or Disney character.  For some reason, it seems that is impossible to eat and chew just one of the gummies at a time.  No matter how often I say “just one,” every one of my grandkids has looked at me with their mouth stuffed full of gummies until their cheeks bulge and chewing is impossible.   It isn’t as if someone is going to snatch one or there is a timer set with a limited amount of time for finishing.  I often think of how much more enjoyment they would get if they would learn to savor each candy.  You can have it all, just not all at once.

I was fortunate to come of age at a time when it was still acceptable for women to be stay-at-home moms and being a homemaker WAS a career choice.  As the 1990’s approached, women were made to feel as if choosing to stay home to take care of your kids and make a comfortable home was only for the “dummies” who couldn’t do anything else.  I watched many of these women juggle careers, children, husbands, leisure time and social obligations; trying to HAVE IT ALL!!!  Instead of savoring every moment and enjoying different seasons in their life, they became depressed and stressed out because they were cramming too much into a small 24 hour space.  I wanted to tell them, “You can have it all, just not all at once.”

Oh there are many sacrifices to make, priorities to set and choices that are difficult but don’t fool yourself, the one trying to have it all is also setting priorities, making choices and something is always being sacrificed.  Thinking back over some of the sacrifices that allowed me to be the stay-at-home Mom that was there when the kids came busting in the house after an exciting day at school.  The wife that always had a hot cooked meal waiting when Steve came in, tired from a long day at work.  Making sure there were clean clothes in the closet, toilet paper in the bathrooms and juggling the budget, stretching the money to cover the necessities was as much of a challenge as any CEO of a company faced.  I forfeited new cars, perfectly decorated homes, gourmet restaurant meals and designer clothes; they would come and I would enjoy, just not all at the same time.  The kids finally grew up and I finally received my degree and finally started a corporate career.  Now, once again, I find myself a stay-at-home Grandma and a homemaker by choice.  Looking back over my life, I can say, “I have had it all, just not all at once.”

In our walk with God, we have dreams and ambitions; there are so many things we want God to accomplish through us.  There are gifts to be desired, aspirations of ministry and positions,  people to touch and souls to win.  Too many times, instead of allowing God to work through us we go full-throttle, packing every moment full of “working for God.”  When our mouth becomes so stuffed we can’t chew, we finally choke and wonder why God has left us gasping for air.  PATIENCE, God will give you everything He has planned for you, just not all at once.

At the present time, you may be in the “waiting mode” or maybe you are “tugging at the bit” desiring to rush into the calling you feel in your spirit.  STOP!!! Savor the moment you are in.  God is working out the last few details and when the time is right you will step into your next season.  One thing I have learned is “when we find contentment in the present season, fulfillment will await you in the next season.  Stop stuffing all the gummies into your bulging cheeks; YOU CAN HAVE IT ALL, just not all at once.