I like to follow certain people on Twitter because they communicate words of wisdom that challenge me and cause me to contemplate areas in my life where I need to grow. One particular person I like to follow is Mark Batterson, pastor of National Community Church in Washington D.C. Last week I’m sitting at my desk preparing for a presentation when I get this message on Twitter from Pastor Mark that reads “if we don’t pray for miracles we don’t give God a chance. Give God a chance!” Needless to say my curiosity was provoked. A couple of days later, I receive another message from him that reads “all of us want a miracle. We just don’t want to be in a situation that requires one but you can’t have one  without the other!” That same week I saw on a friend’s Facebook page a cartoon that he drew along with his commentary. 

Faith requires us to take a risk. If jumping out of a plane sitting on the ground constituted a parachute jump, there would be a whole lot more people parachute jumping. BUT, when you have to jump when you might not even be able to see where you might land or have to wonder if you will be able to land safely, the ranks of people lined up to jump diminishes quickly. That’s the way it is with faith… if great faith involved just making decisions where everything was sure, in control and comfortable, then exercising faith would be no big deal. But when faith involves being certain of things that can’t be seen, then fewer are willing to trust God. If we are going to see great results, then we have to be willing to trust God to do only what God can do.  So, my friends, let us be willing to step out of our comfort and in-control zones and HAVE FAITH IN GOD!

I knew God was talking to me, and I knew what He was talking to me about. There are some things that God has put on my heart to do, and to be honest with you they are way beyond William. It involves risks at a level that I’ve never taken before. It will take a miracle to see them come to pass. What God has birthed in my heart will be a test of my faith, and this test will be an opportunity for me to surrender something of value to God. I CANNOT run from or pull back from this test because if I do, I’ll never know how much I can trust God or how much He can trust me.

There is a part of me that is excited and confident (not in myself mind you) and I tell myself, “bring it on”, “I’m ready.”, “me and God are a majority.” I like opportunities where God can show up and show off.” Yet, there is another part of me that says this fire could get hot, circumstances could get tight,  but if I’ll allow God, He will demonstrate to me that the Scriptures are true and that He is faithful to His word. This will be an opportunity for me to go deeper in my relationship with my Creator.

I’ve learned from past experiences that from the time God births something in you until the time it comes to fruition, there’s a lot of hard work in between.  A lot of sacrifice, blood, sweat, and tears but these are the ingredients needed for a miracle. God doesn’t give us all the answers we’re looking for because what He’s more interested in is the person we are becoming in the process. For us to somehow circumvent that process would result in a relationship that is shallow and not proven. God requires much more than!

 In John 8:1-11, there’s an event where the scribes and Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery before Jesus, and all of those that He was  teaching that morning. The  humiliation, condemnation, and worthlessness she must have felt  as the “church leaders” singled her out and exploited her.  Surely there were those that she knew in the crowd that had no idea of her lifestyle and perhaps some that had even engaged in the behavior with her. Why weren’t they called out as well? These so called leaders claimed to know God and to love God yet their claims were obviously hollow.

Jesus recognized this not just as a test of the Mosaic Law, but of the very heart of the Father Himself. Notice Jesus’ posture in the story. The Scriptures tell us that, “he stooped down”. While the religious leaders were standing over her and looking down at her, Jesus was willing to  “stoop” and meet her right where she was. While the religious leaders were picking up stones, Jesus was extending a hand to pick her up.  While the religious leaders were quick to quote the Scriptures, Jesus was willing to act upon them. 

If you were to ask the average person on the street what the church stands for, I’m convinced that they couldn’t tell you. However, if you were to ask the same people what the church is opposed to, they wouldn’t have any trouble answering.  God is for us! He loves humanity, and He opposes sin because of what it does to us and our relationship with Him.  How many of us would have responded to the adulterous woman the same way Jesus did? Each day we have an opportunity, like Jesus, to stoop down, lift up, and actually do the Scriptures. Let’s stop going to church and start being the church. Let’s be His hands and feet!

I know there are some in the religious circles that would tell us that sports and the things of the world should not bring us this much joy and happiness, and they would be quick to remind us of the encounter that Jesus had with the rich young ruler in Mark 10:17. Yet, Jesus’ issue with the rich ruler wasn’t that he owned things; rather, that his things owned him. I believe that God intentionally places things like hobbies, sports, people, and entertainment in our lives for us to enjoy along the way. He simply cautions us not to let them get in the way.          

When the Saints and Colts kick off Super Bowl 44, it will be almost 4 years and 4 months to the day that Katrina reeked havoc on the Gulf Coast and the city of New Orleans. So I say to everyone in the “who dat nation” from Shreveport to Slidell, and everywhere in between, this coming Sunday is the day you’ve been waiting for. I hope it is everything you thought it would be and more. Who knows by the end of the day Sunday, we could be calling the New Orleans Saints World Champions! Now, that is something worth smiling for.  

I very lucidly recall the devastation that Hurricane Katrina brought to the Gulf Coast, and in particular the evacuation of New Orleans. I remember being in the airport and seeing bodies lying on cots or slumped over in wheelchairs. I remember seeing bodies laid out on the floor tagged with the color “black” because there was no chance of survival, and I remember how the room reeked of death.  I have to tell you though what I’m seeing and hearing from Haiti is more  troubling than anything I’ve ever seen or heard before. Reports say that an estimated 200,000 people are dead and many more missing. Prior to the earthquake, Haiti had approximately 138,000 orphans. That number will undoubtedly increase. The number of amputees is astronomical, and many have crushed limbs just waiting to go to surgery.

I don’t know much about Haiti, and what I do know is not good. I’ve heard about the supposed “pact with the devil” years ago, the common practice of voodoo and witchcraft, the political corruption, and the extensive poverty. Yet, despite all of that, I believe that the Body of Christ has an obligation and a responsibility to act, and to act with the heart of the Father. The church should be the first ones reaching out to the people of Haiti and the last ones to leave. God is a lover of humanity, and the Scriptures tell us that He takes no delight in the events that unfolded this past week. His heart is broken, and what breaks His heart should break ours. 

When you read the Scriptures, and it doesn’t matter whether you read a prophet book or a poetic book, a Law book, or one of the Gospels, one thing is clear, the poor, the widow, the orphan, the prisoner, the hungry, the thirsty, the naked, the stranger all matter to God. There will always be room in God’s heart for them. Can I say the same about my heart? You see, this is not just about Haiti, this is about my heart and who I do or do not have room for.  If I simply watch the images on television and feel sorry for the people of Haiti and do not act, then the truth is there is no room in my heart for them.  My compassion must be followed by action, or there isn’t any compassion.

Church, this is our moment to shine. This is our moment to show the love and compassion of the One True God. This is our moment to be the hands and feet of Jesus Christ. We can’t allow our hearts to be turned away because of the busyness of our schedules, the images of looters, the distance that separate us, or the differences in culture. As we begin to meet the physical and emotional needs of the Haitian people, this country will be open to hearing the Gospel like never before. When you are impoverished you not only lose your place to live, food to eat, and clothes to wear, but you lose your capacity to dream. You lose hope!  Who else can bring hope to a broken and devastated people like the Body of Christ. It’s time to respond! It’s time for us to ask, God what would you have me to do?   

For me in 2010, its not going to be about the weight, the health club, or the money saved; instead, its about the name I leave behind. It’s about the next generation. It’s about two little girls – one named Emily and the other Rachel and a little boy named Connor.   It’s about every lost, hopeless, and hurting soul that crosses my path whether its at the parish prison, the Baton Rouge Dream Center, or the line at Wal-Mart. 2010 will be about the name I leave behind!

Instead of resolutions for 2010 that reflect short term change on the outside, I’m pursuing change that is new, fresh, and intimate. The kind of change that only God can bring. In 2010, I want to create as many memories as I can with those that God has placed in my life. God has impressed upon me to live a life beyond myself. A life that points others to Christ.     

In Matthew 1, we read of the genealogy of Jesus, which if taken out of the Scriptures could be the most boring and innocuous words ever penned; yet, each name carries with it a record of who they are,  and the life they lived. The name they left behind. Matthew did not have to include this in his gospel, but he did, and I believe that he did this as a reminder to us that it matters to God how we live our lives. Some of the names mentioned were very courageous and some were very less fortunate, but they all brought something into the world  that pointed others to Jesus. They lived their lives in such a way that long after they passed, they continue to speak to us.

The truth is that we will all leave a name behind.  The name we leave behind will be left up to each individual. Leaving a name behind that reflects Jesus does not come without cost, but if we’re not willing to make that sacrifice then there will be regret. Nothing good can be built on regret, and regret is not the name we are called to leave behind.  

Last month, it was time to honor the men. We had pool tables, ping pong, play stations, and football on the big screen.   We couldn’t get a live game so we watched the 2007 National Championship game between LSU and Ohio State.  Yes, that was my idea The ladies cooked chili with Fritos, decorated the room with a football theme, and served them this night. It was sooo much fun.

We believe that healthy things grow, and we wanted to create an environment where relationships could be developed and cultivated. Likewise, we believe that unless you have a relationship with someone, you will not be able to speak into that person’s life. Something or someone is informing you each day as to who you are and who you are becoming. Unfortunately, the people in our program have surrounded themselves with the wrong voices. The Scriptures teach that “… in the multitude of counselors there is safety.” Ed Young says, “ask the right people the right questions, and you get the right answers.” My pastor, Dino Rizzo,  recently talking about choices said it this way, “right voices … right choices”. That’s exactly what we wanted to do for the men and women in our program. If they hear the right voices long enough then they’ll begin to make right choices. That’s a win for everyone! That’s a win for families, for neighborhoods, for the city of Baton Rouge, and Louisiana as a whole.

  What has happened in the last 90 days has far exceeded anything that my finite mind could conceive. I learned a valuable lesson. My lack of faith had me to petition God for any old used bed. I thought it didn’t matter where it came from or how old it was anything is better than the streets, but it mattered to God. What He had in mind was the very best … BRAND NEW never before used beds. Oh, and the men, they are doing so well. Working, paying rent, faithfully keeping the house in order. They have taken pride in themselves and where they live. The countenance on their faces is priceless!

The house is not completely furnished and we still have needs (towels, bath clothes, a stove and refrigerator). some of the men coming into the home have nothing but the clothes on their back. They need shirts, shoes, socks, underwear,and pants, but we’re believing God for these items. Just like He provided the home, the beds, the material, and the labor He will also provide whatever else these men need to ensure that they live the life that He intended for them to live. I know He will provide, because the poor matter to God.    

Later in the week, I received word that a man that one of my co-workers and I had just ministered to earlier in the month died as a result of alcohol. He literally drank himself to death. I’ll never forget the conversation we had with him back in July. As he opened up to us, he began to share that he started drinking at the age of 5. In his culture of Bosnia, this was very common.  He then opened up his heart and shared with us that his own father had raped him as a child, and had “passed him around” to his other male friends. He’s pain was so severe that the only reprieve that he could get was through death.

This week one of our clients came in the office and informed us that he, his wife, and their children had not eaten in several days. We always keep canned food around the office for times like this, but as I was as I compiling a a box of  groceries,  I heard this voice inside my head tell me “you’ve never experienced what this is like … to be hungry and go without food.” How embarrassing and humbling that must be to have to tell someone that you have not eaten in several days, that there is no food in the pantry, and no financial means to get any.

  All the pain, hurt, and desperation that I saw in these stories just reminded me that I don’t have to go to Africa, or any other “far off” land to do missions. I can do missions right here where I’m at. There’s a mission trip waiting for me right next door, across the street, in the cubicle next to me, in the desk behind me, and very possibly under my own roof. Sometimes the only pain and heartache we see is our own, but the truth is the world is filled with pain, heartache, loneliness, and hopelessness. Jesus said, “The greatest among you must be the one who serves” Luke 22:26. One of the key values of the Kingdom of Heaven is servanthood. Opportunities to serve are all around us, if we’ll just be looking.

Most of the women in our program have little or no self-worth, no dignity, and no notion of what it means to be human. After years and years of incarceration, a life of drugs and alcohol use, mental, physical, and sexual abuse at the hands of those closest to them, its easy to see why these women feel hopeless. On this night, we wanted to give them something different to think about.

The Scriptures tell us that Jesus showed the full extent of His love for His disciples by washing their feet, with no strings attached. In a real and practical way, that’s what we attempted to show these ladies on this night. God showed up! They left with such a glow on their faces. In the end it was a win for the city of Baton Rouge. A win for Louisiana. A win for these ladies, and most importantly a win for the Kingdom. You can NEVER go wrong serving out of love with no strings attached!

I love the honesty in her answer. I think that she speaks for a lot of us when it comes to our hang up with God and the  moments when we’re called to walk by faith and not by sight. We want tangible, verifiable, concrete evidence from God, and if it doesn’t happen then faith is just not good enough. The Scriptures tell us, and we may even quote it from time to time “without faith it is impossible please God”, and “we walk by faith not by sight”; yet, in the very next breath we ask God for proof in the form of signs.

When we talk about faith it’s a lot of times in the context of facts, dates, and events, and that’s not really what faith is. Faith is about connecting to the Creator of the universe in a way that cannot be perceived by the five senses. Faith, as the Scriptures talk about, gives us insight to the unlimited possibilities of God that are all around us. Faith allows us, like Moses, to see the invisible God and when we see God; we begin to see everything differently. We begin to see the beauty and wonder of life. We begin to experience what it means to be spiritually alive. I believe this is along the lines of the conversation Jesus was having with Nicodemus (John 3), when he said that you must be born again. “Nicodemus (paraphrasing here) you know the Scriptures, you’re a keeper of the law but it’s all about rules, tradition, and denominations, and at your core you’ve never come alive spiritually through faith.”

… Faith unlocks the realities of what it means to be alive! 

I know it would be easier if we had visible evidence of what God was doing around us, or even an explanation from God Himself would seem to make the journey less stressful, but God does not work like that in our time and space.  Why? We see the world through our eyes, but we see God through our soul, and it is our soul that must connect with Him.  When we do that, a spiritual rebirth takes place and we begin to see ALL of life from His perspective.