Water for Water

I humbly ask for just five minutes of your time to share with you a simple, yet profound idea. How you may go about implementing or developing or 'running with it' is simply up to you.

First though a little background...

Because I am such a slow learner, God has had to spend the past twenty years faithfully, systematically, and profoundly developing two deep passions that I have. They were, and still remain...the desire to comprehend God's love for the less fortunate; and, the desire to understand God's will in giving. He has used multiple and various means to water, cultivate, nurture, and grow my understanding of these desires. Through my own personal study, the reading of dozens of books, the listening of numerous sermons, my involvement in outreach ministries, and countless one on one conversations, God has thusfar led me to these two conclusions...

1). My love and compassion for the poor should be no less than what God's is; and,

2). My giving should be sacrificial in nature and not so much "out of my abundance".

So from there, I began asking myself these two questions, "How could I sacrificially give to the less fortunate?" and "What does that look like?"

And now, the good stuff...

In helping to answer those two questions, approximately two years ago, His Spirit prompted, led, and developed this wonderful, profound, yet humbling idea. I definitely give credit to His Spirit for this idea, because I believe it is too good to have come from any man!

"What if when Sharon and I go out to eat, at times, we would intentionally and purposefully order water to drink instead of soft drinks, tea, etc. The money that we saved by intentionally drinking water and not paying for overpriced drinks would be set aside, then purposefully given to a ministry that helps provide clean water." Therefore the name, Water for Water!

Life example:  This coming Friday, April 17 is my wife Sharon's __th birthday.  To celebrate, several in our family are planning to meet together and eat at Ted's Cafe in Broken Arrow. Their tea and soft drink price is $2.49 per. Sharon and I will intentionally order water. We will encourage/ask the other adults to do the same. If all six adults drink water, we will save/not spend $14.94. That money will purposefully be given to Kibo Group Interntional for its Water Source project in Uganda.

Now, the one concept I love about this idea is there are no hard and fast rules! Each participating individual or family sets their own guidelines as to when he/she/they will choose to drink water at a 'dine-in' meal, and then where to direct that 'saved' money to help provide clean water to someone else in the world.

Obviously, more could be written or said about this idea. But for now, what a simple, easy, and thoughtful way to make a dent in or even eventually solve the problem of unclean water throughout the world!

I definitely request your prayerful thoughts, reactions, comments, and insights to this idea. Please comment either, here on Facebook; email me at stlcards1956@yahoo.com; or through IM.

Always thinking kingdom...

"One Anothering" More Biblically

Most, if not all, of us 'church goers' at one time or another have attended a Sunday morning Bible class, a Wednesday night Bible study, a sermon series, or a workshop based on the "One Another" passages of the New Testament. From those studies and probably from our own personal study, we have become familiar with our responsibilities to "_______ one another". As a matter of fact the New Testament contains fifty-nine "one another"/"each other" admonitions.

And we have also been taught what the 'supposed' outcomes, benefits, and blessings are in faithfully living out these admonitions. Among them include....everyone in our church loves one another; our brothers and sisters are encouraged to live more godly lives and do more good; more members of congregations live in harmony with one another; individual's or family's burdens are carried; and, forgiveness is rampant in congregations and families.

However, we all have observed and very well know that our practice of these admonitions very rarely have led to God's full and complete intent and purpose.

Why?

Partly, because we are flawed humans. But more importantly, I believe, because we have a flawed understanding of "one anothering" as God and Jesus intented it to be.

Let me explain.

God's Spirit knew I was deeply troubled by and struggling with the recent leaving of a few good friends from the congregation that we had mutually attended for many years. His Spirit knew I simply wanted a better understanding of why good, involved, Christian people leave one congregation for another after years of fellowship?

This questioning led me to thinking about and pondering the "one another" aspect of the church body.

First, in meditating on the phrase "one another", I visualized only two people...one on one.

Secondly, the idea behind the meaning of the word for "one another" is reciprocally and mutually. I believe this is the key! Just for a moment, close your eyes. Visualize two people, just one on one, encouraging one another mutually, agape-loving one another mutually, bearing each other's burdens mutually, or forgiving one another reciprocally.

Is that not a beautiful vision?

The mutual and reciprocal part is foreign and strange to our church culture, though. You may encourage someone, but not necessarily receive encouragement back from that individual; you may sacrifically love someone, but never receive that kind of love back in return; you may have helped carry another's burden, but where was that individual when your burden was too heavy to bear; or how often have you forgiven someone, but have never received forgiveness back?

We have been taught all of our lives to encourage, love, help, and forgive others. That is part of what I am to do as a Christian, right? It is simply a lot easier to encourage, love, help, and forgive the 'whole' or a group or a family or 'someone', but face to face...that is challenging. And with the idea of mutually....do we know how to encourage back, love back, help back, and forgive back?

Admittedly, some of my strongest days as a Christian have been those following a one-on-one engagement with a brother or sister in Christ. Where we mutually and reciprocally encouraged, agape-loved, submitted, or forgave "one another". Amen?

My hope and prayer that this blog post is only the beginning of further study, more discussions, and a better understanding of what 'one anothering' is all about!

Spiritual Lesson Learned at a Baseball Playoff Game #1

In the midst of Game 4 of the National League Championship Series between the Cardinals and the Giants, the Spirit of God revealed to me a valuable truth regarding encouragement. As an army of Cardinal fans numbering over 46,000 equipped with white, "rally" towels, each of us in attendance that believed we inspired the home team on to victory that evening. At times we had smothered our beloved Cards with endless "waving" of the towels, shouts of encouragement, and timely chants.

As the game entered the later innings, I began to notice when, we, the fans were actually cheering and encouraging our Redbirds.  It had been at the beginning of the game, when a home team player had delivered a "key" base hit, when the home team had scored a run, when a "big" out had been recorded, or when a home team player had made a great play in the field. We encouraged our players on when the Giants had narrowed the score to 2-1 in the second inning. We would cheer enthusiastically at the end of the game as well.

But, where was our encouragement when a Cardinal batter was facing an 0-1 count? Or an 0-2 count in the batter's box? I do not remember too much encouragement when a Cardinal pitcher or fielder allowed a run to score. Or when one of "our" pitchers fell behind in the count?

This is obviously typical of most, if not all, sports fans. One really cannot judge this degree of fan behavior, right? Right! That is just the way we sports fans are.

However, the question that came to the forefront of my thinking at that moment was, "Are we not pretty much the same way in the church?"  I mean, we encourage a new brother or sister when he or she begins his or her journey. Don't we encourage one another because of successes or through struggles and even failures. And we are definately there when one's journey is nearing the end or completed.

But, but what about the day in and day out encouragement that each of us so desperately need? Yes, we receive encouragement from one another (at best) two or three times a week. We tend to believe that the encouragement received Sunday morning and/or night should last until Wednesday evening; and that encouragement received should last until next Sunday morning, right? Right! We have been trained, groomed, and taught to accept the fact that should be enough for anyone of us...but, what if it isn't?

Hebrews 3:13 reads, "But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is called 'Today,' lest anyone be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin". God sees His children's need for encouragement to be much greater than a twice or three times a week need. And more than simply "being there" during the highs and lows of another's life. He(God) sees encouragement as a "daily" need  to be fulfilled.

We are called to be more than just baseball fans cheering our team on at certain times during a game. We have been called to be fellow heirs, obligated to encourage one another on day by day.

So, what does that look like? We will explore in my next post!

How Did I Treat Jesus Today?

As I reflect on my life, I find it quite interesting what people, which moments, and the circumstances that have made the most lasting impressions and have had the greatest impact. Some, unfortunately bad; others, quite exhilarating; while many, deeply reflective.

I remember the first time I heard Keith Green's, The Sheep and the Goats. This is his musical rendition of Jesus' teaching from Matthew 25:31-46..."but when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him..."

Most of us are very familiar with the passage. I, myself, was so (un)familiar with the passage that I had missed the most important concept within those sixteen verses. The way Keith emphasizes..."you did it unto Me" in verse 40 and "you did not do it to Me" in verse 45 began a transformation in the way I live life. Jesus is referring to what the 'sheep' and the 'goats' did and didn't do.

Honestly and truthfully, I had never perceived that what I did or did not do for a fellow human as being the same response that I would have for Jesus Himself.

"Now wait a minute, Lee. That is not actually true! Because I know if Jesus Himself was in need of a shirt or jeans, I would give Him mine; if He was hungry and thirsty, I would definitely go get Him something to eat and drink immediately; if He was feeling lonely, I would spend time with Him; if He...." You get the picture.

Any one of us would emphatically claim, "If it really was Jesus Himself, then..." And yet, what I continue to learn from this passage is this: That in every person I meet, in every situation I encounter along my way, Jesus said, "That's Me". No matter how hard I try to explain this truth away, honestly, it just will not let go. THE WAY I JUST DEALT WITH THAT INDIVIDUAL, IS EXACTLY THE WAY I WOULD HAVE TREATED JESUS!

And this teaching penetrates even deeper for me, because Jesus also mentions the "least of these" in this passage.

NO, please no, not the least!!!

From this passage, the Spirit of God has convicted me to ask myself this question at the end of each day, "How did I treat that 'least' person in my life today?" And who may this least person be? Well, for me he or she takes the form of the homeless, the one who is lonely, an enemy, a stranger, or even the one who misunderstands me. And so this spiritual maturity process grows even deeper with the evaluation that THE WAY I DEALT WITH THE 'LEAST OF THESE' TODAY PROCLAIMS THE WAY I WOULD HAVE TREATED JESUS TODAY!

WOW!

I thank you God for revealing this eternal truth to me through Keith Green's song. Daily, I must ask for wisdom from above to carry it out in my life only to the glory of You and Your Son. Amen

"But What About 'Them'?"

It hit me 'like a ton of bricks'! This question, that is. About a month ago I was sitting in a gathering with my wife and many others who make-up my church family. For once I was sitting in a gathering behaving, minding my own business, being quiet, not contributing, not saying a word, keeping my opinions to myself, just listening...

...listening to the facilitators that evening and members of my church family discussing another way for us to encourage one another and build-up each another. It was about halfway through that discussion when the Spirit of God dumped His load of bricks upon me with, "But what about 'them'?"

I did not have to ask Him who the 'them' were? I knew. I still know. They are the Lost. They are the Ignored Ones. They are the Different Ones. They are possibly even the Forgotten Ones. They are the Ones the church has found little time for, because we believe we need to find even more time to be together encouraging and building-up one another.

My initial reaction to this invasion was one of fear. I was scared. I was even terrified, because we the church do not want to hear this at all! And, by the way, 'thank you' God for placing that on my heart and electing me to be the messenger. I now have a little taste of how the prophets of old must have felt. That is main reason why it has taken me a month to build-up enough courage to just put this down in writing.

We 21st Century Christians enjoy fellowship. We love being together. And anyone even hinting at questioning the amount of time we spend together must be crazy, "off", a real looney-bird! Yet there, right there, right there in black and white is the very aspect of our fellowshipping that truly puzzles me..."the amount".

Lee, are you going to claim that there is a passage of Scripture that actually states..."Of course not". Lee, have you become the 'on earth' judge deciding when someone has had enough fellowship..."God forbid"! So Lee, now do you know what is best for each individual Christian..."No...No...a thousand times, No"! If this is not what you are suggesting; then what is it?

I am simply wondering... Have we begun to forget the other side of the coin? Because we have become sooooo infatuated with the one side(us being together), have we forgotten that there is another side(them being away). Do we understand the nature of our heavenly Father enough to know that "He is not willing that any should perish, but that all may come to repentance".

It is a matter of our mindset/our lifestyle. Where our minds are set, does it match the mind of Jesus? Does Philippians 2 come to mind here? He also says in Luke 19 that He came 'to seek and to save that which is lost". Who did He consider first...'Him' or 'them'? Who do we consider first...'us' or 'them'?

II Corinthians 5:14 says, "...for He died for all , that they who live should no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf"

I realize that this will not be the end of this discussion. However, the Spirit of God believed that it must begin somewhere! Honestly, where do you see the pendulum setting in this realm?

The spirit of man asks, "What about us"?
The Spirit of God asks, "But what about them"?

Which one do you hear speaking to you?

A Nagging Question Bites the Dust

For most of us, Jesus' parable of the talents in Matthew 25 is quite familiar. A master is leaving on a journey and calls to himself his slaves. The three appear, and he entrusts his possessions to them. The possessions are not divided up equally, but actually according to each one's ability. The first receives five talents; the second receives two talents; and the third slave receives one.

Upon the master's return, he settles accounts with each one. The first two slaves have each doubled what they had been entrusted. To each of theses slaves the master responds, "Well done, good and faithful slave; you were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things, enter into the joy of your master." The third slave confesses his fear of the master, so he simply went and hid his master's talent and now proudly returns it to him. The master's response to this third slave is quite different from the first two slaves. The master begins his response to this slave with, "You wicked, lazy slave...."

Now, I can tell that the third slave did something different from the first two. I can also conclude from the parable that what the third slave did(or not did) was wrong, even eternally wrong.

Even though there is a lot that I can understand about this parable, there still remains a nagging, bothering question. My question is, and I have actually had it for a long time, "Show me a 'picture' of what that third slave did?" In other words, "What does '...going away and hiding your talent in the ground' looks like?"

Well, last week, I was shown 'the picture'.

Last Friday, April 22nd was also Earth Day. The company I now work for strongly encourages daily practices to become a GREEN-er place. One challenge set before us this past week was to bring in, for recycling purposes, as many plastic shopping bags as possible. As incentive, the participants with the highest number of bags donated would be rewarded.

I actually placed third, and received a nice prize. The co-worker who contributed the most brought in 147 plastic bags for the Grand Prize.

'The picture', however, began to be revealed to me when another co-worker told me that he could have won, because he had 200 plastic bags crammed into the cabinet beneath his kitchen sink. In the next ten to fifteen minutes, he proceeded to repeat this two more times. "My wife and I have 200 of these plastic bags underneath my kitchen sink." "I just did not bring them in." "If I would have, I would have won first prize."

He had the means;
He was given an opportunity;
He simply did not follow through.

Now I realize that saving and contributing plastic shopping bags to a company project is not an eternal matter. However, the principle established by this mindset, this way of thinking, and this lack of action is very, very dangerous according to this parable.

The point of the parable is this:

The slave had been given the means according to his ability;
Unlike the other two slaves, the third slave could not see the opportunities;
Therefore, his means(talent) remained buried and hidden.

If I, first, do not recognize and understand what my God-given talents and abilities are; and secondly, if I do not fully understand that God will send opportunities in my path to use those given talents and abilities; and finally, if I do not faithfully step into those opportunities that come my way; then I too have taken away my God-given talents and abilities and hidden them in the ground!

And, those 200 plastic shopping bags will remain 'buried' inside that cabinet until....?


Thank you Father for using something as simple as plastic shopping bags to answer a nagging question of mine!

A Deeper Look at the Parable of the Sower...

"Behold, the sower went out to sow..."(Matthew 13:3). These are the words which Jesus used to begin the well known(to most of us) parable of the sower.

For most of my life when I heard these words at the beginning of a sermon, I realized that this was going to be a message with an evangelistic purpose; you know...to reach 'the lost'. "You 'lost ones' in the audience, what is the condition of your heart(the soil)?" "Is your heart prepared(condition of the soil) to accept the salvation God through Jesus and to follow Him faithfully through the rest of your life?" Simply stated, that was the message of this parable for the first fifty years of my life.

Then(I just love 'then')...Yes, then one Sunday morning sitting in a Bible class in the midst of studying this very parable, God allowed His Spirit to use that spiritual 'two-by-four' on me once again! The extended and expounded truth(s) of this parable "hit" me right between my spiritual eyes!

The application of this parable is not so much for the 'lost ones', but for us, the 'following ones'!

This was the 'two-by-four' question for me that morning, "How do I tend to receive God's Word into my own heart?" I have had to ask myself this question many times since then, "When through hearing or reading or studying God's Word, a new or deeper truth is uncovered or revealed to me; how do I tend to receive that revelation?" And maybe even the most important question for me today is: "Does my heart stay prepared to receive deeper truths?"

The way my heart is resting today leaves me with four options with God's truths...

1). with a hardened heart, the word simply is heard, sets on the surface of my life, and the
devil easily takes it away;

2). with an unfocused heart, the word is received initially, but it is not fully accepted nor
understood, so it is soon gone, not to be found;

3). with a preoccupied heart, the word is received like so many other things in life, and
simply gets lost in the mix;

4). with a prepared heart, the word is received gladly, understood, kept possession of
firmly(Luke 8:15), and is therefore applied into one's life.

The evaluation of this in my own life...once, twice...; nope...daily!