Build That Wall

The king’s cupbearer was building a wall. Fortifying the defense of Jerusalem was the focus of Nehemiah, as his heart was moved by the rubble found around the city. Could he have left the job for someone else? Sure, he had a choice. Could he have looked at the job before him and said a rebuild was just too strenuous to be completed? He could have. However, inside of him burned a calling, a mission so great that he could not turn away from the work for any reason.

Opponents attempted to sabotage the work, trying their best to thwart the efforts of the people, hoping to undermine the leadership of Nehemiah. Their minds were set to stopping the rebuild, so they did their best to distract and destroy. Messengers were sent, hoping to stall the process when the opposition realized that Nehemiah and the people were making progress. To stall, they requested meetings. Nehemiah kept working. With persistence, they sent messengers repeatedly, especially after Nehemiah dismissed them by saying, “I am doing a great work and cannot come down. Why should the work cease while I leave it and go down to you?” (Nehemiah 6:3 HCSB) In looking at the story of Nehemiah, there are three things to remember about the work we are called to do.

1 – See your work as important – Nehemiah didn’t see what he was called to do as a small job. The work had a purpose; therefore, the work was important. When we belittle what we are doing as “nothing big”, we are already minimizing the importance of the work in our minds and to those around us. Nehemiah told Sanballat and Gesham, “This is a great work!”. Any work you are called to do for the Lord is a great work, even if others may not see it as such. What God has called you to is kingdom work and every role in the kingdom is equally important. See what you are doing as important and approach it as such.

2 – See the completion of the work as necessary – How many activities and works of our lives are left incomplete? I have dozens of things that need to be carried out to completion. Some were started without a complete determination to see it through to the end. Nehemiah didn’t start to build half the wall, abandon it, and feel like something was accomplished. He started the work with a dedication to finish the work. The very thought process that the work can be abandoned is a sabotaging of the work on our own part. Begin it to finish it.

3 – See distractions for what they are – Nehemiah had to face mockery, attempts to discourage, attempts to distract, and even false accusations as he sought to complete the wall. Any time you are called to do the work of the Lord, you will face similar oppositions. Satan will try to stop you by saying you can’t do the work. He will use critics to try to discourage you from continuing the work. Satan will try to tear you down your resolve and try to shift your eyes onto other things. Nehemiah recognized the tactic and refused to be lured away. Nothing was more important than the task he had been called to do. See distractions as the efforts of Satan and respond like Nehemiah by saying, “Who are you to stop the Lord’s work from being finished?”

The work of the Lord is to be done, completed with a heart of determination and dedication. Never is it easy to finish what God has called you to because Satan never sits back and allows the work to go unimpeded. You are doing it for the Lord. Some will mock. Some will disparage. Some will distract. But you, the called of God, are to remain focused and finish that wall you were called to build.

Taking a Step is Success

Hitting the "send" button meant there was no turning back. I checked the screenplay. Repeatedly. I ran through the mental checklist of what I needed to make sure was correct before I sent it. I checked the guidelines at least ten times, avoiding being disqualified over a submission error. My lack of self-esteem continued to tell me there was no point in sending it in because I am not talented enough to win a contest. A moment of truth came as I sat in a cabin alone and prepared to hit the "send" button or simply close the computer and go on with life.

I hit "send". Immediately, my stomach churned. I imagined the contest director opening the email and shaking her head, thinking, "This has to be the worst thing I have ever read." I couldn't turn back because the email was sent. Praying began as soon as it sunk in that this was now real. I had taken a step I had never taken before. I had stepped out on a ledge. A fall may come but at least I took a step. Normally, the voices in my head, those doubts and discouragements that are blaring every day, win out, but not this time. I was determined to get a step closer to my dream of reaching people with the gospel through movies.

I learned a Peter-style lesson through this. Those who take a step are never failures. Regardless of the outcome, those who at least pursue their dreams successfully avoid the question of what could have been. As Peter saw Jesus walking towards them on the water, he called out to Jesus, "Lord, if it's You, command me to come to You on the water." (Matthew 14:28) Jesus told Peter to come to Him, and with that word, Peter stepped out onto the waters. In this truth, we learn something from the day Peter stepped out of the boat.

1 - Do not base life on what others choose to do. Peter stepped out in faith even though everyone else stayed in the comfortable confines of the boat. Though they were too fearful or too cautious to take a step, Peter wanted something more. He was willing to risk it even though the others played it safe. What if Peter had chosen to stay with them? What if Peter said that he wasn't going to be the only one? The beauty is that we do not have to wonder what may have happened because Peter did not wait to see what others would choose to do. He went.

2 - Even if you fall, you can say that you stepped out. We know the story and we know that after a few steps, fear set in for Peter. But here is what we often forget. Those first steps of faith would never be undone. He walked on the water towards Jesus. He stepped out in faith and courage. Nearly two thousand years later, the story is still told of that day when Peter did what no one else would do. He walked on the water with Jesus.

3 - If you fall, Jesus is there. Peter began to sink, but even in that moment of anxiety, Jesus was there. Scripture said that Jesus immediately reached out and took hold of Peter. The same is true for us. When He calls us to step out of the boat and onto the waters, He is calling us with the assurance that He will be there with us. We are not alone and knowing that we have taken that step to follow Him, He will not allow us to be overcome. He was there the moment Peter needed Him. He is here in the moments where we need Him as well.

Know this. Even taking a step towards what God is calling you to do in your life is success. That first step is often times the toughest and even the loneliest step you will take. Others may mock you. Some will question you. Those in the boat will critique what you are doing and will tell you things you should have done. Here is the thing. They stay in the comfortable of the known while you are taking a step to follow Jesus into the unknown. Success is chasing a dream, regardless of outcome, knowing that whether you ultimately succeed according to man is not as important as successfully striving to follow God.

Shattered, Shaken, but Salvaged

Ecclesiastes 3 says, "There is an occasion for everything, and a time for every activity under heaven." (Ecclesiastes 3:1) Yesterday, the Lord began the breaking process in my life. One of the great women of faith came to me after the service, with tears in her eyes, telling me that she knew the Lord was about to do big things in my life. She spoke of how she hoped it would be in the church where I currently serve. She fought back her tears as she implored me to continue holding on in the testing period that I found myself in, to refuse to give up. She knew only a fraction of what was going on and she could not have imagined what would be the result.

As she spoke, I could feel the frustration grow even more intense within me. I did what we do as pastors. I forced a smile. I nodded. Graciously, I thanked her for those words. But in my mind, I immediately began to get more irritated with life and with circumstances and how I felt like nothing was how it should be. Never could I have imagined what God was beginning with the words of a faithful woman of God, something that would be painful but necessary, excruciating but imperative. He was about to break me.

Frustration comes in so many forms. From the aggravation of feeling like our lives are on hold, like when the wait for what is next seems never-ending, to the frustration of feeling like every area of life is falling apart, when frustration sets in, it overwhelms. The season of frustration I have gone through in my life has seemed like the length of years that the children of Israel were in the wilderness, wandering around and wondering if they were getting anywhere. Today, it finally hit the breaking point.

As I drove to take our taxes, the stress of a million things sitting unfinished with a million more to do consumed my every thought. Then came the uncertainty of things. Those thoughts only added to the chaos storming through the cells of the brain. Unable to take anymore, I threw in a CD a friend had given me, hoping some worship music would calm my mental storm. Aptly named "Way Cool 2", I listened to the songs and tried to refocus on anything other than what had been brewing previously. Then, it happened. "Thy Will", the song by Hillary Scott and the Scott Family, began playing and as I drove, I broke.

What had been held inside so long could no longer be contained. Trying to be all things for all people had taken its toll as I could not be who I needed to be for myself and for the Lord. The very things I knew were going to happen, the dreams of the heart that kept me pressing on another day, seemed to be crashing into a million pieces on the floor. The very vision for what would be had become nothing more than travelling through the dense fog of unrealistic expectations, wading through worldliness infecting the things of God, and desperation. With each line of the song, I could see how she had captured the very frustration that I have lived in and then, it hit, when she sang:

"I don't wanna think I may never understand that my broken heart is a part of Your plan."

Everything inside me melted. What had begun to lack feeling, a growing numbness that was becoming more alarming with each day, began to let go of the pain and the aggravation, the very hurt that could not be voiced. As the pastor, and as a father and husband, the belief that I could not be broken was dangerous, because whether I wanted to admit it or not, I was broken. For once, I didn't care if someone drove by me and saw me shattered. Hiding it had benefitted no one along the way.

"I know You're good, but this don't feel good right now."

Painful is not enjoyable. When expectations are shattered and broken, the resulting sting of pain is memorable. Such a pain is memorable because it is not to be forgotten; it is a display of the power of God to overcome even our strongest defenses. The walls, the barriers, the exterior that we place up in the hopes of no one sensing our vulnerability have no strength when they are torn down by the very One who created us. I can tell you, I only hurt that way one other time in life, and it was a time when God had to break me down. I didn't think I needed to be broken again, and though the circumstances this time were far different from the last, the pain of it will be nonetheless memorable. I had frustrations that began to change me, away from who God had created me to be, morphing into someone who simply could go no further...and it was hurting.

"Sometimes I gotta stop, remember You are God, and I am not..."

As the tears rolled, the truth of those words rang true. I am not God. I am not in control. So often, we live our lives as if our plan, our timeline, our blueprint is what matters. We fall prey to the idea that somehow we are in charge of a life that we had no control in creating from the beginning. To be reminded of who God is and how God is ultimately in charge, that He is the One who is worthy and able to direct where we are to go and who we are to be is humbling.

"I know You see me, I know You hear me, Lord. Your plans are for me, goodness You have in store."

He saw every tear. He knew every frustration and He could sense every aggravation that had built up. Throughout this season, He had never been unaware of it all and He knew that this day would come. In His infinite wisdom, He knew that this moment would come when that CD was put together a year prior, when those words were spoken after the service last night. A frustrated man was about to be broken by a holy and loving God who could watch His child suffer no more. As all of it flowed out, I hit repeat on the song, hoping God would completely empty out what needed to leave.

By the end, I was driving in circles, trying to get myself together to go in the house. The realness of the moment was this - I was broken, shattered in a million pieces, but at least I could feel something again. At least what had filled up my heart and mind had finally flooded out so He could put it all back together. So though I sat shattered and shaken, in the hands of the Potter, this life can be salvaged. And all I could utter, as those pieces lay in shambles on the ground was:

"Thy Will be done."

Carrying the Weight of the World

Aloe Blacc sang that he had tried to carry the weight of the world but he only had two hands. His words speak to the reality of how we are trying to live on a daily basis. Each day, we wake up and we carry so much with us that before we even leave the house, we are struggling to take the next step because of the load we are carrying. Our minds are exhausted. Our bodies are struggling. We feel beaten down and nearly defeated.

Scripture tells us that, as believers, this is not to be our normal. The Lord has more for us in life and with the Lord in our lives, we do not have to carry the weight of the world on our shoulders. Here is what we read in 1 Peter, "Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your cares on Him, because He cares for you." (1 Peter 5:7 HCSB) Rather than carrying those cares, concerns, worries, and anxieties, we are called to cast them over to the Lord. He knows what we need. He knows where we are. He understands what we are facing. He has proven throughout the generations to be able to carry those burdens, freeing us from the weight of the worries to live free in the faith.

Some of us carry the burdens of the past. The mistakes that we made, the failures we endured, the hurts and the regret, but again, those are not ours to carry. As we have taken those things to the Lord, as we have asked for forgiveness for those wrongs, we have to accept the forgiveness of God and forgive ourselves. Scripture tells us that we have no reason to carry the past with us. As Psalm tells us, "As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us." (Psalm 103:12 HCSB) The past is over. It is gone and those sins for which we have repented, they are removed from us. They are so far removed that we should regret should have turned into rejoicing. God took them away and no longer when He sees us does He see those mistakes. Such a truth brings about a hallelujah from the soul.

Take a moment to breathe today. You are weary and worn but the Lord tells us that in that condition, He is where we are to turn. Jesus implored, "Come to Me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28 HCSB) These words of Jesus are beckoning you to come to Him today and leave those burdens at His feet, placing those concerns in His hands. He is able. He is there and He calls you.

By the grace of God, we do not have to carry the weight of the world. We were not designed to do so. Rather, we are called to give the weight of the world over to the Creator of the universe, in whose hands we know are able to carry the weight. Today, we have the opportunity to let go and let God do what only God can do. Cast it all on the Lord and see how your hands are freed up to do the work He has called you to do.

Not today, Satan. Never Again.

You can’t do it. You will never succeed. You will fail.

Such is the sound of the thoughts that run through my mind daily. With each success in life, there is the subtle reminder of every failure that I have endured, every pain I have ever caused, every sin I have ever committed. The whispers in my mind are from the enemy, an accusatory voice that longs to see me muddle through another year, to waste another week, and to be distracted for another day. This week, I found something, a truth that had been there all along, but I had neglected to see.

I thought about 2019 coming up, and thought, “Well, I guess I should just wait until the New Year to start.” Immediately, I recognized the source of the thought. Waiting to start until 2019 was a waste of nearly two weeks. I was about to do exactly what Satan wanted me to do. I was about to wait another day, make another excuse, waste another house.

No more. The clock is ticking, and I am tired of wasting the time I have been given.

I saw a church sign recently that spoke to this truth. The sign read, “Today is God’s gift to you. How you use it is your gift to God.” How true is such a statement? God has given us today, but Satan tries to convince us to waste it, to be distracted away from our calling, and live in the regret of another day that only produced unfulfilled potential.

Joshua reached such a place with the people of Israel. The lack of commitment and the turning towards God, then away from God, then back to God was overwhelming. As the Lord spoke through Joshua, Joshua informed the people that he had made a choice for the course of the rest of his life and his family, then turned to the people to challenge them to do the same.

Today. Not tomorrow. Not next week. Not when a New Year comes.

He said to them that they should choose to follow the Lord. Then, he gave them the alternate options, after he told of all that the Lord had done for them. Joshua put it to them. He demanded an immediate response. He said, “But if it does not please you to worship Yahweh, choose for yourselves today the one you will worship.” (Joshua 24:15 HCSB)

Today. This moment a decision is made, and that decision should influence every moment that follows. Satan says we have tomorrow. God warns that nothing is guaranteed as far as time on earth. Which voice will you follow today? Which is the voice of truth in your ears? For those who choose to listen to the doubts and indecision of a voice of distraction, they will always say they will do it tomorrow. But, today. Today, a choice is being made. God whispers, telling us to give Him all that we have, and He will work through it. The Lord tells us to have faith in His ability to work and in His ability to produce fruit from the seeds we plant.

I will be the best disciple, pastor, husband, father, son, writer, and friend that I can be starting today. I choose to give it all to the Lord and to stop listening to the voice of the deceiver who says I will never be enough. Why? The cross says that I am enough, and Scripture says that I must make a choice. Joshua said, “As for me and my family, we will worship Yahweh.” (Joshua 24:15 HCSB) Which choice will you make today? God has gifted you this day, now what will you do with it? I have chosen to forsake the world and follow the Lord, allowing Him to work through me to change the world. How amazing would it be if we all made such a decision? Things might just change around us!

A Sword or Submission

Not too long ago, I was listening to a message by Adrian Rogers. If you have never heard a message by Adrian Rogers, stop what you are doing now and listen to one of his messages. He was a gifted pastor and the particular message was sent to me by one of the members of my congregation. I listened intently and was blown away by the message. In it, he spoke of Peter and where Peter went wrong and when Peter got it right, a message most of us can identify with if we are honest. Where it went wrong for Peter was when his will became more important that the Lord’s will. Luke captured the moment, “Then one of them struck the high priest’s slave and cut off his right ear. But Jesus responded, ‘No more of this!’ And touching his ear, He healed him.” (Luke 22:50-51 HCSB)

What Peter did, pulling out the sward and defending Jesus, seemed to be the right thing to do. Rather than sit idly by, he took action, but the issue came when his will for Jesus became more motivation than God’s will for Jesus. Jesus had come to be the sacrifice, to give up His life for Peter, James, John, the priest’s slave, you, me, etc. Peter stepped in the way and what he did was actually to strike the one who had no power in the situation. The slave was only doing what he was mandated to do but Peter’s defiance for the will of God led to error because Peter simply could not see what God was doing, though Jesus had warned repeatedly that this very day was coming.

I thought about this truth during the winter storm and the life shutdown that follows when more than an inch of snow falls in North Carolina. Are we seeking our will or God’s will? Though something may seem harmless or even admirable, it is nothing if it not aligned with the will of God. Even the most innocent acts can be sinful if the motives for the acts are anything but pure and set on the will of God.

Do you know what never catches the Lord by surprise? The motives of the heart are never a surprise. He knows what we are thinking, what we are seeking to accomplish, and even more importantly, He knows why. The Bible says this, “All a man’s ways seem right to him, but the Lord evaluates the motives.” (Proverbs 16:2 HCSB) What does that mean? God knows deep down why we are doing the things we do. Yes, they may seem right to us, but the question is are they being done for the Lord and according to His will?

So, it comes to the question of why? Is it about Jesus or is it about us? Is it about Jesus’ will or is it more about our way and our will? Peter seemed to do what was right but all along he was wrong, and time revealed where he went wrong. Time will always tell the motives behind what we do, but we can be sure that God already knows. As a year begins to wind down, now is the chance to get it right by doing things God’s way and in accordance with God’s will. A great place to start is by looking at what is being produced by what we are doing. If it is of God, it is producing more of a reflection of God and less of a focus on ourselves.

Two months away...the time is drawing near

The leaves are beginning to change here in North Carolina, as are the seasons. A month ago, the temperatures were in the nineties, now they are considerably cooler. Tonight, I saw the date as it changed on my phone, telling me that the twenty-fifth day of October has arrived. For me, that signals two months until Christmas.

Christmas is no small celebration in my home. Already, I am planning for the holiday movies, excited that they begin one day from today. Hallmark Channel will stay on and throughout the season, I will write more about what the season means, how it impacts those who look deeper into the cause for celebration, and will dream of the day one of these projects is in your hands. As we speak, I have three manuscripts complete, one screenplay complete and in the hands of a director, and have begun work on another screenplay. All of these are about Christmas. Each speaks to the majestic nature of celebrating the arrival of the King of majesty.

As I think about the excitement, I am reminded of the response of John the Baptist, before he was born, when Mary approached Elizabeth. Mary was carrying the Son of God and as she drew near to Elizabeth, Luke wrote, "When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped inside her, and she was filled with the Holy Spirit." (Luke 1:41) Elizabeth even tells Mary of what took place a few verses later. Elizabeth said, "For you see, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped for joy inside me!" (Luke 1:44 HCSB) Even the baby rejoiced at the nearness of Christ, being in the presence of the Son of God.

People often wonder why Christmas means so much to me. This is why. He came. Did He have to? No. But He did. Humanity needed a Savior, so the Son of God came, in the form of man, and as the celebration of Christmas draws closer, joy grows as we celebrate the coming of the Lord. As the season draws near, we find joy in the fact that God did not turn His back on us, but came to walk among us and in that, peace comes to the soul.

Your day today might be filled with anxiousness. You may have a day that is filled with worry and you may be in a season that is anything but pleasant to endure. Perhaps there is sadness that is overwhelming, or doubts that are drowning out hope. Your life, at this very moment, could be lonesome. But know this. Christmas is on its way and the message of Christmas resonates throughout the year, in every season and in every situation - Immanuel - "God is with us".

Just the mere mention of the name of Jesus, just a few moments in the presence of the Lord, and joy comes to our weary souls. The joy comes from His presence and from His sacrifice. Joy comes in knowing that we are not alone and that we do not have to do this life on our own. He came. His very feet traveled this sod as God sent His Son to a stable in Bethlehem.