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Have you ever noticed how our lives become so very serious? Even messages proclaimed from our churches and articles written by people like me can focus too often on trials and difficulties, and present words that are very solemn. Sometimes I just need a breath of sunshine, a touch of laughter and a sense of WOW. Since I felt it was time to lighten up in an article; today I am submitting a WOW story that I first heard and wrote about in 2009. So as you read the following words; take a deep breath, laugh a little and be reminded of God’s power to give us WOW moments.

Saturday Night-WOW

“On a Saturday night several weeks ago, this pastor was working late, and decided to call his wife before he left for home. It was about 10:00pm, but his wife didn’t answer the phone.

The pastor let the phone ring many times. He thought it was odd that she didn’t answer, but decided to wrap up a few things and try again in a few minutes. When he tried again she answered right away. He asked her why she hadn’t answered before, and she said that it hadn’t rung at their house. They brushed it off as a fluke and went on their merry ways.

The following Monday, the pastor received a call at the church office, which was the phone that He’d used that Saturday night. The man that he spoke with wanted to know why he’d called on Saturday night. The pastor couldn’t figure out what the man was talking about. ‘Then the man said it rang and rang, but I didn’t answer.’ The pastor remembered the mishap and apologized for disturbing him, explaining that he’d intended to call his wife.

The man said, ‘That is OK. Let me tell you my story. You see I was planning to commit suicide on Saturday night, but before I did, I prayed, ‘God if you’re there, and you don’t want me to do this, give me a sign now.’ At that point my phone started to ring. I looked at the caller ID, and it said, ‘Almighty God’… I was afraid to answer!’

The reason it showed on the man’s caller ID as ‘Almighty God’ is because the church that the pastor attends is called Almighty God Tabernacle!!”

I don’t know the origination of the story, or if it actually happened. It came as a forwarded message from my wife, which is the only reason I read it. But do I believe my Father might just step into someone’s Saturday night that way? Absolutely! Has your faith become so diminished and dull that the expectation for supernatural intervention is like “yeah, right”? ‘Almighty God’ may not show up on your caller ID, but the Almighty knows just how you need Him to show up. With a yielded heart, grow daily; with an expectant heart, pray fervently; and with a trusting heart, understand that God will intervene in your world as He chooses. Let Jeremiah give us a great perspective of our powerful God.

Jeremiah 32:17
Ah, Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you.

I don’t know how God may need to intervene in your life. But if your caller ID ever says ‘Almighty God’ … answer! Nothing is too hard for Him, and He knows just when to call.

It was 10:47p.m last Tuesday evening and my flight from Atlanta should have just landed in Fort Lauderdale. Instead, the flight had just lifted off the tarmac in Atlanta.  After leaving the gate once, it was determined that we needed to take another aircraft.  Thank goodness for good pilots and flight attendants that made a potentially aggravating situation tolerable, but I was already tired before I had left home several hours earlier.  A co-worker had even stated that I looked tired (code for ‘you look awful’).  My little late night annoyance reminded me that my plans aren’t in my control, and that my predetermined goals do not always work out. Adversity (in this case, small) is just a part of life.

While waiting to take off from Atlanta the first time, I re-read some profound words from Oswald Chambers’ devotional, My Utmost for His Highest.  Accept these words for your life today!

What is my vision of God’s purpose for me?  Whatever it may be, His purpose is for me to depend on Him and on His power now.  If I can stay calm, faithful, and unconfused while in the middle of the turmoil of life, the goal of the purpose of God is being accomplished in me.  God is not working toward a particular finish—His purpose is the process itself. Later in the same article, he writes; God’s training is for now, not later.  His purpose is for this very minute, not for some time in the future.  We have nothing to do with what will follow our obedience.

In my opinion, Oswald Chambers is hitting the nerve of 21^st century living.  Even Christ-followers are all about the finish line and accomplishing our predetermined objectives. After reading the above article, I must ask myself, do I believe the purpose of God for me is the process itself? And what about you – can you accept His purpose for you is the process itself?

If we do believe that simple principle, then airplane delays, work interruptions, traffic jams, long lines and even family issues can be seen as part of the process of God working His purpose in our lives.  I personally don’t like delays, interruptions, long lines or family aggravations, but when I deal with them from His perspective, I am letting His purpose be accomplished in me.  The same goes for you. Philippians 2:13 tells us that:

For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.

The Father definitely has a purpose for you and I, and we have a choice as to whether we will respond to the process of accomplishing His purpose with a calm, faithful and unconfused spirit.

Airline delays and traffic jams pale in comparison to some of the adversity we will all face.  Just a few days ago, some friends of ours experienced a monumental life circumstance.  I literally had no words except, “I care and will pray.”  And when I think of His purpose being the process itself – while thinking about our friend’s situation – I struggle with understanding either the purpose or the process.  But I accept God’s sovereignty and that He is in control of the process. And when life turns chaotic, He also provides grace.

You may be facing little struggles (airplane delays), or you may be facing life altering events.  Wrapping your arms around the fact that His purpose is the process itself may help you with today’s part of the process. Just seek to depend on His power right now, and trust Him for what happens next.

Last week Syria became a source of great debate in our country and around the world. Politics and war seem to be colliding again in an all too familiar way. Our Sovereign God is in control and I thought it may encourage you to look at what faith can accomplish in world affairs … and in our lives.

If you have heard of Maria Panteleyvna, I would be very surprised. She prayed for many years about a particular issue, and eventually it came to pass. Her prayer demonstrated to me the kind of faith that trusts God for the impossible. But more about her later! Over the years, I have read the words, “by faith Abraham”, “by faith Moses”, “by faith Joseph”, and many more by faiths in Hebrews chapter eleven. When I think of my life, is it possible that the words “by faith Mike” could one day be written as my legacy? You and I live in a culture that speaks eloquently of faith, but also one where we rarely release control of our lives long enough to experience a faith that sees the impossible happen. It doesn’t have to be this way.

My knowledge of Maria Panteleyvna is very limited. I don’t know much about her faith, other than she prayed for her son, and made him cakes at his birthday decorated with the words “Christ is Risen”. Oh, and by the way, she also prayed that her son would bring down communism. While you likely don’t recognize her name, you’ll undoubtedly know her son’s … Mikhail Gorbachev. Before you have cynical thoughts, ask yourself; “Do I believe in a God that can do the impossible?” I don’t claim to have a handle on everything faith, or the fall of communism, but I know God desires that you and I live by faith. I wonder how many people have accepted Christ since the “Wall came Down?” Thanks for praying, Maria!

Centuries before the Iron Curtain collapsed there were walls that kept the children of Israel from Canaan. They faced an impossible task, and God gave them instructions that would be humanly absurd in any century. You and I would have viewed the situation as hopeless. But, by faith they obeyed God. “By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the people had marched around them for seven days” (Hebrews 11:30). I wonder what it was like on the seventh day when the walls came down. God was not then, nor is He today limited by man’s ability. He simply wants us to live with eyes of faith that can see the impossible.

You probably have (as do I) some walls that will never come down … humanly speaking. You may even speak eloquently of faith, while believing your walls are just too strong, even for God (oops, I shouldn’t say that). Do you believe that God can do the impossible? Were the walls of Jericho and the fall of communism just good stories? No! You have before you an opportunity to trust God by faith for your own walls to come down. Pray, and never stop believing that God can bring them down.

Ronald Reagan said, “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall.”  I choose to believe that behind walls that fall are lots of Maria’s praying. I also believe that God would be pleased if you and I would be simple enough to attack our walls by faith. Let the legacy of your life be “by faith …“, and may the walls come down!

SPECIAL NOTE::
A member of our Journey onWord staff has experienced an unexpected and tragic loss in his family.  Tom is an essential part of the work God is doing through Journey onWord, and we come alongside he and his family in this time of deep need.  We claim and hold tight to the truths that God is sovereign over all, loves us beyond our ability to comprehend it, and is sufficient.  We invite you to join us in a sweet and resounding chorus of prayer for our true friend and kingdom brother, Tom and his immediate and extended family.

God is our refuge and strength, a help always near in times of great trouble.
Psalm 46:1 (CEB)

Summer is ending and autumn is beginning! Labor Day activities always mark a new season of change for me. Candidly, it causes a bit of conflict in my spirit. I am excited about football and the color of autumn leaves, but dismayed that golf is ending and the next holiday is late in November. But one season that never needs to change for me (or you) is the season of my tongue. As summer turns to fall, we can all be challenged about the season(ing) of our tongues.

Proverbs 12:18
Reckless words pierce like a sword,
but the tongue of the wise brings healing.

When I think of something that would “pierce like a sword”, images of pain, blood and wounds flood my mind. I shudder to think that my words could have such a dreadful effect, but they can.  Without a doubt, we have all felt a sense of remorse after using reckless words. These words can come in the form of a curse word, gossip, harshness, or in a variety of other forms.  As believers in Jesus Christ, the challenge is to consistently speak healing words.  Observe the pattern …

Proverbs 16:24
Pleasant words are a honeycomb,
sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.

Proverbs 12:25
An anxious heart weighs a man down,
but a kind word cheers him up.

Psalm 19:14
May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be pleasing in your sight? O Lord, my Rock and Redeemer.

Proverbs 15:4
The tongue that brings healing is a tree of life,
but a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit.

Most of us interact daily with a variety of people, be it students, work associates, friends, or family. The Father has a design for the way we respond to others.  Make no mistake, His goal is that we glorify Him and that definitely encompasses our words. The verses above clearly indicate that pleasant, kind and honest words heal and cheer. However, so often our paradigm is how “I feel” and what “I want”, so we refuse to reflect on the needs of others before speaking.  Healing words will come from the lips a man or woman who is other-centered.   Psalm 19:14 reflects the desire of David to have a mouth and heart that pleased the Lord.  If our heart is to please the Father, and we are willing to let his Word fill us, healing words will be at the core of our vocabulary.  We will seek out others to encourage, bless and honor.

It was stunning for me to find that the verb from which reckless was derived is used in describing the hasty words that cost Moses his entrance into the land of Canaan.  Psalm 106:33 says, “for they rebelled against the Spirit of God, and rash words came from Moses’ lips.”  Talk about consequences!  Our words have consequences also!

As a new season begins, consider the season of your tongue!

You might, even for a moment, consider lying rather than admit it, but there are thoughts that flow through your mind that cause you to wonder, “How could I think such a thing?” Those kinds of thoughts (and we all have them) cause us to question our self, the depth of our spirituality, and sometimes even our sanity. We have all been there, and the purpose of this post is not to examine why, but rather to give encouragement in the battle for your mind. Each of us have some personal struggles that are contained within our minds, that if not controlled, will burden our souls. Can you accept that God knows all about your mind games, and is very willing to help?

Considering this battle we all face reminds me of the “prince of preachers,” Charles Spurgeon. He could be considered an earlier version of Billy Graham (or maybe vice versa), yet he battled long-term struggles with depression.  I will never forget one of the ways that he fought in his very real and personal battle. The story goes that he would write Scripture verses on the ceiling of his bedroom, and use them to overcome his melancholy. Your personal mental assault may not be depression, but it could be anger, guilt, insecurity, an addiction, etc…  For some, the assault may be fleeting and for others deep-seeded. I am here to say “take heart!”  God knows, He cares and He wants us to cast our cares on Him.

It is hard to fight an enemy who has outposts in your head.   — Sally Kempton

I don’t know anything about Sally Kempton, but her statement intrigues me. We can all relate to a particular enemy that wants to set up control in our minds. It’s easy to let all that surrounds us invade our mind, and we also know that all that our mind ponders affects us … both the good, and the bad! In all of our lives we will face battles from the outside (circumstances and people), and the inside (our thoughts). God gives counsel that all believers should grab hold of and never let go. II Corinthians 10:5(b) says, “and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ”. Take heart! We can turn any thought toward the will of the Father.

Let every thought that frustrates you become like the robot’s words from an old TV show – Warning! Danger Ahead. Use that warning to immediately make those thoughts obedient to Christ. Don’t try it once and quit. With every errant thought, “take it captive,” and go to our Lord.

My heart tells me that you (like me) probably battle with unwanted guests that penetrate your mind. My logic tells me that most people just let the errant thoughts run rampant. My emotions tell me that not taking thoughts captive is incredibly harmful. What about your thoughts?

We’ve spent the majority of the past three weeks in the book of Jeremiah in the Journey onWord weekly Bible reading schedule.  In many ways I’ve found Jeremiah to be a difficult book to read.  I desire for things in my own life to be harmonious and tranquil, and this book has stirred up so much.  The revealing light cast on my own rebellion, and the truth of what God’s justice demands, created a strong sense of tension and unsettledness as I read.  I can too often read the Bible in the third-person and be so quick to judge the disciples for being so petty and clueless; the Pharisees for being so blind and hard-hearted; the nation of Israel for being so ungrateful and idolatrous.  And then there are times like Jeremiah has been for me, when I become immersed in the first-person implications of the fierce and tender love story we call “The Bible.”

Oh, how I haven’t the first clue of what God’s just nature demands.  Oh, the visceral illustration of the place my own sin and rebellion puts me in as I read God’s narrative to, and through the prophet Jeremiah.  Oh, the comfort in living and serving that has weakened my kingdom muscle.

I sit amongst the rightly judged nation.  I’ve caused the pain in Jeremiah’s tears.  The sin of the ancient’s is repeated as I turn from the occasions of God’s deliverance in my own life and construct idols and become impatient with where He has chosen to lead me.

All this threatened to be the final word in “closing the book” on the last chapter of Jeremiah, but God had other plans.  Into the deep hole of personal judgement, God whispered the truth that broke the darkness with the brilliant dawn of hope. The hope for restoration that begins chapter 31 is a forward promise to the ancient’s, but is a very present possession of mine.  God’s justice demands my life, and that is exactly what Jesus has already ransomed with His death on the Cross and resurrection on the third day.  Christ chose the Cross and the incalculable suffering of separation from the Father to answer the demands of God’s justice in my life and yours.

Oh, the judgment in third-person consumption, but oh, the joy in first-person possession!  As we journey forward in this fierce and tender love story, which will you choose?

Earlier this week, my wife Genel and I were chatting as we drove to work in separate vehicles.  Both of us were confronted with hectic days, so I (without much forethought) said, “Let’s pray.” I am not sure if what happened next was because of my powerful prayer (yeah, right), her worshipful attitude, or just absent-mindedness, but my wife closed her eyes … at 60 miles per hour!  After about two seconds, she said frightfully, “I just closed my eyes.”  Truth be told, all of us have been guilty of absent-mindedness in the course of praying.  Recently, I have been trying to focus more intently while praying, but more about that later. Take a moment to smile as you read some honest prayers offered by children.  I heard these while listening to a message by Pastor John Ortberg.

Aaron-Dear God, are you really invisible or is this just a trick?

Norm- God, did you mean for the Giraffe to look like that, or was it just an accident?

Nan-Dear God, I bet it’s hard for you to love all the people in the world. There are only four people in our family and I want to (get rid of) them.

Joyce- Dear God, Thank you for the baby brother, but what I prayed for was a puppy.

Dear God, it rained for our whole vacation and is my father mad. He said some things about it that people aren’t supposed to say, but I hope You won’t hurt him anyway. Your friend, but I’m not going to tell you who I am.

Oh, from the mouth of babes!  Those honest words from children are simple and beautiful, but they also got me thinking about how easy it is to pray in a way that is immature, selfish, absent-minded and not focused.  In my own journey, I have reflected recently on how I tend to tell God what He needs to do. (As if He can’t figure it out for himself!)  I am serious and humble, but I communicate in a way that leaves a lot to be desired.  It’s my firm opinion that those words will resonate with you, and that you’d likely agree that your own prayer life “… leaves a lot to be desired.” They’d likely resonate with the disciples of Christ who also admitted their weakness in prayer. On a certain occasion, one of the disciples said to Christ, “Lord, teach us to pray.” Struggling in prayer is universal and timeless. However, in my life (and yours), there is a need to communicate well and listen intently because God speaks. Oh Lord, teach us to pray.

My desire is not to share a formula, but rather to share my heart.  Prayer changes things.  So, why not pray with a selfless heart, which is anything but absent-minded and unfocused. Concerned about my own prayer life and challenged with the communication style of asking questions, I have been determined to pray with a different mind-set over the last few weeks.  I decided that most of my prayer time would be in the form of a question.  It has been a work in progress, but I have found my concentration to be much better. Just like in any relationship, asking a question engages us in a conversation.  Instead of saying things like, “God, would you do this, and this, and this in my daughter’s life,” I have begun to ask humble questions like, “Father, would you give me an understanding of how to help her?”  I am sure you get the picture.

Prayer in the form of questions may not suit you, and  I am not insisting that you try. But I do wish to challenge the existence of absent-minded, selfish and unfocused prayer in your personal relationship with God.  If you really want God to teach you to pray, He will … ask Him! That’s a great question to start with, and it’s the one I will end with.  “Lord,  would you teach us how to pray?”

Can you remember from childhood the great lesson of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego? (thanks to all those teachers who taught the story) For not serving the gods of Nebuchadnezzar, or worshipping the image of gold he had erected, they were thrown into the fiery furnace. Nebuchadnezzar got so mad he ordered the furnace seven times hotter than usual. Imagine the life and death faith that these men were tested with leading up to the epic moment of being thrown into the furnace. The faith these men modeled was not about the guarantee of rescue, but their undying trust in God. Parallel the epic moments you are facing right now with the trust shown by Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. We make a mistake if we only trust with an eye on success.

Daniel 3:17-18
If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.

Certain death would be their fate if “He does not” … but, He did! God miraculously protected them from the flames. This is no doubt a great story to teach, but we can all be challenged by the way that Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego approached their moment of truth with allegiance to our God. No matter what God would choose to do, they would not bow down. Today or tomorrow, we will all be confronted with an issue of faith. Like our young friends from the Old Testament, we won’t know what the Father will choose to do. Although we probably won’t be facing physical flames, we will face difficult choices. These three men started from a place of trusting God (and the flames got seven times hotter). When they couldn’t predict their outcome, they stood firm. And so can we! How will we navigate our epic moment(s)?

In all of our lives there will be epic moments that test us to the core. We can live with obedient faith, even without knowing what the Father will choose. Whether you are a new believer or a long time Christ-follower, prepare for the moment. My experience has taught me that all the love, care and encouragement others can give will never take the place of letting God prepare us as we seek Him. Stay close to His Word. In those epic moments, you will be glad you did. Below are some verses I think the fiery furnace trio would have affirmed.  I trust we will as well, as we remain steadfast in the Word, preparing for our fiery moments.

Habakkuk 3:17-19
Though the fig tree doesn’t bloom, and there’s no produce on the vine; though the olive crop withers, and the fields don’t provide food; though the sheep is cut off from the pen, and there is no cattle in the stalls; I will rejoice in the Lord.  I will rejoice in the God of my deliverance.  The Lord God is my strength.  He will set my feet like the deer.  He will let me walk upon the heights.

Difficulties will come to all of us. We can be certain of it! The question is, are you prepared?

Recently, my ninety year-old mother-in-law made the startling admission that she doesn’t like change. It is reasonable for anyone born in the 1920’s to be a bit overwhelmed by the rapid fire changes that seem common place in the 21st century. Even though she graduated to a cell phone, my mother-in-law would still prefer the old rotary phone. But it’s certainly not just senior citizens that don’t like change. One of my friends recently shared with me that the changes I was challenging him and others with, were hard. His words went something like this … “I’m fifty-three and it’s hard to change.”  He and I, and you and I are no different.  We don’t like change and we definitely think that personal change is hard.

You’ve probably made statements like “he/she will never change.”  Why do we make such limiting statements about others? Because we believe that change is hard, and that most people are not willing to take the necessary steps to make long-term personal changes. But the critical questions for you and me are, what do we need to change, and are we willing?  I accept that change is hard, but that cannot be an excuse to short-circuit God’s design. To help present my premise, I am going to give you a part of my life that has needed some changing.  Like my friend said, “change is hard.”

The specific area of my life needing some renovation is communication. To be exact … less of it! Without much effort, I can dominate a conversation. It’s easy to rationalize that I am an extrovert, and make no effort to change. Listening is so very important, but it’s fun to talk, and besides … I have a lot to say! Can you see how that statement bleeds selfishness?  On my personal journey this year I have been convinced that speaking less and asking more questions is needed.  Admittedly, changing long ingrained habits has not been easy.  But if listening better and focusing more on those in front of me can have a meaningful impact on someone, I’m all in.

One of the areas that I’ve been working on is making sure that I never speak more than 50% of the time in any conversation.  Change is hard!  Focusing on the less than 50% model reminds me to really listen to the person in front of me.  It may sound silly to attempt a reduction in speaking, but for me it’s been a needed change. One that is definitely still a work in progress!

Another action item on my journey of changing is to ask more questions, which also causes me to focus on the person in front of me. I don’t need to fix people, or their problems, and I don’t need to dominate the conversation (although it is easy to try).  Asking sincere questions completely redirects the focus of my communication. It makes the other person more important … and isn’t that what Christ wants from us?! I was profoundly convicted to ask more questions after recently being given the following quote from a friend. It presented that in Scripture Christ was asked 278 questions; He answered 3 and asked 307 (Os Hillman).  If those numbers are even close to accurate, we can all learn a great deal from them. Change is hard, but worth the effort!

It wasn’t easy sharing an area of needed change in my life, but I hope it illustrated the point that change is hard. The stakes are high, but influencing others and honoring God are at the core of my quest.  You may not have my issue, but there’s no doubt you have one. Do you already know what it is?

Just promise me — Never say you can’t change, and never limit God’s power in your life by refusing to try.

The following brief devotional arrived in my personal email recently.  It’s only a few sentences long, but the length of its personal challenge has extended for days in my own life.  Let’s read it first, and then I’ll share where my heart was led…

A thumbprint is the only marginalia in Abraham Lincoln’s Bible.  Next to Psalm 34:4 — I sought the LORD and he answered me.  He delivered me from all my fears. — there is an indentation clearly showing that Lincoln firmly grasped this text on more than one occasion to let it sink into his bones.  That thumbprint was made by pressure and by faith.

In your Bible, next to Psalm 34:4, lightly sketch an image of a thumbprint.  Let this be your prayerful reminder of what impact trusting God for deliverance from fear might have on the world, both today, and tomorrow.

I’m a history guy, so this very personal revelation about President Lincoln resonated deeply with me.  I am also a sensory guy, so the mention of a thumbprint indentation stirred me as well.  The author’s challenge was excellent, but instead of walking away from this treasured story with a fleeting fact and a sketched thumbprint next to that verse in my Bible, I was challenged with the following two questions.

Is there even a single thumbprint indentation in my Bible(s)?

and

On what verse or page would it appear?

I am all about an inspiring story, but I don’t desire to imitate or live anyone else’s life.  This is not meant as a criticism of the author’s words or intent … I appreciated them both.  God made me uniquely me, and you, uniquely you.  There are countless famous and anonymous people who have lived with great character and conviction, and there is no harm in being inspired by them.  But rather than imitating and tracing your thumbprint in a place where there’s was, allow their stories and their lives to awaken, or birth something new in yours.  Here is what this story awoke in me…

I have many Bibles.  Have any of them been used to the extent that they would bear a thumbprint indentation?

Scripture is ever-present and essential in my personal journey of following Jesus.  Is there a verse, chapter or book that has “sunk into my bones,” and whose thumbprint has been “made by pressure and faith?”

Where has my life left a permanent mark?

NOTE:  The devotional noted above was distributed by the Common English Bible website.  The source post can be found at http://e2.ma/message/ppike/dsk2nf