the glorious exchange

I’ll be checking out as of tomorrow: headed to the good ol’ mountains of Appalachia. It’s relax and rewind time. I’m really looking forward to it. So, if this is my last post for the day (maybe, maybe not), I’ll see you on Monday!

With the recent release of Evan Almighty (which I’ve yet to see), I keep thinking about how we (the Church) ignore one of the most important parts of the story of Noah: lots of people drown. Mark Driscoll preaches a great message on this facet of the account (email me for the mp3); in fact, it brought me to tears thinking of the people who are yelling out to the ark as it rises. I think of how Noah hears the screams day in and day out, until they get quieter, and quieter, and then…utter silence.

Make no mistake, this is no children’s story or family-friendly movie. It is instead a solemn tale about the severity of God. In going through Amos right now, I’m teaching (and learning) about the severity of God: He means business. And when He comes back, He’ll mean business. While I don’t forsee coloring sheets of this part of the story, I do see pastors teaching this aspect to their congregations, and hammering home the severity of God when it comes to sin: Genesis 6:5 describes the world of Noah best.

The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in teh earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

This was the world of Noah, and yet, is our world as well. All evil, all the time. May God, in His mercy, remember us as we float along in His Ark, Jesus Christ.

If not, you should be. They are releasing a new album in August called Pages, and it’s going to be their best, I’m sure of it. Check it out here: Shane and Shane’s Pages

This is a tough topic to write about, simply because I believe in the complete sovereignty of God (sidenote:
you may say you do, but may not, be careful here ). I don’t believe we have much of a choice (read: no choice whatsoever) in matters related to the plan of God, but it’s still a topic to be addressed. Here’s some common excuses we have for ignoring/avoiding/delaying God’s will for our lives. Our dreams, visions, etc. can often be lumped into the category, because a perfectly sovereign God has placed them in you. Enough sovereignty stuff, here we go with the three excuses:

• God hasn’t spoken to me directly. This dangerous excuse has many forms, including: “I’m listening for His voice”, “I’m waiting on Him”, or the ever popular “I’m praying about it”. While the revealing of God’s will is paramount, we so often use this as an “out” to the dream He has for us. If He told us everything about His day-to-day will through Scripture and prayer, what room would there be for faith? Paul, in Acts 16:6-8 tries to go into three different areas to spread the Gospel. He knows that there is a plan for his ministry, but he doesn’t wait around: he acts. The Spirit guides him, and then the dream is made clear to Paul in what we know as the Macedonian call. The point here? Paul realized that inaction is dangerous to the Gospel. Dreams, as long as they fit within scripture as is, do not need to be detailed by God Himself from the very beginning: they are often revealed as you’re walking in the wrong direction.

• I don’t have _____. This is another very dangerous excuse. Fill in the blank with whatever you like: time, resources, people, etc. There are countless examples, both Scriptural and modern, of times when God’s providence has triumphed over the lack of something. It’s often said, and is so very true, that God will provide a way for His will.

• I have _____. This is the flip side of the above. It can be anything from an existing job to a family to feed to some other perceived obligation. Again, God will provide a way for His will.

There you have it. These are the three main excuses for running from God’s will for your life, your dreams, whatever you want to call it. There is only one legitimate excuse for running from God’s will for your life: it’s not His will for your life. And He’ll let you know when you’re traveling in the wrong direction, just as He did Paul.

This past Sunday in service, a word from the Lord pervaded our service. Pastor Hoggard was gone, attendance was down, I was the sound guy (the regular guy was playing video games in Kentucky), so everything was out of whack. Except the Spirit. He tends to show up when you’re at the weakest. So I’d like to use this blog post to glorify God, just as He used our weakened circumstances to glorify Himself.

Thank God for God.