Lessons From The Wood Pile

I was off on Tuesday so I decided after the rain let up to get a start on my wood pile. Although I get little time normally to do physical labour, and as a result am not in the best of shape for it, it still feels good, even though it hurts.

For one thing, it’s nice to be able to do something where you can actually see the ongoing progress of your effort and watch things come together. You can take a step back at anytime and, even though your back may ache a little, the satisfaction is there to soothe it. There’s nothing like that sense of accomplishment. Ah!

For a man, a good wood pile is a beautiful thing to behold. The last time my brother in law Doug was at our place he casually commented upon entering ‘nice wood pile’. Now, how many women do you know that would say that? Huh? And really mean it! It’s definitely a guy thing.

For the uninitiated, you need to realize that you don’t really pile fire wood anyway. You build a wood pile and it takes some skill to do it well. It is especially important to carefully select and skillfully place the pieces in the bottom section. I know it’s not rocket science. Anyone can tell you that the foundation of anything is always the most important part. However, with a wood pile you have the added factor that you are just going to tear the whole thing down in a couple of months anyway when it is time to put it in. So, you don’t want to spend inordinate amounts of time with it. But then again, the last thing you want is for the whole thing to blow over in a weeks time when the first good gust of wind hits it.

Working with firewood is not precision work. The shapes and sizes are awkward; never really symmetrical and no two pieces are the same. But then there’s that time factor again. And so it happens that as you build each rank there are times when you need to ‘sure it up’. Here comes the ‘technical’ part of it. Stay with me on this. It is at this point that you need to employ the use of some ‘stabilizers’. A ‘stabilizer’ is a specifically chosen piece inserted at a strategic location which serves to strengthen the entire rank. (No, you can’t buy them at the hardware store, you have to find them yourself by carefully searching through your wood pile.)

So as I’m working away on my wood pile (with the Bonanza theme music running through my head… where did that come from?) I’m thinking about life. And I find myself wondering, what are the ‘stabilizers’ that I need to have in place to prevent my life from becoming precarious? They may not be large because size is not the issue. Upon casual observance, they won’t even be noticeable to others. But what are those little things that we carefully choose and strategically place in our lives that give real stability to our living?

You’ll have to forgive me but this is just how my mind works and it never stops. I see a lesson in every rock, a precept in every task, a principle at work in every cranny of creation. So for what it’s worth here it is.

We can have all kinds of zeal and passion for life and all the energy to go with it, but if we are not consciously taking the time to carefully and continually insert key elements in strategic locations in the routine of our lives as we build from day to day, at some point the whole thing could just quite suddenly all fall over! In fact, isn’t this what we see happening every day all around us – people’s lives falling apart?

At this point (if you’re still reading!) you’re probably wondering what those elements are or should be. I hesitate to do that thinking for you, but for me they include things like these… being thankful… being accountable… being honest with my wife… regular Bible reading and prayer… doing things for others… being content … taking time to really listen…

Meeting People Where They’re At

At one time in our society the search for truth reigned supreme. If you could show that something was true, then you had won the day. But a strange thing has happened in our post modern situation. Not only is there a cynicism regarding the existence of any kind of absolute truth, there is also a complacency about the whole matter.

In his book ‘A Life That Matters’, Ron Hutchcraft talks about a story that Ravi Zacharias tells. Ravi had just addressed a large crowd at an Ivy League university where he had presented a powerful case for Christianity and one of his associates was debating with four students who had stayed behind. The four of them argued while Ravi’s friend skillfully answered every objection they raised. Finally, after about an hour had passed, one of the students, who seemed to speak for the others comes out with this – “To be honest with you, I think most of what that man had to say is true – And I don’t care.”!!!

What an incredible admission that is! It illustrates very profoundly where so many people are at in these days we live in. It isn’t just that people don’t believe. They don’t care!!!

So what should we do? Give up? I don’t think so. That’s where people are at but we need to meet them where they are at. Like Jesus did. People in this day and age are very pragmatic. They might not care about what is ‘true’, but they care very much about what works and what doesn’t. People don’t want to acknowledge that truth exists because they want be a law unto themselves. However, they can’t escape the consequences. They may not care about what is true but they want to be happy because everyone wants to be happy. Everyone wants to have a good life or what they perceive to be a good life. And so, this must become our starting point with people. It is the crack in their armor that makes them vulnerable to the truth. For as they say, what works might not always be true, but what is true always works.

Of course we need to be careful with this line of approach. We don’t want to paint some kind of rosy gospel … “come to Jesus and all your problems will just go away and life will become easy”. But having said that, we do believe that living by the principles of the truth of God’s word does tend to make for a better life. There is a natural cause and effect. Sin is how life doesn’t work; how life wasn’t designed to work. There is an inherent reward in doing what is right. What is right and what is wise are inseparable.

The woman at the well (John 4) is just one example of how sin doesn’t work. We don’t know for sure the cause of all her relational failure but there is at least an intimation in the text that she was going about relationships all wrong. She was living life her way instead of God’s way which is what sin is. To quote Ron Hutchcraft, “every man was a well for her but she always came up thirsty… Thirsty again, that’s how every earth-relationship, earth-accomplishment and earth-possession leaves us in our souls.”

Yes, we need to be careful with this. Though I disagree with the criticisms often leveled against appealing to ‘felt needs’ they are not completely without merit. Most criticisms have some truth to them. We need to be careful. As Ron says in his book on page 157, “There is, however, a danger in beginning with a person’s felt need: you may skip the cancer and go right to the cure. ‘You’re lonely – and Jesus loves you. You’re searching – and Jesus is the answer.’ But Jesus did not die to rescue us from our loneliness or our depression or our emptiness. He died to rescue us from our sins…Jesus started with the Samaritan woman’s ‘felt need’ but He did use it to lead into a conversation that included the subject of sin.”

So, we need to proceed with caution. But we need to proceed. Because we need to meet people where they are at. Jesus met this woman at her point of need and then he used that ‘felt need’ to point to the greater issue – sin as the problem and Himself as the solution. Our goal should be to try and help people to the place where they are willing to consider the reason for the pain in their lives. This isn’t about just ‘treating the symptoms’. This is about using the symptoms to direct people to the cure. If people can get to the place where they are willing to consider that there is something really wrong then maybe they will be more willing to consider the one true Cure – a personal relationship with Christ that begins with His forgiveness.

This Is How Great God Is

This is how great God is – every child born is special. Now, you would think that an attempt to emphasize everything (or in this case, everyone) would result in the emphasizing of nothing (or no one). But, that’s how great God is! He can do that! You’d think, in making billions and billions of people that there would be no way for every single person to really be special. But they are. We are. You are. You are special to Him. Even before you were born, when God was knitting you together in your mother’s womb (Psalm 139:15,16), God looked at you and said… “Now, this one is really special.”

We read through the Bible and we see men and women like Gideon and Esther and we readily see how they were special but here’s the thing - you are special. And that is NOT just sentimentality. God has a unique plan for every single person born into this world. Now, that doesn’t mean that all of us realize the plan or follow it. But that is our choice. As for God, He has a special plan, and therefore a special love, for every single person and that includes you.

Perhaps you know a mother who has six children. Do you think that they are each and all special to her? What if she had twenty?! Or what if … But that’s how great God is!

They say that no two snow flakes are exactly the same even though they are all alike. I guess if God can do it with snow, He can do it with people.

I think Max Lucado is right. God has your picture on His refrigerator. Because that is how great God is. And because God is so great, He made you special. And, yes, He wants you to feel that way. AND, He wants you to feel that way about everyone else too. Yes, everyone.

Shout

Isn’t it interesting how you can think about things without really thinking about them?! I mean that it is common for us to think about things without really thinking through the implications of what they really mean or are really all about.

In the church, we sing the worship song ‘Shout To The Lord’. It is taken from Scriptures that we have read a number of times. And yet, I have to say that I don’t recall really thinking that through in the past as to what it is all about.

Shouting is generally not a good thing to do. I have often when speaking to couples given the advice that the only time a child should hear a raised voice in a home is when there is a fire. But now I’m having to rethink that advice because there is at least one other time that it would be good and that is in times of pure, unadulterated excitement of joy!

The Bible says shout to the Lord. Isn’t that fascinating! Why would God want us to shout to Him? It isn’t because He has poor hearing and it isn’t because we are mad at Him or because there is a fire somewhere that we want Him to know about. Then why? What good reason could there be?

I can only really think of one and the implications are truly profound - God wants us to be appropriately excited (read ‘pumped’) about what He does in our lives. That thought challenges me to the core of my being. What about you? Think about it. When’s the last time you shouted to the Lord?

Trusting God With Our Now

Music is such a powerful medium and it just blesses me how many new songs are being written for the glory of God and the help of His people in our day. Really inspired stuff.

There is a song getting radio play right now that is just that kind of anointed song. Perhaps you’ve heard it, but you might not realize that it is inspired by the true life story of Tim and Paula Beale. The song is Josh Wilson’s ‘Before The Morning’. It’s powerful. And if you have ten minutes today, why don’t you check out their story here. You’ll be glad you did.

Josh Wilson, Tim, Paula & Jayken


Josh Wilson: Before The Morning

Do you wonder why you have to
Feel the things that hurt you
If there’s a God who loves you where is He now
Maybe there are things you can’t see
And all those things are happening
To bring a better ending
Someday somehow you’ll see you’ll see

Would you dare would you dare to believe
That you still have a reason to sing
Cause the pain that you’ve been feeling
It can’t compare to the joy that’s coming

So hold on you gotta wait for the light
Press on and just fight the good fight
Cause the pain that you’ve been feeling
It’s just the dark before the morning
My friend you know how this all ends
You know where you’re going
You just don’t know how you’ll get there
So say a prayer

And hold on cause there’s good for those who love God
But life is not a snapshot
It might take a little time but you’ll see the bigger picture

Once you feel the weight of glory
All your pain will fade to memory

Would you dare would you dare to believe
That you still have a reason to sing
Cause the pain that you’ve been feeling
It can’t compare to the joy that’s coming

Come on you gotta wait for the light
Press on and just fight the good fight
Cause the pain that you've been feeling
It's just the hurt before the healing
Oh the pain that you’ve been feeling
It’s just the dark before the morning

More From The Mountain

This past Sunday morning we spent some time on the 'Mountain of Transfiguration' trying to appreciate what that passage has to teach us and what God wants us to take away from it. We looked at the account in Mark 9 and then at Peter’s later reference to his experience there in 2Peter 1. We didn’t have the time to go to a few other passages that would have been helpful so I have decided to share them here. If you were able to hear the message on Sunday then I urge you to consider the ending you didn’t hear:

James didn’t get to write a whole lot about the experience, maybe because Herod had him killed early on. John simply said it this way, “We have seen His glory.” Jn 1:14

Paul was a little different. He met the glorified Christ after He had risen and ascended. When Paul (then known as Saul) was on the road traveling to Damascus to persecute Christians there, Christ appeared to him in all His glory and Paul’s description of his experience then was very similar to that of Peter, James and John … “I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun…” (Acts 26:13)

Now, as regarding the greatness and significance of Christ and what He means to us as we seek to live for Him, here is what Paul had to say in his letter to the Colossians:

Col 1:15-20
15He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. 17He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. 19For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

Col 2:6-10
6So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, 7rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. 8See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ. 9For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, 10and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority.

That is where I was really hoping to end up on Sunday but, as I say, the time just wasn’t sufficient for it. But these passages from Paul’s pen go a long way towards helping us appreciate what it means to live a ‘Christ centred’ life. Our focus needs to be always upon Him. What is needed in our lives is not 5 keys to an effective prayer life or 6 steps to a healthy marriage or any other list. Sometimes this type of ‘principle’ approach can produce some desirable results and as such can be part of the big picture. But so often they take our focus off of the main thing upon which everything else depends. If we focus on performance or activity we will not get the results we are ultimately looking for in our lives. The lives we are called to live for Him depend upon us getting to know Christ better every day and trusting Him more in every way. The same goes for those we are trying to reach for Him. We need to consistently be pointing them towards Christ, “… for in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ”.

All Thumbs Up

Some pictures are significant moments captured in time – history in the making. This is one of those. As I look at the picture I can’t help but think of the significance of that moment in time captured. I see even the children with their little hands in the air. Merrik gives two thumbs up and Liam gives all five fingers! They don’t understand a whole lot now but just think - years from now they can look back at this picture and say I was there when … Personally, I wouldn’t have missed it for the world, and I mean that.

Today, our church membership stepped out in faith in a way that we believe will have very significant ramifications for the future of our church and the people that, by God’s grace, we hope to reach out to in the coming years. Our membership gave unanimous ‘thumbs up’ to what we believe is God’s direction to call Doug Campbell to serve as an associate pastor here at FBC as part of our pastoral team. It’s a huge step of faith but completely in keeping with how God works here at FAITH Baptist Church.

The decision was unanimous and I can only say that I am a part of the greatest church on the planet. You guys just are the greatest – your enthusiasm, your commitment (taking your Sunday afternoon to own this for example!), your vision for the future and your faith in God inspires me.

You guys are just the very best and I love you all dearly and appreciate you so much.

Doug, if God is speaking to you like He is speaking to us, then this train is leaving the station so welcome aboard!!!!!!!