Great Expectations

I know it's not Easter, but this is where I am in my Bible reading and the passage jumped out at me. When that happens, God always has some special truth to reveal. Let's try to discover the truth together.

Jesus was cruxified and rose again. Possibly, the most important event ever for mankind. Peter heard the truth and by faith immediately.......

Peter jumped to his feet and ran to the tomb. He stooped to look in and saw a few grave clothes, that's all. He walked away puzzled, shaking his head."

Revelation of truth requires action. "Peter jumped.." It doesn't say Peter got up from where he was sitting when the commercial started on TV. It says he jumped. He jumped from surprise mixed with great anticipation. It is almost like Peter was expecting the unexpected. Isn't that the way God works in our lives. He works His way in our life such that His will and purpose is accomplished and our needs are met abundantly.

Peter "ran to the tomb." God chasers don't wait for a vote. They don't wait for others to lead the way. God chasers seize the moment. It reminds me of the proverbial hurricane chasers. You have seen them on TV. They hear there is likely to be a hurricane in an area or there is an actual sighting. All the conditions are right. They hop in the fastest transportation they have and head for the scene of where the hurricane is expected. They are anxious. They are fearful. They passionately want to be the one that gets the closest to the energy source. They want the best view. A hurricane chaser knows he will never be the same if he can just get close enough to experience first hand the power coming down. Sounds like a God chaser.

Peter "stooped to look and saw". No man comes before the Father upright and proud. When Peter stooped to look, he humbled himself before God. Then with a heart right before God, he saw. You can't see if you don't look with eyes that see. Peter didn't see what everyone expected to see. He saw truth. Jesus Christ had risen.

Having seen the truth, Peter was puzzled. God will reveal truth to you and often it takes time for understanding and wisdom to sink in. God may give instant understanding or God may requires years for you to consider the greatness of His revelation. But, always there is purpose in God's revelation. Revelation requires action.

We all have expectations in life. The Jewish people expected a Savior to come and rule the earth. They expected He would come and be their earthly king. They expected life would be great and their enemies would finally be conquered. About the only thing they got right was that their King was coming. Unfortunately, they didn't recognize Him. Their expectations were not fulfilled, because they were not open to receive the completion of their dreams. They did not have eyes to see.

What 'Great Expectations' do you have that have not been met or have they? Follow Peter's example. Wait, look and listen to what others have to say, but go to Jesus personally. Don't walk. Run to Jesus. If you don't see what you expected, that doesn't mean it's not true. It means change your vantage point. Look at your expectations in a different light from a different angle. Be humble before God. Look at your expectations in God's light. There is truth waiting for you if you have the eyes to see and ears to hear.

Identify the True Lion

Lion chasers need to know what a lion looks like. Wouldn't it be silly to chase a lion, slay it and only later find out it was a dog. You slay the lion. You dress it out nicely. You make a coat from the fur and you brag about the kill to your friends. You say, 'Hey look at my wonderful lion skin coat'. They say, 'That's no lion skin. That's a dog skin.' Pretty ridiculous right, but the point is the obvious problem may not be the lion for you to conquer.

Consider my tooth ache. It was an obvious problem that had to be solved. It seemed obvious that it was a lion that had to be slain. I could kill this lion. I had the solution. I could borrow money to pay the dentist to fix my tooth. But, my tooth ache and its incredible pain was not the lion. The lion was really the problem created because I had committed to living a life of no debt. That's when it was time to get God involved. This lion was not going to be slain without God's help. That is the way life is designed from the beginning of time to get us in a closer relationship with our heavenly Father. You make the choice.

In a Pit With a Lion on a Snowy Day

"What if the life you really want, and the future God wants for you, is hiding right now in your biggest problem, your worst failure... Your greatest fear?"

I've been reading and studying a book titled, 'In a pit with a lion on a snowy day', written by Mark Batterson. It is a great book that is helping me to understand and legitimize the fact that problems are not necessarily bad. We can choose to let them be bad or we can choose to use them as the catalyst to allow God to work in our lives in the biggest way you and I have ever experienced. It really is our choice! God is alive and well. Why not seek after Him to do BIG things in your life?

The story begins in Chapter 23 of 2 Samuel, verses 20-21....

^"20 Benaiah son of Jehoiada was a valiant fighter from Kabzeel, who performed great exploits. He struck down two of Moab's best men. He also went down into a pit on a snowy day and killed a lion. ²¹ And he struck down a huge Egyptian. Although the Egyptian had a spear in his hand, Benaiah went against him with a club. He snatched the spear from the Egyptian's hand and killed him with his own spear. ²² Such were the exploits of Benaiah son of Jehoiada; he too was as famous as the three mighty men. ²³ He was held in greater honor than any of the Thirty, but he was not included among the Three. And David put him in charge of his bodyguard."

The stage is set. Benaiah is walking home minding his own business when he spots a lion. Now what do you do when you see a lion. That's right you go the other way as rapidly as possible. Especially on a snowy day. This lion is likely hungry, because it is winter time and hunting is a little tougher. What does Benaiah do? He sees a lion in a pit and goes in after him. That's just not normal for the average guy. But apparently from the rest of the passage, Benaiah is not a normal guy. He is accustom to accepting the challenges of life as opportunities to accomplish great things. Do you know any lion chasers?

In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth. Did He create it for personalized success in your life or personalized failure? God created the heavens, earth and you with the desire to see you live life abundantly. The entire creation is designed with you in mind and the opportunity for you to live an abundant life that brings glory to God. God wants the perfection of His will and purpose in your life to be the abundance He has created for you. God has designed your life and the environment and circumstances surrounding your life such that regardless of the choices you have made to date, you can still begin the journey toward living an abundant life. But, it is unlikely you will get there without chasing lions into pits on a snowy day.

The concept of facing a lion is centered around the idea that problems as bad as they may seem are really opportunities for God to work in a powerful way. Remember, God created the heavens and the earth. He is preeminent. He is subservient to no one or anything. He can do what He says He can do and He will do what He says He will do. Problems are a part of life. It is our responsibility in order to grow and become powerful in Christ to accept our problems as opportunities to grow closer to Christ and strengthen our grip on what it means to be a Christian. Let me share with you my last week's adventure facing a lion in a pit on a snowy day.

Pastor John at work this last week asked the question, "Are you living your life in a way that is worth telling stories about?" I am afraid of needles. No, that's not right. I am afraid of the pain that needles bring. When I was young, I got real sick. My mother took me to the doctor and he said, 'this shot may hurt a little'. It was bad. It was real bad. It really hurt. It was one of those shots where you see the pain in the face of the nurse giving it. So, I carry that fear with me. The anticipation of the pain the needle is going to bring me.

Last week I cracked a tooth. Have you ever tried to keep smiling with the pain from a cracked tooth always present in the forefront of everything you are doing? Smiles aren't cheap. They cost when the pain from a bad tooth is making the whole side of your face hurt. The solution is easy. Right? Just run to the dentist and get the problem taken care of. You might not have the ready cash to spend, but it is necessary so it makes sense to just whip out the credit card and make the pain go away. But there was a problem....

I had made a decision earlier in the year to take the Bible verse literally, "Neither a lender or borrower be". Cora agreed that would be a good thing. Well I didn't have the money for a dentist, so I (friends and family, also) began praying. I don't know what others prayed, but I prayed for God to heal my tooth. After 3 days of incredible pain. God did not heal my tooth and my prayer changed to, "God it hurts too bad to know what to pray. Please help me to pray such that I experience your abundance in this painful situation". I was in the pit with a lion on a snowy day and I wasn't coming out until God saved me. This was appropriately on Thanksgiving Day. I believe this to be in the humor of God.

So Wednesday Pastor Dave feeling compassion on me, gives me a name of guy who is a dentist and his personal cell number. I called him from the church on Friday and left a message. I'm not sure exactly what I said. But, it contained the information that I had little money and a big tooth ache. Maybe he could help? I prayed a bit and continued working while thinking I'd really wanted God to heal my tooth, because I am chasing God. I believe God is the same today as He was thousands of years ago and we serve a miraculous God. I want that God to be a part of my life and I don't want to miss anything. But, I am beginning to wonder if the lion will be the one climbing out of the pit on a snowy day.

Dentist Rob picked up my message and in God's humor immediately pushed the erase button on his cell phone. Then, I guess thought, "whoops"! So he surfed to the Grace Point website and found my email address and shot me a message that he wanted to talk. He thought he might be able to help. I got the message and gave him a call. Have you ever called a doctor or dentist and said you didn't have any money and would they treat you? I didn't expect the conversation to last very long. At this point in the adventure I don't know who Rob is and frankly my expectations are not very high, but the lion is breathing down my neck.

Paraphrased, I tell Dentist Rob on the phone, that I don't know where his beliefs are when it comes to God, but I am on a quest. I want to see God at work. I've prayed for healing and the tooth still hurts. Finally, I figure out who Rob is and his faithful walk with God. What an encouragement that was. God was at work! Rob asked me where was I? I said I was at the church and he said good. He would pack up his stuff and come right over. Do what? Yep! He said he would pick up the stuff he needed and come right over. Get the picture? I bet he's bringing needles, also. Ha!

I set up a chair in the hallway behind the stage and borrowed a spot light and mic stand to hold it. Dentist Rob showed up with a hand full of sterile tools, needles and whatever. He borrowed some rubber gloves and said he thought the stage spot light was a great idea. He said it'd be about a ten minute process and I'd be done. Awesome. I sat down. Tilted my head back and he shot me up with deadener. I lost count how many times, but I can tell you I was praying. I was praying for God's grace and an easy tooth extraction. After about an hour and in God's humor, Dentist Surgeon Rob says, "well it's time to go to the hospital. If I had a hammer and chisel I could get it out, but will need the air drills at the hospital. Let's go." Did I mention, I had little money and refused to borrow my way out of the problem?

So back to the pit with the lion on a snowy day. I made a choice to live debt free, regardless of the cost. In the pit, the cost seemed high. I had plenty of time to pray in the pit as Rob wrestled with the Lion. I wonder if he knew he was in the pit?

Before the extraction, I prayed over and over again, "God this really hurts. Thank you for the times when the pain subsides. God, please heal my tooth. But God if you choose not to, I understand you are God and whether you heal my tooth or not, I know and am confident you can. So God, please don't let me miss the truth that I will learn from this experience. God please help me to pray the prayers that will be a blessing to others."

And you know what? God is faithful. Rob and I came out of the pit and share the coat of a lion on a cold day.......

Grace Point Life Group Live

Hello fellow Life Group members! I'd like to use this BLOG as a vehicle to keep our life group connected. I will begin posting thoughts about the upcoming Sunday discussion topic. We can all post thoughts about the previous week's discussion. I look forward to hearing all your thoughts as we grow stronger in our faith and better connected in the local body of Christ.