The Broken and Hidden

Broken hearts…

Broken minds…

Broken lives…

Each of us is broken. Each of us has pain. Each of us has learned how to hide our brokenness from others…or so we believe. We have become good at the shallow answers to shallow questions. I mean really, how many people really want to know the truth when they ask how you are? What would they think if they knew the truth, would they still like us? Do they even really have the time or care to hear about our broken places let alone share in our pain.

Sure, trust takes time…but it takes honesty first. Our society has taught too well the lie that others don’t really care. Deep down each of us was designed to care. We were created to love one another, to share life with others…authentically. This is a scary thing to do and we simply don’t stop and take time to get to know those around us, yet there is an inner part of us that longs to share our pain and brokenness with another who will care.

There is also a Master Deceiver…who has done a phenomenal  job of making us think our brokenness has disqualified us from the best of life and from the best that God has to offer. Satan has gotten so many to believe that their brokenness can never be healed let alone be forgiven. This same lie is what locks so many in their “secret place” with that thing which temporarily numbs our brokenness. For some that “secret place” is filled with food, alcohol, drugs, sex, pornography, self manipulation, cutting and self mutilation. Yes…these are all very real things going on around both you and me. There are people crying out in their “secret place” for someone to care, someone to rescue them from the “life” that has ensnared them. There is NO age barriers for those battling any of these things. It’s easy to judge these people and give them a verse or two. Maybe its giving them a 3 step, 5 step or 10 step plan…but that is not what they really need. They need people who won’t judge them yet will love them with genuine love. Unconditional love. And yes…genuine unconditional love is risky. You may get hurt…more than once. But genuine unconditional love sees who the person can be and was created to be…and fights to free that person. Fight to bring freedom and life! Fight for their heart…which is the riskiest fight of all.

As my family and I face a new chapter in our life, we are leaving all that we have known for the past 20+ years. We are leaving the lives and relationships we have forged with time…yet I am burdened for those who still need to be freed from the prisons they have created. I know that there are those in Texas who need to be fought for as well, and we have accepted that call. But my challenge to each one of us is to stop and take time to truly get to know those around us. No matter what they look like on the outside, we all carry a broken pieces of our heart and life wrapped up inside a cloth tucked deep within us…hoping that someday we can put the pieces back together again.

Jesus came to seek and save that which was lost. HE came to set us Free and give us Life. He has also called US to go and carry this message of life to others.

Not sure where this message has come from…but it has been brewing in my heart for the past couple of days. If this was for you, please send me a message and let me know.

Worth Reposting…

The following is NOT my personal post but I am simply re-posting what Perry Noble posted today on his blog. It’s clearly worth pondering and sharing. Perry is the Sr. Pastor of an incredible church called NewSpring Church with campuses throughout South Carolina. NewSpring Church is an incredible gathering place of Believers who are excited about serving Jesus and serving others with the goal of making an impact for eternity…and I might say they do it with excellence.

Thank you for the reminder Perry….

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Why Would You Not Do It? April 6, 2011

One of my life verses that is always in front of me is Hebrews 11:6…

“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”

One of the myths that has been crippling to Christianity for years is that Jesus has called us to “play it safe”…when that is not taught OR modeled by Jesus OR His followers in the Scriptures.  (See Acts 20:24 and Galatians 2:20)

Jesus didn’t play it safe…Paul didn’t play it safe…none of the Apostles played it safe…the church in Acts 4:23-31 upon being threatened and persecuted did NOT pray for safety…they prayed for boldness!

Yet today we seem to want to play it safe…that cannot be the goal.

So what about you church leader?  Church member?  Whoever…what is that ONE THING that you KNOW the Lord is calling you to do?  You know it’s a risk…you know that in order for it to take place you are going to need divine intervention?  What is it?  Why not do it?

People have asked me before, “Pastor P, how do I know that it’s God telling me to do it and not just an idea I had?”  GREAT question…allow me to share three identifying marks that I have personally experienced.

#1 – This thing that you believe you are called to do by God will not contradict God’s Word! I believe in the power of the Holy Spirit…and I believe that He speaks as loud today as He did in the book of Acts; however, I also know according to the teachings of Scripture that the Holy Spirit will not contradict the Word of God.  So…if “that thing” that you feel called to is in direct conflict with God’s Word…then it’s not God telling you to do it.

#2 – You can’t get away from this thought…it dominates your thinking and the more you marinade on it the more you feel like you might explode. For example…I really did believe back in 1996 that Jesus was telling me I needed to start a church.  BUT…instead of running out and doing it immediately I began to read books on it (Rick Warrens books and Bill Hybels book on the subject of church planting impacted me significantly) and dove into the Scriptures to see what they taught about the subject.  AND…the more I prayed, studied and read about it…the hotter the fire inside of me became.

#3 – Godly people in your life affirm it. (SEE Proverbs 15:22)  What I have learned from personal experience is that if I do not want to share my idea with those in my life who I know really do love Jesus and love me…then…I usually know it’s not a “God idea” but rather a Perry idea.  One of the things that EVERY believer in Christ needs is godly men and women who love Jesus and love the person enough to speak the truth in love…people who value the friend more than the friendship and are willing to say what needs to be said.  ANYTIME I have ever shared a thought/idea that I really believe the Lord has placed in my heart and the people the Lord has placed in my life to love and challenge me push back…I ALWAYS take a step back and pray and think through the idea more until the Lord either gives me greater clarity OR shows me that the wise counsel of my friends is exactly what I needed to hear.

That is what works for me…so how about you?  What is that thing that you know you should do?

Life is short, hell is hot and eternity is forever!!!  The world has NEVER been impacted by Christians who spend their whole lives in a car seat and beg God to never let anything bad happen to them!

Ask HIM to set you on fire with HIS plans…and THEN GO FOR IT!

CrossFit and Faith

Recently my brother-in-law and his wife started a CrossFit gym in the area. Of course we as a family have been to the gym several times to support them as well as to learn more about CrossFit and the principles of it’s training. This morning I was thinking about my workouts this week and realized…wow, the parallels are huge between my workouts and my faith walk. Here are a few of the things I have been reminded of this week.

Faith takes vision to see what can happen or what you can become…as with CrossFit. “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” Both the task of working out and walking in faith require us to have a vision of what could become if we step into our glory and be all that God created us to be.

CrossFit will take you into areas you wouldn’t go by yourself…as will faith. I don’t know about you but unless I have a trainer or someone who is going with me in this journey, I wouldn’t just go there by myself. Lack of discipline, maybe. Lack of knowledge, in part. Inability to put all of the pieces together on my own, absolutely. The CrossFit program will take you into an area with techniques and skills that are proven to work. It’s not uncharted area. The walk of faith is the same thing. There is a multitude of saints who have gone before us and found the results of their journey to be beyond their wildest expectations. Faith takes vision…the ability to see beyond the reality of today. Sometimes this is the ability to see beyond the image in the mirror to what we can become.

CrossFit will lead you past the point of quit to see that you are stronger than you thought…as will faith. I’ll be honest, I would have quit half way through each of my timed work outs. Not because I wanted to be a quitter but simply because I didn’t believe I could make it to the end. If I was doing these alone, I might have pushed myself but when the pain began to take over and my head is saying “bail..bail now, you’ve done enough”…I would probably listen to the voice and stop. Stopping short of realizing that I am actually strong enough to finish. Yes, 60% of the way through the workout my body is screaming at me but when I finish there is a huge sense of accomplishment and pride that I actually finished. Here is where the principle of a cord of two or three is stronger that a cord of one. When we work out together or with a trainer we can be lead past the point of “quit” to realize we have what it takes. Walking the journey of faith is exactly the same. When we walk our journey with others, even if only one or two people, we will be stronger and be able to push past those points of quit when the enemy is screaming that we don’t have what it takes. Remember, God created you and me, NOT the accuser. God knows how He created us and knows He has prepared us for the journey He has called us to. This takes faith.

CrossFit will leave you uncomfortable but not broken…as will faith. A good trainer will leave you uncomfortable but will not push you to the point of breaking where injury occurs. The journey of faith is tough. There will be times of discomfort…and times of extreme discomfort. One thing I do know is that The One who calls us to this journey of faith, He will not crush us or allow us to be broken.

If you are in the North Atlanta area and are interested in learning more about CrossFit, may I suggest you contact either Jonathan or Heather at CrossFit North Alpharetta. Or just click on their logo below…

If you would like to talk more about this journey of faith called life…let me know and I would love to share my story with you.