Tuesday, December 31, 2019

2020




2020

An angel laid it out for Mary. Here is what will happen. An angel told her what God had planned for her. Would Mary accept this way to serve? A young girl who didn't know fully know what it might entail?

With her own words she said it plain. "Let it be to me as you have said." Then in song she continues her praise of God.

2020 brings unknown events for the year and a new decade. What will God bring for me? I have no clue. The year ahead looks pretty blank. Will I still be needed at my church, or will I venture out into the world to serve, instead? Wish I could be like Mary and at least know what the challenges will be.

Or maybe I don't.

But with all my heart I wish to say, "Let it be to me as you have planned." Phew! That takes a lot of anxiety off my shoulders. I just need to be ready and willing to go and do, or sit and wait, as He guides me.

Welcome 2020! Let the adventures begin!!

Monday, December 16, 2019

Ready?

Ready?
Have you been here? Like this shepherd, staring into a fire, feeling like God's promise will never be fulfilled? When, o' Lord, when is the Messiah coming, cried the Jewish people. I have felt this way, too. Maybe even right now. How long Lord must I wait for you to act? Show me how to serve you.  

The sermon was about listening for God's inner voice, to move us into service or to be part of someone else's miracle. To make ourselves open to that inner nudge that says talk a neighbor. Make that call or be in prayer for this one. A well placed hug can change someone's whole day.  

It's important that we follow God and not just include Him. Or as my son Todd expressed, Jesus does not make a good sidekick. That means Jesus is not someone we ask to bless our plans but He makes the plans. We need to be ready, to listen, and to act. 

I remember a time when I attended a conference put on by my church's denomination. It was held at a ski lodge in Montana. So beautiful. Placed high up on a huge mountain with running streams and pines trees. I came from the deserts of Arizona so this seemed like a magical place. My room mate and I stayed in a small hostile type room, a short walk from the lodge.

 After a week of workshops and meetings, the last day came. I'd been privileged to be a part of seeing God work in so many ways that week. But on this last day I wanted to share a meaningful song with my morning care group. I took up my little 70's tape recorder and got ready to hike over to the lodge. 

Before I left I prayed. After seeing God work so much that week I said, "Dear Lord, if there is someone else you want me to speak to before I leave, allow that to happen. Even if it's not a person from the conference, but one who is just staying at the lodge."

When I arrived inside the hotel I realized I was very early for the morning meeting. So, I went to the fireside area and sat down on a cushy chair. Beside the me sat a huge, clear glass ash tray on the side table. And I mean it was the size of a  hubcap. I tried to push it over so I could rest my arm on the table, but it was too heavy.

While I waited I wanted to make sure the recorder was cued to the right spot. I pressed the button but nothing happened. I jabbed and jabbed at it. After letting out a frustrated sigh I heard a voice. "Can I help you with that?"

Looking up, I saw that a college age young man was standing beside me, smoking his cigarette. I thanked him and gave him the recorder. He put out his light, and sat down. He inspected the recorder, then jiggled it this way and that. But as he worked we talked. 

I explained why I was here, the church conference. This is when he told me he was an atheist. He believed we do not need anyone or anything. That if he could, he would just sit out in a field and just exist. I was able to tell him how much Jesus meant to me. We spent quite a while on this topic. I could see he liked to debate. At one point he said "What is so special about how Jesus died? A lot of people have suffered in death, even more that Jesus did." 

"Yes," I said. "But Jesus had the weight of all the world's sin placed on Him. He was a holy being, now covered with sin, guilt, and shame." He paused and did seem to take this thought in. After awhile of this back and forth he gave me the recorder and said, "I'm sorry I wasn't able to fix it. I need to get going now. Thanks for the talk." We smiled and he left.

I sat there thinking hard about our encounter. Then as if God spoke to me I thought, I should have said to him, if he ever does find himself needing help or comfort, to ask Jesus if He is real. 

"Lord if you want me to say this, give me another chance." I got up and went to the hearth to sit down. A moment later the young man was back. He said, "What are you doing? Carrying the ash tray around with you?" As he tapped off his ashes, I looked down and the tray was now next to me. I shot a glance over to side table. The glass cigarette tray was gone. 

How in the world did it get here? I'd just sat down! It was so heavy, surely I would have noticed someone lugging it over here. 

I decided not to waste time. I told him about asking Jesus if He is real. "If perhaps in the middle of the night you are alone and desperate, ask for Jesus' help. Just in case He is real."

I reached up to shake his hand as I said it. As our hands touched his face went from nonchalant debater, to a vulnerable softness. I held on tight. With a new seriousness in his eyes, he promised that he would. 

After he left I took up my recorder thinking how I would tell my group about this encounter. I poked at the start button as I thought. The recorder began to sing out the song, with no problem.

Hmm, the recorder wasn't broken after all. How about that?

Right now, I'm in the waiting time. Staring into the fire, depressed and tired of doing nothing but watch the sheep. It's hard to see others hustle around with purpose. But little did the shepherd in my sketch know the angels were right behind him, ready to send him into action to proclaim a king's birth to the world.  











Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Holy Moments


Holy Moment
A moment in time when the God of the universe sets in your soul a flick of needed hope, a message to serve, or a fire of inspiration, for me this is a Holy moment. And this is what Pastor Greg spoke on two Sunday's ago. He began with Mary, then worked back to Moses, and Samson's mother. 

He asked what would our angel look like? The one that brings you your moment. Mine is a bit disheveled but shines with golden designs of inspiration. Greg shared the holy moments in his life. His call to ministry, and times when Jesus spoke to his inner heart to reach out just at the right time.

I have had some as well. A time of comfort, for instance, when I felt lost among the throngs. Invisible even to God. I was at a concert for one of the leading Christian music artists at the time,  Randy Stonehill. At the end of his concert, as I sat with the thousand or so young people, he said good night, adding how much he loved each one of us. I looked around at the crowded theater.

Yeah, right. You don't even know me, I thought. For that matter how can God know me. I'm invisible in this sea of people. Obviously, I was not in a good mood. I began to talk to God. "Okay, Lord, if you really know who I am, this is what I'd like you to do. I want to personally meet Randy Stonehill. That's right, face to face." Then I thought again. "No, wait, that's too easy. I want to meet Randy Stonehill's wife. Yeah, his wife. Go ahead and make that happen if I'm visible to you."

A week or two later I was having breakfast across the table from his wife Sarah Stonehill. Did you know that was coming? I had decided uncharacteristically to fly, by myself, to California to take part in a worship workshop weekend at a camp called Mission Springs. I somehow was able to arrange for a perfect stranger to pick me up, stay at her house, and then have her drive me up to camp. There were only about eight of us that weekend, because it was the first one they'd offered and were trying it out. 

One of the speakers and teachers that weekend was another famous Christian artist at the time, Larry Norman. He was best friends with Randy and his then wife Sarah Stonehill. She'd come up to visit with Larry at the camp. Some day I may share the rest of what happened that weekend as well.

Have you had a Holy moment? I'd love to hear about it in the comments.  Thanks!






Thursday, November 21, 2019

The Family Business


The Family Business

This post will seem like from a past holiday, but really it is a thought on Thanksgiving. You see my son, Pastor Todd Spieker, preached on generosity and how to finally be satisfied with what you have. Contentment. Even my church children at Mission Do caught the message very quickly. 

Todd explained that often no matter how much we have, all we can see is how much candy is in another's bag. Our hearts are never satisfied, never feeling full.  No matter how much you buy, or do, or create your belly is empty.  You can see from the sketch that none of the trick or treaters are happy. Even the clown at the top, with an overflowing pot of candy, does not have a look of joy. 

Old Testaments stories abounds with cases of people who are abundantly blessed but are filled with anxiety that it won't to be enough. They were afraid that their needs would not be met. They didn't trust God. 

But God gave His own son into the world to save it. We, too, can miss the abundance at the heart of God's love and only see the scarcity we fear. Jesus walked the earth giving everywhere He placed His feet. He  went about healing, feeding, caring, and blessing. 

One of Todd's last phrases hit me. Give to be satisfied. The Bible says Mathew in 5:38-45 if you have to two coats, give one away. If someone makes you walk one mile with them, go two. Do not turn away from one who wants to borrow from you. Put your talents to work in the lives of others, offer grace to those who sin against you again and again and again. So that we can be the children of our Father in heaven and we can be like Him.

Another illustration that I have heard is that it's like a balloon with a pinprick of a hole in it. No matter how much air that you try to cram into the balloon it will never truly be filled up. You can blow and blow and blow to no effect. It takes generosity and true gratitude to close up that hole. 

God is a God that gives and to be a part of the family business we must give and give and give.









Monday, October 14, 2019

Follow The Calling




Follow the Calling
Continuing with the sermon topic of doing your calling, this sermon gave practical moves to encourage you in the quest. First pray to find something that you want to make a difference with. Then climb in the boat. Head out, allowing the waves beneath you to be the things that you are gifted with. Have the swells become the incentives  that feed your soul, that you are passionate about. The dolphins along side are encouraging you to focus, to invest your time, and to not to quit. Beneath is the treasure chest that holds your mission statement. This treasure will anchor your heart to keep you heading true north and to do what God has planned for you. 

Monday, October 7, 2019

God's Call

God's Call
For Moses it was a burning bush that did not consume the branches. He answered his call with doubt and hesitation. "I can't do this, I stutter, I don't know what to say. Pick someone else." When God calls sometimes we become afraid and try to pass it by. There are others, like the shepherds God called to go to Bethlehem and see the baby Jesus that say, "Let's GO!"  You know what I mean, they  just do it.

But what does a call look like? How do you recognize His voice? Most things are not a matter of  waiting for a call. Those are what you already know He desires from you. Things like to seek holiness. Love the poor, seek out injustice, having mercy. 

But there are times when God has a special quest for you to go on. Pastor Greg outlined things to look for. I have placed them in the burning bush in my sketch. 

Here they are for you to think about. Do you have a sense of call, a feeling of a holy moment where you are drawn to the adventure? Does this thing nag at your heart? Is it something you love and have a passion for? Has there been an event that has brought your attention to it, either a loud or gentle push?

It is never too late, or too early to be moved by God into an new and amazing journey. 




Tuesday, October 1, 2019

Grace

All You Need is Grace
An older pastor preached his sermon on how all you need is God's grace to be forgiven. You don't need to DO anything but believe. He worried this new generation of Christians had put too much emphasis on doing good deeds. That helping the poor and needy had taken the place of God's mercy. Could they have forgotten there is nothing anyone can do to earn God's grace?

The younger pastor wanted to make sure that people knew the importance of serving God. That good deeds come out of faith. They are the breath and the heart beat of what faith is. For without works faith is dead. How do you stay live without breath and a beating heart? But he warned not to now run around finding things to do to fix yourself. 

Look, I just gave water to a thirsty person!

No. To revive dead faith, go to Jesus. Get as close to Him as you can by prayer, listening, and study in His word.  

Because Jesus is the resurrection of the dead.