JUNE 30, 2024

  “No man needs sympathy because he has to work, because he has a burden to carry. Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.” 

― Theodore Roosevelt

JOB 19-20

13“He has alienated my family from me;

my acquaintances are completely estranged from me.

14My relatives have gone away;

my closest friends have forgotten me.

15My guests and my female servants count me a foreigner;

they look on me as on a stranger.

16I summon my servant, but he does not answer,

though I beg him with my own mouth.

17My breath is offensive to my wife;

I am loathsome to my own family.

18Even the little boys scorn me;

when I appear, they ridicule me.

19All my intimate friends detest me;

those I love have turned against me.

20I am nothing but skin and bones;

I have escaped only by the skin of my teeth.^a(19:13-20)

ACTS 9:23-43

23After many days had gone by, there was a conspiracy among the Jews to kill him, 24but Saul learned of their plan. Day and night they kept close watch on the city gates in order to kill him. 25But his followers took him by night and lowered him in a basket through an opening in the wall.

26When he came to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he really was a disciple. 27But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. He told them how Saul on his journey had seen the Lord and that the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had preached fearlessly in the name of Jesus. 28So Saul stayed with them and moved about freely in Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the name of the Lord. 29He talked and debated with the Hellenistic Jews,^a but they tried to kill him. 30When the believers learned of this, they took him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus.

31Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace and was strengthened. Living in the fear of the Lord and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it increased in numbers.

JOURNAL 

Job continues to debate with his friends and languishes in his circumstance. He has experienced loss in every capacity except his life. Paul now embraces this new path without hesitation or reservation. He plunges right in and doesn't bother with public opinion and what people would think. He has made a 180-degree shift to the point that people are having a difficult time with the shift. The Jews begin to conspire to kill him and the disciples begin to help him avoid their traps.

I can only imagine the confusion as Paul has gone from passionate oppressor to ardent defender. Paul has one purpose and one purpose only. He appears to have no backup plan and is intent on preaching the gospel without reservation wherever God sends him. In the same way, I can empathize with Job's friends who are confounded as to why God would punish Job without a reason.  

In reading the two texts it sometimes is hard to reconcile God's purpose. In Job, God allows torment and suffering on one of his most devoted followers and with Paul, God converts one of the enemies to the faith. What I take from both is that there is not a clear formula for God and life. Life can seem unfair and pointless, but it clearly has meaning. God does not operate in a predictable manner, that's why I must seek and trust him in every circumstance in every moment. I don't know when the winds will shift and circumstances change. The only thing that is a constant is God's love and his ultimate purpose which is to redeem man. 

That can look different in every single person. Just as we all are unique, so is God's plan and purpose for each of us. The one constant is that our destiny is with God, and that God has work for each of us to do and accomplish. No matter where we live, no matter what our situation, we are to love God, love others and work our heart out in following him. 

1The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.

2He makes me lie down in green pastures,

he leads me beside quiet waters,

3he refreshes my soul.

He guides me along the right paths

for his name’s sake.

4Even though I walk

through the darkest valley,^a

I will fear no evil,

for you are with me;

your rod and your staff,

they comfort me.

5You prepare a table before me

in the presence of my enemies.

You anoint my head with oil;

my cup overflows.

6Surely your goodness and love will follow me

all the days of my life,

and I will dwell in the house of the Lord

forever.

PSALM 23

JUNE 29, 2024

 “The comfort zone is a psychological state in which one feels familiar, safe, at ease, and secure.

If you always do what is easy and choose the path of least resistance, you never step outside your comfort zone. Great things don’t come from comfort zones.” 
― Roy T. Bennett, The Light in the Heart

JOB 16-18

1My spirit is broken,

my days are cut short,

the grave awaits me.

2Surely mockers surround me;

my eyes must dwell on their hostility.(17:1-2)

ACTS 9:1-22

11The Lord told him, “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. 12In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.”

13“Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your holy people in Jerusalem. 14And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.”

15But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. 16I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”

17Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, 19and after taking some food, he regained his strength.

JOURNAL 

Paul is stricken with blindness, his whole world is turned upside down. As a result Paul will be transformed, yet his transformation comes through his suffering...16I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”

Job is in the place where the only thing that looks appealing is an end to his suffering. His heart is broken, he feels betrayed, he is all alone, no one understands and things seem to just keep getting worse. So what's the answer? Escape, manipulation, capitulation...? Nope, the answer is to keep suffering, the answer is to keep wading through. This seems crazy, yet it is the path of God, it is the path of Christ and it is the path of the Kingdom.

The way out is through...most of scripture is counter intuitive...the reality is that most things in life are that way as well. This often goes against our culture and some would say our nature. I know I initially look for the easiest and quickest way out of a painful circumstance or experience.  Sometimes the easy way is the best way, yet most of the time, it isn't.  The way out of suffering most often is to suffer. 

What's interesting is that it is also the path of true lasting success. Because it usually requires difficult work, sacrifice, frustration and some type of opposition. It requires persisting in the midst of doubt and adversity. It also usually requires persisting when many bystanders would say it's time to quit. Essentially every story in the Bible somewhat follows this path...guess that's why it's called the "narrow path", and why "many are called but few are chosen". 

Yet suffering absolutely can be joyful, when you know that the suffering is for a purpose. The purpose of my life is to be and to create outposts of God's Kingdom. To do so requires that I persevere, work hard, take chances and always love. It requires that I see each day as a miraculous opportunity to do good work, love others and build outposts.

2Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,^a whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

JAMES 1:2-4

JUNE 28, 2024

   “Lack of confidence, sometimes alternating with unrealistic dreams of heroic success, often leads to procrastination, and many studies suggest that procrastinators are self-handicappers: rather than risk failure, they prefer to create conditions that make success impossible, a reflex that of course creates a vicious cycle.” 

― James Surowiecki

JOB 13-15

1“Mortals, born of woman,

are of few days and full of trouble.

2They spring up like flowers and wither away;

like fleeting shadows, they do not endure.(14:1-2)

ACTS 8:26-40

26Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Go south to the road—the desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” 27So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian^a eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of the Kandake (which means “queen of the Ethiopians”). This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, 28and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the Book of Isaiah the prophet. 29The Spirit told Philip, “Go to that chariot and stay near it.”

30Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. “Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked.

31“How can I,” he said, “unless someone explains it to me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.

JOURNAL 

Job is discouraged and is, in essence, throwing a fit and dismissing his purpose and his life. How can anyone blame him? I get it, there are many times I have been there myself and my problems paled in comparison to Job's. He is angry and in despair and what makes it worse is that his closest friends keep at him trying to get him to admit what sin he committed to cause all of his troubles. 

Here is the stark reality of life. Troubles are just part of life, whether we cause them or are impacted by them, they just are part of our existence. Just because something terrible happens doesn't mean it was a result of my sin.  Job's friends are critical of him because they believe that bad things only happen to people that deserve them. They see life in a very formulaic way. Bad things happen to bad people, and good things happen to good people. This is Job's frustration...in the story, we know what Job does not, which is that he's not being punished for things he did wrong but rather he is suffering for the things he did right. 

Circumstances of life cannot be trusted for surface appearance. Godless people can live lives blessed in worldly terms. Godly people can live in poverty where it seems every break goes against them. Our purpose is far greater than our individual circumstances. 

So how am I to live? I believe the only way to really live and live well is to live life in obedience to the spirit of God...no matter the results, no matter what suffering or success ensues. We don't follow God to live a problem-free life, or for earthly blessings. We follow God because we believe he is God. We follow God because he loves us and we are part of his team, in which he instructs us to love others and spread the good news. In doing so he promises that his spirit will fill us and that we will experience joy and that one day, we will be part of his new kingdom.

9“This, then, is how you should pray:

“ ‘Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name,

10your kingdom come,

your will be done,

on earth as it is in heaven.

11Give us today our daily bread.

12And forgive us our debts,

as we also have forgiven our debtors.

13And lead us not into temptation,^a

but deliver us from the evil one.^b ’

MATTHEW 6:9-13

JUNE 27, 2023

  “Failure should be our teacher, not our undertaker. Failure is delay, not defeat. It is a temporary detour, not a dead end. Failure is something we can avoid only by saying nothing, doing nothing, and being nothing.” 

― Denis Waitley

JOB 10-12

13“To God belong wisdom and power;

counsel and understanding are his.

14What he tears down cannot be rebuilt;

those he imprisons cannot be released.

15If he holds back the waters, there is drought;

if he lets them loose, they devastate the land.

16To him belong strength and insight;

both deceived and deceiver are his.

17He leads rulers away stripped

and makes fools of judges.

18He takes off the shackles put on by kings

and ties a loincloth^b around their waist.

19He leads priests away stripped

and overthrows officials long established.

20He silences the lips of trusted advisers

and takes away the discernment of elders.

21He pours contempt on nobles

and disarms the mighty.

22He reveals the deep things of darkness

and brings utter darkness into the light.

23He makes nations great, and destroys them;

he enlarges nations, and disperses them.

24He deprives the leaders of the earth of their reason;

he makes them wander in a trackless waste.

25They grope in darkness with no light;

he makes them stagger like drunkards.(12:13-25)

ACTS 8:1-25

On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. 2Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him. 3But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison.

JOURNAL 

How is it that Saul becomes Paul and writes most of the rest of the New Testament? How is this possible? Because God is God. He can turn the tables and make an evil murderer into a saint. God can change the heart in the blinking of an eye. This is his world, this is his Kingdom. I get to participate in it for a short while. 

That is the crazy thing about God and his word. It does not fit some neat, clean formula for success. It is messy and unpredictable and seemingly unfair. Stephen is stoned and dies while Saul goes on to seek to destroy the church. Job suffers as his friends and wife heap insults on him. It's so seemingly unfair and wrong...yet that's just part of the story.

The way through is to go through, without trying to avoid or skip around the tough parts. Just like reading the Bible...some parts are extremely boring and seem pointless, other parts are confusing and seem discouraging. Yet when it all comes together it is perfect, but the only way to see that is to go through it, page by page, story by story. 

To get to live today is a gift and it is my opportunity. Embrace it and see it as the gift that it is...look at it honestly, it will contain pain and suffering and conflict...yet facing it and seeing it as a vital part of life that I get to live changes it.  Just as the devotion from yesterday, conflict and struggle are necessary, vital parts of life. To avoid them is to miss the beauty of life. To miss them is also to miss God.

The Lord is the everlasting God,

the Creator of the ends of the earth.

He will not grow tired or weary,

and his understanding no one can fathom.

29He gives strength to the weary

and increases the power of the weak.

30Even youths grow tired and weary,

and young men stumble and fall;

31but those who hope in the Lord

will renew their strength.

They will soar on wings like eagles;

they will run and not grow weary,

they will walk and not be faint.

ISAIAH 40:28-31

JUNE 26, 2024

  ...This story shall the good man teach his son;

And Crispin Crispian shall ne'er go by,
From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be rememberèd-
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition;
And gentlemen in England now a-bed
Shall think themselves accurs'd they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day.
~ Shakespeare, Henry V

JOB 7-9

32“He is not a mere mortal like me that I might answer him,

that we might confront each other in court.

33If only there were someone to mediate between us,

someone to bring us together,

34someone to remove God’s rod from me,

so that his terror would frighten me no more.

35Then I would speak up without fear of him,

but as it now stands with me, I cannot.(9:32-35)

ACTS 7:44-60

54When the members of the Sanhedrin heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him. 55But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56“Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”

57At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, 58dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul.

59While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he fell asleep.

JOURNAL 

Job asks for a mediator in his suffering and Stephen sees Christ and the Kingdom of Heaven. Conflict is part of this life...almost as if it is the fuel and the basis of all meaning. Where did the idea arise that life is supposed to be one great happy joy ride?!?! Somewhere in the last 100 years the mindset of our country somehow changed and adopted this lie and delusion. 

I will be the first to admit that I fall into this same toxic mentality. If I am not happy and content then I feel something is wrong. Well something is wrong...For the only place that has ever been perfect and without conflict was Eden and we collectively lost that around the time that this whole earth experiment began. 

So going all the way back to Genesis...we were initially designed for paradise and when we lost it, we have been suffering in this state of discontent ever since. Yet I believe that God has given us something that now allows us to function and exist with joy and purpose. He has given us a joy that is activated when we work together with others to overcome an enemy or conflict. Deep in our hearts I believe we know that conflict and seeking to overcome is what gives life purpose and meaning. 

Sports are a great example of this. They are a great source of joy for many people, yet sports are hard, they require practice and pain and heartache. Every season they guarantee disappointment for every single member of every team but one. The odds are never very high that a team will win a championship and even if it does there still exists disappointment and conflict.

So why then are we so confounded and surprised when we experience hardship, conflict and heartache in our daily lives?  Why are we so surprised when things don't go our way and we blow it? Why are we so enraged when wrongs happen and we just aren't happy all the time? 

I truly think it is a natural part of the fall from Eden but also it is a refusal to acknowledge that fall and begin and accept the reality of this world. In many ways  I have seen conflict as something to avoid rather than a necessary tool for communication and bettering the world. It is necessary and must be waded through in righteous ways. It creates opportunities for love, forgiveness, humility, growth etc. While it is part of some really awful things that have happened in this world it is also the means of some really wonderful things and ultimately our peace and salvation. In the end conflict will lead to a new heaven and a new earth and that is when all will be restored and all will finally make sense. 

When I watch this clip of Henry V...my heart soars. I want to go out and kick ass. The reality is...joy is found in these moments. It is found in the battle, in the war. Going back to this pivotal moment in Acts...for Stephen to capitulate and soft-pedal and avoid conflict would have probably preserved his life, but that would not have solved the ultimate issue...the heart of Saul...who was standing by holding the coats.

 8And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.

2 CORINTHIANS 9:8

JUNE 25, 2024

 “The real glory is being knocked to your knees and then coming back. That's real glory. That's the essence of it.” 

― Vince Lombardi Jr.

JOB 4-6

1Then Job replied:

2“If only my grief could be weighed

and placed with my calamity on the scales.

3For then it would outweigh the sand of the seas—

no wonder my words have been rash.

4For the arrows of the Almighty have pierced me;

my spirit drinks in their poison;

the terrors of God are arrayed against me.(6:1-4)

ACTS 7:20-43

20At that time Moses was born, and he was beautiful in the sight of God.e For three months he was nurtured in his father’s house. 21When he was set outside, Pharaoh’s daughter took him and brought him up as her own son. 22So Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in speech and action.

JOURNAL 

Here in these passages are two men who have done nothing wrong...to the contrary they are doing everything right...yet they are about to get pummeled. Job is given to the hands of Satan and will lose everything but his life. Stephen is about to be stoned. 

What does this tell me about trusting in God and obeying him.  It says that true success is never solely experienced or measured by worldly standards. It may mean being a martyr and without much in material possessions or to the contrary it may include riches and wealth and worldly success. The point is worldly measures don't ultimately matter...what will matter is the joy that I will receive from obeying and living my life as an Outpost of the Kingdom of God. This means as an offering...a living sacrifice...it means to take my eyes off the approval of man and focus my eyes on the love of God. It is to see that right here, right now I am blessed with life, with the opportunity to act and live. It is the acceptance and realization that I am part of God's team, that I am loved and that I have a purpose, no matter what the world says or how it responds.  I think it is different for everyone but I know that living out of my identity, as part of God's team is a passionate, joyful, active existence that pushes the envelope of what I consider possible. 

I think it must be an existence that stretches the boundaries of what I feel I can accomplish. I think it must be a life that utilizes my gifts and talents. I think it must be a life that requires courage, discipline and persistence. This is not to be a life of passive contemplation, but rather a life of active engagement. So when there are tough moments and disappointments and lack of worldly applause, I am not to fret or believe that something must be wrong but rather that I might just be exactly where God wants me. My identity is never determined by my circumstances, but rather my circumstances can serve to express my identity.  

1Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

ROMANS 12:1-2

JUNE 24, 2024

OUTPOST PODCAST

" There are two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle."            -Albert Einstein

JOB 1-3

“Naked I came from my mother’s womb,

and naked I will depart.^c

The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away;

may the name of the Lord be praised.”

22In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.

ACTS 7:1-19

1Then the high priest asked Stephen, “Are these charges true?”

2To this he replied: “Brothers and fathers, listen to me! The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham while he was still in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Harran. 3‘Leave your country and your people,’ God said, ‘and go to the land I will show you.’^a

JOURNAL 

Job's life is undeservingly dismantled. Stephen gives one of the greatest sermons ever spoken, right on the verge of his death.

These two epic moments turn the "prosperity gospel" on it's head. It is also the reason that I love this Einstein quote! I've used it a couple of times and it's always a good reminder. Every single moment of every single day is important and epic in one way or another. Yet it is so easy to get lost and let moments and days slip by without realizing the significance that each day brings. Why is that? Why are we so unmoved by the "ordinary". 

I think it's because sometimes it just doesn't feel important or that it really matters. Life can have a way of slipping by until a crises moment strikes. I think that's why we tend to get so sucked into politics or sports or a public crises...we want to be a part of something that really matters. So why does it matter? While I can answer that question with the typical church response, those reasons are not very motivating in the moment. Especially when no great crises exist. There though is one of the fundamental reasons. Because the crises will come, the tough moments are waiting. Training my mind and heart to seek God at all times is the training ground for seeking him in the difficult moments of life. Just as Stephen here is ready for his moment and because of it...Saul is influenced and ready for God to meet him on the road to Damascus.

But what I believe is more important is that if I want to make the most of each moment of life I must treat each moment as vitally important. The ho hum, everyday parts of life are anything but ordinary. Reality is that amazing miracles, as well as awful tragedies, are happening all around me, all the time. No moment is ordinary, no moment is a waste, every moment is ripe with life-changing possibilities. 

It is vital that as I live each day, that I become more aware of all that is around and before me and that I seek God so that I don't miss the miracles. I must seek God so that he will open my eyes to the wonder of today. I must seek God so that I am ready to act and take action. Today is waiting, full of adventure, drama and the fulfillment of God's epic story, of which I get to play a part. That...is anything but ordinary!!

20When asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, “The kingdom of God will not come with observable signs. 21Nor will people say, ‘Look, here it is,’ or ‘There it is.’ For you see, the kingdom of God is in your midst.” 

LUKE 17:20-21