March 29


This Business of Change


God decided to let his people know this rich and glorious secret which he has for all people. This secret is Christ himself, who is in you. He is our only hope for glory. So we continue to preach Christ to each person, using all wisdom to warn and to teach everyone, in order to bring each one into God’s presence as a mature person in Christ.

Colossians 1:27-28 (NCV)


We all show the Lord’s glory, and we are being changed to be like him.

II Corinthians 3:18b (NCV)


… be changed within by a new way of thinking. Then you will be able to decide what God wants for you; you will know what is good and pleasing to him and what is perfect.

Romans 12:2b (NCV)


This is the problem … the central concern of the Church. Too many believers are not being transformed. Too many of us are not being changed, and the Church suffers for it; individuals suffer; and we all hurt. No wonder the Apostle Paul worked night and day and poured his life into this “change” ministry.

It’s time we got back into the change business. And the changes need to start with us!

Consider the simple disciplines of faith as outlined by John Ortberg in what some would call Disciplines for Dummies. Actually, the title is, The Life You’ve Always Wanted.

See if some of these practices strike a chord with you like they do with me. Perhaps they will put within each of us a desire for more … more of our big God in our lives. They are the practices of: celebration, slowing, prayer, servanthood, confession, receiving guidance, and (doing your good works in) secrecy.

How many of these disciplines do you and I practice? How many are evident in our lives? How many should be? Remember, it's not the practices themselves that are important ... it's the changes they help bring inside!


Father, teach us to be like Christ! Amen.

March 28


A Reminder to be Generous


A generous man devises generous things and by generosity he shall stand.

Isaiah 32:8 (NKJV)


Sometimes, it’s not just the content of God’s word that strikes me, it’s the timing as well. Take this verse in Isaiah 32. I think God is giving me a gentle reminder.

Yesterday, part of my family sat down to discuss divvying up the family holdings. Talk about uncomfortable! What is it about money and property that gets me churning? And why am I so selfish? True, I want my two sisters to be well taken care of, but to give them each a sweet deal?

As a Christian, the things of this world, and my desire for my own better deal are not what drive my life. But why do I long for them so? What is it that makes the world’s wealth pop up and grab me?

It’s because I’m human. I’m normal! But God is reminding me: like Abraham, I am a man of faith; I am a giver; I am a child of the King. “Be a good steward,” He seems to say to me, “BUT be generous, especially with your own family!”

Thanks, Lord, for the message. By generosity I shall stand. And I think I can see where I was headed: by tight-fisted, selfish grabbing … I fall?


Father God, thanks again for the reminder. I so needed it! Thank you for the great progress we have made … and the good deals to be had … by all! Amen.

March 27


The Greatness of Glory


I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back; bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth, everyone who is called by my name; for I have called him for my glory; I have formed him; yea, I have made him.

Isaiah 43:6,7 (KJV)


It has taken time, but this has become my passion: the glory of God. This, by the way, was the thing that drove such great men as Jonathon Edwards and so many others. And while I am no Jonathon Edwards (okay, not even close), I am a child of God designed by my Creator to find happiness in Him as I bring Him glory.

This has been my pursuit for awhile now, but I fear it may have confused some.

I think back to my Air Force career. As an officer working on a high-level staff, I remember full colonels shaking their heads and general officers somewhat disappointed in me because I did not embrace an all-out effort for higher rank. Not that pursuing the politics of promotion wasn’t appealing. Personally, I would have loved the prestige and the honor, but I had no sense this was of God. When I took it to Him, His message to my heart seemed to be, This is not for My glory. And so it became an easy decision. In contrast, the decision to go to Saudi Arabia on remote assignment instead of retiring was doubly easy. Not only was the Air Force pushing … but God was pulling as well! It was an amazing thing to experience.

While developing and embracing a passion for God’s glory can help us in our decisions, it grants immeasurable help to our outlook on life and in the process offers us His peace and joy—regardless of how trying our circumstances. In essence, it become the ultimate pursuit of happiness.

John Piper’s words from his book, Don’t Waste Your Life, ring true:

God created me—and you—to live with a single, all-embracing, all-transforming passion—namely a passion to glorify God by enjoying and displaying his supreme excellence in all the spheres of life. … The wasted life is the life without passion for the supremacy of God in all things for the joy of all people.

This is what I believe. This is how I will live. For the glory of God….


Father God, glorify Yourself in and through me. Amen.

March 26


Our Joy in Drew


He shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of dry ground….

Isaiah 53:2 (KJV)


One of the great joys and tender sorrows of parenthood is seeing your children grow up and leave home. When our son Drew left home last month for his second year at college, it hit my wife harder than the previous year.

I asked myself why that was, and I imagined it was because Drew had matured so much over the summer. In early June, we had concerns he would not find a job. It seemed to us he wasn’t pursuing job opportunities as aggressively as we would have liked. Still, God answers prayer, and he got a great job working with United Pipe all summer long. Recently, the company had won a contract with the City of Bend to inspect and repair some 500 fire hydrants. Drew was trained for the project, given tools, equipment, a truck and the responsibility to get it done. So, for three months, he searched for, located, inspected, and then fixed damaged fire plugs ... all under a scorching, high-desert sun.

In the process, he got a deep tan; he bulked up and every night it seemed he walked through the door a little taller, a little more sure of himself. By August, he had gone from being a somewhat unsure, one-year-out-of-high school student to being a self-confident adult. Wow!

Drew will always be our son, and a special one at that, but this year he grew into his manhood—a joy to us all.


Father, give our son joy in independence but greater joy in trusting and loving You. Amen.

March 25


Ruth, Dear Ruth….


… love one another fervently with a pure heart …

I Peter 1:22b (NKJV)


Ruth, our Compassion International sponsored orphan in Haiti, is so precious and yet so introverted and shy, I decided to write her a poem to encourage her—a poem from the heart. The theme is from Romans 12:2—being transformed….

I wanted to wait for her 7th birthday, but these words are too important. So, instead, they go out tonight!


Ruth, dear Ruth….

Little girl—

wonder from the mind of God—

you captured my heart.

Please,

accept a father's love and

a writer’s touch with words to

wrap around your heart

like a blanket ... a warm blanket

to take away the lonely chill—

And join your heart with mine

And by His word, transform—

like the butterfly

Transform Ruth, grow with me

... and fly!

Not for me ... but for Him

Always for Him!

Always for Him!

Je t'aime …

always …

Je t'aime….


Father, allow my words to express tender love and a pure motive. May You touch Ruth’s heart for Your glory. Amen.

March 24


Those Darned Tears

When he looked out over the crowds, his heart broke.


Matthew 9:36 (THE MESSAGE)


It’s true, my eyes had watered up, but I thought I had hidden it well. A staff member had shared hard news: children caught up in emotional struggles and a relative fighting a losing battle with cancer. It was an emotional time, and I didn’t realize it, but these heartbreaks had touched more than just me.

After the meeting the staff member told me, “When I saw both you and Dr. Bob well up with tears, I lost it!”

Boy, how I wish I could control my emotions. I do. I really do. But I can’t. This is how God designed me—to feel things deeply. To be high on the mountain one day and down on the valley floor the next.

This is God’s work, not mine. I just hope the hitch in my voice and the mist in my eyes will comfort somebody and spur me on to encourage others. It’s what Christ did….


Lord, thank You for Your gifts … even if I am slow to appreciate their value. Use me, use my heart, I pray, to comfort and encourage. Amen.

March 23


Being Real


… God is the One I am trying to please. Am I trying to please people? If I still wanted to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.

Galatians 1:10b (NCV)


My small group was at a serious crossroads. It was truth time. Open up and spill your guts to your friends night. Actually, it was our last session studying the book, If You Want to Walk on Water, You’ve Got to Get Out of the Boat. I had just asked the question, "What keeps you from getting out of the boat?"

It was quiet. Outside our hosts’ second-story windows the sun had sunk behind the mountains. I wondered if the brilliant red and purple sunset was God’s way of cheering us on. I looked across the dim, cavernous living room. Jeff and Katie, Chris and Jenn, Tara, Chris and my own Kris were all thinking. I cleared my throat and broke the ice.

“For me it’s people. I’m a people pleaser. Many times, I don’t listen to God’s call and step out, because I don’t want to disappoint others. I refuse to get out of my comfortable life raft for fear of what others will think.”

My comment was like a hot spark on dry kindling. Soon almost everyone was sharing, and we spent a long time talking about fear and worry. We opened up with each other that night, and something happened. Our group changed for the better, and we grew close. I came face to face with my biggest spiritual roadblock that night and so did everyone else.

When we become real with each other, something wonderful happens, something transforming. Something so good…. Being real is a treasure to share.


Father, thank You for all my special friends. They mean so much to me. Help us to grow close. Amen.

March 22


My Jesus


… he had to enter into every detail of human life. Then, when he came before God as high priest to get rid of the people’s sin, he would have already experienced it all himself—all the pain, all the testing—and would be able to help where help was needed.

Hebrews 2:17-18 (THE MESSAGE)


I had heard the term before, but it seemed I was hearing it more frequently … and I liked it.

Most recently, I heard it from Sally, our church Connecting Ministries Director. We were talking about having small groups open up to become a connecting point for new people.

Sally looked at me with her soft, green eyes and in her excited, rapid soprano said, “When I tell people about my Jesus and bring them to church, I want to be able to invite them to my group or any group where they can see Him face to face.” She was serious, and she was right.

My Jesus. Yes, that’s who he is, and we share Him ... with others and with each other.

He is mine, wonderfully mine, and guess what? It’s all about Him. And hallelujah, it always will be!


Lord, help people see my Jesus, glorious Jesus, in me. Amen.

March 21


Questions for Strong Friends


You are our dear friends, and everything we do is to make you stronger.

II Corinthians 12:19b (NCV)


This is becoming my heart: to think more of others and less of myself. It's a simple truth. God wants each of us to think more of those around us. Questions can help. Questions like: What is to their benefit? How can I help them, encourage them, and build them up? What can I say to show I am a true friend and not seeking to use or manipulate them in any way?

And there are more questions I’m asking myself: What is the right thing to do to strengthen others? What is the wise thing to do, so others will see Christ and not me?

The answers vary. Sometimes it is the sacrificial thing. Sometimes it is the painful thing, and many times as we use our gifts, it is the joyful thing. And at other times, it is simply giving my friend room to grow—staying quiet, and trusting God to speak to his or her heart in a way I can’t. Sometimes….

Sometimes … but in my opinion, it always takes prayer. Prayer for wisdom. Prayer for receptive hearts. Prayer for God’s good and transforming work to be completed in each of us.

This is friendship: doing what is best to strengthen the other—whatever the cost.


Lord, help me to be a great friend. Give me wisdom to always do right things to bless all my friends. Amen.

March 20


Temptation


… he said to them, “Pray for strength against temptation."

Luke 22:40b (NCV)


Don’t be so naïve and self-confident. You’re not exempt. You could fall flat on your face as easily as anyone else. Forget about self-confidence; it’s useless. Cultivate God confidence. No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he’ll never let you be pushed past your limit; he’ll always be there to help you come through it.

1 Corinthians 10:12-13 (THE MESSAGE)


Jesus said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray for strength against temptation."

Luke 22:46 (NCV)


There is power and there is purpose in the words of Jesus Christ. There is power for me to tap into. There is purpose and direction for my life. This not only good; it’s what you and I need. His power, His purpose.

I’ve rediscovered Christ’s words where I need them the most—in battling temptation.

John, one of Jesus’ most trusted disciples, spoke of one of our great enemies: the world and the way it woos us (I John 2:15-16). The Apostle Paul details two more enemies that derail us: our own sinful nature (Galatians 5:16) and the Devil himself (II Corinthians 2:11).

Jesus’ words help us battle all three, and personally, I have found power and great help in following Jesus’ advise: Pray!

While I face many temptations—we all do—recently, I’ve had to battle a new one: overeating. Can you believe it? Skinny, beanpole Craig worrying about his weight? Well, maybe there's a little pride mixed in there too….

You see, I’m aging and so is my metabolism. My indulgences are not without penalty. Yikes! My gut is … growing!?

So, I confess. I’ve overeaten. I’ve treated myself to more ice cream than I need. Do I need ice cream? Probably not. My boys love vanilla ice cream and it’s been too easy to say, Yes, I’ll have some too.

Jesus’ words are so helpful. They give me power to say, No! but it’s His power, not mine. His model prayer shows how much we need to seek God’s help … “and lead us not into temptation….”

Long story short, I’ve been following Jesus' advise … the temptation is fading … and so are my love-handles!


Father, thank You for Jesus and His words of wisdom for us. Help me to apply these and grow … spiritually, Lord, spiritually! Amen.