The Phil Files

What a week! Or maybe I should say, “What a weak!”

The latter more reflects the reality. When there is more challenge, more ministry, more need, and just plain ol’ more of more, in a collection of seven days, I am much more reminded of my weakness more than I think of it being just another week. Yet somehow, grace sustains me, God uses me, and people are blessed by my feeble efforts.

I fully admit, this does not make sense. Stellar accomplishments, a great week of work, clicking off the to do list items, making a great presentation, and other things I might “pull off” well could lead me to celebrate my sufficiency. But, it has not been that kind of week. Instead, it has been full of hurt, crisis, frustration, risk, conversation, failure, flawed efforts, grief, battling for life, unexpected awful surprises, wrestling with memories, and a deepening sense of insufficiency. So, at what point does it become perfectly clear that the challenge is beyond my ability to pull off?

The apostle Paul puts it this way:

But he [God] said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me (2 Corinthians 12:9 tniv).

In our “Time in the Word” at Southern Hills, our focus is Colossians. So I came in after a day of ministry — with all its opportunities and reminders of insufficiency — and began to read Colossians … again … looking for some clear word of God to refresh me and help satisfy my spirit. Do you know what struck me?

In this vital letter to help this church stay on track, Paul repeatedly — even nonchalantly — speaks about God being the one who does the “heavy lifting” in the life of His people. Look at some of these key thoughts:

God called Paul to be an apostle: it was His will and commission of Paul (1:1, 25).

God can fill them with the knowledge and wisdom they need to be fruitful and live out His will (1:9-10).

God can strengthen them with endurance and patience (1:11).

God has qualified, redeem, and forgiven His people through Jesus (1:12-14).

God, in Jesus, created everything — seen and unseen — and reconciled them back to Himself (1:15-20.

God empowers Paul to proclaim Jesus and help bring people to maturity in Christ (1:28-29).

There are definite moments when I wonder, “God, who is sufficient for this? How can my feeble words be a blessing? How can my weak efforts make a difference in the face of so much hurt?”

And in those moments, God reminds me that no one is sufficient, but the Father has chosen to work with broken, simple, earthen vessels so that the power and the blessing are clearly not my own, but come from Him (2 Corinthians 4:5-10).

I have been corresponding with a person who said, “I know I have a God-shaped hole in me. But how do I fill it?”

There is no 1, 2, 3 prescription for this. However, a seeking heart is where we must begin. Here are a few brief words I shared about this journey.

There are a couple of familiar passages you may remember. In the beattitudes, Jesus said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness’ sake.” (Matthew 5:6) This is another way of saying you hunger for God — His presence, His character, and His compassion. A little later, he promises that, “For everyone who asks receives; those who seek find; and to those who knock, the door will be opened.” (Matthew 7:7-8).

So what I am going to encourage you to do is to read the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John). If you want to read something else for this search, also read the Psalms and find those that really speak your heart’s cry to God. And pray that God will show himself to you in your daily life. Be open and honest with Him about you hunger for Him.

In Matthew, there are four primary ways given for us to experience God through Jesus in our lives.

1. In the life of Jesus — that’s why I want you to read the Gospels over and over in modern translations that use today’s language (see Matthew 1:23).
2. In the fellowship of authentic Christian community where care and forgiveness are practiced (Matthew 18:20 really verse 12-35).
3. In caring for those in need, especially those who are believers (Matthew 25:31-45; cf. Galatians 6:10).
4. In crossing cultural barriers to walk alongside someone to help them grow in their likeness to Christ (Matthew 28:18-20).

But the key in all of this is a seeking, hungry heart that knows that it has a “God shaped hole”!

Please keep me informed from time to time about how your journey goes and I will pray that God brings several other seekers alongside you to share your journey.

Grace,
Phil

I don’t know about you, but my world is a little wild, crazy, and filled with ragged edges. It’s a Ketchup Friday — not the condiment, I’m just trying to catch up on everything — and we are trying to make sure Mothers’ Day comes off in a way that honors our mothers, plus I want Donna (my wife) properly honored, too!

I have often wondered if I was going to be able to hold it together during times of stress. For me, I began to unravel about Tuesday. By Thursday, my body was sending pretty strong signals I had ignored the basics of rest and exercise and had violated the max caffeine limit. I had spent too much time being busy and not enough time being still, yielded, and in touch with Jesus.

As so often happens when I have a “come to Jesus” meeting with Jesus, He shows me my mis-deeds and mis-judgments, affirms His love for me, and sends me a clear a message. That’s when a special email from a friend reminded me of a truth I have known for years and an illustration of this truth that heard months previous: Jesus is what holds it all together. While Colossians a great letter to read to get a biblical sense of what this means, the YouTube video you find here helps illustrate it magnificently! (The video really is worth the time!)

So … move beyond the physical laminin to the spiritual one … and remind me to do it, too. Otherwise, we’re all going to come unglued!

“I’m not a gooseball!” I died laughing.

That’s what one of the sextuplets said as his dad, John, joked with him about having his shoes on the wrong feet. But to understand, I need to tell you something.

But before my confession, I need re-assert my masculine side. So … I love sports, played quite a few, and even went to college on an athletics scholarship — well, kinda an athletics scholarship, it was golf. On a recent trip to DFW, I took my daughter with me to what she calls, “A Man Mall” — Bass Proshop and other manly destinations which she describes more delightfully in her blog. In addition, I am a bow hunter — please, before animals lovers get mad, let me remind you of two things: 1) I eat what I shoot, and 2) they call it hunting and not killing because mostly you sit and admire the scenery. So even though I’m over the hill and balding, I am still a full blooded, testosterone carrying, male. Whew, my identity was a bit confused for a minute, glad I got that out of my system.

So here’s my confession … (dramatic pause) … one of very favorite TV shows ever is called, Jon & Kate + 8. While the TV plays down their faith, it runs through every program and you can see the Scripture memory verses in the background. They have twins and sextuplets, yet manage it remarkably. While neither of the parents are perfect, I think I would have had many more moments I wouldn’t want shown on TV as a dad and husband than Jon and Kate have, and we only have two children. How they do it is remarkable — and in part thanks to a wonderful family and some cool friends that help them.

Part of my attraction is that as the preacher guy for a pretty big church and also president of Heartlight.org my life is filled with stress and chaos. So I guess I enjoy watching someone else try manage absolute chaos — something I would compare to juggling warm Jello®. Yet I have to admit that a big part of my interest in the show is just plain admiration. John and Kate know their 8 children, call them by name, know their children’s toys and clothes and comfort toys, do the same kinds of things with their children most families do, and still manage to joke with each other about it. Yes, they do have bad moments, but all in all, they are incredible. And they do it all in front of a camera.

In the end, however, I am reminded every week that each child — Jon and Kate’s, yours, mine, and everybody else’s — is a distinct creation of God. Filled with personality, needs, wants, talents, interests, purpose and unique flashes of God’s image (Psalms 139:13-16 NLT).

Our family prays for this family and these parents and these children that their lives don’t lose touch with our Abba Father, the Creator and Sustainer of us all. John and Kate, the Warehouse gang loves you guys and you have never met us. Don’t let the camera mess it all up for you and don’t lose sight of how precious each of you are to each other and your kids! So until next Monday night, God bless. And stay off those “hair panes”!

Oh yeah, and did I mention I went to a NASCAR race earlier this year? (Just didn’t want that manliness to get lost in the sentimentality!)

P.S. — Be sure and look at their videos!

I have a message from God in my heart
      concerning the sinfulness of the wicked:
   There is no fear of God
      before their eyes.

   In their own eyes they flatter themselves
      too much to detect or hate their sin.
   The words of their mouths are wicked and deceitful;
      they have ceased to be wise and to do good.
   Even on their beds they plot evil;
      they commit themselves to a sinful course
      and do not reject what is wrong.

   Your love, LORD, reaches to the heavens,
      your faithfulness to the skies.
   Your righteousness is like the highest mountains,
      your justice like the great deep.
      You, LORD, preserve both people and animals.
   How priceless is your unfailing love, O God!
   People take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
   They feast on the abundance of your house;
      you give them drink from your river of delights.
   For with you is the fountain of life;
      in your light we see light.

   Continue your love to those who know you,
      your righteousness to the upright in heart.
   May the foot of the proud not come against me,
      nor the hand of the wicked drive me away.
   See how the evildoers lie fallen —
      thrown down, not able to rise!

\o/ — Comments Psalm 35: Continue your love to those who know you! — \o/

We could call this psalm the collision of two ways.

One way, the first way emphasized, is the way of the wicked. They continually do evil and plot to do more. Their way is wicked, vile, and arrogant. It is everything that God is not and love everything that God detests. The psalmist recognizes the truth about those who are wicked!

The other way, the way emphasized second, is the way of the LORD. Notice how God’s way is described: love, faithfulness, righteousness, and justice. Those who are the LORD’s people are blessed by these qualities of God and find delight in His presence — the light of God.

So what am I to make of this? How does this psalm intersect my life? I join the psalmist plea for God to be God. I also pledge to align my heart and my life with His character. Rather than being deceived by the temporary “success” of those who are evil, I remember the long faithfulness of God. Rather than being “co-opted” by the evil and deceptive shortcut ways of those who are false, I choose to trust that God will act in behalf of His people. I trust to see the defeat of the wicked even before the first steps of their defeat are visible, for I know that the LORD, and those who honor Him, will ultimately triumph.

I will exalt you, LORD,
    for you lifted me out of the depths
    and did not let my enemies gloat over me.
  LORD my God, I called to you for help,
    and you healed me.
  You, LORD, brought me up from the realm of the dead;
    you spared me from going down to the pit.

  Sing the praises of the LORD, you his faithful people;
    praise his holy name.
  For his anger lasts only a moment,
    but his favor lasts a lifetime;
  weeping may remain for a night,
    but rejoicing comes in the morning.

  When I felt secure, I said,
  “I will never be shaken.”
  LORD, when you favored me,
    you made my royal mountain stand firm;
  but when you hid your face,
    I was dismayed.

  To you, LORD, I called;
    to the Lord I cried for mercy:
  “What is gained if I am silenced,
    if I go down to the pit?
  Will the dust praise you?
    Will it proclaim your faithfulness?
  Hear, LORD, and be merciful to me;
  LORD, be my help.”

  You turned my wailing into dancing;
    you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,
  that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent.
  LORD my God, I will praise you forever.

\o/ — Comments Psalm 30: You removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy! — \o/

What is the basis of my happiness?
What is the basis of my esteem?
What is the basis of my health?
What is the basis of my security?

I am reminded as I read Psalm 30 that all of life is dependent upon my walk with the LORD and His presence and grace in my daily routines. His attentive care can turn the most desperate situation into a time of joy and dancing. His intervention in my life can turn sickness into health, defeat into victory, despair into confidence.

This realization challenges me to “hang in there” during times that are difficult knowing that they will pass and that the LORD will lead me to a better place. This realization reminds me to go to the Father in prayer with my every care and trust Him with my deepest concerns and most most obvious failures. Most of all, this realization drives me to praise God and celebrate His goodness, His involvement, His grace, His listening ear, His mercy, and His love for mere mortals like me. With the psalmist, I cry out with confidence:

You removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,
    that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent.
LORD my God, I will praise you forever.

I don’t know what it’s like for you where you are today, but as I look at this psalm again, with spring bursting forth and the promise of all of God’s goodness for a new day, I am reminded of a Chris Tomlin song we sang recently when gathered with God’s people. It goes somethings like this:

I will lift my eyes
In the darkest night
For I know my Savior lives
And I will walk with You
Knowing You see me through
And sing the songs You give

How can I keep from singing Your praise?
How can I ever say enough?
How amazing is Your love?

How can I keep from shouting Your name?
I know I am loved by the King
And it makes my heart want to sing

No wonder we can talk about a God who has turned our mourning into dancing!