Mike Fisk & Built with Grace

I Hate Change

June 13, 2012 in Uncategorized | Tags: anger, change, family status, fear of change, God, Jesus Christ, Malachi 3:6, relationships, technology changes | 2 comments

“I the Lord do not change. So you, the descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed. Malachi 3:6 (NIV)

I’ll admit it right from the start. I hate change. Always have and most likely, no matter how hard I may try, I always will. Maybe hate is too strong a word, but I miss gas prices at 25 cents a gallon. I miss movies that made you laugh, not blush. I miss music you could understand the words to…okay, I guess my parents said they couldn’t understand the words to my music either now that I think about it.

Change is inevitable in our lives and seems to come faster and faster every year. For example, it’s impossible to keep up with technology. I don’t feel that old but I remember when telephones had one use only…talking to people. Now you can fry an egg with them! I remember when the only way to change the channels on the television was to actually have to get off the couch, walk ALL THE WAY across the room, and turn the dial. In my rural area that also may involve moving the rabbit ears (you who are younger than 30 may not understand that statement. Google it!)

I also am not a fan of change because of what I see it do in our society. Families were a source of stability and commitment when I was growing up. Now the definition of family has changed and most of them are anything but stable. Kids are forced to grow up much faster than they used to and endure much more pressure than in the past.

Most times change comes into our lives because of failure. The thing that changes either changes for the better or the worse, either way, it’s not the same as it used to be. Sometimes the change is forced upon us. Other times it comes willingly, or even at our hands. Some changes are reversible, some aren’t. But once change happens, the thing changed is never ever the same.

In a world of inevitable change, is there anything that stays constant? Anything you can count on to be consistent every time you try it? Thankfully, the answer is yes! God never changes. You can count on him to react to you the same way every time. Human relationships will fail or fade. Technology will continue to change. Health and environmental concerns will continue to perplex us. But God will never ever change.

The real beauty of God’s unchanging character is that even though he never changes, he never becomes outdated. No matter how much other things change, he’s always just what you need. He’s been perfect in the past, he’s perfect now and he’ll be perfect when you need him tomorrow! And that’s something you can count on!

PRAYER: Father God, I thank you for the promise I have that I can always count on you. I see the things going on around me and get confused, scared or frustrated. It’s so comforting to know I can always rely on you to be just what I need. I praise you! Amen.

You Want Me to do What?

June 12, 2012 in Uncategorized | Tags: change as a lifestyle, following Jesus, grace, Jesus Christ, Luke 5:5, See God do amazing things, trust, working outside the box | 2 comments

“Master,” Simon answered, “we have worked hard all night long and have not caught a thing. But if you tell me to, I will let the nets down.” Luke 5:5 (CEV)

He was an expert in his field. He knew the lake, he knew the seasons, he knew the patterns of the fish and the moon. He was a fisherman. Some of us fish for hobby and some are successful at it. Peter was a professional fisherman. His very livelihood depended on his ability to catch fish.

Because so much depended on his ability to catch fish, having an entire night without a single catch must have been very demoralizing for Peter and his crew. They had bills to pay. They had a family to feed. They had a reputation to uphold. A night without fish for Peter was like a business owner without a single customer entering the business on a given day.

I’ve never fished with nets before but I can imagine that cleaning them was no fun. Cleaning nets after a whole night of catching nothing must have been even more unpleasant. All that work for nothing! It’s no wonder that Peter was a bit hesitant to drop those nets back into the water. It wasn’t the right time or place for a catch. They’d just spent all night fishing and caught nothing. They were tired, perhaps hungry and that male ‘conquering spirit’ had been wounded by the lack of success.

On top of all that, Jesus was a carpenter by trade. What do carpenters know about fishing? Most people in Peter’s position would probably be thinking, “I wouldn’t waltz into his carpenter shop and tell him how to adjust that table or form that yoke for the Oxen. Who does he think he is?”

Peter didn’t do that though. He followed the request of this carpenter turned teacher turned fishing expert. He went against all he knew professionally to follow Jesus’ command. The result amazed him and his crew. So many fish were caught that day that there was concern that the fish would break the nets. And, as mentioned earlier, fish meant cash!

When you follow Jesus you have to be willing to step outside of common knowledge and your comfort zone. Jesus works best through us when we work outside the box. Everything he asked Peter to do was against common knowledge, but Peter was blessed mightily for his faith.

What steps might Jesus be asking you to do in your home, workplace or church? Are you basing your actions on human understanding or divine leadership? The outcome depends on your decision. Act outside the box and see what Jesus can do for you.

PRAYER: Lord, so much of my thought processes revolve around what I know and not what you can do through me. Give me the courage to think outside the box so you can do amazing things through me. Amen.

I am Not Ashamed

June 10, 2012 in Uncategorized | Tags: Faith in Christ, faith in the workplace, Jesus Christ, persecuted for my faith, Psalm 22:7-8, ridiculed for being a Christian, taking a stand for faith | 1 comment

Everyone who sees me makes fun and sneers. They shake their heads, and say, “Trust the Lord! If you are his favorite, let him protect you and keep you safe.” Psalm 22:7-8 (CEV)

It’s a small thing, something I decided to do on a whim of sorts and thought little about it until one day a few weeks ago as my daughter looked over my shoulder at an email I was writing.

The auto signature on my email account has a motto, a statement of my philosophy. It reads, “ENLISTED by His Grace; FORGIVEN by His Blood; EMPOWERED by His Spirit; SUSTAINED by His Resurrection,” and is accompanied by the Built with Grace Logo.

She pointed to that and asked me, does everyone you send an email to get that? I assured her they did. She simply nodded her head and went changed the subject.

I thought about that situation later and about how I’d never realized that ‘everyone would see’ this testimony of my faith with every email. Those who know me probably think nothing of it since they know my faith is important to me. Others may look at it and think I’m some religious fanatic. There may be many, unfortunately, who don’t have a clue as to what it means.

That little incident got me thinking about how many things we do, or don’t do regarding our faith out of fear or uneasiness at the reaction of others. It pleases me when I’m at a restaurant and I see a group at a table thanking God for their food. They aren’t making some statement to the world that they are better than anyone else (at least I hope not), but they are refusing to change their convictions and behavior because of others.

Here in theUnited States of Americawe are blessed with the freedom to openly express our faith in Jesus Christ. I fear for some of my brothers and sisters in Christ who risk their lives if they are caught even mentioning the name of Jesus. I fear the day may be approaching in which we may need to be cautious of our profession of faith.

The Psalmist tells of those who mock and jeer him for his faith. The original language implies that these are words of sarcasm and harassment. They are meant to ridicule, not encourage.

In response to the attacks, the Psalmist reaffirms his faith in God. Like the Apostle Paul states in Romans 1:16, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. (NKJV)”

That doesn’t mean I’ll drop a dump truck load of Christianity on everyone I meet. It does mean that I will refuse to change my words or my actions for others. My faith in Christ isn’t an ‘add-on’. It’s a part of my DNA. Sure, I’ll fail from time to time, but my goal is to show the love of Jesus in everything I do regardless of the smirks, the condescending smiles or outright harassment for my beliefs. It’s the least I can do for my Jesus.

How about you? What changes do you make in your behavior or words because of the crowd you are with? Do you stop and say thanks at a business luncheon? Do you live one way with the church crowd and another in the workplace? Be willing to risk the mocking of this world for the sake of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus Christ. I am not ashamed of my faith in you. I thank you for all you have done for me. Show me on a daily basis areas of my life in which I unintentionally change my behavior in ways that may hide my passionate love for you and others. Amen.

Why Did You Leave Me God?

June 9, 2012 in Uncategorized | Tags: ashamed, athiests, guilty, Losing the God feeling, Psalms 22:1, separation from God, sin, Where is God? | 6 comments

My God, my God, why have you deserted me? Why are you so far away? Won’t you listen to my groans and come to my rescue? Psalms 22:1 (CEV)

There’s an old saying that ‘when a plane is going down, there are no atheists’. When death stares us in the face; when the crisis seems too big to bear; when we feel completely alone, abandoned and helpless, our thoughts turn to God, or at least to some supreme, higher power.

The words of Psalm 22 are referred to as a ‘Messianic Psalm’. This means that the words of the Psalmist, words written hundreds of years before Christ was born, look forward to his coming and to his suffering in our behalf.

While this is true, it’s important that we remember the original context of the words. This was a Psalm of confession. This was a Psalm of honesty and desperation. After all, where is God in our deepest need? It’s easy to find him when things go well. It’s easy to sense his presence when the bills are paid, our children’s grades are good and the report from the doctor is positive. But where is he when none of those things apply? Even in the midst of his despair the Psalmist acknowledged his faith in God. Even during the darkest night he reaffirmed his confidence that God would see him through.

At times God seems distant and unconcerned about our plight here on earth, but that is not true. He loves us and as any loving father desperately wants a love relationship with us. There are times however when his distance is not because he has moved but because we have moved away from him. Sin is the primary culprit when we feel God’s distance.

While Jesus had no sin in him these words were some of the final words Jesus spoke from the cross. During those final hours he addresses his father as ‘My God’. There is no other place that I can think of in scripture where Jesus addresses God as ‘My God’. Everywhere else he talks about ‘His Father’. But when sin enters the picture (not his but mine) the intimate phrase of ‘Father’ is replaced by the term ‘My God.’

It was sin that kept the fathers back turned to his own son. Not because of his lack of love but because his holiness doesn’t allow him to look on sin.

It was sin caused the feelings of utter despair and separation within the very soul of the savior. Sin drives a wedge in the relationship. Sin replaces our feelings of love with fear and emptiness, just as it did with Adam and Eve in the garden.

Sin does the same thing today. Sin, but whatever name we call it can not be a part of a healthy, secure relationship with the living God. While sin separates us from God, it doesn’t have to be that way. The feelings of separation Jesus felt in his dying moments paved the way to a deeper relationship with God.

Jesus felt the separation sin caused because he knew the Father and he knew when the Father’s presence was missing. You may remember a time in your life when God seemed real, but time and circumstances have taken that from you. There’s still hope. God hasn’t forsaken you. Sin may have clouded your vision of him. Forgiveness is still there for you. The relationship can be restored. And it’s all because of Jesus.

PRAYER: God, I remember a time in my life when you were real to me. I felt your power. I knew your presence. Like the little boy in ‘The Polar Express’, I heard the bells. But today I feel distant from you. Examine my heart. Show me where I’ve sinned. Forgive me now and restore our relationship through Jesus Christ. Amen.

Evangelize, not Antagonize

June 8, 2012 in Uncategorized | Tags: acceptance, antagonists, Galatians 5:26, grace, irritating people, Jesus Christ, living in peace, right to be wrong | 1 comment

We must not be proud or irritate one another or be jealous of one another. Galatians 5:26 (GNT)

I have a friend who seems to find great fulfillment in annoying people. He’d never admit it, of course, but it’s almost as if he considers irritating others a spiritual gift of some sort! He would often boast to me about how he cornered people who had differing views politically, theologically or socially. He was a well-versed and well-studied man in both the scriptures and the political scene so his arguments were hard to dispute and his persistence was relentless.

While I agreed with many of his arguments, his tactics bothered me. There was one time in which he actually boasted to me about how he’d offended the people in a particular political party booth. Not surprisingly, my friend had few close friends although he was well known in many circles.

When Paul is writing to the Galatians he is writing to a group of people who were well-versed in doctrine. However, they had taken their knowledge and used it as a platform to let everyone know how ‘right they were’ and had no patience or time for anyone who differed with them theologically or doctrinally. His message to the believers is to refrain from using their knowledge of scripture as a tool to irritate and antagonize those who believed and lived differently than they did.

The key to peace with God is relationship, a relationship built on Jesus Christ. The key to peace with ourselves is confidence in and acceptance of who we are, or, again relationship with ourselves. The key to peace with others is, you guessed it, relationship. To have a strong relationship with others means we are more intent on building peace than arguments.

When we are honest with ourselves we have to admit that most of the conflict we have with other people is the result of our trying to be ‘better’ than someone else either in what we believe or what we do. Jesus, as creator God never used his superior knowledge to antagonize those who needed forgiveness. In the same way, we are called to spread the good news, not adversity. As believers in Jesus Christ we are commissioned to build up not tear down. To live in peace and unity, not antagonize.

Paul admonishes us to ‘live at peace with others when at all possible.’ Don’t be the reason for the strife in your relationships. Hold others in higher esteem than you hold yourself. Living at peace with yourself is the first step to living at peace with others.

There is no place in the Christian life for us to ridicule others, or mock them for their beliefs. People have a right to be wrong and to be valued in spite of their beliefs. We don’t need to agree with others to live at peace with them.

PRAYER: Lord I thank you for who I am. Forgive me for those times when I compare myself and what I have to others. Empower me to live at peace with myself and what you have given me so that I can live at peace with those around me. Amen.