first things first…

let me tell you what a schemer needs to hear, what you and i need to hear when we get our schemes going.  the message is, GOD comes and as clear as day says, “I can meet your needs.  I’m going to use your energy in doing it but I’m going to do it.  I can meet your needs.” 

and HE shows jacop in genesis 28.10-15 the picture of a ladder to express to him how HE can meet those needs of his life.  the angels are going up and down on this ladder.  going up taking prayers from earth to heaven.  but also coming down bringing blessings from heaven back down.  

in john 1.51 (msg), JESUS makes a very interesting comment about this dream – just a little aside – to one of HIS disciples.  he said, before this is over you’re going to see heaven open and GOD’s angels descending to the SON OF MAN and ascending again.   JESUS is the SON OF MAN.  so what is HE saying?  jacob’s ladder – that pipeline, that way between heaven and earth – that ladder is ME, JESUS CHRIST. 

JESUS CHRIST is the way i get my prayers up to GOD.  JESUS CHRIST is the way GOD has brought HIS blessings onto this earth.  the old testament is filled with pictures of JESUS CHRIST and GOD’s ladder that HE showed to jacob is one of those pictures. 

so he has this powerful experience with GOD, this assurance is flooded into his life.  but look at how he responds.  he responds like a schemer.  many times if you’ve got this thing of doing your own angles in life, the first time we hear GOD’s assurance, our response is a little off kilter. 

so jacob says to GOD, genesis 28.16 (msg), GOD is in this place—truly. and i didn't even know it!... this is GOD’s house. this is the gate of heaven.

notice:  he’s met GOD but what is he really impressed with?  the place.  it’s like, “i was lucky here!  if i had slept two miles down the road i would have missed it!  but i just happened to sleep in the right place.  i got the right rock.  there’s something about this!  [it’s the genie in the bottle thing.]  GOD was here.  how lucky i am.” 

he goes on and says this in verse 20a (msg), if GOD stands by me.  GOD had just said in verse 15. (msg).  I’ll stick with you until I’ve done everything i promised you, then a few verses later there’s jacob, the schemer, saying, verse 20 (msg), if GOD stands by me and protects me on this journey on which i’m setting out, keeps me in food and clothing, and brings me back in one piece to my father’s house, this GOD will be my GOD.

and what do you think GOD thought of that?  listen.  HE wasn’t impressed!  HE wants us to make HIM our GOD and recognize that HE’s with us.  JESUS said it this way, seek first GOD’s kingdom and GOD’s righteousness and then all these things [like food and clothing] will be added to you.  first things first.

just a thought from the front porch…

confusion on being honest...

now there is some confusion on being honest. remember in your words you must balance truth and love. it takes both. you speak it in love.

there are some people who use truth like a missile. they don’t tell you the truth. they aim it at you. we’ve all discovered that. that’s not what we are talking about.

there are other people who are just thoughtless. that can also hurt people. they’re just thoughtless with what they say. they say things like, “you do well for your age.” or “i can’t believe you did such a good job!” was that a compliment?

as i look at myself, it’s a lot easier many times for me to be nice than for me to be honest. yet as you study how JESUS spoke to people, HE wasn’t always nice. HE talked to a group of guys called the pharisees, religious leaders, and one day, HE said, “you guys are hurting people with what you’re saying. you’re a bunch of snakes and hypocrites.”

now that wasn't nice for JESUS to say that but that’s what HE said.

HE talked to a friend of HIS one day, simon peter, and said, “get behind me, satan!” HE said that to a friend of HIS. it wasn’t nice but it was the honest thing for what was happening at that moment. JESUS also had the power to encourage people with HIS honesty. HE did both.

the truth is, i have to decide and you have to decide: do i want to impress people or impact people? do i want to impress them with, he’s a nice guy! she’s a nice girl! or do i want to impact people with honesty, the life changing kind of honesty?

this is especially true with our kids. it’s true in our jobs. tom peters has said that the traits of a ceo who leads a corporate revolution is that he’s a straight shooter. he’s got a flat out attachment to the truth.

now i know that sometimes speaking the truth and being honest, we're not being honest but we’re really being hurtful. what’s happening is we’re verbally abusing the people that are around us. don’t excuse being honest with being mean. these words that can so much heal people can also hurt people.

remember ephesians 4.15 (niv) tells us how that honesty is balanced in our lives. speaking the truth in love. you balance truth and love. it takes both. you speak it in love. that what JESUS did.

just a thought from the front porch…