we’re not all alone…

refocus on GOD’s closeness.  the problem is, when we go through trials and crises, we tend to think we’re all alone, but we’re not.  we, like the disciples, tend to forget who is with us.  so we need to remind ourselves, first of all in a crisis, what the bible says in isaiah 43.1-2 (niv),  fear not, for I have redeemed you. I have called you by name; you are mine.  when you pass through the waters I will be with you and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.  HE’s saying, “I’m with you.” 

no matter what situation you go through, GOD is with you. you never go through a crisis by yourself.  so the first thing you do is say, “i’m not by myself here.  GOD is with me, and if GOD is with me, what in the world am i worried about?  if GOD is near, there is no fear.”  GOD says, “I will never leave you, I will never forsake you, I’m with you always.”  the bible says “nothing can separate us from the love of GOD.”

the point i want to make here is that it doesn’t matter if my boat is rocking in a storm, if JESUS is in it.  i look, i remember, i refocus on GOD’s closeness.  HE is with me.

just a thought from the front porch…

how to face an unexpected crisis…

we have been looking here about some facts about crisis now let’s look at how to face an unexpected crisis.

first of all we need to refocus on GOD’s closeness.  when you’re going through a crisis, in order to not be afraid, you stop and you get your eyes off the problem and onto GOD.

matthew 8.23 (niv),  then JESUS got into the boat and HIS disciples followed HIM.

when the disciples were in the middle of the storm, who was in the boat with them?  JESUS.  if you were in a boat and GOD was in the boat with you, would you be afraid?  no.  they forgot who was there.  they forgot that GOD was in the boat.

i read a story the other day.  charles colson who we lost this past year, was saying that during the nixon administration, he and henry kissinger and richard nixon were in air force one flying somewhere.  they got in a violent storm.  the plane was rocking back and forth.  and kissinger looked over to colson, pointing at nixon and said, “i feel a whole lot better because he’s on the plane.”  that was a false sense of security!  especially during watergate.  that did not guarantee anything.  nixon was not god.  he was not invincible – watergate proved that.  if the plane had gone done, what could nixon do about it?  zip! 

now if kissinger had looked over and saw GOD setting there, then he had a legitimate reason to not be afraid.  there would be no reason to worry.

steve brown is a pastor in florida of the key biscayne presbyterian church and steve hates to fly.  he says he especially hates to fly in the big jumbo jets because you don’t see anything that’s going on.  “you can't see the pilot or the cockpit or anything.  all you see are the stewardesses saying, ‘calm down. don’t worry.’  they don't know anything.  i want to talk to the guy who’s in control.  i actually prefer the little planes over the big ones.  i like the single engine planes.  you’re only one seat from the pilot.  i actually feel more comfortable in little planes because i sit there and watch the pilot, especifically his upper lip.  if no beads of perspiration are there, i know he’s ok.  and if he’s ok, i’m ok.”

that is a perfect illustration of keeping your eyes on the LORD.  HE’s the pilot in life.  if HE’s sleeping in the boat, i don’t have to worry.  if HE’s in my boat and HE’s not concerned, i’m not concerned.

just a thought from the front porch…

the fourth antidote to loneliness…

you minimize, you utilize, you recognize and then you emphasize, you emphasize others’ needs.  that’s the fourth antidote to loneliness.  focus outward, on other people.  get your eyes off yourself.  quit having a pity party.  look at other people.

first paul in 2 timothy 4.17 said, the LORD stood at my side and gave me strength so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the gentiles might hear it.  that was paul’s life goal to the end,  even when he was dying in loneliness, he wanted other people to know about JESUS.  he focused on others.  he wanted everybody to know about GOD’s love.  he wanted all to know the good news.  he stopped looking at himself and he looked at what he could do to help other people.

in other words, stop building walls and start building bridges.  when you’re lonely....  stop building walls – “i’m so lonely.  everybody hates me.  nobody loves me.  i’m going to go eat worms!”  start building bridges.

instead of complaining, instead of paul saying, “i’m so lonely. is this the way i end my thirty years of ministry?”,  paul says, “let me help others.”

so instead of saying, “i’m so lonely” you ought to say, “FATHER, help me to be a friend to people who need a friend.  help me to help lonely people.”  giving love is the antidote to loneliness. love is the antidote to loneliness.

many years ago corrie tenn boom, who wrote the book the hiding place, went through a difficult time in her life.  she was engaged to be married to a man.  the man broke off the engagement and married her best friend.  corrie was devastated.  it broke her heart!  she was lonely.  her dad said something very profound, “you’ve had a love that’s been blocked.  there are two things that you can do with a blocked love.  number one, you can dam it up inside of you and hold on to it and be miserable the rest of your life.  you can dam it up inside or you can rechannel that blocked love.  refocus it on someone else.  give it away.  help others.  give your love to those who need it.”

i think about couples who are dying to have a child and can’t for physical or other reasons.  they’d give anything to have children.  i think GOD wants to say, “rechannel that love. refocus it.  there are kids all over the world who need love, that are already here.”  rechannel a blocked love.

just a thought from the front porch…

how to get out of depression…

are you a chronic worrier?  it’s because you’re doubting the goodness of GOD.  whatever gets your attention, gets you.  whatever you resist, persists.  stop fighting it, just refocus.  turn your back on it.

how do you get out of depression?  not by looking at what you are and telling yourself what you are.  that never changes you but focus on what you want. 

this is the day that the LORD has made, i will rejoice and be glad.  it’s a choice.  i will bless the LORD at all times…HIS praise will continually be in my mouth…i can do all things through CHRIST who strengthens me.

get GOD’s word in your mind and refocus.  quit fighting the feeling.  what you resist, persists.  you can’t fight a feeling but if you ignore it, you weaken it.

listen, don’t try to argue with the devil.  he’s a lot better at it than you are.  he’s had thousands of years of experience.   when temptation calls, drop the receiver and forget it.

now when you refocus it may mean physically removing yourself from the situation.  if you don’t want to get stung, get away from the bees. 

maybe you need to change the channel on the tv.  maybe you need to walk out of that movie.  maybe you need to get out of that chat room.  maybe you need to change jobs.  maybe you need to change a car pool.

joseph was in a tempting situation and he left his coat and ran.  if you have to leave your coat, leave your coat.  walk out.  1 corinthians 15.33 (niv), bad company corrupts good character.  you know your weakness and GOD does too.  maybe you need to be redirected.

just a thought from the front porch…

off of the negative and onto the goodness…

now all of the sudden in verse 17 of chapter 1, james switches gears.  he starts talking about the goodness of GOD.  it looks like he forgot what he was talking about – at first.  verse 17 (niv), every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the FATHER of the heavenly lights who does not change like shifting shadows.

james is talking about temptation and then all of a sudden he redirects his thoughts to the goodness of GOD.  first he’s talking about something negative and then he’s talking about something positive.  he’s refocusing our attention on something else.  why? because that’s the next step in overcoming temptation.  be realistic, be responsible, be ready, be refocused.  be refocused.  be refocused.

if temptation begins with our inner thoughts then changing what we think about is the key to overcoming it.  that’s the principle of replacement, the key to overcoming temptation.  the key to overcoming temptation is not to fight temptation but simply refocus your thoughts.  change your attention.  shift your thoughts.  change your mind.  refocus.

instead of looking at what you’re being tempted by, just look somewhere else.  refocus.  philippians 4.8 (niv), think on these things, things that are good, positive, just, honest.  focus your mind on the goodness of GOD.

why?  because the more you fight the feeling the more it grabs you.  don’t focus on what you don’t want, focus on what you do want.  turn your attention, be refocused.  get your eyes off of the negative and get your eyes on the goodness of GOD. 

just a thought from the front porch…