Enough Isn't Enough

Recently I've been thinking and praying about blessings.  I fully believe that Michelle and I are going to be seeing abundant blessings from God in the next few years.  I believe that with all my heart!  It started with a challenge from a friend/mentor to do a 5-year Plan for my life.  I prayed about the plan before I started writing a word because I really didn't know where to start.  But a few hours later, when it was done, and especially in the days that followed, I remember feeling guilty.  I felt I had over asked what I should.  I KNEW I had over asked what I deserved!  So where in that plan did I over step the line at "enough?"

"Enough" is a word that we use in both a positive and negative connotation.  In the positive, we may say, "I have enough," meaning that there is nothing else I need.  in the negative, especially if angry, the use more often than not moves to the past tense, "I have had enough!"  We may raise our voices when using the word in this context trying to get the point across that we're not going to take anymore of __________ from someone else.  Still a third, actually, is at a point of resignation to pressure from others.  "Ok.  Enough.  I'll do it."  The list isn't exhaustive, but I think it's "enough" to get my point across.

To say that I've seen an outpouring of God on our lives since writing that plan on July 30, of last year would be a gross understatement!  There's no magic in the outline; no hokus-pokus in even a plan.  The fuel that drives the whole thing is an understanding of God's will/plan for my life, a surrender to that will/plan, and a sincere belief to the point of constant expectation that God will complete what He has obviously started!  And oh, what a ride it has been already!  And I'm only eight months into the plan!

So I began asking God if I was selfish.  I'd asked this question before with an unmistakable response to the negative, but I just have a hard time believing what God is up to, so I felt the unnecessary need to ask again.  It was in this questioning just last week that Michelle and I (along with another friend) started a 6 week journey of a Bible study by Priscilla Shirer on the life of Gideon in the Old Testament.  The first night of "homework" and personal study gripped me and I started to see the answer of God unfold before my very eyes.  Don't you LOVE it when God answers the cry of your heart in unmistakable ways?!?

In order to show you what I mean, I must first lead you on a very brief journey of where I've been in scripture.  Click on the following scripture reference and read Deuteronomy 7:1-2.  In this passage, God's people are on the threshold of the Promised Land!  They've been led out of Egypt by Moses.  Most recently, they've been led here by Joshua.  The words, "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord" are already in Joshua's thoughts and not far from reaching the ears of God's people.  God has said He will deliver these armies who are stronger in number and strength into the hands of His people.  All they have to do to win the battle, practically, is SHOW UP!!!  Then the land could change in name from "Promised Land" to "Delivered Land."

But what happens instead?  To find out, let's skip ahead a little ways and read it as it happened.  Click on the following links to verses from Judges 1.  I think you'll get the idea.
Judges 1:19, 21
Judges 1:27-28
Judges 1:29-32
Judges 1:33
Are you getting the picture?  Can you see the similarity in each one?  Epic FAIL!!!

Each one of these failures that Judges chapter 1 outlines cost the people of God DEARLY!!!  As a matter of fact, those very people that were not conquered, though God was going to deliver them into the hands of His people, are the ancestors of the people who give Israel a fit even to this very day.  It is why we have the tension between Israel and Palestine and battles over the Gaza Strip.  The thorn in the flesh has never gone away!  All because God promised a blessing, gave it to His people, His people saw iron chariots and higher numbered armies and decided that a little Promised Land was better than no Promised Land.  So they settled for about half.

Now in today's logic, half might make sense!  After all, we want to be kind to our fellow man.  Charity is a good thing!  Why take all even if instructed to do so by God, when half seems to be comfortable?  Half is good.  Stir crap, it stinks, right?!?  Let sleeping dogs sleep and go about your own business of enjoying some freedom!  But God saw what was to come.  He knew the hearts of those whom Israel didn't fully wipe out.  This is why in Deuteronomy, He said to "show no mercy."  He knew that in time, there would be no mercy shown for His people in return!  God is not a God that is bound by common sense or reason.  His ways and thoughts are higher than that.  He sees all of time at a glance.  That's not logical or even imaginable to the human mind!  Click on this verse and read it, 1 Corinthians 1:27.  See?  Sometimes He just likes to use the most unusable person to accomplish the most difficult of tasks.

Our enemy, the devil, fooled the people of God into thinking that "some" was better than "all."  Even though God had both promised all and commanded all.  What about those questions you wrestle with all the time?  You know what I'm talking about!  It's the things that you know God is telling you to do; leading you to do, and so you do "enough."  Christians today are all about "enough!"  What is "enough" service as a volunteer in my church?  What is "enough" time with my kids?  What is "enough" money spent on my spouse for a birthday gift?  What is "enough" to give as a tithe to my church?  How much is "enough" forgiveness for that person that hurt me?  How many good deeds is "enough" to outweigh the bad ones?  Our church building is big "enough."  I've done "enough."  I've had "enough."  Just "ENOUGH!!!"

When did "enough" become "enough" to God when it comes to blessing His people?  When He talks about blessing us, He speaks in terms of windows being poured out so that we won't have room to receive it!  He talks about cups running over!  He mentions an eternal heavenly inheritance!  He uses words like "whoever," and "whatever."  There is a promise to the seeking, asking, and knocking.  And not one time do you ever hear turn into a holy personification of the Seinfeld TV show character, The Soup Nazi, and scream at you, "No blessing for you!"  There's not a "Full" on God's gauge!  It doesn't even have an "ENOUGH" about halfway up!

What God does, Himself, is the only time we can ever say that enough has been done.  His creation was enough.  His plan was enough.  His Son, Jesus, was/is enough.  Heaven will be enough.  But then, in all of this, He gave all He had.  There was nothing more to give.

What is it that you have walked away from too soon because you saw something that scared you?  You saw the iron chariots too and they looked quite daunting!  You thought there was no way to complete the task because of the opposition.  Or there were ALL THOSE PEOPLE who said you couldn't do it, or that you shouldn't do it, and you gave up because of some form of "reality check" that you got duped into believing.  DON'T STOP!!!  DON'T QUIT!!!  The Promised Land is just that . . . PROMISED!!!  If God said it's yours, then HOLD HIM TO HIS WORD and TAKE IT!!!

But Kevin, how do I KNOW that the promise is from God?!?  Here's how I check it.  If it fails any ONE of these, I know that I'm to walk away and that I'm being deceived by the enemy.

1.  Does it go against any part of scripture in any way?  If no, you're good here.
2.  Does it bring glory to God?  If yes, you're golden on this one.
3.  Does it have the good of others at heart?  If yes, keep going.
4.  Does it fall into any area of my weaknesses to sin & temptation?  If no, good.
5.  Is any part of it born from selfish motivation?  If no, go on.
6.  Would it put God in a position to show off?  If yes, yippee!!!
7.  When I tell Jesus about it face to face, will it make Him smile?  If yes, it's a keeper!!!

I leave you with this.  Part of obedience is in realizing there are no parts to obedience!  It's all or nothing.  But so is the reward.  The fullness of our blessing depends on the completeness of our obedience.  Be blessed, my friends, as you claim His promise.

Don't forget to use the social media just below here to share to your Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ accounts directly.  I welcome your comments!  PLEASE leave one!!!  Here's how:
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THANK YOU for stopping by!  Till next time...

...and that's the way I WANT IT!!!!

I remember in the late 90's when I was serving a church in Ohio.  My Pastor there introduced me to the teachings of Dr. John C. Maxwell.  Maxwell has written numerous best-selling books on the subject of leadership, with his book The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership being one of my favorites to this very day.  Back then, Maxwell was Pastor of Skyline Wesleyan Church in San Diego, CA, and did a monthly mentoring club via cassette/CD called The Injoy Life Club, appropriately named for his company, Injoy.  This club sent leadership lessons to church leaders each month along with lesson notes for you to fill in the blanks.

In one of these lessons, John stated that he had not originally planned on being a pastor, but instead had a degree in counseling.  His story goes that he was so excited to be able to help those in need of hope, that he went into his first few counseling sessions with great enthusiasm!  But when they would report back to him the next week for the next session and he asked them how things were going, the response was mostly that things were going the same as they had been the week before!  Didn't he give good advice?  Of course, he did!  Sound and Biblical advice.  Was there follow-up?  Yes.  So you what was the issue?!?  The same one that exists today.  Those people didn't WANT to change!  They either loved the drama, or wanted the magic pill that made everything better with one single dose!

You know the people I'm talking about!  They're the people who always find themselves in the middle of some kind of situation.  They're mad at someone or someone else is mad at them.  They've been done wrong by a friend (usually former friend) or someone is causing a crisis type dilemma.  One thing is for certain, it is almost NEVER their fault!!!  Always quick to point out the faults in others while ignoring their own, they normally have some level of delusion of grandeur that has blinded them to the real truth of the circumstance.  I was counted among these people!  But thank God, I've been DELIVERED!!! :-)  Seriously, about five minutes of conversation and the negativity starts to boil out, IF it takes that long!  So you get the picture.  Maybe you got a better picture when you looked in the mirror!  Just sayin'.

So how do we overcome this?

1.  Speak Biblical truth.  This is where 99% of us will do EXACTLY...nothing.  We will be the ones about whom Dr. Maxwell remembered.  We may say that we're going to do it, but then it drops from the priority list quicker than last year's New Year Resolutions!  But you have GOT to start speaking OUT LOUD the things you WANT to be, not the things you think you ARE!  The Bible tells us who we are in Christ.  You've heard me talk about how I say some Biblical truth each day that is taken straight from scripture.  They are taped to my bathroom mirror at home so I see them every day to remind me.  If you would like a copy, click here and you will be directed to my blog where I listed them.  Print them off!  Use them!

2. Speak practical truth.  My pastor, Danny Chambers, recently spoke of a speaker he heard once who challenged the audience to put the phrase "and that's the way I WANT it!" right after everything they would say about themselves.  It teaches you to pay attention to the way you speak!

     "I'm sick...and that's the way I want it!"

              "I had a bad day at work...and that's the way I want it!"

                                 "I didn't get that contract at work...and that's the way I want it!"

If we start speaking the way God speaks about us and sings over us, we would start to see changes in our lives!  I HAVE!!!  Ask anyone that knows me and is close to me right now!  There is POWER in words!!!!

3.  Expect goodness.  But when trouble comes, recognize it for what it is.  Read by clicking here what scripture says in John 16:33.  That's not an option.  We should EXPECT goodness, but recognize trouble as just an attack to distract or discourage us.  Your biggest breakthroughs are often preceded by your biggest breakdowns.  Pastor Danny says, "The size of your challenge is usually an indication of the size of your future!"

4.  Worship in your pain.  David did.  Click here.  David had just had to pretend to be insane and Abimilech had sent him away.  And he starts exalting the name of Christ.  Worship does two things in our pain.  First, it takes the focus OFF of our pain and puts it ON Christ.  When we focus on other things, we can't focus on present trials.  And second, it creates an attitude of hopeful expectation for God to step in and work.  These are the ways He responds best!!!  Write this down: "What you magnify will mess you up or lift you up!"  Are you magnifying Christ, or do your words magnify your problem?

Most people win or lose their battles on the battlefield that's between their ears - their minds.  What you entertain there will manifest into speech.  What you speak manifests into your life and who you are.  BE CAREFUL!  BE WISE!!!

I could go on and on here with what God has taught me.  But this is enough for now.  I have a feeling you may need to start practicing putting "and I want it that way" after everything you say about yourself.  Know that I'm praying for you as you get this and read it and hopefully start applying it.

Don't forget to use the social media just below here to share to your Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ accounts directly.  I welcome your comments!  PLEASE leave one!!!  Here's how:
1.  Click on the words "No Comment" or " (#) Comment" (whichever is listed just to the right of the posting time directly below this paragraph)
2.  Write your comment in the box provided.
3.  You must also choose a selection from the COMMENT AS drop down list.  If you have a Google+ ID, AIM, or other you wish to use, choose that.  If not, simply choose NAME/URL and leave your name in the space provided.  You do NOT need to leave a URL unless you wish.
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THANK YOU for stopping by!  Till next time...

Through

"The best way out is always through."

                                 - Robert Frost

Ever felt stuck? It may be that you're stuck in a job you don't want or like; maybe you're a teenager and you feel stuck because you're ready to test your wings a little, but it's not yet time; maybe you feel stuck in a relationship or marriage; maybe it rained yesterday and you decided to drive in the yard and now you're LITERALLY stuck!!! Wherever you find yourself, whatever you're stuck in, try as you might to find another way, you can't find another way... except... through. 

Let's take just a moment to read some scripture:

But now, this is what the Lord says— he who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, Israel: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned 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. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. (Isaiah 43:1, 2 NIV)

These verses let us know that being stuck is not an if, it's a when! Note what the scripture says again: "When you pass through the waters," "when you pass through the rivers," "when you walk through the fire." This passage also gives you the way out in each one: "When you pass through the waters," "when pass through the rivers," "when you walk through the fire." Scripture says much more about what we go through or find ourselves in, that what we go around. And even then, most of the time, an around journey often involved wandering, indecision, and disobedience. God's not in to wasting our time or His. The shortest distance between two points is still a straight line! And, for us, that means... through. 

So, yes. Hard times will certainly come. Uncertainty will mark days and even seasons of our lives. We will question. We will seek. We will dream of easier times when moments of rest will fuel our toil more efficiently.

But, just as certain as the water, the river, and the fire, so is through. The water, river, and fire are not destinations, they are but passing moments. And what awaits us on the other side is what God, our Heavenly Father, is dreaming up for us! And His ways and thoughts for us are SO much higher than our own for ourselves. And He has promised that even in times of trouble, He will never leave nor forsake us. He walks beside us. He holds our hand. And soon, relief will come. But first we must go through.

Please leave comments below! Ask questions! Tell your friends by clicking on the social media links and posting on your Facebook or Twitter or Google + accounts. It helps to know that these are being read and even helping YOU! I never know that unless you're doing these things and ESPECIALLY leaving comments!!! Thanks for sharing a few moments with me!

PS - Join me at OASIS CHURCH OF NASHVILLE this coming Sunday as we start a new series on getting your Breakthrough! This week, we will be giving away copies of the new book BREAKTHROUGH by Joel Osteen  to all our first time guests. Services are at 8:30a, 10:15a, & 12:15p. They are also online at www.oasischurch.tv. For iPhone and iPad users, they have a FREE app in the Apple App Store where you can watch services LIVE and streamed throughout the week! CHECK IT OUT!!!