Beyond Zimmerman: Unmoved

I expected a different outcome.   So when I sat at my father in laws retirement party and saw our atmosphere of joy wash away under a wave of grief, I quickly came to understand that my expectation was all wrong.  Some cussed.  Some cried.  Mouths dropped open in disbelief. I was surprised but emotionally unresponsive. I wanted to be angry with Zimmerman and disgusted with our judicial system. I wasn't.  I wanted to cry for Martin and mourn in behalf of my heritage. I didn't.  I wondered what was wrong with me.  For lack of a better word, I described myself as being numb.  But I knew that wasn't right.  Numbness indicates that there is underlying pain that is being blocked from surfacing. It indicates a lack of sensitivity.  But I am very sensitive. I am sensitive to the unexpected loss of a life. I am sensitive to families and friends going about their daily life and in an instant something happens that changes everything.  I am sensitive to people.  All people.  No, I am not numb.

Though, I didn't know what state of mind I was in  There were things that I did know. I knew that Martin didn't wake up that morning expecting to cross paths with death. I knew that Zimmerman had no clue that the choices he would make on that day would affect a nation. I knew that only God knows the truth of the moment and the intent and the heart of both parties involved.  And I am absolutely certain that what we hide from one another we can never hide from God and if there is any blood on our hands it will be required of us.  

Who do we blame?  Do we blame Martin because he is gritty, black, and street?  Do we blame Zimmerman because he is seedy, noncompliant, and suspicious?  Who do we blame!?! The Bible says that people are not the source of the evil around us.  The principals and powers that are at work in and around us are the true enemies.  On the morning, that a young man lost his life, Zimmerman pulled the trigger. Still, he was more of a vice than a culprit.  Zimmerman overpowered someone defenseless, because he was defenseless against a power that was greater than him.   The initiator, the aggressor, the dominator and the winner of that tragic day was fearfulness. It is one thing to have fear.  It is another thing for fear to have you.  Fear is intended to be an indicator that something in our lives is off and we need to get God involved.  Fearfulness is when you let the spirit of fear overtake you. Fearfulness is a dangerous and cruel master.  It steals your peace, makes you feel powerless, and makes you self-preserve out of the fear that God will fail you.  What's worse is that fearfulness is misleading.  It deceives you into believing that you can control things, but when you take the situation into your own hands instead of giving it over to God, things tend to get far worse.  Like a plague, it is also contagious.  Fear begets fear. When Zimmerman was found not guilty, people became hurt, angry, and resentful.  The root of hurt, anger, and resentment is fear.  People feared that other people   who don't respect the lives of all human beings could possibly have more control over them than God. That is only as true as you make it.  If you choose to handle your life your way or this world's way, then you and this world is all you have to lean on and trust in.  If you choose to submit your life to God, truly submit your life to God in word and in deed, then God will see to it that you are taken care of. 

Anyway, I've figured it out.  I am not insensitive.  I am not emotionless or numb.  I just believe God.  He is who he says he is.  He will do what he says he will do.  God has the final say.  We will all stand before him and answer for the choices and decisions we have made in our lives.  Whether or not the stystem that I am under here on earth is for me, God is for me.  He is my defense.  He's never lost a case. I am unmoved.

Scripture:

Romans 8:31
What then shall we say to these things, if If God is for us, who can be against us?
Psalm 23:4
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me
Proverbs 3:5-7
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.


Prayer:
Help us not to commit evil for evil but to overcome evil with good.  Help us to see what is going on around us through your eyes.  Strengthen us in our love for you and our love for one another.

Live

Are you feeling lost? Are you on the verge of giving up?  No one has been able to pull you up from the murky emotional swamp that you are stuck in.  No one even bothered to notice that you were drowning. You feel so far gone that you have even considered taking your own life.  Don't.  You are not alone.  I am praying for you right now. 

What's more important is God is there with you.  He knows exactly where you are in your life and he has the power to change things.  So why haven't you been saved already, you ask.  The answer is: you have been. 

Let's clarify something first.  God doesn't create horrific lives to teach us lessons.  So don't think God is punishing you. The truth is the way people's lives are working are the direct result of the choices people in their lives have made or the result of choices they have made themselves.  Often we, or people who are in our lives, make choices that draw us and others around us nearer to death.  But God longs for us, and the people in our lives, to make choices that give us and others around us life.  It would be nice if God could just force us to think and act like he does.  But when he created the earth, he gave us dominion over two things: the earth and ourselves. Well, if God has given over control, how can he help you?  God is still way bigger and more powerful than all of the earth.  His power is not diminished.  For that power to be released in your situation, you have to give authority of your life back over to him. God wants to help.  He wants you to live and not die. Invite him to handle the things that are tearing your life apart. It only takes a prayer.

Prayer:

Lord, my life is more than I can stand. I give myself and everything that concerns me over to you.  Restructure, redesign, and redefine my life for goodness and godliness.  Protect me in all things and draw me closer to you everyday. Today, Jesus, I choose you as my Lord and savior. Amen.

Scripture:

Romans 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord, shall be saved.

1 Peter 5:6-7  Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you,  casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

Psalm 118:6 The Lord is on my side, I will not fear.

    

Under Cover

God's commandments: have you read them?  Do you know them? Good, then let's take our understanding of them to a deeper and more meaningful level. 

 

First of all, the ten commandments are not a set of rules.  Nor did God create them to throw his weight around.  There is no need for that.  He is clear in the definitiveness of his sovereignty.  God's heart in creating the commandments was to protect us.   According to the Bible, all sin leads to some form of death.  God doesn't want that for us.  So he created for us a flawless plan of escape.   

 

Secondly, God blessed us to have dominion over the earth (Genesis 1:26). Unfortunately, we began to mistakenly equate our earthly dominion with God's dominion. We forgot that there are principalities and powers at work that are greater than earth and therefore greater  than our dominion.  We began to take things that require the hand of God into our own hands. One of those things being our spirituality.  It wasn't working out so well.  We don't understand that our spirits are greater than earth because they connect with and affect things that are greater than earth.  We will never, in our own strength, be able to adequately control and steer our spirits.  We need something that is greater than all powers, principalities, and spirits to do that. We need God.  God on the other hand absolutely understands the cruciality of our spirituality.  This is why he doesn't suggest the plan of escape (The Commandments), he commands it. 

 

God is so good.  As profound as he is and as deep as the commandments go, he simplified it for us. So we could get it.  In Exodus 20 he lays out all the commandments. Then in Matthew 22, he pinpoints the two most critical commands of all.  Those two commandments simply stated (as psalmist Israel Houghton wrote it): Love God. Love people.  Why are these the greatest? How do they cover all?  Sin is in essence selfishness.  When God says to love others, he means to esteem others over ourselves.  When we do that, we don't do hurtful things.  When we love God, we desire to please him and be like him.  We worship him and so we work to be selfless as he is selfless.  In doing that, we are following the commandments. 

 

The commandments are a covering. God knows that we would peak out from under the cover every now and then.  He gave us Jesus for those moments (but that's another story).  

Scripture:

Exodus 20: 2-17

Matthew 22:37

Prayer:
Lord, help us to follow the action plan.  Help us to love you and love people.

Storm Warning

Here in the Gulf Coast, we know a lot about storms.  As I drive from one destination to another I see street signs reminding me of their impending danger: 'Beware. It's hurricane season.  Be prepared.'   Hurricanes are unarguably one of the most powerful and dangerous types of storm on earth.   They are unpredictable, unstoppable, uncontainable superstorms that ravage communities, overtake nature, and claim lives.  In order for one to form, they require a very specific setting. The temperature of the ocean and air must be right.  The direction of the wind current must be just right.  Even the place of where the storm forms is specific.  If it is too near or far from the equator, there will be no storm.  How unlikely it is that each of these elements will jibe in unison, yet every now and again they do. Then hell on earth happens.

Our lives can be like hurricanes.  It is disturbingly uncanny how many unfortunate circumstances can surface all at once setting the stage for the perfect storm in our lives.  A loss of a job precedes the loss of a loved one only to be followed by unexpected unsurmountable expense.  You can almost literally feel yourself being blown away by the tempests life is throwing at you.  I understand. 

I want today's writing to serve as encouragement.  Every storm that has come, (no matter how destructive) every single one ever formed, in time has passed.  Not one of them lasts forever, or even a lifetime.  The same applies to your storm.  Whatever you are experiencing no matter how horrific it is, follows this same principle.  The storm you are in, even those that have dragged on a while, will pass.

In the meantime, keep this in mind.  God formed the wind.  God formed the ocean.  God formed the sun that warms them.  God even formed the specific place in which hurricanes form.  Therefore, God is greater than all of these things and anything they work together to create will never be greater than God.  God is greater than all hurricanes.  God also formed you. God formed the people around you.  God is the creator of all things.  Therefore no circumstance that any person or thing can create in your life can be greater than God.  God is greater than your circumstances.  No matter who got you into it, whether it is was by your fault or someone elses, God can give you a plan of escape and/or be your safehaven during life's storm.  

This is your storm warning.  Problems will come.  Hard times will come.  Hurtful people will come into your life and affect your life negatively.  Sometimes so many problems will come at you at once, you will feel like you can never overcom them. 

 This is your storm promise.  Every storm, every single one, will end.  I am praying right now that God carry you through all of your storms.

Scripture

Deuteronomy  31:6

Be strong and courageous.  Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God that goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.

Prayer:

Lord when we overwhelmed with the troubles of this world, remind us that you are our covering and you are Lord. You are greater than our storms.

Soft Spoken

We've heard fiery sermons shared by preachers as they declare the Word of God.   They touch us with their words and ignite fires in our very souls.  An individual would have to be commanding, charismatic, and fearless to share God's message in such an effective manner. Well, maybe not.  The Lord did bless those individuals with a gift to speak and save souls that not all of us possess.  But he has given each of us an ability that we often don't recognize that we have. There is a power he has instilled in us that goes untapped.  What is that power?  It is the power to share him with others.  Yes, you have this power too.  We are not all designed to minister to huge congregations or even small crowds, but we are all designed to be a witness that testifies of his awesomeness and goodness. There will be those who have personalities that are flamboyant and those who can draw multitudes to God.  What a blessing.  Others of us may testify in 'whispers' being more comfortable sharing one on one.  That is fine. Your quiet, low key ministry is invaluable too because it still carries the power the bring people to Christ. So just continue to allow yourself to be a willing vessel. Someone that you've talked with is making their way to Jesus and you were a tool for helping it happen. 

Scripture:
Matthew 28:19-20 says, "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

Prayer:
Lord, you have given us spirits of power and love.  Compel us to have such a strong love for you that we can't help but to share what we know and love about you with others. And help us each to be comfortable and confidant in our individual styles of witnessing while not allowing us to do less than what you have called us to do.

Faces

One day you're the Good  Lord's servant, and the next day you're a slave to sin. Daily, or even within different time spans of a single day, you take on two totally different personalities. From one side of your mouth you quote scripture as if you coauthored the Bible. Yet from the other side of that same mouth, your words are razor sharp and sinister, slicing victims apart with ferocious verbal attacks. One minute your demeanor is welcoming and open and in the next moment you don't want to be bothered with anybody and you make your 'just leave me alone' attitude quite apparent.  The people in your life don't know what to make of you. More importantly, they don't know what to make of the Christianity you represent. Try to remember you are a poster child for God. The way you handle yourself and the way you handle others has the power to draw people closer to God or the power to turn them away.  Imagine how the Lord feels when someone seeking Him gets turned off because He has been misrepresented by one of His own. That's serious business. So which will you choose to show others watching you: the face of the God or the face of God? Because as a Christian, there is really no other choice.

Scripture

I Timothy 4:12. ...be thou an example of the believers, in word

, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity

Prayer

Lord, help us to carry ourselves in ways that honor how you carry us. Amen.

Odd Angel (A True Story)

A woman driving to pick up her daughter from school was running very late. Her day, as always is the case of an elementary school teacher, was full of surprises.  She was anxious to get to her destination so she could get home.  After turning down a side street to avoid traffic, she noticed a scraggly looking older man foraging on the ground for cans.  He wasn't on the main street begging for money like others she had seen, he was trying to earn his keep.  She admired that and, while she reflected on the man, a little voice inside her told her to give that man her last five dollars.  Well, she wrestled with the voice for a while.  She thought of how her husband would not approve because they didn't have enough money to give any away.  She thought about the fact that she was hungry and wanted to use that money to get something to eat.  She thought of the fact that some emergency might come up and she would have nothing for even a phone call if she gave the money away (no cell phones back then).  While having all of these thoughts she passed the man by.  When she reached the end of the short road still struggling inside herself, she had one more thought of how she was already running so late and would have to turn into traffic in order to get back around to where the man stood.  Then her mind cleared. She made that turn, got through the traffic, pulled over next to the man. She asked how he was doing.  "Blessed by the blessed," he replied and called her sister.  His demeanor wasn't at all pitiful.  As a matter of fact, he carried himself with nobility, strength, and dignity.  She gave him the money.  He looked her straight in her eyes as if to see down to her soul, thanked her for the five dollars and went on to witness that God truly supplies all of our needs.  The man had worn clothes, unkempt skin, wild hair and...the spirit of Jesus.  There was no doubt in her mind that this was a God moment and that Jesus was being represented right then.  The man was a vagabond on the outside, but there was apparently more to him on the inside.  The woman drove away wanting to be more like him.  The point? You never know where God places his angels. So try to see the Jesus in everyone.

 

Scripture:

Hebrews 13:2

Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares

 

Matthew 25:34-40

Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink, I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee hungered, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, In as much as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

 

Prayer:

Lord, we can find you in some very unexpected places.  Bless us to recognize you in others.  Give us hearts and spirits that compel us to be a blessing to others. May we daily be earthly representatives of your spirit of love.