All for His Name

David dared to do what no one else wanted to do. There were no soldiers in the Israelite army who wanted the privilege (or horror) of representing Israel against the formidable opponent named Goliath. The army of Israel quaked with fear at merely the sight of the warrior in the valley.

David's motivation was not the reward he would receive (the daughter of the King as a wife, living tax-free in the kingdom, etc.). He was not motivated by the fame of his name (though for sure people would be talking about his victory if he won).

David's motivation to go against all odds and face off against an incredible enemy warrior was the fame and glory of Israel's God. And he made this known as he descended into the valley. As he approached Goliath, David declared his coming was in the power of God's name so that all the earth would know that there is a God in Israel.

The motivation and purpose of our mission has differed little today, though we may not be traveling into the valley to fight a flesh and blood warrior-giant. Our mission to display and declare the gospel of Christ's kingdom is still for the purpose of seeing that all the earth would know and worship Christ the King.

Our mission is motivated by the fame and glory of Christ and His name.

Our mission is powered by the power of Christ's name.

Take a Daniel moment:
1.  Celebrate the God who gives us purpose, mission, and power.
2.  Pray for our eyes to always remain focused on His mission.
3.  Ask God for the power of His name to empower you in displaying and declaring the good news.

Re-Transplant

You read the title of this blog post right. Our son, Micah, is facing in the coming weeks (or months) a re-transplant.

The back story, in case you're not familiar, is that Micah was born with a rare liver disease that required him at 7 months of age to undergo a liver transplant. In the first two years that followed, Micah had several complications, not limited to, bile duct blockages, blood clots, and the cancer of transplant patients (PTLD).

At that time there were complications that occurred that we knew would one day have an impact that would have to be addressed. Over the last two years Micah has experienced further issues as a result. Primarily, the clotting of his portal vein years ago has now lead to issues with his lungs, spleen, and more.

In the words of the transplant surgeon, the only "medical option we have to address these issues is a re-transplant."

On Friday of last week we finished all our tests and labs. This week Micah is to be presented to the team at Duke for approval for a transplant at Duke. Insurance will then be contacted for approval. Then, probably after our fifth son arrives (any day now), Micah will be listed on the UNOS Donor Recipient list. From there, we will wait for what could be days, weeks, or months (but hopefully not years).

This blog actually began as a result of Micah's first transplant. Therefore, I am sure that I will be posting here along the way. You can sign up to follow by email, receiving notification when there is any new post, by using the Follow By Email function to the right.

We have been blessed from the very beginning of Micah's life with such love, support, encouragement, and assistance. Most of all, we have seen God's power displayed and largely a result of your prayers.

Again, we simply ask for you to pray for Micah, his brothers, his parents, and his family as we prepare for the days to come. Even in this, we know and we pray that God will be glorified.

Um, really God?

Growing up I remember hearing and singing a song in which there was a line by which I've often been encouraged. It simply says, "Little is much when God is in it."

Isn't that the truth of Jesus feeding the multitude? The crowd of 5,000 men (and perhaps double or triple counting women and children) were hungry. The disciples had no food to give. Philip said there were so many people that 200 days worth of wages couldn't buy enough for each person just to get a little.

But there was a boy who had a small lunch. It wasn't much. It would have been a sufficient meal for himself, but not for this large crowd. His meager lunch consisted of 5 small loaves of bread and two fish. To every onlooker this little amount would not do. Yet little is much when God is in it. That small lunch in the hands of Jesus not only fed the entire crowd of thousands, not only fed them all they wanted, but it also provided a leftover that was at least twelve times larger than that with which He started.

Gideon also learned that little is much when God is in it. In yesterday's post I talked about God choosing Gideon to be His instrument of redemption for Israel.  Gideon has 32,000 men in his army. And then God begins to make cuts to the team. In one swoop, 22,000 men left and went home. Of the ten thousand remaining, God made another cut that reduced the army from 10,000 to 300.

At this moment is when I stop and say, "Um, really God?"

God didn't need Gideon's numbers. God didn't rely on Gideon or his army's power. Little is much when God is in it. And that only magnifies the great work He does even more, since no man or woman can take the credit for it.

God said, "You have too many men. I cannot deliver Midian into their hands, or Israel would boast against me, 'My own strength has saved me.'"

The wisdom of God often uses the weak, feeble, small, foolish, and insignificant to the world. He is able to accomplish God-sized tasks with small objects and people.

Take a Daniel moment:

1. Praise God for His wisdom that cuts against the wisdom of men.
2. Ask God for faith to follow Him when His numbers don't match ours.
3. Pray for Refuge Church to be like Gideon's 300; empowered by God for a great work regardless of size.
4. Surrender yourself to be one of Gideon's 300 that God will use to display and declare His glory and good news.

Why Not You

There are scores of people throughout history God has used who couldn't fathom that He would use them.

Moses didn't think God could use him to lead Israel out of Egypt. After all, he did have a speech impediment.

Jeremiah didn't think God could use him to be a prophet to the nations since he was still too green.

Gideon didn't think God could use him to lead Israel in victorious battle over Midian.

Israel had rejected God and God had allowed them to be overtaken by their enemies. He faithfully raised up one deliverer after another to free the people when they repented and turned back to Him. Gideon, though, couldn't imagine that God would be able to use him.

Gideon informed God that his clan was the smallest (if God didn't know that already).  He also told God that he was the youngest in his family (again, as if God didn't place him in his family as the youngest).

Translation: Why me God? Mighty warrior? Yeah right. My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, not the strongest. And I'm the youngest in my family. There's no way you can do this with me.

Even when Gideon appears to have signed on to go, he looks for final confirmation that this indeed is God's doing. You've likely heard someone refer to putting out a fleece. That comes from Gideon. He tested God to insure God would indeed do what He said He would. Gideon laid a fleece out overnight and told God if only the fleece had dew upon it and not the ground then he would know. God did it!

It still wasn't enough for Gideon. Gideon reversed it and threw it back to God, telling him to keep the fleece dry and only allow the dew upon the grass around it.  God did it again!

Gideon looked at himself through the lens of his limitations rather than through the limitless power of God.

He kept asking "Why me?" He kept examining the situation from his human perspective. 

What would God do if you and I stopped asking, "Why me?" and started asking, "Why not me?" 

Why not surrender everything to God?

Why not allow Him to use us however He pleases?

Why not devote ourselves to worship and serve Him every day for all our days?

Why not be people who seek to display and declare the good news in bold ways?

Why not be the people who earnestly pray for God to move among us and accomplish the unthinkable?

Why not us? Why not you? Why not me?

 He simply wants us to come to the point of Isaiah who heard God ask "Whom will I send? Who will go for us?" Isaiah simply raised his hand and said, "Here am I, send me." Isaiah said, "You need someone? Why not me?" 

What God needs is not our intellect, skill, power, contacts, or money. What God needs is our full surrender.

Take a Daniel moment:

1. Praise God that who He is, is more important to who we are than who we are. Celebrate that our limitations do not limit or hinder God.
2. Surrender the areas you're holding onto tightly.
3. Ask God to make clear where He wants to use you. 
4. Pray for God to work in great ways and allow you to be a part. Pray, "Lord, why not me? Use me, send me, accomplish through me Your work."

A Choice Will Be Made

Today a choice will be made. You and I, along with every one in the world, will make that choice. It is the choice of who or what we will worship and serve.

Our land is flooded with idols. Hindus may erect idols in their homes and shops with the heavy aroma of incense burned to these gods. Dare we judge and criticize them and others without scrutinizing our own lives and culture.

We may have fashioned our gods of other materials, but they are gods no less. Whether the god of money, sex, pleasure, power, position, relationships or some other, we live with countless gods we have created by our own hands. These we worship and serve as if they are suitable substitutes for the True God. That is by definition an idol—a God substitute.

 God is jealous for His own glory. He permits no substitutes or rivals. He expects complete surrender and whole-hearted devotion.

Joshua came to the end of his days and he implored the people to make the choice.  He said, “Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

There is a choice to follow Jesus that comes as a conscious act of the will decision in which we place our faith and trust in Him alone to be rescued from sin and restored in relationship to God. Yet every day there must be the decision to worship and serve Him alone. Every day idols must be identified and torn down. Every day my own desires must be put to death so they do not obstruct the path to follow Jesus.

Jesus told every would-be follower the cost was high. “You must deny yourself, take up your cross daily, and follow Me.”  The choice will be made today and every day. You will make the choice whether purposefully or by default. You will worship and serve Him or you will worship and serve another.

What will you choose today?

Take a Daniel moment:

1. Praise God that He alone is worthy to be worshiped and served.
2. Celebrate that God is the all-wise and only true God.
3. Ask for God to identify the idols in your own heart.
4. Pray for yourself to be nailed to the cross with Christ that nothing in you would hinder your following Jesus or get in the way of God’s work and mission.
5. Surrender yourself to worship and serve Jesus today.
6. Repeat tomorrow.