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HONOR…

Last night my family and my Mom and Dad took Granny Hobbs out to her favorite Restaurant for her 91st Birthday.  Old Salty’s has some of the best food in Carolina Beach, NC and sits right on the boardwalk where she spent many years working.  Brenda, the owner, led everyone in the bar and restaurant in singing Happy Birthday to her.  Our friend Kenny Davis (Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha!!)  was Granny Hobbs’ highlight as he sang her favorite hymn over the speaker phone. 

In honor of Granny Hobbs’ 91st Birthday, I wanted to share a post I wrote on my blog this time last year for he 90th Birthday entitled “Honor“:

RePost:  HONOR

“Outdo one another in showing honor.”               Romans 12:10 ESV

In I Corinthians 12:22-27 it tells us that God places the members of the body where He desires and bestows greater honor on those who lack it so that there is no division in the body and that we can have the same care for one another.  If one member is honored we all get to rejoice together as well as if one suffers, we all suffer.  The church, Jesus body is meant to have a shared connection and sense of responsibility, a mutual care one for another.  What happens in the lives of others should provoke a shared loving response instead of jealousy, envy, covetousness, or reveling in loss.  If in the Spirit, it will produce the same care.

I had such a joy this week.  My Grandmother, affectionately known to all as Granny Hobbs turned 90 on February 3rd and we threw her a surprise Birthday party on Sunday to honor her.  We invited all of her family and friends to come and celebrate with us.  This may not seem significant to those who take Birthday parties for granted.  However, this party was more significant than any of us knew.

You see, my Granny Hobbs is the most generous person I’ve ever known, though as a child growing up, I didn’t realize how generous.  I like many children today only know it as love from the one who always gives us stuff.  Everyone who knows her has experienced her generosity.  She shows up every Sunday with candy for all the kids, not just mine, I mean all.  She always honors a new birth with some outfit.  Whenever I go by her house she always loads me up with stuff she thinks I or my family needs.  She gives to everyone.  Growing up she took in every stray dog or cat.  I pray for the owners of her previous home because she and I have buried probably more than 30 animals in her yard over the years.  I know TMI.  I could go on and on with stories of how she has given value and honor to others.

You may wonder where that generosity comes from?  Maybe she was blessed by people always giving to her over the years.  I’m reminded in Mark 12:42 “..but she out of her poverty put in everything shed had.”   My Granny Hobbs was born in 1919, one of nine children, very poor.  She got married to John Whitfield Hobbs who became a captain in the Army and shipped overseas in WWII.  Shortly thereafter she found that she was pregnant with my father.  My Grandfather never came back home.  My father never met his father.  She shared with me one day about standing at the train station waiting for the arrival of the pine box that contained my Grandfather.  My Granny Hobbs raised my father as a single mother til she met another serviceman and became engaged.  He too was sent overseas in the Korean War.  He was killed before they were married.  She never remarried.  My grandmother worked a number of jobs over the years determined to make it.  She went to work for Corning  and worked there till retirement.  I remember when I was young, she would come get me and take me with her on the weekends to shop the yard sales.  She would then take what she bought and resell it at a local flee market and a consignment booth she rented out.  I also, remember the first TV my wife and I had when we got married, it was a Black and White that Granny Hobbs bought for $25 at a yard sale.  Since then she has owned her own business, Granny’s Country Crafts, and even the last two summers worked at a suvournier shop on the boardwalk at the beach.  I think so she can still have extra money to buy stuff for everyone else.

All this really hit me when I went out to walk her into our church where we had told her we were going to have a small gathering with my brother and sister’s family.  She does not like to be the center of attention.  When I walked her in everyone sang Happy Birthday.  I pointed out my father and mother, her brother, sisters, cousins, friends and old coworkers.  They all stood and honored her.  It was hard to hold it together as I saw her tears.  My daughter says I’m a cry baby.  Granny Hobbs would have never asked for anything, though as she leaned over she said I’ve never had a birthday party given for me in my entire life. 

We honored my Granny Hobbs, but I feel I was honored more.  It was more of an honor for us to honor her.  It truly is more blessed to give than receive.  But after all I learned this from my Granny Hobbs who always gave all she had even when it was from her poverty.  This she gave her son, my father who has always modeled it for me and I pray will also be my legacy.  She always sees the needs of other and thinks not only of her own needs but everyone else’s.  The lessons I have learned are endless.

And by the way, I experienced the presence of God and a more profound sense of church than most of the church meetings I’ve been in, including my own.  There are some deep questions we need to ask ourselves after that statement.  But it will have to wait til the next post.

Honor one another!

To All Our Family

Some years ago I started a book, as of yet unfinished, entitled “People Along The Way!” Every now and then I will go back and add a chapter, pray for me that I will be more diligent about this, and each time that I do I find myself overwhelmed with gratitude to my Father God! This Christmas season I found myself writing about my friend Joseph Sasser–known to me as simply, Joe. He and Beth, along with their son Benjamin, have a place in my heart that is truly difficult to describe. Beth and Joseph are an amazing gift to the Body of Christ. Joseph left us way to earlier in 2005 to be with his Father in Heaven and he left behind a beautiful, brave, remarkable wife and a young son who already has his Father’s Heart. There are many things along this journey that I do not seem to be able to wrap my mind around and Joe’s early departure is one of them. At the same time I trust my Daddy and He is always, all the time good and so is His plan. My thoughts go out to Beth and Benjamin during this Christmas season–they are very special people. Joseph was, and remains, a spiritual father to my son Scott, and his influence can be found in Scott’s heart for Jesus, his music, and his heart for worship.  Pure psalmist are rare in the Body of Christ but Joe was one of them, and his music will live on in hearts of all of us who were privileged to experience it.  I remember him often with his baseball cap on, head kicked back, guitar tilted up with praise and worship flowing from his heart.  Laughter and joy were always present when Joe was around–I guess that’s one of the reasons my thoughts are on him during the Christmas season.  People along the way–God’s gift for the journey.  Hey Joe!  “See ya at the House!”

Who’s Your Daddy?

“Even though you have ten thousand teachers in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ I became your father through the Gospel.”  I Corinthians 4:15

We have a lust for knowledge in our world.  We always want to know and we feel an obligation to help everyone else to know what we know.

There are many people who know about Christ but don’t know Him.

What we need is not more spiritual teachers, but rather, more spiritual fathers.  Being a spiritual teacher and being a spiritual father are two different things.  One only takes responsibility for giving information but not for the development of that person as they process and work through that information.  A Father takes responsibility for the process from birth to maturity.  Teachers will come and go but a father is always a father to his sons and daughters.  A teacher has a job.  A father has a relationship.  A teacher doesn’t have to feel anything.  A father feels everything!

This is the investment God is calling us to make; to be fathers to sons and daughters of the Kingdom.

Who’s your Daddy? 

Who are you a spiritual father to?

Grateful Heart Carries its Own Blessing

The power of gratitude is an amazing thing.  The Scripture says that we are to be led by the Spirit of God and not by our own flesh, or if you will our natural mind.  The Power of Gratitude is that it transforms us from the inside out!  When I look at the world and see the obvious effort of the enemy to discourage and frustrate the family of God, it is good to know the Truth.  The Truth is that our God never changes—He is always kind, loving, merciful, listening, faithful, almighty, holy, and so much more.  Praise and Gratitude that rises from the Spirit man or Spirit woman is simply an affirmation of who our God is so that even though circumstances change–He never does.  So that no matter what it looks like in the natural—-we always win!  We are always victorious in Christ!  Praise and Gratitude to our God for who He is, as it is proclaimed by the Spirit,  speaks to our minds, emotions, our wills–building faith and literally transforming us from the inside out.  Praise Him!  Live with an attitude of gratitude in your heart for who He is and feel its transforming power change your life and your circumstances!  His Name Is Jesus–Praise Him!

Gratefull–emphasis on full

Each day is a day where I am reminded of  how Great our God is and how Full His Love is for us–there is no emptiness in His Love!  Some years ago (about 35) I discovered how important it is to live with an Attitude of Gratitude in my heart for the Nature of my God!  That kind of lifestyle changed my life forever–Praise Him, just Praise Him!  I had surgery on Monday to remove a rather nasty skin cancer from my face–the surgeon promised to make me look like Joan Rivers–now that’s a thought!  I’m good but now I look like a beat up,one eyed pirate.  I am so grateful that even though this thing I live in constantly needs some repair, my inner man–my Spirit man is being renewed every day and I am becoming more like Jesus!  He is a Mighty God!  Thanksgiving will bring all of our children and grandchildren, along with my mom (90) and Jo’s mom (89) together for a meal and a day of sharing thanks to Jesus!  Folks, our Daddy deserves all of the Praise and all the Glory–Praise His Holy Name!

Ordinary Moments…

“It is ingrained in us that we have to do exceptional things for God – but we do not. We have to be exceptional in the ordinary things of life, and holy on the ordinary streets, among ordinary people – and this is not learned in five minutes.”     Oswald Chambers

Discipleship is a process. It’s moment by moment. It’s the ordinary things that produce the character necessary to support the Great Moments. The exceptional things I may have the privilege of doing for God are only in proportion to the character built in the ordinary things. This is the stuff that qualifies you for the doing of exceptional things for God.

Living only for the exceptional moments in life will leave you with an emptiness most of the time. You will live in nostalgia, vicariously living through a few moments of your past or miss life all together being driven to achieve one moment of elusive greatness.

Discipleship is about character built through relationship. To be a disciple is to live so deeply and intimately with Jesus in every ordinary moment so when the time comes for me to do something exceptional, I will by nature be ready and not falter – even if my greatest moment is the cross.

How are you doing in the ordinary moments?

What ordinary thing hae you done lately?

Are you following Him?

Brace yourself.  I am haunted by what you are about to read. 

So I don’t take away from these words I will not say anything else except, please excuse my lack in poetic structure.  I copied this by ear.  The words are correct but may not be written out like it should as a poem. 

When I became a Christian I said “Lord now fill me in;

tell me what I’ll suffer in this world of shame and sin.”

And He said, Well your body could be killed

and left to rot and stink.

Do you still want to follow me

and I said, “Amen –  I think.”

I think Amen. Amen I think.  I think I say Amen.

Look I’m not completely sure.  Could we just run through that again.

You say my body could be killed and left to rot and stink.

Oh yeah that sounds terrific Lord I say, Amen I think.

But Lord, look there must be other ways to follow you I said,

I would really prefer to end up dying in my bed. 

Well yes He said you could put up with sneers and scorn and spit. 

Do you still want to follow me.  And I said Amen – A bit. 

A bit,  Amen.  Amen, a bit.  A bit I say Amen. 

Look I’m not entirely sure. Could we just run through that again. 

You said I could put up with sneers and scorn and spit. 

Well yes I made up my mind and I say Amen, a bit. 

Well I set back and thought a while; I mean I tried a different ploy

I said now Lord the good book says Christians live in joy. 

That’s true He said.  You’re going to need the joy –  to bear the pain and sorrow. 

Do you still want to follow me?  And I said, Amen – tomorrow.

Tomorrow Lord I’ll say it then.  Tomorrow’s when I’ll say Amen.

You see I’ve got to get it clear could we just run through it again.

You said that I will need the joy to bear the pain and sorrow. 

Well yes I think I’ve got it straight I’ll say Amen, tomorrow. 

He said look I’m not asking you to spend an hour with me,

a quick salvation sandwich and a cup of sanctity. 

The cost is you.  Not half of you.  But every single bit. 

Now tell me will you follow me?  And I said Amen.  Now I quit. 

I’m awfully sorry Lord.  I said I’d like to follow you

but I don’t think religion is a manly thing to do.

And He said, you forget religion then and you think about my Son

and you tell me if you are manly enough to do what He has done? 

Are you man enough to see the need?  Are you man enough to go? 

Are you man enough to care for those that no one wants to know? 

Are you man enough to say the things that people hate to hear? 

And battle through Gethsemane in loneliness and fear?

And listen are you man enough to stand it at the end,

the moment of betrayal by the kisses of your friend?

Are you man enough to hold your tongue?  Are you man enough to cry? 

And when the nails break your body, are you man enough to die? 

Man enough to take the pain and wear it like a crown. 

Man enough to love this world and turn it upside down? 

Are you man enough to follow me?  I ask you once again? 

I said, Lord I’m frightened, but I also said Amen. 

Amen. Amen.  Amen, amen.

I said Lord I’m so frightened, but I also said, Amen.

 

(English friend of Michael Frost, taken from one of his sermons.)

How’s your love walk…

“…whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”  John 15:5 (ESV)

“Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.  Love never fails…”  1 Corinthians 13:7-8 (ESV)

In John 15 there are several things Paul said we should be abiding in and one of those was love.  I John 4:8 tell us that “God is love.”  So if we are abiding in Him we should be bearing fruit – the fruit of love.  This is not the kind of love that we see even on the world’s best day.  It’s a love on a much higher level.  God is our standard for love.  This love is so hard that we cannot do it without God’s help.  If we don’t abide in Him, we cannot love.  If we don’t love, we are not abiding in Him.

We have all been abandoned by what we thought were once loving relationships.  This is why love was meant to be first received from God and then given away.  If we look for the love of people to satisfy us before finding our security in God’s love first, we will be left wanting and hurting or become unstable and abusive in our relationships.

How should we love? 

Love bears all things.  The Greek translation for “bear” means to roof over or cover in silence, to endure patiently.  Bearing doesn’t mean you can maul people to death or act like a bear. It also doesn’t mean developing a callous heart but rather a covering of grace.  No matter what comes against you love still remains.  It covers over any situation with love and does so with no expectation for self without saying anything or justifying yourself. 

Love believes all things.  This does not mean that we believe everything we hear about people or situations.  But, it means believing the best about people and situations.  Our love is not dependant on what we know about people, but rather on God himself.  Because He is love, we believe all things about Him and therefore respond in love to all things.  If we truly know God we have no choice but to always respond in love to people.  See what I mean by this being impossible without Him.  It’s a higher love.

Love hopes all things.  Hope here means to expect and trust with confidence and pleasure.  This is not an expectation from people but from God as it relates to people and things.  It means we love with an expectation and trust in God that all things are going to be according to His will and purpose.  The hope is in Him so we are free to give all our love to people even when they are not doing what we think they ought to do.  Dependency on Jesus frees us to fully love.

Love endures all things.  This means love is behind and under all things.  It suffers all things.  God’s love can handle anything.  It has no limits.

Love never fails.  Every where our love fails, it was not God’s love.  We fail to love when we are not abiding in Him.  We fail to love when we seek something for ourselves in others.

“God is most glorified when we are most satisfied in Him.”  John Piper

If we are satisfied in God, if He is all I need in every situation then He will be glorified in and through me and my life.  If I seek satisfaction in any other thing than Him alone, then I will glorify myself. 

So, How’s your love walk?

To love, someone must die…

“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.  Greater love has no one than this, than someone lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:12-13  (ESV)

There is a high price for love.  You can have it for free but it will cost everything.  You cannot love without paying the full price.

God will allow us to choose to live our lives on a lower level than He has called us, but there is a price to pay.  If we do so we will never really and fully know Him nor experience the fullness of the life promised to us in Him.  There is a higher and GREATER love.  Love of this magnitude can only be received, experienced and given away through death. 

There is no greater love than when we die to self, lay ourselves down for someone else.  God wants us to walk in a greater love.  Greater love is received when someone else had to die in order for us to receive it.  Jesus laid down His life to break the barrier that would keep us from receiving the Father’s love.  It was the ultimate expression of love. 

“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet still sinners, Christ died for us.”  Romans 5:8  (NASB)

Jesus broke the barrier of our sin with the laying down of His life.  It doesn’t get any greater than that.

In order for us to have Greater Love, we must die, laying ourselves down for people.  We must die to being right about people or things or we will defend our rights and find an excuse to not love.  We must put away personal justice or we will punish people and seek to justify ourselves in the eyes of others, when Jesus said He was just and the justifier of all.  We must overlook faults or we will keep records of wrong suffered and not love.  Ouch.  Ouch.  If we die to self, we can release GREATER LOVE.  If we don’t, we will love self and then others when convenient.

Are you dying to give GREATER LOVE?