The Next Day: How God Still Speaks

Contents

Introduction

Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4

Week 5

Week 6

Week 7

Week 8

Week 9

Week 10

Week 11

Week 12

Small Event, Big Lesson

Small Event, Part Two

Week 13

Week 14

Week 15

Week 16

Week 17

Week 18

Week 19

When One Minute Equals Twenty-Four Hours

Week 20

Hey, Church! Having Problems? Who Cares!

Week 21

Week 22

Week 23

Business … As Usual

Week 24

Week 25

Week 26

Week 27

Week 28

Week 29

Week 30

Week 31

Week 32

Week 33

Week 34

Week 35

Week 36

Week 37

Week 38

Week 39

Fight or Flight?

Week 40

Thanksgiving and Stuff … ing

Week 41

Week 42

Week 43

Week 44

Week 45

Week 46

Week 47

Week 48

Week 49

Fire Control and Collateral Damage Assessment

Rebuttal, Round Two

Speaking of Driving

Week 50

Week 51

Week 52

Week 53

Week 54

Week 55

Week 56

Week 57

Week 58

Week 59

Week 60

Week 61

Week 62

Week 63

Week 64

Week 65

All I Need Is …

Week 66

Week 67

Week 68

Week 69

Week 70

Week 71

Week 72

Week 73

Week 74

Week 75

Week 76

Week 77

Week 78

Week 79

Week 80

Week 81

The Fifth Song

Week 82

Week 83

A Thought

Week 84

Out of turn

Week 85

Week 86

Week 87

Week 88

Week 89

Week 90

Week 91

Week 92

Week 93

Jesus Is Your Pair of Socks

Week 94

Week 95

The Kingdom of Heaven

Week 96

Week 97

Week 98

Week 99

Week 100

Week 101

Week 102

If I Should Die Before I Wake

Week 103

Week 104

Week 105

Week 106

Week 107

Week 108

Week 109

Week 110

Week 111

Week 112

Week 113

Week 114

To Wait or Not to Wait

Week 115

Identity Check

Week 116

Week 117

Week 118

Week 119

Week 120

Week 121

Week 122

Week 123

Week 124

A Difference of Opinion?

Week 125

Week 126

Week 127

Week 128

Week 129

Week 130

Week 131

Week 132

Week 133

Week 134

Week 135

Week 136

Fraudulent Christianity

Week 137

Week 138

Week 139

Week 140

Ho, Ho … Joe?

Week 141

Week 142

Week 143

Week 144

Week 145

Week 146

Week 147

Week 148

Christians Cursing Christ

Week 149

Week 150

Week 151

Week 152

The Battle That Can’t Be Won

Week 153

Week 154

Week 155

Week 156

Afterword

About the Author

For Dad

So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it (Isaiah 55:11).

Introduction

As I sat in church over the years it became increasingly apparent to me that God has much more to say than what can be squeezed into the forty-five minutes or so between Good morning and Amen on a Sunday morning. I’m quite certain that God is still alive and very interested in humanity and He didn’t stop speaking two thousand years ago. I remember having a slight identity crisis on my thirty-third birthday when I realized that by the time Jesus reached that age He had offered salvation from sin to the whole world—what had I ever done of any lasting value? That might seem like a comically large amount of pressure to live under, but the question still lingered. A little more than a decade later I was sitting in my assigned seat reading the church bulletin, and right below the name of the preacher was a small line of print that said Notes of how God spoke to me during the sermon. Beneath that line was another inch or two of blank space for note-taking during the message.

I’ve always been an avid reader and because I accept with reservations the things I hear from anyone who is getting paid to tell me what they’re telling me, I have a tendency toward further study and analysis to find out if what’s being told is the truth. What appealed to me in this case was the idea to listen carefully to the sermon and then spend some time in reflection and extra reading throughout the afternoon and into the next day. Then I thought about what it would be like to share the things God said to me and how they might apply in real life.

My search for insight and interaction turned into a series of writings that were distributed on Monday nights to other members of the church and a group of very good friends around the country who asked to be included. Because the thoughts are in real time it’s sometimes messy and painful—and always uncomfortably vulnerable—but I think there’s extra clarity when life is viewed without the paint and polish that can occasionally come from behind the pulpit. This is a collection of letters that was compiled over three years of consecutive Sunday morning sermons; often they deal with the struggles of a growing church, and always they deal with the struggles of a growing Christian—you may see yourself in these pages. I also added a few inspirations that occurred when God revealed Himself to me as I walked through everyday life looking for Him and several that happened when I wasn’t looking but He showed up anyway.

I selected three years because that’s approximately the amount of time Jesus walked this world in ministry; of course He was crucified at the end, so this adventure in communication brings with it some mild apprehension. Not really, just kidding—although I do get a little uneasy with the idea of trying to be like Jesus. But isn’t that what God wants, for us to be like His Son? So while the inner struggle continues, and whether or not I’m crucified, I trust the following thoughts will add value to your life because anything that contains a word from God has the power to be transforming and life-changing. They changed me.

Week 1

Please forgive me if I’m intruding, but I was thinking about yesterday’s service. In the bulletin under the name of who was preaching is a little sentence in small print that says, Notes of how God spoke to me during the sermon. This suggests a time of reflection and might even lead to a stimulating conversation about the message if we try. So I’ll go first. This is how God was speaking to me through the sermon…

Pastor Robert was preaching from Nehemiah 2:1-8. Nehemiah, a slave, received the unwarranted favor of King Artaxerxes in his hour of need; he was granted permission to return to his beloved homeland of Judah and start rebuilding. Why? Perhaps he was rewarded because he had a reputation for being a trustworthy servant with a joyful countenance. In 2 Corinthians 9:6-7, Paul writes, He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly, or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. Nehemiah was a captive, a slave, a servant to the king. He could have bellyached about losing his freedom and walked around with a gloomy face and foul disposition. But he didn’t. He worked "with goodwill doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men, knowing that whatever good anyone does, he will receive the same from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free" (Ephesians 6:7-8).

Regardless of our station in life, God is always God and remains sovereign. To provide all the construction materials to restore the temple, rebuild the walls, and return the city of Jerusalem to its original condition was a task of monumental proportion and would have required resources far beyond what was available to the few remaining Israelites. Nehemiah had only to ask for safe passage and a letter of access to the king’s forest—and a lot of time off—and the king granted them to me according to the good hand of my God upon me. A blank check! Would the king have responded so positively to a perpetual grouch? Doubtful. Should we expect to receive the full blessings of God if we mostly complain? Hmm. If our work is done cheerfully, as to the Lord, we won’t need to spend time waiting for our reward to come from the government, the boss, our church, friends, or family. The Lord is faithful. Trust Him—His timing is perfect.

So, go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, with a whistle on your lips and a spring in your step. The reward will come from the King.

Week 2

As Pastor Robert was reading from Nehemiah 2:11-16, he was quick to note the importance that Nehemiah placed on spending time in reflection as he journeyed around the broken city at night to make an analysis of the work necessary to rebuild. He chose to do this at a time when his thoughts wouldn’t be affected by lots of outside influence or opinion. He seemed to be a man of prayer and went forth with a goal of honoring God with his work. When he came to an area where there wasn’t enough room to pass because of all the debris, he didn’t let the obstacle to his progress stop him. He found another way around and completed his inspection. The goal was worth the extra effort.

Connected very closely with the theme of this passage is 1 Corinthians 11:17-29 which is a record of the upheaval that had arisen in the church surrounding improper celebration of the Lord’s Supper. Paul observed that what began with good intentions had become a free-for-all at the dinner table. He rebukes the young church for this but ultimately redirects them to the purpose for taking time to remember the sacrifice Jesus made and why He made it. This then becomes another example of the value in quiet reflection. In verses thirty to thirty-two he goes on to say, For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep. For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world.

God cares about how we are turning out and will do whatever is necessary to help us

The Lord’s Supper isn’t about eating but about reflecting—on Jesus and on us. We have a responsibility to live with an understanding that God cares about how we are turning out and will do whatever is necessary to help us. Any one of us who is out of alignment will affect the operation of every one of the rest of us—the whole body. Godly reflection and self-evaluation will put us in a growth pattern that doesn’t constantly need correction and discipline.

In Psalm 139:23-24, King David cries out, Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties. And see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. This prayer, offered corporately and individually, is an appeal to God to complete His inspection of our lives and to reveal to us the areas that need restoring—very much like the work that Nehemiah was doing and the correction that Paul was making. Frankly, this is somewhat distasteful because there are things in all of our lives that we would really rather not deal with. It takes a lot of courage to ask God to search us. But God loves us and wants the very best for us and is opposed to anything that is hidden in the dark. That’s why Jesus called Himself the light of the world (John 8:12). So if He is the Light and we are made in His image, then it shouldn’t be too hard for us to shine like Him. How else is the world going to see Jesus? Reflect on it.

Week 3

Brother Dan read from Mark 6:31. The text includes Jesus’ words to His disciples after they came to share with Him the mixed emotions of their joy in teaching and healing but their sorrow at the news of the beheading of John the Baptist, Jesus’ very close cousin. He said to them, Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while. Dan related this to the importance of establishing a quiet time with God in His Word. It’s only this alone time with God that will allow you to hear without distraction from the world; God won’t shout you down, ignore you, or walk off while you’re in the middle of a sentence. Imagine the crowds pressing around Jesus. Here was a man who could feed thousands of people, heal any type of disease or sickness (even to the point of raising the dead), and speak with words of love and truth that resonated with their very souls. However, if other passages are any indication, He had many hecklers and doubters in the crowd. He would never have had a minute of peace if He hadn’t planned it.

We don’t have the same reasons for our busyness, but nevertheless our lives are full of people wanting our time and attention. God wants our time and attention too, but He won’t barge in. I agree with Dan that first thing in the morning is best. I’ve deliberately scheduled waking up thirty minutes early to be able to put God’s desire for me above my desire for Him—if it was up to me, I’d roll over and pull up the covers. But He has more for me than I know, so I need to learn to love to know. It’s become a habit now, and it only took a short time to get accustomed to it, so I know you can do it too. I’ve come to think of it as equipping myself for the battle that the enemy is going to wage against me as the day begins. In 1 Peter 5:8 there is a clear warning: Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. If we wake up with the understanding and awareness that the enemy never rolls over and sleeps in but is licking his lips and preparing to take us out of the game, maybe we would be a little more successful in our encounters with him. It’s not a matter of if he will attack but when and how often.

Quiet time with God allows Him to speak to us without the clutter of life but with the clarity that comes from the gentle whisper of the Holy Spirit. Occasionally you will fail. I will fail. But be encouraged—He is the God of love, forgiveness, reconciliation, and restoration. Get up and try again. He is on your side, fighting with you, and He will never give up or fail. The Lord is a man of war; the Lord is His name (Exodus 15:3).

Week 4

Okay, so there was no official sermon yesterday, but could there be a message in a song and could God speak to me through it? I would have to say that the Word of God can be just as effective accompanied by beautiful music. One of the songs that were performed included words from Luke 19:40. The story behind the verse shows Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a donkey’s colt and the multitudes spreading their cloaks on the road and praising God in loud voices because of all the miracles they had seen. They shouted, Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! and Peace in heaven and glory in the highest! Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, Teacher, rebuke your disciples! The song was based on what Jesus replied: I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out.

Yesterday, the Campus Chorale was crying out in praise to God the Father and to Jesus Christ, His Son. No greater joyful duty could be assigned to our tongues! I’m struggling with a head and chest cold so I refrained from any attempt at song for the first couple of verses during the congregational singing. As I considered what it meant to make a joyful noise unto the Lord, I quietly croaked out the next few lines as a testimony to where I wanted my heart to be, even though my throat wasn’t playing along. I had a flashback to my days in Air Force basic training. We had a sergeant who was very impatient with us and would frequently scream, You guys are dumber than a box of rocks! I guess that’s pretty dumb. But how smart is it for us to remain silent in the presence of the King? Do the stones scattered at the side of the road need to cry out and upstage our deafening silence?

In James 3:9-10, the author issues a firm rebuke when he says, With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be (NIV).

A couple of weeks ago I shared with a friend an experience my family and I had had when visiting a local church. As we were exiting the parking lot after the service, the driver in front of us reached out his window with a raised fist and cursed at the guy who had just pulled in front of him—and this a few short minutes after the worship service had concluded with singing praise songs to God. Amazing! Ah, but before we get too pious and condemn that guy, we need to look within our own hearts and see how close to the edge of treachery we are standing. Whose ears are hearing the product of our lips?

Whose ears are hearing the product of our lips?

At every moment we are one breath away from stumbling in our walk of faith. The dividing line between praise and dishonor is very thin. One emotional outcry. One inflammatory response. One jealous retort. One clever innuendo. Hmm, sounds like I’ve been down a few of these trails. However, if you are willing to join me in honest confession, then you can also join me in the receipt of the gift of forgiveness and restoration that God grants to a broken spirit.

King David begins Psalm 34 like this: I will bless the Lord at all times: His praise shall continually be in my mouth… Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together. Let’s strive for that type of response. I doubt that my old sergeant had this application in mind, but maybe he was wiser than the credit I gave him—we are dumber than rocks if the rocks are the only ones who will cry out!

Week 5

Here’s what’s been troubling me. I didn’t get very far beyond John 12:19 as the Pharisees argued among themselves about Jesus’ growing popularity. I know I’ve read this passage before, but I never quite understood it this way. Countless historic, monumental, and unprecedented events were happening all around them, but the only concerns they had were for their own power and position. They argued among themselves saying, You see that you are accomplishing nothing. Look, the whole world has gone after Him! How utterly self-centered, worthless, and even juvenile was their point of view! They could only look at themselves and mourn the loss of their influence and the waning public attention that they so craved. But I think we all do that sometimes. And we miss the bigger picture.

The other day I had the opportunity to give a training seminar to a group of salespeople. The topic centered on really paying attention to the customer; truly listening and trying to determine what the customers’ needs were so that the salespeople could properly meet them. This phrase popped out of my mouth: Don’t be a navel-gazer! I don’t know where it came from originally, and I’ve used it before and since then, but everybody was looking at me with quizzical expressions. I had to explain. A navel-gazer is someone who is always looking at his navel—focusing on himself instead of the person or event directly in front of him. Imagine taking that view as you go through life; you’ll walk into a lot of doorjambs before you walk through a door. It’s very painful to be self-centered and only marginally productive. You’ll eventually get through the door but with lots of scrapes and bruises.

Jesus spoke to this issue in Matthew 5:44 when He said Love your enemies, bless those who curse you. What? They’re my enemies—they’re out to get me! Yes they are, and it’s an excellent reason to pray for them. Think about it: God’s already on your side. Who’s on theirs? Jesus also said from the cross, Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do (Luke 23:34). This view can only come from a heavenly perspective. Patrick Morley, the founder of Man in the Mirror, said something like this: Why do you get so frustrated and angry with sinners? They’re doing exactly what they are supposed to do—they’re sinning. Give ’em a break! Love them. Pray for them. They need more help than you do! I believe that kind of thinking is very close to the heart of God. It was Jesus who said in Matthew 9:12, It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick (NIV).

The Pharisees completely missed the boat, as usual. If we walk around in this life completely consumed with ourselves, we will miss everything. What God is doing is living directly in the middle of the events that are taking place all around us. We have to constantly remember to look up or our lives will drag by in quiet (or not so quiet) misery and frustration. There’s a whole world full of selfish, unhappy, and sick people out there, and we have the solution to their pain! Remember that as a Christian it’s not about you. It’s about a glorious Savior who is Christ the Lord—the author of joy and healing.

Week 6

"The difference between involvement and commitment is like an eggs-and-ham breakfast: the chicken was involved—the pig was committed" (author unknown).

You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin (Hebrews 12:4).

These two quotes are part of what God was saying to me through the sermon yesterday. Pastor Robert had remarked about some statistics that claim a majority of Americans identify themselves as Christians—I may have heard the same thing last week on the radio; a Gallup Poll put the number at 79 percent. The comment that stirred my pot of contemplation was something to the effect that we, as a society, have a flippant belief—the concept being that people say they believe in God simply because it would be uncomfortable to say that they do not. That’s easy for me to believe because you’d have a tough time convincing me that four out of five people around me on any given day are sold-out followers of Jesus. A flippant belief is a casual belief. You can’t follow Jesus casually. There’s nothing casual about taking up your cross. This forces me to examine my own journey. Am I just strolling along whistling Dixie with my hands in my pockets while my family, friends, and coworkers are racing to hell?

Maybe what’s happening is that we aren’t experiencing any real crisis of our faith. Very rarely does anyone or anything challenge us to make a stand—to really Preach the Word! Be ready in season and out of season (2 Timothy 4:2). The King James Version reads, "Be instant in season, out of season." That seems a little more urgent. Are we really ready? I think of the parable Jesus told in Matthew 25 of the ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five were foolish and didn’t take any oil with them. When the bridegroom arrived, they were away buying oil and were shut out of the wedding banquet while the other five (who were prepared) went in with him. I think we have decided that missing the party is an acceptable option. At the risk of exposing too much of myself, I will share something personal with you: A couple of years ago I was on the way home from the airport and was pulled over and ticketed for speeding. I wasn’t going any faster than the other cars around me; he just picked me out of the lineup as I sailed by. I had my cruise control set at 73, which had always been okay before. I was even driving with my lights on for safety! See how I’m justifying it? But the rest of the story is that I had passed into a 55 mph zone and wasn’t paying attention. I was really, really speeding. And, worse, I had gotten a ticket a few years before at the same place, for the same thing. Apparently I’m a fast driver and a slow learner. For a few weeks after that I kept an eye on my speedometer, but since then I am back to my old habits. What’s really going on here is that I’ve accepted the risks that go with casual obedience. Being close to right is good enough. But once I get to 55.1 mph, I am speeding.

We’ve accepted the risks that go with casual obedience.

The problem could be that we don’t take our belief personally. God so loved the world. That’s true, and you are part of the world. But make it personal. Put your name in the blank: God so loved _______ that He gave (sacrificed in your place) His one and only Son, that if _______ believes in Him he/she will not perish (be completely destroyed) but have everlasting life. Jesus was flogged for you. Jesus had a crown of thorns shoved down on His head for you. Jesus took punches in the face by a room full of Roman soldiers for you. Jesus was mocked and ridiculed for you. Jesus was stripped naked in front of His mother, had spikes pounded through His hands and feet, and He was hung on a rough wooden cross for you. Jesus died for you. Jesus was buried in a cold, dark tomb for you. Jesus rose again for you. Jesus lives for you. Jesus loves you! Doesn’t that deserve some kind of reaction? I fully believe that most of us go around in this life only partially blessed by God because we aren’t serious about our relationship with Him. We’ve accepted the risks that go with casual obedience. Eternal life later is good enough. We haven’t picked up on the fact that eternity is now. If eternity, by definition, has no beginning and no end, then it doesn’t start after we leave this planet. It’s now. Jesus is alive now and working now and wants us with Him now.

Occasionally I see the obituary section in the newspaper at the office because someone left it flipped open after they were finished with it. Just a day or two ago those people were alive. And now they are not. They have arrived at the final destination of their choice. Think about that. They don’t get a second chance now that they know the Truth. On the back of the church bulletin yesterday, the theme for this year’s special missions offering is Live with Urgency. Time is ticking. Our pledge is underfunded. The pastor’s wife made an appeal for our participation. At the very least, let’s meet the financial needs of those who are out there getting it done. At the very most, let’s start living—like we really believe that God’s gift of eternal life was for _______!

Week 7

Something jumped out at me Sunday morning. As Pastor Robert preached from Nehemiah 2:17-20, I saw revealed a man who wouldn’t let discouragement or negativity get him down. In verse 17, Nehemiah identified the problem with the city—it was in ruins and it was a disgrace. It was a clear and simple observation, but he had to say it aloud because the people had been living that way for so long that they didn’t see it. Or maybe they had become so accustomed to a lifestyle of despair, failure, and misery that they had accepted it as normal. Nehemiah inspired them to rise above their surroundings, to restore the once glorious city to its original condition. It took an outside view to help them see inside, and he had come with God’s blessing and the king’s provision. (Think what could happen in our cities if God and government were