This Is Epic III: Christ's Warriors-The Church

 In the Lord of the Rings, a band of warriors were commissioned to protect Frodo on his quest to destroy the ring of power.  They were called the fellowship.  In France, a band of warriors were commissioned to protect the King.  They were called the Musketeers.  In the New Testament, a band of Warriors were commissioned to spread the gospel.  They were called the church.

Before Jesus returned to his Father, he gathered His followers and invited them to take part in His eternal mission:

Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: ²⁰Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.                     -Matthew 28:19-20

Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.            -Mark 16:15

But you shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.                                                                                                                                                                                  -Acts 1:8

They had journeyed with their mighty Captain for three years.   They knew his teaching, they knew his passion, they knew Him, so they understood His final message clearly.  “I have set you free; go preach liberty to the captives.  I have opened your eyes; go give sight to the blind.  I have made you light; go push back the darkness.  I have given you power; go destroy the works of the evil one.”

Jesus left, but as He promised, He did not leave them alone.  He sent a Counselor and Guide, the ever- present Holy Spirit, who empowered them to carry out the gospel mission.  (We will discuss the Holy Spirit in depth in future posts!!!)

In just a short time, a movement began and spread like wildfire all across the world.  Led by the Spirit, the church preached, and captives were set free.  They performed miracles, and captives were set free.  They went on long journeys, and captives were set free.  They were persecuted, and captives were set free.  So much so, that the church was accused of turning the world upside down!!! (Acts 17:6)

 As the gospel spread, the church formed smaller clans.  Each clan, or “local church”, was a called out group of people who agreed to work together and took up the task of strategically spreading the gospel in their particular realm.  And the good news reached even more ears.

Jesus had promised his warriors, “…upon this rock (meaning Himself) I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”  -Matthew 16:18 (italics added)

Christ would indeed build His church, and hell could not defeat it.  But every word in the Word is important: “and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”  Gates of Hell!  Interesting choice of words…especially gates.  Because gates are stationary.  Sure, they swing on a hinge, but they cannot progress or retreat.  They are fixed in a particular place.  You have never heard someone say, “Now where has that gate wandered off to?”
 

So what’s the point?  The early church understood that to accomplish the mission, to spread the gospel, to push back the darkness, they had to fight an offensive battle.  They had to keep moving forward.  No retreat!   No surrender!  And they stormed the gates of hell, fully armored, carrying the Shield of Faith and the Sword of the Spirit, the very Word of God.

But, oh, how the evil one hates the church!  Almost immediately, he set up a counter offensive.  And for 2000 years, he has expended every last ounce of his energy attacking the church, both from without and from within.   Throughout history, blatant, unadulterated attacks have been hurled at the church from a world that is still held under the enemy’s power.  Of course, that was to be expected.  Christ had warned his followers about this on several occasions. But the evil one has also employed secret agents, who have infiltrated the church to distract , divide, confuse, corrupt, and even redefine the church and the gospel.  This is one reason why Peter told the early church, "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about, seeking whom he may devour.”  -I Peter5:8

The enemy is on the prowl, and His mission is very clear, he wants to destroy Christ’s warriors, the church.  But don’t be lulled to sleep.  Don’t fall prey to His lies.  Don’t get distracted by lesser things.  Don’t lay up for yourselves treasures on this earth that will perish.  Don’t return to your prison cell.  Wake up!  Arm yourselves! Grab your sword and shield!  Attack!  Free the captives!  For you are the church, Christ is your Captain, and the gates of hell cannot stand against you!

THIS IS EPIC!!!

This Is Epic II: An Epic Quest

Because of his own folly, Mankind found himself in the most dire of circumstances.  In Eden, God had given Mankind everything he needed to be happy.  Beauty.   Companionship.  Purpose.  Freedom.   Provision.  Life.  Yet God also took an extraordinary risk by bestowing upon Mankind one more gift-the gift of choice.  A choice to obey God and enjoy these gifts forever or to disobey and lose everything.  Pretty simple choice, right.  God even made it easy.  There was only one thing that Man could not do-just don’t eat the fruit from this one tree.  I mean, how could Mankind mess this up?

And yet, somehow, Mankind did.  For the evil one, cunning and ever so subtle, convinced Mankind to doubt God and take of the forbidden fruit.  He ate it, and immediately knew that things would never be the same.  At that moment, as God had promised, all of creation began to die, including Mankind.  According to the Holy Book, the world fell under the power of the evil one.

   

And Mankind became a slave to sin, a slave with no hope of gaining freedom.  He could not buy his freedom; he had nothing of value.  He could not escape; his taskmaster was always present.  He could not earn his freedom; no amount of good work could cancel his debt.  He was bound by a chain of his own making.  And there was absolutely nothing he could do about it.  

This was God’s judgment upon Mankind, for Mankind had disobeyed the commands of a holy, righteous King, who could have no fellowship with evil.  And yet, oh how God loved Mankind!  He was, after all, the pinnacle of God’s creation.  God had created him for His own pleasure, to enjoy forever. Now a great gulf stood between them. And so God gave a promise, that one day a Deliverer would come to redeem Mankind and restore that relationship between Mankind and God.

And in the fullness of time, God, the Father, sent His own Son, Jesus, into the world to free His people.  And as the story has been told for centuries and is forever captured in the Holy Book, the Bible, Jesus paid for Mankind’s freedom with His own blood, as He died on the cross for all of our sins.  He then rose again, destroying the power of the evil one, opening the prison doors that held Mankind captive, and providing the way for Mankind to once again have fellowship with God. 

After His resurrection, Jesus called His faithful followers, now free, to Him.  They had hoped that he would now set up His eternal Kingdom.  And yet He told them that the time was not yet.  Instead He was returning to the Father for a time, and though He did not know when He would return, He would indeed return.  But until then, He had an extraordinary mission for these brave warriors.  He told them that they must go and proclaim the good news to the world, to preach the gospel to every creature. The world needed to know that freedom was now available to all, for many were now sitting in prisons with doors wide open. And yet, they could not see it because they were blinded by the evil one. They were to push back the frontiers of darkness with the glorious light of the gospel, thus allowing those in darkness to embrace the freedom that is so graciously given.

 Jesus had previously warned His warriors that their quest would be perilous.  They would be misunderstood, hated, persecuted, possibly even killed.  They were now beginning to understand the gravity of His words.  However, he had also promised that great honor and reward awaited those who do not falter.  Furthermore, He had told them that the gates of hell could not prevail against them, for He was their Captain.  And he bestowed upon this noble band a name, a name that would set them apart as the army of the living God.  He called them “the church.”

THIS IS EPIC!!!

This is Epic: Once upon a time...

Once upon a time...

 

 There lived a great and mighty king who had dominion over all.  And by all, I mean everything.  There was nothing this king could not do, nowhere his arm could not reach.  And he was also very good.  I mean “good” in the truest sense of the word.  He was pure of heart, true, fair, just, unspoiled.  He was absolutely untouched by evil.  The king possessed love for and expressed kindness to all that belonged to him.

The King had a particular affection for a young man and his beautiful bride.  The king bestowed upon them the authority to rule over one of the choicest realms of the kingdom. His only command was that they always obey Him.  He warned them that great tragedy would come if they ever disobeyed His voice.

The King would often come to visit with the couple, just to spend time with them.  O how he loved them!  And they enjoyed the visits as well.  They were honored and humbled that such a mighty King would concern himself with their affairs.  The king was lavish his gifts to the couple, and they grew to love Him more and more.  The land flourished, and there was great peace throughout the entire realm.

Unfortunately, this peace was short-lived.  For the king’s enemy set a trap for the couple.  Oh, the King’s enemy was loathsome.  He had, at one time, banqueted at the King’s table as a dear friend and servant to the King.  Yet, his prideful heart desired more. He wanted to be honored and adored like the King, so he tried to take the King’s throne, a quest that quickly proved futile.  He was defeated easily by the King and was banished.

Now an outcast, this dark wizard set out to destroy all that the king loved.  He now realized that he was no match to the King’s power, but he was crafty and subtle.  He deceived the couple with His wily tongue, and they disobeyed one of the King’s commands.  At that moment, they fell under the evil one’s power, becoming his slaves.  And not only the couple, but their children, and their children’s children, and all future generations to be born in their line.

The King was brokenhearted, but He had given them fair warning.  They had chosen to disobey him, and now must face the consequences.  Yet, the King still loved them and longed to help them, so he gave a prophecy that one day, a deliverer would come to restore freedom to this race of men and women.

As the years passed, many great men and women performed noble deeds and acts of honor in the name of the King.  Yet, none of them had the power to deliver, for they, too, were bound by the consequences of the couple’s disobedience.  Still, somehow each one was a shadow, a reminder of the prophecy that one day a deliverer would come.  And so the people waited, hoped, and watched.

Finally, in the fullness of time, the King himself provided the hero for whom the realm had long awaited.  For he sent his very son, the Prince, to rescue his people from the wicked clutches of the enemy.  For, the son was worthy, not having been corrupted by the evil one.

Immediately, the enemy made plans to destroy the prince.  First, he tried to stop the Prince from entering the realm, and that failed.  He then set a trap to kill the Prince.  That failed, as well.  Next, he tried to corrupt the prince through trickery. Another failure.  All the while, the prince’s fame grew throughout the land.  People began to hope against hope that this might indeed be the One spoken of in the prophecy. 

But the dark wizard would not give up, and his persistence finally paid off.  He cast a spell on some prominent men of influence, including one of the Prince’s closest companions.  These men had the prince, arrested, tried, and executed.  And the evil one laughed and celebrated, for the King had sent his best, and his best had failed, or so the wizard thought.

For, something amazing happened.  The prince came back to life!!!  Three days after He died, He rose again.  You see, this had been the plan of the King and the Prince all along.  The guiltless son broke the evil one’s power by sacrificing himself for the sins of the people.  By rising again, he showed that His power was greater than sin or death. He also proved the he was indeed the deliverer of the human race.  The Prince could now offer freedom to anyone who would accept it.

 

At this moment, the wizard knew that he was defeated, and yet there were many who did not know what the Prince had done. A new idea was forming in His mind.  If he could keep them from hearing or believing this good news, he just might be able to keep them under his power for a while longer, and ultimately seal their destruction.

 

The Prince had to return to the King, but before leaving, he gave a promise, that one day, he would return, deliver the final blow to the evil one, and set up a kingdom without end.  Knowing the scheme of the enemy, He also told those whom he had set free that they must seek out those who do not know about this freedom.  They must help deliver from bondage as many as they can, for only those who have been set free can join the Prince in the eternal kingdom.

 

The prince left his followers, and they anxiously await his return.  In the meantime, many of them have answered the call to help free those who are still held captive by the evil one.  It is nothing short of brutal warfare, but the faithful know the dark wizard is no match for the mighty Prince who called them to be his warriors in the cause of freedom.

 

Now isn’t that an awesome story?  It is a beautiful story.  It is a true story.  It is our story.

 

THIS IS EPIC!!!

It Really Is Possible

Jesus said, “I have come that you might have life, and that you might have it to the full.” (John 10:10.)    This is not a right or entitlement for the faint of heart.  Rather “abundant life” is an opportunity, an equal opportunity, offered by a gracious King to each of His children. 

But let’s be honest.  “Life to the full” seems far more like a pipe dream than an attainable goal.  Bills we can’t pay, jobs we don’t like, ministries that run us ragged, family members that break our hearts, burdens that weigh us down, sins that so easily beset us.  Abundant living.  What’s that?  Most people are just trying to survive. They have resigned themselves to the notion that this is just life-and so they simply decide to “hold their own till Jesus comes.”

I mean, the notion sounds good and all, but it just isn’t reality.  And yet, it can be.  In fact, it should be.  For that is why Jesus came.  An abundant life is not merely for a select few, but for each and every person who calls Jesus his Lord and Savior.  Really!

Now I am not talking about money or status or an easy life.  No, I am talking about the kind of life that is full of joy and peace that passes all understanding, a life of shared intimacy with Christ and others, a life of purpose, a life that draws others to Christ, a life of adventure and passion, a life of victorious freedom.  This is the kind of life King Jesus wants for us.

Now that sounds awesome doesn’t it?  Almost too good to be true!  But, it is available.  Let that sink in for just a moment.  This kind of life is available.  In fact, Jesus meant for this to be the normal Christian life.  Yet, how many people do you know who really enjoy the life I just described?  Make it personal; do you enjoy that kind of life?

I think we all want it, but it seems so elusive.  Where do we even start?  Well, I believe that one of God’s callings on my life is to help others experience “life to the full.”  I have been on my own personal journey to achieve it.  In fact, that is really what this blog has mostly been about to this point.

Now I want to shift the focus away from what we have experienced personally.  Instead, now I want to focus on what Christ has taught me about the abundant life.  It is these truths that gave my family the courage to start our journey of faith in the first place.  I will still share our stories if they deem relevant to the topics we discuss.  But my real desire is to help you on your journey to an abundant life in Christ.

Now let me say this.  It is not always sunshine and roses.  I am still on the journey, and will be till the day I die.  I have experienced victories and failures, contentment and frustration, joy and pain.  But the truth of God’s Word has never changed in the midst of my circumstances.

To make this practical, allow me to share with you what I have found to be the keys to an abundant life in my personal journey:

1.            Recognizing and playing my role in God’s story.

2.            Understanding my true identity in Christ.

3.            Walking with God.

4.            Understanding and Winning the Spiritual Battle.

5.            Finding freedom from sinful bondage.

6.            Receiving healing from wounds received from others.

Most everything I write about in this blog will either directly or indirectly be linked to one of these six topics.  There may be times where something else is discussed, but those times will be few.  I look forward to sharing with you the things that God has taught me. 

I want to encourage you to do a couple things for me.  First of all, if you have not read my previous posts, I encourage you to do so.  It shares most of our story.  Secondly, please feel free to make comments about the things God is teaching you your journey.  It will not only encourage me, but other readers as well.  May God bless you as you continue on your personal journey to an abundant life in Christ.

                                                                                                                                                -Andy S. Clark

Thriving in "Less than Ideal Circumstances"

Frodo:   I wish the ring had never come to me.  I wish none of this had happened.

Gandolph: So do all who live to see such times, but that is not for them to decide.  All we must decide is what to do with the time given to us.

In the Lord of the Rings, Frodo is mourning the predicament in which he finds himself.  And for good, reason, mind you. He in lost in the mines of Moria, on his way to Mount Doom to destroy the ring of power.  He is being hunted by the nine black riders, who are relentlessly trying to recover the ring for the Lord Sauron.  The white wizard, Saruman, has also unleashed his Uro’kai to find him and take the ring.  Furthermore, a gangly creature, named Gollum, is stalking the fellowship, looking for the opportunity to steal the ring.  Frodo has been stabbed, nearly frozen, and almost drowned by some lake monster.  And the journey is really just beginning.  He has no idea what perils await him as he draws ever closer to Mordor. It is no wonder he regrets having possession of this ring.

Gandalf understands his plight.  As a wise old sage, he offers comfort, “So do all who live to see such times…” and wisdom,  “…but that is not for them to decide.  All we must decide is what to do with the time given to us.” Great advice for Frodo.  Great advice for us, as well.

It has been said that you will live the rest of your life under less than ideal circumstances.  We do not like to hear that, but it does not make it any less true.  We live on this side of Eden, and until Eden is restored to her former glory, we must face hardships, tribulations, wars, disappointments, heartbreaks, sicknesses, and even deaths.  It is simply a fact of life.  And from day to day, we have absolutely no idea what may happen to change the course of our lives forever.   That is why Gandalf’s advice is so powerful.  Allow me to translate his words by sharing another famous quote, “It’s not what happens to you, it’s how you respond that matters.”

There are several heroes throughout history that we could lift up as examples who responded appropriately to the “less than ideal circumstances” that they encountered on their respective journeys.  Actually, if you think about it, that is what a hero is, someone who overcomes the “less than ideal circumstances” opposing him and/or others.  Heroes assess a bad situation and determine to do something about it.  And frankly, the road to victory is not an easy one.  And that’s what makes their stories worth telling. 

One such hero is a man named Daniel, and his story is found in a book called, appropriately enough, Daniel.  Daniel was a young man of noble blood and a promising future.  Yet, he and several other young men from Israel were taken from their homes and ordered to serve the King who had besieged their land.  Forced to learn the teachings, traditions, and religions of the pagan kings whom he served, Daniel would spend the rest of his life as a captive, unable to return home. 

Despite this, Daniel seemed to thrive in a situation that would have disillusioned others.  Daniel gained favor with the kings' trusted servants, and then with the kings themselves.  As the years passed, he gained prominence, position, and even fortune.  Most of all, the name of Daniel’s God was lifted up and glorified among these pagan kingdoms.

So what did Daniel exhibit that set him apart?  Why did he gain favor among his captors?  It all had to do with how he conducted himself “under less than ideal circumstances.”

1.            Daniel maintained exemplary character.

We see this in Daniel 1:8, when he refused to defile himself by eating the king’s meat.  There could have been some things on Daniel’s plate that God had clearly prohibited the children of Israel from eating.  Also, the food could have been offered up to idols before it was served.  At any rate, Daniel wanted no part of anything that would assimilate him into the pagan culture.

His character is shown again in Daniel 6, when he continues to pray, even after a decree has been passed forbidding it.

He could have had the attitude, “When in Babylon, do what the Babylonians do.”  There are many that do.  Chameleons, whose color changes with the crowd.  They value expediency, popularity, or safety over character.  Yet Daniel valued his character above all of these.

Notice I say that he maintained his character.  That is because he had developed his character before he was in a situation that demanded it.  If you have questionable character, it will be revealed in a time of testing.

 

Now, maintaining exemplary character may sometimes have a price.  It could cost you a promotion, a bonus, a relationship, or fill in the blank__________________.  Yet, those who do maintain exemplary character gain so much more.  Over time they earn trust and respect. Most importantly, they maintain their honor and a clear conscience.

2.            Daniel maintained an excellent spirit.

In Daniel 6, a new king of a different kingdom has assumed power, and he appoints Daniel as one of his three highest officers.  (Now, much happened between Daniel 1 and Daniel 6.  Read it for yourself.)  Furthermore, we are told that Daniel is preferred above all the rest of the princes and presidents.  This young man, who was taken captive many years before, the king now wants to set him “over the whole realm.”  Wow!  Pretty impressive.  Not bad for an exile.  So what about Daniel brought about favor from King Darius?  It is because “an excellent spirit was in him.” (6:3)

Can you think of someone that you know who has an excellent spirit?  How do they conduct themselves?  I bet they have a positive, friendly attitude.  They have good character and a strong work ethic.  They lift up others.  You feel better about yourself after being around them.  And I think that is how Darius felt when he was around Daniel.

Now remember, we are talking about having an excellent spirit “under less than ideal circumstances.”  It is easy to maintain an excellent spirit when all is right with the world.  It is in adversity that this is tested.  How do you respond when someone mistreats you?  How much energy do you put into a task that you do not enjoy?  How do you deal with the pressure of deadlines?  How do you handle all the darts that the enemy hurls your way?

Excellence is a lighthouse in a sea of mediocrity.  It will shine out for all to see.

3.            Daniel maintained his faith in God.

All through the first six chapters of Daniel, we see again and again that Daniel believed in the providence and provision of God.  He believed that God would honor his commitment to abstaining from the king’s food.  He trusted God to give him the interpretations of the king’s dreams.  Daniel sought God for wisdom and direction in times of need. 

And God honored his faith.  He gave Daniel wisdom and revelation.  He granted Daniel favor with the kings.  He protected Daniel and delivered him from the lion’s den.

It is easy for our faith to be shaken when we find ourselves living “under less than ideal circumstances.”  But always remember these two things:

                1. God’s heart toward you is good.

                2. God is working out His purposes.

We can trust Him because He loves us and because He knows what He is doing.

God does not want us to just get by.  He wants us to thrive.  After all, we are told in John 10:10, Jesus came to give us abundant life.    As Daniel showed us our character, our excellence, and our faith will determine just how well we thrive in “less than ideal circumstances.

Who Measures Success? Part 2

In Isaiah 6, the prophet sees the glory of God, worships, repents, and finds restoration.  He is so moved by the experience that he eagerly volunteers himself for service when God is looking for someone to send on an urgent mission.  But the story takes an interesting turn as God tells Isaiah how his new ministry will unfold.  He basically tells Isaiah to warn the people, but they will not listen.  But keep preaching “until the cities lie in waste without inhabitant, and houses without people, and the land is a desolate waste, and the LORD removes people far away, and the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land.” 

No megachurch for Isaiah.  Nobody is going to follow his blog.  No repentance, no revival, no acclaim, no nothing.  Yet, Isaiah does the only thing He knows to do, He obeys the voice of God.

In Acts 7, we can read about this guy named Stephen, whose first sermon in scripture was also his last.  He brought a hellfire and brimstone sermon, and did the people repent?  Oh, no.  Instead…they stoned him.  Yep! Sure did.  But according to verse 55, he was filled with the Holy Ghost.  So what causes a man filled with the Holy Ghost to be stoned?

So two men, both committed followers of God, had ministries that, humanly speaking, lacked substantial visible fruit.  (At least at the time.)

 Why did Stephen not experience the success of a Paul?  Why didn’t Isaiah’s message bring repentance in Israel like Jonah’s message did in Nineveh? 

Why does God send one man to a small village in a remote part of the world to preach the gospel for 30 years, and that man only gain three converts?  And why does that same God call another to pastor a megachurch in a large American city?  Both preachers loved God and obeyed His voice.

Why do some great books become best sellers and others sell only 18 copies?  Both authors loved God and obeyed His voice.

Here is something we must understand as ministers of God’s grace.  We do not always know what God is up to.  In fact, we seldom do.  But we must rest in the truth that God is working out His eternal purposes.  And frankly, we don’t always get clarity on what that is.  It can be frustrating at times, to be sure. “Why aren’t things working out the way I planned?”  “Why is God blessing her and not me?”  “Why could Dr. Seuss sell so many books and I can’t?”  But these questions are asked by those looking through temporary eyes.  God wants us to see further than that.  God wants us to understand that He is working in ways we cannot see.

I submit to you that in the eyes of God, both Isaiah and Stephen were very successful.  Why?  Because they obeyed His voice.  That’s it.  They sought God, they heard God, they obeyed God.  And that is how God measures success: “How well did you follow me?”

That is why I don’t buy into the statement “If God is in it, He will bless it.”  There are too many stories in the Bible to the contrary.  Better to say “If God has called you to it, He is in it.”  It doesn’t matter if the outcome is visible to us. All that matters is that we obey Him.  On that great day, when we all stand before the judgment seat of Christ, we will understand why God has done what He has done, we will see the eternal fruit of our labor,  and we will see who God considers successful.

And so as you move forward on whatever it is God has called you to do, remember these things:

*Seek God, hear His Voice, and obey.

*Work hard and leave the results to Him.

*Trust that God is working out His eternal purposes.

*Live for the applause of heaven, not the applause of man.

Who Measures Success pt 1

“Without the assistance of the Divine Being…I cannot succeed.  With that assistance, I cannot fail.”

 –Abraham Lincoln

Just a few hours before reading that quote, I had read a familiar story in the Bible.  A man had brought his demon possessed son to the disciples, hoping against hope that they might be able to cast out the evil spirit.  They tried, but could not.  This was fairly strange, especially considering that the disciples had done this kind of thing before.  In fact, earlier in that same passage (Luke 9), Jesus had bestowed upon them authority over the demons of hell.  So what went wrong?  After Jesus had healed the boy himself, his disciples asked why they had been unable to do it.  Jesus told them that this type of power comes only through prayer. 

In other words, for the disciples to experience success, they needed God’s power.  I believe that they tried to cast out the devil in their own power, and they failed.  Jesus had to remind them that unless they stay plugged into Him, they could not ultimately succeed.

Then I read Lincoln’s quote, and it was the exclamation point that God put on the statement He was sending me.  Let me explain what I mean by this.  As many of you know, I have been working to get a children’s book published.  It is a story about my niece, her death, and her first few days in heaven.  You can find out more about it on Facebook.  The book is called Heavenly Magic.  Anyway, I have been working with a self-publishing company for several months now, and the book will be on the market in a few weeks.

My desire is that this book will be picked up by a traditional publishing company, become a best seller, and open the door for me to present other works. On Thursday of this past week, I spoke with a marketing advisor, and he told me that a traditional publishing company wants to know that an author can bring in customers, so he suggested that I promote the book through social media, facebook, twitter, etc.  I am not computer savvy at all, so this overwhelmed me a little bit.  Then this old boy dropped the hammer.  He said that I needed an audience of about 50,000 people.  What?  Are you kidding me?  After speaking with this guy for an hour, I was physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted.  How in the world am I going to do this?  One “like” at a time I guess.

So I go to work this past weekend, building my audience.  I get on Facebook and practically beg people to like and share my Heavenly Magic page.  I start a Twitter account and follow people, hoping that they will follow me in return.  I determine to start posting a blog once or twice a week.  I buy Michael Hyatt’s book, Platform, and start reading it.  I ask friends to help me understand all the social network jargon.  I do everything I know to do, except one thing.  I did not pray.  I just went to work, because I have an agenda, and there is no time to waste. 

So Sunday evening comes, and my gracious God allows me to read Luke 9 and a quote from Abraham Lincoln, and He says, “Do you get my point?”

Now do not misunderstand, I know that  God has told me to write, has commissioned me to write, and I believe God will use my writing to help people, but He also wants me to know that I will not be successful if I do it in my own power.    

So if I pray and follow God’s leading, then I am guaranteed that a major publishing company will want to publish my book, right?  Well, no.  It could happen, but it might not.

 

So let me process this, I know that God wants me to write, has called me to write.  I have this story that I am promoting and committing to Him, I am seeking His wisdom and following His lead, and this book still might not get picked up by a major publishing company?

Wouldn’t that make this whole thing a failure?  Well, it kind of depends on how you measure success.

To be continued… 

Filling Pots

Time is fleeting, is it not?  I just realized that almost three months have passed since my last blog-three months!  Great Day!  How does that happen? 

No matter.  Let me just say, first of all, that the dream is still very much alive!!!  I am so excited to see the hand of our great King weaving so many fabrics together to create such a masterpiece.  His handiwork is so glorious in the lives of his royal children.

As winter came to northern Idaho, so did frustration.  I felt as though I was just spinning my wheels. I was frustrated about our lack of ministry opportunities, our lack of friends, our lack of funds, etc.  I was seeking God, and trying to obey His voice, but all I heard was, “Wait, be still.”

 My response to that was, “I’ve been waiting!!! For six years, I’ve been waiting.  Can’t you just drop a ranch in my lap?”

He answered, “I can, but I won’t.  Trust me.  I know what’s best.”

“Okay,” I sighed.  Really, what else can I do?  For if I have learned anything on this journey, it is simply that God really does know what is best, and everything he does is for my good-even when, maybe especially when, I do not understand it.

A few days later I was studying about the life of Elisha, and I came to the story about the widow woman, whose sons were going to be sold into slavery because she could not pay her bills.  Her only possession of any value was a small pot of oil.  So Elisha told her to go to her neighbors and gather as many pots as she could and to pour the oil into the pots.  She was able to fill every pot with that little bit of oil.  She then sold the oil to pay off her debts and save her sons.

What stood out to me the most in this story is that the miracle was only as big as the number of pots she was able to gather.  If she gathered eight pots, she had eight pots of oil.  If she gathered two hundred pots, she had two hundred pots of oil.  I can’t help but think she gathered every pot she could possibly get her hands on. 

As I reflected on this, God said to me, “This is what I am doing for you now. This is a season of preparation, a time for you to pour oil.  And what you do in this time is going to determine what I am able to do through you in the future.”

 So naturally, I asked him what I should be focusing on during this season, and he said, “Your family, your business, and your writing.”

So I cleared my mind of everything else and turned all of my energy to these three things, and pots are being filled before my very eyes.  Here are just a couple of examples:

 

Family:

While attending Sunday morning worship, the pastor spoke about leaving a family legacy.  And I began to wonder about the legacy I wanted to leave with my family.  The idea grew in my mind, and I eventually wrote “The Clark’s Royal Creed.”  Basically, it is our code of chivalry, how we choose to live as children of the King.  We are teaching them to our children, and we hope that it will become something that is passed on to future generations. 

 

Business:

We started Mountain Water Window Cleaning in September, and the growth we experienced in just three months was nothing short of amazing.  But time was my enemy.  When the snow came, I knew that growth would come to a virtual stop.  So I simply decided that the winter would be lean, and I just needed to somehow limp my way to spring.  But God told me to continue bidding, prepare for growth, and He would bless my efforts.  And He has blessed and continues to bless in the cold months that are historically not profitable for this industry.

 

            Writing:

I have several writing projects that I have begun.  But very few that I have finished.  But when my niece passed away in October of 2011, I sat down and wrote a short story about her.  I read it to a few people, and they encouraged me to pursue publishing it.  I spoke with a few publishers, and the common response from all of them was that I needed to self publish it.  So I found a great company to work with, but self publishing required up-front costs that I never seemed to have.  Well after God told me to focus on my writing, someone called me and told me that they wanted to send me some money to help get this book published.  We are in the process of publishing it right now.  More information will be coming out about this soon.  God has also given me several other book ideas, and I am excited about all of them.

 As 2013 began, God told me again that these are to remain my focus throughout 2013.  He said that as I obey him, He would open doors for me and my family that I would never be able to open by myself.  So I am just going to keep walking with Him on this, trusting HIS plan and HIS promises.

 

(Now there may be some who read this and wonder about these conversations that I have with God.  That is something to discuss in a future post, maybe even the next one!)