IS YOUR NEW LIFE EVIDENT?

Debbie and I live on a wooded hillside overlooking two ponds. Our home is surrounded by trees of many kinds, but mostly pines. It is a constant job picking up branches and raking pine cones and needles! But the upside is that I feel like I wake up every morning in the Appalachian Mountains! We love it – in spite of the constant yard work!

Every spring I notice the new growth on our pines. It’s a sprig of light green at the end of every branch! It starts out about a half-inch long and then gradually grows with the spring to become an extension of the branch for the new year! The bright, light green stands in contrast to the darker green of the rest of the tree! The new life is clearly evident - even on our oldest pines which are my age!  

 

This has recently caused me to wonder about my own life. Having reached the mid-70’s, is there still new growth evident in my life? After meditating on this for several weeks, I’ve concluded that with us, it may be a matter of choice.

I suppose there are a number of options we can choose as we age. When/if we step out of the workforce, we may cease to grow in knowledge and experience. It is common to feel ‘put-out-to-pasture’ for retirees. The drive to continue learning and giving can diminish.

I can speak to a tendency to withdraw and isolate – made even stronger when handicaps such as mobility, health, hearing or vision challenges persist. But still – the choice remains.

If we ask the question: ‘Does God initiate new growth in our lives with every new year?’ – the answer likely varies.

My bias is that He does!

However, we must accept and respond to the growth opportunities that He provides and initiates!

Allow me to illustrate:

When I was a young pastor, I tried to be faithful to visit my elderly parishioners – especially shut-ins.

 

I had vowed to take good care of this group because my own grandmother had been ignored by the church as she grew older and unable to attend regularly! She purchased a wooden communion cup holder from Rex Humbard Ministries. When he served Holy Communion on television, she prepared her own communion and took it with him!

 

I didn’t want my older members to be forgotten!

 

But visiting them was sometimes hard. Many had lived hard lives with many disappointments. They were tired and overcome with physical challenges and sorrows. They were discouraged, alone and forgotten.

 

So many times, I heard the comment: “Pastor, I don’t know why the Lord doesn’t just take me home?”

 

Being young and filled with hope and expectation, these were hard words to hear. Repeatedly, I expressed my opinion to them with a simple statement that I believed to be true: “If the Lord wanted you to be home with Him – He’d have taken you! Since He’s left you here, it must mean that He still has work for you to do.”  And then I'd encourage them to look around to see what they could do to serve Him.

 

I meant it as a challenge, of course, but I don’t recall that it ever made a difference in the lives of my older members.

Life has a way of rounding out our experiences. Now, I’m that older person! My hearing capacity is about 25% what it was when I was the young pastor! This makes social settings confusing and stressful for me! I admit that I often simply choose to avoid these uncomfortable situations.

My comfort place is my study. I pray,  read, write and send out notes from that space. I occasionally am asked to speak at a few select churches. I enjoy these opportunities, but my anxiety level escalates significantly as a result. 

So, all of this contemplation leaves me with the initial question: “Is there indication of new life evident in Hal Haire?”

It’s a personal question, I realize that. I know what I want the answer to be. After years of recruiting, training and deploying leaders, I want the answer to be a hearty ‘YES!” And I’d like that new growth to be evident to others – just as the new growth on our pine trees is so clearly evident!

I want to keep growing and learning. I want to stay in the mainstream. I have a desire to stay relevant and engaged. I want to be an available resource to my God! I want to remain deployable!  I’ve never charmed to the thought of being predictable!  I’ve been a catalyst throughout the years of my active ministry; I want to maintain that role throughout my life!

So, today, I’m waiting before the Lord of my life inviting Him to show me the new things He is calling me to. What new knowledge does He want to initiate? What fresh direction does He desire me to move into? What new arena might I become involved with that would allow me to increase His influence?

I hope that whenever you look my way, some of that bright new green will always be reflected! And I pray this to be true for you, as well!

HOW DOES GOD SPEAK TO YOU?

I have a shelf in my home study where I have placed the top books [aside from the Bible] that have influenced me over the years. I have discovered that if an author writes a book that I benefit from, then I may also want to buy other books that they've written. Duh!

In the last church I served before going to China, I read David Platt's book, RADICAL. It transformed my thinking and energized my ministry! I immediately bought his follow-up book, RADICAL TOGETHER. These two books and their teaching catalyzed my ministry and significant growth in the Kingdom! 

A month ago, I bought another book of Platt's: COUNTER CULTURE. After reading over half of it, I became distracted by preparations for Family Camp. Another book was set on top of it, and I forgot I was even reading it. Since camp, I've read a couple of books and finally uncovered COUNTER CULTURE. I've been back to reading it for two days. 

After going to bed at 9:00 P.M. last night, I found myself wide awake at 3:30 AM. 🙄 After laying there a long time, my brain started working so I got up and went to my study. I finished Platt's book and am mesmerized by its impact on me!

All through my life, God has impacted me by the books that I've read. Many times, I've had a sense that He wanted me to read a certain book at a specific junction of my life! 

Many times the books that I read turned into sermon series that challenged me first, and hopefully others through their presentation. 

As I finished Platt's book in these early morning hours, I had a clear sense that I wasn't alone! 

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Do you have a clear sense of how God speaks to you? Can you discern when He's making His presence known?

It's a fair question. 

How do you know when God is dealing with you on a very personal level.

It's hard to describe, but I'm keenly aware when it's happening. For me, it involves three fairly specific modes.  

First, is that inner Voice that whispers into my mind. Sorry! I know that's intangible. But over the years, I've come to recognize the sound of that voice! It's not profuse. The thought/messages are brief and direct.

Second, these messages are repetitive! Not necessarily in quick succession. Actually sometimes they are somewhat distant from one another. But my mind clearly makes the connection, and I know that God is communicating with me!

Third, my reading confirms what God is trying to say to me! As already noted, when a book or article speaks to me with unmistakable clarity, it is the 'confirming word' for me!

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Just a couple of days ago, I sat with Debbie to inform her that God was initiating something new in my life. I tried to describe the things that were tipping me off to God's speaking into my life. She listened carefully. I could sense some apprehension and fear as I spoke. Perhaps this is because one of these conversations led us to northeast China for three years!!!!!  😊

She came into my study a few minutes ago and I intimated to her that I had been up half of the night reading and that God had been speaking to me with clarity. She slipped out pretty quickly! She's preparing to lead a women's Bible study this morning and wants to meditate on that before she leaves. I know that we'll talk later today.

I'm fully aware that I am in the early stages of God's call and clarification of His call. I can only report that I'm fully focused and highly excited. What might this adventure include? How will God move to change our lives? Will I be a fruitful branch? What changes in our lives might it necessitate? What will family and others think? Will we have the courage to step up to His call? Will we be willing to make the sacrifices that He may ask of us?

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How about you?

Do you listen for God's voice?

Are you aware of how He tends to communicate with you?

Since you're reading this blog, you probably talk TO Him a fair amount; but do you designate time to LISTEN TO HIM? 

If He could get your attention, what might He say to you? What might He put His finger on? 

Have you responded to His crystal clear instructions from His Word? 

Have you settled for contentment and complacency? Is there more you could be doing to advance His purposes? 

REMEMBER Matthew 7:13-14 [NASB]:

Enter through the narrow gate;

for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction,

and there are many who enter through it.

For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life,

and there are few who find it.

STREAKING IN THE OLD TESTAMENT

 I see that this title got your attention!  You will not be disappointed.

Isaiah was one of God's Old Testament prophets.  He faithfully delivered God's messages over a period from 740-680 B.C.  

In 711 B.C., Sargon II - king in Assyria - sent his field marshal to attack and defeat the city of Ashdod [located near the Mediterranean Sea in an area known today as the Gaza Strip]. 

At this time, God was very angry with Egypt and Ethiopia and was about to bring judgment on them for their rebellion.  God wants His people to know that this divinely orchestrated punishment was coming because they lay in the direct path between Egypt and Assyria - mortal enemies!  Consequently, they also needed to prepare for this invasion!

It is said that "a picture is worth a thousand words."  So, instead of just sending Isaiah to speak this vital message of warning, God instructs Isaiah to:

Take off all your clothes of mourning, and take off your shoes too.  Of course, Isaiah did that, which left him utterly naked, head to toe. [Isaiah 20:2]

[All quotes from The Voice Bible unless otherwise noted]

Isaiah walked around for three years naked and barefoot illustrating what was going to happen to Assyria and Ethiopia.  

Assyria will take away Egypt's captives and Ethiopia's exiles, young and old alike, naked and barefoot as slaves. The Egyptians' shameful impotence and their bare behinds will be on display for all to see as they are driven away by the Assyrians. They will be mortified and humiliated, for they depended on each other, confident that Egypt and Ethiopia could withstand Assyrian assault.  [Isaiah 20:4-5] 

Isaiah obeyed God and vividly portrayed what was going to happen to Egypt and Ethiopia.  It is highly likely that many of the Israelites would see these defeated people as they were herded through Israel on their way back to Assyria!

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In an ancient day when communications were far less effective than they are today, God used His prophets in strange ways that would capture the people's attention!  There are many similar incidents in the other Old Testament prophetic books!  God is dramatic!  He sends His messages with a strong desire that they be heard and heeded!

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In fact, Sargon II never did defeat Egypt and Ethiopia.  Assyria - under different leaders - squashed Egypt over fifty years later.  It seems that God was using Isaiah's actions to warn Israel NOT to put their trust in Egypt - which they had done before.  

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God will use who He wants to use - when He wants to use them!  It's doubtful that anyone looked at Jonah and said, "Now there's a man that God will surely use for His sovereign purposes".  And yet, God did choose and use Jonah!  He used farmers as prophets as well.  

In the Philippines God uses many women to lead the Church!  In Nepal God is using rugged men from the mountains to sustain His work!  In many places across Africa, God is mobilizing those who have endured horrendous suffering!  In America, God is calling men and women from other vocations to come and lead His Church!  \

HE IS STILL THE LORD OF THE CHURCH!