“It is a crest of granite… perfectly inaccessible, being probably the only one of the prominent points about the Yosemite which never has been, and never will be, trodden my human foot.”    — California Geological Survey report about Half Dome, 1865.

It is the iconic symbol of Yosemite National Park.  It is the inspiration for The North Face Logo.  It is imprinted on the back of the California version of the quarter.  And, to me, Half Dome will always be a reminder that nothing is impossible with God.

There is such a sense of accomplishment when you do something someone once said was impossible.  About a decade after Half Dome was declared an impossible climb by the “experts,” someone was standing on its summit.  Now, about 50,000 people per year take the 17 ½ mile round trip to the top and back. This is a story about how God turned this physical test of endurance into my own personal testimony that the words of Isaiah still offer access to supernatural stamina to us all today. “He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength.  Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall. But those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:29-31) 

This summer, my son, Grant, and I joined the ranks of those who had stood atop this grand granite guardian of the Yosemite Valley.  Grant turned 21 about a month earlier, and he had picked Yosemite as one of our main stops on our annual father/son adventure birthday trip. He also decided that we should hike up Half Dome while we were there. I knew Half Dome would be a hard hike.  It was longer than any hike we had ever done (over twice as long).  It had an elevation gain of approximately 4800 feet (about 50% more than we had ever done).  If the distance and elevation gain were not enough, there was also the daunting task of taking on the infamous Half Dome cables – found on the final 400 feet of the ascent at more than a 50 degree angle.  This, would, no doubt, stretch me, challenge me, and take me outside my comfort zone – something that God uses Grant to do to me regularly.

However, the distance, elevation gain, and perilous approach were not the things which made me question whether I could conquer Half Dome.  It was leg cramps.  After we had hiked approximately 7 ¾ miles, with still about a mile to go to the summit, I started having cramps in my quadriceps.  It was probably a combination of the nerve damage I have in my left leg from an old herniated disc, a lot of sweating, and the strain of the ascent.  I had experienced a few bouts with leg cramps in the past, usually when I had been involved in marathon tennis matches.  I knew the best treatment was rest and hydration.  I could do something about the hydration, but the rest could not last long because we still had many miles to go.  It was at that point I began to wonder if this was possible.

Have you ever considered the difference between “Impossible” and “Possible?”  Two little letters – “I” and “m” – transform “possible” into “impossible.”  I think this gives us a clue as to what makes the difference in our ability to accomplish a difficult undertaking and our inability to accomplish it.  I’m the difference.  I’m the one who believes it can or cannot be done.  Henry Ford said, “Whether you believe you can do a thing or not, you are right.” We are the limiting factor.  Dr. John Maxwell has said, ‎”Impossible is not a fact. It’s an opinion. Impossible is not a declaration. It’s a dare. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary. Impossible is nothing.” And I would like to add, nothing is impossible. 

However, even with belief you must still have ability.  What do you do when your frail flesh begins to fail you?  You pray.  You pray fervently and you pray frequently.  The evening before this hike, Grant and I had been listening to songs from a Kari Jobe CD as we drove from the 32 mile route from the Yosemite Valley up to Glacier Point.  The lyrics from “Healer,” echoed in my spirit and became my “breath prayer” – my constant confession – as I continued my cramp-hampered climb of Half Dome.  “I believe You’re my Healer, I believe You are all I need…(chorus) “Nothing is impossible for You, nothing is impossible…” 

I prayed that God would let me finish…and finish strong.  I prayed that He would help me to mount up on eagles wings, and that I would not faint.  I prayed He would strengthen me and give me the stamina to finish. I prayed that God will give me a Spirit-filled second wind.  I know Grant joined me in prayer about this.  Prayer is a meeting of partners.  It is our opportunity to stand in the presence of the God of unlimited power, wisdom, and love, and have Him share His unlimited resources with us.  When Paul prayed for the removal of the thorn in his flesh, the reply of Jesus was, “’My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is make perfect in weakness’” (2 Corinthians 12:9).  Where my weakness begins, God’s strength will take over, if we are willing to ask.  We can all be encouraged by recognizing, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13). 

A little over an hour after the leg cramps started we were standing on top of Half Dome.  God had granted me the strength and stamina to attain the goal.  It was a hike I will always remember.  The lesson I learned will last a lifetime.  ‎“With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26).  The Half Dome hike will always be a reminder to me that nothing is impossible with God. I know that there are things that I will face in the future which will require me to recall this mountain top moment. 

A.W. Tozer once said, “God is looking for people through whom He can do the impossible – what a pity that we plan only the things we can do by ourselves.” When we have faith only in what we can do by ourselves, we limit our potential. I know that I will never look at a seemingly impossible situation the same way again.  When my own weakness, powerlessness, and shortcomings tempt me to say, “No way,” I can call on God to supply what is missing, and say, “Way.”

Earlier it was stated, “I’m the difference.”  Our unbelief is a limiting factor, but so is our limited ability.  We must believe before we can achieve, but we must believe God will supply what we lack.  So, it is more accurate to say I’M the difference.  The invisible I AM makes all the difference – turning IMpossible into possible (Exodus 3:14).  The next time someone tells you the thing God has called you to do is impossible, quickly correct them.  Nothing is IMpossible with God.

Have you ever thought you made a wrong turn at some point in your life?  Have you ever gotten distracted and just lost your way?  Have you lost confidence in knowing where you are going?  Have you ever thought you needed to backtrack so you could find your way again?  These are questions which came to me after a recent hike on a scenic portion of the Pinhoti Trail on Mount Cheaha and Duggar Mountain in Alabama.

It had been a beautiful day in the mid-60s.  After many weeks of cold weather and even several days of snow, this was a welcomed weather-change.  I was beaconed by the beauty of this new untried trail.  I invited my son, Grant, to go with me, but he had unfinished homework from an art class.  So, this was to be a solo hike – just me and God.

I had hiked a couple of trails on Cheaha Mountain before, but I had never hiked on the Pinhoti Trail, which connects to the Appalachian Trail. I had heard this was a good trail.  It was only about an hour away from my home in west Georgia, so I thought this would be a good hike on a Sunday afternoon.  I needed a new adventure; a time of worship in the wilderness; a time of one-on-One with my Maker; a time of silence, solitude, and seductive scenery.  A new trail would entail new unknowns, and one of the best ways I have found to get to know God better is to experience new “unknowns.”

Out of the gray days of winter the green of new life was sneaking into the picture.  Ansel Adams- like portraits of these mountains, these cathedrals of creation, were slowly but surely being colorized.

I found the trail to be well-marked with blue blazes fairly frequently, along with an occasional white Pinhoti Trial metal diamond about every half-mile or so.  The Pinhoti Trail markers have a distinctive turkey foot on them.  “Pinhoti” comes from the Creek Indian word meaning “turkey home.”

There were several scenic overlooks along the trail which ran along the ridges of the mountains.   I took some photos of a couple of pine trees which seemed to be growing out of the rocks. I even happened up on the wreckage of a small plane (which I later learned was the plane crash which took place in 1998 involving the family of a fellow church member). 

It was a good hike.  It energized me.  And as the sun started to set I picked up the pace to get back to the trailhead.  As I walked along, I notice that the sun setting resulted in a long shadow being cast.  It was a reminder that our days on this earth are limited, and as we near the end of our days we cast a long shadow. 

I paused briefly at one of the last overlooks before the trailhead.  I took one last look at the lake far below.  I then started down the trial.  However, as I went about 100 yards down the trail I noticed that I did not see any of the blue blazes on the trees.  I hesitated, looked around, and decided I had better backtrack to the overlook.  It was almost dark and I did not want to pull out my headlamp to finish my hike on an unfamiliar trail.

After arriving back at the overlook, I once again saw the blue blazes on the trees.  I had taken a side-trail and the Pinhoti actually descended down the other side of the mountain.  I had made a wrong turn.  It would have taken me someplace I did not intend to go.  I had gotten distracted at the overlook and took a trail which looked like the right one, but it did not have the right markers on it.

There are markers in our lives.  God has a path of life for each of us.  It is a path which will energize us.  It is a path which will cause us to live life fully.  It will make us come alive.  It is a path which will give us joy. “You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy” (Psalm 16:11). 

The literal translation of one of the most frequently used Greek words for “sin” is to miss the mark.  I made a wrong turn on the trail and “missed the mark.”  One of the Hebrew words translated “sin” means to wander or go astray.  And the Hebrew word for “repent” means to turn around and go the other direction.  If you are missing those markers in your life, perhaps it is time to backtrack and go back to the place you last saw those markers.  Maybe you took a wrong turn and have gone down a side-trail.  If you’re wandering, it’s not too late to get back on the right path.  But first we must acknowledge that we may not be where we’re supposed to be.

There is an old Navajo saying, “If we don’t turn around now, we just may get where we’re going.”  Turn around…you don’t want to go there.  Get back on the right path.  And when you get back on the right path – you will know.

Isn’t it interesting the way that God will use our children to teach us things?  I mean, we, as parents, are supposed to be the ones who are the teachers in the family.  But my daughter, Ashton, recently taught me a very important lesson about prayer. 

It was the day of Ashton’s high school graduation – a day we had all looked forward to for a very long time.  It was going to be a very special day.  Ashton was the Valedictorian of her class and had worked hard to craft a challenging and God-honoring speech.  She had sprinkled in some humor, some reflection on past events in the class, a summary of the class’ accomplishments, some serious thank yous, a personal story about the character of her class, and concluded it all with a prayer of blessings, protection, salvation, and guidance.  It took you through the entire range of emotions: joy to sadness, somber reflection to a hopeful forecast of the future.  It was just what you would expect from a student accepted into the Honors Program at the University of Georgia who was going to major in Speech Communication.  We were so very proud of her.

There was just one problem…the weather.  The graduation ceremonies were to be held outside on the Bremen High School football field. The weather forecast called for a strong possibility of scattered pop-up thunderstorms in the area. Throughout the week leading up to the Friday night graduation the forecast had called for about a 40% chance of scattered thunderstorms. If it rained the graduation ceremonies would be moved inside the gym.  The gym would be crowded and hot – not the best venue for my daughter’s big day. Also, we were having a post-graduation party for family and friends outside at our home.  So, I did what any other dad would do.  I carefully monitored the local weather forecast on TV and the internet on www.weather.com.  

Oh, yeah, I prayed too.  But, Ashton was the one who was in charge of the prayers.  We had called her our weather prayer warrior for years.  Whenever we had a trip or family outing planned, we would put Ashton in charge of praying for good weather.  None of us could ever remember an event where she had prayed for good weather and we did not get it.  But, the power of her weather prayers was about to be put to the test.

On Friday morning the weather looked pretty good.  There was sunshine, with only a few clouds.  I sent Ashton a Facebook message with a Youtube link to the song Perfect Day from Legally Blonde.  Ashton likes that movie and I thought some of the lyrics were most appropriate: “You’ll hear me say, Now don’t you try to rain on my Perfect day, Nothing’s standing in my way On this perfect day, Nothing can go wrong…”  I was at the high school cafeteria that morning for a Gideon Bible distribution to the graduating seniors and had the opportunity to hear Ashton pray before the senior breakfast.  She ended the prayer with a request that God hold back the rain for the graduation exercises.  There was no doubt about it – “Elijah” had publically, for all her classmates to hear, asked her great God to give them good weather for graduation.  After lunch, the cloud cover increased, and by mid-afternoon some pretty ominous clouds started rolling in.  I alternated praying and checking the forecast on the internet, where they broke the forecast down into 15 minute intervals.  It was a real roller coaster ride – one hour with the forecast showing a dramatic reduction of the percentage and the next showing a sharp increase in the chance showers. 

Ashton started getting texts from her friends asking her what would they do if it rained.  She reassured them that it would not rain, because she had been praying about it.  But after it rained hard at our house for a couple of hours just a few hours before we were to leave, I started to have my doubts.  On TV the weather report was indicating a thunderstorm with hail not far from Bremen.  We called Terri’s mother, who lives in Bremen, and she said they had gotten a hard rain.  Ashton sent a text message blast out to all her Christian friends urging them to pray in one accord for the weather.  I said another prayer myself, but I’m pretty sure it contained a good ‘ole Baptist unbelief buffer in there of “if it be in accordance with Your will…” At 5:42 P.M., Ashton sent the following Facebook message: “Have a little faith guys! Let’s all unite in prayer for the rain to go away for our graduation! “We have not because we ask not.’” She was really putting her faith out on the line here.

I went down to our basement to get something and when I returned upstairs, the rest of my family was standing at the front door looking out with their hands outstretched toward the heavens.  I didn’t even have to ask what was going on – they were rebuking the clouds.  And shortly afterwards the dark skies to the south (where the weather was coming from) began to clear.  I was relieved.  So, what did www.weather.com have to say about this miracle in the making?  I was so very disappointed as I read there was an 85% chance of thundershowers at 7:00 P.M. and it only dropped to 65% at 8:00, the start time for graduation. On Facebook one person had sent a message, “It looks like graduation will be in the gym.” I told Terri, but I did not have the heart to share this with Ashton.  It was now about 6:30, and we were just about to leave.  

As we began our 15 minute drive to the football field, it was still sprinkling rain, and we still did not know if the ceremony was going to be inside or outside.  But the closer we came to Bremen the dryer the roads appeared. It looked like it had hardly rained at all.  The lights were on at the stadium – that was a good sign.  And then people were going in the gates at the football field, yea, so far, so good.

Ashton went to meet with the other graduates and we went to find good seats.  We found some (and that in itself was a miracle for another story).  We sat in our 40 yard line seats with all-smiles as we witnessed a truly God-honoring graduation.  There were three student-led heartfelt prayers.  Father, Son, and Holy Spirit had obviously received invitations and were welcomed guests at this high school graduation.  The retiring superintendent almost preached a sermon (he was a Baptist pastor).  It was amazing.  You would have thought it was a private Christian School or a revival service somewhere, rather than a public school commencement.  And Ashton’s Valedictorian speech was great!  But probably even greater was her witness to her classmates as she demonstrated the power of prayer – not a drop of rain fell throughout the entire graduation ceremony or during the post-graduation party at our house.

I was one proud parent!  I was certainly proud of Ashton’s many academic accomplishments, but I was even more proud of the public stand she took in praying for good weather.  Long after her classmates have forgotten the wise words from her speech, they will still remember the power of the prayers of Ashton and her other Christian classmates.

I believe God honored the prayers of His people because they honored Him.  I was reminded of a scene from the old movie, Chariots of Fire.  In the movie, Eric Liddell, a Scottish track star in the 1926 Olympics who was also a missionary to China, was given a note before his 400 meter race which read, “It says in the good Book, ‘He that honors me, I will honor.’ Good luck.”  Liddell went on to win the gold medal in the 400 meters.  The actual passage from Scripture reads, “But now the LORD says: ‘Far be it from Me; for those who honor Me I will honor, and those who despise Me shall be lightly esteemed.” (1 Samuel 4:20)

Recently, Terri had been leading a series in our church life group on the book, The Power of the Praying Parent.  As we had gone through this several week study, it became increasing clear to me that so many of the blessings our children had experienced were directly tied to the many prayers prayed over them.  In Philippians 4:6 we are told, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.”  Terri had shared with the class something she heard Beth Moore say about this verse.  We would not be instructed to pray about everything unless everything could be affected by prayer.  And did you know that in the original Greek, the word for “everything” means EVERYTHING?  It is a pretty all–inclusive term which includes every single thing – even the weather.  My Valedictorian daughter taught me that on the day she graduated from high school.

In Mark Batterson’s new book Primal: A Quest for the Lost Soul of Christianity (WaterBrook Multnomah 2009) the reader is taken down into the catacombs of second century Christianity to examine “Christianity in its primal glory.”  Prime numbers are only divisible by themselves and the number one.  Mark notes that prime truths have a similar indivisible quality to them.  The Great Commandment, or as it could be called the Primal Commandment, is familiar to us all.  “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all you mind and with all your strength.”   

But here in the Twenty-first Century, people tend to think of Christians in terms of what they are against, rather than what they are for.  We are so quick to criticize culture that “critical” may now override “compassion” as the word more closely associated with Christianity.  Could there be any correlation between this and the disturbing mass exodus of twenty-somethings from the church?  Some studies have shown 61 percent of the twenty-somethings who have grown up in church will stop going to church while still in their twenties.  While the common question is “what is wrong with this generation,” Mark Batterson suggests that the correct question is “what’s wrong with the church?” 

If there is anyone qualified to ask and answer this question, I believe it is this visionary pastor, speaker, and author.  You see, he pastors National Community Church, in our nation’s capital.  I had the opportunity to visit the Union Station location last year.  Seventy percent of this church’s congregation is comprised of twenty-somethings.  This demographic donut hole is sadly missing from most of our churches today.  However, it is this generation that will be essential to the next reformation wherein the church will move from merely recognizing its creeds to one which turns its creeds into deeds.

And while Mark acknowledges that there is much to criticize within today’s culture, in Primal he invites each Christian to first examine themselves.  Think of it getting the log out of your own eye, so you can see better to help your brother.  The primal problem is identified as the fact that “we’re  not great at the Great Commandment.  In too many instances, we’re not even good at it.”  He suggests that we must get back to the basics of our beliefs.

So, “the quest for the lost soul of Christianity begins with rediscovering what it means to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength.”  Mark examines each of the four different aspects of the Great Commandment individually: heart, soul, mind, and strength.  He observes:

The heart of Christianity is primal compassion.

The soul of Christianity is primal wonder.

The mind of Christianity is primal curiosity.

The strength of Christianity is primal energy.

Let me entice you with some samplings from each section: On the heart – “It’s much easier to act like a Christian than to react like one.  Anyone can put on an act.  But your reactions reveal what is really in your heart.  And if you love God will all your heart, you won’t just act like it.  You’ll react like it.” p. 22 

On the soul – “One of the great mistakes we’ve made in modern Christianity is approaching God deductively as an object of knowledge instead of approaching Him inductively as the cause of wonder…God is more than factual.  He is wonderful.  The mind is educated with facts, but the soul is educated with beauty and mystery.  And the curriculum is creation.” p.53 

On the mind – “We need sanctified imaginations writing songs, making movies, drafting policies, and starting nonprofits.  We need fewer commentators and more innovators.  We need fewer critics and more creators.  We need fewer imitators and more dreamers.  In the immortal words of Michelangelo, criticize by creating.” p. 117

On strength – “I know God loves the sound of our voices when we sing songs of praise.  It’s music to His ears.  But you know what God loves even more?  God loves the smell of your sweat.  It stinks to high heaven, but it’s a sweet aroma.  Your sweat is sacred incense.  God loves it when we break a sweat serving His purposes.  Our energy turns into beautiful melodies, and it’s music in God’s ear.  It’s also the way we build sweat equity in His kingdom.” p. 134

At the conclusion of Primal, Mark observes that “compassion, wonder, curiosity, and energy are nouns,” and it’s our job to turn them into verbs. This is the Great Commandment of Christianity.  In the end, we will not be commended for well thought, well understood, or even well said, but rather “well done.”

It has been my privilege to see Mark Batterson grow as a writer.  With each new book he is able to more clearly convey challenging concepts which should be central to each Christian’s life.  I have now read all of his books, and my reaction is to always wonder how he’ll top it next time, but somehow each time he does.  With each new book I am compelled to step outside my comfort zone and go further down a path with God on a most amazing and rewarding journey of faith.  I highly endorse Primal for any Christian who wants to enter into the New Year focused on making the main thing the main thing. 

Primal is set for release on December 22, 2009.  For information on how to purchase the book online go to

http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/catalog.php?isbn=9781601421319

The author of Wild Goose Chase and In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day, Mark Batterson serves as lead pastor of National Community Church in Washington, D.C. One church with nine services in five locations, NCC is focused on reaching emerging generations and meets in movie theaters at metro stops throughout the D.C. area. Mark has two Masters degrees from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Chicago. He and his wife, Lora, live on Capitol Hill with their three children. www.markbatterson.com

Yes, you are to take a trail branching off the main trail, but it must be the right one.  And timing will help you tell if it is the right one.  There is a turn, and you are to take it, but being cognizant of the time will help you make the right turn. Too early and too late are both too bad.  Timing plays a big role in our orientation, and conversely, a lack of timing in our disorientation.  It is one of the great tragedies of life that so few realize that knowing the time to make a turn is at least equally important with knowing that you are to make a turn.

Solomon said, “And a wise man’s heart discerns both time and judgment, because for every matter there is a time and judgment.” (Ecclesiastes 8:5-6).  There are two important components to every endeavor – time and judgment.  Notice that time precedes the task.  But have you ever considered that most of our prayers seem to focus on the “what” and not the “when.”  We ask God about the task, but not the timing, forgetting that the right thing at the wrong time is still the wrong thing. 

We have schedules, appointments, and deadlines.  Yes, there most definitely is “a time for every purpose under heaven.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1).  Just take a look at the familiar list located at Ecclesiastes 3:1-8.  But do not miss the introduction to Solomon’s thesis on timing.  “To everything there is a season.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1).  There is a time and a season for everything.  I firmly believe that God created our four seasons to remind us that there are seasons in our lives.  Men tend to get very confused as they enter the last two seasons of their lives.  The transition from the “boys of summer” to the aging men of autumn is tough on a man’s psyche.  The weekend warriors discover new aches and pains.  It takes them longer to recover.  The time between warm-up and wear out becomes shorter and shorter.

And at the same time physical deterioration begins creeping into our lives, the mental and spiritual aspects of our lives have the potential for great growth.  “He has made everything beautiful in its time.” (Ecclesiastes 3:11).  A man who matures and recognizes the change in seasons in his life is not only fulfilled, but he adds great value to those around him.  But what happens when men act like boys?  We’ve all seen it.  Forty and fifty year old teenagers are easy to spot.  They have refused to put away childish things and the result is anything but beautiful.  They wreck their worlds by refusing to recognize the summer season has passed.  They continue to live selfish lives, oblivious the lessons learned by their season-conscious peers.  And in so doing, they miss tremendous opportunities.

Timing is a crucial aspect of recognizing and seizing opportunities.  The word “opportunity” comes from a Latin phrase ob portu, which referred to the moment in time when the tide would turn and allow ships to enter into ancient ports or harbors.  Before the flood tide, or high tide, the ancient ports or harbors were too shallow to enter.  If you missed the moment, you would have to wait for the next tide to come in. Shakespeare captured this notion in this familiar passage:

    There is a tide in the affairs of men,
    Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune;
    Omitted, all the voyage of their life
    Is bound in shallows and in miseries.
    On such a full sea are we now afloat;
    And we must take the current when it serves,
    Or lose our venture.

There is a proverb in Nepal which says, “Opportunity comes but does not linger.” What do you bet that one came from some sherpas who have taken advantage of, or perhaps missed, windows of opportunity regarding the weather as it relates to climbing Mt. Everest?  Recognizing and seizing an opportunity leads to success.  Missing an opportunity can lead to delay, and sometimes a totally different destiny. (To be continued)

If a man is asked a question, he thinks about the question, goes through the problem solving process, searches for an answer until he finds it, and then he then takes greater ownership of that answer.  He is far more likely to embrace it, hold on to it, and apply it to his life.  God has been teaching man through the asking of questions from the very beginning, and Jesus continued this teaching method during His lifetime on earth.

So, it should not surprise you that the very first question God asked in the Bible is one of our four orienting questions.  It is the question which addresses our place or location.  “Where are you?” (Genesis 3:9) This is the question posed to Adam after he had eaten the forbidden fruit.  God knew where Adam and Eve were, but did they?   

“Where are you” is always a relational question.  In order to explain where someone or something is you must describe the place as it relates to a known point.  Remember, to “orient” is to define the position of something or someone, in relation to the east or other points of the compass.  So, “orient” primarily has to do with one’s location or relational position.  When I was trying to explain the location of my home in the small, rural town of Buchanan, Georgia to some people attending the Peacemakers’ Conference in Dallas, Texas recently, I said, “It is about 45 miles west of Atlanta, not far from I – 20 and just before you get to the Alabama line.”  This description gave a context from which the place I live could be better understood by others. 

In the physical realm you need to know where you are in relation to the sun’s rising.  In the spiritual realm you need to know where you are in relation to the Son’s rising.  Where are you in relation to God and His incarnate Son, Jesus Christ?  When God asked His orienting question of Adam, He wanted Adam to understand where he was in relation to his God.  As you read the passage of Scripture immediately preceding the orienting question you get the idea that Adam and Eve missed a daily appointment to walk with God in the garden.  They were not where they should have been.

“And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees in the garden” (Genesis 3:8).

Notice the progression of events.  Adam heard God’s voice in the garden.  He was afraid, and then he hid from God’s presence (Genesis 3:9). These are all new concepts being introduced to us for the first time in Scripture.  Man was first afraid after his first sin.  Fear always follows broken fellowship with our Father. Before The Fall, there was no fear, at least not the kind that led to man hiding.  And when we hide, we are placing something between ourselves and our God.  Man was not made to hide.  He was made for fellowship.  But so many men have broken fellowship and are hiding from God today.

There are two other questions which are closely related to, and implied in, the “Where are you” question.  They are: “How did you come to this place,” and “Where are you going from here?”  These are the questions which give context to your current location.  Without considering these “coming and going” questions you are likely to misunderstand the place you are presently.

Orient yourself as to this place.  Where are you?  Are you walking with God, or are you afraid and hiding?  How did you get to where you are?  Where are you going next?  Do you know?  These are things a man must know in his life’s journey; otherwise he will remain disoriented.  And disoriented men, when they finally come out from hiding, will wander and drift because they have lost the Way.

What if Jesus had really promised redundant life instead? Would it have been a compelling vision? Would anyone have seen this as a change from what they were already doing? Doing the same thing, day, after day, after day, again, again, and again; it sounds pretty repetitious, pretty repetitious, pretty repetitious, doesn’t it? Redundancy is the same thing over, and over, and over. It is the same thing. It is the same thing. It is the same thing. It is maddening. We don’t have time for this. After all, life is short. And do you want to know something else about redundancy? It sounds boring. Not only does it sound boring, but it is!

Is boredom such a bad thing? “Soren Kierkegaard went so far as to say that ‘boredom is the root of all evil’ because it means we’re refusing to be who God made us to be. If you’re bored, one thing is for sure; you’re not following in the footsteps of Christ.” Mark Batterson, from In A Pit With A Lion On A Snowy Day, p. 57 (Multnomah Publishers 2006). And can you be bored to death? I think so. It starts out feeling like you’re in a groove. Being in a groove is a good thing, right? But if you keep on keeping on in the same groove the next thing you know you’re in a rut. Continue in the rut long enough and it becomes a ditch. Stay in that ditch long enough, back and forth over the same ground and it will become your grave, long before its time for you to be in one. Only the dead need a grave, so stop digging your own.

I believe that many men today are suffering from what I call the Sisyphus Syndrome. Sisyphus Syndrome is characterized by a seemingly pointless routine which has turned life into an unending chore, lacking in reward or fulfillment. Sisyphus was a character in Greek mythology who was punished by being cursed to roll a huge boulder up a steep hill, only to watch it roll down again, and repeat this, again, again, and again throughout eternity. His curse was an activity that was unending and/or repetitive, pointless, and unrewarding. Sisyphus is the epitome of the redundant life. However, while Sisyphus’ task was a curse, most men today take on their tasks as a choice.

But the promise of Jesus was that He came in order for us to live, and life more abundantly, not redundantly. The word for “abundantly” used in John 10:10 means “superabundance, excessive, overflowing, surplus, over and above, more than enough, profuse, extraordinary, above the ordinary, more than sufficient.” So, does that describe your life, or does redundancy better describe your life? If redundancy reigns, what do you do about that? How does that change? It has been said many times that one of the definitions of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. Could change be the key? Did Sisyphus need a new strategy?

After Jesus’ crucifixion, Peter took some of the disciples fishing. There, they reverted to their pre-Jesus way of life as fisherman. It was their groove/rut/ditch/grave. But all their efforts at fishing went unrewarded with no fish being caught. No doubt, they fished the way they had always done it before. At the end of the night, they were worn out and unsuccessful. However, Jesus came along on the shore with a strange command. “’Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some (John 21:6).’” Last year, while on a mission trip to Israel, I learned from a career naval officer that to obey this command was rather risky. Boats during this time in history always had the rudder on the right side of the boat. Accordingly, you just did not throw your net on the right side because if you did the net could drift back into the rudder and become tangled. That just was not the way you were to do it. But the obedience of the disciples to fish on the right side resulted in an abundant catch – a can’t get the net back in the boat, so many the net should have broken, 153 large fish catch (John 21:6-11).

Do not miss the allusion Jesus had made earlier to the fact that He would make them fishers of men (Matthew 4:19; Luke 5:10). Also, recall the fact that this was not the only time Jesus had instructed Peter, a professional fisherman, how to have an abundant catch by doing things differently. But the first time He told him to go into deeper water (Luke 5:4-9). Again, they had to be willing to do things differently. Do not miss the abundant life because you are religiously living the redundant life.

Let the redundant life go down into the groove/rut/ditch/grave it is so good at digging. Say a few kind words over “the way we’ve always done it.” Bring some flowers to the funeral if you like. But we must say goodbye to this old friend and bury the redundant life before we can ever begin to live the abundant life. Are you willing to get out of the rut, go “outside the box,” and fish on the right side of the boat? Your future depends on it. Stop being such a Sisyphus!

The term “Orient” is derived from the Latin word oriens meaning “east.” It literally means “rising”, as in the direction of the rising sun.  Over time it came to be used to describe “far eastern” countries: Japan, China, and Korea.  Another definition is to define the position of something or someone, in relation to the east or other points of the compass.  So, “orient” primarily has to do with one’s location or relational position. 

So, what does it mean to be disoriented?  When someone is disoriented they are confused.  They don’t know where they are.  They have lost their bearings.  When someone is disoriented they will take paths they never really intended to take.  Those paths will lead to places they never intended to go.  I’m afraid that many men today are disoriented, especially from a spiritual perspective.  They are lost – drifting and wandering without any orientation.

Medical records, when evaluating someone’s mental state, will refer to a person as Oriented x 3 – (1) Who are you? (Person) (2) Where are you? (Place) (3) What time is it? (Time)  Sometimes they will add a 4^th item – Do you know what you are doing here? (Purpose)  If your spiritual state were to be evaluated, would you be oriented x 4?  Let’s examine each of these individually.

Person – “Who are you?”  This is the question asked of John the Baptist by the priests and Levites who had been sent from Jerusalem by the Jews (John 1:19-28).  I find it fascinating that in response to their question John the Baptist started out with who he was not.  “He confessed, and did not deny but confessed, ‘I am not the Christ.’  And they asked him, ‘What then, are you Elijah?’  He said, ‘I am not.’  Are you the Prophet?’ And he answered, No’” (John 1:20-21).  I think a big part of knowing who we are is first knowing who we are not. 

It is crucial that we recognize we are not God.   This may come as a shock to some of you, but you are not omniscient, omnipotent, or omnipresent.  John knew his limitations.  He said, “’I am not the Christ.’”  We are not the Christ (the anointed One), although as Christians, we are anointed to be the unique, one and only we were born to be.  Be yourself – not someone else.  You’ll never really be very good at being someone else anyway.

Knowing who you are not is important.  It is a good start at knowing who you are.  John the Baptist could have responded that he was the miracle child, born to Elizabeth and Zacharias, in their old age (Luke 1:5-25).  Zacharias was a priest himself.  The other priests and Levites might have been impressed with the miracle birth and his pedigree as a double-dosed decendent of the priestly line (Luke 1:5).  But it was not his father’s position of priest that defined the person of John the Baptist.  Rather, it was his father’s prophesy over him (Luke 1:67-79).  Let’s see what he had to say. “’And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest; for you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways, to give knowledge of salvation to His people by the remission of their sins… (Luke 1:76-77).  And following this prophesy we are told, “And the child grew and became strong in the spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his manifestation to Israel” (Luke 1:80). 

Now, fast forward to the time he was quizzed about his identity by the priests and Levites.  After confirming that he was not Christ, Elijah, or “the prophet”, he said, “I am ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Make straight the way of the LORD, as the prophet Isaiah said (John 1:23).” How important was this prophesy?  It is mentioned in every single Gospel account to describe this person we know as John the Baptist. 

“Who are you” is an important question.  It is asked several other times in the New Testament (John 8:25; John 21:12; Acts 9:5 19:15; Romans 9:20).  So, do you know who you are?  Knowing who you are is the first phase of orientation.

(To be continued)

It has been nearly a decade since Bruce Wilkinson changed the way I thought about prayer.  Now, in his new book, You Were Born for This: 7 Keys to a Life of Predictable Miracles, he has changed the way I think about miracles. Most people have a very narrow view of what constitutes a miracle.  The dictionary defines a miracle as “an extraordinary event manifesting divine intervention in human affairs.”  We see that in the healing of the sick, the lame, and the blind.  But, do we miss the everyday miracles happening all around us?  

 When God uses an ordinary human being to deliver a blessing to another human being, is that not a miracle?  I’m not talking about just the doing of good deeds.  What I am speaking of are acts which seem to come “out of the blue” in answer to prayer.  As I read account after account of how God intervened in the lives of others through willing “delivery agents,” and how God got the glory for the provision, words of encouragement, or words of wisdom, I began to recognize more miracles are occurring today that I had previously thought.    

 Anyone can do a good deed, but some good works can only happen by a direct intervention from God. Around the world these acts are called miracles—not that even religious people expect to see one any time soon. But what would happen if millions of ordinary people walked out each morning expecting God to deliver a miracle through them to a person in need? You Were Born for This starts with the dramatic premise that everyone at all times is in need of a miracle, and that God is ready to meet those needs supernaturally through ordinary people who are willing to learn the “protocol of heaven.”

 In the straightforward, story-driven, highly motivating style for which he is known, Wilkinson describes how anyone can be a “Delivery Guy” from heaven in such universally significant arenas of life as finances, practical help, relationships, purpose, and spiritual growth.

 You Were Born for This will change how readers see their world, and what they expect God can do through them to meet real needs. They will master seven simple tools of service, and come to say with confidence, “I want to deliver a supernatural gift from God to someone in need today—and I expect to!”

Follow this link to hear what Bruce Wilkinson has to say about his newest book.  http://bit.ly/wGT7l

One of the world’s foremost Christian teachers, Bruce Wilkinson is best known as the author of the New York Times #1 bestseller The Prayer of Jabez. He is also the author of numerous other bestsellers, including A Life God Rewards, Secrets of the Vine, and The Dream Giver. Over the past three decades, Wilkinson has founded several global initiatives, including organizations that recruited and trained thousands of Americans to address hunger, AIDS, and poverty in Africa. Bruce and his wife, Darlene, have three children and six grandchildren. They live outside Atlanta.

David Kopp has collaborated with Bruce Wilkinson on over a dozen bestselling books, including The Prayer of Jabez. He is an editor and writer living in Colorado.

David, wrote, “Delight yourself also in the LORD, and He shall give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4).  Whoa, wait just a minute here!  Would a good and loving God give us the desires of a desperately wicked heart?  No, I don’t think so.  But when our delight is in God, He knows that our heart’s desire becomes His heart’s desire.  Paul said, “My heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved” (Romans 10:1).  This is a man who’s desire, before the receipt of his new heart, was to kill or imprison all the Christians. 

I’m not suggesting that our new hearts will never lead us to sin, but we will not enjoy it – at least, not for long.  It’s kind of like my computer’s spell check.  Our new heart has the Holy Spirit in it acting as a sin check.  I don’t swear off typing simply because I misspell words from time to time.  I correct my mistakes and continue on, learning in the process. Writers must write, and Christians must do “the will of God from the heart” (Ephesians 6:6).

Passionate people, those who dare to live life from their hearts, will make mistakes.  However, they also seem to be the people who have the greatest influence and accomplish the greatest feats in life.  They have the most courage and love the deepest.  Consider King David again.  As a young man, it was not logical for his to take on the giant, but he did.  Did that courage come from his head or his heart?  He was the ultimate warrior poet, who never lost a battle and penning the vast majority of the psalms.  The courage of a warrior and the passion of a poet are characteristics of a man with a lot of heart. But he also committed adultery with Bathsheba and had her husband murdered.  Those last two are the things which make us want to shy away from being a passionate person living life from our hearts.  However, consider how God viewed David, as a man after His own heart (Acts 13:22).  Even the most pious priests were never described by God in this manner.

Of course, Jesus weighed in on this heart issue.  During His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, “’Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God’” (Matthew 5:8).  Later, in another passage, Jesus explains the parable of the sower, saying, “’But the [seeds] that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience’” (Luke 8:15).  It is possible to have a pure heart, and a noble and good heart.  Jesus said so.  Let’s see…what are our options here: desperately wicked heart, pure heart, noble and good heart?  Jesus wasn’t just teasing us here.  It is possible to have a pure heart, a noble and good heart here on earth, not just in the sweet by and by.  Not only is it possible; it is essential.

Of course you remember Jesus’ response to the greatest commandment query from a lawyer, don’t you?  “’You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and all your mind’” (Matthew 22:37).  John Eldredge once suggested that if you “amplify” this passage with the idea of the “’desperately wicked heart’” the resulting admonition reads, “’You shall love the LORD your God with all your [desperately wicked] heart, with all your soul, and all your mind.’” I just don’t believe that’s idea Jesus was trying to convey.

I’ve got a few observations about this (non-amplified) passage.  First, notice the order: heart, soul, and then mind. Could that be important?  And we are told to love God with “’all our heart.’”  Half-hearted love will not do. Then, consider the Greek word for “heart” used here is kardia.  Our English word “cardiac” is derived from kardia.  It is described as the center and seat of our spiritual lives – the fountain and seat of our thoughts, passions, desires, appetites, affections, purposes, and endeavors.  We all know how important it is to think rightly.  But we need to consider how important it is for our spiritual lives to have passion, desire, appetite, affection, purpose, and willingness to engage in endeavors.  These all flow from the heart. Gospel means “good news.”  Can it be good news if our hearts are still desperately wicked?  If you deny your heart, or borrow Thomas Jefferson’s scissors to cut the heart out of the Gospels, is it possible to love at all? Or, is it is even possible to really live?

There is a powerful scene from the movie The Last of the Mohicans where the archetypical villain, an Indian named Magua, leads an ambush against his sworn enemy, the British.  Near the end of the scene he carries out his previously announced plan to cut the heart out of the British commander, Col. Edmund Munro.  He does this as the Colonel is still alive – lying wounded and trapped under his fallen horse.  But before he kills the Colonel, Magua tells him the rest of his plan to kill his two daughters, thereby ending his line of descendants.  It is a hard scene to watch, even though your view of the gory heart removal is blocked by the horse.  We all know what is happening as we see the Colonel’s leg twitch, and then stop.  Finally, Magua triumphantly raises the removed heart into the air with a war whoop.   We all know the Colonel is dead, because heartless men cannot live long.  

Our last view of Col. Munro shows him lying on the battlefield heartless, lifeless, and accordingly, powerless to do anything about his enemy’s plan to bring his line to an end.  And that, my friends, is what concerns me about the heartless Gospel being proclaimed from many pulpits today.  Heartless – lifeless – powerless, it is a predictable and very scary progression.