Soul Surfer

Ask me my favorite movie?

Not Transformers.

Not 72: Into The Fire.

Not Battle Los Angeles

But Soul Surfer.

CHeers!

Sometimes its really hard for things to make sense when we are looking so closely at it. We may be dealing with many things that are really hard to handle or doesn't seem to make much sense. Get a new perspective!

Jeremiah 29:11

" For I know the plans that I have for you," says the Lord. "Plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future."

Sometimes, terrible things happen to us, and we don't know why. But we have to believe that something good is going to come out of this.

(This passage is extracted from the show. It really encourages me, especially the verse.)

Just something to share with you guys. Do watch this show. You can download it from Funshion!

The God Who Fights For You

What does God do when we are in a bind?

The first interview is between the Holy Land Press (HLP) and Moses.

HLP: Tell us about your conflict with the Egyptians.

MOSES: Oh, the Egyptians- big people. Strong fighters. Mean as snakes.

HLP: But you got away.

MOSES: Not before they got washed away.

HLP: You're talking about the Red Sea conflict.

MOSES: You're right. That was scary.

HLP: Tell us what happened.

MOSES: Well, the Red Sea was on one side, and the Egyptians were on the other.

HLP: So you attacked?

MOSES: Are you kidding? With half-million rock stackers? No, my people were too afraid. They wanted to go back to Egypt.

HLP: So you told everyone to retreat?

MOSES: Where? Into the water? We didn't have a boat. We didn't have anywhere to go.

HLP: Then what did your leaders recommend?

MOSES: I didn't ask them. There wasn't time.

HLP: Then what did you do?

MOSES: I told the people to stand still.

HLP: You mean, with the enemy coming, you told them not to move?

MOSES: Yep. I told the people, "Stand still and you will see the Lord save you."

HLP: Why would you want the people to stand still?

MOSES: To get out of God's way. If you don't know what to do, it's best just to sit tight till he does his thing.

HLP: That's odd strategy, don't you think?

MOSES: It is if you are big enough for the battle. But when the battle is bigger than you are and you want God to take over, it's all you can do.

HLP: Can we talk about something else?

MOSES: It's your paper.

HLP: Soon after your escape...

MOSES: Our deliverance.

HLP: What's the difference?

MOSES: There is a big difference. When you escape, you do it. When you are delivered, someone else does it and you just follow.

HLP: Okay, soon after your deliverance, you battled with the Ammo... Amala... let's see, I have it here...

MOSES: The Amalekites.

HLP: Yeah, the Amalekites.

MOSES: Big people. Strong fighters. Mean as snakes.

HLP: But you won.

MOSES: God won.

HLP: Okay- God won- but you did the work. You fought the battle. You were on the field.

MOSES: Wrong.

HLP: What? You weren't in the battle?

MOSES: Not that one. While the army was fighting, I took my friends Aaron and Hur to the top of the hill and we did our fighting up there.

HLP: With each other?

MOSES: With the darkness.

HLP: With swords?

MOSES: No, in prayer. I just lifted my hands to God, like I did at the Red Sea, only this time I forgot my rod. When i lifted my hands, we would win, but when i lowered my arms, we would lose. So i got my friends to hold up my arms until the Amalekites were history and we won.

HLP: Hold on a second. You think that standing on a hill with your hands in the air made a difference?

MOSES: You don't see any Amalekites around, do you?

HLP: Don't you think it strange that the general of the army stays on the mountain while the soldiers fight in the valley?

MOSES: If the battle had been in the valley, I would have gone, but that's not where the battle was being fought.

HLP: Odd, this strategy of yours.

MOSES: You mean if your father was bigger than the fellow beating you up, you wouldn't call his name?

HLP: What?

MOSES: If some guy has you on the ground pounding on you and your father is within earshot and tells you to call him anytime you need help, what would you do?

HLP: I'd call my father.

MOSES: That's all I do. When the battle is too great, I ask God to take over. I get the Father to fight with me.

HLP: And he comes?

MOSES: Seen any Jews building pyramids lately?

HLP: Let me see if I've got this straight. Once you defeat the enemy by standing still, and another time you win the battle by holding up your hands. Where did you pick all this up?

MOSES: Well, if I told you, you wouldn't believe me.

HLP: Try me.

MOSES: Well, you see, there was this bush on fire, and it spoke to me...

HLP: Maybe you're right. We'll save that one for another day.

***

The second interview moves us ahead in history a couple of centuries. Here is King Jehoshaphat (KJ) in a postwar interview with the Jerusalem Chronicle (JC) on the battlefield of Ziz.

JC: Congratulations, King.

KJ: For what?

JC: You just defeated three armies at one time. You defeated the Moabites, Ammonites, and Meunites.

KJ: Oh, I didn't do that.

JC: Don't be modest. Tell us what you think of these armies.

KJ: Big people. Strong fighters. Mean as snakes.

JC: How did you feel when you heard they were coming?

KJ: I was scared.

JC: But you handled it pretty calmly. That strategy session with your generals must have paid off.

KJ: We didn't have one.

JC: You didn't have a meeting, or you didn't have a strategy?

KJ: Neither.

JC: What did you do?

KJ: I asked God what to do.

JC: What did he say?

KJ: Nothing at first, so I got some people to talk to him with me.

JC: Your cabinet had a prayer session?

KJ: No, my nation went on a fast.

JC: Your whole nation?

KJ: Everyone but you, apparently.

JC: Uh, well, what did you tell God?

KJ: Well, we told God that he was the king and whatever he wanted was okay with us, but if he wouldn't mind, we'd like his help on a big problem.

JC: Then you had your strategy session.

KJ: No.

JC: What did you do?

KJ: We stood before God.

JC: Who did?

KJ: All of us. The men. The women. The babies. We just stood there and wait.

JC: What was the enemy doing while you were waiting?

KJ: They were getting closer.

JC: Is that when you rallied the people?

KJ: Who told you I rallied the people?

JC: Well, I just assumed...

KJ: I never said anything to the people, I just listened. After a while this young fellow named Jahaziel spoke up and said the Lord said not to be discouraged or afraid because the battle was not ours, it was his.

JC: How did you know he was speaking for God?

KJ: When you spend as much time talking to God as I do, you learn to recognize his voice.

JC: Incredible.

KJ: No, supernatural.

JC: Then you attacked?

KJ: No, Jahaziel said, "Stand still and you will see the Lord save you."

JC: I've heard that somewhere.

KJ: Vintage Moses.

JC: Then you attacked?

KJ: No, then we sang. Well, some sang. I'm not much with a tune, so I fell on my face and prayed. I let others sing. We've got this group- Levites- who really know how to sing.

JC: Wait a minute. With the army getting closer, you sang?

KJ: A few tunes. Then I told the people to be strong and have faith in God, and then we marched out to the battlefield.

JC: And you led the army?

KJ: No, we put the singers out in front. And as we marched, we sang. And as we sang, God set an ambushes. And by the time we got to the battlefield, the enemy was dead. That was three days ago. It took us that long to clean up the area. We are back today to have another worship service. Come over here; I want you to listen to these Levites sing. I bet you ten shekels you can't keep your seat for five minutes.

JC: Wait, I can't write this story. It's too bizarre. Who'll believe it?

KJ: Just write it. Those with man-sized problems will laugh. And those with God-sized problems will pray. Leave it to them to decide. Come on. The band is tuning up. You won't want to miss the first piece.

***

So what do you think? What does God do when we are in a bind? If Moses and Jehoshaphat are any indication, that question can be answered with one word: fight. He fights for us. He steps into the ring and points us to our corner and takes over. "Remain calm; the Lord will fight for you" ( Exodus 14:14).

His job is to fight. Our job is to trust.

Just trust. Not direct. Or question. Or yank the steering wheel out of his hands. Our job is to pray and wait. Nothing more is necessary. Nothing more is needed.

" He is my defender; I will not be defeated" ( Psalm 62:6).

-Max Lucado

( When God Whispers Your Name)

Your Sack Of Stones

YOU HAVE ONE. A sack. A burlap sack. Probably aren't aware of it, may not have been told about it. Could be you don't remember it. But it was given to you. A sack. An itchy, scratchy burlap sack.

You needed the sack so you could carry the stones. Rocks, boulders, pebbles. All sizes. All shapes. All unwanted.

You didn't request them. You didn't seek them. But you were given them.

Don't remember?

Some were rocks of rejection. You were given one the time you didn't pass the tryout. It wasn't for the lack of effort. Heaven only knows how much you practiced. You thought you were good enough for the team. But the coach didn't. The instructor didn't. You thought you were good enough, but they said you weren't.

They and how many others?

You don't have to live long before you get a collection of stones. Make a poor grade. Make a bad choice. Make a mess. Get called a few names. Get mocked. Get abused.

And the stones don't stop with adolescence.

The sack gets heavy. Heavy with stones. Stones of rejection. Stones we don't deserve. Along with a few we do.

Look into the burlap sack and you see that not all the stones are from rejections. There is a second type of stone. The stone of regret.

Regret for the time you lost your temper.

Regret for the day you lost control.

Regret for the moment you lost your pride.

Regret for the years you lost your priorities.

And even regret for the hour you lost your innocence.

One stone after another, one guilty stone after another.

With time the sack gets heavy. We get tired. How can you have dreams for the future when all your energy is required to shoulder the past?

I don't know if you've noticed, but its hard to be thoughtful when you're carrying a burlap sack. It's hard to be affirming when you are affirmation-starved. It's hard to be forgiving when you feel guilty.

Paul had an interesting observation about the way we treat people. He said it about marriage, but the principle applies in any relationship. "The man who loves his wife loves himself" (Ephesian 5:28). There is a correlation between the way you feel about yourself and the way you feel about others. If you are at peace yourself- if you like yourself- you will get along with others.

The converse is also true. If you don't like yourself, if you are ashamed, embarrassed, or angry, other people are going to know it. The tragic part of the burlap-sack story is we tend to throw our stones at those we love.

Unless the cycle is interrupted.

Which takes us to the question, "How does a person get relief?"

Which, in turn, takes us to one of the kindest verses in the Bible, "Come to me, all of you who are tired and have heavy loads, and I will give you rest. Accept my teachings and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in spirit, and you will find rest for your lives. The teaching I ask you to accept is easy; the load I give you to carry is light" (Matthew 11:28-29).

Some might say: I've tried that. I've read the Bible, I've sat on the pew- but I've never received relief.

If that is the case, could i ask a delicate but deliberate question?

Could it be you went to religion and didn't go to God?

Could it be that you went to a church but never saw Christ?

"Come to me," the verse reads.

Its easy to go to the wrong place. I did yesterday. I was in Portland, Maine, catching a flight to Boston. Went to the desk, checked my bag, got my ticket, and went to the gate. I went past security, took my seat, and waited for the flight to be called. I waited and waited and waited...

Finally, I went up to the desk to ask the attendant, and she looked at me and said, "You're at the wrong gate."

Now, what if I'd pouted and sighed, "Well, there must not be a flight to Boston. Looks like I'm stuck."

You would have said to me,"You're not stuck. You're just at the wrong gate. Go down to the right gate and try again."

It's not that you haven't tried-you've tried for years to deal with your past.

Jesus says he is the solution for weariness of soul.

Go to him. Be honest with him. Admit you have soul secrets you've never dealt with. He already knows what they are. He's just waiting for you to ask him to help. He's just waiting for you to give him your sack.

Go ahead. You'll be glad you did. (Those near you will be glad as well... it's hard to throw stones when you've left your sack at the cross.)

-Max Lucado

( When God Whispers Your Name)

Seeing What Eyes Can't

I stand six steps from the bed's edge. My arms extended. Hands open. On the bed, Sara- all four years of her- crouches, poised like a playful kitten. She's going to jump. But she's not ready. I'm too close.

"Back more, Daddy," she stands and dares.

I dramatically comply, confessing admiration for her courage. After two giant steps I stop. "More?" I ask.

"Yes!" Sara squeals, hopping on the bed.

With each step she laughs and claps and motions for more. When I'm on the other side of the canyon, when I'm beyond reach of mortal man, when I am a tiny figure on the horizon, she stops me. "There, stop there."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure," she shouts. I extend my arms. Once again she crouches, then springs. Superman without cape. Skydiver without chute. Only her heart flies higher than her body. In the airborne instant her only hope is her father. If he proves weal, she'll fall. If he proves cruel, she'll crash. If he proves forgetful, she'll tumble on the hard floor.

But such fear she does not know, for her father she does. She trusts him. Four years under the same roof have convinced her he is reliable. He is not superhuman, but he is strong. He is not holy, but he is good. He's not brilliant, but he doesn't have to be to remember to catch his child when she jumps.

And so she flies.

And so she soars.

And so he catches her and the two rejoice at the wedding of her trust and his faithfulness.

***

I sit a few feet from a man on death row. Jewish by birth. Tentmaker by trade. Apostle by calling. His days are marked. I'm curious about what bolsters this man as he nears his execution. So I ask some questions.

Do you have family, Paul? I have none.

What about your health? My body is beaten and tired.

What do you own? I have my parchments. My pen. A cloak.

And your reputation? Well, its not much. I'm a heretic to some, a maverick to others.

Do you have friends? I do, but even some of them have turned back.

Any awards? Not on earth.

Then what do you have, Paul? No belongings. No family. Criticized by some. Mocked by others. What do you have, Paul? What do you have that matters?

I sit back quietly and watch. Paul rolls his hand into a fist. He looks at it. I look at it. What is he holding? What does he have?

He extends his hand so I can see. As I lean forward, he opens his fingers. I peer at his palm. It's empty.

I have my faith. It's all I have. But it's all I need. I have kept the faith.

Paul leans back against the wall of his cell and smiles. And I lean back against another and stare into the face of a man who has learned that there is more to life than meets the eye.

For that's what faith is. Faith is trusting what the eye can't see.

Eyes see the prowling lion. Faith sees Daniel's angel.

Eyes see the storms. Faith sees Noah's rainbow.

Eyes see giants. Faith sees Canaan.

Your eyes see your faults. Your faith sees your Savior.

Your eyes see your guilt. Your faith sees his blood.

Your eyes see your grave. Your faith sees a city whose builder and maker is God.

Your eyes look in the mirror and see a sinner, a failure, a promise-breaker. But by faith you look in the mirror and see a robed prodigal bearing the ring of grace on your finger and the kiss of your Father on your face.

"God's power is very great for those who believe," Paul taught.

"That power is the same as the great strength God used to raise Christ from the dead" (Ephesian 1:19-20)

Next time you wonder if God can catch you, read that verse. The very arms that defeated death are the arms awaiting you.

And next time you wonder if you will survive the jump, think of Sara and me. If a flesh-and-bone-headed dad like me can catch his child, don't you think your eternal Father can catch you?

-Max Lucado

(When God Whispers Your Name)

Like A CHUI...

My skin is in a very chui state right now.

SCREAM MY LUNGS OUT.

God I pray that it will be fine after this period and that there won't be any scar!