Hands-on Knowledge

“If you love me, you will obey my commands. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” – John 8:31b-32

When I was in college, I had a chemistry class. The chapter happened to be on chemical reactions and there was the formula for touch explosive there, along with information about the chemical reaction that caused the explosion. I called my brother, who was an avid fan of explosives and said,

“Dude, I know how to make touch explosive”.

His response? “It’s easier in deer hunting season.”

“Huh?” I thought… “What does he mean by that?”

He went on, “Yeah, the hardest to get chemical is then at Walmart, because people use it to cover their scent when hunting. Oh, and don’t make too much of it at one time, otherwise it can set itself off on the toaster oven and scare your roommate half to death.”

Who really knew touch explosive? Sure, I had read about it in a textbook and 100% of what I learned was factual, but I didn’t really understand it. I didn’t have the experience my brother had. I think that’s like a lot of believers today. There’s an understanding of God and a deep understanding of scripture, but nothing replaces that experiential practice of living out the word of God.

We want to know the truth before we act. We want God to convince us that what He’s told us to do is right, but Jesus said it doesn’t work like that… It’s only after you obey that you’ll understand. When you read a scripture, are you looking for more head knowledge? Are you looking for scriptures that say what you already believe? Or are you looking for answers for how to live? 

When you read about Abraham being told to sacrifice Isaac, are you glad He hasn’t asked you to do that, or do you search yourself for the things he is asking you to give up? The real power of the Gospel isn’t found in the words, but in the application and the obedience. We can say we know Christ like I thought when I read that formula in a textbook, or we can really get to know him, daily, with all of the reality and pain that entails.

My health has been deteriorating over the past couple weeks and I realized that my workload was the #1 thing I could do to fix it. There was really no way around the fact that I was doing too much stuff. The past two weeks, I have spent quite a bit of time telling people no. I have called to cancel a couple key contracts, including the one that was keeping our family financially afloat. It was good money but the stress and always-on hours inevitably occurred during my quiet time or on vacation. Carla has complained that many vacations had been ruined by it, and I struggled to delegate it. A phone call could be in multiple languages from multiple countries about anything from networking to system analysis to a crashed server, and unlike our website business, it was 100% on my shoulders. I knew it was bad when she said she would support me cutting the contract even if it meant moving into a smaller house or getting by without a personal car, but thank God for that kind of support.

I am again in a place where I need faith, again in a place where I am waiting for the Lord to break through. But instead of dreading that place, I think we should all greatly desire it. After all, when things are going well, I end up spending less time with God, and my prayers aren’t as fervent!

 

Easter Thoughts

Then the disciples who had reached the tomb first also went in, and he saw and believed - for until then they still hadn’t understood the scriptures that said Jesus must rise from the dead.
John 20:8-9

The resurrection of Jesus was an event that transformed the world. But it was really the culmination of a plan of several thousand years to redeem God’s people. However his disciples only understood on THAT DAY. Imagine - God dropping hints throughout the entire Old Testament, and then being super plain with Jesus when he was talking to the disciples, but they didn’t understand until it actually happened.

I feel like this has many parallels to leadership. God gives you a vision and you work on it for years. Some people are blindly following you or they follow you because they are being paid, but they don’t understand the vision. Even at your Gethsemanies and your most difficult moments, they don’t understand and are there sleeping. It’s only after the fact that they understand the vision.

But there is hope. The disciples didn’t stay like that. The next moves of God, they were right there along with Him. Acts describes the disciples as being in step with the Spirit, doing God’s will in God’s timing, and understanding the vision. Revelations goes even further and describes a people who see beyond their own time and to God’s plans for the future.

If we are always being surprised by God, it’s a good indication we are not spending enough time with Him, or that we are missing something He is trying to tell us.

Trust

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not trust in your own understanding. Agree with Him in all your ways, and He will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6

This has been one insane week… We had a crypto-jacking attack on a server so I spent multiple days fighting that attack, then a cyclone, the equivalent of a category 3 hurricane is about to hit!

This morning, I did like I do with every situation and every dilemma - I prayed and made a decision. I came before the throne of God and felt like He told me to stay put. Not just for me but for those around me. We went into the office this morning, prayed for an hour, then prepared for the storm. This time, the lives of my family depends on this decision. To be wrong can be fatal.

Beira is so vulnerable. Even if we make it through this thing, thousands will die, if not tens of thousands. We again face a situation where our only hope is Christ, and our salvation is in Him alone. It’s not every day you get the chance to literally live out worship songs like “trust you in the storm” and “When oceans rise, my soul will rest in Your embrace.”