I WROTE THIS DEVOTIONAL FOR THE MID-ATLANTIC DISTRICT OF FOURSQUARE CHURCHES AND DECIDED TO PASS IT ALONG HERE.  :-)

-Tim

I checked the answering machine when we arrived home at 9:00pm.  It was Charlie’s mom speaking in a hopeful tone betrayed by fear.  “Mr. or Mrs. May,…Charlie never came home this afternoon when he got off the bus.  If you’ve seen him or know where he is, will you please call me?”

Charlie had been at our house that afternoon playing with my youngest son.  He’d even eaten dinner with us.  I’d sent him home afterward as we were preparing to attend a band concert at the local high school.

No one in our family had seen Charlie in three hours.  His mother hadn’t seen him since  that morning.  It was dark out, Charlie was 10 years old, and nobody knew where he was.  My heart began to fill with the fear Charlie’s mom was feeling.  My stomach began to churn.

After a quick prayer with my family, I grabbed the keys and headed out to look.  Within a few minutes, there were half a dozen vehicles driving the surrounding roads and neighborhoods in search of Charlie.  The police were called.  Older teens on bicycles began looking.  Men with flashlights started searching a local wooded area.

An hour later the search ended as swiftly as it began.  Charlie, still carrying his school backpack, was spotted walking down a road a quarter mile from his home.  A deputy sheriff picked him up and returned him to his grateful, and greatly relieved, mother.

Charlie’s mom called to tell me he’d been found while I was making my third trip through the neighborhoods near his house.  As I hung up the phone, my heart sank, and I began to weep.  “Thank you, Father.  Thank you for bringing this boy back home.  Thank you for a night of rejoicing instead of a night of tragedy.  You are so good.  You are faithful…”

I wiped my eyes as I pulled into my driveway and thought about how the Father must have felt sending Jesus to earth.  He placed His Son in Mary’s womb knowing his life would hold certain tragedy.  The Father sent Jesus while fully aware of the cruel death inescapably awaiting Him at the cross.

How did that feel?  What pain does God experience sending His Son as “Immanuel” and the “Prince of Peace” knowing all along that upon Him would be laid “the iniquity of us all”? (Isaiah 7, 9, 53)  It would be like searching for a child knowing all the while that the worst “will” – not “might” – happen.

The pain the Father suffered is beyond my imagination; yet, I find my heart over and over turning to Him in gratitude.  God’s unselfish love is breathtaking.  His mercy leaves me speechless.

As we celebrate Jesus’ coming, let’s invite the Holy Spirit to make us more aware than ever of the price our Father was willing to pay…for us.  “This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life.”  (John 3:16 The Message)  God sent Jesus so we could “get home safely.”

Merry Christmas,

Tim May

Thanksgiving is nearly here.  I hope this entry finds you excited about time with family, friends, and food!  At last count, our home will host 28 on Thursday.  It’s chaotic, noisy, a little cramped,…and wonderful!

Yesterday at theBridge I shared on the power of giving thanks.  Part of my message was making the connection between gratitude and joy.  We were looking at Psalm 107.  Speaking of our Father, verse nine says: “For he satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good things.”

This verse prompted me to consider my current position in life.  Physically, financially, relationally, spiritually, and emotionally, I have what I have.  I possess much (but not all) of what is available to God’s children in each of those categories.  Am I amply supplied?  Without doubt.  Could I have more quantity and/or quality in any of these areas?  Certainly.

While I know these are not new observations, the Holy Spirit has been challenging me about my focus.  Where is my gaze fixed?  Are my eyes on that which HAS been given to me (past and present) or am I looking at what HAS NOT been provided?  Is my orientation toward my “full” hand or the “empty” one?

In large part, the direction of my attention determines my quotient of joy.  When I choose to intentionally give God thanks for all He’s provided – whether it’s little or much in my estimation – joy is released in my heart.  Further, as I’m reminded of His goodness, I am insulated from the Adversary’s whispered suggestions of inadequate provision.

When I choose to focus on the empty hand, joy rapidly leaks from my soul.  Fixing my sights on what’s missing sabotages my happiness and lumps me in with the ungrateful through the ages who’ve bought the Serpent’s original lie: “God is holding out on you!”

Gratitude and joy are inextricably linked.  An honest assessment of God’s provision will generate heartfelt gratitude and release sincere joy.  In short, I’ve yet to meet a truly joyful person who was not also deeply appreciative.

No, this isn’t Einstein-ian theology.  It’s not breakthrough or original.  No books will be written on the connection between thanks and happiness, but there is great practical power here.  My prayer is for us to reject the lie of scant resources and instead appreciatively focus on what’s been supplied.  This is a recipe for a holiday season filled with a steady and swelling joy.  Remember, “the hungry soul He fills with good things!”

Happy Thanksgiving!

Tim

Nearly each week I hear myself saying: “Wow, I can’t believe how messed up people’s lives are!”  I don’t speak out of condescension or pity; my observations are an accurate description of how broken people can be.  All around I see the bitter harvest that comes from sowing seeds of disobedience and rebellion.  (I recognize the patterns from my own life.)  The effects are devastating: poor decisions, priorities askew, lives lived in the shadows of pain and doubt.  In short, the general “messiness” of life on earth is compounded by the error of following “the way that seems right to a man.”

Sometimes I look at the hurting circumstances around me and think, “Why can’t we all just get spiritually and emotionally healthy?”  “Why can’t we get our acts together?”  Those are questions born of both concern and frustration, yet there is real deception in this kind of thinking, for health comes over time and in degrees.  When I long for a finger-snap solution to our issues, I wish against the work that God is doing when we work out our faith “in fear and trembling.”

In truth, the most solid among us in the Body of Christ are, at best, works in progress. The really healthy ones are those who can openly admit their weaknesses and shortcomings giving God glory for their victories and refusing to be slowed by their defeats.  We are more than conquerors, but in many cases, our overcoming is measured by years not minutes.  Achieving spiritual maturity and wholeness is much more akin to soldiers taking a city building-by building than a plane dropping a nuclear bomb on a whole zip code.

So as a leader, I’m re-learning to connect my exasperated declarations of “This situation is so dysfunctional” or “This dear one is so wounded” with faith-filled prayers for breakthrough.  I’m re-discovering that my best advice and insight is of little use without the power of truth filling it.  And so I pray.  My friendship and support makes small impact if it’s not fueled by the condition-less love of Christ.  And so I pray.  I’m being reminded that a few moments of Spirit-led intercession accomplishes more than hours of hand-wringing and human wisdom.

Are the people around me messed up?  Sure, they are.  Is their pastor still being and healed from his own stuff?  Absolutely.  Are we in this thing together?  You know it!  We journey as a group.  We’ve not arrived yet, but we also are not where we started.  We move step by step.

Paul said, “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect.” (1 Cor. 15:10 NIV)  His grace is working in us and the effects are nothing short of miraculous.  Here’s the best news of all.  Because we are still walking forward there are more miracles on up ahead!

Messy but moving on,

Tim

I recently shared this with Unchained – the men’s group at theBridge.  I had been reading about David when his odyssey of running from King Saul was beginning.  After a tearful departure from his best friend, Jonathan, David found himself hold up in a cave called Adullam.  Listen to who “attached” themselves to him at the cave.

“Everyone who was in distress, and everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented gathered to him; and he became captain over them. Now there were about four hundred men with him.” (1 Samuel 22:2 NASU)

The men who came along side of David were anything but a group he would have chosen.  What a mess they were!  The were “distressed” – this literally means stressed, in bad straits, and in anguish.  The phrase “in debt” means “those who had been deceived or beguiled.”  The discontented ones were “bitter in soul.”  David’s troubles with Saul were quickly going to be matched with the challenge of leading this group of depressed, suspicious, and bitter men.  He may have found running alone from a crazy king easy compared to being with these guys!

Yet…

The Lord delights in changing the useless into the useful and the worthless into the valuable.  That kind of transformation is the heart’s desire of our Father!  Using David’s leadership and love for others, God makes something powerful from the weaklings gathered in the cave.  The very next chapter of 1 Samuel reveals that these men with David rescue a town from the assault of an enemy.  Further, it’s likely that some of the initial four hundred become renowned as David’s “Mighty Men” (1 Chronicles 11).

These broken “cave-men” do much to encourage my heart.  It’s not only that their eventual exploits are impressive; these 400 fill me with hope because of their willingness to “show up.”

They didn’t waste a lot of time trying to “get right” before they journeyed to the cave.  They apparently were little concerned with their weakened conditions.  They didn’t try to offer the future king who they might one day become; they offered him who they actually were!  They just showed up.  David (and God) took their humble effort and the journey began.  The words from Zechariah come to mind “Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin…” (4:10a NLT)

How much is accomplished in the Kingdom of God simply by folks “showing up?”  Certainly there is value in preparing and prayer and planning and practice, but we must establish this fact: NOTHING will happen in and through us if we just stay home.  There is inestimable value in going to the cave – regardless of past problems or current conditions.  In short, God does stuff with people who show up!

My son, Ethan, is 14.  He’s a freshman.  Last year, he decided to shift his fall sport from football to cross country and decided to stick with cross country at the  high school level.

Ethan is not particularly fast or strong.  He’s not yet used to running long distances.  In truth, he’s one of the slowest runners on the team.  Needless to say, this cross country season has not been one of great victories.

But…

Ethan puts in the miles.  Ethan gives 100%.  Ethan trains on his own at home.  Ethan refuses to quit or stop trying to improve.  In short, he “shows up.”

And in that sense, Ethan is one of my heroes.  For much of my adult life, I wanted to have “my act together” before I would show up.  I wanted to make the right impression; I wanted to be on my “A-game” before I would visit the cave.

Not so with E.  He gets it; he keeps showing up.

We all know people who need to quit making excuses, stop trying to self-perfect, get over themselves and just show up.  Whether they are distressed, in debt, or discontented, they need to head to Adullam.  Their futures are much brighter being naked in God’s Presence than avoiding Him while trying to finish sewing a pair of fig leaf shorts.

Pray for them.  Invite them to drop the pretense and join you. Good things happen at the cave.  Just show up.

-Tim

P.S. – Ethan’s last meet was this past Saturday in a downpour.  He shaved more than a minute off of his best three-mile time.  Who knows how fast he’ll get if he keeps showing up?  Who’s to say how far we’ll go?

I’ve been excitedly preparing over the last few weeks for the series of messages that I’m currently sharing at theBridge.  This series, entitled “Roots,” is designed to take us “back to the roots” of our faith and our history as a church.  We need to reconnect with our identity, both individually and as a Body, and properly orient ourselves as we move into the future God has purposed for us.

In putting together my notes for this Sunday, I felt checked – led by the Lord to pause and listen.  (Seeking to be Spirit-led is both maddening and exhilarating!)  I sensed the Lord directing me to address what feels like a wave swelling within theBridge.  In seeking to be personally obedient to where I believe the Spirit is leading us for this Sunday’s gatherings, I needed to write each of you who are connected to theBridge.

I have a simple request of you.  Simple and serious.  Would each of you take a moment and search your heart asking this question: “Do I have any offense in my heart toward Tim?”  At the same time, I am searching my own heart to ensure that I am “right” with each of you.  I so want to be.

Please hear my heart in this statement:

“Where I have hurt, offended, or wounded any of you at any time (long ago or recently), please pardon my sin.  If I have made you feel insignificant, unwanted, or invisible, please forgive me.”

I welcome time to talk or meet with any of you who feel the need for us to get together.  I don’t anticipate that dozens of you have “ought” against me, but I also am well aware of our collective ability to “stuff” hurts and disappointments rather than lovingly communicate our pain to the appropriate party.  And so, my door is open…

I sincerely want to be all that God has destined me to be.  The transformation that must continually occur in my heart will only do so when I am tender before our Father and humble before each of you my friends.

Last week, when I was sharing about Peter’s “home run” from Matthew 16, I read the passage where Jesus declared “I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”  Let’s be clear: Satan will never defeat the true church; the Bride of the Lord Jesus will be waiting when He comes for her.

At the same time, hell is set on doing as much damage as possible to Christ’s Body.  My experience indicates that his most effective tactics are delivered from inside rather than outside the church.  Put another way, churches implode much more often than they explode.

We are in no way on the verge of implosion.  My request of you is more in keeping with the tone of Song of Solomon, 2:15.  “Catch the foxes for us, the little foxes that spoil the vineyards, for our vineyards are in blossom.”

This vineyard (theBridge) is “in blossom” and the “foxes” are not welcome here.

Love,

Tim