Clock in the Wall

Jerry Lynn has a problem... and no matter how hard he tries, he can’t get it out of his mind (or ears). 

In September of 2004, Jerry was struggling to find the perfect place to drill a hole for some TV wire he was running.  His brilliant idea?  Lower a battery-powered alarm clock through a vent in the wall down to where the wire would go... and when the alarm went off he would hear it and be able to locate the place on the wall to drill.  Problem is that halfway down the wall, the clock slipped off the string and fell.  Now at 7:50pm every day he hears the alarm going off in the wall and can’t do a thing about it.  His only hope?  An eventual dead battery.  

The batteries are still going...

Every day Jerry Lynn is reminded of a bad decision from his past.  Are you?

Do you wake up to the sound of a failed marriage or the clanging of a broken friendship?  Are you alerted to who you used to be every single day?  You want to reach for the snooze bar... to try to quiet the feelings of regret even temporarily... but you can’t.  You have made the mistake, broken the trust, hurt the person, caused the pain, or abandoned the commitment.

And every day you hear it in the walls of your mind. 

There’s hope... and you don’t have to wait on a battery to stop working.   There can be peace in your life today.   Want to silence the ringing?   Meditate on this verse:

1 John 1:9 “But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.”

This verse gives us two instructions:  confess and trust.   Tell God what went wrong from the past.  Cry out to Him and let Him know what you did, felt, or believed.  Come clean and reveal to God what He already knew.   And you know what happens after that?

Your sins are forgiven.

Pardoned.

Excused.

Absolved

Paid for.

Separated from you.

Behind you.

Gone. 

Then it’s time to trust.  Count on God to cleanse you... to help you move past your past into a future filled with hope.  What you did is NOT who you are.  It doesn’t define you and shouldn’t constrain you. 

When we confess and ask for forgiveness... God cleanses us from our wickedness.   No more ringing clock.  No more echoes.  No more needless reminders. 

We are free.

Today, take that first step.  Spend some time talking with God about what’s keeping you up at night from your past.  Confess what happened and ask Him to forgive you.  His word says that He will. 

It’s time to shut off that alarm for good.  No need to wait on the batteries... or hit the snooze bar... it’s time to permanently break free and enjoy the peaceful stillness that comes with forgiveness.  I’ll be praying for you as you do.  

Live Devotionals!

Just a reminder that devotionals will be LIVE today through Thursday at www.myglasshouse.com . Join me for a time of chat, and prayer at 9AM (EST) each day.

See you there!

Glass House Living

Donnie Dunagan was a tough marine.  He was a drill sergeant, shot through his left knee, saved two lives during his career in the military, and was decorated for bravery several times over.  However, all that courage in the military pales in comparison to a fact that Donnie kept hidden since he was a child. 

Donnie had a secret... and for a long time refused to live a transparent life. 

Over the past week, Steph and I have been living inside an actual glass house on our Cooper City campus.  We now know what it’s like to be stared at... commented on by people logged in to the page to watch... and have our lives put on display.   We do it willingly to show the world what our relationship really looks like.  No pretense or cover-ups.  Not that what we do is perfect... but what people are seeing is honest.  All of it is out there... mistakes that we make, communication challenges that we have, victories, and setbacks.  All of it is public knowledge.  No secrets or lies.

Fact is...God wants all of us to be real.  Transparent.  To live our lives with integrity knowing full well that people are watching and making notes.  Are we telling the truth?  Is who people see in our offices the same person that we see in the mirror each morning?  How authentic are we really? 

When Moses received the ten commandments from God, they included the one found in Exodus 20:16 “You must not testify falsely against your neighbor.”  In other words, don’t lie.  Don’t make up stories about others or yourself.  Stop warping things.  Live openly and let the light of God shine through and illuminate all the corners of your life.   

Are you living an authentic life?  Keeping any secrets so as to deceive others?  Only you know that answer.  Just like Donnie Dunagan did.

What Donnie didn’t reveal to the rookie recruits that he was training was the fact that before he joined the service he had been a child actor. The gruff, screaming, cursing, shouting drill instructor’s claim to fame?  He was the voice of Bambi from the Walt Disney cartoon in 1942. 

Gentle sweet Bambi.  

Some of us are covering up something far more serious.  And every day we live an inauthentic life, the secret gets easier and easier to keep.  Dare to be real.  Accept the challenge of a “glass house” lifestyle... allowing others to see and experience who you really are.  Your past doesn’t define you and your present can be changed to reflect the light of Christ.  It may not be the easiest thing to start doing... but the payoff is worth it.   You were meant for so much more than living a lie. 

You were meant for greatness.  REAL greatness. 

I'll Let You Know

I heard a story once about a husband who was being yelled at by his wife.  Everyday she nagged him and pestered him with the same statement, “Why don’t you tell me you love me anymore?”  After several weeks of this, the man simply couldn’t take it anymore.  After his wife finished her daily tirade, he slowly turned to her and said, “You want to know why I don’t tell you I love you?  Because when me got married, I told you then.  If that ever changes... I’ll let you know.”

Why don’t we say it more?  Do your friends know you care about and love them?  How about your spouse?  Has there ever been a mentor in your life?  Brother or sister?

If they were gone tomorrow.... would they know how you feel about them?

Life is way too short to go around assuming people know how we feel.  Look at today’s verses...

“So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”  John 13:34-35

“Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?”

Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’  This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”  Matthew 22:36-39

“For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”  John 3:16

Jesus Christ didn’t wait to tell us He loved us... in fact, He climbed on a cross so there would be no doubt... He was crucified to eliminate any wonder...  We never have to guess God’s intent or doubt His feelings.  

Jesus is passionate about us

In the verses, He tells us to express our love for each other in a similar way.   Sacrificially...wholly...without reservation, embarrassment, shame, or condition.  

Love those God has placed in our lives... and remind them of that love regularly.  Who is it in your life that you haven’t expressed your feelings towards in a while?

Is it your friend who has never left your side while you lay in the pit?

Is it a spouse who stood by your bedside while doctors treated you?

Is it a mentor who never made you feel like you were bothering them with the 500th question?

Is it your child...who is still trying to figure out the world, their emotions, and your rules all at the same time?  

Is it someone who has hurt you in your family.  The pain runs deep.  They seek underserved forgiveness and you’ve met them with silent stares.

Who needs you to tell them you love them today?

I found this anonymous quote: “Have you ever wondered which hurts the most: Saying something and wishing you had not, or saying nothing, and wish you had?”

Mistakes are fixable but regret is forever.  Don’t wait.  Make today the day you tell those special people in your life how you feel about them.  Love them, encourage them, and remind them that no matter how deep the hole, how dark the valley, or how challenging the storm... you will be there for them.

Because they matter to God.

Because they matter they matter to you.

and you love them.

Written

“Then the LORD said to me, "Write my answer plainly on tablets, so that a runner can carry the correct message to others.”  Habakkuk 2:2

Writing things down is important for so many reasons.  My friend, Pr. David Crank, says it well... the shortest pencil is more important than the longest memory.  In addition to writing down goals, I always encourage people to keep a prayer/thought journal.  Wondering how God is moving in your life?  Jot down what God is telling you... feelings you are having... answered prayers... etc.  Don’t forget...this isn’t being graded or analyzed by anyone.  Mad at God?  Write it down.  Frustrated... disappointed... upset?   Pencil those feelings down as well.  

I promise you this... God is working in your life.  Keeping a journal helps you to identify exactly how that is happening.   Looking back at past entries helps clarify progress, establish spiritual benchmarks, and see what areas of your life are moving forward (and which ones might be slipping a little).  

Your life is following a path... imagine being able to pass a narrative of that journey down to the generations that follow you.  It’s a legacy... your written legacy... that will teach, validate, guide, and encourage those that will read it in the future 

Forgiveness

Have you ever done something you’re not proud of?

You have broken a trust... or a friendship...or a heart... or a promise.

And there you are. Punished. Not by God... but by your own mind. Sitting in isolation and wondering how you’ll get through it.

Each passing hour brings thoughts of loneliness and regret. Sleep? Not even close.

Does God hear your prayers anymore? Does He even know you’re tossing and turning night after night? Can God stop your pain and restore your rest?

Absolutely. We just need to renew our faith in Him.

“In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.” Psalm 4:8

God alone leads us to safety... but do you believe He can? Or are you convinced that the prison of doubt, worry, and fear is too strong for even Him?

Do we have faith He will see us through?

Do we have faith He will release us from the guilt?

Do we have faith He has overcome the world?

Do we have faith He is all we need?

Do we have faith He is all powerful?

Do we have faith He still heals broken hearts?

Do we have faith He isn’t the God of the accusing finger but of the open arms?

Have we replaced “I believe” with “I think He can”?

The time has come to break free and believe again...

How do I do that?

1) Choose reliance not regret.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart

    and lean not on your own understanding;

in all your ways submit to him,

    and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6

2) Select peace over pain.

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33

3) Decide to have faith not fear.

“See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God.” Hebrews 3:12

In the darkest of dark nights... God is there. When we punish ourselves with memories of the past... He is with us. When we mess up for the hundredth time and find ourselves wrecked by regret and fear...

His arms are there...

Protecting us and loving us more than anyone ever could.

He forgives you when you ask Him to. Now it's your turn to forgive yourself.

Home For Christmas?

On December 17, 1903, Orville and Wilbur Wright made their first flight of an airplane at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. On their 5th attempt, the plane under the control of Orville, embarked on a 12 second flight. 

Wilbur rushed to the local telegraph office and sent the following message – WE HAVE FLOWN FOR 12 SECONDS - WE WILL BE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS!

Upon receiving the telegram their sister, Katherine went to the newspaper office, told the editor of her brother’s new flying machine, and informed him, they would be home for Christmas, if he would like to set up an interview.  He told her that was nice, and he would be sure to put something in the paper regarding the boys.

On December 19th, the local paper placed the following headline on the 6th page of the paper: “WRIGHT BROTHERS HOME FOR CHRISTMAS”

It was the most important story of the year... and the editor of the paper missed it.  

To him it was just another day... another news item... just another thing to live through.  He was focused on the wrong thing.   

If we’re not careful, and we take our eyes off what is important, the uncommon will become common... 

God will cause hurting marriages to heal...

Weak hearts to beat stronger... 

Stage four cancer to “go away”...  

Unbelieving people to come to Christ...

Waters to be filled with those getting baptized...

And If we lose focus, we will highlight the wrong headline.  

Instead of printing the words:  “GOD CHANGES LIVES”

We’ll push it to page 6 and write ... “Life happens...”

Without realizing it, God-sized things become ordinary.  normal.  standard.  typical.   

And if we’re not careful...

We’ll begin to think we’ve earned salvation.

Or we deserve His mercy.

Or His grace is automatic.

Everything God does for us is because He loves us and chooses to do it.   We don’t control Him by making deals with Him.  We don’t earn more favor because we’re not as bad as our neighbor.  We don’t get special privileges because we are nice to the people who are nice to us.  

No... God is amazing.  His favor for us is unmerited and impossible to understand.  He does miracles... major ones and minor ones because we are His masterpiece.

And He loves us.

Today... thank God for those miracles in your life... The first breath you took this morning.  The health of your children.  The job you have.   The successes of yesterday... or the growth that came through the challenges.  

The enemy will tempt you to overlook the headlines of God’s goodness.  He’ll try to convince you that God gave up doing miracles long ago.  Don’t let him.  Our Heavenly Father is FAR from common... and what He does in our lives should always be on the front page of our hearts.