The People Matter Blog

Time to Tebow?

2012-01-27T09:02:00.001-06:00

By Dr. DAN ERICKSON

If you follow college or professional football -- and even if you don't -- you certainly have heard of Tim Tebow, quarterback for the Denver Broncos. He is regarded as one of the most talented college football players that has ever played the game. He won both a Heisman Trophy and led the Florida Gators to two National Championships while being an outspoken believer in Jesus Christ.

Since he has become a professional, he has been highly criticized for whether he has the skills to be a quarterback in the NFL and even more so for his outspoken faith. He would be better thought of by many in the sports media if he would simply shut up about Jesus and just fit in. Many are dreaming of the day when Tebow would have some kind of moral failure so they can say, “Look see, I told you, he is no better than we are.”

Tim Tebow understands something these elitists do not: He was not re-created in Christ to blend in but to stand out. The best way to stand out is to give credit where credit is due whether you win or lose. In football and in life he has been a winner.

The criticism intensified on Oct. 23 of this year. Tim publicly took a knee after Denver completed a comeback victory against the Miami Dolphins in overtime. The justification for the criticism was based on the premise that one’s religion or personal views should be kept to one’s self and not be spoken about or put on display in one’s public life.

You may not be aware of this, but Global Language Monitor, which has become a keeper of modern usage of the English language, is now recognizing a new word they call “tebowing.” They define it as “the act of taking a knee in prayer during an athletic contest.” Tebowing.com defines it as “to get down on a knee and start praying, even if everyone else around you is doing something completely different.” You can now send you own photo of you or others “tebowing” to www.tebowing.com.

I don’t think that Tim Tebow ever intended or thought that what he was doing out of his own personal expression of love and gratitude to Jesus Christ would become a movement of God. Would it not be great if true and outspoken believers of Jesus Christ would just start “tebowing” everywhere we go? Not just during or after a sporting contest but anytime. It would demonstrate our allegiance to the one and only awesome Lord!

What would happen if after a big sale, at a graduation of a son or daughter, landing a new account or completing a surgery on a patient, we would all just take the time to bend the knee where we are and express our love and gratitude to Jesus Christ. Without him we can do or be nothing. Why not make “tebowing” a way of life for all believers wherever we work, live or play?

Maybe if we did we would all have more comebacks in overtime. Imagine the possibilities!

Are you in the stands or in the game?

2011-12-29T21:36:00.002-06:00

By Dr. DAN ERICKSON

We had just gotten up from a wonderful meal with my kids and grandkids when I asked my oldest granddaughter if she would help me clean up. She smiled at me and politely said, "No thank you Papa but thank you for asking."

I have thought about her response over the years. And, by the way, she was just kidding. That is in many ways how we respond to our heavenly Father when he asks us to help clean up the messes we and others make. Take a good look at our nation, our world and our lives. There are lots of messes out there.

God is asking his kids to help clean it up, but we are impolitely responding, "No thank you God, but thank you for asking."

Christianity is much like a football game. There are 22 men on the field who desperately need rest and 60,000 Christians in the stands who desperately need the exercise. I have written previously that Christians are much like manure: When you spread them out they can do great good, but when you keep them piled up in our churches they stink.

At this time of year, I watch a lot of college football. I am driven to ask myself, “Am I a player in the Christian game or am I a spectator sitting in the bleachers, on the sidelines?” I would hate to stand before almighty God and have to him ask why I played it safe in life instead getting into his game.

In Matthew 25:31, Jesus describes the end of time when all true Christians, the players, will be separated from the false, the spectators (the sheep from the goats). He will say to those who are righteous and true, "Come, you blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world."

As hard as it sounds, Christ then goes into great detail to describe the physical evidences of one who is a true Christian, a player. "I (Christ) was hungry and you gave Me something to eat; thirsty and you gave Me clean water; homeless and you gave Me shelter; naked and you clothed Me; sick and you cared for Me; and when I was in My prison you did not leave me alone."

The obvious question is, "When did we do these for Christ?" We do them when we stop being a spectator and enter into his game. Think about this new year and consider how you might play your part in the game of eternal life. It may mean all the difference for you and others for now and for eternity. Imagine the possibilities!

Is your God stuck in a box?

2011-12-17T13:08:00.002-06:00

By Dr. DAN ERICKSON

During the holidays, I enjoy reflecting on the song “Away in a Manger.” It begins with these lyrics:

Away in a manger,
No crib for his bed
The little Lord Jesus
Laid down his sweet head

The stars in the bright sky
Looked down where he lay
The little Lord Jesus
Asleep on the hay

Scripture tells us that there was no room in any of the inns in Bethlehem, so the Savior of the world was born of a virgin, in a barn and placed in a common box used to feed animals. The King of the universe descended into meekness.

I look around at all the divided loyalties that keep so many of us from truly celebrating the birth of God’s Son, the Lord of Lords. I stood in huge lines at Target, Kohl’s and Wal-Mart on “Black Friday.” People stood or sat in line for hours seeking bargains on big screen TVs, iPads and a variety of other assorted gadgets.

To be honest I would never have normally stood in those lines, but I was buying toys so we could give them away to Navajo kids in Arizona. I hope I don’t come off as self-righteous, but I believe I have learned what really matters. These kids matter to me and to God.

Most people leave Christ out of Christmas. These distractions of bargains scream “No Vacancy.” They say, “Sorry, there is no room in my life, marriage, workplace or world for God.” Maybe if we fill our life with constant noise, we won’t have to deal with the baby God in the box.

Look around at the condition of our nation and our world. As Dr. Phil would say, “How is that working for us?”

Many of us who really believe in the Christ of Christmas need to allow him out of a box of our own invention. If we keep Jesus in a manger, we have a warm story during the holidays. If we let him out of the manger, he can change the world – including our personal world. How does that strike you?

He needs to become not only a baby in a manger, but our Savior, Lord, and Mighty King. Imagine the possibilities!

“Re-gifting” God’s grace this Christmas season

2011-11-27T17:25:00.003-06:00

By Dr. DAN ERICKSON

As many of us are rushing around getting ready for the big Christmas push, let’s hit the brakes for just a moment: Make time for re-gifting!

John 3:16 describes Christmas in one sentence: “For God so loved the world he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” The Message version of the Bible expresses it this way, “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; believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life.”

Christ really became the ultimate gift. He is the only gift that really keeps on giving. In the hustle and bustle of the season, be reminded of the heart of Christmas and of the Good News.

God so loved you and me … and the murderer, the thief, and all types of people rejected by society and even the church. For them He gave his only Son. You see we are all equally in need of this gift. We can’t earn it, buy it, work for it or deserve it. We can only believe and receive it because it has already been purchased by Jesus Christ. He purchased life for us so that we can experience life to the fullest, an eternal life – a deeper and better life than we could ever dream of.

Once you receive this gift from your heavenly Father, you now become His gift to the world. What God wrote about His Son, he writes about every one of those who claim to be His: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased” (Matt. 3:17). Although the idea of re-gifting (passing on a gift you have already received), is usually perceived negatively, in this sense it is positive in every way. You are sharing the best gift you have ever received.

You could paraphrase John 1:14 this way: “The Word (Jesus Christ) became flesh and blood (in us), and moved into the neighborhood. They (the world) saw the glory with their own eyes, the one-of-a-kind glory, like Father, like Son, generous inside and out, true from start to finish.”

We can also become this ultimate gift in the flesh and then, like Christ, take Him to the neighborhood.

So my challenge for you in this wonderful season is for you to become part of the reason for the season. When you are buying your toys, clothes or doodads or gobbling down a meal at a local restaurant, remember the average checker and waitress is a single mother struggling to find meaning in the season. So, when you are rushing around trying to get your shopping done, consider slowing down enough to give a helping hand, a smile and a warm greeting. For most people, these words of grace may be the only true gift they will receive this Christmas season.

Become the ultimate gift in the flesh and take Him to the neighborhood and imagine the possibilities!

Thankful for noisy children and slammin' doors

2011-11-26T09:11:00.004-06:00

By DR. DAN ERICKSON

I don’t know about you, but I have a tendency to only be thankful to God about the extraordinary instead of the everyday miracle of daily life. Sometimes it is hard to see God in the everyday encounters of the divine kind. I think that is the reason scripture exhorts, “In everything gives thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (I Thess. 5:18). It is in the midst of the ordinary of life that we find a God who loves and cares for us.

What I appreciate most about country music is how the song writers tell stories about extraordinary people living ordinary lives. Scotty McCreery, the winner of the 2011 American Idol and a Christian, sings a song called “Dirty Dishes” on his new CD. The song is about a mother who begins to give thanks over the family meal: “She prayed the strangest prayer ever said. I wanna’ thank you Lord for noisy children and slammin’ doors and clothes scattered all over the floor; a husband workin’ all the time, draggin’ in dead-tired at night; a never ending, messy kitchen and dirty dishes.”

As you listen to the song it does seem like the strangest prayer, but I believe many a woman would understand the heart of this mother. After the prayer she was asked by her concerned husband if she was all right. She responded, “There ain’t nothing wrong. Noisy kids are happy kids and slammin’ doors just means we live in a warm and loving home. Your long hours and those dishes in the sink means a job and enough to eat.”

What are you waiting for to give thanks?

There is plenty of discontentment to go around these days. Are you waiting for the economy to get better? For more money than month? Children who actually behave or a life that stops throwing curve balls? If this describes you today, try looking up. Then look inside and, finally, look around. This mother in the song could give thanks because she realized that true happiness is more about having a proper perspective. It is all about how you see life and all its twists and turns. Do you see through the eyes of God? Nothing comes into our lives that does not first come through the heart of almighty God.

When you realize this, you too can sing, “Thank you Lord for noisy children and slammin’ doors and clothes scattered all over the floor.”

When trouble comes: Are you a victim or victor?

2011-10-14T14:43:00.003-05:00

By Dr. DAN ERICKSON

What do you do when trouble seems to be all around? Do you blame others? Do you hide under the blanket hoping it’s a dream that will surely go away when you wake up? Or maybe you just blame the devil for all that is going wrong.

There are three overarching principles about trouble that we all need to understand:
1. God allows trouble, difficulties and adversities in our lives according to our need.
2. Nothing comes in our lives that does not first come through the hand of almighty God.
3. How you view your troubles or circumstances determines how you will respond to them.

How you see – meaning your vision – is the key to becoming a victim or a victor. If you see your trouble through the lenses of your current situation or circumstance, then you will be driven by fear and live as a victim and captive. If you see your trouble through the lens of God, then you will be driven by faith and live as a victor and a conqueror.

God’s word declares: “And we know that all things work together for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). The Scriptures also tell us that in Christ we are more than conquerors. As if this weren’t enough, Paul cries out: “Now to him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all we could ask or think, according to the power that is already at work in us, to him be the glory” (Ephesians 3:20).

This is the secret of life. God is more concerned about what he is doing in us than with or through us.

When trouble is overwhelming you, whether it is caused by our own choices or brought upon us by others or life’s situations, remember: “Greater is he that is in me than he that is in the trouble, circumstance or situation.” Then switch lenses and view life through the lens of God and imagine the possibilities!

Unstoppable Courage: Becoming one in million

2011-09-23T13:59:00.002-05:00

By Dr. DAN ERICKSON

I am praying and challenging the church in America to become courageous Christians. We can see life and all of its challenges through a different set of lenses: God’s word. His word gives us courage in the midst of our fears, sufferings and uncertainties.

If Satan can cause us to lose heart and stop believing, then we will settle in, hunker down and not enter into God’s promises. We will continue to live in our own personal wilderness. Yet God has called us to rise up, stand out and transform the world – to become an unstoppable force. God wants us to claim his promises in the midst of life’s challenges.

In An “Unstoppable Force – A Christian Manifesto,” I wrote:
“If The Unstoppable Force is going to make an eternal difference, it will face difficulties, temptations, testing and persecution like nothing that has ever been brought against the church in our nation. The enemy is alive and seeking to kill, steal and destroy the influences of we who live by a higher standard, a greater truth. The Force has to stand strong, be courageous and never give up on proclaiming the truth – no matter the consequences. For to live is Christ and to die is gain.” (Joshua 1:1-9, John 10:10, Philippians 1:19-21)

Out of the two million Jews that were called to enter the promise land, only Joshua and Caleb believed it was possible (Numbers 13). They were literally one in a million!

In Joshua 1, God challenged Joshua with these courageous words – words we need to heed ourselves:

“Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, you and all these people, to the land which I am giving to them – the children of Israel. Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses. … No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you. … Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage, do not be afraid nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:1-9)

If there has ever been a time we need to have unstoppable courage, it is now. Courage is the mental, moral and spiritual strength to resist opposition, danger and hardship. It comes from the inside out. Courage is not the absence of fear, uncertainty or even failure. Courage is discovered and developed in the midst of these challenges.

Fear + Endurance = Courage

Where do you need a dose of God’s courage today? Where do you need to give a good dose of God’s courage? Do you encourage or discourage? We can only give what we have already received for ourselves. If a faith-filled believer can’t give courage, then who can?

Become one in a million and imagine the possibilities!

The battle for the church in America: religious games vs. all-out commitment

2011-08-27T13:08:00.002-05:00

By Dr. DAN ERICKSON

The real battle in America is not for our nation but for the church in our nation.

“Salt is good, but if it loses it saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out.” – Luke 14:34-35

In this passage, Jesus is addressing those who aren’t willing to give everything – those who won’t follow him all the way. He is saying that lukewarm and half-hearted commitment is useless. He is saying that this kind of salt is not even fit “for the manure pile.” How would you like God to say that about you or your church?

It has been said that Christians are like manure: If you spread them out, they can do great good. But if they are gathered together for too long, they stink up the place.

The call to the American church is for total surrender, obedience and abandonment. God does not just want our loyalty, he wants our lives. There is a battle raging and it is not just in our nation or in the pew but in the hearts of every believer (Revelation 3:14-22).

Nowhere in the Bible do people call themselves Christians without being fully devoted disciples of Jesus Christ. Many Christians today are more concerned about going to Heaven than loving the King of Heaven. If we want a little of Jesus to spiritualize our lives or keep us out of Hell, then we are missing out on the abundant life that God wants to give us (John 10:10). Are we like those believers in Revelation 3 who claim to be self sufficient and do not need God?
“You say, ‘I am rich. I have everything I want. I don’t need a thing!’ And you don’t realize that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked.” – Revelation 3:17, NLT

Do we serve God because of what He does for us? Or do we seek to serve him because we are in love with him? One is out of duty and the other is out of devotion. Pastor Frances Chan wrote: “If you could be satisfied with life when all your needs and wants are being met, you probably are not in love with Jesus.” Christ desires a relationship – not our self-made religion or righteousness. “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to Him and dine with him and He with me.” – Revelation 3:20

In order for the church to change our nation, Christ says: “Here’s what I want you to do: Buy your gold from me, gold that’s been through the refiner’s fire. Then you’ll be rich. Buy your clothes from me, clothes designed in Heaven. You’ve gone around half-naked long enough. And buy medicine for your eyes so you can see, really see. The people I love, I call to account, prod and correct and guide so that they’ll live at their best. Up on your feet then! About face! Run after God!” – Revelation 3:18-19, The Message

What must the church of America become in order to win back our nation? We have made Christianity about a “what” instead of about a “who.” We have made so much to do about the programs and functions of the church that we miss out on who we need to become. It is time for the people to rise up and commit to becoming fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ. After meditating on Scripture, I am laying out some principles for us to live and die for.

The Mandate is clear
“If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matthew 16:24-26)

Characteristics of the Bride of Christ (the church)
· She loves God passionately and pursues him. She seeks a relationship with him over religious practices. She loves God with all of her heart, soul, mind and strength. She cares more about what God thinks of her than the world; chooses what is right over what is popular. We must become radical Christians who stand out and do not blend in or compromise. God must captivate every part of our lives. Our church attendance, activities, money and off-the-cuff prayers are not enough. (Isaiah 29:13; Matthew 21:28-31, 22:37-38; Luke 6:26, 9:57-62; Philippians 3:10)

· She thinks more about eternity than life on earth. She understands that life is more than the daily to-do list or work schedule. We should be living our lives based on eternity. (Philippians 3:18-21; Colossians 3:1-4)

· She is genuinely repentant of her sin and doesn’t merely feel sorry about it. Sin breaks our relationship with a holy God. We need to hate sin with a vengeance and love God passionately. (John 10:10; Romans 6:1-6)

· She understands that true success and growth can only be found in prayer. She knows that the only way to reach the nation is by being empowered by the Holy Spirit. She rejects man’s methods and programs and embraces God’s power. She is evidenced not by the natural but the supernatural. (Matthew 26:31-46; Acts 4:13, 20; Philippians 4:6)

· She doesn’t measure her morality or spirituality by others, but by God’s word. Don’t be satisfied that you may live better than someone else. Don’t just pursue morality, but seek purity. (Luke 18:11-12; James 1:21-27)

· She seeks to love others more than herself. She will not allow her love to become conditional and a respecter of persons. We can’t say we love God and not love others unconditionally. They will know him by our love. (Matthew 5:43-47; Luke 14:12-14)

· She commits to serving God and others with all of her resources – her time, talent, treasure, and touch. She must give her best, not her leftovers. It is not equal gifts that God is looking for, but equal sacrifice. We have a tendency to only give or serve if it does not impinge on our schedule or standard of living. He demands everything. (Luke 18:18-25; 21:1-4)

· She takes advantage of every opportunity to be a witness to a lost world. Her walk matches her talk. If your faith is real then share it with others. If we deny Christ he will deny us. We must decrease so he can increase. The only way to win the world is with a water basin and a towel. (Matthew 10:32-33; 28:18-20; John 13; James 4:17)

· She lives by faith, not sight. She puts herself in positions where she has to trust God for every aspect of her life. You will not trust a God you do not know. Faith rests upon His character, not just His promises. The real fruit is out on the limb. Don’t play it safe. Instead, go for it! Let’s not seek rewards now, but those that will come in eternity. (Matthew 10:27-31; Luke 12:13-21; I Timothy 6:17-18; Hebrews 11)

· She considers the poor, broken and downcast. She considers her wealth as an opportunity to meet the needs of both the poor in spirit and those in need. She loves God both with passion and compassion. It is really more blessed to give than to receive. (Isaiah 58:6-9; Matthew 25:31-46)

The ultimate goal of the church in America and every believer should be: “I want nothing more than to live in total surrender, obedience and abandonment to the love and will of God with every moment I have left on earth.”

The Reward
“Conquerors will sit alongside me at the head table, just as I, having conquered, took the place of honor at the side of my Father. That’s my gift to the conquerors!
“Are your ears awake? Listen. Listen to the Wind Words, the Spirit blowing through the churches.” – Revelation 3:21-22, The Message

Living in the Power of His Presence

2011-07-29T17:59:00.002-05:00

By Dr. DAN ERICKSON

Do you ever wish you could just get to the end of yourself? Do you ever pray, “More of you Lord and less of me?” If you knew you could become a person who practiced the presence of God in every aspect of your life, would you desire to become that person? The hard part for me is getting myself out of the way.

Brother Lawrence, a sixteenth century monk, had a reputation of daily practicing the presence of God. He wrote, “I make it my ordinary business to abide in the presence of God with the humility of a useless, though faithful, servant. I make it my business to rest in his holy presence, which I keep myself in by a habitual, silent and secret conversation with God. This often causes in me joys and raptures inwardly and sometimes so outwardly, so great that I am forced to use means to moderate them and prevent their appearance to others.”

Brother Lawrence spent most of his adult life working in the kitchen of the monastery. Life pulls us in many different directions each day, but it does not have to pull us away from God’s presence. In fact, Brother Lawrence would say that it is in the midst of our daily challenges that Christ can be found doing his best work in, around and through us. He wrote, “The time of business does not differ from the time of prayer and in the noise of the kitchen, while several persons are at the same time calling for different things, I possess God in a tranquility as if I were on my knees at the Blessed Sacrament.”

History tells us that the monk would begin any task great or small with the following prayer: “O God, since you are with me, and it is your will that I must now apply myself to these outward duties, I beseech you to assist me with your grace that I may continue in your presence. To this end, O Lord, be with me in this my work, accept the labor of my hands, and dwell within me all your fullness.”

There is a story told of a couple who had been married for many years. The husband was driving them to church when the wife looked sadly at him and said, “Do you remember those days when I would snuggle up close to you and we would talk about our future and express our deep devotion and love for each other? Why don’t we do that anymore?” The husband looked over to his wife and with as much grace as he could, simply asked, “Who moved?”

Christ promised that he will never leave us nor forsake us. He will not move! Let’s keep practicing the presence of God because practice does make perfect. Let’s learn from Brother Lawrence and actively experience God’s presence even in the kitchen. Imagine the possibilities!

Rising from the rubble: Christ is ready to transform our ragged lives

2011-07-14T20:08:00.002-05:00

By Dr. DAN ERICKSON

If you knew you could become a person who could live filled with the Holy Spirit and become a channel of his presence and power, would you become that person?

The Apostle Paul wrote: “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price” (I Cor. 16:19-20). Paul is saying that we are God’s temple and place of dwelling.

When we recently went to Joplin, Mo., to hand out Smile Packs to hurting kids, we stayed at a local motel. Over 90 percent of the residents of this motel were displaced because their homes had been completely destroyed. I overheard a young boy ask his father when they could go home. I could see the sadness in the father’s eyes when he replied, “This is our home.” In fact the residents of this motel call it their “Hometel.”

When we worked among the rubble of Joplin it reminded me of what so many people’s lives look like every day. This would include many Christians. It is as if a tornado is continually tearing them apart. Yet Christ offers to give them life to the fullest in the midst of the rubble. He seeks to rebuild and restore his temples (meaning us) and to fill us with his Holy Spirit. He wants to indwell us and change us from the inside out.

If you have received Christ in your life, then you have received all of the Holy Spirit. We do not need more of him, but he does need more of us. He can deliver us out of our “Hometel” and put us back together again, better than we could ever imagine. Will there be rubble to deal with? Of course. But he knows how to turn our pieces into a peace that surpasses all understanding.

When the Christian lives in the power and presence of the Holy Spirit, the evidence is supernatural – not natural. The world cannot help but notice. When the Holy Spirit moves, nothing can stop Him. We will see fruit in our lives that lasts. We will see our rubble become the very temple of God and our restoration become the demonstration of the Spirit’s power so that our faith might not rest on man’s efforts but in God’s power.

Give your “Hometel” over to the power and presence of Jesus Christ and imagine the possibilities.

The God who is vs. the god we want

2011-06-29T17:17:00.002-05:00

By. Dr. DAN ERICKSON

Over the years I have told my grandchildren that they were God’s very best. I would often ask them, “Who are you?” With my coaching, they learned to respond, “I am the best” with a gleam in their eyes. As they have gotten older, my response is, “You have to be who you are.”

I got a call not long ago from my oldest granddaughter. She never calls me, so I knew it was important. She asked, “Is it true that everyone is born the best?” I responded, “Yes, every person was made in the image of God and he does not make any junk.” She responded, “Are you sure?” I emphatically responded, “I am very sure and why are you asking? Are you misbehaving?” She quickly said, “I have to go now.”

She was being disciplined for misbehaving and rebelling against her parents. They were reminding her that she was not being the best – not being who she really was. She kept telling them, “I am really not the best.” She wasn’t just questioning her parents – she was questioning her God.

Maybe you can identify. In the Garden of Eden, Satan sought to undermine God. He asked Eve, “Did God really say … ?” We have been expressing our opinion and disagreeing with God ever since.

There are a lot of opinions about God and spirituality. I used to say, “If God said it, I believe it, and it is so.” But now after getting much older I agree with a good friend of mine who says, “God is real. He lives in Heaven. God and I may have our own opinions, but guess whose opinion doesn’t count.” It does not matter if I believe it. If God says it, it is so, period.

There is the God who is and there is the god we think we want. We want a God who loves, but not a God who disciplines. We want a God who is benevolent and kind but not one who is judge and jury. The God who created us in his image and made us his very best is the same heavenly Father who disciplines us so we will become who we were meant to be.

Discover the God who is so you can discover the person who you can become and imagine the possibilities!

God wants your lunch

2011-06-17T15:16:00.002-05:00

By CATHY ERICKSON

I had the privilege of going to tornado-struck Joplin, Mo., for a day earlier this month. We were on a fact finding trip to see what People Matter Ministries could do to help. As we drove into town we began to see bits of debris in yards and trees. The closer we got, the bigger they got and the so called “shock and awe” began. People said it was unbelievable, incredible, sobering, and devastating. They were right about one thing: You can’t describe it in words or even pictures. As we drove past the rubble of a place where a family once lived and played, my heart began to break. I began imagining the moments they had to prepare that Sunday in May as life jolted to a halt.

When the sirens stopped, the shock began and continues today, but there are people who have entered their pain to help any way they can. They offer a bottle of cold water, a smile, a box of diapers, or a warm meal – all things we take for granted.

There is so much despair and there are so many needs that it all just felt overwhelming – block after block, yard after yard and person after person. It was then I remembered a story, told in the Bible (Matthew 14:15-21). It had been a long hard day for Jesus, and he just needed to get away from it all. He got in a boat to go to a remote place where he could be alone. As the boat came to shore, Jesus saw a crowd there and felt compassion on them. Being who he is, he stepped out of the boat and met them there, setting aside his original plans.

Evening came and they were all getting hungry, so the disciples asked Jesus what to do. They went into the crowd and found a boy who had five loaves and two fish, the disciples comment was, “What good is this with this huge crowd?” Jesus then proceeded to feed all the people and had more to spare. I had some of the same thoughts as we drove by flattened houses, wrecked cars, and yards filled with trees and debris. It seemed there was just too much, too many, impossible. Then I met the people who were giving “their lunch” cooking food, unloading trucks, cutting wood, loving people. I began to see what Jesus saw as he takes what we offer and turns it into a miracle. It was then that I knew the hope we had to share—the lunch we have to share. Even though things can seem impossible and hopeless, little becomes much as you place it in the master’s hands.

Look around your community, see what Jesus sees and then ask yourself this question, what can I share?

If you want to learn more about our efforts to serve the people of Joplin, go to www.kidsmatter2.com.

My Dad, My Hero

2011-06-17T14:40:00.001-05:00

My dad, Wesley Elmer Erickson – my hero – was called to the throne of God in Heaven at approximately 3:30 a.m. on May 17, 2010. I miss him every day. He finally heard the words he had been waiting to hear for more than 86 years: “Well done my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over little, so I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your Master.”

I wish I could have been there. I know he received a hero’s welcome. Now he wears a crown and sits among the elect.

Heroes come in many different forms. Some wear special uniforms and perform amazing, public deeds. Most, though, are ordinary and work behind the scenes, often in obscurity. My hero was just five feet tall. He had little formal education and never wore a shirt that stayed buttoned or tucked in. He mispronounced words regularly, loved his coffee and struggled with his anger. He accumulated no net worth and was never found in the pages of Who’s Who in America. He was best known for his love of God, his family and all people. This love was especially pronounced toward Gladys, his wife for almost 63 years. As a missionary, he gave his heart to a forgotten people – Native Americans – for more than 40 years.

He lived in a modest apartment where his life was displayed only in pictures, memories and knickknacks. He left no stuff worth mentioning. He had given it all away years ago.

Dad understood that our lives are but a dot on a line extending into eternity. Yet, like a stone that splashes the water and creates ripples, our lives can make an impact for eternity. A life lived to please God can echo now and forever.

I asked my dad why he chose to leave the security of a middle income life and pursue a life of struggle, difficulties and anonymity among the Native Americans. He said simply, “Eternity is a very long time. I know I can’t take anything with me so I am sending it all ahead.” He lived his life that way. He saw the big picture and wanted to make a big impact. Many thought him foolish and misguided, a man tilting at windmills. I think of him as my dad, my hero.

So I choose to follow his example. He chose greatness by becoming a servant. Like Jesus, he made himself "nothing” (Philippians 2:7). He insisted that Christ and others increase while he willingly decreased. Dad lived a life reserved for those who choose humility, brokenness, weakness and being last. His crown was not earned by self will or achievement, but rather by selflessness, uncompromising obedience and courage. He chose the way of the cross and fought the good fight with the towel of a servant.

As I’ve alluded, Dad was not perfect – none of us are. Yet he was a persistent and consistent hero. What he lacked in perfection he made up for in grace, hope, forgiveness and love – and love is the greatest character quality. Consider the way of my dad, my hero, and imagine the possibilities!

Stand with Joshua and Caleb as one in a million

2011-05-26T16:46:00.002-05:00

By Dr. DAN ERICKSON

I am praying and challenging the church in America to become courageous Christians. We can see life and all its challenges through a different set of lenses: God’s word. His word gives us courage in the midst of our fears, sufferings and uncertainties.

If Satan can cause us to lose heart and stop believing, he knows that we will settle in, hunker down and not enter into God’s promises. We will continue to live in our own personal wilderness. But God has called us to rise up, stand out and transform the world, becoming an unstoppable force. God wants us to claim his promises in the midst life’s challenges.

In “An Unstoppable Force – A Christian Manifesto,” I wrote:
“If The Unstoppable Force is going to make an eternal difference, it will face difficulties, temptations, testing and persecution like nothing that has ever been brought against the church in our nation. The enemy is alive and seeking to kill, steal and destroy the influence of we who live by a higher standard, a greater truth. The Force has to stand strong, be courageous and never give up on proclaiming the truth – no matter the consequences. For to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Joshua 1:1-9, John 10:10, Philippians 1:19-21).

Out of the two million Jews who were called to enter the promised land, only Joshua and Caleb believed it was possible (Numbers 13). They literally became one in a million!

In Joshua 1, God exhorted Joshua with these courageous words, words we should heed ourselves:
“Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, you and all these people, to the land which I am giving to them – the children of Israel. Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses. … No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you. … Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage, do not be afraid nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

If there has ever been a time we need to have unstoppable courage it is now. Courage is the mental, moral and spiritual strength to resist opposition, danger and hardship. It comes from the inside out. Courage is not the absence of fear, uncertainty or even failure. Rather, it is exhibited in the midst of these trials.

Fear + Endurance = Courage

Where do you need a dose of God’s courage today? Where do you need to give a good dose of God’s courage? Do you encourage or discourage? We can only give what we have already received. If a faith-filled believer can’t give courage, who will?

So become one in a million and imagine the possibilities!

Divided loyalties hinder full devotion to God

2011-04-28T14:17:00.003-05:00

By Dr. DAN ERICKSON

The story is told about a young girl who was attempting to quote Psalm 23, written by David, for the very first time in front of her classmates. She took a deep breath and nervously began the Psalm with, "The Lord is my Shepherd, He is all I want."

Many might think that she misquoted it. I think she got it just right. Is Christ all that we want or do we possess divided loyalties?

American Christianity has become more of a subculture than counterculture. Many are stuck in the same paradigm as the world. A subculture reflects the value system and worldview of its culture. This accommodating stance keeps us from becoming agents of change. It seems that, over the centuries, the only time the church is willing to rise up is when the culture threatens its very existence.

We are awakened by a good dose of persecution. The church has become a well-trained institution and the reality is that we have become very proficient in functioning without the manifest presence of God.

Christ is calling us to become a reflection of Him and to become aliens and strangers in this world. We are to be in the world but not of it. We are called to be revolutionaries, change agents. We were created in Christ to stand out and reflect him – not to blend in and mirror the world. I think most convinced Christians would take a bullet for Christ, but still they somehow live for him in secret. He did the dying and is asking us to do the denying, take up our cross, our revolutionary cause and completely follow him (Matthew 16:24-26).

In Mark 10:17-22, Christ was asked by a young man what he must to do to inherit eternal life. Jesus simply asked him if he was attempting to keep all the commandments. He answered with the affirmative. He was very religious. In our day we might answer, “I go to church most Sundays; I read my Bible on occasion; I pray when I need to; I give if I have enough; I serve on work days.” How would you answer?

“Looking at the man, Jesus felt genuine love for him. ‘There is still one thing you haven’t done,’ he told him. ‘Go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in Heaven. Then come and follow me.’ At this the man’s face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions.”

His possessions were competing loyalties.

What is God asking of you that is keeping you from completely following him? The little girl got it right; let Christ be all that we want because he is all that we need. Then imagine the possibilities!

The cure for chaos: resting in God’s shadow

2011-03-28T17:20:00.001-05:00

By CATHY ERICKSON

Have you ever just been busily going about your life and all of a sudden – bam! – you get a phone call that is devastating?

What is the first thing you do? I admit that I freak out for a moment and then quickly call on God. My mind runs back and forth across well-worn trails, sometimes going to the “crazy worry zone” where my heart pounds and my stomach turns before I quickly run back to the “God Zone,” a zone of peace.

Psalm 91 says:
“If we dwell in the shelter of the Most High we will rest in the shadow of the almighty. I will say of the Lord, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.’”

Oh how I want to dwell in the shadow of the almighty where he is my fortress, my God, in whom I trust. The problem for most of us is, “How do we get there and stay there?” Interestingly, the passage does not say to run to the shelter but to dwell in the shelter, which means you live there already and you continue to stay there and commune with him.

It also says to rest there in his shadow. That means there is no need to even touch him, but just to rest in His shadow. It seems to me if you are resting there, then he is standing tall and casting his shadow so you can be calm and at peace in his presence. Sometimes I even imagine being curled up there, maybe even sleeping.

This scriptural word picture comforts me when I am at my lowest. It compels me to share with others to dwell in the shelter and rest in his shadow no matter their circumstances.

Read all of Psalm 91 here. It’s worth it.

Finding courage in an unstoppable hope

2011-03-28T16:43:00.004-05:00

By Dr. DAN ERICKSON

When I look at what is happening all over the world, I find that what people need most is hope. Merriam-Webster defines hope as “a confident expectation of an unseen future.” But with God “hope is the confident expectation of a foreseen future.” We know who wins in the end. Hope motivates us to continue striving in spite of opposition or difficulties.

Yet many of us feel like giving up – on people, relationships, the church, the government, our dreams and sometimes ourselves.

What are we offering people to help them survive the difficulties and challenges of life? What are we doing to help people cope with their despair? To give them hope? Proverbs 13:12 warns, “Hope deferred makes a heart sick.” On the other hand, God makes a way when there seems to be no way. He creates hope when there seems to be only despair.

“He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, the will walk and not be faint” (Isaiah 40:29-31).

At Christmas we gave away hundreds of toys to Navajo children on a reservation. They are so innocent and appreciative, but so many will grow up hopeless and in despair. I was taken to a place where there were hundreds of empty hairspray bottles. Why were they there? Since alcohol is not sold on the reservation, some of the residents drink a mix of water and hairspray to get a buzz. It deadens their pain, hopelessness and despair. This habit will eventually fry their brains and kill them.

What do we need to do to bring hope to others? First of all, we have to receive it for ourselves! We cannot give what we do not have or teach what we have not experienced. What will give us hope that we can share with others?

A life in relationship with Jesus Christ. In Christ all things are possible, but apart from Christ we can do nothing. We must live in and rely on Him. Remember “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27b). Be encouraged by “this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6).

A life with clear vision. Is God directing our vision? Or are we living with blinders on?
“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11).

A life with an eternal purpose. Are you living in such a way that your life echoes in eternity?
“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).

A life with true meaning. “We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works which he prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2:10).

A life with true significance. “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us” (Romans 8:35, 37).

A life filled with courage. “Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand” (Isaiah 41:10).

A life with an eternal potential and destiny. “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13).

In his own battle with despair, King David wrote, “Why are you downcast, O my Soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God” (Ps. 42:11).

I am reminded of an old song that we need to sing again in our churches:

My Hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness,
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
but wholly lean on Jesus name.

On Christ the solid Rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.

Put your hope in God. Then go give hope to a lost and troubled world and imagine the poss

Stopping the genocide of the unborn

2011-03-17T19:32:00.000-05:00

By Dr. DAN ERICKSON

Genocide refers to violent crimes committed against a group with the intent of destroying the very existence of that group. Since 1973 over 50 million unborn babies have been aborted.

Abortion should be called what it is. It is genocide of the unborn. Our society, our nation and yes, even the church will give an account to God for how we have neglected protecting our born and unborn children. When many of our self-righteous celebrities, politicians, educators and religious leaders stand before Almighty God, will they accuse him? I can imagine them saying, “If you were such a just God, a loving God and a good God, why did you allow so many people in our world to die and suffer from war, disease or hunger?”

I also wonder if God will respond, “I sent you the cure for breast cancer but you killed her. I sent those who would have eradicated aids and hunger throughout the world, but you murdered them all. I sent you peacemakers like Martin Luther King, Ghandi and Mother Theresa, but you saw them as an inconvenience. I sent you artists, musicians, writers, dreamers, innovators, doctors, and pastors but you discounted them as unworthy of life. Don’t you dare judge me, but please tell me why you considered your life worthy of living but the life of the unborn was not?”

In my “Declarations of the Christian Faith: Absolute Truths,” truth number 12 states, “We declare that all human life is sacred, begins at conception and should be protected and cherished from infancy through our dying breath.”

Psalm 139:13-15 reads, “Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out; you formed me in my mother’s womb. I thank you, High God – you’re breathtaking! Body and soul, I am marvelously made! I worship in adoration – what a creation! You know me inside and out, you know every bone in my body; you know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, how I was sculpted from nothing into something. Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth; all the stages of my life were spread out before you, the days of my life all prepared before I’d even lived one day” (The Message).

It is time for the church in America to rise up against this genocide. It must be called what it is. We can no longer just sit by in our churches and look the other way. An Unstoppable Force must rally around the born and unborn and protect them from the sin and destruction of this nation. If we don’t, we will give an account before God for our apathy and compromise. Please understand that this is not a call for violence – I renounce it in the strongest possible terms. Instead, it is a call for prayer, for service to pregnant mothers and for non-violent protest and political action.

There is hope.
· If you perform abortions, stop and repent before God. God will forgive even you.
· If you are thinking of an abortion, please consider the life of your child and be willing to consider adoption if you feel you cannot raise a child. Someone loved you enough not to abort you. Someone can and will love your child.
· If you have had an abortion, you can be forgiven and be given a fresh start. I challenge you to stand up with us against this evil. Become part of the solution and warn others before it is too late.

I challenge you to take a stand for life and not death and imagine the possibilities!

Are you standing for truth?

2011-02-27T16:48:00.004-06:00

By Dr. DAN ERICKSON

Today, the media and our institutions of higher learning characterize committed Christians as foolish at best and dangerous at worst. Anyone who dares to question secular culture’s status quo is ridiculed, called an extremist and marginalized. We daily see the results of people who live as if God does not exist: shattered relationships, hollow hearts and aimless and desperate children. We live in a nation of despair.

This constant pounding has taken its toll not only on our non-Christian culture, but also inevitably infects the hearts of committed believers. It generally affects us in one of two unhealthy ways. The first is a tendency to blend in, be silent and become like the secularized culture in which we live. The second is to become reactionary, angry, street-corner prophets of doom. Neither leads to a change in our culture or in our own hearts.

Jesus offers a third way: “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only, who came from the father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14 NIV).

Our Lord Jesus Christ chose neither accommodation nor violent revolution, though he was constantly approached with appeals from both sides. Yet he and his followers ultimately turned the world upside down. The revolution Jesus and his followers started was a revolution of the soul. They did not seek, nor achieve, a political solution. Rather, they gained something much more powerful: By the power of the Holy Spirit, they actually changed people’s hearts. As a result, culture began to change.

Christ left this earth for a twofold purpose:
1. To return to the Father and sit at his right hand making intercession for us.
2. To send Another, so that we would become filled with his Holy Spirit and have the power to live the Christian life and change our world.

Because of this infilling we can become the very expression of God’s Word in the flesh. People ought to be able to see the glory of the One and Only – Jesus Christ – full of grace and truth, in every committed Christian. Lost people ought to see the glory of God in the flesh evidenced in our lives. Fall in love with Jesus and people will fall in love with the Jesus in us.

Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31-32 NIV).

There was a slogan that came out many years ago that was quoted in thousands of pulpits around the country: “If the Bible says it, I believe it, so it is so.” The problem with this slogan was the part “I believe it.” It does not matter whether I believe it or not. Truth is not based on whether you or I believe it or not. Truth is not relative. There is not one truth for one person and another truth for another depending on the circumstance, gender, religion or ethnic group. There is only one clear source for truth. “If the Bible says it, it is so.” Period.

William Wallace, played by Mel Gibson in the film “Brave Heart,” challenged his rag-torn army of misfits that it was better to die for freedom than to remain under the tyranny of a ruthless foreign conqueror. To remain in bondage was worse than death. He gave his life for freedom and it motivated a nation to break free from decades of captivity.

Do you want to be free? Do you know those who are in bondage? Truth is the only thing that can set them free. Take a stand and declare the truth of God’s love and grace to a world that is in bondage but does not know it.

Before he was crucified, Jesus said to Pilate: “You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world to testify to the truth. Everyone who is on the side of truth listens to me” (John 18:37, NIV).

Get on the side of truth. Testify to the truth. Find freedom in the truth and imagine the possibilities.

A Prayer for Mercy for the Church and our Nation

2011-02-14T17:39:00.002-06:00

(An adaptation of the Prophet Daniel’s prayer in Daniel 9:1-19)

By Dr. DAN ERICKSON

It was during the third year of Obama’s Presidency; I, Daniel, cried out to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and fasting. I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed:

“O Lord, you are a great and awesome God! You always fulfill your covenant and keep your promises of unfailing love to those who love you and obey your commandments. But we, your people and this nation have sinned and have acted wickedly. We have rebelled against you and scorned your commandments and instructions. We have refused to heed your written revelation.

“Righteousness belongs to you, O Lord. You are in the right in your discipline; and as you can see, our faces are covered with shame. This is true of all of us, including the people of God, scattered near and far, wherever you have driven us because of our disloyalty to you. We, your church and government leaders, are covered with humiliation because we have and continue to sin against you.

“O Lord, you are compassionate and forgiving, even though we have willfully rebelled against you. We have not obeyed you, for we are not following the instructions you gave us through your written word. Your Bride and our Nation have disobeyed your teaching and have turned away from you by refusing to listen to your voice.

“O Lord our God, you brought lasting honor to your name by saving your people Israel from Egypt in a great display of your power. Please perform another rescue! We have sinned and are full of wickedness. In view of all your faithful mercies, Lord, please have mercy again and turn your furious anger away from your Bride and this Nation.

“O Lord our God, hear the prayers of your servant! Listen as I plead. For your own sake, Lord, choose to show grace and mercy again on your Bride and this Nation.

“O Lord my God, bend down and listen to my cry. Open your eyes and see our despair. See how your Bride—the Church that bears your name—lies in ruins. I make this plea, not because we deserve mercy, but because of your kind compassion.

“O Lord, hear. O Lord, forgive. O Lord, listen and act! For your own sake, do not delay, O my God, for the sake of your Bride, the Church, that bears your name.”

Amen!

Lord, have mercy on our souls and imagine the possibilities!

Are you asking the wrong question?

2011-01-29T19:34:00.001-06:00

By Dr. DAN ERICKSON

For years I repeatedly asked God what he wanted me to do. I heard only silence. So I attempted with all my heart to obey Scripture and do what I thought he would want me to do. I wasn’t always sure, but I did my best. Yet I still felt inadequate, like a son who could never please his father.

Finally at one of my lowest times I heard my heavenly father say, “You have been asking the wrong question son. The right question is ‘What do you want me to become?’ Once you experience that, live out of who you are becoming.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote: “What lies before us and what lies behind us are small matters compared to what lies within us. And when we bring what is within us out into the world, miracles happen.”

Maturity is not accomplished by striving to reach some level of performance that would deem me spiritual or by obeying a set of laws to count me as righteous. Performing and obeying will never earn my father’s favor. Jesus is everything we are called to be and become. The Jesus in us will always delight the heart of the father.

The first words that came out of the father’s mouth at Christ’s baptism were, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased” (Matthew 3:17). What had Christ done to deserve such a pronouncement of favor? At this time he hadn’t preached any sermons, healed the sick, raised the dead or turned the water into wine. He had simply been a faithful, loving son both to his father in Heaven and his family on earth.

Understand this: What God said about Jesus, God says about all his sons and daughters. Because of the work of Christ on our behalf, God is well pleased with us.

“Christ is the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End of all things. … We accomplish the whole purpose of God in our lives when we have our whole being summed up in him by simply abiding in him.” – Rick Joyner

What does God want you to do? He wants you to abide in Christ. Then allow him to leak out and imagine the possibilities!

What's behind the tragedy in Arizona?

2011-01-13T20:13:00.002-06:00

By Dr. DAN ERICKSON

We all cannot help but be bewildered by what drove a 22-year-old man, Jared Loughner, to kill six innocent bystanders and wound 13 others on a dreadful Saturday in Tucson, Ariz. He ended and changed many lives that day, including his own.

Many ask, “If God is such a good God, a God of love, why does he allow such evil to go on everyday in our world.” A simple answer to a difficult question is, “He doesn’t.” There is more than meets the eye here.

I have learned over the years through working with people in crisis that despair is the result of emptiness of heart. When there is an absence of love, there will be hatred. An absence of light will always results in darkness. The absence of goodness will be replaced by despair and hopelessness. The ultimate absence is when God is not in life, and this results in evil.

Our government, education and social programs spend so much of their time and resources trying to modify people’s behavior instead of changing their hearts. Behind every problem or crisis in a person’s life is an unmet need. We must spend less time trying to fix people’s problems and changing their behavior and instead show them a way to meet their real needs.

Mr. Loughner thought the only way to do that was through violence and the destruction of others. Evil became reality that day because of the absence of a better way, the absence of God. Let’s be honest: Without the Almighty’s help, anyone of us could become an expression of pure evil.

Think about all the things that are destroying our society and our country: poverty, divorce, abortion, fatherlessness, selfishness and greed, just to name a few. When was the last time they made the national news? They are all the result of an unmet need. They are killing countless more people than died that Saturday.

Christ declared that the only way to God – the only way to light and life – was through him. It is too late for those who lost their lives in Tucson, but it is not too late for this young man or for us. He will be sentenced to death or life in prison for his crimes. We too were sentenced, doomed to eternal death. But God’s answer to our death sentence is found in Jesus Christ. He came to declare another way – a way that would bring light and life and overcome evil with good and hatred with love. When we receive God’s pardon through Jesus Christ, he takes care of our unmet need.

Imagine the possibilities!

Making the most of the post-holiday daze

2011-01-12T07:58:00.000-06:00

By CATHY ERICKSON

It’s mid January now and the hustle and bustle have come to a grinding halt. As I look back over the past weeks, it sometimes feels like a haze lies over my memories so that I can’t quite get a clear picture of what happened. I really tried to make each minute count and to savor every moment, but somehow it was like a car speeding by me on a dark night. It was so fast I couldn’t even take a picture.

We celebrated our 40th anniversary in December and our son-in-law produced a wonderful slide show for us. As I sat to preview it, all the times of our lives flashed in front of me and I cried, just like a baby. They brought back such sweet memories of our days together and our family growing up. I realized getting older just gives you more significant moments to savor, each one a treasure.

Yes, God has given us a treasure box of memories and each time we choose to pick one up and admire it we are right back there in the moment. So even though the holidays seem like a blur in time, we will remember each treasure we experienced.

If you are feeling a little “January Depression,” thank God for the memories you have had in the past and will share in the future. If they make you cry a little, it is the best cry ever. Go and make some memories in 2011!

To cause change you must first be changed

2011-01-01T07:27:00.002-06:00

By Dr. DAN ERICKSON

Who are the people who achieve lasting, real change? It is those who are committed daily to be used of God. They aren’t conformed by the world, but transform their world instead.

If you knew that you could become someone who would please God and change your world, would you be that person? If not, why not? What would it take?

James 4:7-10 tells us that if we want to be an agent of change for God, we have to:

· Submit ourselves to God. Let him do his work in you.

· Resist the Devil. Say no to the Devil and watch him scamper.

· Draw near to God. Say yes to God and he will be there in no time.

· Repent. Get serious – really serious – and stop playing games with God.

· Humble ourselves. We must get down on our knees; it is the only way to get on our feet.

These are the keys that will propel us to our potential and destiny.

For years I would continually ask God, “What do you want me to do?” I heard silence! Finally he spoke gently and said, “Stop asking me, ‘What do you want me to do’ and ask me, ‘Who do you want me to become.’ The doing will flow out of the being.’”

There are some paradoxes here. If we are going to become a change agent, then we don’t start by seeking to change our society, laws or institutions. Instead, we seek to change hearts and minds – starting with our own. In addition, we do not cause change simply because we have correct doctrine or attend church. Things start to happen when we see and know Jesus and then copy him. The light in him will become the light in us, which will change our world.

Submit to God, resist the devil, draw near to God, repent, humble yourself and imagine the possibilities in 2011!

A Revolution of the Soul

2010-12-05T16:09:00.003-06:00

By Dr. DAN ERICKSON

(This article is excerpted from A Christian Manifesto: An Unstoppable Force, which is available at http://www.peoplematterministries.com/unstoppable-force.html)

“My friend, we have lived in serious times.” – John Adams in a letter to Thomas Jefferson

In his book Serious Times, author James Emery White unearths these potent words from Adams toward the end of these great men’s lives. The two founding fathers had given their years to a revolutionary struggle that impacted millions of people and hundreds of years of history.

Today, we too are engaged in a historic struggle, but of a different kind. It’s not one involving guns, bayonets or Redcoats, but it’s every bit as serious. This battle is for the soul of our society, beginning with our own hearts and minds.

Perhaps never before has there been such pressure in the West to conform to our culture’s prevailing secular views. Although the majority of Americans have never been practicing Christians, a certain amount of respect has traditionally been given to people of faith, the Bible and religious culture. But no longer.

Today, the media and our institutions of higher learning characterize committed Christians as foolish at best and dangerous at worst. Anyone who dares to question secular culture’s status quo is ridiculed, called an extremist and marginalized. We daily see the results of people who live as if God does not exist: shattered relationships, hollow hearts, and aimless and desperate children. We live in a nation of despair.

This constant pounding has taken its toll not only on our non-Christian culture, but inevitably infects the hearts of committed believers. It generally affects us in two unhealthy ways. The first is a tendency to blend in, be silent and become like the secularized culture in which we live. The second is to become reactionary, angry, street-corner prophets of doom. Neither leads to a change in our culture or in our own hearts.

How then, are we to respond? Jesus offers a third way:
“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only, who came from the father, full of grace and truth.” – John 1:14 (NIV)

Our Lord Jesus Christ chose neither accommodation nor violent revolution, though he was constantly approached with appeals from both sides. Yet he and his followers ultimately turned the world upside down. The revolution Jesus and his followers started was a revolution of the soul. They did not seek, nor achieve, a political solution. Rather, they gained something much more powerful: By the power of the Holy Spirit, they actually changed people’s hearts. As a result, culture began to change.

Today we have set before us both a challenge and opportunity.

The challenge is the wholesale secularization of our society and the devastating results it yields in fatherlessness, homelessness, addictions and economic destabilization. Yet the opportunity is that we have a solution to the problem that politicians could never dream of. It’s in the life-transforming message of Jesus Christ. Our opportunity was spelled out by the Apostle Paul in his letter to the Philippians:

“… Become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life. …” – Philippians 2:15-16
(NIV)

Both Jesus and Paul tell us to cling to and share the truth while we simultaneously embody integrity, love and courage. Our reputations, in and of themselves, should speak volumes. But, according to God’s word, that is not enough. When it comes to God’s truth, silence is not golden.

“But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them?” – Romans 10:14 (NLT)

My friends, we have a choice. We can blend in, curse the darkness, or join Jesus’ call for a revolution of the soul, beginning with the revitalization of our own hearts.

“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” – Romans 12:2 (NLT)

Will you join me in a revolution of the soul? Let’s stand for the non-negotiable truths of Scripture that have defined believers for millennia. Let’s live with non-negotiable commitments to integrity, love and grace that characterized our Lord Jesus Christ and his disciples. Let’s become that Unstoppable Force that will change time and eternity.

Imagine the possibilities!

Finding God in Unexpected Places This Christmas

2010-12-03T16:46:00.001-06:00

By Dr. DAN ERICKSON

This week I sat down and read the story of the birth of Jesus, looking for any new thoughts or ideas. God was once again faithful to show me something fresh. I hope that I can be of encouragement to you in this Christmas season by sharing these thoughts.

Although Jesus’ birth was predicted in many ways in scripture, the people who should have recognized him did not do so. I think this is because the Messiah didn’t arrive in the way they were expecting.

There was no royal robe, crown or entourage. He was not rich or famous. His birth was more humble than any of ours. A long trip, no place to stay, the birth in a manger with animals – this was no one’s idea of a king’s birth.

Yet God manifested himself that night as a tiny baby and the shepherds rejoiced. In the same way, we can observe Christ in the quiet, small details of life – if we are looking. I think we see evidence of him in the smile of a child, the ring of the bell by the Salvation Army, the hug of a friend or the love of family. We need to notice the small and significant ways Christ touches each of us. The miracle of Christmas begs us to be the one who smiles, who rings the bell and who gives a hug. Christ calls us to love our world, a world that still doesn’t see the One who came and lives today.

As you celebrate, we pray that Christ will be acknowledged and his coming celebrated for who he is.

“She (Mary) will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” – Matthew 1:2

Finally Taking a Stand

2010-11-20T12:40:00.002-06:00

By Dr. DAN ERICKSON

For the past few months, I have had the privilege of speaking around the country on “An Unstoppable Force – A Christian Manifesto.” The reception has been remarkable. Most professing Christians have no idea what the absolute truths of the Christian faith are because they are not being taught them in our churches and homes. As I speak into this vacuum, the message is like a refreshing blast of cold water.

If you do not know what you stand for, you will fall for anything.

After a recent speaking event, an older gentleman came up to our resource table. He came to purchase a parchment of the “Declarations of the Christian Faith”, which outline 12 absolute truths. He told me that he had been part of a church for more than 20 years and not once had he been taught about these absolute truths.

He said, “I was always confused about what I stood for, so I just said nothing. I didn’t want to come across like some know-it-all or just stupid. I was afraid someone might ask me a bunch of questions that I could not answer, which would make me look foolish. So I just said nothing!”

He committed to me that he would follow the instruction of Deuteronomy 6:6-9, “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as a frontlet between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”

This gentleman shared with me that his only regret was that he did not know these truths sooner. He could not teach his family what he did not know or lead them where he had not gone. He could not give them what he did not possess.

With sadness, he shared that none of his three children were walking with God. If he had known how to communicate the convictions of his faith, things might have turned out differently. I encouraged him that grandchildren are a grandfather’s do-over. I challenged him to begin to teach these truths to his grandchildren and to believe that someday his children would come around.

He walked away with a spark and a new commitment for a fresh start. He now has something both to stand and hope for. With him, I encourage you to imagine the possibilities!

How I Came to Champion The Unstoppable Force

2010-10-28T17:58:00.001-05:00

By Dr. DAN ERICKSON

After a restless night a few weeks ago, I finally gave up on sleep and begin to listen to the whisper of the Holy Spirit. (Is the middle of the night the only time God speaks to me or the only time I am quiet enough to listen?) God impressed upon me that a Force was rising in America and that it would be unstoppable because it would be ordained of him. He was asking me to help bring the call to revitalize the church in America. God impressed upon me that the church has been idle too long and that it must rise up.

I thought, “Who am I? I am nobody. Don’t you want someone with a national ministry, a megachurch or a radio/television ministry like Joel Osteen, Chuck Colson, Chuck Swindoll or James Dobson? They would be able to influence hundreds of thousands of people? God, you know I am a nobody and I kind of like it that way. So why me?”

He made it clear to me that the “nobodies” were going to be the ones who took a stand and made a difference. He said to me, “I’m asking you to do it because I know you will do what I command without question and will not get in my way. No man is going to take credit for what I am going to do.” I realized that I have been in his army for the last 40 years and I was not about to disobey him now. I asked God how he wanted me to issue this challenge. He instructed me to write a Christian Manifesto.

I honestly did not know what one was and what was to be communicated in it. He said it should be called “An Unstoppable Force – A Christian Manifesto.” The title was the simple part. As God begin to speak to me, I begin to write. I kept writing until the basic formation of the manifesto was in place. It evolved over the next eight weeks.

One section was to highlight 12 absolutes truths of the Christian faith. These became the Declarations of the Christian Faith. It also became clear that we were to create a parchment of these declarations that could be mounted in people’s homes, businesses and churches. This was based on God’s call to Israel in Deuteronomy 6:4-9 to prominently place his commands in their homes and in their hearts:

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”

He reminded me, “When people do not know what they stand for, they will fall for anything.” These declarations were to be a foundation for all of life.

I spent several weeks field testing and finalizing each part, including the preamble, summons to commitment, evidences of the Unstoppable Force and The Unstoppable Prayer for the Nation. It was suggested that we give people the opportunity to join The Unstoppable Force and become part of something that is bigger and mightier than anything of this world. It is God’s Force!

In the weeks that have followed, the reception of the message has been nothing short of spectacular. Only God knows how fast it will move across this country. All I know is that I don’t want to miss the ride and get in the way but to be a channel between the heart of God and the needs of mankind.

God’s remnant is ready to be The Church in America and around the world. It is time for the leadership of the church to get out of the way and allow God to call forth his people. When his people humble themselves and pray and seek his face and turn from their wicked ways, then he will move from Heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their families, marriages, churches and nation. Only then will his eyes be opened and his ears attentive to their prayers.

If you want to join The Force and would like a copy of the Manifesto or the parchment version of the Declarations of the Christian Faith, go to www.anunstoppleforce.org. It time to rise up; it’s time for the church to become The Church in America. It’s time to spread the word. Join us and imagine God’s possibilities!

What Does the Mirror Tell You?

2010-09-27T17:18:00.001-05:00

By Dr. DAN ERICKSON

When you got up this morning and looked in the mirror what did you see? What did you feel?

Do you know that what you see plus what you feel will always drive what you do with your life? What you see and feel will determine your choices, behavior, potential and destiny.

Do you see yourself as God’s creation, made in his image? Or do you see yourself through the grid of your past, pain, sin or addiction? Are you condemned, helpless and hopeless?

What do grids do? They filter out particles and impurities that do not belong. If you use the grid of truth, then you filter out lies about yourself and God. But if you use the grid of lies, you filter out God’s truth instead. If you have a relationship with Jesus Christ, then God sees you through the grid of Christ. He sees you as perfect and complete in him. When your filter is God’s word as revealed in the Bible, then it can set you free.

When you see how your life is going, how do you feel?

Do you feel hope or despair? Peace or pieces? Joy or sadness? Pain or potential? Feelings are neither right nor wrong in and of themselves. It is the decisions we make based on these feelings that matter.

In the Epistle to the Romans, chapter 8, I find great encouragement every time I feel guilty, ugly or condemned. It says, “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1) How? “For the law of the Spirit of life has set you (us) free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:2).

How God sees and feels about us is not conditional upon our behavior, but upon Christ paying the redemptive price for us on the cross. It does not matter how ugly our lives may have become, because God still loves and accepts us as we are in Christ. God accepts as we are, but loves us to much to leave us the way we are.

This reminds me of the song “God Loves Ugly,” recently popularized by Jordin Sparks:

You said that I wasn't pretty
So I just believed you
And you said that I wasn't special
So I lived that way
With critical gazes and brutal amazement
And how my reflection could be so imperfect
With all of my blemishes, how could somebody want me?

I tried to clean up the outside
All shiny and new
Worked over time to thin up and look right
But inside I knew
That deep in the bottom were secrets I thought I could try to ignore
Old ghosts in my corridors
Never get tired of haunting the past that's in me

Help me believe why you love me
When I know you see
You see everything
Help me believe why you love me
When I know you see
Inside and you still say I'm beautiful

You're telling me I'm beautiful
Your screaming out I'm so beautiful
And I'm finding out I'm beautiful
You're making me so beautiful
And I can see I'm beautiful
Cause you love me
After each verse the chorus reminds us:
But God loves ugly
He doesn't see the way I see
Oh God takes ugly
And turns it into to something that is beautiful
Apparently I'm beautiful
Cause you love me

When you read these lyrics, what do you see in the words about yourself and how does it make you feel? Try to seeing and feeling what God sees and feels, then imagine the possibilities!

Time to escape the rut

2010-08-26T17:10:00.000-05:00

By DR. DAN ERICKSON

Recently I had surgery to rehabilitate a “frozen” shoulder that had extremely limited mobility and was a source of constant pain. It looked fine on the outside, but under the knife the root problems were exposed. The surgery was a success, but the work is not over. Now it’s my turn. I have to follow the doctor’s orders and do my physical therapy and exercises or the symptoms will return.

Is your life frozen, broken or damaged? If so, are you willing to do what it takes to find freedom? The more we are willing to face our pain, past, sin and addictions, the greater is our ability to find freedom.

I have met so many frozen, broken and damaged people who really are genuine followers of Christ. Yet they continue to live in a pattern haunted by their past, pain, sin and addiction. They are stuck in a rut, crying out in pain and finding no relief. All of their artificial solutions bring only frustration and despair. They will live and die but never experience true freedom. They will never enjoy their God-given potential or realize their destiny.

Let me define a rut this way: It is a grave with the ends knocked out. When your pain or past lives in the present, it will always rob you of your future.

Here is what I have discovered in my years of coaching people. They are not willing to pay the price it takes to move out of the rut into freedom. Jesus spoke directly to the people in his day, knowing they had been in captivity under the Roman Empire all of their lives. However, most of Jesus’ audience did not realize that their ultimate captivity was more internal than external. Zealots were trying to find freedom by changing their circumstances (overthrowing the Roman Empire), but Christ offered them a freedom that could be experienced in the midst of their condition. This freedom is found in a “who” and not in a “what.” Release is found in Jesus Christ. And if we are willing, he will help us through our struggles. He won’t leave us alone, dependent on the strength of our own will.

In a verse beloved by many, John 10:10, Jesus says, “The thief [Satan] comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they [you] may have life and have it abundantly.” God has our best interests in mind. We can experience his freedom when we submit our lives to him.

The choice is ours: freedom or captivity. Freedom is assured in Christ Jesus, so wouldn’t it be great to experience it, not just in Heaven, but today, tomorrow and the rest of our days? The Apostle John shared this promise with us: “He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world … For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world.”

Choose freedom today and imagine the possibilities!

Dr. Dan Erickson is the chief servant leader of People Matter Ministries. He is the author of “Finding Your Greater Yes!” and “God Loves Do-Overs.” He blogs at http://greateryes.blogspot.com. Contact him at derickson@peoplematterministries.com.

What are you waiting for?

2010-08-16T17:27:00.001-05:00

By DR. DAN ERICKSON

If you had unlimited resources and complete freedom to fail, what would you attempt with your life? Would you live the life you are now living? What would you change? What would your life become and what would you do with it?

I have coached hundreds of individuals and couples and I have come to the conclusion that the average adult is not making a life at all; they are simply making a living. They do not know where they are going, let alone how they are going to get there.

What is the life you want to live? How would you live it and what is keeping you from attaining it?

Those are the million dollar questions. I wish I had a dollar for every time I have met with people, asked them these questions and watched as a glaze came over their eyes. It’s as if I asked them the impossible. They seem to think there is no way that God would help them to achieve their dreams, so they don’t even try.

Many believe that they are not good enough, holy enough or close enough to God to experience his magnificent plan for their lives. But I wonder how good Peter was when he walked on water. How holy were the first disciples when they were commissioned to change history? They were ordinary just like us (if you don’t believe me, read the New Testament), but they chose to give their lives to something extraordinary.

So how do we start this journey to reach our potential and destiny?

That question is too weighty to answer in one article, so look for more to come. But I’ll start answering it here.

Scripture tells a story about a wealthy young man who came to Jesus and asked what he must do to have eternal life. Christ responded that he must keep all the commandments. The young man responded that he had done this. He then asked Jesus what else he needed to do. Jesus responded, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor and you will have treasure in Heaven; come and follow me” (Matthew 19:21). As we read on, we learn that the man sorrowfully walked away from Jesus, because he could not bear to give up his wealth.

If we are going to discover our God-given potential and destiny, we must first leave every competing loyalty. We must be rid of any thing or any relationship that comes between us and God’s plan and purpose for our lives. When I reveal this crucial first step, most people simply walk away with their heads bowed and I never hear from them again.

My only conclusion is that the cost is too great. Yet reality is that we cannot experience God’s best for our lives without the willingness to set aside the things that are odds with his values. As Jesus informs us in the gospel of Mark: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it" (Mark 8:34-35).

What are you waiting for? Lose your life for Christ’s sake and you will find life to the fullest – abundantly more than we can ask or think. Then imagine the possibilities!

Are you offering a hand-up or a handout?

2010-07-29T11:42:00.002-05:00

By Dr. DAN ERICKSON

When was the last time you saw a transient person holding a sign at a busy intersection that read, “HOMELESS – WILL WORK FOR FOOD” or “HOMELESS, NEED FOOD FOR MY FAMILY”? I read one the other day which read, “WHY LIE? I NEED MONEY TO BUY BEER.” People must have appreciated his honesty because they were handing him cash left and right.

When we see these poor fellows and read their signs, our feelings and perspectives determine our actions. People were willing to hand out cash but, understandably, were unwilling to stop, stoop or choose to enter into the pain of these broken lives. Thank God that Christ responds to us with mercy and compassion.

When we only see the circumstances and not the people, we are limited to an intellectual point of view. When we see beyond the circumstances to the broken lives, our hearts become engaged. When we are limited to viewing circumstances, we can only feel pity. And pity is always wrapped in pride. We pity fools. We are only moved to give them a handout.

When we learn to see people as God sees them, we move from pity to compassion. Compassion means to enter into another’s pain. Compassion is always wrapped in humility. It leads to offering a hand-up.

The Gospel of Mark speaks of the compassion of Christ: “When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them [not pity], because they were like sheep without a shepherd” (Mark 6:34). In this story about the feeding of the 5,000, the disciples’ idea was simple: Let the hungry people fend for themselves. They coldly rationalized a “solution.” They saw, but did not feel.

In contrast, Christ saw sheep without a shepherd and sought to enter into their pain. It was simple alright. They were simply hungry. He commanded his disciples (and commands us even now), “You feed them.” The result was a miracle that fed over 5,000 families from five loaves and two fishes. While feeding them, Christ gave a hand-up. He not only gave them food, but spiritual truth that met their deepest needs.

How many miracles are missed because we do not see what Christ sees, feel what he feels or do what he did? Ask God to give you those kinds of eyes, his kind of heart and the courage to enter into another’s pain, and then imagine the possibilities!

While you are waiting …

2010-07-22T11:56:00.000-05:00

By CATHY ERICKSON

Waiting is one of the most frustrating things in life. If you are a child, you can’t wait to grow up. If you are a teenager, you can’t wait to drive. A young adult can’t wait for college, a career and a future. If you are a mom, you know those nine months of waiting for the baby seem like an eternity. We wait not just for the really big things in life, but small yet significant things.

We have become the people who want to have things fast. We want fast food and to be in the fastest lane at the drive-up bank. We are annoyed when the light doesn’t turn green fast enough or a pedestrian is walking slow in front of our car. Do you ever wonder what this “hurried-upness” is doing to us?

Recently I have had occasion to wait – a lot! I have been waiting for our finances to change, my husband Dan to recover from heart surgery, and for emotions to heal. As I waited for Dan to awaken from his surgery, I became anxious because he didn’t wake up when I expected him to. I was overwhelmed with panic, so I fidgeted, prayed and paced. I began to watch those around me as they had their own ways of coping with waiting and I wondered about each of their stories and how they were handling the wait.

I have been searching for Scriptures that speak to waiting – why we wait and what to do while we wait. Psalm 62: 1-2 has been of help to me:

“I wait quietly before God, for my victory comes from him.
He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will never be shaken.”

As I read this verse, I see first that I am asked to wait quietly. Waiting quietly is hard for me as I must always be busy trying to figure things out. I need to find ways to solve the problem or soothe my soul. (God needs me to do that, doesn’t He?) No, God wants me to wait quietly, allowing Him to keep the plates in the air. Second, this verse says he is my rock. My world may be full of unrest, uncertainty and turmoil, but because of God, "I will never be shaken." Because of God, I don't have to fear. Because of God, I have a place of refuge.

There’s a story about a house that caught on fire. The family was making its way out of the house when the smallest boy became terrified, tore away from his mother, and ran back upstairs. Suddenly, he appeared at a smoke-filled window crying hysterically. Standing outside, his father shouted, "Jump, son, jump! I will catch you." The boy cried, "But Daddy, I can't see you." His father replied, "I know, but I can see you."

So, when you’re waiting , be quiet and jump into the arms of a God who can see you … even if you don’t see Him.

Life of mediocrity or opportunity?

2010-06-28T17:19:00.001-05:00

By DR. DAN ERICKSON

Many people wander through life aimlessly, viewing themselves as victims of fate.

They’ve been dealt a bad hand, they say. They choose to settle for their circumstances and embrace mediocrity. They act as if they have no choice.

Yet Jesus clearly tells us that the choice is ours. “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full,” he says in John 10:10. The New Living Translation renders this verse: “My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.”

God has placed the desire for eternal significance in our hearts. He would not have given us this longing if he was not prepared to fulfill it.

Each of us has been given potential and destiny. The choice is ours whether to leave it on the shelf or to look to God, embrace it and live a life that echoes in eternity.

Imagine the possibilities!

Unstoppable givers

2010-06-26T15:51:00.001-05:00

By DR. DAN ERICKSON

Trusting God sometimes seem counterintuitive to us, and it was no different with the people of the Bible.

One such example comes from 1 Kings 17 in the Old Testament, where the people – including the prophet Elijah – were suffering through difficult economic times.

The Bible records that God provided for the needs of Elijah via supernatural means, including a band of ravens that scavenged food and brought it to him in the wilderness. God also used a widow from Zarephath to provide for the prophet.

Elijah asked her to give him the last of her provisions with the promise that God would meet all of her needs. She only had enough food and water left for one last meal. Yet out of her poverty she became an instrument of God’s provision for Elijah.

God asked the widow to give her last meal to a total stranger to whom she owed nothing. Why would God ask this of her when there were others who had greater resources?

Because God knew she was an unstoppable giver.

Unstoppable givers surrender themselves daily as a living sacrifice. These givers are willing to become a link between the will and purposes of God in Heaven while meeting the needs of people on earth. God knew the widow was willing to put others first while relying on his ultimate provision for her household.

The Apostle Paul was also an unstoppable giver. He wrote: “So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life – your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life, and place it before God as an offering.

Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your trust in God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, while developing well-formed maturity in you” (Romans 12:1-2, The Message version of the Bible).

What kind of giver are you?
• What would you have done if you were asked to give up your last meal?
• What is God asking of you now?
• What is God asking that you are unwilling to do?
• What do you possess that you are unwilling to sacrifice?

The story in 1 Kings ends with a miracle of abundance. How many miracles are missed because we are not willing to live beyond our fears? The story concludes: “And she went right off and did it, did just as Elijah asked. And it turned out as he said – daily food for her and her family. The jar of meal didn’t run out and the bottle of oil didn’t become empty. God’s promise fulfilled to the letter, exactly as Elijah had delivered it” (The Message, 1 Kings 17).

What divine opportunity are you missing in your life because you are not willing to become an unstoppable giver, a living sacrifice? Surrender yourself today and imagine the possibilities!

Finishing Well

2010-06-26T15:38:00.000-05:00

By DR. DAN ERICKSON

How do you want to finish your life? We don’t have a choice how we start. We did not choose our parents, nationality, ethnic group, gender or status. But we can choose how we live and finish our lives.

There was a time on an airplane when I closed my eyes and began to think about what it would be like to be in Heaven. In my imagination I saw myself standing before God in his throne room. Sitting on his right hand was Jesus. When I saw the savior for the first time I began to beam with joy and wanted to embrace him and express my love to him.

Next to him, God was smiling. Jesus rose and reached out his hands to mine and I could feel the scars as we embraced and he whispered, “Welcome home.” While I was embracing Jesus, I looked up to see what seemed like millions of saints who had come before. They were all rejoicing for and with me!

In my dream I saw two figures coming out from the shadows of the throne. With delight, I recognized them as my dad and mom. They were both wearing crowns, but to describe them took me beyond words. I remember thinking, “I want one of those.”

Then God stood, the praise quieted, and He motioned for me to come forward. He had a father’s smile. His loving eyes seemed to pierce my very soul. As I moved toward him I could feel my heart and knees beginning to go low before him while my head bowed in reverence and awe. I have never felt taller than when I was on my knees before the Almighty.

When God finally spoke it was as if all of Heaven stood in silence. He spoke only to me and said, “Dan, you are my son whom I love and in whom I am well pleased. You have finished well! You have been a faithful servant! Since you have been faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share our happiness!”

As I raised my head, God placed a magnificent crown upon my head as the multitude of saints from every tribe and tongue began to take up their rejoicing again. When I rose I was standing with Peter, James, John and others. They congratulated me and acted as if they knew me, as if they had been watching me.

Then Peter motioned to me and I saw many others coming toward the throne. To my amazement and joy I recognized them. There was my son Doug and his wife Ginny and my daughter Shannon, her husband Rusty, my grandchildren, men from my discipling groups over the years, my brothers and sister, my small group, Samuel, Ed and Bob, single moms and many others. They kept hugging me and thanking me. It was like a family reunion.

Then everyone stopped and the crowd parted and I saw the most wonderful sight. I saw her, and she looked more beautiful than the first day I laid eyes upon her. I saw Cathy, my wife, coming from the center of the crowd and I ran to her and we embraced and I whispered, “I love you so much, welcome home.” She looked up at me, with a smile and a gleam in her blue eyes and said, “Nice crown. I want one of those.”

Taking my hand in hers we walked toward the throne of God. While the crowd gathered behind I could see God smiling and Jesus weeping. I noticed two figures coming out from the shadows of the throne and I thought, “This is going to be a terrific eternity!”

God is calling us to finish well. It is not how you start that counts, but with God’s help you can define and determine your finish.

Imagine the possibilities!

My Dad, My Hero

2010-06-01T17:02:00.002-05:00

By Dr. DAN ERICKSON

My dad, Wesley Elmer Erickson – my hero – was called to the throne of God in Heaven at approximately 3:30 a.m. on May 17. He finally heard the words he had been waiting to hear for more than 86 years: “Well done my good and faithful servant, you have been faithful over little, I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your Master.”

I wish I could have been there. I know he received a hero’s welcome. Now he wears a crown and sits among the elect.

Heroes come in many different forms. Some wear special uniforms and perform amazing, public deeds. Most, though, are ordinary and work behind the scenes, often in obscurity. My hero was just five feet tall. He had little formal education and never wore a shirt that stayed buttoned or tucked in. He mispronounced words regularly, loved his coffee and struggled with his anger. He accumulated no net worth and was never found in the pages of Who’s Who in America.

He was best known for his love of God, his family and all people. This love was especially pronounced toward Gladys, his wife for almost 63 years. As a missionary, he gave his heart to a forgotten people – Native Americans – for more than 40 years.

He lived in a modest apartment where his life was displayed only in pictures, memories and knickknacks. He left no stuff worth mentioning. He had given it all away years ago.

Dad understood that our lives are but a dot on a line extending into eternity. Yet, like a stone that splashes the water and creates ripples, our lives can make an impact for eternity. A life lived to please God can echo now and forever.

I asked my dad why he chose to leave the security of a middle income life and pursue a life of struggle, difficulties and anonymity among the Native Americans. He said simply, “Eternity is a very long time. I know I can’t take anything with me so I am sending it all ahead.” He lived his life that way. He saw the big picture and wanted to make a big impact. Many thought him foolish and misguided, a man tilting at windmills. I think of him as my dad, my hero.

So I choose to follow his example. He chose greatness by becoming a servant. Like Jesus, he made himself "nothing” (Philippians 2:7). He insisted that Christ and others increase while he willingly decreased. Dad lived a life reserved for those who choose humility, brokenness, weakness and being last. His crown was not earned by self will or achievement, but rather by selflessness, uncompromising obedience and courage. He chose the way of the cross and fought the good fight with the towel of a servant.

As I’ve alluded, Dad was not perfect – none of us are. Yet he was a persistent and consistent hero. What he lacked in perfection he made up for in grace, hope, forgiveness and love – and love is the greatest character quality. Consider the way of my dad, my hero, and imagine the possibilities!

Opening our hearts to the Holy Spirit

2010-05-28T13:23:00.002-05:00

By Dr. DAN ERICKSON

It’s paradoxical. Jesus told his disciples that he had to leave this earth so that they could receive real power to live a life of faith. His followers must have reasoned, “Wouldn’t it have been better if he had stayed?”

When Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead, he said that he must go back to the right hand of the Father so that another could come. That “another” was the Holy Spirit. Christian theology teaches that the Godhead is made up of three persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Each part has a unique personality and role.

In the gospel of John, Jesus told his disciples, “I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper [Holy Spirit] will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you” (John 16:7, 13-14).

The Spirit of God became our link to the throne of God and his power. In Old Testament times, the Spirit was present among the people of God. After Christ returned to Heaven, the Holy Spirit came to indwell each believer: “In him [Christ] you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit” (Ephesians 2:22).

Life without the Spirit of God leaves us with merely man’s best efforts. But life infused with the Spirit of God is what the miraculous is made of. Why do we settle for our best efforts when God has already said “yes” in the Spirit to abundantly more than we could ask or imagine according to his power (Ephesians 3:20)?

When we receive Christ as Lord and Savior, we receive and are sealed with the Holy Spirit. This seal is the guarantee of our inheritance in Heaven (Ephesians 1:13-14). While we may think that we need more of the Holy Spirit, the reality is that he needs more of us – more of our hearts submitted to him each day.

To be Spirit-led is a daily choice and is the conduit to the miraculous. I don’t know about you, but I do not want to settle any longer for my best when I could be experiencing God’s best instead. The Spirit is God’s miracle delivery agent. I was reborn spiritually so that I could partner with him for a life born for the supernatural.

Imagine the possibilities!

The Nudge of God

2010-05-04T08:17:00.000-05:00

By DR. DAN ERICKSON

I had just had heart surgery the day before, but if I was going to have a speedy recovery it was critical that I begin take my first steps. Although it was quite exhausting and painful, I was determined to get up and walk. My wife began to gingerly help me take each step while I carefully hung onto a handrail. As I begin to walk I noticed others who had also had heart surgery. I could tell by the tubes coming out of them. Several nurses smiled with approval and other patients begin to wave to me like they were cheering me on saying, “You can do it, don’t quit.”

While I was trying to focus on each step, I noticed a man connected to plenty of tubes. He smiled and I waved. That’s when I got the nudge. I sensed in my Spirit that God wanted me to talk to him and tell him that he loved him. It was a flash, but was as real as if God was there himself.

What do you do when you get those kinds of nudges? I wonder how many divine encounters have been missed because I ignored or said no to God’s nudge. I had good reasons to say no at the hospital: I was in pain, needed encouragement myself and didn’t even know the guy.

The next day as I prepared to walk I felt the nudge again. It must have been confusing for the nurse because I did not even hesitate. When I got to Jim’s room I just walked right in with my nurse lagging behind. I introduced myself and asked him if he would mind if I prayed for him. I told him that God loved him and cared about what he was going through. He seemed to appreciate both my prayer and the encouragement.

I spent the next three days seeking to be a representative of God to Jim. I believe that part of God’s purpose for allowing me to have heart surgery was to do some soul surgery on this gentleman. When I was ready to leave, I asked him if he believed with me that God specifically brought me to this hospital during these days to speak directly to him. I told him that God loved him so much that he sent me to show his love and concern in a personal way. He agreed! I was able to leave him with a final prayer, a copy of “God Loves Do-Overs” and a challenge to respond to God’s love.

It reminds me of the story in John 5 where Christ approached a man who had been lying at the Pool of Bethesda for 38 years. He was just one man among many who was ill. Christ sought him out, among so many, to meet his specific need. A miracle happened that day.

I wonder how many miracles are missed each day because a believer refuses to say yes to God.

I am sure glad I responded to the nudge of God. I was blessed. I am not able to do miracles, but can be an agent for God’s promises and blessings. And so can you.

Imagine the possibilities!

While you are waiting ...

2010-04-22T19:14:00.000-05:00

By CATHY ERICKSON

We really are creatures of waiting. We can’t wait to be old enough to drive, date, and find a lifetime partner. We wait anxiously for our first job and the birth of our first child, but what do we do while we are waiting? In the past I tended to be anxious and worry. There were times I actually made myself sick thinking about something that never even happened.

Lately I have begun to use these times of waiting to reflect on God and what He is saying through each experience. If I focus on him, I can actually hear his still small voice softly speaking in the midst of my chaotic thoughts.

On one especially frantic day I was flipping through the files of worries in my head, desperately searching for answers while praying to God for mercy. All of a sudden God spoke to my heart, “Be still and know that I am God.” Wow, it felt like I had never heard that before, but as I let those words sink in I was warmed by the thought that I could totally stop my racing heart and know that there was someone bigger than me who is in charge.

As I wait at home or in a waiting room of a hospital, God is with me, lovingly caring for me. In my imagination I see him tenderly holding me in His arms as my cares begin to drop, one by one, and then I know that he is God.

Dr. Dan Erickson is recovering at home

2010-04-22T19:12:00.002-05:00

Thank you for all who have been praying for Dan during his recent heart troubles and subsequent open heart surgery. He is recovering at home and doing well! Thank you for your prayers for Dan and his family. Because Dan is still recuperating, we continue to request that all visits be cleared with Cathy Erickson.

Why Me?

2010-04-10T10:09:00.000-05:00

By DR. DAN ERICKSON

“You are going to need a heart bypass,” said my cardiologist. “You have two or three areas that need a bypass.”

“Are you kidding?” I said. “Are you sure?”

“There is nothing more I can do,” he said. “You are going to need open heart surgery.”

“When?”

“The sooner the better.”

This is the discussion I had just a few days ago. I am now getting ready for open heart surgery. Wow, who would have thought it could happen to me. But it is happening to me!

I asked God the same thing that many people before me have asked him, “Why me?” His answer in my mind and heart was clear and simple, “Why not you? Now you are going to have to practice what you say you believe and preach.”

I love almost all the promises of God, but there is a promise that I have never cared for: “In this life you will have trouble” (John 16:33). Jesus was not kidding. If your life is like mine, it is full of disappointments, difficulties and trials. These come on a daily basis. They force me to face the ultimate question, “Who or what am I going to put my trust in when I face the good, bad and ugly of life?” It becomes an ultimate test of our true faith. It is living or dead?

My friend Dr. Ed Delph wrote, “Without trust, your faith – the very foundation of your salvation – will erode. On the one hand, trusting provides the possibility of disappointment but also the probability of success and happiness. But on the other, not trusting provides the certainty of loneliness within the supposed safety of self-sufficiency” (see Learning How to Trust, page 25). God desires that we crawl up in his arms and cry, “Abba Father, Daddy I need you.”

I teach two principles that I am learning to live by: One is that God allows difficulties and adversities in our lives according to our needs. The other is that nothing comes into our lives as believers that does not first come through the very hand of God. Saying is one thing, but believing and living is another. How we respond to life’s challenges exposes where we are placing our trust and sufficiency. They do not have to define or confine us. Rather, God can use them to refine and “re-find” us.

What are you going through? Are you ready to give up? What difficulties are you facing that are overwhelming you? Do you feel that God has let you down and you cannot trust him anymore? Can you imagine with me that what I am going through is exactly what I need so that God can help me to be changed to become like him and accomplish his purposes?

The Apostle Paul, who had been beaten, shipwrecked and daily faced death, wrote, “But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair, persecuted, but not forsaken, struck down, but not destroyed: always carrying in the body the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.”

So agree with me, will you, that we will keep on trusting, depending and becoming, and then we can then imagine the possibilities!

Flipping the switch to discover real relationships

2010-03-28T13:36:00.001-05:00

By DR. DAN ERICKSON

Whether you are engaged, divorced or a veteran of the marriage scene, one thing that all of us desire in our relationships is intimacy.

So many individuals and couples make intimacy about a “what” instead of about a “who.” In other words, intimacy is ultimately about relationship, not sex or a mortgage or high dollar vacations. It’s impossible to have a relationships by yourself.

Intimacy can be defined as “in-to-me-see.” It is transparency, openness and vulnerability in relationships – and this applies not only to marriage, but to friendships as well. If you learn and understand what it means to have true intimacy, you can be intimate with your mate apart from sex. You can have intimacy with your children no matter their age. You experience the same kind of closeness with a good friend. You can also be intimate with your heavenly Father, even when he is not physically present.

Have you ever entered a dark room and tried to find your way to a light switch? Until it’s switched on, you stumble all over the place. Using this analogy, our desire for true intimacy in any relationship is the switch; God is the light. The closer we and our relationships move to God, the more intimacy we can experience with each other. Intimacy begins with God and then flows into our other relationships. You cannot experience God’s design for intimacy without God in the picture. Without intimacy in marriage, you are just two single people living together.

I have learned from 39 years of marriage, two kids and seven grandkids that intimacy in relationships is a lot of work. I’ve also learned that I have to be the one to take the initiative. Is it worth it? Yes, because you will never experience the full potential of your marriage and relational life without it. But remember, you can’t give what you do not first possess.

Turn on the light and imagine the possibilities!

Perspective with potential

2010-03-11T19:04:00.002-06:00

By DR. DAN ERICKSON

I recently had my 60th birthday. Several people asked me how it felt to be so old. You can probably tell that these were individuals were much younger than me. I can honestly say I did not feel any older than I did the day before. For me, age is a matter of perspective. One’s perspective is always based on how you see the present in light of the past and future.

The Apostle Paul stated it this way:

“I have my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward – to Jesus. I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back. So let’s keep focused on that goal, those of us who want everything God has for us. If any of you have something else in mind, something less than total commitment, God will clear your blurred vision (perspective) – you’ll see it yet! Now that we’re on the right track, let’s stay on it” (Philippians 3:13-16, The Message).

Jim Lowell recently spoke at the Caribbean School of Theology Graduation Ceremony and reported the following facts about age and accomplishment. It gives age some perspective.

Researchers compiled a list of 400 of the most accomplished people during all times and areas of endeavor. There were statesmen, warriors, philosophers, poets, artists, writers and scientists. Names on the list were followed by their greatest achievements. Since any list of this nature is highly subjective, the list was submitted to a panel of historians and other experts for their opinions.

From each person’s date of birth and the year of their greatest accomplishment, it was determined at what age that individual was at his or her best. The list was then sorted by age at peak performance and divided into decades.

It was found that people in their seventh decade – between age 60 and 70 – were responsible for 35 percent of the world’s greatest achievements; people between the ages of 70-80 were responsible for 23 percent and people over 80 were responsible for 8 percent. In other words, 66 percent of the greatest things ever done were done by people 60 years of age or older.

Based on these facts I can perceive a great future ahead. I have the potential of seeing 66 percent more accomplished in my life over the next 20-25 years. So I should do what Paul suggests – grab hold of the reason I am still on this earth and make the most of it no matter how long I have left. I am so excited about getting started today.

Each day left on this earth is really the beginning of our greatest potential. That is awesome! I am so looking forward to my 60s.

Imagine the possibilities!

Gold that lasts beyond the games

2010-03-05T13:54:00.001-06:00

BY DR. DAN ERICKSON

I had a great time watching the Olympics over the last few weeks. Seeing the American flag raised during the awards ceremony brings tears to my eyes. I’m proud to be an American. Despite all of our problems and challenges, this is a truly great nation that continues to draw people from around the globe.

While I love the Olympics, sometimes the commentators frustrate me. You’ll often hear them say that athletes’ performances in the games are the defining moments of their lives. Wow! Do they really understand what they are saying? Is that really true? Can a gold metal buy happiness, fulfillment and define one’s future? It may be able to buy them fame and fortune, but that isn’t the same as determining our identity.

Too many commentators, coaches and fans believe this lie. Is one’s entire life really defined by a performance in a single event? We could use other scenarios, too. Is our identity determined by our success in closing deals? Winning elections? Raising the largest tomato in the county fair?

Will a gold medal (or even 15) heal the wounds left by an absent father or mother?

Will a cold, hard medal comfort the pain left by unmet expectations or broken relationships? Is our value in life so narrowly defined that it is tied to our performance in a sporting event or two? I also wonder how many parents’ identity and significance are defined by their children’s performance, whether it be in school, a sporting event or piano recital.

Tiger Woods has trophies and winnings galore and was defined by success in golf. He has more money than he knows what to do with, yet remains empty and alone in pain and despair. Now he is defined by his addiction. If only he knew that there is a God who would love to turn his ashes into beauty, his despair into hope, his pain into his potential, and his mess into a message.

The Olympics have brought me tears of joy, but also sorrow for those who have allowed the games to define who and whose they are. If we know God, then our worth is unshakeable because it is found in him. Our relationship with God is the real gold, one that cannot fade, be stolen, lost or wasted.

Only then can we imagine the real possibilities.

Why does God love us? Because we are his

2010-02-26T17:29:00.000-06:00

By DR, DAN ERICKSON

I was encouraged the other day by these words out of Isaiah 43:2-3: “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned and the flames shall not consume you, for I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel your God.”

Why? “Because you are precious in my eyes and honored and I love you!” (Isaiah 43:4).

I remember when all seven of my grandkids were born, but I remember the first one’s birth the most clearly. Gabby was born with little fanfare since her father was no longer involved in the family relationship. I became her substitute daddy for a few years. I remember holding her for the very first time and my eyes welled up with tears. I fell in love with her that day.

Why did I love her so much? Infants can’t do much in the way of reciprocation. The answer is simple but profound: “Because she was mine.” She wasn’t born with a large inheritance. No test could tell me she was going to be a super athlete, actress or scholar. I love her so much simply because she is my granddaughter. And since she is mine, I have protected and cherished her with my life. Nothing can separate me from the love I have for her. Her conduct, attitude or acceptance or rejection of me will not change my love.

Why does God declare to us that we are honored and loved by him when we are continually messing up, breaking his commandments and going our own way? When we reject him, we find ourselves in deep waters, yet he loves us so much he sent his only son to rescue us when we did not deserve it.

Why? Because we are his!

If God could become man and rescue us, he can do anything, regardless of our situations or circumstances. This kind of love God has for us “bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things and endures all things” (I Corinthians 13:7).

Crawl into your heavenly father’s arms and allow him to rescue and protect you from the waters and fires in your life. It is never too late. Allow him to say to you what he said to his Son so many years ago, “This is my son (or daughter) whom I love and in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). What he said about his son, he says about you.

Imagine the possibilities!

Love that hurts

2010-02-12T15:51:00.001-06:00

By DR. DAN ERICKSON

What do you do or how do you react when you get hurt? Do you respond with fight or flight? Do you get mad or sad? How we respond determines our capacity to love.

I once heard someone say, “I need to love as if I am going to get hurt.” Someone else told me, “I need to love until it hurts.” Christ showed that love is willing to die for a friend or neighbor, even an enemy. Why does godly caring and loving have to hurt so much?

It is easy to love someone who never hurts us. I once mistakenly told my wife, “I will love you if you love me.” That kind of love is conditional, selfish and immature.

The Apostle Paul explains that this “hurting” kind of love:

“… never gives up, cares more for others than for self, doesn’t want what it doesn’t have, doesn’t strut, doesn’t have a swelled heard, doesn’t force itself on others, isn’t always ‘me first,’ doesn’t fly off the handle, doesn’t keep score of the sins of others, doesn’t revel when others grovel, takes pleasure in the flowering of truth, puts up with anything, trusts God always, always looks for the best, never looks back, but keeps going to the end. Love never fails” (I Cor. 13:4-8).

Godly love sometimes hurts, but it’s the only love that lasts. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, or what I do, I’m bankrupt without it.

Try it and imagine the possibilities!

Everyday miracles

2010-01-31T17:36:00.001-06:00

By CATHY ERICKSON

When the phone rang at about 10 a.m., it was our daughter-in-law calling to say our son was getting worse. Without even thinking, I said “We’re coming.” On my Facebook account, I posted that my son Doug was in the hospital in California with failing kidneys. I added that doctors didn’t know what was going on and that we would likely leave soon. I asked for prayer that God would provide a way for us to go if we needed to. You see I hadn’t really thought through the details. I was just asking people to pray.

Within five minutes my sister called and said she would check on flight reservations. Just minutes later she called to say we were booked on a flight that afternoon and that she and my brother were going to pay for it. There had only been two seats available – it was New Year’s Eve after all.

That was just the beginning of the miracles God performed. I don’t have room to go into each one, but please understand that God walked before us every step of the way. When we arrived at 8 p.m., we went straight to the hospital to see our son who was a little scared but resting comfortably with a great staff of nurses and doctors. His kidneys were quickly deteriorating and no one knew why.

Dan spent the night at the hospital to pray for Doug (there were also many people who were praying around the world). The next day his kidneys had some improvement, and this improvement continued every day after that. After five days in the hospital, he was able to go home. We know that God touched his body. He continued to get stronger every day.

God sent us a miracle, and I don’t just mean Doug’s healing. Every step of the way he showed us His way, and that is a miracle, too. We each need to be aware of the everyday miracles God allows in our lives and how we can be a part of those miracles in others’ lives.

Thank you all for your love and support.

Two words that lead to lasting relationships

2010-01-29T16:55:00.002-06:00

By Dr. DAN ERICKSON

In a few months Cathy and I will have been married and serving together in ministry for 40 years. That is good long time, but I have a friend whose grandparents have been married for over 80 years. Eighty years! Imagine what it would take to be married that long.

Cathy and I have had our ups and downs, but my life with her has been incredible. We have experienced the pleasure of God in our family and ministry. In fact, not long ago I asked her, “If I died, would you remarry?” She quickly said “NO!” I asked, “Why? Has it been that bad?” She laughed and responded, “No, I just wouldn’t want to raise another one.”

What does it take to walk with another individual in marriage for 40 year or 80 years?

This may be shortsighted of me, but I believe I can answer this question with two words: love and commitment.

Even though the Apostle Paul was never married, he had keen insight into the foundation for all relationships: unconditional love. He wrote:
“No matter what I say, what I believe, or what I do, I’m bankrupt without love. Love never gives up. Love cares more for your mate then for self. Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have. Love doesn’t strut; doesn’t have a swelled head; doesn’t force itself on your mate; isn’t always ‘me first;’ doesn’t fly off the handle; doesn’t keep score; doesn’t revel when your mate grovels; takes pleasure in the flowering of truth; puts up with anything; always looks for the best; never looks back; keeps going even to the end; love never quits.” (I Cor. 13:4-8a The Message – with marriage-related paraphrasing from me)

Even during moments when you don’t feel the love, commitment keeps the relationship going. You may say, “But you don’t know what I am going through and what I have to put up with!” Without trying to sound harsh, excuses are the crutch for the uncommitted.

Commitment says: “I need you; I won’t live without you; only you can satisfy me; I am available to you; I realize that I am not complete without you; I am willing to walk with you through the tough times; I love you and I want your happiness to come before my own.”

Love and commitment. That’s what it took for God to send his only Son to earth to live and to die for us. It’s time that we demonstrated love and commitment to our mate (and if you’re not married, your friends and family).

Maybe that’s what Christ meant when he said, “follow me.”

Imagine the possibilities!

Imagine the possibilities for your life in 2010

2010-01-14T17:04:00.002-06:00

BY DR. DAN ERICKSON

As I have been thinking about 2010, I’ve wondered whether it will be just another year or if we can believe God for even greater things – things that are greater than our circumstances or condition. It seems that as I get older, the years fly by quicker. I don’t think I want to miss out on anything that God has for me. I told someone the other day that 2010 was going to be the best year of my life and ministry. Can you believe that for your life in 2010?

You may say, “But Dr. Dan, you just don’t know what I am going through: I am unemployed; I have a disabling disease; I have more month than paycheck; I have kids that are driving me crazy; I have a marriage that’s being challenged.” I can identify with all of these things, believe me. God has shown me over the years, and he will this year as well, that he loves to turn:

• my pain into my potential
• my past into my future
• my messes into my message

My current circumstances and condition do not have to define or confine me, but God does use them to refine me.

Jeremiah 29:11-13 is still true in 2010: “’For I know the plans I have for you,’” declares the Lord, “plans for wholeness and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” There is a reason God promises this to us: “Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me and I will hear you. You will seek and find me, when you seek me with all your heart” (vs. 12-13).

I have come to the conclusion that God allows difficulties and adversities according to our needs. Even if the adversity remains ever present, he is able to do abundantly more than we can ask or think. So call upon him, seek him with all of your heart, pray to him without ceasing and listen to his still small voice.

Then imagine the possibilities in 2010!

The miracle of a changed life

2010-01-06T13:17:00.000-06:00

By CATHY ERICKSON

When we had snow on Christmas Day, it was the first time it had happened here (in Kansas City) since 1963. Since I was raised in California near the ocean, I never grew up seeing a white Christmas.

The winter’s snow covers the dry brown grass, the limbs of the leafless trees and the dirty pavement. When the sun comes out, the cover of the snow glistens, creating a most beautiful sight to see.

Can you imagine anything whiter than snow? Yet the Scriptures tell us that we can be “whiter than snow” when we accept the sacrifice of the one whose birth we recently celebrated on Christmas. The snow is beautiful, but a life changed is the most miraculous and beautiful event we can experience.

Admire the snow, but love the miracle of a changed life.

Gifts from God that last forever: Part 3

2009-12-24T11:14:00.001-06:00

By Dr. DAN ERICKSON

In my previous two blog entries, I shared the eternal gifts that can both have and share in Christ. They are:
1. The gift of unconditional love
2. The gift of redemption
3. The gift of hope
4. The gift of peace
5. The gift of a guaranteed future

Here is what I suggest we do if we are going to give these gifts that keep on giving:

1. Receive God’s gifts for yourself. You can only give away what you possess. Taste of the Spirit in which the gift of Christ was given.

Psalm 34:8 “Oh taste and see that the Lord is good! His love endures forever.”

2. Give yourself away. You are God’s gift to your world. Become Christ’s gift in the flesh.

I Peter 2:9: “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”

3. Become a servant. In order to do this, you need to wrap your gifts (life) in humility and become a bond-servant.

Philippians 2:5: “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing taking the form of a servant. Being born in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”

John 13:17: “If you know these things blessed are you if you do them.”

Practice this kind of gift giving throughout the year and imagine the possibilities!

Gifts from God that last forever: Part 2

2009-12-24T11:09:00.002-06:00

By Dr. DAN ERICKSON

We’re fully immersed in the season of gift giving. The gifts that we share are given with love and thoughtfulness. But we’ll outlast most of them as clothes wear out, toys break and electronic gadgets run out of juice. This is a good time to reflect on the eternal gifts that have been given to us through Christ. (This is the continuation of a previous blog posting – see below.)

What are some of these everlasting gifts?

The Gift of Hope
“His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6c).

Jeremiah 29:11-12: "'For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for wholeness and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you’, declares the Lord, ‘and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.’”

Principle: God’s gift of hope gives people the ability to believe in what they cannot yet see.

Question: Who do you know who needs the gift of hope?

The Gift of Peace
“Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end” (Isaiah 9:7a).
John 14:7: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”

Principle: God’s gift of peace, which surpasses all understanding, guards our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Question: Who do you know who needs the gift of peace?

The Gift of a Guaranteed Future
“… on the throne of David and over his kingdom to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore” (Isaiah 9:7b).

I Corinthians 2:9 “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him.”

Principle: God’s gift of a guaranteed future is found in a just and righteous king: Jesus Christ.

Question: Who do you know who needs the gift of a guaranteed future?

Imagine the possibilities!

Beyond broken toys: Gifts from God that last forever

2009-12-21T16:55:00.002-06:00

By Dr. DAN ERICKSON

I recently returned from a trip to a Navajo reservation in New Mexico and Arizona. It is one of the poorest places in the United States. We took hundreds of toys with us and handed them to children throughout the reservation. It was thrilling to see their eyes light up.

I thought how pleased God must be by the generosity of those who gave freely to these children so they could have at least one toy for Christmas. Then reality set in. A toy was not enough. A toy will eventually break, rust or be lost. But these children will still remain in their strongholds of addiction, poverty and hopelessness. The emptiness will remain. Someone has to bring to them the gift of Christ that will rescue them – the gift that will never pass.

What kinds of gifts are you giving this Christmas? What kind of gifts do you give throughout the year? The gift that God gave at Christmas will never waste away. The gifts found in him are eternal.

Are you giving any gifts that will never waste away?

The prophet Isaiah foretold the coming of the Christ child when he wrote: “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulders, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from the this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this” (Isaiah 9:6-7).

In examining this passage, we find five gifts that will never fade away:

The Gift of Unconditional Love
“For to us a child was born, to us a son is given” (Isaiah 9:6a).

We also find this principle in John 3:16-17: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”

Principle: The gift of unconditional love demonstrates the heart of our heavenly Father.

Question: Who do you know who needs the gift of God’s unconditional love?

The Gift of Redemption (Forgiveness + Restoration + Rescue = Redemption)

“And the government shall be upon his shoulder” (Isaiah 9:6b).

Jeremiah 31:34 also speaks of this gift: “And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest,” declares the Lord. ‘For I will forgive them their iniquity, and I will remember their sins no more.”

I John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Principle: God’s gift of redemption did for us what we could not do for ourselves.

Question: Who do you need to tell about God’s redemption?

In the next blog post, I’ll share more gifts that bring eternal joy.

Imagine the possibilities!

Reclaiming your joy (to the world)

2009-12-13T07:16:00.002-06:00

By DR. DAN ERICKSON

One of my most fond memories as a child was our Native American congregation’s Christmas Eve services. I think we sang every carol in the hymnal. We all especially loved “Joy to the World.” In the midst of grinding poverty, singing that song seemed to bring a little Heaven to earth.

After all these years, I still love that song. Yet I know many people who find it difficult to sing it when they face adversities. When we experience the loss of a job, broken relationships or a persistent illness, we can be robbed of the joy that is the basis for Christmas. If our joy is based only on our circumstances, then there is no reason for the season.

Paul, while stuck in prison, not knowing whether he would live another day, declared: “Rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice.” He chose to express joy in the midst of life’s challenges because he had an encounter of the divine kind: Christ become Paul’s “joy to the world.”

The same can be true for us.

Although we cannot create joy for ourselves, we can find it in Christ. Joy is found in the giving of ourselves for another, even when we’ve got problems of our own. It is up to us – believers in Christ who have found the real meaning in Christmas – to give a helping hand, a sincere smile, a warm embrace or a kind word. You may be the only encounter of the divine kind some people ever have.

During this holiday season, don’t allow the hustle and bustle of Christmas to rob you of these encounters and steal your joy. Sing “Joy to the World” with me and imagine the possibilities!

Grabbing hold of what lies ahead

2009-12-04T13:43:00.002-06:00

By DR. DAN ERICKSON

(This is the third in a series about letting go of hindrances and fears so that we can fully grasp the life that Christ has set before us.)

When you swing on monkey bars, you can’t just let go. Instead, you’ve got to release the bar behind you and grab hold of the bar in front of you.

The Apostle Paul wrote: “One thing I do, forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13-14). He ended with: “Only let us hold true to what we have attained.”

What are you trying to grab onto with your time, talent, treasure and touch? If we want to live a life that makes a difference, we need to:

1. Grab hold of the person we want to become.
Question: Who are you seeking to become like?

2. Grab hold of the reason for which God grabbed hold of you.
Question: What is the reason you live for?

3. Grab hold of the cause which you inherited through Christ.
Question: What is the plan and purpose for your life? Does it echo in eternity?

4. Grab hold of the thrill that comes from trusting Christ.
Question: Where are you trying to find your thrill in life?

5. Grab hold of the fulfillment that comes from becoming like and knowing Christ.
Question: In what or in whom are you finding fulfillment and completeness?

6. Grab hold of the joy that has been set before you.
Question: Do you emanate joy?

It’s time to begin to live the life you were created for, a life that echoes for eternity. Imagine the possibilities!

(If you want to explore your potential and destiny more deeply, read my book “Finding Your Greater Yes!”)

Stuck in neutral?

2009-11-29T13:57:00.002-06:00

BY DR. DAN ERICKSON

Swinging on monkey bars requires letting go (see my previous blog entry for context). Seems obvious doesn’t it? My granddaughter would not let go because she was fearful that she would lose her grip and fall to the pavement.

What is keeping you from letting go and moving forward? What is keeping you from experiencing life as it was meant to be? It could be pride, comfort, pain, the past or just plain old sin. In my opinion, the factor that keeps most of us idling is neutrality. We get tired of trying and look for a chair or a crutch. Then we wonder why life has lost its meaning, purpose and thrill.

The Apostle Paul put it this way: “He [Christ] is able to do abundantly far more than we can ask or think, according to the power that is [already] at work in us” (Ephesians 3:19). Apart from Christ we can be or do nothing. But through him, all things are possible.

What do we need to let go of to move forward in life and in our relationship with Christ? Here are some action steps, based on Philippians 3:1-9.

Action steps
1. Take a personal inventory of the condition of your life (vs. 2-3).
Principle: We can evaluate the condition of our lives by what we seek to hang on to.
Question: Are you satisfied where you are in your relationships with Christ and others?

2. Identify the competing loyalties in your life (vs. 4-6).
Principle: What we place our confidence or trust in, other than Christ, is a competing loyalty.
Question: What or where are you placing your confidence in?

3. Call everything you have gained in the flesh for what it is (v. 7).
Principle: It is only when we are willing to let go of things that God will replace them with something better.
Question: Where or in what do you believe you have it made or have it together?

4. Evaluate what it would cost for you to let go (v. 8).
Principle: If we are not willing to pay the price to let go, we will not be willing to do what it takes to receive the prize God has for us.
Question: What is God asking of you that will cost you of your time, treasure, talent or touch? What specifically will it cost?

5. Give up your man-made righteousness driven by self confidence (vs. 9).
Principle: Self righteousness is found in our flesh, while godly righteousness is found by faith in Jesus Christ alone.
Question: What are you looking to that you think will earn you the favor of God or others?

6. Get your focus on the true prize (v. 10).
Principle: In order for us to get our eyes on the true prize, we need to realize that the prize is a “who” not a “what.”
Question: What or whom do you have your eyes focused on?

7. Let go of your own agenda so that you can grasp the plan of God.
Principle: Until we are willing to let go we will never be able to grab hold of God’s plan for our lives.
Question: What is God asking of you that will take total trust and faith in him?

Are you ready to let go? Life is ahead of you. Imagine the possibilities!

Stop monkeying around and embrace life

2009-11-13T16:40:00.002-06:00

By. DR. DAN ERICKSON

When one of my granddaughters was in grade school, I took her to a playground. As we walked toward the equipment, I asked her if she would like to swing on the monkey bars. I could tell that she seemed hesitant. She said, “I have seen other kids do it, but I can’t.” I said I could teach her how. So I took her by the hand and gently lifted her up to the top. “Grab a hold of the bars,” I told her. She latched onto them, but I could tell she was uneasy. She kept saying “don’t let go, don’t let go.” I reassured her that I would not leave her.

Slowly, with constant encouragement, she began to move to the next bar. With fear and trembling, but also with trust in her grandpa, she let go of the bar that lagged behind and grabbed the bar that lied ahead. I taught her that you can’t just hang there: You have to keep moving forward by “letting go” and “grabbing hold” if you are going to experience the thrill of the monkey bars. Soon she said, “You can let go of me now, but don’t go too far.”

It was my great pleasure to watch her experience life as it was meant to be!

This is what the Apostle Paul was talking about in Philippians 3:12-14,16: “Not that I have already obtained this or am already made perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers I do not consider that I have made it my own, but one thing I do; forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Only let us hold true to what we have attained.”

Paul wants to teach us how to enjoy the spiritual riches that we have already inherited through the work of Christ. What if you knew you had a million dollars in a checking account that you could draw upon at any time for a good cause? Would you live the way you are living now? Would you have more peace, joy, satisfaction and less worry and anxiety? Why?

Everything we need for life can be found through our relationship with Christ. In fact, Christ reached out to us through his life, death and resurrection so that he could be the one to meet all of our needs. We can only find peace, joy and satisfaction through him. All other roads lead to dead ends.

What do you need to let go of in order to grab hold of something more secure? Do you need to jettison fear and reach out for faith? Do you need to drop anger and pick up peace? Do you need to get rid of sin in order to embrace forgiveness? I could go on, but I think you get the idea.

Over the next two blogs I am going to teach you how to swing on the monkey bars of life. Why risk it when you can be content to look up from the ground? The prize is in knowing Christ intimately and experiencing all of the challenges and joys that come with this most important relationship.

Imagine the possibilities!

When life hurts: More than a Band-Aid is required

2009-11-03T10:04:00.001-06:00

By CATHY ERICKSON

When our daughter was young, we invited her cousin Amy to go with us to Disneyland. The night we arrived at the motel, the girls were jumping from one bed to the other (don’t tell me you have never seen this happen). Just when I said, “Don’t do that, someone will get hurt!”, Amy fell and cut her knee. We sought medical advice and were told to put a couple of butterfly bandages on the cut to hold it together. Unfortunately, Amy’s knee did not heal like we had hoped and she has a scar to show for it. If we had seen a doctor, he may have treated it in such a way that the cut would have healed properly and the scar would be less visible.

How often do we get cut emotionally – sometimes right to the bone – and we figure we can just put a couple of bandages on it to hold it together? We try to handle it on our own, pushing it down inside. Sadly, it may not heal and there is a scar to show for it. God wants us to allow those hurts to be healed by him. He carefully treats each wound with tender loving care so they can heal. Bring your hurts to him — he created you and knows how to heal them.

Too Heavy?

2009-10-29T15:56:00.000-05:00

By CATHY ERICKSON

Lately, I have been feeling burdened by many things. I told God they were too heavy to carry and he reminded me of something I had forgotten. When our kids were young, we sometimes asked them to carry something from the car to the house. This could be a toy, a small bag, or a backpack.

As they tottered into the house they could be heard saying, “too heavy”—“too heavy” even though it might not seem like it to us. Of course we would relieve them of their weighty burdens.

This came to my mind as I imagined saying “too heavy” to God in a small child’s voice. I imagined God taking my burden and carrying it the rest of the way for me. Sometimes I carry things a long time when God is just waiting to carry them for me. Are you carrying burdens that are “too heavy” for you? Why not let God carry them for you?

“Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall.” – Psalm 55:22

The elusive search for happiness

2009-10-22T11:03:00.003-05:00

By Dr. DAN ERICKSON

A popular song from my past was “Don’t Worry, Be Happy.” I loved it at the time because it had a keen message and a catchy tune. Yet it did not speak the truth.

Most people are trying to find a place in life that is worry-free. They are seeking it in quick riches, a fading glory or any artificial means possible. Whether they wash their worries away with a drink or a triple-decker ice cream cone, they will find happiness elusive. One could say that most are trying to climb the ladder of happiness, only to find it leaning on the wrong wall.

The fact is, it will take a lot more than just not worrying to find lasting happiness. This is because happiness is based on happenings. Happiness has more to do with the “whats” in our life instead of the “who.” It has more to do with places and things which then take precedence over the people in our lives. And people matter most.

I find men working 60 hours a week to make money and please their families. Later on, they find out that spending more time at home is what would really make the family happy. They are making a living but not a life or a home.

Noted author John Eldridge recently wrote, “Now listen carefully – God wants us to be happy. He really does. He simply knows that until we deal with our brokenness, our sin and our style of relating, we aren’t going to be happy. Nobody around us is going to be very happy either.”

True biblical happiness is the result of being transformed into the person God intended for us to be. It is the joy of the Lord which gives us strength and spills over into happiness. You can have nothing, materially speaking, but be completely happy. John Eldridge is right in that happiness is found in relationships because they are the only thing that really matters.

So find true happiness in the people that really matter and imagine the possibilities!

We're never too old; It's never too late

2009-10-14T20:54:00.001-05:00

I am sitting at Starbucks, watching the rain come down. The rain is so refreshing. The chill in the air reminds me that, like seasons, life goes through natural cycles. Summer has ended; fall will soon be gone and winter will set in and spring will thaw it out. I love all the seasons both of nature and of life.

It won’t be long and I will proudly turn 60 years of age. Cathy and I will celebrate 40 years of marriage soon after. Some would have me now prepare for winter and a too-soon retirement. My dad (who is 86 years young) was once asked when he was going to retire. He served among the Native Americans well into his 70s. He answered, “Retiring is not in the Bible. I do not retire. I re-fire.” He reminded them that Paul admonished the church at Thessalonica “Do not quench the Spirit’s fire.”

How we deal with our age or circumstances is more a state of the mind and heart than of age. I believe the best years for our marriage, family and ministry are not found in our past but in the future. Our most fruitful years have yet to be determined or experienced. You see:

If you plant seeds of fear and despair you reap/become a victim.
I f you plant seeds of faith and hope you reap/become a victor.

The choice is really yours!

What about you. Have you settled in? What are the excuses in your life that are robbing you and your future of your “Greater Yes!” – your potential and destiny? If you had unlimited resources and complete freedom to fail what would you do with your life? Young or old – the age does not matter.

Imagine the possibilities!

CARPE MOMENTUM

2009-09-25T11:21:00.001-05:00

By CATHY ERICKSON

You may have heard the Latin phrase carpe diem, which is translated “seize the day.” I want to take it a step further to carpe momentum – seizing the moment.

Someone recently sent me a sermon about living for today and it was quite moving. I realized that when we are not constantly dwelling on the past, we’re likely to be contemplating the future. The question is: What about right now?

I am trying to appreciate the now. It’s easy to think about what I should have done yesterday, the things I might have done better or regrets from the long past. If I am not thinking about the past, I am often planning what I need to do tomorrow, this week, this year or when I “grow up.”

I am having a BIG birthday soon and have been occupied with thinking about how much time I have left instead of being excited about today and the hours I have in the present. You’ve heard the old saying to “stop and smell the roses.” But do we really stop to smile at a baby, breathe in the fall air, hug a friend, or give a word of encouragement? That’s what I want — to live in the moment.

What is permissible for the believer?

2009-09-22T17:21:00.001-05:00

By DR. DAN ERICKSON

I was asked not long ago, “What is permissible for the believer?” It sounded more like, “What can I get away with and still be a Christian?” This is the wrong question. The question we should be asking as believers in Christ is, “What would Jesus do?” or “What would Jesus have me do?”

I was recently speaking about a chapter in Jerry Bridges’ book, “The Pursuit of Holiness” (highly recommended). Jerry provides an excellent formula for making behavioral decisions. It is based on I Corinthians 6:12, “’Everything is permissible for me’ — but not everything is beneficial. ‘Everything is permissible for me’—but I will not be mastered by anything.”

Here are some questions that we need to address as we express our freedom in Christ:

1.) I Corinthians 6:12a – “‘Everything is permissible for me’ but not everything is beneficial.” Question: Is it helpful-physically, spiritually and mentally?

2.) I Corinthians 6:12b – “‘Everything is permissible for me’ but I will not be mastered by anything.” Question: Does it bring me under its power?

3.) I Corinthians 8:23 – “Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause him to fall.” Question: Does it hurt others?

4.) I Corinthians 20:31 – “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” Question: Does it glorify God?

When there are areas of freedom in Christ where we may differ as Christians, may I suggest the following principles from Romans 14:

1. We should not judge those whose convictions are different from ours (Romans 14:1-4).

2. Whatever your convictions are, they should be to the Lord and developed out a sense of obedience to him (Romans 14:5-8)

3. We must be true to the convictions God has given us or we are sinning (Romans 14:23)

Seek the good of yourself, the glory of good and the best for others.

Imagine the possibilities!

Joining God in his grand plan

2009-09-14T15:57:00.000-05:00

By CATHY ERICKSON

If you were alive in 1963, you will remember where you were and what you were doing (eating a bologna sandwich at my junior high) the day President Kennedy was shot. I watched as our nation walked through those days in a fog. One of my most vivid memories is an image of 3-year-old John Jr. saluting the caisson as it passed by. For many it seemed the dream had died.

On our small black and white TV, we watched images of the Vietnam War as flag-draped coffins were carried from planes. We also viewed people injured or dead lying in the streets and fields ablaze with bombs of napalm. These images left an indelible imprint on my mind. My own family and friends were impacted as they served in Vietnam and returned altered by the experience.

The young people of this era protested, sang and cried for the broken dreams. It is was a time of despair and hopelessness. In the midst of all this there were some of us who dreamed of a different world. After all, President John F. Kennedy said we should ask what we can do to make it better. As I pondered this question, I determined to change the world and make a difference.

As I began college in 1968, God began to speak to me about my own life. He showed me that He was not finished yet and that He had a big plan and was still working it out in the world. The only way to really change the world was to join Him in a plan bigger than my own determination. His plan is reconciliation: showing His love to people, leading them on the path to a personal relationship with Christ, encouraging and discipling them. After 40 years, I am still challenged by God’s BIG plan.

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” – Jeremiah 29:11-13

The methods change, but the message remains the same. Whether it be visiting a foreign land with the gospel or comforting a neighbor who has lost a family member, we can change our world.

We must remember this today as we get discouraged by what we see happening around us. God is not finished yet and He still invites us to join Him in His BIG plan. What can you do today to join Him?

Gaining strength through the struggle

2009-09-10T17:00:00.001-05:00

By DR. DAN ERICKSON

Over the years I’ve been an informal coach to hundreds of men. After one particular meeting, I realized that this man’s unwise decisions (which were undermining his family and profession) were being driven by the pain of his past.

Know this: When the past lives in the present, it will rob us of our future.

I realized that this connection would eventually destroy his life and his potential. Therefore, I encouraged him that, no matter our past, Christ can empower us to make choices toward a better future. Your past does not have to determine your potential, but can be used by God to propel you to your future and destiny.

He wants to turn our mess into our message; our past into our future; our fear into faith; our pain into our potential.

I again reminded him of John 10:10. “There is a thief (Satan) that comes to kill, steal and destroy, but I (Christ) have come to give you life and that more abundantly.”

Ironically, most people who are in a state of struggle are exactly where God wants them to be. Struggle is a sign of life. God uses the good, bad and the ugly to perfect his will and image in us. Romans 8:28 promises that, for those who love God, all things are working together for our good. No exceptions! The problem is that many of us want to flee when we are actually right in the middle of God’s will and purpose. Why? Because we don’t like the way a struggle feels.

Remember, the good he is perfecting is found in the struggle. Anything God allows or uses in our lives to transform our character is for our good.

Just as the belly crawling caterpillar has to painfully struggle to break free from in order to become a butterfly, so we have to struggle to break free from our past in order to become all God intended us to be. So if you are courageous enough, pray and rejoice for the struggle.

Imagine the possibilities!

Thirsting after God

2009-08-31T08:26:00.001-05:00

By CATHY ERICKSON

What is it that you desire for your kids? The first thing of course is that they grow to love and follow Christ in every aspect of their lives. I also long for a loving relationship with them as they grow older. I am thankful for my children and the relationships we are privileged to have as they have grown and now have their own families. This summer we had the opportunity to spend extensive time with both of our grown children’s families and it was a treasure I hold in my heart. I pull it out when I am missing them. As my friend always says, “It is a little bit of Heaven on earth.”

I wonder how much God longs for the same thing from us. Not only is intimacy with God possible for us – God longs for us to have a passionate relationship with Him. We sometimes take it for granted that we can have a close walk with God, thinking it will “just happen.” But it’s a two-way street.

Do you hunger for that relationship? If you miss a day of communication with God, do you long for the next time you can have some special time with Him?

The themes of longing and desire shine through in Psalm 63. Look at some of the language in this Psalm:

“O God, you are my God, and I long for you.”

“My whole being desires you; like a dry, worn-out and waterless land, my soul is thirsty for you.”

Longing, desire, thirst … they are all incredibly passionate words, full of emotion and energy. Bring these emotions to your daily walk with God. He is waiting.

Finding complete satisfaction

2009-08-24T12:09:00.000-05:00

By Dr. DAN ERICKSON

Recently I was invited to a birthday party that included a wonderful barbeque. I looked forward to the food and fellowship with expectation. I was not disappointed! I have to admit that I ate to my heart’s content and was completely stuffed. The problem, however, was that a few hours later my body craved more. I had been full, but not completely satisfied.

It reminds of the old song, “Satisfaction,” by the Rolling Stones, which gives little hope that we can ever be fulfilled.

This begs the question, “What brings complete and lasting satisfaction?” Satisfaction is defined as the “state of being fulfilled or complete by supplying fully what is desired, expected or needed.” This leads us to pursue the question of in what or whom are we seeking satisfaction.

David, the poet, shepherd and king, wrote in Psalm 42, “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, Oh God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God” (vs. 1-2a). The Messages reads, “I want to drink God, deep draughts of God. I’m thirty for God-alive.” He asks the question, “I wonder, will I ever make it – arrive and drink in God’s presence?” (vs. 2b). Finally, he finds the end to the search: “I will fix my eyes on God; he will put a smile on my face; He’s my God.” (v. 5b)

Bible teacher John Piper summed up David’s words best by stating that, “God is most glorified in me when I am most satisfied in him.” My desires, expectations and needs are most fully met when God is most fully glorified in me.

Our greatest satisfaction in life will be achieved when we find our happiness in Him, because He does not disappoint. The more I become like God (reflecting his character), the more satisfied I will be. Pursue him with all of your heart, soul, mind and strength.

Imagine the possibilities!

Facing up to difficult days

2009-08-21T17:22:00.001-05:00

By Dr. DAN ERICKSON

What do you do when you are facing a difficult day, week or month? Do you respond, react or do nothing? I have had some difficult moments lately. I didn’t respond the way I should have but God has given me hope in the midst of my failing. I am going to fail forward.

Author and Pastor Rick Warren went through a series of difficult days while his wife battled cancer. He stated in an interview recently, “We were made by God and for God and until you figure that out, life isn’t going to make sense. Life is a series of problems: Either you are in one now, you’re just coming out of one, or you’re getting ready to go through another one. The reason for this is that God is more interested in your character than your comfort; is more interested in making your life holy than He is in making it happy.”

He goes on to say, “I used to think that life was hills and valleys – you go through a dark time, then you go to the mountaintop, back and forth. I don’t believe that anymore. Rather than life being hills and valleys, I believe that it’s kind of like two rails on a railroad track and at all times you have something good and something bad in your life. No matter how good things may get in life, there is always something bad that needs to be worked on. And no matter how bad things are in your life, there is always something good you can thank God for. You can focus on your purposes, or you can focus on your problems.”

He challenged me personally when he said to respond in these ways:
Happy Moments – Praise God!
Difficult Moments – Seek God!
Quiet Moments – Worship God!
Painful Moments – Trust God!
Every Moment – Thank God!

I know I can do better in responding to God in this way. How about you?

Imagine the possibilities!

No one is beyond the reach of a divine do-over

2009-08-17T19:30:00.002-05:00

Our human emotions may tell us that we aren’t good enough for God – that we’ve squandered too many opportunities. We may feel we are beyond the realm of a do-over and therefore should do nothing. But we must look beyond our emotions to the truth of the Scriptures.

We can have another chance because God never gives up on us. In fact, he counted on the entire human race needing a do-over. That is why He sent Christ to die and rise again on our behalf. Because of the forgiveness of God, every day can be a new beginning.

It’s tempting for us to think, “Yes, but you don’t know what I’ve done.” Well, I don’t know, but God does. And the Scriptures tell us that He has “unlimited patience” (1 Timothy 1:16). The miracle of Christianity is that God, who knows our darkest secrets, loves us more than any human being ever could. With Him, a new life is possible.

The Message version of 2 Cor. 5:17 says “anyone united with the Messiah gets a fresh start, is created new. The old life is gone; a new life burgeons!” It has been God’s plan from the beginning to allow us to start anew.

Our lives may bear the scars of broken relationships, addictions and unforgiveness. But there is hope. Maybe even more than we ever dreamed possible. Our heavenly Father longs to restore us and give us a new beginning (Luke 15:11-27). God is able to take even the most distressing circumstances and use them for our good (Romans 8:28).

He loves us so much that He accepts us right where we are. But He loves us too much to leave us there. When we seek a do-over, we can count on God working in us to help us become more like Him.

Imagine the possibilities!

Find more “God Loves Do-Overs” resources here.

A Faith That Overcomes

2009-08-05T20:43:00.000-05:00

By DR. DAN ERICKSON

I recently had an opportunity to preach on “A Faith That Overcomes.” The Apostle John wrote in I John 5:4-5, “For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world – our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?”

It’s easy to talk about overcoming. But what does it look like practically?

First of all, we must have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, not merely religion or “churchianity.” Do you know Christ personally? Are you certain? This is the cornerstone of victorious living.

Second, our faith must be built upon truths from God’s word. We are not to merely know these truths intellectually; we are to obey them. Even when it’s inconvenient or downright hard. Our faith must be just as alive on Monday as it is on Sunday.

Finally, a victorious life is characterized by daily dependence on God. This moves us from the domain of mere faith to a faith that is active and living.

Do you have a faith that overcomes? Imagine the possibilities!

Breaking out of the cycle of rejection

2009-08-04T09:24:00.001-05:00

By CATHY ERICKSON

Are you ever devastated by rejection? It may stem from a childhood experience years ago or from something recent such as a divorce. Whatever it is, rejection has a profound effect on our lives. I am sure you can think of a time when you felt overwhelmed by it. You may still be reeling from rejection today. These feelings can put us on a cycle that seems almost impossible to get off — like a hamster running on a wheel, going nowhere fast.

Although you may feel alone, you in fact are not; Jesus Christ understands your pain. He experienced pain throughout his life and was subject to constant rejection. Most of His friends were lepers, prostitutes, tax collectors, sinners and others we might call “losers” who were ignored and shunned by society. Jesus was called demon-possessed and a lawbreaker. He was despised and rejected by people to the point that they crucified him. His last words were a prayer to God to “forgive them for they do not know what they are doing.”

We can know in our heart that Jesus knows intimately about rejection, his own and ours. He wants us to move from being paralyzed in our rejection to embracing him. Tell him all about your pain and experience his healing touch in your life. For more about how to break out of the cycle of rejection, read God Loves Do-Overs. It can take you through steps that will lead you from surviving to thriving.

Are we there yet? Signs that you are reaching your potential

2009-07-29T18:38:00.001-05:00

BY DR. DAN ERICKSON

In my last blog I laid out clearly what was required if we are to daily experience our God-given potential and destiny. This is not a cliché. I believe with all of my heart that each of us can personally experience the abundant Christian life. The key is focusing on living for eternal values and goals. We do not have to remain living in the wilderness, just getting by. We can cross our Jordan and enter into God’s promised land and spiritual abundance.

For most of my life I played it safe. Like the Israelites I was just a survivor, a victim and not a victor.

What are the sure signs that you are moving into your land of promise? Here is what I have personally found to be true. When you discover your God-given potential:
• You will find God moving in your life.
• You will succeed at the things that really matter.
• You will live in such a way that it demands an explanation.
• You will live in such a way that it echoes in eternity
• Your life will stand out, not fit in.
• You will see your role in advancing God’s Kingdom.
• Others will experience God through you.
• You will be able to see people’s unmet needs, not just their problems.
• You will help others begin to fulfill their God-given dreams.
• You will be a man or woman who is determined to settle only for God’s best.
• You will live for the line (eternity) not just for the dot (this lifetime).

Here are some questions I would like you to consider in your journey:
1. Are you living out God's potential in your life?
2. What are the obstacles in your life that are keeping you from experiencing your potential?
3. What must you give up or add in your life to experience what God has intended for you?
4. What on this list are you struggling with the most?
5. What is your next step?

Don’t hold back! Don’t quit! Go for it! No retreat!

Imagine the possibilities!

Your potential can become reality

2009-07-26T11:59:00.002-05:00

BY DR. DAN ERICKSON

Recently, I joined millions of others on Twitter (you can keep up with my updates here). I share things that are personal, as well as life principles.

One of these principles is the idea that your potential can become your reality. I’m convinced that most Christians have just enough of God to escape Hell. But God has so much more for us than this “fire insurance.” Jesus said in John 10:10, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”

That thief (Satan) is determined to waste your potential. If we have received Christ, then our eternal destiny is settled. But it is our choice whether we are going to waste our lives or experience life to the fullest. What do we need to do to take Jesus up on his offer of living life to the fullest?

1. Enlarge our vision (Proverbs 29:18).
Ask God for greater vision. If you can’t see a vision, you won’t believe in it or act on it.

2. Understand our true value (Matthew 3:17).
You really are His best. God loves you because you are His.

3. Understand that God desires an intimate relationship with us (Romans 8:14-17).
God is not impressed by our outward religious observances. He wants a personal relationship with us.

4. Understand that God desires to transform us into the image of his son (Romans 8:28-29).
God is more concern about what he is doing in you than through you.

5. Raise our level of expectancy (II Kings 2:1-14).
Expect change; God will meet you at your level of expectancy.

6. Discover the power of our thoughts and words (Philippians 4:8; Proverbs 23:7).
Proper thinking and speaking lead to proper living. They propel you to your potential.

7. Let go of your past (John 5:1-5; Philippians 3:13-14).
Forgiveness is a choice but not an option; failing does not make you a failure.

8. Find strength through our difficulties and adversities (Luke 11:9-13; Philippians 4:10-13).
God works the most when we are squeezed; that’s when we see what we are really made of.

9. Choose our own destiny (John 13:1-17).
It should not be centered on us, but on God.

10. Soar with eagles instead of pecking with turkeys (Isaiah 40:28-31).
We will become like those we soar with. The people who surround us will either help us fly or keep us grounded.

Look at your life. In which of these areas do you struggle? Where do you soar? Ask God to intervene in your life so that you can become all that he desires.

Imagine the possibilities!

Amazed by God's Love

2009-07-16T20:56:00.005-05:00

BY CATHY ERICKSON

Writing God Loves Do-Overs helped me realizing once again how God loves us enough to give us a fresh start. I have once again been contemplating God’s love for all of us. Sometimes I find it hard to fathom His love for me. No matter how things are going around me, I know what is going on above me. God himself is watching me and caring for me.

We sang a song on Sunday “Lord I’m amazed by you — how you love me.” At times when we are not feeling loved by those around us, we can know God loves with a perfect love. I realized once again I am not surprised by God’s love, but I am truly amazed. I don’t cry a lot, but tears welled up in my eyes as I soaked up the words, “You dance over me, while I am unaware. You sing all around, but I never hear the sound.” Can you just imagine that?

God is bestowing His love on you. Are you able to immerse yourself in that love or do you even notice the ways He is loving you? It might be good to keep a journal or a list of the ways you see His love EVERY DAY. At the top of the page you could write:

“LORD I AM AMAZED HOW YOU LOVE ME”

Just imagine how this simple task could change your attitude.

Looking up with you.

Unlocking the Peace of God (Part Two)

2009-07-14T16:09:00.002-05:00

I am visiting the doctor because I have had some physical difficulties that warrant further investigation. I am concerned but am honestly seeking not to be anxious about this appointment. Why? Because the Apostle Paul says I can have peace. I realize that anxiety is concern out of control.

As I get older (and hopefully wiser), I realize that life’s challenges are daily but have eternal ramifications. I have a daily choice whether to run and react or to respond with faith and trust. If I run or react, I end up needing a “do-over,” but if I respond and face my anxiety, then God can use it for my eternal good.

I am again reminded that “Nothing comes into our lives that do not first come through the hand of God” and that “God allows difficulties in our lives according to our need.” God reminds us to be anxious for nothing because he is near, empowering us to experience his joy. God also reminds us that he can use all things to work for our good.

There are four questions I realize I need to answer if I am to experience daily the peace of God in my life.
• Am I currently dealing with anxiety?
• What is the cause of my anxiety?
• What do I do when I have anxiety?
• What or who am I looking to for a cure my anxiety?

As I have personally wrestled with these questions, I realize that there are three major causes for anxiety in my life: physical health issues, the financial health of our ministry, and the health of our local church. As I was considering these questions and evaluating the cause of my personal anxiety, I was led by the spirit to Luke 12:22-34 and Philippians 4:4-7.

Out of these passages, Christ gave me the “cure for care.” To receive the cure, I must:

1. start with a proper perspective on who is really in control. (Luke 12:22-25)
2. understand who is my source and provider. (Luke 12:26-28)
3. consider my priorities and whether they are temporal or eternal. (Luke 12:29-31)
4. confess my need for peace and ask God. (Phil. 4:4-6)
5. let the Spirit of God’s peace reign in me. (Phil. 4:7)
6. have faith and fear not. (Luke 12:32)
7. turn my anxiety into practical acts of worship. (Luke 12:33)
8. live for the line (eternity) and not just for the dot (now). (Luke 12:34)

How’s your anxiety level? Where or in whom are you seeking peace? Peace is that settled assurance that it will all be OK because God, who will never leave us, is near. This peace also gives us assurance that Christ has come to give us abundant life, that is plan for us is the best and that his future for us is bright. So I will visit my doctor, keep trusting God for our ministry finances and keep striving for the best for my church – all with a settled assurance that it will turn out for my good.

So, with me, imagine the possibilities!

Unlocking the Peace of God

2009-07-09T21:42:00.002-05:00

For the last four summers, People Matter has partnered with two other non-profits for a fireworks fund-raiser. It has helped to keep the ministry going during a traditionally lean time of year. This year, a low-visibility location and a weak economy got us off to a slow start. Not only that, but our tent was set up on dirt, not the rock-solid parking lot of years past. But when I got up on Independence Day, I anticipated a great day of sales would save our week.

I was optimistic as I drove to the tent that morning, but noticed that it had rained during the night. When I walked in the door of the tent, I witnessed a mud pit. I stood there in bewilderment. I honestly thought, “Why me?” At that moment I had a choice. It may seem obvious what to do, but I was weary, disappointed and a little ticked off at God. Slowly, many of the life principles that I live by and preach started flooding into my fuzzy thinking:

• “Nothing comes into our lives that does not first come through the hand of almighty God.”
• “God allows difficulties and circumstances in our lives according to our need.”
• “When life squeezes you, what comes out is what is in the inside.”

I was being exposed.

Philippians 4:4-7 says: “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. ... Do not be anxious about anything but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and you reminds in Christ Jesus.”

This was written by the Apostle Paul, who was chained to two Roman guards under house arrest. He woke up each day not knowing if it would be his last. Yet he rejoiced. What was his secret? He knew how to daily unlock the peace of God.

Because of the rainout, I have a new life principle: “Unlock the peace of God in everything by being anxious for nothing because God is at hand. He will allow us to rejoice in him in all circumstances.”

When we face four inches of mud (or any other difficulty), we have a choice. We can run, react or respond with faith and unlock the peace of God.

Our efforts to get the tent ready for our customers became for us an act of faith, knowing that if we did our part, God would do his. We sold exactly what God intended that day, no more, no less. God was simply testing us because he already knows what he is going to do. The challenge helped me to continue to learn the lesson that his peace can transcend all of our circumstances.

Imagine the possibilities!

Daughters and do-overs

2009-06-29T20:40:00.000-05:00

Daughters are a gift from God.

All children are special, but I think daughters, like Eve, hold a special place in our heavenly Father’s heart. From the beginning, Scripture teaches us that Adam was created outside of the garden and in the wild. He was brought into the garden and was commanded to master it and to do the hard work of providing for it. This became much harder after Adam sinned. But Eve was created from Adam in the garden in order to be a helpmate. God also wanted her to make the garden a home. It was to be a place of safety, security and intimacy. While it is true that Eve was seduced by the serpent, Adam was too complacent and distracted to even care. If Adam had been more attentive to Eve and her relational and emotional needs, she might not have sensed the need to “be like God, knowing good from evil.”

I realize now that, in her childhood days, my relationship with my daughter was shortchanged. She was born during a time of uncertainty for my wife and me. For one, we were dirt poor. Second, much like Adam, I was stuck in a season of dysfunction and self absorption. God was putting me through the ringer in every way and my family was caught in the rinse cycle.

I also realize that I could not give my daughter or my wife something I did not have. I could not lead them where I would not or could not go. It wasn’t until I overcame (in Christ) the confusion of my own identity and significance that I become the father I needed to be. The sad part for me is that it took years for me to get there.

My daughter is now 33 with five children. By the grace of God, today I feel that I’m in a position to give to and serve her and her family. I love and am proud of my daughter more than ever.

Maybe you are a father and feel the same regrets I do. Well, God has assured me that as long as I am still breathing, it is never too late to get a fresh start. It is time to give those regrets to God and allow him to give you a do-over. Is God calling you to a do-over in a relationship? Don’t delay!

Imagine the possibilities!

Experiencing God's unconditional love

2009-06-25T17:40:00.001-05:00

I always look forward to hanging out with my son. He is 30 years old now and lives in Orange County, Calif. Because I live in Missouri, this limits our dad-son time. I call this precious time together a “Son Day.”

He is married to a beautiful blond-haired, blue eyed lady who is a gift from God. She was perfectly designed to be his wife and the mother of his children. She’s intelligent and has a successful career of her own but chooses to put God and family first. They have one of my four granddaughters, two-year-old Bella, who is also a blond California girl. I see glimpse of my son in her, which makes me love her even more.

When I think about my son, I am reminded of what God told his son when Jesus was in his 30s. God said, “This is my Son, whom I love and in whom I delight.” I wish more dads would tell their sons and daughters this. Everywhere I turn I see and hear people struggling with a huge father vacuum. The only thing vacuums are good for is sucking. That hole in their hearts end up sucking in things (pain, sin, addiction) that will not replace what only a father can fill. We can offer them a religion on Sundays but what they need is an encounter of the divine kind with their heavenly father, who fills every void.

If you have Christ in your life, God loves you and is pleased with you because you are his and for no other reason. Think about it! What had Christ done when God publicly commended him? He hadn’t raised the dead, preached any sermons, turned water into wine or even walked on water. He was 30 years old and still living at home. His mother was a widowed single mom and he had six step-siblings (Joseph was not his biological father, God was). As a carpenter, he was the main bread winner for the family and they lived on the other side of the tracks in Nazareth. But what God said about Jesus on that special “Son Day,” God also says about every one of his spiritual sons and daughters (that’s us!). God’s favor is not based on what you do but on who you belong to. Jesus’ identity and significance were defined by that special day when God claimed Jesus as his own and publicly expressed his delight in Christ. That moment helped propel Jesus to his purpose and potential. God’s favor upon us, likewise, can propel us toward our destiny.

In a few weeks I will be in California with my son and his beautiful wife and granddaughter. I will love him and be pleased with him and I will tell him so. Then I will remind him that he has a father in Heaven who loves him even more, loves him perfectly. I looking forward to the day when I will meet my heavenly father face to face and can hear him speak of us love for me. What a day that will be!

Imagine the possibilities!

Humpty Dumpty was pushed!

2009-06-22T17:25:00.001-05:00

Many are familiar with the nursery rhyme Humpty Dumpty:

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall,
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.
All the king’s horses and all the king’s men
Couldn’t put Humpty Dumpty back together again.

The story of Humpty Dumpty provides a near-perfect allegory to the biblical doctrine of the fall of man. Despite his best efforts, nothing mankind tried could restore his broken relationship with God.

But that wasn’t God original intent. When he created life, God said that everything he had made was “good.” God was delighted with humanity, the apex of his creation and the only creature with a soul. God and man walked freely together and without inhibition.

But the harmony was short lived. Adam and Eve quickly succumbed to temptation in a desire to exhibit mastery over their own lives. Satan, in the form of a serpent, provoked them to make a dreadfully wrong choice.

To return to our nursery rhyme analogy, it’s as if Humpty Dumpty was shoved from behind. His life was shattered because an adversary pushed him in a direction he never intended to go.

But let’s be clear. I don’t intend to suggest that Adam and Eve were innocent victims. They had already received instructions from God about which tree in the garden to avoid. They purposefully disregarded those commands.

Humpty Dumpty, too, must bear some blame. What was a fragile egg doing sitting on top of a stone wall? Certainly he put himself in a place of danger.

According to the Scriptures, we have much in common with Adam and Eve and Humpty Dumpty. None of us are innocent and all of us face the same adversary.

Thousands of years later, mankind still wages an unending spiritual conflict with an enemy bent on our spiritual destruction. Our lives can bear the scars of this battle in broken relationships, addictions and unforgiveness. But there is hope. Maybe even more than you ever dreamed was possible.

This is why Cathy and I wrote our new book “God Loves Do-Overs!” It was written to give you that hope and to help you regain your future through a fresh start with God. He is able to take even the most distressing circumstance and use it for your good (Romans 8:28, Jeremiah 29:11).

With a little literary creativity, that hope can even be extended to our nursery rhyme character: “Humpty Dumpty shouted ‘Amen! God can put me back together again!’”

Imagine the possibilities!

Living for the line

2009-06-18T16:52:00.001-05:00

I have a friend who is in critical condition in the hospital. He is a man with a heart after God’s own. I am selfish in that I want a miracle. I want him to recover and continue to be my friend. But I am not God.

When I ask God, “Why me?” He normally answers, “Why not you?” When I see my good friend on death’s door, I asked God “Why?” again. He answered this time with compassion, “Trust me. I see the big picture, the beginning from the end. I know what is best in light of eternity.”

Try this: Put a dot on a page and then draw a line from the dot as far as you can to the right. The dot represents our lives and the line represents our eternity. This illustration helps us see that eternity is a very long time compared to our short lives. What we do now either echoes for eternity or simply disintegrates in the dot. Most people spend their lives living for the dot and not for the line.

Here’s a principle: Don’t fear failure. Instead, fear wasting your life on the things that do not matter.

My friend has invested his life in the line. In my opinion he has more to do in the dot, but God knows best. I will keep you updated on what God will do. Either way my friend wins. Thank you for joining me in prayer.

Vision in times like these

2009-06-17T17:35:00.001-05:00

The temptation during these challenging days is for all of us to have a bunker mentality and “hunker down” until the good times return. Yet I believe God would have us take the opposite approach. Since God’s plan and purpose are not subject to our limitations, I believe God wants us to “rise-up” and dream! At People Matter, we believe that we have been called for such a time as this.

In this light, we have been wrestling with several questions:
• What is God asking of us that is an impossible mission without his intervention and blessing?
• Why has God brought us on the scene for such a time as this?
• What will it cost of us for us to meet God’s expectation, plan and purpose?
• If we had unlimited resources and complete freedom to fail, what would we attempt for God?

The Bible is clear that without the ability to see clearly, hope is lost. We have learned that when we give God our passion and our heart, then he gives us his vision. When we seek to embrace that vision, we will often come to a place of need, looking to God for the results. He promises to meet all of our needs in his timing. More often than not, the need is not met by miracles, but by the generosity of God’s people.

So have faith in what you cannot yet see. Dream the impossible dream. Soar on wings like eagles. Rise-up to your potential and destiny in such a time as this. We do not know what the future holds, but we know who holds the future.

It is going to take that kind of unwavering faith if we are going to see our world transformed!

Imagine the possibilities!

Do we really love God?

2009-06-11T12:39:00.001-05:00

Cathy and I have been married over 38 years, but we know that we can’t take our relationship for granted. Recently, we realized that a hectic ministry schedule had robbed us of personal time together. She told me, “Dan, I know you love me. But are you in love with me?”

The question set me back for a moment. I realized that she needed more than my sincere words of love and appreciation. She needed me to love her with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength. She knew that I used the word “love” often when referring to my favorite football team, pizza or car (I think we de-value the word love when we use it this way). The kind of love Cathy was speaking of – and that the Bible commends – demands our complete devotion.

In the same light, what would we say if Jesus asked us, “Are you in love with me?” Before we answer, we must consider that he calls us “to love the Lord your God with all of your heart, soul, mind and strength” (Mark 12:29-30). In John 21, Jesus asked Peter, “Do you truly love me?” Jesus used the Greek word “agape” for love. This word means “a deep unconditional, sacrificial devotion.” It is the kind of love Jesus had for us when he chose to die on a cross in our place. Peter’s response was, “Yes Lord, you know that I love you.” Peter, however, used a different word than Jesus. He said that he loved Jesus with a brotherly love. To paraphrase, Peter said, “Yes Lord, you know that I am very fond of you. You’re my buddy.” Of course, Peter went on to grow in his love for Jesus and ultimately laid down his life for the savior. He learned what it meant to fall in love with Jesus.

As believers we must search our soul and ask, “Are we in love with Jesus or are we just fond of him?” I think too many are merely fond of God. They don’t really know him or trust him, but choose to admire him from a “safe” distance. We can’t love a God we don’t know. We cannot give away what we do not possess. So fall in love with Jesus, and the people around you will fall in love with the Jesus in you.

Imagine the possibilities!

You are what you think

2009-06-06T09:43:00.000-05:00

The Apostle Paul wrote, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing f your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will” (Romans 12:2).

Soon after my twin brother was born, my parents learned we both had a birth defect. Our ear passages were blocked and we were incapable of hearing clearly. As we learned to speak, what others heard was not actually what we were trying to say. We could see the ridicule as we became the brunt of many cruel jokes. Even though we were overall quite healthy, that one condition overshadowed everything.

Some years later, after having our tonsils removed, our hearing was completely restored. Although we were thrilled by this miracle, now we could hear the ridicule. However the greatest battle my brother and I faced was not the cruelty, but the lies in our own minds. We later came to the realization that our value and significance was not found in the words or jokes of man but the truth of God. We could not allow our potential or destiny to be defined or determined by a lie or physical condition. God would later use it to propel and compel us to our “Greater Yes!”

When we allow our thoughts to dwell in fear, doubt, worry and self-dependency, we get stuck. God wants to transform us from the inside out. It begins by first transforming our minds. Thought and words have the power to propel or repel. Proper thinking leads to proper speaking, feelings and living – which lead to powerful potential.

The Apostle Paul’s words challenge our thinking: “Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious – the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse.” (Philippians 4:8 MSG)

Imagine the possibilities!

Mission possible

2009-06-01T15:19:00.001-05:00

I have been studying lately from the book of Esther. God asked her to fulfill what must have seemed like a doomed mission. She was to deliver her people and to represent him. But she faced numerous obstacles. She would have to confront the king and risk death. She would have to persuade him to reverse a previous command. She would also be in direct opposition to the king’s No. 2 man. (Read the whole incredible story for yourself in the book of Esther.) Esther could have starred in the first “Mission Impossible.” Yet all hope was not lost.

Nothing comes into our life that has not first come through the hand of God. His work and plan always have a redemptive purpose because he is in the restoration business.

Like Esther, it is time for believers to rise to our mission impossible. Esther’s uncle, Mordecai, challenged her to rise to her potential and destiny, saying, “For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will rise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to this royal position for such a time as this” (Esther 4:14).

Instead of choosing self preservation, Esther chose to rise to the occasion.

“Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai; Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my maids will fast as you do. When this is done I will go to the King, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish” (Esther 4:15-16).

If it is true that nothing comes in our life that does not first come through God’s hand (and it is true), then even the disaster that strikes us is intended for our good. God allows adversity according to our need. God is able to take our rejection, shame, distorted thinking, unwise choices, guilt and blame and to use them for his good purposes. If God can turn Esther’s and Mordecai’s crisis into a victory, then he can handle our challenges as well.

What did it take for Esther to fulfill her God-given potential and destiny? And how about us?
1. It takes our passion – we must give of ourselves wholeheartedly.
2. It takes our focus – we must see God’s big picture.
3. It takes our preparation – we must get ourselves ready to face our destiny.
4. It takes our courage – we must take the first step forward.
5. It takes our obedience – we must obey God because he commands it.
6. It takes our risk – we must reach for the fruit that is out on the limb.
7. It takes our trust – we must put our trust in a God we can know.

Imagine the possibilities!

Do-overs R Us

2009-05-26T20:15:00.001-05:00

In all the years Cathy and I have been married we’ve never once talked about divorce, yet we’ve needed the forgiveness of God and of one another on so many occasions. In other words, we’ve needed multiple do-overs. God has given us the ability to extend his unconditional love and forgiveness to one another. Boy do I need those do-overs!

With God, a do-over has less to do with our abilities than it does with his mercy and grace. God takes into account that we all need fresh starts. Remember, we cannot “out sin” or outrun his amazing love and grace. In Ephesians, the Apostle Paul prayed that his friends would be able “to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge” (Ephesians 3:18-19). I am over 59 years old and I am just learning this personally. While God’s love is without condition, I find that much of the love I give is conditional.

Too many of us believe that if we could just change our circumstances, we would find true happiness and fulfillment. Now, some circumstances can and should change. But usually God tells us, “No, it’s in the midst of your circumstances that I’m going to change you, and I’m going to use what you’ve gone through to propel you toward my purposes for your life.” God wants to turn our mess into his message of grace, forgiveness and unconditional love.

God allows do-overs in our lives according to our need and according to his plans. He gives us as many as we need. His do-overs are not based on what we have done, but on what he has done for through Christ. God planned for our needs. He never says “Oops.” Peter tells us, “Christ suffered for our sins once for all time. He never sinned but he died for sinners to bring you safely home to God” (I Peter 3:18 NLT). God wants to transform our character into the character of Christ. In that process, he will give us all the do-overs we need.

Imagine the possibilities!

P.S. If you would like to know more about God’s do-over for your life, check out my new book, “God Loves Do-Overs,” at www.peoplematterministries.com.

Friendship with God

2009-05-20T08:19:00.002-05:00

While walking today, I remembered the old hymn, “What a Friend we have in Jesus.” It brought me back to my childhood days on the Indian Reservation in Nevada, where we sang it regularly (my parents were missionaries there). I remember sitting in the front row of our makeshift church watching my mom playing the organ. She would close her eyes and tears would begin to flow. It was clear that she was singing about a friend, not merely mouthing words to a song. You could tell she knew him personally.

As I continued my walk, some of the words came back to me:

What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry everything to him in prayer.
Oh, what peace we often forfeit, Oh, what needless pain we bear;
All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful, who will all our sorrow share?
Who knows our every weakness; take it to the Lord in prayer.
Are we weak and heavy-laden, cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior still our refuge, take it to the Lord in prayer.

My parents helped me to understand that we can never put our trust in someone we don’t know. Abraham’s greatest claim to fame was not that he was the father of the children of Israel, but that he was a friend of God. I would like to be known as a friend of God, too.

I think this must start with admitting that I have to make more of an effort to be his friend. Friendship demands time. It requires not just talking, but listening. That means tuning out the distracting noises of life to tune into him.

Imagine the possibilities!

Finding fulfillment in a "Greater Yes!"

2009-05-12T16:55:00.000-05:00

I recently had an outstanding week of ministry in Florida. One highlight was sharing our new book, “God Loves Do-Overs.” When Cathy and I wrote this book we prayed that God would use it to minister to those who really need to know that God loves them just as they are and that he is longing to give them a fresh start. I know it is hard to fathom, but we cannot “out sin” God’s love, grace and forgiveness. Each day can be a new beginning.

We are also preparing for the second printing of our first book, “Finding Your Greater Yes!”, which sold more than 11,000 copies. Our goal with this book has been to prevent people from wasting their lives on “little yeses” – things that don’t ultimately matter. Instead, they can open their hearts to the “Greater Yes!” that God has prepared for them.

Let me give you an example. I remember when my dad and mom sold everything they had and moved us to a reservation for Native Americans in the Nevada desert. They spent the next 38 years working among a people who would bring them incredible joy, yet demand unwavering courage. The task required supernatural faith, yet brought a God-given completeness. My parents are two of the most fulfilled people I have ever met. Their life echoes for eternity. Do you want a life like that?

Imagine the possibilities!

A sure hope

2009-05-11T09:18:00.001-05:00

Guest blog by Cathy Erickson

I have been preparing to speak to a group of women about hope. As I pondered hope, some memories came to the surface. I grew up in a non-believing home, but my grandmother started taking me to church when I was about four years old. Oh, how sweet those memories are. Do any of you remember Sen-Sen? It was a strong licorice mint that came years before Certs or Altoids. If I was quite in church, my grandmother would share them with me. As I grew older, I began to listen to the words in some of those hymns we sang. I may not remember your name, but I can sing many of those old hymns from memory. Some of you may remember this old hymn:

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus blood and righteousness,
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly trust in Jesus name.

On Christ the solid Rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand.

When darkness seems to hide His face,
I rest on His unchanging grace.
In every high and stormy gale,
My anchor holds within the veil

His oath, His covenant, His blood,
Support me in the whelming flood.
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my Hope and Stay.

When He shall come with trumpet sound,
Oh may I then in Him be found.
Dressed in His righteousness alone
Faultless to stand before the throne.

Our hope is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness. It is the only place to put our hope. When it seems the darkness hides His face or the waves are crashing around you, remember that God is our rock where we find true hope. Take heart in David’s question about his own feelings of despair in Psalm 42:11:

“Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.”

PUT YOUR HOPE IN GOD! Imagine the possibilities!

Memories in bloom

2009-05-11T08:55:00.002-05:00

Mother’s Day brought back some wonderful memories for Cathy and me. When Cathy’s mom lived with us, she told us she would love a lilac bush outside her window so that she could smell it when the window was open. So of course, we planted the bush.

Because of Mother’s Day, Cathy had been feeling a little nostalgic. It was not long after we planted that bush that her mother passed away about four years ago. We truly miss her.

This weekend, when we drove into our driveway, we were surprised to find that the lilac bush had bloomed for the first time in its four years of life. Cathy shouted, “Stop the car!” A little bewildered, I immediately obeyed. She jumped out, ran to the bush and began to smell the blossoms, shedding a few tears in the process.

She broke off one of the large blossoms and brought it in the house. Just one of them filled our home with the sweet aroma. At first it made Cathy sad, but then she realized that it was a little “God wink” that this happened right at Mother’s Day and will probably continue every year. It was as if God said to her, “She is with me and is doing well.” It brought back memories of the things she loved; things of beauty not of sorrow, of hope not of despair.

This morning her first thought was to share this encounter of divine kind with her brother and sister. She ran out (in the rain) and took some pictures for them. It makes us happy to know Cathy’s mom may be smelling lilacs or something even better today in Heaven. I hope you share happy memories of your mom too.

Imagine the possibilities!

Do real men tweet?

2009-05-06T21:37:00.002-05:00

Well, I have joined the 21st century. I am now tweeting on Twitter. I still can’t believe that real men tweet! But they do. For the uninitiated, Twitter is a text service that sends short updates to your phone or computer (these are called "tweets" -- as in the short chirps of a bird). What will they think of next? What will be the passion of the nation next year, next month?

The phenomenon of social media tells us many things about our culture. It’s not a bad or good thing in and of itself. However, its popularity tells me that – in many cases, people are starving for relationships and are doing anything they can to connect with people. Yet true and genuine friendships only flow when we have a right relationship with God and each other. There are no shortcuts. They take time. The problem is that these kinds of Internet relationships – if they are merely “virtual” – aren’t truly friendships at all. Now, I understand that they may lead to real friendship. But in the absence of genuine friendships, virtual friends are merely acquaintances. Virtual relationships are fine, but we don’t want our friendships to stop there.

Principle: Satan always isolates and insulates. God always brings us together into relationship.

So why did I join Twitter? I continually ask myself, “What would Christ do?” I think he would tweet! Why? Because he would do whatever it would take to reconcile mankind to himself and to his father. He always said, “When you see me you see the father; when you hear me you hear the father; I only do what my father asked me to do.” He realized he was a representative of his father in skin.

So I am to be a representative of Christ in skin. If I am going to make a difference in this lifetime, I have to get some skin in the game. I can use Twitter to represent God in skin.

Imagine the possibilities!

Revealing the masterpiece within

2009-05-05T10:43:00.001-05:00

The story is told about the great artist Michelangelo. Before he made his masterful statue of King David, he spent several months staring at a rough piece of marble. Those who contracted him to create the sculpture asked him what he was doing. He told them that he was working – visualizing in his mind what the sculpture would look like. The story goes that, after a few months of visualizing what King David would look like, Michelangelo began to chisel away what did not belong there.

This is a perfect illustration of what God is trying to do in us. He already sees the image of Christ in us and is working to “chisel away” the outer shell to get to that image. Nothing comes into our lives that does not first come through the Master’s hand. He allows difficulties, adversities, failures, successes and victories to chisel away what does not belong there. He allows these according to our need. Sometimes God has to use a sledge hammer to break away the big chunks and a fine chisel to smooth out our rough edges. But the end product is worth the effort.

The Master’s goal is very clear: that we might reflect the image of his Son. He wants us to become a representative of Christ. The Apostle Peter wrote, “And coming to Him as to the Living Stone (Christ), rejected by men but choice and precious in the sight of God (The Master), you also, as little stones (representatives of Christ), are being built up into spiritual houses as a holy priesthood (representing God), to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (I Peter 2:4-5).

Why fight it? Cry out to the Spirit within us to do the Master’s work. Bring it on! Be pliable.

Imagine the possibilities!

What's your excuse?

2009-04-27T17:03:00.001-05:00

My mom tells me that when I was a young child, I would say “I too tired mamma, I too tired”, whenever she asked me to do something. What is Father God asking you to commit to? What is he asking you to be or do that will require your trust and obedience? What are the excuses that are keeping you from committing?

“Excuses are the crutches for the uncommitted.” – Randy Morrison

Our willingness to make commitments is usually limited by what we see and feel. Expressed positively: Our Vision + Our Passion = Our Response. Vision and passion are twins. When we give God our passion, he gives us his vision.

Mediocrity and complicacy are the fruits of excuses. Evaluate your life. Where do you find yourself complacent? Complacency stalls commitment. God is asking us to possess a holy discontent. We shouldn’t be satisfied with the way things are, either in our own lives or in the world.

It is time to stop making excuses and become the people we were created to be. God will not judge us for where we are, but for what we refuse to become. That takes change, change takes commitment and commitment requires our trust and obedience.

Imagine the possibilities!

Taking God for granted

2009-04-22T18:40:00.000-05:00

Do you take your mate, family, friends and God for granted? I know I do. I think I take God for granted the most. Sometimes I feel that he is distant. I get so busy I don’t take the time to talk, touch or taste that the Lord is good. I let myself get too busy, then I wonder why I can’t feel or hear him.

It reminds me of a story about an older couple who was driving down the highway to see their grandchildren. They were listening to the radio, when the wife said to her husband of 50 years, “Why don’t we cuddle like we did when we were newlyweds?” He looked over at her with perplexed but tender eyes and said, “Who moved?”

I wonder if God allows difficulties in our lives to get us to move closer to him. We are speeding down the highway of life taking God for granted, missing the exits that he has designated for us. Sometimes he has to “pull us over” to get our attention. Do we call on him only when we feel lonely, lost or broken? Then we cry out “Where are you God? Why have you forsaken me?” He looks over at us with perplexed but tender eyes and says, “I will never leave you nor forsake you. I am here for you.”

I am convicted that I need to practice the presence of God more faithfully. Put simply, I need to talk to God more often. I know it starts by opening my heart to him. Will you join me?

Imagine the possibilities!

Becoming complete

2009-04-21T16:33:00.001-05:00

Do you ever feel inadequate or even defeated? Our conditions, relationships and failings can cause us to think that we are incomplete. We may think that we are not skilled enough, not good enough or not spiritual enough. If you are like me, you dwell on these thoughts all too often. I refer to this as “stinking thinking” (I got the phrase from Zig Ziglar … and I don’t know who he stole it from). The problem with stinking thinking is that it leads to stinking living. What decisions are you making based on stinking thinking?

The only way to overcome deceptive thoughts and feelings is to counteract them with truth. The Apostle Paul wrote, “For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness or completeness in Christ, who is the head over every power or authority” (Colossians 2:9-10). The Apostle Peter wrote: “His (Christ’s) divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption (lies) in the world caused by evil desires” (2 Peter 1:3-4).

Because of the work of Christ, we are totally complete, lacking nothing. Our value (or position) is not based on what we bring to the table, but what Christ has done for us by living, dying and rising from the dead on our behalf. It is both freeing and humbling to realize that I am complete in Christ, yet only because of Christ. Apart from him I can do nothing of eternal significance.
Because of Christ, we have been showered with spiritual riches. In Ephesians 3:20, Paul declared that God is “able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.”

What does all this mean? First of all, we can have confidence that we have right standing with God. He loves us, is for us and wants us to succeed. Now he is asking us to live up to the calling he has given us. He is asking us to grow into our role as ambassadors for Christ, children of God and lights of the world. God wants us to complete in practical living what he has already completed in terms of our relationship with him.

I rejoice when I see God working out of me immeasurably more than I could ask or think. I have to allow his Spirit to do his complete work in me.

Imagine the possibilities!

Failing forward

2009-04-15T12:57:00.001-05:00

A Chinese Proverb reads, “The great question is not whether you have failed, but whether you are content with failure.” I have failed so many times that I feel like I have become an expert.

My expertise led me to write a chapter in “God Loves Do-Overs” entitled Failing Forward. Failure doesn’t have to be final or fatal. In fact, God can use your failures to draw you closer to him and realign your life with his purposes. When you stray from God, failure can be the best thing to happen to you. It gets your attention, like a splash of cold water in the face. Your response to a failure — not the fact that it happened — is what really counts.

When you fail, fail forward. When you fall, you can land on your knees instead of your rear end. These “failing forward” experiences can fuel your future. It means that you choose to keep following God’s plan for your life in spite of your failings.

We all fail. But failing does not make you a failure. When you fail, God is still in control and his promises still apply to you. The key to failing forward is in your response. Will you acknowledge the failure, learn from it, and move ahead? Or will you give up and sink back into the mire? Here are 10 lessons I have learned about my own failings:

God knows we will fail and has made provision.
God loves to use people who fail; the Scriptures are full of examples.
Your failings do not have to define you, but can refine you.
Your failings do not have to be a permanent path; they can turn into steps toward personal victory.
No failing comes into your life that does not first come through God’s hands.
God allows failings according to your need.
Do not fear failure; fear succeeding at what does not matter.
If you are afraid to fail, you will never attempt something great for God.
Success is not in the absence of failing, but in how you respond to it.
Don’t focus on the failing; focus on the lesson learned.

So when you feel failure is at hand, remember that God wants to turn your failing into your future, your mess into your message and your pain into your potential.
Imagine the possibilities!

Victim or victor?

2009-04-12T14:53:00.000-05:00

Do you live like a victim or a victor? Too many Christians live their lives full of fear, robbing them of faith and courage. I have been there all too often. Living by fear makes me a casualty to the circumstances and conditions that confront me.

The truth looks much different: “For everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is victory that has overcome the world, even our faith” (I John 5:4).

Victim living reminds me of roller coaster rides. I hate these rides because I do not know who made the track. I can’t trust someone I do not know. When I get into the coaster I go into white knuckle mode and hold onto the safety bar for all my might.

My kids love to sit behind me and laugh at my futile effort to keep the car from going up, down and sideways. All of my struggling only created anxiety and fear. My children and grandchildren, however, let go and enjoy the ride.

“Letting go” is an illustration of victorious faith. The big difference between the roller coaster illustration and real life is that we really can know the creator of the track (of our world) personally. We will not trust a God we do not know. Thank God that nothing comes into our lives that does not first come through the mighty hand of our creator, who has overcome the world.

It’s time to let go and enjoy the ride.

Imagine the possibilities!

Trivial pursuits

2009-04-06T12:38:00.003-05:00

On occasion, Cathy and I enjoy playing Trivial Pursuit, even though I must admit I’m not very good at it. I don’t have to win. For me it’s just a moment of leisure. But I’m sure that some people take the game seriously. If only we would take life as seriously as we do games. At the end of our days, we don’t want to look back and think that we spent them in trivial pursuits.

At the age of 35, my father (who had a wife and five kids), sold all of his possessions and left middle America to pursue a ministry to the Paiute Native Americans in the Nevada desert. I recall asking him why he did it. He simply responded, “Eternity is a very long time.”

He chose not to live for self gratification, but for an eternal cause and the eternal souls of men and women. He once said, “I can’t take it with me, but I can send it ahead.” What a contrast to those who put all their fortune in financial investments of one sort or another. The Bible warns that we could pursue all this world has to offer, gain it, and then lose our very purpose and destiny. What is valuable enough that we would exchange our soul for it?

A wealthy young man once asked Jesus what he must do to inherit the Kingdom of God (Matthew 19:16-22). Jesus told him to keep all the commandments. The naive man insisted he had done this. Jesus responded, “You lack one thing. Sell all you have and give it to the poor.” The man walked away because he had great wealth. He had broken the first and most important commandment, to not put anything before God.

I have to ask myself what loyalties I am putting ahead of my devotion to him. Am I engaged in trivial pursuits? I must not fear failure, but succeeding at things that do not matter. Will you join me in this prayer? “Lord, I freshly commit myself to pursue what really matters, and that means seeking you wholeheartedly.”

Imagine the possibilities!

Maximize Your Marriage retreat

2009-04-01T18:51:00.002-05:00

Although I seldom use this blog to promote upcoming events, I want to make a rare exception. Cathy and I invite you and your friends to join us at the Maximize Your Marriage retreat on May 1-2.

Are you ready to take your relationship to a higher level of trust, harmony and oneness? Are you tired of settling for conflict and mediocrity? “Maximize Your Marriage” by learning how to break through the barriers that prevent true relational intimacy.

Learn more and register here.

M.I.A. in marriage

2009-04-01T18:47:00.002-05:00

Last December Cathy and I celebrated 38 years of marriage. It has been amazing what God has done throughout the years. Cathy is a gift from God to me. It has been an incredible walk of faith for her to live and serve with me.

On our anniversary, I was reminded that for the first half our marriage and family, I was M.I.A. (missing in action). It was about 20 years into our marriage that I got a rude awaking. While driving home, I heard Dr. James Dobson on the radio. He suggested that if you want to know how your marriage or family is doing, then ask your wife. I was deluded into thinking that I had a strong and vibrant marriage. So, without hesitation I asked Cathy, “We have a great marriage, don’t we?” It really wasn’t a question. I was making a statement. Cathy did not even stop what she was doing. She continued washing dishes and said, “What marriage? You have to be here to have a marriage.”

Her response shook me to the core. Cathy was committed to the marriage and would never have divorced me. Yet I had been self deceived, and as a result, I was succeeding at what did not matter. I was finding my identity and significance in a “what” (my job, my career) instead of a “who,” my wife and family and God.

It has taken 18 years to turn things around. I realize now that the more I find my identity and significance in Christ, the more I exhibit his character and seek the things that please him. Where is your identity?

Imagine the possibilities!