The King's Invitation

I was a control freak.  Whatever the task, I couldn’t let anyone else to do it – who could do it better then me?

Now don’t get me wrong, I was a believer.  I was loving God, and serving Him, and everything was right with the world.  Until we found out our newborn son had multiple heart defects.  A week into his little life, my wife and I found ourselves hundreds of miles from home in a place we’d never been, while our baby boy was about to be taken in for what would be the first of several operations.  The surgeon actually told us to take pictures of him, because at best, there was only a 50% chance he would survive the surgery.

I will never forget standing next to his bed, while they prepared to take him away.  I could barely see his little body for the various tubes and monitor lines.  He weighed only 5 pounds, and was about to have open-heart surgery.  Open-heart surgery!  And I was struggling to understand why this was happening to us.  We were doing all the right things.  We were attending church services every time the doors opened.  We were tithing.  We were praying.  We were working in the kingdom.  Why was this happening to him?  Why was this happening to us?

As I looked at my son, I just cried.  I wanted so badly to take charge and fix everything.  Then something happened.  It was as though I had no fight left.  I realized there was absolutely NOTHING I could do for my son.  I had NO CONTROL; I couldn’t help him at all.  That’s when something inside of me just broke.  Devastated, I leaned over onto his hospital bed and confessed to God, “I am helpless.”  I begged God to take control of the situation, to have mercy on my son. And I put the outcome in His hands.

Despite the odds given us by the earthly physician, the operation was successful.  Our heavenly physician saw us through.  And He is still seeing us through.  Not delivered FROM but THROUGH.  But you know what I finally realized?  I didn’t give control over to God; He was in control all along!  Always has been!  The outcome had been in His hands since the beginning of time!  All I did was accept God’s sovereignty.  You know, we can be so arrogant sometimes.  Control freak… what a joke!  I’ve never really been in control of anything.

It’s like two people trying to drive the same car.  Just let go of the wheel and trust Him.  You don’t have a clue where you’re going anyway, but He knows exactly where He wants to take you. That has been the hardest thing for me to do along this journey, and I’m still learning.  But that idea of controlling my own life, that yoke, has been broken – and letting God be God is the most liberating thing I’ve ever done.

Romans 8:28 reads, “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.” I know God didn’t allow my son to be sick.  Sickness exists in the world because we are in a fallen, sinful state, awaiting the world’s ultimate redemption at the second coming of Jesus our king and savior.  But He used the situation for my good, and He is still touching lives as a result.

Try taking your hands off the wheel and let God drive.  Then enjoy the ride of your life!

Take the church to someone this week – you’ll both benefit.

 

© 2008 Randall Buchanan

King’s Invitation Ministries

P.O. Box 501

Foxworth MS 39483

http://myspace.com/kingsinvitation

 

I got an email from an acquaintance today, who noticed I was missing.

It was just a note, actually.  Nothing lengthy.  Not even from someone who knows me very well.  But it was like a small light in the dark valley I have been traveling through.  Funny thing about lights… even a small one can been seen from a great distance if the night is dark enough.

Have you noticed someone missing?  How often do we get caught up in our own lives and miss the opportunity to minister to someone in the simplest of ways?  Sometimes all it takes is a note of encouragement, sometimes just a smile to someone having a bad day – a little light to draw them out of the darkness.

Did you have an opportunity to say “Good Morning” or “God Loves You” to a stranger today?  You have no idea what’s happening in the life of the one you just walked past without speaking to.  We are quick to judge someone we haven’t seen on Sundays in a few weeks.  Are we just as quick to call or write that person we haven’t heard from in a while?

When Jesus takes up residence in our lives, He becomes the light of our world.  We have an obligation, as His followers, to let that light shine before others. Jesus said, ‘No one, when he has lit a lamp, puts it is a secret place or under a basket, but on a lampstand, that those who come in may see the light.” (Luke 11:33)

Is your light in a secret place?  Afraid someone will see it?  Jesus told His disciples, “For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed…”  (Luke 9:26).

Maybe your light is under a basket?  What are you saving it for?  Jesus said, “So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”  (Luke 12:21).  We were redeemed for His service.  How do you know your lamp is even lit if you can’t see the light?

Maybe you think it’s alright to keep the light to yourself.  After all, what’s so wrong about that?  Jesus said, “You are the light of the world….  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16-16).  God will receive the glory from the light He gave you ONLY if others see the light!

So how about you?  Do you know someone who is traveling through a dark valley?  You may not be able to get them out of the valley…  but have you tried giving them a little light?

Take the church to someone this week – you’ll both benefit. 

© 2009 Randall Buchanan

King’s Invitation Ministries

P.O. Box 501

Foxworth MS 39483

http://www.myspace.com/kingsinvitation  

STOP going to church!  It’s all wrong!  Somewhen along the way, we got this so messed up, how can we ever fix it?

 

Ok, before you start casting those stones, let me clarify;  I regularly attend services at my local place of worship, and I encourage you to do the same.  But we’ve got to get out of this idea of “going to church”.  WE ARE THE CHURCH!  Some of the older generations called Sunday services gathering with the church.  I like that!  When we come together, we are uniting as the Body of Christ.

 

You see, for a long time, I had it all wrong.  I was residing in the world and on Sundays and Wednesdays would leave the world to go to church.  How can we live victorious lives when we are only a part of the Body of Christ for a few hours a week?  Now I am in the church all the time, and only go to the world to work, etc.

 

Maybe you’re thinking “what’s the difference”?  The difference is critical, especially in regards to evangelism.  If we’ll walk daily as part of the church, walking in prayer, walking in repentance, walking in relationship with Christ, and be separate from the world, we can be true witnesses.  Lift up Jesus to the lost, instead of conducting a church membership drive.  Stop trying to convince your lost friends and relatives to go to church, and show them instead how to go to Jesus.

 

Take the church to someone this week – you’ll both benefit.

 

© 2008 Randall Buchanan

King’s Invitation Ministries

http://ministry-webs.com/ministry/kingsinvitation/index.html

Ever wonder why we do the things we do?  Ever wonder why there never seems to be enough time?  What if we did something ELSE?

We spend so much of our time trying to MAKE a living for ourselves, when we should BE LIVING for Christ.  In other words, its not so much what we do for a living as it is what we do with our living.   We struggle to balance our jobs, our family, our friends, and whatever else seems important to us.  And yet at the end of the day we seldom feel we have accomplished anything at all.  Does this speak to you?

What if we could break out of this pattern?  What if we REALLY let God be God in our lives, instead of having the "God-is-my-co-pilot" bumpersticker mentality.  Does God want to share control with us?  Of course not.  He wants to be the only "pilot" of our lives, but we just cannot accept the fact He is better at running our lives than we are.  Father really does know best.  So what do we do?  Can we be satisfied with less?  Can we HAVE less in order to DO more?

I'm not talking about making time to attend church services or trying to live a "good" life in order to be a witness to our neighbor or co-worker - those are things we should be doing already.  I'm talking about making radical changes and living radical lives which make a radical impact on others.  How do we live it out?  No, seriously, that one wasn't a retorical question.  Tell me - how do we live it out?

Take the church to someone this week – you’ll both benefit. 

© 2008 Randall Buchanan

King’s Invitation Ministries

http://ministry-webs.com/ministry/kingsinvitation/index.html 

I was running late for work a few days ago, when I saw a car on the shoulder of the highway with the hazard lights flashing.

 

As I got closer I noticed a man trying to flag someone down, but everyone was passing him by.  I pulled off behind his car, and asked if I could help.  He said, “We were headed to the lake, but we ran out of gas before we could make it to the station.  Can you give me a lift?”

 

Of course, this would happen when I’m already late for work.  I said, “Hop in.”

 

He shouted something to the people over in his car, picked up a gas can, and sat down in the front seat.  “Jim.”

 

We shook hands. “Randall”.

 

“I really appreciate this,” he said.

 

“No problem,” I replied, and we pulled away from the shoulder and into traffic.  We drove for a few moments without speaking.  I was listening to a local church service on the radio, and the preacher was talking about grace and forgiveness.

 

He said, “You must be on your way to church.”

 

“Work.”

 

“On a Sunday? Man that sucks.”

 

I nodded in agreement. “I’d much rather be at service.”

 

He looked out the window. “You believe all that stuff?”

 

“You mean that Jesus died so our sins could be forgiven?  Yes, I believe … don’t you?”

 

“We can get some gas here,” he said, pointing to a store up ahead.

 

I pulled up in front of the place, and he said, “If you can give me a ride back, I’ll pay you.”

“I’ll take you back,” I smiled, "but no charge."  While Jim was getting gas, I prayed God would give me what He wanted me to say.  In a few minutes we were headed back to his car.

 

When we were about half way back, he said, “I tried that church stuff once.”

 

I waited.

 

“Some of the people there were snobs.  I could tell they thought they were better than me.  Everybody was looking and whispering.  After it was over, nobody there even came up and talked to us, not even the preacher.  It’s just not for me.”

 

“I ate some barbeque down in New Orleans one time,” I said.

 

He looked at me like I was crazy.

 

I smiled and continued, “Got sick as a dog.  Food poisoning. Spent two days in the hospital.  It was a really bad experience.”

 

Jim still looked puzzled.

 

“But even though I had a bad experience with food, I didn’t stop eating.  I just didn’t eat at that place anymore.”

 

He grinned and said, “I get it.”

 

“The truth is, Jim, God loves you. He loves your family.  And He wants all of you to spend eternity in Heaven with Him.”

 

He was quiet as we pulled up behind his car.  I asked, “Do you have a bible, Jim?”

 

“I think we have one somewhere.”

 

I reached into a box on the back seat and pulled out a booklet of the gospel of John.  “While you’re at the lake today, try reading this.”

 

He took it and quickly stuck it into his shirt pocket. “Thanks for the lift.”  And got out with his can of gas.

 

As I pulled back onto the highway, I thanked God for the opportunity.  I drove to work feeling I had done what I was supposed to do.  Maybe I could have done it better, but the outcome is up to God… and Jim.  

Take the church to someone this week – you’ll both benefit. 

© 2008 Randall Buchanan

King’s Invitation Ministries

http://ministry-webs.com/ministry/kingsinvitation/index.html

Ever wonder why there are mountains in our path we have to climb?  Why there are giants we have to face?

The real question is… how do we approach those obstacles?  When the men Moses sent into Canaan to spy out the land returned, all but two feared the giants in the land and wanted to turn back.  Joshua and Caleb, however, viewed these obstacles differently.  Caleb said, “The land, which we passed through to search it, is an exceeding good land.  If the Lord delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which flows with milk and honey.  Only rebel not against the Lord, neither fear the people of the land, for they are bread for us: their defense is departed from them, and the Lord is with us: fear them not.” (Numbers 14 : 7-9).  While the others feared, Joshua and Caleb wanted to press forward.  Caleb said the giants would be their “bread”.  They would eat them up.  When you eat it makes you stronger, it renews you, it builds you up. How was it that he had this view?

Forty-five years later, after the land of Canaan had been conquered, there was still one stronghold of the Anakim, or giants.  That was the mountain of the Anakim, and the city of Kirjath Arba, Arba being the name of the king of the Anakim.  Caleb was about 85 years old at this point, but what did he say?  “Give me this mountain of which the Lord spoke in that day; for you heard in that day how the Anakim were there, and that the cities were great and fortified.  It may be that the Lord will be with me, and I shall be able to drive them out as the Lord said.” (Joshua 14 : 12)  Caleb still had no fear of those giants, he had no reservations about tackling that mountain.  He didn’t try to avoid the issue, he said “give me that mountain.”  He didn’t try to go around, he marched right up the mountain and faced off against the giant, like David did against Goliath.  They took the mountain, the city was renamed Hebron, and there was finally peace in the land.  What did they know that we don’t?

Think of 100-year-old Abraham, having been promised by God a son in his old age.  The book of Romans tells us that Abraham, “being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about 100 years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara’s womb:  He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.” (Romans 4 : 19-21).  What did Joshua, Caleb, David, and Abraham have that we are missing?  They walked daily with God, so the knew Him, and knowing Him, they trusted in His promises.  They understood God knows the end from the beginning.  Instead of focusing on the “problem” they walked by faith in the sovereignty of God, without trying to figure things out for God.  God doesn’t need our help, he just wants our faith.

Take the church to someone this week – you’ll both benefit. 

© 2008 Randall Buchanan

King’s Invitation Ministries

http://ministry-webs.com/ministry/kingsinvitation/index.html

I’m not a fan of country music. But today I became a fan of Jeff Bates, the person.

My wife and I were sitting in a hospital room with our young son, waiting for him to be taken out for yet another test, when a nurse knocked on the door.  She peeped in and told us that Jeff Bates was coming to the children’s play room in a few minutes if we’d like to hear him sing.  I recognized his name, though I must admit I don’t know the names of any of his songs.  We walked down to the play room with our son and sat down with about a half-dozen other kids.  It was easy to see most of the children were weak and tired, and most were in pain.  Some were in wheelchairs.  Some had the parents with them, some were brought in by nurses.  Only a few on this ward were even well enough to be moved.

Jeff Bates and a small “entourage” came in.  This wasn’t a planned concert, in fact there were less than 20 people in the room.  There were no cameras rolling, no screaming crowds, no tickets to buy.  He walked over to a nearby table and opened his black guitar case, and took out his guitar  (to which my 4-year-old said, “cool”).  He looked a bit uncomfortable at first, like he wasn’t sure what to say.  But soon, he was going down the line, talking to each child individually – black, white, male, female.  He asked their names and their ages.  He joked with each one until each one smiled.  Except for one little boy.  He just wouldn’t smile no matter what.

Mr. Bates sang several songs, with nothing but his acoustic guitar as accompaniment.  (People who can do that have always impressed me.)  In between the songs, he continued to interact with the sick and hurting children.  And that one little boy became the focus of his attention until at last, he slipped out a smile, to which everyone in the room applauded.  The singer fished around in his pockets and found enough guitar picks to leave one with each of the children, posed for pictures and signed autographs for a few minutes before saying goodbye.

It was a brief flash of light in an otherwise dark time for those sick children.  I wondered how many other celebrities had passed by that hospital or a similar one, along a busy interstate highway in a state capital city, without ever even thinking about those sick and hurting children inside.  For that matter, how many of us have ever volunteered our time and talents to help and encourage someone in need?  That’s real love.

Take the church to someone this week – you’ll both benefit. 

© 2008 Randall Buchanan

King’s Invitation Ministries

http://ministry-webs.com/ministry/kingsinvitation/index.html

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