“Trophy…” (by Mel McGuire)

I played team sports as a child. At the end of every season, the top three teams would have a ceremony where they would be recognized for their achievements and each player would receive a trophy.

The team that won the most, or earned first place, got the biggest trophy. Made sense to me. Now as an adult, I see kids receiving trophies merely for participating. Some sports do not keep score, do not establish a winner (or loser), and everyone receives the same reward regardless of how well they perform.

I think sometimes believers think God is giving out participation trophies. We often act like there is no benefit to “winning”, just showing up and “trying” ought to be enough to win the prize.

In sports there is a price to pay in order to win the ultimate prize. It involves sacrifice, pain, overcoming adversity, and actually performing at a high level at the right time. While there may be some good fortune involved for sure, no team wins the highest prize without doing the work.

The participation trophy is probably okay for beginners, for novices, or for children. Adults, professionals, and maturing believers should not expect such from God. If we are honest, we would all prefer not to have to do all that it takes to win, as long as we receive the winner’s prize. But neither God, nor real life, hands out such a trophy.

We want the ring without the seventh game victory, the cup without the season-long struggle, the title without the fight, the applause without the adversity. We want the result without the work.

As believers, we want His power but not His persecution, His life without our death, His insight without His intimacy, and His Crown without His character. We cannot have His will without His way, nor His voice without His word.

We would all love to do what he did without having to become what he was. Think about that. We want the title of overcomer without actually overcoming anything. We are called more than conquerors, yet often refuse to fight, much less win.

God’s grace and His mercy are always available to us, not so we can do just enough to “make it in”, but to demonstrate to the world that He is alive and still reigns over this world! God is a champion! He wants to be in first place in your life.

When God is your champion, He gets your best. You give Him the biggest trophy of all…your life! Your heart, mind, soul, strength…it all goes to give Him the glory! When we do that, we recognize Him as Lord of all, King of kings, Almighty God.

When we don’t we are basically offering Him a participation trophy, the same reward as everyone else in our life. REALLY??

He has given us everything we need to win, to overcome, to conquer. Win the fight, win the race…win the trophy, the top prize: Not just life, but eternal life!

“Agitator…” (by Mel McGuire)

I washed a load of clothes once, or at least I attempted to wash this load of clothes. When the washing machine had finished its cycles, I went to put the clothes into the dryer and…they were not clean. Turns out something was wrong with my agitator.

Now, the agitator in a washing machine is very important. It is the device that keeps your clothes from basically soaking in soapy water. The action of the agitator is what allows ALL of your clothes to be clean.

The agitator moves the clothes around, usually up and down, and that movement, that action, is what causes certain stains to be loosened and removed. To get clean, you need some agitation.

Back in the day I am sure we can all recall images of women washing clothes using a washboard…that up and down action, that labor, that agitation, was critical to getting clothes clean.

Have you ever noticed when God wants you to clean up an area of your life He is all too willing to introduce some agitation? We would all love to soak and bask and just lay out in His presence…the truth is, some of our stains can only be loosened by an agitator.

And while I pray He doesn’t lay you out on a spiritual washboard…if He must, He will. The point is to get clean. Like many fabrics of today would not stand up to repeated exposure to the rigor of a good old fashioned washboard cleaning…many of us are too fragile to let God get His hands on you like that.

So, he uses agitators. People, circumstances, and situations that cause us discomfort, make us clean up our act. Whether it is a funky attitude, foul behavior, or just dirty thoughts…the right agitator will bring that junk to the surface, where it can be rinsed away by the water of the word.

The Holy Spirit is usually a gentle agitator, convicting us internally, quietly, but convincingly…if we let Him. But we justify our sins far too often and too easily so…we require more intense agitation.

Truth is an agitator, so is love, and sacrifice, and forgiveness, giving, and humbling yourself to admit you were wrong, are all agitators. They are intended to help us stay clean before God, but they can shake us up from time to time.

God wants us to be right. He wants us to be clean, holy before Him, a holy God. Agitation is necessary to bring about cleanliness. Without it, you may just smell like soap, but not be clean. Without it, the word will merely wet you but not wash you.

Agitation is temporary but necessary. Don’t skip the cycle to save time. Soaking loosens surface dirt, but agitation gets the stuff that imbeds in the fabric. Agitation provides deep cleaning both inside and out, so we can be spot free, stain free, and odor free in Him!

Wash Me Jesus!

“Potholes…” (by Mel McGuire)

My city government made a big deal recently about fixing one million potholes in the city streets. They even got around to fixing the potholes in the street on which I live. Potholes. THEY NEEDED TO PAVE THE ENTIRE STREET!!

Every time I drive home, I am reminded that someone took a lot of credit for repairing the several potholes on my street. I am also jarred by the fact that the street itself is in disrepair. While the absence of the potholes is better, the street is still a rough ride.

Of course God popped me upside my head (spiritually speaking of course) as He reminded me of the times I celebrated fixing the potholes in my cobblestone lifestyle. I suspect we have all done it. Made a big deal about one severe area we fixed, while ignoring the condition that led to the severity in the first place!

Here is the thing, if you pave the street, you have to fix the potholes anyway. It is easier and less time consuming to just fix the potholes, and leave the street as it is. While we appreciate you not cussing us out every other day in your new found salvation, we still have to deal with your overall “janky” attitude and negativity. You fixed a pothole.

When we get spiritually lazy, in the name of expediency, we fix potholes. We stop doing certain things, extreme or obvious things, like fighting, stealing, or fornication. But we still live on a rough street, so we keep fuming, plotting revenge, envying others, or watching risqué media. We need to bulldoze the street and repave it. We fix potholes.

I actually laughed when our mayor went public with the success story of fixing all those potholes. My street will still loosen a filling every now and again, and driving slowly just makes you seasick. I think God feels some kind of way when we celebrate an “easy fix” when He knows that what is needed may temporarily shut some stuff down.

Who wants the inconvenience of a street closure? The noise of large machinery and the time it takes to do the job right? WE DO!! Or we should. The same material needed to fix a pothole is what is needed to fix the street. Just more of it on a larger scale.

It takes more time, more planning, and certainly more sacrifice, but in the end, on a long term basis, it is worth it. Our salvation is eternal. Let’s fix the street of our life and not just fill in the potholes.

When people interact with us, they should not be jarred or become nauseous due to our imperfections. How many people plan their day trying to avoid us or limit their exposure to us? Take the time God needs to become whole in Him.

Our attitude about getting better is vital to us getting healed. So too our mindset about allowing the word of God to literally transform our lives. ALL OF IT, not just the potholes.

Confessing a sin is fixing a pothole. Repentance that leads to lifestyle change is repaving the street. Stop fixing potholes. God wants to you to live at the same address but with a brand new street. Put the shovel down and fire up that bulldozer!

“Horsepower…” (by Mel McGuire)

I learned a new concept recently that reminded me of the difference between what something is “rated” and how much is actually “delivered”. While I was introduced to terminology related to golf, the imagery that stuck with me is one of horsepower.

Car manufacturers may boast about a vehicle having “500 horsepower!”, but for a variety of reasons, something less than that is actually “useable horsepower”. It is a measure of efficiency, which is the point of this article. How efficient are you?

Picture a muscle car doing a burnout or donut on pavement. There is so much power being delivered to the rear wheels that traction (friction) is overcome and the wheels just spin…creating a lot of noise and smoke…and wearing out the tires at an accelerated rate.

While there may be limited advantages to doing burnouts, if we are honest, most of it is about “show”, not “go”. Herein lies the spiritual lesson: Is the gospel we believe and preach the same as the gospel we live? When our lifestyle does not match our belief, we create wheelspin, which can lead to burnout and donuts. Lots of “show” with very little “go”. We get a lot of attention, but we are not making any progress.

How efficient, how effective is our gospel? Are we losing traction with the world we are to influence because we are inefficient? I say, “yes, we are. At least, I know I am.” Christianity is highly rated, but my life, my witness, my “useable horsepower” is something less.

Using the muscle car analogy, anything that reduces traction increases the probability of burnouts. Wet pavement, loose dirt or gravel, or poor tire tread make it easier to lose traction and waste power. Our gospel (lifestyle) must take into account those types of factors. A good driver can make progress even when traction is limited. Selah.

Sometimes the environment we are in will not support the full throttle approach of a fire and brimstone message. There can be a thin line between conviction and condemnation, and love helps ease up on the gas pedal of self-righteousness.

We need to be effective, we need to be efficient in order to reach a lost and dying world. We can no longer be content with making a lot of noise and smoke coupled with little to no progress. We are racing our engine, but are we going anywhere?

There is little point in having a highly rated gospel if we cannot communicate it to the world. Our life is our most effective method of communicating. When we strive to live the word we say we believe, we become much more efficient and the kingdom can gain traction in this world. What in our life is robbing the gospel of its full power?

We should not fear friction, but recognize friction is necessary in order to “get a grip”, gain and offer understanding of the trials of life, and the victory available through our relationship with Jesus Christ. The gospel is powerful, get that power on the ground so progress can be made. Don’t overpower friction and let the power of the gospel just go up in smoke!

“Available Balance…” (by Mel McGuire)

I was doing some online banking and noticed my checking account had a difference between my “current balance” and my “available balance”. You see the way my checking account is set up…no wait, that ain’t what I was trying to say…ignore that.

Point being, my current balance was significantly higher than my available balance. But just before I called the bank, I remembered I had deposited a check and apparently, there had been a “hold” placed on it.

I was able to access some of it immediately, but most of it, though counting towards my total or current balance, was not accessible, thus leading to my “available balance”.

It didn’t take me long to lament the fact that I had to wait before I could access (meaning spend) money that showed in my account. God interjected however, and reminded me that He too, will place a hold on things until the appointed time.

I remember when I first prayed about wanting to get married. God told me to wait. He gave me a time period that was more than a few business days. My desire was like my current balance. My readiness was my available balance. Marriage wasn’t happening until some things “cleared” the bank.

Often we want to do something, even something great and mighty for the Lord. We have a strong desire, a burden, even a gift and a calling to do it. But, we are not ready. And so we have to wait until our “can do” matches or exceeds our “want to”.

Too many lives have been negatively impacted because someone’s desire wrote a check their maturity, experience, and character could not cash. And in ministry especially, when those checks bounce…people get hurt.

Your available balance may place a limit on what you can do…until the rest of the currency becomes available. Growing in the Lord is not optional. If you stop growing, your available balance may not change…it certainly won’t increase.

While time is simply all that is needed for some money to become available in the banking industry, other things may require action or certain qualifications to be met first. Growing in the Lord is not a matter of the passage of time, rather the passing of tests.

In order for God to do all He wants to do in you and with you, there are some requirements that are non-negotiable. In order for us to get our available balance to match our current balance, we have to meet His standards.

It is easy to mistake grace and favor for being qualified. They are not the same. Grace and favor may provide opportunity. Character and competence allow you to remain, maintain, and obtain more as you are able.

Check your balances. When there is a gap between your total and your available, ask God what you need to do, who you need to become, in order to access the better promise He has laid up for you.

It is always good when the “hold” has been lifted, and all funds become available for use.

“Deuce…” (by Mel McGuire)

In California, Vehicle Code Section 21352 covers drunk driving. When guilty, cops simply refer to a driver as being “deuce”, for the two at the end of the section. It is faster than saying “Twenty-One Three Fifty-Two”. You are just, “deuce”.

But there is a difference between under the influence and being impaired. It is against the law to be impaired while driving. As such, Field Sobriety Tests were developed to measure your level of impairment…to see if you are “deuce”.

The tests determine if you have proper balance, can follow simple instructions, and how well you can track with your eyes, a slow moving object like a pen or light. The point of the tests is to differentiate between influence and impairment.

The bible tells us not to be drunk with wine, which is excessive, but to be filled with the Spirit. Other references to be led by the Spirit tell us it is expected that we are influenced by the Word and Spirit of God and not impaired by the ways and means of the world.

In the many areas of our life, God wants to influence us through His word, so we are not impaired by the cares of this life. “Be sober minded” the word advises, not thinking too highly of yourself, which is actually a form of impairment (kind of like “liquid courage”)

When you are impaired, you are weaker, lacking self-control. You are not functioning properly and are more susceptible to excessive behaviors. You react slower and your judgement is off. You are not at your best, and you may take a longer time to realize that something is actually hurting you.

Self-control is one of the fruits of the Spirit, and it manifests more consistently when you are under His influence. When you allow the word of God, spoken and reminded by the Spirit in you, to guide your actions, responses, and desires…you are at your best.

The control God exerts is not manipulative or overwhelming. He is not interested in violating your will, but He wants you to submit your will to Him. Come under the influence of the Lord, through His word and His will for your life. Minimize and moderate your consumption of the world so you can reduce your chance of being impaired.

When you have consumed too much of the world and its ways, you are spiritually impaired. You are “deuce”. You lack self-control (think reality TV), you cannot function at peak spiritual performance, you are tempted, I mean really tempted to engage in excessive behaviors, and you lack spiritual judgement.

When impaired spiritually, you may not recognize that your environment and activities are actually hurting you. Just because it feels good does not mean it is good, or good for you. People who are impaired often lose their inhibitions…which while sometimes funny, is oftentimes also very dangerous.

God wants you to be filled with His word, guided and directed by the Spirit of God. He wants you to be influenced by Him and not impaired by the world. He doesn’t want you “deuce”. Sober up. Dine on His word. Drink of His presence. Be filled with the Spirit, and live.

“Road Trip”…(by Mel McGuire)

I recently made a round trip from Los Angeles to Phoenix, Arizona and back. It is a little over 400 miles one way and takes about six hours to drive. I don’t mind, I happen to like road trips. But a long trip takes a different type of focus than just running errands around town.

Knowing I would be driving for a while, I did not pay close attention to most of the road signs telling me which street or exit was ahead. I was looking for freeways and highways only. I just ignored all the little streets that were not leading me to my destination.

I started measuring my trip in terms of time (hours), fuel, miles traveled, and then miles to go. I used the highway signs to give me intermediate goals – how far to the next rest stop, how far to the border, how far to the next big city…this helped me stay focused on reaching my goal.

I knew I could drive non-stop and make it without refueling, but I also knew I didn’t want to do that. I stopped for gas near the border in order to break up the trip…but I got gas on the AZ side both times. It was MUCH cheaper! (Being a good steward)

As I neared my initial destination THEN I started playing close attention to each exit and street, until I arrived safely and without any detours or unnecessary delays. Had I done that the entire trip, I would have gotten frustrated and impatient, wondering “am I there yet?”

God has you on a road trip. He has a plan to get you to your eternal destination. We have to stop measuring our trip by every exit and interchange we come to. We have to adjust our timing to His timing and stretch out our intermediate goals, so we don’t become impatient and frustrated with our progress.

Change, like a long trip, takes time. If you do a diet right, you will be more encouraged if you weigh yourself weekly and see pounds lost instead of daily where you might see some fluctuation. Christians should measure their growth and progress on a different scale and schedule.

If you want to be more patient or generous, you may have to take a larger sample size than one incident. Measure your progress by the month or even year and not moment by moment.

I believe God sees us as He intends us to be. He sees us FROM our destination and so He knows even though we may not be happy with our current situation, we are making progress and getting closer to Him.

When I got tired, I stopped and rested. I refueled my car and my body. Knowing I was making progress was encouragement in and of itself. Sometimes you have to encourage yourself in the Lord.

One last thing…I used my cruise control. I did it for the discipline it requires…to stay steadfast and consistent. To maximize my fuel consumption and to avoid the mental energy needed to speed up, then slow down, then speed up, then slow down.

I got passed by folks racing ahead, but they needed to refuel more often, and they also had the added stress of looking for the police because while they were making better time, they were also breaking the law. Sin brings its own stress.

God has you on a road trip. Trust Him to get you to Him (your destination) safely and on time. You aren’t successful if you crash en route. You aren’t successful if you get a bunch of tickets along the way, or if your car breaks down. Get there.

“There” is who and where He wants you to be. He sees you coming, and He is waiting and watching your progress.

“New Horizons…” (by Mel McGuire)

Image converted using ifftoany

The news was recently dominated by pictures of Pluto and its moon by the space probe “New Horizons” as it did a flyby as the culmination of a nine and a half year journey…to do a flyby and take pictures of Pluto and its moon.

While everyone was aghast at the most detailed images of Pluto we have ever known…I was struck by the length of the journey. I immediately thought, “what would be my reaction if God told me He was sending me on a nine plus year journey?” That it would take over nine years for me to fulfill my purpose, to reach my goal?

New Horizons launched in January of 2006. It took some images of Jupiter and then they shut it down. For most of its journey to its destination, towards its purpose…New Horizons was in “hibernation mode”.

They woke it up occasionally, perhaps once a year, to make sure everything they would need worked. Once confirmed…back to hibernation. But someone had to monitor and evaluate it constantly, even though it would be years before it could do what it was designed and built to do.

It had to be built to withstand the environment of deep space and have enough energy to get to Pluto. It had to maintain the ability to transmit its collected data back to its designers on earth. Deep stuff to us engineering minded folks!

For many of us, God has a purpose, a destiny that is not immediately known or revealed. He gives us gifts, talents, and abilities that He shows us and others…and then He shuts us down. There is a time, a season, and a people that He wants us to reach. But our journey only serves to get us there.

He will wake up those gifts from time to time. To check on them, to remind us they are still present…but then He puts us back into hibernation mode. So often we get frustrated, knowing He has given us gifts, but not allowing us to use them as we see fit.

How sad it would have been had New Horizons used up all of its energy and imagery on the journey to Pluto, instead of saving it for Pluto, which was its purpose from the beginning.

Be careful and prayerful about when and with whom you share your gifts. Single people with a desire to be married…make sure you have something left for your mate…because it might take years. You good with that?

Teachers, preacher, pastors, and leaders…wait your turn! Do not be so quick to jump up in front of people because you saw Jupiter from a distance. Pluto is your goal, that is why you were sent.

The scientists rejoiced at the success of a years-long mission. I want God to rejoice in me as I complete the mission He sent me on years ago. I want Him to stir up the gift when the time is right, I don’t want to be wasted or spent until He says I am done.

“Ant-Man…” (by Mel McGuire)

I am writing this before I see this film. I have every intention of seeing it, (I tend to enjoy all the Marvel Comics movies), but this concept just spoke to me, so I am going to be obedient and not wait.

Based on the trailer and limited knowledge I have of the character, when he puts on the suit…he shrinks in stature but increases in strength. That PREACHED to me right there!

John the Baptist said, “I must decrease, for He must increase”. Paul said, “When I am weak, He is strong”, and “in my weakness his strength is perfected.”

The whole concept of becoming smaller in order to be stronger and more powerful is a good one for us Christians to grasp and embrace as if our lives depended on it.

Before honor comes humility and he that humbles himself under the mighty hand of God will be exalted in due time.

It would seem the Ant Man suit allows him to shrink in size, which would make obstacles and enemies seem even larger, but he gains enough strength and power to overcome them…but only when he is small.

But not small in his own eyes…for while in the suit, he KNOWS he possesses a greater power than he does on his own in his own strength!

Now I don’t know how the suit works, don’t really care. I don’t know how long he can remain small and strong…I may learn that in the movie…but I do know that when he is little, he can do big things!

When we as believers, allow the power of the Holy Spirit to flow through us, we can do great and mighty things for God! But we have to minimize our ego, our opinion, our wisdom, experience, and ability. The power is in the suit! The spirit man has the power!

To be clothed in humility is to recognize, like Ant Man, that sometimes… you need help to overcome your adversaries. And that help is available when you humble yourself and ask.

It would also seem that even when in the suit, there are enemies that operate at the same level…but victory for the ants come when they work and fight together!

The bible refers to the ant several times and usually it is a positive reference. How they work together and can do great things as a group as opposed to operating as individuals. How they prepare for lean times during times of plenty. Ants are powerful!

I will probably write more after seeing the film, but I had to get this out now. Humble yourself. Be little while at the same time allowing God to be big in you. Stay in your suit and let the power of God flow! Be like Ant Man…small and mighty!

The spiritual battle for souls rages on…time to suit up, get small, and get busy fighting!

“Camouflage…” (by Mel McGuire)

In the movie “Jurassic World”, the new villain is a dinosaur called “Indominus Rex”. The word indominus means “untamable”. It is a hybrid animal created from the DNA of a variety of other species, not all of them dinosaurs.

One of the features of this creature is the ability to camouflage itself, and when it demonstrates the trait…bad things happen. No one seemed to know the animal could do that, but part of its DNA came from a cuttlefish.

A cuttlefish (google it), has an extremely fast growth rate, which is why it was used to create the Indominus…but it also has the ability to camouflage itself, as a way of hiding, and to aid in hunting prey.

A tree frog was used in the creation as well. The frog shows great adaptability to extreme climates, a good thing…but it also has the ability to regulate and moderate its own body temperature, which the Indominus used to trick heat sensors and once again, avoid detection.

Finally, they put a GPS chip in the Indominus at a young age…but it removed the chip, at no small cost of pain to itself, to avoid being tracked. This all leads us to church.

Like a garage is built for cars, a church is built for believers. But, just like everything in a garage is NOT a car…everyone in church is not a true believer. Some folks are using camouflage to avoid detection and accountability.

To camouflage simply means to blend in for the purpose of hiding or concealing your presence. Many people come to church and take on the appearance of accelerated growth…they dress right, talk right, look the part… but they are in camouflage.

Whether they do it to avoid detection, or more ominously, to help them hunt prey…many unsuspecting believer has fallen victim to a church going “Indominus”.

When God tells us to be hot or cold, but NOT lukewarm…He may have had these folks in mind. By being lukewarm you blend in…warm enough to be convincing, but cold enough not to commit. Like the Indominus, beware the person who can always manage to avoid detection by heat sensors.

In church, the fervent prayers avail much…true worshipers go “in” during devotion, lovers of the word are “on fire” and excited about the written and spoken word. They stand out and they stand up. Commitment to His presence is a spiritual thermometer. That person you have got your eye on…are they real or in camouflage?

And lastly, beware of folks who refuse to be accountable…to anyone. They do not want to be tracked, followed, known, or understood. They live in fear of having their sin exposed, so they do whatever they can, even if it costs them dearly, to resist being accountable.

These traits are contrary to the nature of God and His kingdom. The Indominus has developed attributes that allow it to hide in plain sight, setting up its prey, or just simply avoiding detection.

Submit yourselves to God and allow Him to have true reign in your life. Test every spirit to see if it is of God or not. God has given us a sound mind, so let the mind of Christ be in you…so you can have sound discernment and can sniff out the Indominus in your midst and in YOUR life.