John Markum

Jump!

Tiffany and I are now the parents of a kindergartener! It seems unreal… when did I get this old?!

Anyway, we had our kids at the pool here recently and were having a lot of fun with the kids. Emilee, who is now 5 and learning to swim was doing good. Until, of course, I had the genius idea to get her to jump into the pool to me. She was terrified of it. All of my persuasive powers were useless against her… until she saw her little sister do it!
Finally I coax her to the edge and she counts to 3 (for the hundredth time!) and actually jumps to me! And, just as I predicted, she loved it. So she gets back out of the pool, but will she do it again? Nooooo! Even though she had so much fun, even though she sees her little sister do it, even though daddy caught her, each time it’s like pulling teeth to get her to trust me enough for her to jump.

But often I’m no better… God tells me to trust Him, step out on faith, and watch Him work. And even though He has never missed catching me, each time difficult circumstances arise, requiring me to trust God, I can be even more difficult than getting my little girl to jump into the pool to me.

And as frustrated as I can get at her as her parent, I wonder, “Does God ever feel the same way? What would God say to me when I stress out over things I can’t control?” I imagine it might be something like…

  • Trust Me! JUMP!
  • I caught you last time didn’t I?
  • Have I ever let you drown?!?
  • It’ll be so exciting to leave the ledge of your safety and see what I can do when you trust Me!
  • I’m serious! JUMP, BOY!

And it’s particularly interesting how Emilee insists on jumping to me in the shallow end. As though she can touch the bottom on either side! The truth is, it doesn’t matter how much water is below me, if I’m within reach. Because I love my kid so much that I’d never put her in a situation that I couldn’t get her through.

And it doesn’t matter how “deep” this situation is over the last time. Our God has promised to “never leave you, nor forsake you.” Whatever is at stake, He’s in control, and capable of bringing you through it… just like He did last time… just like He’ll do every time.

Go ahead… Jump!

Blessings,

John

Getting OUT of a Spiritual Funk

You ever feel like you stopped growing? Or your prayers weren’t getting very far? I know I’ve been in some places in my life like that. Here are a few things to consider doing when you feel like you’re in a spiritual funk:

  1. Identify the Source – I recently had a funk I was going through. I was frustrated, irritable, reluctant to pray… I didn’t feel like myself. When I realized all these things had a common source it put everything into perspective for me. This is usually the case when we’re in a spiritual funk. Is it a sin issue, a fear, a work-related tension, a relational struggle, etc.?
  2. Pray – Often when we’re in a spiritual funk, we resist praying. Go to God with your funk. And be honest about how you’re feeling. “If My people who are called by my name will humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face… then I will hear from Heaven…” 2 Chronicles 7:14
  3. Confess – Not every funk is because we are doing something wrong. But it often is because of sin. Sin gets in the way of our walk with God. Confess means to “say the same thing.” When I confess something to God, I am acknowledging that it is what God says it is. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from every unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9
  4. Praise – It feels unnatural when we’re down, but it’s a sure place to find God. And usually a good cure for our pain. I often use music that speaks to what I’ve been going through and acknowledges God’s faithfulness and power over it. This alone is one of the most powerful things to help me get out of a funk. God “inhabits the praises” of His people. Psalms 22:3
  5. Do Something – Lethargy is a good way to stay in a funk. Go exercise, get back in church, talk to a trusted friend, take care of some errands, clean your house… anything that makes you feel better, more productive, or obedient to what you know God is telling you to do. It might be wise to deal with the source of your funk, to get it out of the way first.

You’ll get through this. And you’ll be closer to God and able to trust Him more for having gone through a tough time. Nothing worthwhile is ever easy. And you are worth it.

Blessings,

John

So Close…

“Jesus sent out the twelve apostles with these instructions, ‘Don’t go to the Gentiles, or the Samaritans, but only to the people of Israel – God’s lost sheep.'” Matthew 10:5,6

I live and do ministry in the Quad Cities of Illinois and Iowa – an area that sits right on the Mississippi River with a population of approximately 325,000. The QC is a pretty typical Mid-West area. There is massive farming communities immediately outside (and somewhat inside) the cities, We are home to several major manufacturers, and nearly everyone has a church background.

I’m amazed at how I often I run into people and how seldom any of them claim no church affiliation. Here in the Mid-West, church is something that nearly everyone grew up with. And regardless of whether or not you actually go to church has nothing to do with “belonging” to a particular flavor of of religion that your parents or grandparents said you belong to.

When Jesus sends His disciples out for the first time on their first attempt at doing ministry outside of his direct supervision, He instructs them not to go to the Gentiles (Non-Jews) or the Samaritans (Half-Jews), but to the people of Israel, “God’s lost sheep.”

Really? The Jews? God’s “lost” sheep?!? Didn’t Jesus understand how well these Jews knew God? How well they obeyed the Old Testament? Their superior understanding of the laws of Moses? Didn’t He see the synagogues filled each Sabbath day with Jews eager to obey God?

Out here, nearly everyone knows about Jesus, believes in God, and owns a Bible. Almost all QC residents would claim some building as “the church I grew in.” Many of them even make the occasional appearance for Christmas or Easter. Most were married in a church. But with all of this religion and church experience there is an enormous oversight…

You see, the Jews would not have considered themselves “God’s lost sheep.” They would have considered themselves to be God’s favorites. But the truth is, they were off. They had a “form of godliness” but not the true “power thereof.” Being in church doesn’t make you close to God any more than me being in a shop makes me a mechanic.

Be careful that you’re not so close to “God” that you miss Him completely. Understand that your connection to Him is as close as you want it to be – He’s never been the one to leave.

A lot of people know about God, but don’t actually have a relationship with Him. There’s a word for a person who knows a lot about someone without having a relationship with them: “stalker!” Too many people are stalking God, but have not accepted the invitation to know him through Jesus Christ.

What about you? Do you know God, or are you creepin‘?

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