lessons from Narnia – part 2

In lessons from Narnia – part 1, we focused on two lessons:

1. Impatience is costly.
2. Failure to deal properly with personal trauma will knock you off course.

In part 2, we will look at three more. Again, if you have not yet seen the movie, you might want to wait to read this until you have done so.

3) Talking with the enemy will cause you to lose your advantage.
When Prince Caspian entered Miraz’ bed chamber, he had the clear “upper hand,” having caught him sound asleep, totally unaware and unprepared. However, instead of killing Miraz, Caspian begins talking with him. Never carry on a conversation with the enemy! It only provides him an opportunity to regroup to overpower or seduce you. While they are talking, Prince Caspian allows Miraz to get up. As the prince is watching Miraz, the evil king’s wife reaches for her crossbow and takes aim at her nephew.

Fortunately, Peter and Susan arrive to rescue Prince Caspian. But they, too, leave Miraz alive to be fought another day. The enemy we resist for a moment but fail to deal with completely will be back to fight us another day – strengthened by our lack of decisiveness in dealing with him (it) previously.

4) Disunity will set you up for deception.
After suffering the terrible defeat at the castle, Peter, Susan, Edmund, Caspian and those who managed to escape the castle with them return to Lucy and the others waiting at Aslan’s How. Peter and Caspian get into an argument, each blaming the other for the terrible loss. With the rift between them and Caspian doubting the legendary abilities of the four, the dark dwarf Nikabrik makes his move to convince Caspian to align with the dark powers to defeat Miraz, promising him certain victory. Disunity and disillusionment set us up for deception. Nikabrik knows that only the blood from the seed of Adam (a human) can bring back (free) the white witch and her powers.

At first, the promise of victory lures Caspian into their grips. Then, when he sees the witch, he realizes who is really behind the promise (and that the ancient stories really are true) and tries to pull out. Just as Nikabrik and his companions are about to overpower the prince and provide the needed blood for the witch to be freed, Peter, Edmund and Susan arrive to rescue him. The witch then begins to lure King Peter into her deception, even though Peter had stood firmly against her in their previous encounters. Once again, we see how disunity sets us up for deception. Fortunately, Edmund remembers all too well her deceptive powers and thrusts her through with his sword. In the meantime, Nikabrik and his companions, the old hag and the were-wolf, are killed. These forces of evil are destroyed and Peter and Caspian are reunited in their effort to restore Narnia.

5) When you don’t finish the job, you allow room for the enemy to work.
Having realized their only hope of survival and victory is Aslan, Lucy and Susan are dispatched to search for Him. In the meantime, the others try to delay the battle by sending a challenge from High King Peter to (self-proclaimed) King Miraz to meet in a one-on-one battle to the death to decide the victor. This, of course, is a parallel to the battle of David and Goliath in 1 Samuel 17.

Miraz finally agrees, and Peter and Miraz engage in the challenge. After some time, they mutually agree to a rest period. Both have sustained injury. Miraz begins to suspect treachery, since he had instructed the lords attending the battle with him to kill Peter if he appeared to be gaining the upper hand and they had not.

When the battle is re-engaged, Peter finally gains the upper hand and has Miraz on his knees, defenseless. Rather than finishing the job and killing Miraz as the challenge stated was to be the end for one of them (and as David did with Goliath), Peter hands the sword to Caspian for him to finish the job. Miraz intimidates Caspian with a well-worded remark and Caspian also refuses to kill him. Both Peter and Caspian assume the victor of the challenge is clear and that the war is now over. Not so! Never expect the enemy to play fair!

One of the lords who attended Miraz to the challenge now kills Miraz with one of Susan’s arrows that he had saved from a previous battle. The fact that their king has been killed by Susan’s arrow rather than Peter’s sword appears as unfair play to the waiting Telamarine army – and the battle begins.

Twice Peter and Caspian had the upper hand on Miraz and could have killed him. Twice they spared his life, somehow expecting him to suddenly “change his colors” and act rightly. Both times, refusing to “utterly destroy” the enemy in the land (as the children of Israel were repeatedly told to do) proved costly.

“And when the LORD your God delivers them over to you, you shall conquer them and utterly destroy them. You shall make no covenant with them nor show mercy to them.” Deuteronomy 7:2

When we believe that confronting sin without dealing with it completely and killing it at the very root of the problem is sufficient, we only set ourselves up for it to come back and cause us even greater devastation.


For more lessons from Narnia, check back for the final post in the series, part 3.

lessons from Narnia – part 1

As “The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian” movie began to play, I heard the Holy Spirit instruct me to look for the truths in it. He said there would be many, but there were certain key ones of which I should take note.

Notes:
1. For those who have read the book but have not yet seen the movie, it does not follow the book exactly. So events referenced here may be slightly different than the events in the book.
2. If you haven’t seen the movie yet but intend to see it, you may want to wait until afterwards to read this.

Background
To set the stage for those unfamiliar with C. S. Lewis’ chronicles, Peter, Susan, Edmund & Lucy are siblings who live in 20th century London. In the first book of the series, “The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe,” the four youngsters “fall into” ancient Narnia through an old wardrobe in which they were playing. There they quickly learn to be warriors as they encounter the evils of the white witch and finally meet the great leader, Aslan. As the story unfolds, Aslan offers his life sacrificially to spare the life of Edmund, who had fallen prey to the evil deception of the witch. As with the true Lion of the Tribe of Judah, death was defeated and Aslan returned to life, empowered to overthrow the witch, who is bound and remains powerless for over a millennium.

Many years pass in Narnia, where peace reigns under the oversight of High King Peter, Queen Susan, King Edmund, Queen Lucy and, of course, Aslan. One day while riding in the woods, the four find themselves back in a strangely familiar spot. They are soon tumbling back through the wardrobe and back into 20th century London – on the same day they left! While they had spent many years in ancient Narnia where they had grown to adulthood and ruled the entire land as its kings & queens, only a few hours had passed in modern earth time. They had returned to London and their childhood.

As time passes, the four continue to long for the adventures of Narnia and their beloved Aslan. After a couple of years, they are about to the point of reconciling themselves to the fact that their life is to remain in London as they are when they suddenly find themselves passing back through a different portal into Narnia. In the couple of years that have passed in earth time, they come to realize that it has been over 1300 years in Narnia and it is not at all the way they left it. They learn that both their legacy and even Aslan are so long forgotten that they are considered myths by most. In the meantime, the land was invaded by Telamarines who had landed on its shores and had been taken over by their evil rulers. Due to the untimely death of his father, Prince Caspian is to be the heir to the Telamarine throne, when he is of an age to assume it. In the meantime, the land is ruled by his very evil uncle, Miraz. As the movie begins, Miraz’ wife bares him a son. With this news, Miraz attempts to kill Prince Caspian, so that he and his son will become the heir of the throne. Thanks to his tutor, the prince escapes, but must run to the woods to save his life.

1) Impatience is costly.
As “the kings and queens of old” (Peter, Susan, Edmund & Lucy) who have been summonsed back by Prince Caspian meet with the prince and the creatures of Narnia to strategize on how to best approach the battle with Miraz and the Telamarines, King Peter makes a costly mistake. At this point in the movie, only Lucy has seen Aslan since their return and she saw him only briefly. The others disbelieve that she really saw him at all. From that frame of reference, Peter decides they have “waited long enough” on Aslan to come to provide leadership. He apparently believes Aslan has either died or gone away and concludes that “now it is up to us.” The results of his decision prove costly to their army.

Proverbs 3:5-6 tells us

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”

King Peter’s failure to do this cost the lives of many of the Narnians. His decision reminds me of a similar decision made by King Saul of Israel who believed he had waited long enough for Samuel, God’s prophet, to show up before a great battle.

Timing and location are critical elements in any battle. Impatience will always cause you to play into the enemy’s hands. To avoid his snare, we must always seek the counsel of the Lord and refuse to move until we have His strategy for the situation.


2) Failure to deal properly with personal trauma will knock you off course.
Once inside the moat-surrounded castle where Miraz lived, Prince Caspian was to see to it that the gates were opened and draw bridge down to allow the Narnian army to invade the castle. His first “detour” from the plan was to find his old tutor, Cornelius. Finding him cost time, which is a precious commodity when dealing with the element of surprise. It would not have been a critical issue had that detour not led to the second, more costly one.

Having found Cornelius, the prince learns that Miraz had murdered his father, King Caspian, whom he had believed to have died in his sleep from natural causes. This sends the prince to Miraz’ bed chambers to personally confront the (self-appointed) king. This both cost time and exposed their presence to Miraz and, therefore, his army. Prince Caspian’s emotional “need” to confront Miraz put all of those with him in greater danger. His personal “need” caused him to lose focus on the greater mission. It also pulled Peter and Susan off task to follow and rescue him. This meant all of them were now off the plan – and not where they were supposed to be when they were supposed to be there. In addition, Miraz and his army were now fully aware of their presence. The element of surprise was over and its advantage lost.

Failure to deal with our emotional traumas in a right way causes us to play into the enemy’s hands and to spiral deeper and deeper into sin. When we are controlled by our emotions, we react out of them rather than acting in a way we know is right. An example of this from scripture is found in 2 Samuel 13. King David’s son, Amnon, raped his half-sister, Tamar, and then refused to marry her, leaving her to live the rest of her life in shame. Tamar went to live with her brother, Absalom, disgraced because of what had happened. In verse 22 we read, “Absalom hated Amnon, because he had forced his sister Tamar.” For two years, Absalom plotted to kill Amnon. By verse 32, “Amnon is dead. For by the command of Absalom this has been determined from the day that he forced his sister Tamar.” Absalom knew this was not the way to handle the matter because two verses later we are told “then Absalom fled.” This caused a breach in Absalom’s elationship with his father, King David, which was never properly reconciled. That breach eventually led Absalom to attempt to take the throne and kingdom from King David, resulting in his own death along with the death of many others. (See 2 Samuel 15-18.) Failure to deal with emotional traumas or unwholesome desires will lead us down a path of destruction, which will affect not only us but also others around us.


For more lessons from Narnia, check back for part 2.

Which of these were neighbor to him?

"So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?" (Luke 10:36)

Over the past few weeks, I've been given reason to ponder on some things that have been turning in my head for quite some time - in fact, years.

Do you go to one of those churches where everyone hugs each other and tells them they love them? Sounds good, doesn't it? It can feel good, too. But ... does it mean anything?

"Of course it does!" we respond. We are brothers and sisters in the Lord. We are family. We love each other.

Are we? Do we really?

"Of course we do!"

Ok, let me put the question another way. Do we act like it? Do we demonstrate our love and concern?

I've pondered this in my own life for several reasons, looking at it from both the giving and receiving end. I've also observed three separate situations recently and the evidence they have provided is inconsistent with what we say. Let me share some of those stories to keep it from sounding like just a "poor me" story. There seems to me to be a difference in what we say and what we do.

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Situation 1:

A 40-something year old man who ran in marathon races suddenly dropped dead in his home from a heart attack. In spite of faith-filled prayers and CPR, he did not revive. Of course, his wife was in a state of shock. Since there were children involved, she had to "be there" for them while dealing with her own grief and the reality of the sudden change in financial condition since he was the bread winner.

I had talked with someone who had known this couple for many years and was "a sister in the Lord" to them. I was seeking to find out from her what needs might be there. She told me how she had offered to bring pizza over and to do anything that needed to be done. Since no needs were expressed, she did nothing (other than taking some pizza over) and had no suggestions for me of things that needed to be done.

I barely knew this couple. But I knew they had a large family, most of which lived elsewhere, so that means they will need large quantities of food - meat, vegies, and dessert (aka - a meal). You don't ask; you assess the need and act on it.

I later learned that the ex-wife of the man who died (and mother of his oldest daughter) went over and cleaned the house before the out of town relatives arrived. She didn't call and ask; she simply showed up, cleaned the house, and left.

Which of these ladies was a neighbor to this woman? Her sister in the Lord? Or the woman who showed up to clean the house of the widow of her own ex-husband?

Situation 2:

Another 40-something year old man, also very athletic and healthy, collapsed when two aneurysms burst. After struggling for over a week, he, too, passed away leaving a wife and small children.

From what was said by the minister at the funeral services, this couple was very involved in their church. So, in the midst of roller coaster ride while his life hung in the balance and for a period of time afterwards, meals were provided to the family for the children and wife (when she was there to eat) and the extended family from out of town who were staying in their home to care for them while "mom" was at the hospital with "dad." Gift cards were also provided to help buy meals for the wife at the hospital or gas for her or the extended family who were driving back and forth from out of town or whatever was needed. And the lawn was kept cut.

Who did all that? Their church family? No. In as far as I know, they did not do anything. It was their coworkers who provided the food and gift cards and began taking care of the yard. Their neighbors took over the yard care and assisted with the food delivery, if no one was home when it was brought by daily for about a month.

Who were the neighbors to this family? Their church family? Or their coworkers and those who happen to live beside them?

Situation 3:

A man in his early 50s had a massive stroke. Once again, he and his wife were very committed to their local church.

His wife was "living" in the waiting room for the critical care unit, going home only to shower and freshen up and check on the house and the mail. Once again, gift cards for expenses she and their (grown) children were incurring and yard care was provided. Once again, it was his coworkers who provided these; not their church family.

Who were their neighbors?

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I could go on with more examples, but I think you get the point. It isn't enough to hug each other and say "I love you." "Love" isn't a word, nor it is a feeling. It's a commitment that elicits action on our part when the one we love is hurting or in need.

Let us ask ourselves ... to whom have we demonstrated our love recently?

7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 9 In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. (1 John 4:7-11)

covenant relationships

As a general rule, we in the United States do not grow up with the understanding of covenant that they do in some countries. Most people do at least acknowledge that marriage is a covenant relationship. However, the divorce rate in our country – among Christians as well as non-Christians – testifies to the fact that keeping that covenant relationship is not always a priority.

One evening this past week, I was caused to reflect on a particular covenant relationship I have had for about 15 years. The reflection was triggered by an incident in which my covenant friend was being viciously attacked by a family member and I “stepped in” to defend her from the lies that were being spewed. I won’t go into the details of that situation, but it did cause me to later reflect on my relationship with the friend I had defended.


What does it mean to be in covenant?

• It means being there when they need someone – without being asked.
  
• It means knowing “that’s not really necessary” sometimes means, “I don’t want to ask you to do that (but it would really be appreciated if you did).”
  
• It means watching their back and defending them – even if they are not around.
  
• It means being willing to step in front of them and “take the bullet” in their place – or provide the protective shield when they are under attack.
  
• It means being willing to utilize all of our resources (finances, time, energy, etc.) to meet a need they have.
  
• It means being as scripture said of David and Jonathan where their souls were knit together and “and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.” (1 Sam 18:1)
  

In our society today where self-centered, watching-out-for-yourself sometimes seems to be the norm, it is often misunderstood when one person is willing to “lay down their life” for another – particularly when it is for a friend rather than a spouse or relative. It can be questioned even when it is for family.

I went through a season of care-giving for my mother in her final years. As she aged, the time and attention needed to do all that was needed continued to increase. Once when we were “back home” visiting extended family and friends, I had her cousins and then my cousins pull me aside and tell me that I needed to consider putting her in a nursing home, because (in their view) I shouldn’t “put my life on hold” for her. My thought was, “What?!”

In my view, I wasn’t putting my life on hold. I may have been putting some plans on hold, but not my life. I was living through a season of my life in which I had the privilege of caring for the person who had spent years caring for me. Why would I not want to do that? Isn’t giving ourselves away what love is about?

How many today are willing to do that even for a relative, much less for “a friend”? Yet, John 15:13 states, “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.” (emphasis added)

Perhaps it is time to ask ourselves the question, “For whom would I do that?”

Then ask the question, “Who would do that for me?”

The answers to those two questions will reveal your true covenant relationships.

Oh what a tangled web we weave ….

“Oh what a tangled web we weave
When first we practice to deceive.”
(Sir Walter Scott)

As I sat in a Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU) waiting area over this past weekend, I watched the demonstration of the truth of this phrase. I was sitting with a close friend whose brother is in the final stages of AIDS. Of course, AIDS does not kill you; it breaks the immune system down so that you contract something that does. In his case, he made it through Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma a few years back. Now it is Fungal Meningitis, which is very serious.

He had been in the hospital for a little over a week when he took a sudden, drastic dip that caused them to move him to MICU in the early hours of Saturday morning. When I met his sister and parents at the hospital at 1:30am, things did not look good. We did not expect him to make it through the day. Close friends were called a few hours later. His friends began arriving to be able to see him & friends of his parents began arriving to comfort them.

Here’s where the web begins to get tangled. The young man who is dying had never told his parents about his homosexual (actually, bi-sexual) lifestyle, so he also would not tell them when he learned he was HIV positive. Then, of course, he would not tell them when he learned he had moved into full blown AIDS. Further, he had forbidden his sister and friends to tell them. The dance going on in the waiting room & hallway would have made a good episode on a sitcom, if it had not been so serious.

Further, the doctors and nurses would call the sister back to talk in private, because he had requested that his parents not be told the full story. In addition, his sister is a nurse, so she understands more easily the situation and possible ramifications of each report. However, the fact that they were talking with her instead of the parents was causing the mother to fume – even though the daughter would return and immediately convey the information (that could be). If the doctors had talked with the mother & father, they could not tell the full story due to trying to not reveal the “real” issue.

Finally, late Saturday evening, the mother blew up at the doctor and demanded to be told the whole story. Since she did have a durable power of attorney, he did so. There’s a lesson in being careful what you insist on! She now had to face how her son, who could never do anything wrong, had been living a lifestyle of which she had always spoken in very derogatory terms.

Hmm … could that be why he never wanted to tell her? I do not in any way condone homosexuality. I believe that scripture is very clear on the fact that it is sin. However, it is also sin to be judgmental. Further, the sin of homosexuality is no “worse” or “more sinful” than any other sin – be that heterosexual promiscuity or adultery or lying or backbiting or gossip. Unfortunately, many of those who speak out against homosexuality do so out of attitudes that are equally wrong from a scriptural standpoint. We need to be seeking to minister and bring freedom and reconciliation, not condemnation.

After the initial shock and anger than no one had told them previously, there is much more peace “all around” now that people can talk openly and honestly about the entire situation. Now all the facts, conditions, and potential series of events can be laid out and understood.

So, why is it that we sometimes try to deceive someone? One lie only leads to another – and then another one to cover it – and then another, etc. Then you have to remember to whom you told what – and try to keep people who believe different stories apart, or (as he did) make sure that one party knows that the other party does not know something or knows “a different story.” It all gets very complicated – and the web begins to grow.

This leads to another old expression: Honesty is the best policy. Which, of course, is consistent with scripture, “No lies about your neighbor." (Exodus 20:16, The Message)

no compromise!

As I watched Ben Stein's recently released movie "EXPELLED," I could not help but notice how the two "theories" being discussed - the theory of intelligent design versus the theory of evolution - polarize people.

The abortion issue is another issue that has a similar effect on people.

In both cases, there are those who try to take “a more of moderate view" and merge the two opinions. While they likely view themselves as trying to balance the extremes by finding an area of compromise between them, what they are really doing is avoiding taking a stand.

For those who know that God Jehovah was the Intelligent Designer and that He both designed and created all that is, there is no compromise on that position. He designed and created not only earth and humankind, but all that exists. Further, it was all done with purpose. Nothing about it was “happenstance” nor did man “evolve” from moneys, apes, or tadpoles.

For those who truly believe in the sanctity of life, there is no way to reconcile abortion, under any circumstance, as being acceptable. On the other side of the issue are those who believe that the killing of the unborn is the right of a person to "choose' to eliminate a "problem" - even if that "problem" is someone else's life.

So where is the point of compromise?

Some say that there was intelligent design at the initial creation points, but then the world evolved from there.

Similarly, there are those who believe that while, in general, abortion is wrong, it is acceptable under “certain” circumstances. Those “exceptions” range from rape and incest to babies believed to be developing with certain abnormalities or handicaps to personal trauma to the mother if she continues with the pregnancy.

The problem is that these stances actually put the proponent into the evolution and abortion camps. No matter how they want to water it down or soft-pedal it, they are promoting evolution or abortion.

What we are talking about is situation ethics. Merriam-Webster defines that as being “a system of ethics by which acts are judged within their contexts instead of by categorical principles.” Put another way, it is the losing of absolutes.

Many years ago, I had a manager who lived in what I will call “the gray zone.” He did not seem to have absolutes on anything. One day, he confronted me, accusing me of “seeing everything as black or white.” It did not calm the situation any when I saw that as a compliment rather than a problem!

Are there times we should (even must) compromise? Yes. But, there are issues on which we need to compromise and there are issues where we should never do so.

We can compromise on where we are going to eat dinner, the color to paint the house, where we are going for vacation, or whether to buy a new riding lawn mower or a new refrigerator. These are all amoral decisions. There is no “right” answer from a moral perspective; it is a matter of what is most important to us at the time.

Conversely, the deity of the Creator of the universe and all that exists beyond it and the sanctity of life are moral issues. We should never compromise the Truth that we know from scripture and from personal relationship with the Creator on these topics and others in order to “get along” with those around us.

We have not been called to “get along” with the world. We have been called to change it! May it be said of us as it was said of believers in the 1st century that “These who have turned the world upside down have come here too.” (Acts 17:6b, NKJV) May we begin to develop that same reputation. It is time to quit retreating from the world on each and every topic and, instead, begin to “occupy and possess” this world. We must realize that this world was created with the intent of mankind, created in the image of God and living in close relationship with Him, having dominion in and ruling over it.

Adam and Eve relinquished their authority to Lucifer, or Satan as he is more commonly called. “The second Adam,” Jesus Christ, regained that authority. However, it is up to us, His people, to exercise that authority and begin to rule not only our own lives, but our cities, regions, and nations. I am not talking about a political coupe. I am talking about shifting the atmosphere over our cities, states, and nations to one of righteousness. I am talking about strong believers rising up to key positions in business, government, and even the media. I am talking about realizing that the Kingdom of God is not something for which we are waiting, but rather that it exists here and now. According to Luke 10:8-11, we carry it with us – or at least we should. We need to quit waiting for the Kingdom to come and start living in a way that demonstrates our citizenship in it.

understanding God's timing

"Of the sons of Issachar who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do, their chiefs were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their command." 1 Chronicles 12:32 (NKJV)

I had an interesting illustration today of how important it is to know the timing of God in your life. The illustration came in two pieces. Before I get to that, let me lay a little foundation.

The verse quoted above is in the middle of a passage recounting the military might of David's army as he was made king of all of Israel at Hebron. This portion of that list is introduced in 1 Chronicles 12:23 with the statement,

"Now these were the numbers of the divisions that were equipped for war, and came to David at Hebron to turn over the kingdom of Saul to him, according to the word of the LORD." (emphasis added)

In this list that speaks of the "mighty men of valor" who were "armed for war" and "expert in war with all weapons of war," it notes of the sons of Issachar that they "had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do."

There is a message here, almost taken for granted by the writer, that is easy for us to miss. One of the critical skills needed for military success was to understand the times and know what to do. This ability was listed as the critical ingredient that the men of this particular tribe brought to the David's army.

Whether we are talking about effective advancement of the Kingdom of God on a corporate level or a personal one, it is critical that we understand the times and know what to do -- and when, exactly, to do it. This leads me to the "simple truths" I saw illustrated today.


don't lag behind ...

The first illustration came in a conversation as I was finishing lunch today. A young man who is involved in ministry began sharing about his personal vision for expansion of that ministry to the community. In talking about that, he shared how he was doing some things to better prepare and credential himself so there was be no question of credibility in what he and this ministry were doing. To this point, it had been simply a good exchange allowing the other couple involved in the conversation to understand this goals and vision of this ministry.

As he was speaking of how long the credentialing process would take, since it was being accomplished around his ministry, family, and other obligations, I heard the Holy Spirit say that he could not afford to take that long to complete it. I began to share with him the word of the Lord for his life about this situation sitting there across the table in the restaurant. The word was very clear that instead of the four years that he was planning to complete this process, he needed to have it completed in two. If not, there would be an opportunity that would pass him by because he was not yet prepared. He needed to take a step back and see what he needed to adjust to focus on completing this process.

nor run ahead ...

Later in the day, I encountered the counterpoint illustration. In this case, it was a statement made in the morning's message by an apostle to whom I relate, George Bakalov. While we are not in the same geographical location, his Sunday morning message is webcast and I can download it later (either from his website or from iTunes) and listen.

I do not know that Ap. Bakalov could ever be accused of lagging behind. Perhaps so, somewhere in his life, but not in what I have known of him. When God gives him a new idea, he's immediately pursuing how to implement it. But, as I learned from Bishop Bill Hamon, "a strength left unguarded can become a double weakness." (I'll leave the discussion of that truth for another day.) To his credit, Ap. Bakalov is trying "to keep his guard up."

He made a comment during this morning's message about needing to understand God's time and seasons. He said,

"God has been just challenging me here in the last couple of days ... saying, 'Wait a second. You've got so many things that you want to do, but how about My timing? How about My seasons? ... Do you have faith enough to allow Me to do things in the right time and in the right season?'"

the lesson ...

To the one, God was saying, essentially, "get it in gear and get moving." To the other He was saying, "wait a second, how about slowing down to wait for Me?" The same principle applies to both. We need to develop the skill of the sons if Issachar so that we understand the times and know what to do -- and when, exactly, to do it.

I was pondering this afternoon after the lunchtime conversation about how many times we miss an opportunity by not being in the right place at the right time. Part of that includes preparation. If we are there, but are not prepared, we resemble the 10 foolish virgins. The consequences may not be as severe, but we do miss an opportunity to "enter in" to whatever the opportunity would have been. We may not ever realize we have missed something, because our lack of preparation kept us from even being considered for it. Other times, we do know about what "could have been" and have to deal with the disappointment. How much do these missed opportunities affect how completely we fulfill our destiny? In all sincerity, only God knows.

On the other side, how many times do we miss the opportunity that would have propelled us into what God wanted us to do because we were too busy doing "good," even "Godly," things? Are we too busy working for God to stop and take time to hear what He has to say? Perhaps we need to slow down a little and wait for Him to set the stage for us. Then, that which we have been striving diligently to accomplish may become as David said of the defeat of the Philistines at Baal Perazim, “The LORD has broken through my enemies before me, like a breakthrough of water.” 2 Samuel 5:20 When we move in God's timing, the results are always MUCH better.

Let us purpose to not only seek God for His direction in what He wants us to do, but also ask Him where He wants it done, how He wants it done and when He wants it done. Then, and only then, can we be assured of being in the right place at the right time doing the right thing.