That's Not the Path I've Chosen

“He shall choose our inheritance for us.” Psalm 47:4

Her eyes sparkled bright with the full enthusiasm of any high school graduate. “I want to go to college,” she announced, “to study theater and business.”

“But, that’s not the path I’ve chosen for you,” the Lord politely replied.

That was a defining moment. Her love for God, and her trust in His faithfulness made a difficult choice somewhat easier. “Alright, then,” she answered, “I will lay it down for You.”

Her youthful heart began to expand with all the inquisitive expectancy which faith and dreams can muster together. “How far can I go? What languages can I learn? Where might God take me in this world?”

Fifteen years have passed, and that girl is now a woman; seasoned with grace, and experienced in life far beyond what any school anywhere could ever teach. She has lived in England, Austria, Thailand, and now lives in Hong Kong; where she has been for the past ten years. She has started her own business making and selling exquisite hand bags, purses, jewelry and other accessories.

Her name is Annalisa. And her mother and I could not be more thrilled with how God is blessing and using our daughter.

You can well imagine how Annalisa’s heart must’ve soared the other night when she took center stage in a theatrical production called “Chasing the Dragon.” It is based on the true-life story of how the infamous Walled City of Kowloon was transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit through the tireless efforts of a lady named Jackie Pullinger. Annalisa played the lead role to a packed house in the Hong Kong City Concert Hall.

The girl who wanted to study theater and start a business, is now a business woman in Hong Kong, using her theatrical abilities to share the story of Jesus with others.He shall choose our inheritance for us -- and His choice is always most excellent.

Chasing the Dragon

“The great dragon -- the ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, the one deceiving the whole world -- was thrown down to the earth with all his angels.” (Rev 12:9)

Imagine a Walled City, constructed within one square mile, populated by over 50,000 desperately hopeless souls. A city with no law other than gang rule; where drug addiction and prostitution dominate the dark corridors which snake through its tangled streets and alley ways. Open sewage runs along the curbs, while life-destroying heroin runs in the veins; sin is enthroned, and the Dragon reigns unchallenged.

But then a girl came to town. Filled with boundless hope, and carried forward by a childlike faith, she moved into this Walled City – not as a missionary, per se, but rather to simply be a Christian. Who ever thought of such a thing?

It’s now been forty years since she first walked into the darkness, and the Walled City no longer exists! That's right; it's gone. In fact, there is not even a trace that it ever existed. The site is now a beautiful park located in Kowloon, just across the harbor from Hong Kong Island. The girl’s name is Jackie Pullinger, and you can read her true story in the fascinating book, “Chasing the Dragon.” (Available on Amazon.com)

The remarkable transformation of this forsaken place required a long and uncelebrated obedience, which was marked by an unrelenting resolve to love the unlovely, to help the helpless, and to touch the untouchable. It required the sort of faith that sees the invisible, and does the impossible. It required the power of the Holy Spirit, unleashed through the life of a willing person...any person.

What walls need to come down in your sphere of influence? What souls around you need the touch that only faith and love can bring? And are you the Christian your world is desperately looking for in these disturbing times?

There are so many hoping that you are.

The Valley Where Giants are Slain

“Eleazar the son of Dodo, was with David at Pas-dammim, and there the Philistines were gathered together to battle” (1Ch 11:12-13)

May I introduce to you Eleazar, the son of Dodo. Now, I don’t know if Dodo was a good dad or not. I only know he had a really strange name. There’s only two ways to pronounce it, and neither are very flattering. One reminds you of a stupid bird, and the other, well, let me just say it rhymes with bird, if you know what I mean.

I can only imagine what high school must’ve been like for young Eleazar. “Hey, dodo head!” you can hear Biff call out during recess, “gimme your lunch money!” I’m only speculating, but the point I want to make is nevertheless true – you can indeed amount to something great, even if your dad wasn’t such a good example. This is what we learn from Eleazar’s story.

The morning sun broke slowly over the hillside to cast its golden dawn upon a rather large field of ripened barley, ready for harvest. But instead of farmers with plows and sickles, this field was manned with soldiers carrying swords and spears. It was the elite fighting force of David. They were there to keep a raiding garrison of Philistines from swooping down and stealing the crop. But something happened for which they were not prepared. On this day it would not be a detachment of Philistine soldiers; no, it would be a whole army of them.

Silhouetted on the ridge of the hill, backlit with the morning sun, the Philistine army rose up against David and his few men guarding the field below. David’s men scattered, and the Philistines assumed they had won the field without lifting a finger. But as the dust settled they noticed two lone men standing back to back in the midst of the field, swords drawn and eyes flashing, ready for war.

It was David and Eleazar. And what happened next is one of those amazing stories from the Bible that tend to sound almost like fairy tales. These two men, empowered by the Spirit of God, fought valiantly that day against the Philistines and routed their army. The Bible says Eleazar’s “hand was weary, yet cleaved unto the sword.” He didn’t stop until the job was done, and the Lord brought a great victory through his efforts, together with David.

Sometimes it takes a dodo to do what others deem impossible. And the Lord sees to it that such a person is never left alone in battle – He Himself will step in and make the difference in the valley where giants are slain.

Set Your Sight for Higher Ground

“When Jesus saw His ministry drawing huge crowds, He climbed a hillside. Those who were apprenticed to Him, the committed, climbed with Him. Arriving at a quiet place, He sat down and taught His climbing companions.” Matthew 5:1,2 The Message

Crowds always collect around events and individuals that are curious or exciting. Jesus was all that and more, and so naturally His ministry drew large crowds. But He knew that crowds are fickle. So when He saw His ministry attracting large crowds — He climbed a hillside.

This was a decisive movement upward; an intentional maneuver sure to root out those who were only looking for the easy way, the free ride. And as the Lord expected, the crowd dispersed. You see, crowds don’t climb hillsides.

What happened next is what the Lord was after all along. Those who were committed climbed with Him. Is that you? When the crowds fade away, and following Jesus is no longer the popular thing to do, or the easy thing to do -- will you still be His climbing companion? If so, He will take you to the summit!

The scripture tells us that we are “partakers of a heavenly calling” (Heb.3:1). It is “the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil.3:14). It is the call of God upon our lives that makes mediocrity unacceptable. The word mediocrity literally means “halfway up a mountain.” Are you going to settle for only following Christ halfway? I didn’t think so.

Set your sight for higher ground, my friend. And one day heaven will be your next stop.

Pray for Us

“Brethren, pray for us.” (1Thessalonians 5:25)

Belinda and I will be in Hong for the next several days, visiting our daughter Annalisa. She works with Jackie Pullinger in a ministry organization called St. Stephen’s Society. They are celebrating Jackie’s 40 yr anniversary by performing a musical, depicting the history of the work. Annalisa is playing the role of Jackie.

Rylisms will be on hold until we return.

Please keep us in your prayers.

Thanks

Sparkles on the Water

“All who look to him will be radiant. Their faces will never be covered with shame.” (Psalm 34:5)

The moon is radiant only as it is in the right position to receive the light of the sun. That’s the way it is with us as well. Our lives are filled with light only as we are in right relationship with the Lord. When we look to Him, trusting Him to meet our needs, then our faces will be radiant.

There are some people who turn away from the Lord, and put their trust in man, or in money, or in methods -- only to be disappointed. They become like the moon in a lunar eclipse, caught in the shadow of the world with their faces covered in darkness. For them their is no radiance.

Still, there are others who look to themselves instead of the Lord, putting their trust in their own ability; self-righteousness they are, but still falling far short of the glory of God. These are like the moon during a solar eclipse, blocking the light of the sun as they usurp its orbit with their own. These are the type of people who brighten up a room by leaving.

Then there are those who do look to the Lord, trusting Him in all things at all times. These are like the full moon in its midnight brilliance. The light of the Lord shines upon them, making their faces radiant. The Hebrew word means, “sparkles on the water.” It is a rich metaphor depicting a person who is overjoyed, and glowing with happiness.

The next time you see sparkles on the water, or a full moon in the night sky, let it remind you that the Lord wants your life to be like that for others. He wants to make your face radiant, so as to fill them with wonder – and thereby give you an opportunity to tell them the story of Jesus.

The Purpose of God

“All things work together for good to them who love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28).

What exactly is God’s purpose? Paul tells us plainly in the following verse. God's purpose is that we “be conformed to the image of His Son” (ch.8:29), and to that end all things work together for good.

In other words, God uses everything that happens in your life, in one way or another, to make you more and more like Jesus. That’s His purpose for you.

The Greek word Paul uses is prothesis, and it means “a setting forth in His presence.” It is a veiled reference to the Old Testament practice of placing the showbread on the altar in the Holy Place before the Curtain, allowing it to absorb the glory of God before being eaten by the priests.

Our lives are to be like this in today’s world; so filled with the absorbed presence of the Lord that others experience Him for themselves when they are around us.

The classic poem by A.S. Wilson says it best, “Not merely in the words you say, not only in your deeds confessed; but in the most unconscious way is Christ expressed. Is it a beatific smile, a holy light upon your brow? Oh no; I felt His presence when you laughed just now.”

There was a hymn we sang during my childhood, “Let others see Jesus in you. Keep telling the story, be faithful and true; let others see Jesus in you.”

Seeing that you love GOd and have been called accoring to His purpose, now make it your purpose to live your life today so that others may see Jesus in you.

The Gods We Serve

“As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.” (Psalm 17:15)

I met a wolfman the other day. His name was Phil, and he was playing golf. He had deep set, steely blue eyes tucked under thick, bushy eyebrows and a sloping forehead, topped with vampire hair; black and shiny, and combed strait back. He looked like Little Eddy on the Munsters all grown up.

He had a pointed nose and a wry, sly smile. When he spoke, you got the sense that he thought himself to be clever. He was never more than three minutes without a cigarette dangling coolly from his puckered lips, while his eyes continually scanned the surroundings for any sign of a woman. Any woman.

When he spotted one he froze like a predator sizing up its prey, tongue hanging loosely from his mouth with a string of drool falling in slow motion downward, puddling on the toe of his left shoe.

“Ooooooo-weeee!” he would squeal, “Look at that fine, sweet thing! Um, um, um; my, my, my.” And then, just like that, he would return to whatever activity he had been previously engaged in. On this day it was golf.

Phil’s buddy, a guy named Dale, was but a pup. Nervous laughter over Phil’s incessant crudeness betrayed Dale’s secret voyeurisms. One got the feeling that he hung around for the scraps after the wolfman struck.

I once heard that the gods we serve write their names on our faces. Phil, the wolfman, served the god of lust – and it was written all over his face.

What God do others see when they look at you?

Two Thieves in the Palace

“Let not your heart be troubled; neither let it be afraid.” (John 14:27)

There are two thieves waiting to ransack your life. These unscrupulous scoundrels will seize upon any opportunity they find, and once given access into the unsuspecting soul they will trash the palace with utter disregard to the value of its priceless treasures. Their names are Hurry and Worry.

“Let not your heart be troubled,” Jesus said. The word he used means to be agitated like boiling water. In other words, don’t be over heated and in a hurry. Jesus went on to say, “Don’t be afraid.” The word here means cowardly and unbelieving. Hurry will trouble your heart, and worry will make it afraid. And both will ruin your life.

What a bizarre pairing they make -- inseparably linked in bipolar tension and continually at war with each other.

Hurry always runs ahead, while worry lags behind. Hurry is reckless; Worry is cautious. Hurry sees only those things that speed him on his way, while Worry sees only those things that are in the way and are sure to cause a problem.

Hurry never sees the thousands of little things that make life truly worth living. Worry sees nothing but a thousand little things, none of which have anything to do with life at all.

Hurry never thinks about the consequences of hasty choices, and Worry never makes a choice at all – for it might be the wrong one.

These two thieves are forever pulling in opposite directions. God pity the man or woman whose is filled with hurry and worry. Oh hear the words of Jesus as He speak straight to you – “Let not your heart be troubled; neither let it be afraid.”

The Guy Who Called it Quits

“Now the just shall live by faith; but if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him." (Hebrews 10:38)

The summer sun was unseasonably hot. The strength and conditioning coach, nicknamed “Mad Dog” by the players, seemed unreasonably intense as he pushed harder and harder upon those trying out for the football team during two-a-days in August 1990. The college football world was buzzing with the University of Colorado’s golden season the year before, and now everybody wanted on the bandwagon.

There were two guys in particular who showed up supposing they could make it as walk-ons. They were flabby and undisciplined, yet had real potential. I watched as day after day “Mad Dog” pushed these two guys beyond their limits. Drill after drill, lap after lap. He was trying to get them in shape to make the team.

I will never forget the afternoon when these two guys rounded the far corner of the football field on lap five, and suddenly stopped in their tracks. Hands on their hips, heads hanging down, chests heaving for air – they gathered themselves for that long, lonely walk across the field to the coach.

“You guys calling it quits?” the coach asked. “Yeah, coach,’ they answered, “it’s harder than we thought it would be.”

"Alright, then,” coach responded, “you guys get in shape and come back next season and try again.”

With that the two walked off the field toward the locker room. What happened next is why I remember this scene so vividly all these years later. The strength and conditioning coach, a hard-nosed disciplinarian dedicated to excellence, watched those two guys walk away—and his eyes filled with tears.

“Damn,” he quietly whispered, “those guys could’ve been champions. All they had to do was finish that last lap and they were on the team.”

I was astounded to see how much he truly loved these guys, and how close they came to reaching their dreams—only to walk away. This was driven home with force a few months later when the University of Colorado football team played Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl and won a share of the 1991 National Championship.

Those two guys watched the game on TV—when they could have been playing on the field. What about you? Are you going to quit in the final lap because the going is too hard? Are you going to walk off the field and let your dream fade away? Or, are you going to hang tough and go the distance?

The Bible says, “Now the just shall live by faith; but if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him.’ But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul” (Heb.10:38,39).

Finish this lap, my friend. You are closer to the prize than you realize!

The Extraordinary Life

“… because of the extraordinary grace God has shown you.” (2Co 9:14, NIV)

King David wrote, “The entrance of Your words give light; it gives understanding to the simple” (Psalm 119:130). I like the way Eugene Peterson puts this in The Message, “Every word You give me is a miracle word-- how could I help but obey? Break open Your words, let the light shine out, let ordinary people see the meaning.”

Elsewhere the Bible says, “This man, Daniel, distinguished himself among the other officials and rulers because there was an extraordinary spirit in him” (Daniel 6:3).

God is in the business of making ordinary people into extraordinary individuals. He does it through the transforming power of His Word, and by the extraordinary grace He gives to each one of us. This is what He wants to do with you.

“Follow Me,” Jesus said to Simon Peter, “and I will make you a fisher of men.” Peter did so and stepped into history. We may do the same today. While you may not regard yourself as an extraordinary individual, you can nevertheless witness many extraordinary things in your life as you seek to faithfully follow Jesus, our extraordinary Savior.

God did extraordinary miracles through Paul” (Acts 19:11), whose to say He can’t do the same through you?

And, besides, why not wait until it’s all said and done before you sell yourself short. You may very well be much more extraordinary than you think…because of the extraordinary grace God has shown you.

Extraordinary, isn't it?

The Voice in the Crowd

“Wisdom shouts in the streets wherever crowds gather.” (Proverbs 1:20, Contemporary English Version)

Did you know that God wants to talk to you? Even in the midst of a thousand different distractions, there is one Voice that can always be heard – but only by those who want to hear. It is the voice of Wisdom.

"Wisdom goes out in the street and shouts. At the town center she makes her speech. In the middle of the traffic she takes her stand. At the busiest corner she calls out: 'Simpletons! How long will you wallow in ignorance? Cynics! How long will you feed your cynicism? Idiots! How long will you refuse to learn? About face! I can revise your life. Look, I'm ready to pour out my spirit on you; I'm ready to tell you all I know.'" (Proverbs 1:20-23, The Message).

You would think such an offer would be quickly seized, but not so. Instead, there is broad rejection of Wisdom, with little regard to the consequence.

“I've called,” Wisdom says, “but you've turned a deaf ear; I've reached out to you, but you've ignored me. Since you laugh at my counsel and make a joke of my advice, How can I take you seriously? I'll turn the tables and joke about your troubles!

“What if the roof falls in, and your whole life goes to pieces? What if catastrophe strikes and there's nothing to show for your life but rubble and ashes? You'll need me then. You'll call for me, but don't expect an answer. No matter how hard you look, you won't find me.

"Because you hated Knowledge and had nothing to do with the Fear-of-GOD; “because you wouldn't take my advice and brushed aside all my offers to train you, well, you've made your bed -- now lie in it; you wanted your own way -- now, how do you like it?” (Proverbs 1:24-31, The Message).

It makes sense doesn’t it? If we will not listen to what God says when He calls out to us, why should He have to listen to us when we call out to Him? I had a friend; at least I thought he was a friend. But despite how often I called him, wrote him, emailed him, or tried to get together with him – he would never answer. So I stopped. Do you think maybe the Lord does the same?

With so many voices filling the air, let’s give the highest regard for the one voice that truly matters – the Voice of Wisdom.

The Dangerous Prayer

“You took a risk trusting Me, and now you're healed and whole. Live well, live blessed!" (Luke 8:48 The Message)

As a young man in the first few furlongs of my lifelong journey with Jesus, a preacher taught me a prayer which I have never forgotten it. It is a prayer every person can pray -- indeed, a prayer every person must pray.

But, I must warn you….it is a dangerous prayer. It is simple, yet profound; specific, and yet comprehensive. It contains both a humble plea, as well as an audacious faith. This prayer is not likely to be prayed by people who are ambiguous about pleasing God, and it certainly would never find voice among those who are always concerned about pleasing man.

Nevertheless, it is a prayer that must be prayed.

But, it is dangerous. Dangerous because it is irreversible; it will most certainly be answered by God, even though at times you’ll wish you’d never prayed it. Once He hears this prayer rise from your heart, the inevitable answer is set in motion – and all future cries to the contrary will fall as duds to the floor.

OK. I’ve given you fair warning. You now proceed at your own risk. I must caution you, however, that merely reading this prayer can be misconstrued by God as you actually praying it. So if there is any measure of cowardice in you stop right now! Do not proceed!!

But for those who are faithful and courageous, and who hunger for God to use your life to make a difference in this world – here’s the dangerous prayer:

Lord Jesus, do in me anything you need to do, so that you can do through me everything you want to do. Amen.

Those who take this risk and trust Jesus with their lives, will find healing and wholeness over the course of their great adventure; they will live well, and be blessed in every way. And that, my friend, is worth taking the risk.

Sounds Like a Plan to Me

“Be it unto me according to Your word.” Luke 1:38

Of the many grand declarations in scripture, few are more wondrous than this – “If any one be in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Co. 5:17).

It is true. God can change any life and alter the course of history by so doing. “Before I shaped you in the womb, I knew all about you,” God said to Jeremiah. “Before you saw the light of day, I had holy plans for you.”

Do you suppose that God might have known all about you before He shaped you in your mother’s womb? Of course He did! And in the same way He had holy plans for Jeremiah, so also He has holy plans for you. But the problem is that there are two other sets of plans competing against God’s will.

There are your plans, and the devil’s plans. Neither of these can compare with the first, yet most of us choose either of them instead of going God’s way. And the results are always disastrous in the end.

The best thing you can do for your life, and for the future generations that come from you, is to answer the call God has upon your life.

It is a call to a person, Jesus Christ; a call to give your life over to Him by faith, trusting Him to make you the person God created you to be. It is also a call to a purpose greater than yourself; a purpose for which you are gifted, and in which you will be empowered once you say yes.

“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.” (Jer.29:11).

Sounds like a plan to me!

Defeated by Fog

“We're squinting in a fog, peering through a mist.” I Corinthians 13:12, The Message

On July 4th, 1952, Florence Chadwick, a San Diego stenographer, dove off of Catalina Island to swim 22 miles across the ocean to the California coastline. Her goal was to cross the channel in record time. Long-distance swimming was not new to her. She had been the first woman to swim the English Channel in both directions, successfully setting the world record for two consecutive years (1950 and 1951). She had proven herself capable of the challenge.

It was a very foggy day. The water was choppy and icy cold. The fog was so thick that at times Chadwick lost site of the guide boat that followed close by for her safety. And then there were the sharks -- ever present in their circling stalk. Several times the sharks had to be driven away with rifle fire.

Despite these difficulties Florence swam more than 15 hours before she asked to be taken out of the water. Though her trainer urged her to continue, she stopped before she reached the shore.

It was later discovered that she was in fact within sight of the shoreline, but had been unable to see it because of the thick fog. Realizing she had come so close to reaching her goal, Chadwick said to the reporters covering the story, “I could’ve made it if I had seen the land.”

A few months following this attempt she made a successful swim and reached her goal -- on a clear day. It wasn’t the fear, it wasn’t the fatigue, and it wasn’t the frustration that stopped Florence Chadwick from reaching the land. It was the fog.

The question we must each ask ourselves is this, “Will we let the fog stop us.”

Paul said, “We don't yet see things clearly. We're squinting in a fog, peering through a mist.” That describes much of what we call the Christian Life. That’s why it can only be lived by faith. So, keep at it – despite the cold, the sharks, and the fog -- the shore is closer than you realize.

The Crown of Life

"Blessed is the man who perseveres." James 1:12

James tells us that if we hold up under pressure and stay the course when others are dropping out, we receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him. Did you catch that? It's the crown of life -- that means we get to wear it here, not when we get to heaven. There are plenty of other crowns for that ocassion.

One of the most stirring examples of persevering until the crown is given is found in the story of a man we all know. His first attempt at business failed. He tried politics and within only one year failed there also. He went back to the business sector for yet another try, and failed again. That’s three failures in three years.

He struggled for the next two years and then suffered a nervous breakdown. After taking two years to recover, he tried once again in the political world and was defeated in his bid to be elected as Speaker of the House.Two years later he made his bid to be appointed as the Elector and was again defeated.

Three years after this he ran for a seat in Congress and was defeated. He waited five years to run for office again, and was again defeated. He spent the next seven years as a relative unknown in the private sector and then ran yet again for a political office -- this time in the Senate. Again, he was defeated. The following year he was nominated by his party to be the candidate for Vice-President, but was defeated along with his running mate in the general election.

After two more years he tried again for the Senate seat but again was defeated. Then, after another two years later, in 1860, Abraham Lincoln was elected as the 16th President of the United States!

Twenty four years of sheer endurance! What if he had quit twenty three years into the process?! It would have been a great loss to everyone. And why on earth should you quit – seeing you have already come this far?

Stay with it, my friend; there is a crown of life awaiting you. And we will celebrate your success!

Contending With Horses

"How shall you contend with horses?" (Jeremiah 12:5)

Jeremiah, a young man facing opposition and growing increasingly impatient, complained to the Lord about the injustice in life -- the wicked prosper, and the righteous suffer, and God seems to sit back in silence. “Lord, I have a problem here – why do the wicked prosper, and the faithless always succeed?”

Have you ever wanted to say something to God along those lines? Before you do, you should hear how He answered young Jeremiah's complaint.

"Jeremiah," the Lord said, "if you get tired in a race against people, how can you possibly run against horses? And if you complain in fields of ease, what will happen when your encounter the high tides of the turbulent Jordan?”

There God goes again, speaking in riddles. What on earth does this mean? He is telling Jeremiah that tough times are ahead, and these present difficulties are only preparing him for the steeper climb. And the question God puts to him is the same we must answer in our ever darkening world.

And even though the wicked may seem to have it made now; in that day when their world comes crashing down around them, will you have what it takes to stand?

If we cannot handle the inconvenience of the smaller thing, then how shall we meet the challenge of the greater thing? If we stumble over that which is now before us, how shall we advance to that which is yet beyond us?

To be sure, the Lord wants us to make measured moves to greater levels of opportunity and responsibility, but the climb is beset with necessary challenges that can only be mounted by an unflinching faith. Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. said, “Faith is the highest passion in a human being. Many in every generation may not come that far, but none comes further.”

None but those who contend with horses.