Not sure how you did with math in school but I at least came out being able to do computations in my head very well. But when it came to Algebra or Geometry or Trigonometry I was lost. But I do know this, if you are outnumbered in anything you can feel overwhelmed and sometimes defeated.
Unless that is of course, if God is in it. To him the Math Doesn't Matter. Take the example of Jesus feeding the 5000 folks who listened to his powerful sermon but were getting hungry. His disciples mentioned they needed to be fed and asked him what they should do about it. He looked at them and said you feed them. He did this of course to prove that God could do what man could not. He prayed then made 5000 three piece dinners out of 5 loaves and 2 fishes, with leftovers. You can also look at David in 1 Samuel 17 going up against Goliath, a 5 foot something kid versus a 9 foot giant with armor that probably weighed more than David. No one dared fight him except David who had an unwavering confidence in what God had done in his life (killed a lion and a bear bare handed) and in his faith that God would not be defeated by "an uncircumcised Philistine". David stoned him to death and cut his head off because when God is involved The Math Doesn't Matter. That includes our fight against addiction or any other sin that we may be trying to overcome. The odds may seem against us, the relapses and rehabs may be piling up but God has no equal. No drug, no charges, no overwhelming desperation phases him. Finally look at Elisha in 2 Kings 6. Caught giving the foreign King's battle plans to his Israelite King we pick it up when he was surrounded and his servants reported there were horses and chariots surrounding them and he said "What shall we do?". As Jesus prayed before distributing that food, Elisha prayed "Open his eyes so he could see". When the servant looked again he saw hills full of horses and chariots of fire from the Lord. Of course you know who won that battle because when God is in it The Math Doesn't Matter. Feeling overwhelmed yourself, odds stacking up against you - say a prayer and look around - they are there, maybe a couple thousand angels extending their arms to you and saying we got you. Dare I say it one more time, please memorize for a later test - when God is in it The Math Doesn't Matter! PS. Credit to Pastor Steven Furtick for my blog title!
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What do you believe? How did you come to believe it? Passed down through generations, written in books, taught in school, heard from your parents, or maybe learned in the lessons of life.
Belief powers action. We believe in our cause we fight for it. We believe in our sports teams we travel far and wide to see them, cheering on like crazy people. We believe in our country, we are ready to do battle to protect our freedom. We believe in ourselves, there is no telling how far we can go. From a spiritual standpoint, what do you believe? And because you do what are you willing to do for it? I read something so simple yet profound in John 6 this morning: Then they asked him, "What must we do to do the work God requires?" Jesus answered "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent." This question came from Jewish brethren who were used to having to follow a strict set of rules. The answer Jesus gave must have been too simple for them as later in that same passage some of his disciples turned away from him, which prompts another question from me. Why do we complicate Christianity? Belief should be enough to propel action like in making disciples, being kind and compassionate, being someone people can count on, or sharing love above and beyond normal? But instead we are still trying to make rules that others must comply with. Truth is if we believe we will follow the moral code he gives us and like him, do the works of the father out of love not rule keeping. We will not just be rabid fans, we will take ownership of the gift of redemption he has given us and open it up to share with others. Later on in John 8 he added another caveat that extended the belief to action: If you remain in my word, you will be truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. We are now free to roam the planet talking about Jesus, just believe! There are days, there are moments, there are critical decisions to be made that are most difficult because we just think they are too hard to deal with. We don't want to do it but we have to Do Them Anyway.
We can look at Naaman, the commander of the army of the King of Aram in the Bible in 2 Kings 5 as a wonderful example of this. He was a great man and a valiant soldier, suffering from a greatly disarming disease - leprosy. The servant of his wife suggested that Naaman go see the prophet in Samaria who could cure him. Somehow the instructions got skewed as the King of Aram wrote a letter to the King of Israel suggesting that he could cure Naaman, and the King knowing he had no power to do this thought he was being set up for a quarrel. But the prophet Elisha heard about what happened and sent for Naaman. So Naaman knocks on Elisha's door but instead of a face to face with the prophet Elisha sends his messenger. The instructions: go wash in the Jordan river seven times and you will be healed. No problem right? On the contrary Naaman was mad that he was disrespected because after all he was highly regarded and a valiant warrior. Elisha didn't see him personally, but he must have forgot he had leprosy. He was in a rage, he said why couldn't the prophet just wave his hands over me and cure me, or why couldn't he wash in the rivers of Damascus, but his servants convinced him he needed to follow Elisha's instructions. He did so and was cleansed and healed from his disease. This just proves to us as humans that when we are asked to things we are uncomfortable with in uncomfortable places (if it is the right thing for us), we need to Do It Anyway, often to be cleansed of our problems whatever they might be. We can't deviate from the plan or it won't happen. If you remember, Jesus sweated blood (Luke 22) in the Garden of Gethsemane thinking about how difficult it would be to take the weight of the world's sins on his shoulders. He asked for that cup to pass but eventually just asked that God's will be done. Then, when he needed his apostles to comfort him they all fell asleep and cared little for his welfare. In fact an angel had to come and comfort the Lord. He might have been thinking why he should he die for these clowns? But he Did It Anyway because it was the only way we could be cleansed of our sins. It was his purpose, his divine instructions. Next time we think that something may too hard for us to do, think about Jesus, and where we'd be if he failed to follow those instructions! What are you a follower of, Tik-Tok, Twitter (X), Facebook, the Atlanta Braves, Georgia Bulldogs, Jesus Christ or some music group? We have lots of choices of what to follow but the question is how much we are following?
The options we pick can define who we are. In our present society we can look for the quick fix, the immediate satisfaction option, and become a living microwave organism existing by whatever makes us feel good right now. Those of us who have been through addiction recovery are well aware of the pitfalls of a life lived like this and the emptiness it brings. We can also be much like the game show Let's Make A Deal. We make decisions on what's behind door #1, door #2 or door #3 and we waffle back and forth with uncertainty looking for the big prize of the day. In one episode the contestant was asked for her door pick and hers was door #3. When asked why she chose #3 she responded that it was her number and she was sticking with it, that was her trusted option. Naturally she won the big prize of the day, a trip to Belize, but that wasn't all. She also won a trip to Tuscany, Italy making the deal worth over $21,000. By choosing what she knew would work she was blessed with abundance. So, what if we made God our main option to follow instead of just another option to choose when we are in trouble or despair? I think, in fact I know that when we do he provides everything we need plus bonuses along the way. Here's a comparison for you to consider: 1 Cor 15:10 Bad company corrupts good character. or John 8:12 When Jesus spoke to the people again he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but have the light of life". On the one hand, success and fulfillment. On the other, temporary success immediately followed by failure. When we let Jesus Take The Lead the big prize is always behind his door#3! 3 wise men came, 3 men on the crosses, 3 days in the tomb, 3 years of Jesus ministry, 3 days Paul was blinded, 3 days in the whale for Jonah, 33 years Jesus lived. It'll only take about 3 minutes to select him as your trusted main option to follow! If there is one thing we know a ton about at ATB it's donuts. From the time spent at North Atlanta Church in Dunwoody to the meetings at Campus Church in Norcross to the meetings at SLA, WLP, Mary Hall, Another Option and countless other apartment groups, donuts have taken second priority only to God himself.
While in itself there seems to be nothing massively impressive in donuts (except the wonderful taste), what feeling they create is enormous. I have learned that there is much less joy, lack of attention and appreciation in donut-less meetings. When they are present everything perks up and those who come feel even more valued especially knowing they are free, and someone cared enough to feed them. In the COVID days when we had to do Zoom meetings there were many comments about missing the donuts, so we placed a picture of them on the Zoom to offer comfort. Thus was birthed the famous phrase "Live Donuts" in our current meetings. Seems silly to some but to us it is manna from heaven. When the Lord said "feed my sheep" to Peter we took it literally. And we learned some valuable lessons along the way. No powdered donuts because we have carpet and they always manage to leave a trail, and most importantly, make sure there is a variety because our audience is so diversified. All in all donuts provide food for the body as we attempt to provide food for the soul. It's a combination that helps make our meetings work and enriches the spirit of those who come. Sort of like a Jelly donut that gets better with every bite. Who knows maybe a future logo may have a donut in it, especially one with a hole in it, that would be the one God is trying to fill! |
Glenn YankowskiGlenn is an ex-Marine Viet Nam vet who is also a recovering alcoholic, clean and sober for 30 years. He has been involved in start up and ongoing recovery ministry at North Atlanta Church and Campus for the last two decades. He has a passion for outreach and to spread the message that the answer to lasting and fulfilling recovery from addiction is in a relationship with Jesus Christ. He and the ATB team are available to assist in your questions or needs on an individual basis and will do so maintaining complete confidentiality. You may e-mail him at [email protected]. Archives
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