MY PLANS / HIS PLANS

 

The plans I make for my life aren't always God's plans.

Let me rephrase that.
The plans I make for my life are never the same as God's plans.
The one lesson I have come to learn is that when Scripture says I am to "Trust in the Lord"....it means just what it says.
I don't have to spiritualize it.
I don't have to say, "Well, it is speaking metaphorically".
What is, is.
I don't know how you feel about this, but God isn't too interested in our plans.
My plans usually involved what will bring comfort to me.
What can aid me in getting an advantage in life.
Plans that benefit me and bring nothing to God.

I hear some quote (I've been guilty of it) Jeremiah 29:11 - "For 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." We tend to quote this verse in a way that makes us thing that everything that is going to happen to us will be okey-dokey and top of the world. I don't know that it plays out like we tend to view it will.

Case in point: One couple, Joseph and Mary.
They had plans.
They were going about the business of making their plans and dreams come true.
Weddings....
Betrothals......
Parties.......
Family.......
A home and children.......
All the things a young couple looks forward to.
But before any of it can happen, God shows up. Well, actually the angel Gabriel speaking on behalf of God.

Here is a Michael B paraphrase of what the angel told Mary.....
"I appreciate all you have done. I know you have plans for your future, but God has other plans."
"You are going to become pregnant and give birth to His Son. The one you and your people have been searching for-----The Messiah...... The Christ."

Mary is thinking....."Wait a minute. If I'm pregnant before I am married to Joseph.......This might not be a good thing."
Here is the rub.
In life, we can reach for the good things.......
Or we can wait and receive the God things.....
Yes, there would be talk about Mary and her pregnancy.
Yes, there would be those who would cut ties to Mary and shun her.
But the plans of God took precedent over the plans of Joseph and Mary.
They became THE couple, picked by God to fulfill this particular portion of his eternal plan to redeem mankind and break the penalty of sin.

I must.....I must.....I must be willing to lay down my plans to pick up and receive God's.
It may not look like what I think it should.
It may not involve what I would want to do.
But in the end, the words of Jeremiah 29:11 still ring true.

Mary spoke and said, "I am the Lord's servant, may it be to me as you have said."

Merry Christmas!
mb

I STILL MISS HIM TO THIS DAY

 Last month was the  36th anniversary of the day my dad died.

Many years have passed since his death, but it seems like only yesterday.

I still find myself when certain things happen, thinking

"I need to call dad and tell him about this."

36 years is a long time. A lot has happened to me and my family. We have changed.

My oldest son was 10 years old when dad died.

My youngest was 8.

They remember him but not with great clarity.

My oldest is now 47 and youngest 44. Both married with families and jobs and future concerns, balancing life and chasing God.

My oldest son has a tendency to stand exactly like my dad did,

and he isn't even aware that he does it.

My dad didn't come to be saved until shortly before his death.

For that I am grateful.
Cancer robbed his brain and the ability to think straight. Near the end, my dad was no longer himself.

I remember getting the call at work on a Tuesday that I had better

get to the nursing home where dad was.

Time was short and the doctor didn't expect him to make it through the night.

It's hard for a son to walk in and see what's left of his father.

By that, I mean a man who was tall and strong and had a voice

that was brusk and husky. Now here he lay a mere shadow of

the man he use to be.

Wires and tubes and equipment all around him.
The look in his eyes was of bewilderment as if to say

"Where am I? What's happened to me?"

Dad drifted in and out of sleep that afternoon and around 5 p.m. seemed

to make a swift turn around.

He woke up hungry ready to eat supper.

I stayed with him as the rest of the family left.

As dad ate supper we talked. I don't remember much about the conversation other

than he seemed in really good spirits.

He pushed his tray away and announced that he was finished with supper

and that he wanted to sleep some more.

I sat next to him praying over him asking for God's mercy to

be extended to Huley Benton Bynum.

Around 9 p.m. dad woke up.

Looking around the room, he turned to me and asked, "who are all these people?"

"What people?" I replied as there was no one in the room except for dad and me.

"They are everywhere! Look how bright their clothes are!"

I believe that at the point, the veil between this reality and the reality of heaven

was parted and my dad saw what lay beyond.

He continued for a few more minutes talking about all the people and what

they looked like.
Conversation seemed to be going on but he couldn't make out what they were saying.

Eventually he lay his head back on his pillow and closed his eyes drifting into sleep.

I stood over his bed and looked into the face of a man I had seen a gajillion times.
That night it was like I was seeing him for the first time.

He looked so peaceful.

He had lived a hard life.

Times were hard as he grew up.

He worked and his hands were hard and calloused to show the years of hard labor he had spent.

His wife, my mother, had departed this world four years earlier and somehow

I don't think he ever recovered from her death.

My mom and he had enjoyed the last few years of her life, going places and

meeting friends for meals and good times.

Without her, he seemed to be incomplete.

Now it was his turn.

Around 4 a.m. the nurse came by and said, "Don't you live nearby?" I replied, "yes."

She said, "why don't you run home and shower, change clothes and come back."
I didn't really want to but I was tired.

She said that she would sit with dad while I was gone.

I left.

As I walked in the front door of my home, the phone rang.

It was the nurse.

Dad had died shortly after I left.

She was very apologetic.

I assured her it was o.k., but deep inside I wished I had been there

with him.

Even to this day, the thought of my dad's death, and him being a alone is painful.

On the anniversary of his death, I remember all the good things about him.

How he loved his family.

His laugh.

His love for dogs.

At the end...

How he came to Jesus, old in years but innocent like a child.

I look forward to the day when family will

be reunited.

After all....

Family is all we have.

Merry Christmas!

mb

THE FIZZLE RECOVERY

 

Galatians 1:6
I am shocked that you are turning away so soon from God, who called you to Himself through the loving mercy of Christ. You are following a different way that Pretends to be the Good News.

Been a long time in this recovery stuff....
Seen a lot of people make the move from addiction to sobriety.
Seen some try to do it in their own strength and ability....
Putting sheer will against this thing....this enemy that has had them under its thumb.
Those seem to fail more often than not.
But the ones that amaze me the most are what I called "Fireworks".
The explode into a night sky, lighting up everything around them.
They are noisy and create quiet a scene.
But as soon as they are there for everyone to see, they fade and vanish into the night

They enter into recovery and receive some teaching, and all of a sudden the lights come on.
Such "light-coming-on" involves a religious experience that sets them on fire.
But rather than listen to the voices of reason that are trying to help them, they reject them.
"I've got Jesus.....I don't need anything or anyone else"....
I do not doubt the experience.
I do not doubt the encounter the person had with Christ.
What I see is a person who is all caught up in the euphoria of meeting Jesus to the point that they think this is the pinnacle, rather than the beginning, of a relationship with Him.
Because they have no solid foundation of truth in their hearts, along with the simple fact that are like new born babies, they fall away at the least sign of trouble. They go back to old ways and old thoughts when they encounter something that is perceived by them to be hard or difficult. Rather than seek advice and direction from God (or even others who have some years of following Jesus)  they make their own choices.

I think maybe Matthew 13: 6-7 sums it up best.
Other seeds fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The seeds sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow. But the plants soon wilted under the hot sun, and since they didn't have deep roots they died.

Jesus goes on in Matthew 13:20-21 to explain what He was really saying.
The seed on the rock soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. But since they don't have deep roots, they don't last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God's word.

We all need to remember that his journey we call recovery is not 100-meter dash, with the winner being the fastest. It is a marathon.....long, hard, and time consuming....but won only by those who stay the course. Won by those who are dedicated to the idea of "slow and steady wins the race". To those who are bound by the idea of "Spiritual progress" rather than spiritual perfection.

So lace up those shoes and lets be about the business of overcoming this day that has been set before us....
Just this day....this 24 hour period....
Just this day....not tomorrow.
One day at a time.....

God on you....
mbb

AND GOD SAID----

 

(This was from December 17, 2012 Greene Street Letters)

Genesis 1:3
Then God said.........

Lot's of God-haters out there....
Especially after this past weekend.
"Where was God when those innocent children were being killed by that mad man?"
"I can't believe in a God who would let such things happen to children!"
I catch myself, in such times as these, wondering myself.
Not "where was God?"
But how it all fits together.
You see, I think we, as humans, want these kind of events to fit in a nice, neat little package of understanding. But they won't. It is hard for us to balance our theology with the acts of a mad man. Here is Christmas....a time of love and peace on earth....Tell that to the parents of those who lost children.
You can't make sense out of that which is insane and inhuman.
There aren't any answers to satisfy our human understanding.
I'm not going to sit here and act as though such events as the murder of children doesn't affect God. I truly believe it does.
I believe that God grieves over the actions of sinful men and women.
I believe that God is stirred when free-will and choice runs contrary to His desires.
Maybe that is what we are suppose to see and understand.
That what I do and the choices I make do affect those around me.
I don't believe for one moment that God allowed this to happen to teach us a lesson.
Lessons come from every event....
We learn from every situation.

You see, I believe that such events as the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting was conceived and carried out by the devil himself. He has no qualms about the destruction of innocents. It bothers him not in the least to see suffering and pain. In fact such things only butter his bread and whets his appetite. But at every turn, God will bring out of the destruction...out of the pain....out of the darkness......light.
No matter what the devil does....
God has the last word....
..."And God said!"
The devil may work through the deeds and dark hearts of those who are outside of God's grace ..but God himself will speak to the hearts of those who have suffered the greatest loss. These words that God will say to them are not hollow....or flowery.....or meant to give a paper mache' hope....When God speaks, it is the building of a firm foundation within the heart of those parents who have lost children.
No matter how dark it may fall upon the lives of these men and women....
God is there to speak into that darkness and show them the eternal light of his purpose and grace and yes.........even his love.
The devil may have taken the lives of those children in a heinous act of hatred and gunfire.....
But God himself ushered each one of those precious souls into his presence.
The separation between each child and parent is not forever.....
There is comfort in knowing that there will be a reunion...
How do I know this?
Because God said it....

God on you...
mb

WE ARE "SO" LOVED

Sometimes I sit down to write something....and the well is empty. Nothing seems to come to mind. You began thinking back over verses you've read....over things you've heard others preach about....over worship songs that have been among your favorites....but nothing comes to mind. I even consider just typing out something to fill up space, but that is more "self" than God. In other words, I need to churn something out so that others may think me to be spiritual. How sick is that? But that is the way the "old man" sneaks up to wrestle control from me.

Then out of nothing, comes something. Oh it may seem insignificant at first, but the insignificance  you are feeling is that because what has come to your mind is something that most everyone knows....most everyone has heard....and most everyone is familiar with. Yet THIS thought won't go away. So you begin to roll it around in your heart and mind.

In this case, it was six words. Six simple words....

"For God so loved the world." Here in is the basis for everything we, as believers in Christ, hang our hopes, heart, and hat on. That in spite of the darkness that fills this world....in spite of the hatred between people's....in spite of the death and destruction that rolls over this planet...there is a God who was moved by His love for His creation, that He stepped in and did something about all this mess.

"What did He do?" You may ask. "Did He wave a magic wand, or say some mystical words to set right all the wrong that we have brought upon each other?" No. The best way I can explain it is in this example.

Imagine you're in a huge building and a fire breaks out. At first the fire is small you see no need to panic. Only problem is that this building only has one door which leads to safety. The fire is burning...people are stirring, but there isn't any panic........yet.

The fire grows in intensity, and there at the back of the room is God calling out to everyone to make their way to the door so they can exit. Instead of following His direction, people are milling about, looking for other doors or windows. You hear cries of "I can't believe that there is only one way out." The fire starts to spread.

You know the rest...Those who answer God's call to move through the door are ushered into a safe place. Those who refuse will probably perish. I know this is a very simple analogy, but the truth is God has provided a way for us to not only escape this world, but to have an eternal relationship with Jesus. 

Some will say that God is mean and spiteful. That He should have rushed in and dragged everyone out. First off....God is not mean...such is why the verse from John 3:16 reads...."For God SO LOVED the world." It was His love that moved Him to send His Son to be the ransom payment that you and I owed for our sins. A debt that we could never pay. 

For me, Christmas is God giving the ultimate gift to mankind. His Son. Taking on the form of man, He came to this sin-sick world to become "THE WAY" for us to have relationship with God. He came that we might no longer be under the dominion of sin.

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."

May you know Him today.

Merry Christmas from the Bynum's---Vicki and Michael.

 

UPDATE

 

I've been home since December 4th. As Paul McCartney would say..."Stuck inside these four walls....trapped inside forever." Well, maybe not the "forever part" but it has been an unusual experience. I tested positive for the virus that seems to be lurking in everyone's jam cabinet, or hiding under the front door mat.

I've been fairly healthy all my life, so this extended home confinement is out of the ordinary for me. As my wife has told others on several occasions since my confinement..."He doesn't know how to be sick." I consider that to be a good thing. That I'm not use to having to deal with different situations when sickness occurs. I guess I got my dad's genes in this matter.

Anyway, this situation has given me time to read, write, study and pray. It has also given me time to drink more water and liquids than I ever have, rallying under the battle cry of "Stay hydrated." More liquids means more trips to the bathroom. In turn, the old kidney's were getting a work out like they've never had before.

Here on Saturday, December 11th, I am gaining back my strength, yet realizing that I still have to guard myself against overdoing it and having a relapse. This has truly been an unusual start to the Christmas season for me. Having had this setback with the virus, we are going to end this year in an unusual fashion. When I say "we," I am referring to ReCovery Church.

Tonight: 7 p.m. / we'll be having our Saturday night meeting. My wife, Vicki, will be teaching, and there will be worship and ministry.

December 18th /  Will be our Saturday breakfast giveaway at the church. No meeting that night.

December 25th - Christmas Day /  We will be serving a "limited" breakfast that morning at the church, and hopefully provide some items that will help those in need.

January 1st - New Years Day /  We will have our regular breakfast giveaway @ the church.

Once we move into January, I will be posting the times for our night service. I appreciate your patience as we continue to push ahead with what we feel God has called us to.

Merry Christmas from Vicki and Michael

The Bynum's

KEEPING IT REAL

 

December the 10th! We are headed for Christmas day at a full gallop. The commercials seem to be more numerous, and somewhat befuddling. The message that is sent out is that if you really love someone....I mean a real-red-alert-die-for-you love someone, then you'll buy them a new mattress, diamond ring, or at least a new car or truck.

Me? I try to keep things in balance. In other words, I don't drink the world's kool-aid, and I don't eat from the plate of religion. I recognize that Christmas is actually a two sided coin that is presented each year.

The world shows us non-descript shepherds, neatly lounging around their campfire in the latest offering from Northside. While the other side (and the truth) is that these men were considered by society to less than desirable. They were among the lowest of the low. Don't you find it strange that we virtually know nothing about this group? We don't know their names....
We don't know their history....

Yet The God of the Universe chose these men to announce the birth of His Son.

A message of good tidings and great joy....

A SAVIOR HAS BEEN BORN!

Then there is the matter of the two parents of Jesus...

About the only thing these two had goin on was the fact that they could 

trace their genealogy according to the temple records. Very important to someone who lived during that time.
Never mind that these two were as poor as Job' turkey.

Luke 2:24 tells us that Mary and Joseph, after the birth of Jesus, came to the Temple to offer their sacrifice in keeping with the Law of the Lord.

What was their offering? A bull? A sheep? A goat? Nope.

A pair of doves (they might have been pigeons.)

This was the very least a person could offer and fulfill the Law.

The thing about this event of the birth of Jesus is that the spiritual darkness of this world was stirred by His appearance.

As much as Marry, Joseph, Elizabeth and Zechariah, celebrated the birth of Jesus and John....The world sought to destroy them.

Jesus birth, as joyful as it was too Mary and Joseph, unleashed a hellish dash by Herod's soldiers to destroy this new born king.

Mother's all over the region sat, weeping and wailing, holding the lifeless bodies of their sons in their arms.

Funny how we do  not see this on any commercials.

Hatred is easily hidden under the garments of religion.

SO when you find yourself singing "Joy To The World", keep in mind the song 

doesn't say "Joy From The World."

It is the Joy of the Lord that split the darkness that Judean night in a stable.

A place that smelled of dung and urine, and animals, was the palace chosen by God to bring forth the greatest King of kings this world has ever known.

Let the birth of Christ be a starting point from which you set out this coming year to know Him better. In the process, you'll probably learn something about yourself.

Merry Christmas from Vicki and Michael

The Bynum's