Cleansed in Surrender

“Follow me,” Jesus said to him, and Levi got up, left everything, and followed him.
Luke 5:27–28

He waved good-bye to his little girl as his estranged wife drove away. As her SUV vanished from sight, his shoulders sagged and his head fell toward his chest. The weight of his circumstances settled heavily as he sensed his world crumbling.
He’d brought this upon himself, but that didn't make the heartache any less painful. They’d been through this before: him getting drunk and losing control, she taking their daughter and staying at her sister’s for a few days. Then her resolve would melt under his charismatic charm, and they would live in fragility, awaiting the next incident. Until now. He had crossed a line even she wouldn't tolerate. This was the final good-bye. Children’s services and attorneys would determine how often he would or wouldn't see his daughter now.
It didn't take a psychologist to see his regret was genuine; he was truly sorry for his actions. But previous pain hadn't been enough to bring about lasting change. Turning back into his now empty house, he realized it was no longer a home.
As his wife’s parting words echoed in his head, he fell to his knees seeking God’s intervention. “If you would give God as much attention as you give that bottle, He could show you who you truly are. Unless you give Him control, you’ll always struggle with alcohol.”

†

To worry and heartache, we give consideration; pain we mostly obey. And yet, even agonizing pain sometimes isn't enough of a motivator to rid us of unwanted behavior. For that there is only one cure: the love and grace of Jesus Christ.
Matthew (Levi) was a tax collector, a publican, one of the vilest of sinners, taxing unscrupulously every person coming to Capernaum. Because of his Roman licensure, Matthew was considered a traitor by the Jews. When Jesus showed up, he must have felt so dirty. But when the Master said, “Follow Me,” the cleansing was complete and immediate. Matthew was changed forever.
There is nothing that does not fall under the grace of our Savior. His simple forgiveness comes in one two-word supplication: “Follow Me.” It only requires our surrender. He promises to do the cleansing.

Prayer

“Help me, Lord! Amen.”

Give Thanks

You are my God, and I will give you thanks.
Psalm 118:28

Hurricane Ike made his presence felt in the Ohio Valley. Four hours of seventy- to eighty-miles-per-hour wind gusts had resulted in widespread power outages and property damage across much of the Great Lakes Region. They had expected torrential rain, but high winds had come in its place. And now some two million homes across Ohio alone were without power.
Ralph had faired better than most, but he had sustained damage nonetheless. He felt that having to clean up tree limbs and debris was nothing compared to the problems faced by those along the Texas-Louisiana coast, especially those on Galveston Island, where there had been loss of life and catastrophic destruction.
Ralph’s compassionate heart battled a sense of guilt regarding his anxiety over the fuel cost of the generator keeping him and two of his neighbors up and running.
Many who hadn’t lost anything except power openly complained about the high cost of fuel to run their generators. Ralph tried to understand their complaints, but it was a struggle. He realized how blessed he was to have weathered the storm. And to that end, he continually gave thanks to God.

†

Finding something to grumble about is easy. And sadly it comes a bit too naturally to a self-indulgent mind-set.
In a world filled with death and destruction, our hearts can become burdened to the point we see only the negative. Instead of a thankful heart for making it through the storm, we find ourselves asking God, “Why did You let this happen?”
Having a sense of entitlement can easily cause us to complain at the slightest inconvenience instead of declaring our gratitude for the things we do have.
Developing a grateful heart by giving thanks requires conscious effort if we’re not used to looking on the brighter side of life. But it pays dividends.
Praising our Creator brings encouragement to our soul. There is much good in our lives, and our attitude and mood improve when we acknowledge it. Learning to praise God through adversity changes us. It lifts us from discouragement to enlightenment.

Prayer

“When I get sidetracked by life, Lord, help me remember what’s important and where to focus my attention. Help me learn to be grateful more often than not. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

Dedicated to my parents: Rev. John & Nell Clouston. 

This event happened to them early in their ministry.

I Trust You

And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:19

They had paid what they could; yet four hundred fifty dollars of debt remained. As their son secretly listened, they lifted this need together before the Lord. The next evening, the pastor and his family headed for the small country church where he’d been filling in during the last month. He’d been preaching there on Sunday evenings so he could preach at his own three-church circuit on Sunday mornings.
Following the service, one of the elders pulled the pastor aside, handing him an envelope, “We collected a love offering before you came tonight. It’s not much, but we’d like you to have it. We sure appreciate your filling in while Pastor Johnson was gone.” As the pastor stood at the back of the church saying goodnight to people as they left, a grizzled old man with a gruff voice and a sharp wit approached. He shook the pastor’s hand and winked, pressing something into it, saying, “Young man, you’re a blessing, but I won’t tell anyone if you don’t!”
Opening the envelope upon returning home, the young couple found $449.50. It was then the pastor remembered the old man’s handshake. Reaching in his pocket, he pulled out a fifty-cent piece, bringing the total to four hundred fifty dollars.

†

Trusting God for everything comes by experience. It’s not automatic, and it requires development. Retrospect causes us to shake our heads, wondering how we could have ever doubted.
The young pastor and his wife would live to experience many more blessings in ways they couldn’t quite comprehend. That’s how a big God does things—in little, intimate ways. We remember it when He stoops low enough that we feel His breath on our face. That’s when we learn about faith and trust. The God who moves mountains moves people to action and, in turn, moves us to trust Him. Divine moments are just that—divine. Learning to recognize them as such comes with experience.

Prayer

“Precious Father, teach me to trust You for everything in my life. Help me to know the difference between wants and needs and use me to help You meet those needs in others’ lives. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

A Great Follower

Come, follow me.
Matthew 4:19

Jesse was in his senior year of high school and still hadn’t gained acceptance to one of the three major colleges on his wish list. He’d sent applications to two of the three but had been denied admittance due to what they stated was “a lack of leadership quality.”
Deciding to try a different approach with the third school, he wrote on his application that he was quite sure they were looking for students who were great leaders. “Eventually I hope to become a great leader. However,” he wrote, “I am a great follower.” Depositing the envelope in the mailbox, he began the tedious wait for their response.
Three weeks later, his father handed him a letter that had arrived that morning. It was his response from the third school. Looking at it with apprehension, he felt this was his last opportunity for acceptance into an Ivy League college. Slowly, he opened the envelope, pulled the letter from it, and read his fate. “We are happy to announce that we have several openings for followers. We were inundated this year with applications from great leaders and needed to fill the requirements for each category. We congratulate you on your acceptance for enrollment.”
Jesse smiled at the amusing response his comment had elicited.

†

Jesus wasn’t looking for great leaders when he called the Twelve. And it’s a good thing for us they didn’t need to be. They were ordinary men with their own faults, yet they each had something that Jesus saw and intended to nurture.
If leadership skills were a requirement, then most likely none of them would have qualified for the position of apostle.
What a lesson for us! These ordinary men couldn’t lead anyone anywhere when Jesus first asked them to leave everything behind and follow him. Yet each one of them dropped everything, deciding to see what this Man could show them.
They were the epitome of the term follower. And over the next three years, they were transformed into great leaders who changed the world.
Before we can become great leaders, we must learn to be great followers.

Prayer

“Lord Jesus, take my hand and lead me. I want to be a great follower. Amen.”

This Man I Call ‘Dad’

“You have asked a difficult thing,” Elijah said, “yet if you see me when I am taken from you, it will be yours—otherwise, it will not.

2Kings 2:10

One day as my father and I visited, I made a request, “Dad, I want a double portion of your anointing…a double portion of your Pastor/Evangelist/Teacher mantle!”

He smiled and teased, “You know that Elisha asked Elijah the same thing, right?”

Pretty sure of where this was going I said, “Yeeees…”

“You have asked a difficult thing,” he said, eyes twinkling. “Yet, if you see me when I am taken from you, it will be yours—otherwise, it will not!”  

We both laughed. I knew there was truth in his jest, but the way he’d said it tickled me.

While driving home, I reflected on the rest of the conversation. I knew I had already received much of who Dad was. And although I didn’t realize it as it was happening, Dad had managed to pour into my life by example.   

He had taught me many things; how to be a man, a good husband and father. He taught me how to use my hands, and not to be afraid to dive right in and get things done. Yet in all the things I learned from watching my father, none was more significant or vital than observing his example of how to be a Christian.   

Dad taught me that Christianity is a lifestyle, not a cliché, and that a life lived unto the Lord is wrought with challenges. Watching him meet those challenges without complaining or grumbling said a lot about the character of this man I call Dad.  

†

My father is a great man of God. He has faithfully served the Lord for more than half a century. I aspire to do the same in my lifetime.   

1Peter 2:21 says, “To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.” Having had my Dad be that example has been a tremendous blessing, one for which I will be forever grateful. I pray that it would be true in your life as well.

Prayer

“Thank You, LORD, for my father. I ask for a double portion of his anointing in my life. In Jesus’ Name I ask this, amen.”

Dedicated to my ‘Dad’, Rev. John A. Clouston

From: More Snapshots: continuing the spiritual journey

By: Craig Clouston

©2011 c.clouston creations, LLC

Call It Like It Is

Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might…

Ecclesiastes 9:10

The tag was applied just as the boy slid into second base…“You’re out!” came the umpire’s call.

In the bleachers, the sliding boy’s parents audibly rejected the call. They were sure their son was safe. “We want a replay!” came their ardent cry.

This being the Little League World Series, the game was being broadcast live and cameras had been watching. Wanting to make sure the call had been correct, play was halted as the footage was reviewed. The tape showed the sliding boy’s foot more than three inches from the bag as the shortstop’s glove made contact with his leg.

But the parents refused to give up, “That was too close to call. He should have been given the benefit of the doubt!” they hollered. Cleary, they didn’t want their son to be penalized for coming up short; they refused to accept the call despite the overwhelming evidence against them.

†

Very close does not equate to good enough. When we fall short of the mark that’s just what it is. Yet, we have coddled a societal mindset that believes to tell a child they’ve fallen short is the equivalent of calling them a failure.

This “Don’t call my child a loser” ideology has fostered a world system where no one is permitted to excel. Hence, we are telling our children it’s impossible to fail by not calling them out when evidence dictates we should. And in doing so, we thwart their will to achieve.  

By facing the truth that he had fallen short, the slider would, by nature, strive to do better the next time. When we rob him of this lesson we tell him there is no reason to try for better results. And therefore, his efforts will not be rewarded above a certain level. It’s just too painful to let him experience the sting that could spur him to greatness.  

Solomon, the wisest man to ever live, says striving is what we are meant to do. Don’t cheat your children out of their natural will to achieve. Call it like it is.

Prayer

“Lord, help me teach my children to try harder when they fall short of the mark instead of shielding them from temporary disappointment. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

Necessary Corrections

A rebuke impresses a man of discernment more than a hundred lashes a fool.
Proverbs 17:10

It was his seventh day in population and he was standing at his cell door for the midday count. Three times each day the inmates were required to stand at their cell doors while guards established their presence.
It hadn't taken him long to learn to be present for each count. The guards hated it when things didn't run smoothly. If you caused problems, it cost you. If an inmate wasn't present for count, he would incur the guards’ wrath.
It was amazing how some inmates would deliberately lay in their bunks, in direct violation of the regulations, just to anger the guards. They saw them as 'authority' figures and it was an open snub on their parts, but they couldn't have cared less. They knew the guards would punish them, but something within them wouldn't allow them to conform.
Troublemakers were given the most demeaning tasks in an effort to correct their behavior. This process was repeated until it broke their will. He’d found out on his second day that oversleeping the morning count would cost him. His sack time had bought him scrub time on the mess hall floors with only a hand brush and a bucket for company.
In three short days, he’d come to understand what the guards had told him: “You’re here because you can’t follow the rules. You are full of pride. We will assist you in making the necessary corrections.”

†

We discipline our children when they do wrong in an effort to teach them to obey authority. When people grow up yet refuse to obey the law, we punish them. To allow them to continue would result in anarchy. So when order is replaced by chaos, necessary steps must be taken to restore stability. When simple discipline fails, corrective measures must be taken to achieve the desired results.
Solomon attributes a spirit of discerning wisdom to those who receive discipline and make the necessary corrections. Similarly, he calls those who set themselves against authority 'fools'.
It would seem our pride and an inner need to control our circumstances stand between us and a peace-filled life. Pride is one of the worst forms of rebellion and one of the most destructive.
Our rebellious behavior steals our peace, leaving us with a choice of whether to respond and make the necessary corrections, or continue on in frustration, reaping the consequences.

Prayer

“Help me rid myself of pride, Lord. I give You permission to make the necessary corrections that will restore peace in my life. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”