“You turned my wailing into dancing,

You removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,

that my heart may sing to you, and not be silent.

O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever.”    (Psalm 30:11-12)

What do you think of when you hear the word, “Monastery?”    I just spent 5 days at the Living Stone Monastery in northern Virginia.   It was amazing .    I was rather expecting a bunch of old guys quietly hanging out, maybe wearing robes and stuff, carrying around candles and wooden crosses.   Not that I would have minded that, but I was surprised that almost everyone there was under 30, carrying around a contagious hunger and fire for God.    It was an amazing place to have an encounter with our Lord  in a prayer retreat setting.  My heart is singing and giving thanks for the experience and the renewal God brought.

It was raining when I arrived, and as I unpacked my bags I prayed for God to unpack me and bring a deeper, renewed sense of His Kingdom reign in my heart.   Rain of renewal.  He answered the prayer in profound ways.

In service and ministry and in relationships, we sometimes stuff our packs with hurt, pain, and emotional fatigue—-not only our own stuff but also the luggage of people we care about.  I love the story of Saul’s initiation into God’s anointed calling for him.   He must have been hiding fears, maybe even hiding some poverty of heart and spirit.   When the time came for him to step into his new role as king, the Bible says that God revealed, “….he has hidden himself among the baggage”  (1 Sam 10:18).  That’s a bit funny when you think about it, but not for Saul.

That reminds me of picking up Kristi’s mom and dad at the airport recently.  Their luggage actually arrived on an earlier plane.   We found their baggage waiting for them.  Have you ever discovered on your journey that there is baggage waiting for you?   Not only does our stuff catch up with us, sometimes it waits ahead for us.

One of the reasons I knew I needed to spend some time at the monastery was to insure that there is no baggage waiting for me ahead.  The baggage Saul hid in wasn’t just his own, it was the baggage of other people.   I don’t want to hide with anything packed away, not my stuff or anybody else’s.    One of the most significant things that happed during my prayer retreat was that God dealt with me on issues of hurt, fear, and anxiety so I can step forward into the next season with no cargo.  Thank you, Lord.

Are you anxious about anything?   Worried?  Hurting?   Mad?  Are you nervous about something God is calling you to?  Don’t hide in any baggage.  Stuff catches up with us.   Sometimes we find our stuff waiting for us down the road.    May I encourage you to deal with it—with God?  God Diehled with meJ.

On the last day of my retreat, the morning of the 31^st, I read Psalm 31:8—– “You have not handed me over to the enemy but have set my feet in a SPACIOUS PLACE.  That was an amazing God incident for me.   Several months ago, God spoke to Kristi and me using the words of  2 Samuel 22:20 —— “He brought me out into a spacious place…..”   Then at the noon prayer gathering one of the monastery workers read those same verses.   It was a profound Word that I received from God’s heart to mine.     We are very excited about the expanded, spacious nature of the ministry ahead of us, new horizons.     After an incredible time with God in a deliberate place “away,” He flooded me with grace and mercy, my confidence in Christ assured and my hope restored.

May He be your Hope and may He expand your horizons to make a kingdom impact with Him, for Him, and to His glory!  May your heart be a spacious place for the fullness of His grace in you, the fullness of Christ, the hope of glory.    May your heart sing and not be silent!

Pastor Steve & Kristi Diehl

“For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope — the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ….” (Titus 2:11-14

Some of the greatest lessons in life come from the mistakes that don’t kill us, from those bad decisions we survive. I’ve recognized that truth when saying things like, “Boy, that was a close call.” Or, “I’ll never do that again.” Hopefully, I won’t. Hopefully, I’ve learned the lesson, or in wisdom I’ve learned from others. It is the grace of God that builds blessed hope as we say “no” to making the same mistakes that either we or our friends have made and survived. It is the grace of God that brought me to faith in Christ.

When I was serving in the USMC in South Africa, I was out hiking one day and saw a snake in my path. I was so close that I quickly stepped on his head and then cut it off with my knife. Later, I found out that it was a Puff Adder, one of the most dangerous snakes in Africa because the venom attacks the nervous system very quickly. Had I known that, I would have thought better of engaging it in battle. It was a bad decision, but one I survived by God’s grace. I wouldn’t do it again, but I’m thankful to have learned from a mistake which didn’t kill me.

I have a list of things that I wouldn’t do again. You could probably name a few things as well. I’ve learned not to be flippant about poisonous snakes. I’ve learned that even ministry can have a warfare component full of hiding snakes and things that can bring pain. God has graced me with opportunities to learn from bad decisions that had a sting, seeing Him work all things to the good. I’ve also learned to stay away from ungodliness and worldly passions, because they have a deadly bite with addictive venom that can poison the soul.

If you’ve made a mistake lately, don’t hesitate to let someone else hear the lesson from you. If they are smart, they will listen. We can’t possibly learn everything the hard way. I’m thankful for the people who have shared their stories with me, giving me opportunity to avoid making the same mistakes.

“The fear of the Lord teaches a man wisdom, and humility comes before honor.”

(Prov 15:33

Pastor Steve & Kristi Diehl

“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” (Gal 6:2)

We went with our son last week to his new church in Baltimore, called “The Gallery.” The worship team led us with a great blend of contemporary and traditional music (singing “It is Well” brought divine goose bumps). It was highly relational, diverse in ethnicity and age (the name fits), and the worship time was very Biblical. Being with our son and his church family was refreshing. The theme, expressed in one of the worship songs, was that we need to care for one another and carry each other in God’s love.

Afterwards we lounged under some trees by the harbor and enjoyed some peace and quiet together. As I reflected and chewed on the sermon I had just opened my heart and ears to, God gave me a visual expression in answer to the question pounding around in my brain, “What does it look like to care for one another?” A pigeon was perched near us, bound up by fishing line wrapped around his legs. Somehow he had been in the wrong place at the wrong time and was stuck with a mess. Getting anywhere meant an awkward hobble or an embarrassing leap. Some people near us tried to catch him to untangle and set him free, but he would have none of it. He knew he was in bondage, but didn’t trust those giants trying to help.

He did have a pigeon friend, however, who stayed near him. I’m sure that the other pigeon had limited expertise for removing that which was keeping him from freedom. Maybe in the process of being there with support, however, both pigeons could trust in the Creator together with the burden. Maybe that’s what it looks like to care for one another—–proximity, coming alongside to encourage, becoming like others as Jesus did, being even a friend of sinners, living incarnationally with a peaceful presence that builds hope. Maybe there is a strategic element to embracing a burden with someone else, a burden that may not even be our problem but is keeping a friend consumed or even stuck. We may not know how to fix it, but we can always pray with others and look to the God of hope together.

One of the definitions of a pigeon is a person who is easily swindled or deceived (Encarta Dictionary). We all have a bit of pigeon in us, we all get taken advantage of or even deceived—especially if we are serious about loving and caring. It hurts when people deceive us or speak deceptive words about us. It is a challenge of faith to open the heart to people again when you have been taken advantage of, scammed, or been misrepresented and misunderstood by others. It can be crippling, and emotional scars can too easily bring a limp that becomes a familiar part of us. It isn’t easy to trust again and walk with that joyful lightness in our step that God desires for us as part of the abundant life. Yet, God is a powerful Healer of the wounded and the Lifter of our heads. Pigeons were born to fly, not limp around in this fallen world. People are created to soar above the circumstances as worshipers together.

Need a friend? Who are you a friend to? Pigeons have a reputation of being able to find their way back home. Pigeons are also useful for carrying messages. Here is a message to share, from one sanctified pigeon who cares to another, words of truth that help us home in on the depth of God’s love:

“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.” (1 John 4:7-12)

Pastor Steve & Kristi Diehl

“It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service….”

(Eph 4:11-12a)

Do you know anyone serving as apostles, prophets, evangelists, or pastors and teachers? We sometimes forget that people called to these leadership roles are God’s gifts to the church. “It was HE who GAVE……”—–teachers, pastors, evangelists, prophets, apostles—these are gifts of God to a community of believers.

I’ve experienced churches where the leaders are kept in a box that never gets fully opened. As much as the pastor might try to step into servant leadership, he is kept under control. It is very sad, but sometimes sniper fire is directed at elders, deacons, and other church leaders when they stick their heads out or mention something within their reach that needs attention.

I’ve also experienced churches where people unwrap the gifts of God, encouraging their pastors and teachers and leaders to step out of the box and become all that they can be in service to the King. Those people are wise and blessed who encourage their pastor and leaders to become all that they can be in Christ. What is the purpose and the motivation? So that the leaders of the church can help people become all that they can be in service to the King. When a pastor is encouraged to be a servant leader and be all that he can be in service, and people are being encouraged and equipped to become all they can be in service, a wonderful community of faith develops as a team that glorifies God and builds the kingdom. The alternative is to maintain human control and never open the blessings God intends for us to experience.

When we were in Tennessee recently, we attended a very entertaining show. There was a lot of singing, a lot of laughing, and a ton of fun. Near the end of the show, the main entertainer shared that he was a follower of Jesus and loved serving God. He shared his heart in a very joyful, contagious, winsome manner. I’m sure that some in the audience were shocked when he shared that he as also a Baptist pastor. Although he didn’t use the word, it was clear that he was an evangelist, a church leader released by a wise group of people to do what he does best. Talking with him afterwards, he told me, “Christians should be the happiest people in the world!” His joy was real, and I’m certain that there were people in his life who had encouraged him out of the box to become all that he could be in serving God. I’m certain he was part of a team of people praying together and encouraging each other to be all they could be in Christ.

May I encourage you, don’t miss any of God’s blessings. Whether apathy that keeps God’s gifts at arms length or control that prevents the expression of faith, to reject a gift from God is deadly to the spirit. Using both hands to open and embrace all of God’s gifts to a community of faith is a path to incredible joy and abundant kingdom life as people serve together! Being liberated and equipped for kingdom service is incredibly fun when we do it with others in the body of the faithfulJ.

Pastor Steve & Kristi Diehl

“Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.”

~ Col 4:2~

A few weeks ago we went on a tour of a John Deere Factory with Kristi’s brother, who works for John Deere.   This particular factory has received an award for the most hours of an accident free, safe environment.  They celebrated achieving over 10 million hours without a lost time injury!    As we observed a large bulletin board with pictures of people doing various stretching exercises, the man giving us the tour told us that  all workers are required to participate in 7-10 minutes of warm ups every morning before their shift.  The claim is that these stretching exercises have brought a significant reduction in injuries.

What a great lesson for the follower of Christ.   I’m inspired by the commitment of these workers to stretch their muscles prior to a day’s work.   I’m even more inspired toward the discipline of stretching my spiritual muscles through Bible reading and prayer before engaging in a day’s work.   It might prevent injuries, and it is profitable for building muscles of faith.

“I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing.”

~1 Tim 2:8~

I prayed for faith and thought that some day faith would come down and strike me like lightning.  But faith did not seem to come.  One day I read in the 10^th chapter of Romans, “Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”  I had up to this time closed my Bible and prayed for faith.  I now opened my Bible and began to study, and faith has been growing ever since.

~Dwight L. Moody