It was early and I was not expecting anyone to call so I picked up the phone with a bit of concern. The person calling, a man, asked to speak to me and I acknowledged that he was. “Good,” he said, “I was hoping to see you this morning. I think that I have a message from God for you.”

“Who are you, and what is the message about, and why do you think it is for me from God?” I asked. I am by nature a skeptical person and, while I fully believed then and do now that God does speak to us personally at times through others, I am slow to accept it and careful to try to discern the basis and credibility of any such event.

The man laughed disarmingly and told me that his name was Richard Plache and that he had formerly been a high official in a worldwide cult, leading their operations in Europe. Through some miraculous intervention, God had revealed the lie of the cult and the truth of the Gospel to him and led him to faith in Christ about four years prior. When he tried to share his new found faith with his associates, he was of course asked to leave. He had returned to the US and had started an intense period of study and search in the Scriptures hoping to learn God’s plan for the rest of his life.

He told me that he was attending a church that I knew of in California while attending a well known bible school, and had just learned that his father, who happened to live in the city in Illinois that I lived in, Aurora, was ill and about to have surgery. He had no money to fly home and in answer to prayer had been led to a Gospel singing group that was driving to Chicago in their bus for a performance and who had invited him to ride along. Aurora is a suburb of Chicago and his brother could pick him up and drive him home.

He said that as he settled in the seat of the bus to begin his trip that he felt something under him, stuffed between the cushion and back of the seat. He pulled out a magazine called Voice, a publication of the Full Gospel Businessman’s Fellowship. Out of idle curiosity he opened the magazine and was surprised to see that the article he opened to was the testimony of a man from Aurora, Illinois, the very city he was headed for. The man’s name was and is Buck Jacobs. My ears perked up substantially.

He told me that he sensed that, because of the rather unique circumstances, God had a special reason for our meeting, that it had to do with what he had learned as a result of his study, and that he would like very much to come over that morning to talk to me about it.

As he spoke to me, something within me stirred and I moved past my normal skepticism and eagerly arranged for him to come by a little later after I had breakfast and some family time. We agreed on ten o’clock. To prepare for our discussion he asked me to read and think about Galatians 2:20 which reads, “I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me; and the life which I live now in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me.” I did read it a couple of times wondering what was on his mind and not seeing anything particularly in the verse.

At ten o’clock Richard appeared and we immediately related well. He was personable, very easy to talk with, and did not seem to have any agenda except to follow what it appeared God was leading him to do. We shared some background, found much in common, and he started in to his story, which led to our being brought together.

He began to explain to me his search for a way of living in which Jesus is truly at the center of one’s life as opposed to mere religiosity which results in legalism and which had been at the heart of his experience prior to being born again. The cult he had been a part of was based on a “works” doctrine, typically purporting to show the way to God by obeying a strict set of rules. It had sounded good but never really brought peace or true meaning. As he had studied after his conversion to Christ he had been led to investigate a different way of relating to life. A way which various notable Christians had practiced through the centuries with profound results. Men such as John Wesley, Hudson Taylor, George Muller, and D.L. Moody, as well as some Christian mystics like Madam Jean Guyon and Brother Lawrence, a  way called variously “the deeper life” or the “replaced life.”

He explained that the heart of this concept was found in Galatians 2:20 and that the true meaning of this key verse had been obscured by various doctrines which had developed over the years. As he spoke I became somewhat agitated because I was not able to grasp or understand the significance or meaning of what he was trying to explain and help me see. He was very patient, taking me to the tense of the Greek verb which is at the heart of the issue here. It is the verb translated “have been crucified.” Richard explained that this word is used in the perfect tense, meaning that it is an act done in the past and completed, yet has continuing effect. The significance, he said, was that when Christ died on the cross, as I had become one with Him at my new birth, so did I. And since I had literally died sin no longer had power over me. He said sin has no power over a dead man, which I could understand, but, according to Richard, I was apparently very much alive and dead somehow at the same time. He said it was like when you add salt to water, the salt becomes one with the water and thus participates with all the water has been, is, or will be from that point on. He took me to many other scriptures to support his contention that, at new birth, each believer is united with Jesus in His eternal Spirit and thus becomes eternally one with Him. Including verses such as 1 Corinthians 6:17 which says, “But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him”, pointing out that a spirit is not limited by time or space. And Romans 6:3-9, especially verse 6 which says, ”knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him…” He pointed out Colossians 1:22 which says that the mystery of the gospel is“ Christ in you the hope of glory.” He was far more a Bible scholar than I and had an ease with the subject that was obviously born out of long hours of study and prayer.

Richard told me that God had made me to be a unique container for Himself and that this purpose was fulfilled by my accepting His gift of forgiveness in Jesus and receiving His Holy Spirit to live in me. As Jesus lived in me and through me His plan for me and my life would be actualized. He said that it was to be Jesus in me, through me, as me. It was this part that I was struggling with and at this point I simply could not understand. It was extremely frustrating. I strongly sensed that there was an important truth being presented to me and, that if I could only understand and appropriate it, my life would change for the good. But I just could not get it. And I had an additional problem; I was getting very time-compressed.

Years before our church had “adopted” a group of mentally handicapped adults who were residents of a home near the church. One in particular, Jimmy Walker had become very dear to our family and had visited us often. Through Jimmy we also met Sherman Tatarsky, his roommate, and Sherman occasionally joined Jimmy at our home for Sunday dinner after church. Jimmy had died a couple of years earlier and Sherman had sort of assumed that he had inherited our invitation and us. And, as he was very bold and demanding in some ways, was not the joy to be with that Jimmy had been. Nevertheless we had felt that we should continue to see and share with Sherman who was Jewish and did not know Jesus. I had promised Sherman that he could come to spend the day with us and have dinner that Saturday. And to keep my word and be on time to pick him up, I would have to leave by noon. He became very upset if I was late.

Richard could see that I needed to talk more with him and that I was close but not yet understanding what he felt it so important that I know. He gladly agreed to come by after church the next day and share some more. I walked him to his car as I left for Chicago to pick up Sherman. “Don’t worry Buck,” he said, “God will show you what He wants you to see.”’

I left and as I drove down the interstate I began to grumble to God. “Lord” I said, “What am I doing? Here you send a man all the way across the country to tell me an important truth. You put the Voice under Richard’s seat and you put on his heart to come to see me and share what you’ve given him with me. And then I have to leave to go and pick up this hardheaded Jew who isn’t very nice, doesn’t care to know You, and probably doesn’t even appreciate my trouble. Lord, why am I doing this?”

I have never heard God or Jesus speak in an audible voice. I don’t doubt that He does or that some others have heard Him do so. I have never, but there are and have been times where I have known just as surely as if He had spoken aloud, that He did speak. God makes Himself heard to me somehow at times just as clearly as if He spoke out loud and this was one of the clearest. Just as I said, “Lord, why am I doing this?” He said, “YOU’RE NOT, I AM.” And in that instant all that Richard had been trying to tell me, and that I could not understand, came clear as glass. No, the Buck who was would never have taken the time to even speak to Sherman Tatarsky, let alone go out of his way for him, let alone have him in his home. The Buck who was saw all people in terms of their utility or value to him, and certainly Sherman was anything but utilitarian or valuable to me. He was a pain pure and simple.

But it wasn’t the Buck who was driving the car, going to Chicago to get Sherman. It was Jesus in His Buck outfit. Jesus in me and, to Sherman, Jesus through me. It was true, the old man, the Buck who was, had in fact died with Christ. And it was and is now Christ who lives in me. My personality, gifts, talents, and quirks still intact – me – but energized by Him, in me as me. The life that I was now living I was living by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave His life for me. No, Buck wouldn’t mess with Sherman, but Jesus would, and was, and Richard’s words became so real to me. Jesus in me, through me, as me. I could hardly wait to get home to call him and tell him.

That Saturday morning was over twenty five years ago but it is as fresh in my mind as today. There are of course many doctrinal and theological things that need to be explained to try to understand the concept of the replaced life and we don’t have time or space here and this is not the forum to go into them. This segment is hoped to be a testimony and a call to those who struggle with who they are and why they live as Christians.

To those who God brings across our paths each day, whether they are our family members, our neighbors, our customers, our competitors, sales people, or others we trade with and meet through our business, we are Jesus. We are to the degree we understand the truth illustrated in this testimony and allow Jesus to live through us. God has designed us, called us, saved us, and given us all we have, not to waste on our pleasure, but to let Him live through – to others. The mystery of the gospel is Christ in us, through us, as us. The fact is that Jesus doesn’t live in buildings made of bricks and mortar. We don’t go to church to meet with Jesus, we bring Him to church. He lives in and through His people. He doesn’t live as a statue nailed to a cross. He left the cross 2000 years ago to go to the grave as a prelude to proving forever who He really is by rising from the dead. He sent His Spirit to live in as many as received Him.

Now it’s our turn. He lives in us and He will live through us as us if we will let Him. The as us part is important, don’t miss it. The reason I was having such a hard time getting what Richard was telling me was I thought I had to change to be like someone else in order to be like Jesus. Now I know that what I really have to do is let Him do what he wants to do through me. Him as me. There is a world of difference.

As a footnote to this story: Just before we moved from Aurora, Illinois to Florida twenty-five years ago, Jesus as me thought I should take Sherman Tatarsky to lunch. He had been moved to another home even further away. The new place was much better than the first with many activities and support for the residents. We had sort of slipped away from a monthly visit with Sherman to a once in a while type thing which he didn’t seem to mind. I really didn’t have the time but I felt I needed to see him and tell him we were going to move so I called and arranged to take him to lunch at his favorite restaurant.

After we were seated and gave our orders I asked Sherman what was new. I almost fell out of my seat when he answered, “I got baptized last Sunday!”

“You did” I asked, trying to hide my amazement, “How did that happen?”

“Pastor Jack Hiles sent a bus to pick me up and take me to church at his church” Sherman said, “he asked me to get saved and I did.” A big smile lit up his face. I can still see it. Jesus in me,as me rejoiced.

Let him step to the music that he hears, however measured or far away.“  Henry David Thoreau

So, whose drum are you listening to? We all are hearing one you know. Listening, following. Is your drummer the incessant beat of the materialistic, hedonistic, “stuff” is the answer of our current culture? Are you caught up in the swirl of busyness and breathless aquisition that is the norm of our day? Many if not most Christians are. In fact in every measurable or discernable way the mass of what the world sees as contemporary Christianity looks no different from what they see in the mirror. We value what they value. We chase the same things they chase. The beat goes on.

The drummer whose beat we follow is the one who will lead us to the Judgement seat of Christ where the final evaluation of all that we have done with the lives that Jesus died to give us will be done. (II Corinthians 5:10, Romans 14:11,12, I Corinthians 3:11-15) It’s commonly called the “Bema” and each Christian will pass through it alone on the way into eternity.

There are basically only two drummers playing and we have to choose which to follow. One is much louder and far more popular than the other. His beat is sensual, seductive and filled with promises of physical and emotional pleasures. Oh and it is so loud! It’s populsr,pervasive and accepted by most people. The only problem is that the promises are empty lies. “There is a way which seems right to men but the ends are the way of death.” (Proverbs 16:25) Listening to this drummer is like drinking salt water, it can’t satisfy, only makes one want more, and ultimately kills you. 

The other drummer beats a different tune and He has a problem. He doesn’t attempt to compete with the volume or tempting promises of the competitor. His sound is quiet and confident but requires an effort to hear. His promises are long-term and require faith and delayed gratification. They are focused on our inner being and have little to do with the shiny, sensual, temporary pleasures of this world. He promises all we need to follow Him but nothing more, but He actually leads to life abundant and fulfillment beyond our ability to imagine. The second drummer speaks in a still, small voice and we have to tune out the first drummer to hear Him.

By now you know who they are, the two drummers. One leads to death and loss, the other to life abundant. The question is; which are you listening to? 

Sometimes following the second drummer feels lonely, especially when we feel it in church where we expect others to be lisening for Him but find that they are not. The second drummer undertsands lonely. He spoke Truth to thousands, healed and delivered hundreds, but when He was paying their bill He saw them turn away, listening to another drummer, and only a few continued to listen to Him play.

As I sit here in the quiet of my living room I can hear Him playing; Come to me all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. I hear Him, can you?

Money isn’t anything like air. I can live a very long life and experience all the really important qualities of life without money, but I can only live a few minutes without air. In God’s economy of sovereign abundance He has made all the most important things for the abundant life the easiest to obtain and most freely available.

Air is first on the list, followed by water, food and shelter. Money never appears on God’s list of important things. Money is utilitarian at best, not essential. God is our source. He is sovereign  and He can and will provide all we need to do all He wants - with or without money. Money is never the limiting factor in doing what is most important to Him.

I know that this sounds like radical thinking but it really isn’t, in fact it is eminently logical and Biblically provable. Let’s take a couple of simple examples.

Perhaps the most obvious is God’s total and sovereign sustenance of the nation of Israel in the desert for 40 years. He didn’t use money or any other medium of barter or exchange to care for them.  He just supernaturally provided all they really needed to live. He doesn’t need money to care for us either.

When Peter asked Jesus how they they would pay the temple tax Jesus told him to go catch a fish. The money for the tax was to be in its mouth. I call that fish God’s bank.

Did you ever notice that when Jesus taught His disciples to pray He told them to prays “Give us this day our daily bread” not, “Give us the money to buy our bread?”  Money was used while Jesus was here. He knew about it. He knew all about it.

How about this; there is no mention of money in the garden of Eden. It wasn’t needed. It’s not mentioned in any description or discussion of the New Jerusalem either. Adam and Eve worked, but not for wages, they tended the garden as stewards and God provided all they needed to do all He asked.

Here’s a really radical thought about money; it is an alternative to trust in God provided by Satan as part of an alternative worldview that he has been promoting since he appeared to Eve as a snake. What he did then, and all he really does now, is offer plausible sounding but false alternatives to trust in what God has said to man. It is true that the world system that has developed and is the result of the first sin of disobedience does need money, and also that as He does with all things, God does use money, but He doesn’t need it. Neither do His children although they may use it too. God uses everything but He doesn’t need anything.

What we need is faith… Faith to trust God and to take Him at His word…First, faith that He loves us so much that He sent His Son to take the punishment that we deserve for our sins… faith to accept that gift.

Next, faith that His written Word is true, all of it. In it He promises over, and over, and over again to provide all we need to do all He asks and to take responsibility for it. Think about it friends! If God can’t or won’t do this He isn’t God at all and our faith is a joke!

If God has a unique plan for each of our lives, which He says he does in His Word. (Ephesians 2:10)

And, If He will judge our performance within that plan, which He says He will. (II Corinthians 5:10)

And if there will be consequences, both reward and loss, based on that judgement, and He says there will be. (I Corinthians 3:11-15)

Then how can He judge us unless we have the ability to do what we are being given to do? Is the God of the Universe just? Is He?

Yes! He is just! And that’s how I know – I WILL ALWAYS HAVE ALL I NEED TO DO ALL GOD WANTS. If you trust Him you will too!

Take it to the bank!

There is a hooker though, it’s the phrase that says “to do all HE wants.”

The good news is…IT DOESN’T MATTER!!!!!!

For Christians it doesn’t matter because our God, not our government or any world power or economic system, is our source! It is He who promises to supply all we need to do all He asks… period! What God asks of us is faithful, dependent, obedience to His Spirit moment by moment. If the sun shines or it rains, in good times or bad, in sickness or in health, in democracy or totalitarianistic socialism – our call is to trust Him for all we need to do all He asks AND HE WILL!!!

There is no need for weeping and wailing or gnashing of teeth! IT DOESN’T MATTER!!! Don’t waste time or energy!

This is like the endless and wasteful debate over the return of our Lord, whether He will come before, during, or after the tribulation! IT DOESN”T MATTER! It is just a distraction! What matters is moment by moment trust and obedience now, in the moment. He will come again for each of us and when He does, whether that is before, during, or after the tribulation, all that will matter will be our trust and obedience. He has a plan for each of our lives and He will always provide all we need to fulfill it! No power in heaven or on Earth can stand against Him. Jesus isn’t dependent on any form of earthly government or economic system. He is the absolute sovereign and infinite power of the Universe.

So, don’t be discouraged. Of course we have preferences concerning our government and who is best qualified to lead it, and we need to be informed and vocal in support of candidates who represent our values and views. But no matter who leads the country this is not our home and it will never be perfect or even really close, and it will never change our Source or what we need to do to receive all we need to live abundantly from Him. We are here for a short term as Ambassadors for Christ and then we’ll go home. Faithful Ambassadors don’t look to the country where they are sent to serve to supply their needs, they look to home. Press on, the Bema awaits!

For those of us who claim to be Christ-followers, does that fact stand out in any significant way to the “watchers?” Is there and discernable difference between what they see in us and what they would see in anyone else? Should there be? All true Christ-followers know the answer to that question is a loud yes! Of course it should matter that Jesus lives in us. Of course His values should not only guide us but lead us to a lifestyle that is based on His example and teaching. If that is true, our lives today, as His did then, will contrast to the lives of others in a way that is pretty obvious. We will be light and salt. Are we?

Jesus asked some of His followers, “Why do you call me Lord Lord and don’t do the things I say?” Were He to ask us the same question, what would we answer?

What are some of the distinctives that “watchers” should see in the lives of Christ-followers?

Where do you think the typical non-Christ-follower would see a difference in the life and lifestyle  of the average  member of your church? Your pastor?

Jesus told some of His followers that He wished that they were either “hot” or “cold” and that to be “lukewarm” was disgusting to Him. What do you think a “lukewarm” Christ-follower might look like in today’s culture?

In the first century a non-Chris- follower, Artstedes, described Christ-followers to his Emperor this way: 

 They love one another, they never fail to help widows. they save orphans from those who would hurt them. If they have something they give feely to the man who has nothing, if they see a stranger, they take him home and are happy as though he were a real brother. They don’t consider themselves brothers in the usual sense, but brothers, instead through the Spirit, in God.

Wouldn’t it be cool if the “watchers” of our lives could say that, or something very close to it today about you and I and the Christ-followers that we hang with? It’s not impossible, but it won’t  happen by accident, it will need to be the intentional result of choices we make based on the values and priorities we hold most dear. It is our choice to make, we don’t have to guess what His would be. Why would we call Him Lord and not try to do whatHe says?

And, we are here to do special things that He had in His mind before He even made the Earth. (Ephesians2:10) Ultimately how we understand and apply this truth will determine our success or failure as Christian people. So many are deceived to believe that God has us here to “enjoy” this life. This is a totally false paradigm. That there are joys and some enjoyment in this life is a reflection of God’s loving nature and His grace, but we are here to work. We are here to serve Him and to produce a return

The way it all works is this: If we live as God intends us to, He will provide all we need to sustain life in the place in the world He intends for us. This place, and by place we mean the combination of location, station, vocation, and reputation, is the place where our unique blend of gifting and calling will be maximally fruitful in His Kingdom, which means to produce the highest return. This place is our “eternal sweet-spot.” This place is where we are able to return the greatest measure on His investment in us. For each of us there is that one true place and what is exciting is that any of us can find it. God will not hide it and tease us; He wants us to be and to function in our eternal “sweet-spot” far more than we can imagine.

There are a couple of keys we need to mention: First, remember that we said that “IF we live as God wants us to live?” Well, that’s a big IF. We have to choose to do so. We can all do it but we all won’t. It will only happen as the result of a conscious choice. Not choosing to live as God wants us to live is the same as choosing not to. Choosing to live the way God wants us to live will mean that we choose not to live the way the world tells us to live. It means that we will choose to accept God’s values and priorities for our lives and reject those of the world. Only if we see life through the lens of an eternal perspective will we choose God and His way in life. A godly life will by definition be a counter-cultural life. Not all of us are or will be willing to make the choices that we are called to make in order to live as God wants us to.

Let’s go back now and talk about investment opportunity. Remember we have said that IF we live as God wants us to live that He will provide all we need to sustain us in that place which we have called our eternal sweet spot. That sweet spot can be anywhere. It can be found in the very highest places of society or the very lowest.  Our sweet spot is, for us, the place where the highest return can be found. God will keep us there if we are willing. Remaining in the sweet spot requires no effort on our part in terms of provision, God will always provide all we need to do all He wants. Living in God’s sweet spot is His responsibility if we are willing to live there. Living anywhere else becomes our responsibility and that is where we find the stress and struggle in life. If we knowingly or unknowingly stray from our eternal sweet spot God is honor bound to try to guide us back into it. He has designed us to be nowhere else and, because of His love for us, will do all He can to encourage us back to our sweet spot if we move away from it. His correction is what the Bible calls chastening and it increases in intensity in proportion with our deviation from His highest and best for us. It manifests in an inner tension and the loss of the fruit of His Spirit in our lives. (love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control) Chastening is always designed to correct our orientation back to our sweet spot.

 A biblical example of living in the sweet spot is found in the parables of the Minas in Luke and the Talents in Matthew.  In both the returns that the faithful servants earned was measured and the servants with the highest return were commended. The master in the parables represents Jesus and we are the servants. In Luke Jesus used the mina to represent the equal opportunity we all are given to seek and live in our sweet spot. In Matthew our Lord used the talents to represent the different packages of gifts, talents, resources, and opportunities that we individually receive that are designed for creating the maximum return as we live in our eternal sweet spot. Both parables tell us that our Lord is extremely interested in the return He receives from His investment in us. His investment in us is death on the cross in our place. When He did that He invested Himself for us. Our investment opportunity begins with giving ourselves back to Him and it continues as we live for Him in the sweet spot that He has designed for us. As we live in the sweet spot we produce much fruit (His return on His investment) and prove to be His disciples. If we live out of the sweet spot our fruitfulness diminishes to the degree we err and His return is lowered.

 If He chooses to give us excess to what we need to stay in our sweet spot we have the additional investment opportunity of releasing it to the use of His Kingdom. This is the kind of investment Jesus meant when He told us not to lay up treasures on Earth but to lay them up in heaven. In fact, the definition of  mammon might be the excess of what we need to keep us in our eternal sweet spot. What we need to keep us in our sweet spot can be properly called sustenance; it isn’t mammon it is just utilitarian to God’s purpose in our lives. Jesus told us that we couldn’t love God and mammon. And if we define mammon as what we have been given beyond what we need to do all God asks the best thing that we can do with it is invest it in God’s business by releasing it to do Kingdom work. The returns are eternal when we do. Keeping for our own use that which God gives us in excess of what is required to live in our sweet spot is actually hoarding. When we hoard something we love it in a sense and we hoard it only because we don’t believe that God will give us enough more of it to sustain us or keep us where He wants us to be. (Hoarding should not be confused with appropriate savings that are a necessary part of out sweet spot.)

 In light of all this we can see the tremendous need to know what our sweet spot is and to stay in it. Truthfully our eternal destiny depends on it. We have each been created by God to do specific and important things in very important and strategic places. When we live in those places and do those things we fulfill our eternal destiny and provide to our Father the highest return on His investment. This truly represents our investment opportunity and His.

 If you are confused concerning your sweet spot or any of the concepts of this segment, the place to get clarity is in intimate questioning of God. Intimate questioning can only be a part of an intimate relationship so begin there. Ask Him. No wise person wants to experience a poor return or miss an investment opportunity.

 Check yourself. In a quiet time ask yourself:

1. Is my investment opportunity being fully realized?
2. If your answer is yes, ask what you need to do to maintain or increase it
3. If your answer is no, begin a process of change by asking God why.

 Are you living in or heading surely toward your eternal sweet spot?

1. If your answer is “Yes,” press on!
2. If your answer is “No” or “I don’t know” begin to ask God where it is and how to get there.

 Is your relationship with God intimate enough for you to believe that you can truly answer these questions?

1. If your answer is “Yes”, press on and don’t let it slip!
2. If your answer is “No” or “I don’t know”, are you content to continue as is?
3. If your answer is “No” or “I don’t know”, what might you change that could change the answer?
4. When will you make the change? 

We are in a unique condition as we read this material, a condition that is temporary but very significant, a condition that, in all of eternity, we shall only experience once. We are as we are because God has created us to be so. He has chosen to create us to be, at this moment, spirit beings that temporarily inhabit a human body. We will not be forever as we are now. A day will come when each of us will end this human life experience and we will go on to another experience of life called eternal life. But, for the moment, we are living in the human experience of life.

During our human experience we have spiritual experiences because we are spirit beings in our essence. The part of us that really matters is our spirit.

There is now a part of us that says with God, “I AM.” We could go on, but our point today is not to do deep theological exposition on the subject, although we pray to have piqued some interest along the way that may lead to deeper study, but to lay the groundwork for establishing a different way of seeing the mundane of life. After all most of what we do appears to be mundane. Perhaps by lifting our eyes to the infinite we can learn to see the mundane differently. And if we learn to see the infinite in the mundane, then the mundane will never be truly mundane to us again.

Our great need is to see God in the mundane. Our failing is that we tend to only look for Him in the extraordinary or the obviously spiritual realms of life. Because we do, we miss so much!

God uses the ordinary circumstance of life to reveal His extraordinary glory and grace.

Where is He when we spill our coffee? He is there, telling us to laugh at ourselves, that it is no big deal. He is using the circumstance to build the character of Jesus in us, to conform us to His image. Circumstances reveal our inner selves. Our reactions to them allow God to show us our need for Him and to experience our unity with Him, if we will let Him.

Where is God in a demanding customer? Why doesn’t He just handle it when we need Him to? Why does He allow us to hire brothers-in-law who He knows won’t work out?

Can you begin to get a sense of the difference it would make if we could learn to see the glory of God in the moment?

The basis for all discontent and all unhappiness is unwillingness to be content in the present moment.

Joy, peace, contentment, love, happiness and every good thing exist only in the moment. Life in this human form is composed of a series of frustratingly variable trials and problems, interrupted by momentary respites of serendipitous glimpses of grace. No one gets a pass. The rain falls on the just and the unjust and the sun shines on wicked and good alike.  Most days are a combination of problems and trials galore with God always present, and His glory always just a choice away.

Victor Frankl was a Jewish man sent to the Nazi concentration camp at Aushwitz during WW II. He made a profound discovery during the horrible trial of deprivation and torture that he experienced there. He realized that he was helpless at the hand of his captors in all ways save one. They could take away everything material, they could torture his body, and they could kill him if they chose. But they could never take away his freedom to choose his response to what they did to him. He survived, and after the war taught others about what he learned to call the moment between action and reaction. It is in this moment, he taught, brief as it may be, that we choose our reaction. We own that moment. No one can take that moment from us.

Now, if Victor Frankl could use that moment to choose his reactions to the brutality being forced upon him and survive, could we learn to use it to see the glory of God in our moment in the midst of the tests and trials of this human life? We can, indeed we can. And as we do, life is transformed, changed in an instant from mundane to sublime.

Practice taking God into the present moment. For the next week or so, stop in the middle of something and mentally realize that, at this moment, you are One with God. You in Him and He in you. Let His glory overcome the circumstance and capture the moment. It’s all we have and He is all we need.

Many friends have agreed with the concept of journaling over the years but most have struggled to find a consistent format that helps to keep the practice coherent and on track. In the hope that some may find it helpful I will share a very simple but effective journaling practice that I have used, and that has made it work for me for years.

1- For my journal I use a simple three ring notebook with a clear cover and dividers because they are so readily available and cheap. I slip my personal Mission Statement into the clear cover where I see it every day. I use the dividers to separate my journal and prayer list which is also pretty simple. (Consistent prayer over a few things is much better than occasional prayer over many things)

2. The way I set up each page is like this:
a) The first thing I do is write the day, date, time I get up, and my weight (I have been on a diet for 40+ years!) in the upper right hand corner.
b) Next I write the chapters of scripture that I will read (minimum) on the first line – center of the page. (Always one from the gospels and another usually from the New Testament.)
c) Next I drop down to about three lines up from the bottom of the page and write Blessing #…. I started with 1 and today was #7766. I then stop and reflect on what I am thankful for that God did in my life the day before, the previous 24 hours. I list as many as I can think of. I start this list by writing “Thank You Father for…..and write them down. (You will be amazed at how quickly we forget God’s blessings and kindnesses.)
3. Then I proceed with my reading, study, and reflection, beginning always with Scripture, and always including a chapter from the Gospels as I always want to be under the direct teaching of Jesus,  but also including other works that I feel God leads me to. Some sacred, some secular that will help me develop in the calling God has placed on my life.
4. The last thing I do is write a letter to God. Mostly they are just one page and are a combination of thanksgiving and praise for His Grace and questions about what He wants me to do. Sometimes I think He answers directly and I note what I think He has said. Sometimes I ask questions, sometimes I confess sin. Nothing is off limits! I write what I think His Spirit leads me to write, period. He doesn’t seem to mind how I do it or what I ask!
5. Every Saturday I review all that I have written during the week before I write to Him. This is an awesome practice and I highly recommend it. I keep tab markers handy and when something appears that I want to remember or review I tab it and go back over the tabs at the end of each year, or earlier if I am looking for something. Each January I spend part of the time reviewing the previous year, again, an amazing exercise. We forget so much of His grace and goodness!
6. Finally friends, and again, the thing that makes it all work is that the first hour of every day belongs to Him. This is the non-negotiable commitment that I made 7766 days ago. In all the years have missed three times to the best of my knowledge. These caused by red-eye flights or other unavoidable travel intrusions.

If you are serious about growing in your faith and have struggled to have a consistent and quality quiet time with God and want one,  try this; make it the first hour and non-negotiable and try this format for journaling for 90 days. You’ll never regret it and you life will never be the same.

The key is to not negotiate! It is infinitely easier to make one simple decision than hundreds or thousands of difficult complicated decisions. (I’ll have just a bite this time! I’ll skip running while I’m on vacation! etc.,etc., etc.)  Been there, done that! Decide on the positive and don’t negotiate!

The one simple decision that will make you successful in having personal time with God every day is this; give Him the first hour! Let the other 23 float on the winds of chance if you like but Give the first hour of every day to God. Make it His and not an option to anything or anyone else!

I can hear the groans from many of you but look, here are some things that I have learned about the concept:

We all set our schedules by the first obligation of our day. That is; if we work, we know what time we have to get up to be at work on time, many of us to the last minute! So all we have to do is back that time up one hour and spend it with Jesus! It doesn’t matter where we are or what we are doing this WORKS! Making it the first hour of the day, every day makes it easy! It is non-negotiable.

(No, you don’t really need the last hour of sleep that you think you do and if you do you can just go to bed an hour earlier!)

It is impossible to measure how much more or less tired you or I are at the end of a day based on 1 hour more or less of sleep. How do you measure tired? We are all tired at the end of a busy day. I live by this system. Do you really think that I’m more tired than you are at the end of the day? Nonsense! If you have a “tired meter” let me know. The fact is that tired is tired and most days go so much better when we start them with God that there is a great net gain in energy that far offsets any imagined sacrifice.

No, this is not legalism. Not any more than the prescriptive truths about diet and exercise are legalism! If you want to weigh less or be stronger there are practices that you will need to do and others that you will need to eliminate. Success will depend on being consistent and for most if not all of us that means stopping some things that don’t help us and starting and maintaining others that do! If we want our lives to be better in any significant area we need to be willing to change! Change or exchange as in good habits for bad!

You CAN do this! And you will never regret it.

Here are some tips that will make the first hour easily doable;

1: Read two chapters from the Bible. Focus on the New testament.  I always read one from the gospels because I always want to be listening to Jesus. The Old testament is foundational and historical but it’s in the New that we live and learn to apply God’s way in life for us. (Obviously this is a suggestion and for those who disagree or are disinclined the Old Testament is fine. Just do it!)

2: Read from a good devotional or other book that focuses on life lessons from a Christian world-view. Books on personal spiritual development from current writers or past heroes. Pick from authors like Max Lucado, Rick Warren, A.W.Tozer, Mother Teresa, George Muller, Andrew Murray and any others you happen across. Hold what they say up against what you are reading in the Bible. practice discernment! One chapter a day.

3: Read one chapter from a book focused on helping you to grow as a Christ follower in your calling. Christian parenting, marketplace ministry, teaching school as a Christian in a public school environment, etc. One chapter a day over five years will set you far above the crowd.

4: Make a prayer list and use it for 5-10 minutes of your hour. It will come to mind through the day.

5: End your hour by writing a “Thank You” note to God. Tell Him what’s on your heart and listen for a minute or so. He will tell you what’s on His. don’t write it as if anyone else will ever see it. Make it personal. Remember, He’s you dad and He loves you.

Yes, these tips are simplistic. But they work and if you begin and apply even these God will show you a more personal way for you. I have changed bits and pieces over the years and you will too. That’s not the important thing. What is important is the practice and making it non-negotiable. The tips are just to help those of you who need them to get started. The principle in practice will change your life eternally. By the way, today is my 7761st day at this. It’s in my journal! I guarantee that if you follow this practice for 90 days, making it non-negotiable and keeping a short daily journal, that your life will never be the same and you will have established a foundation that provides great benefits now and in eternity.

For the first 15 years of my life as a Christian I heard others talk about having a daily, early morning “quiet time” with our Lord. Since I am not at all a ‘morning person” I resisted the advice and tried every alternative I could think of to justify my resistance. (I do know all the reasons you can’t do it!) I did make a commitment to read the Bible for at least 5 minutes every day and involved myself in a broad variety of men’s groups and activities. I was a growing follower of Jesus and a new father and husband. There was so much to learn and so many changes that I needed to make in the way I thought about things and in life in general. I grew but continued to resist the early morning commitment.

I am a reader and over the early years read the biographies of a wide variety of heroes of our faith. Heroes like George Muller, Mother Teresa, Martin Luther, Smith Wigglesworth, Watchman Nee,  Hudson Taylor, and many others. I wanted to look for commonalities among them that I might learn from and adapt to my own life experience. One that jumped out but that I constantly rejected was that every single one of them testified to the blessing derived from, and their absolute need for, spending their first hour with the Lord in Bible reading, prayer, and quiet meditation. Each of them said one way or another that the practice of spending the first hour, or in some cases hours (Martin Luther said that “I spend the first hour of each day with the lord. Unless I have a very busy day planned. Then I spend two! Not what I was looking for!) was the key discipline that allowed them to walk in faithful and fruitful obedience and to grow in intimacy with the Father and the knowledge His will. I wanted those things for my life but still resisted.

Then in 1987 I was given the opportunity to become the Area Coordinator in Florida for the Fellowship of Companies for Christ, an organization that ministers to Christian business owners and CEOs. The work was definitely in my sweet spot and fit my background as an entrepreneur and chief executive. From my conversion in 1973 I had worked for most of the previous 14 years as VP of sales in a chemical business that used as the business model the question “What would this business look like, and how would we make our decisions, if Jesus Christ was the owner and Chairman of the board?”  What I had experienced had led me to hope to share with others the wonder of working for God in business, I still do (am)!

One day as I was ready to launch into the work I heard God speak to me. Now don’t freak out, it wasn’t an audible voice or anything weird. God has never spoken to me audibly. He speaks in my thoughts and in impressions that are hard to describe but very real. Often He speaks to me as I read His Word and sometimes in just a still, small inner voice. We can talk about this at another time but for now just accept that I heard Him say to me; “Buck, if you want to be effective in the lives of others I want the first hour of your day.” I can’t explain how, but I knew that I knew that this was real and could be a go-no go deal.

In what I look back on as my ignorance and even arrogance I said; “OK Lord I will give it 90 days. If after 90 days I can’t see any difference I’ll give it up.” (Can you imagine giving God a 90 day performance review?) I started the next morning and I must tell you that nothing that I have ever done has had the powerful and positive effect on my life that giving God the priority in my daily life that He deserves has had.

Since that first day almost 22years ago I have missed only about three days. God has taken me through the FCCI experience to starting The C12 group, LLC in 1992 and has grown it to the national presence we now enjoy as Americas leading resource for Christian CEOs and owners. I have been used to speak and write across our country and abroad and I have taught this principle in person and in seminars to hundreds of leaders. Nothing else that I have ever done has had the influence for good or been as fruitful. There is no Christian habit or discipline that I could recommend to you more highly if you desire to grow in your faith and effectiveness as a Christian. In fact I am so bold to say that without a daily quiet time you will never be ALL that God wants you to be. It is the foundation that a successful Christian life stands on and there is nothing else that takes its place.

There are two keys to having a consistent and successful quiet time that I will give you today and flesh out in a later post.

First, commit the first hour of each day to God. Give it to Him and let Him own it. And here is KEY #1 – make it non-negotiable. The first hour of each day is His every day – period. As long as it is negotiable the devil will negotiate you out of it!

Second, Key #2, write about it! At the end of each quiet time write a letter to Him in a journal. Tell Him what you think you learned. Ask Him questions. Jot down the answers you think you hear. Tell Him thanks for your blessings and tell Him that you love Him. Tell Him anything that is on your heart. Use ordinary paper like a three ring binder. Don’t be fancy just do it.

I guarantee that if you give Him the first hour of your day every day for 90 days you will never be the same and you will never stop or struggle with it again. In fact, I have a special offer that I make to those willing to try this process that I will share with any of you who write to me and ask about it. Give it a shot! You have nothing to lose except being ordinary.