Not sure why, but the Lord has put Matt Chandler and his struggles with cancer on my heart as of late…especially since a couple of tweets from yesterday.  Here they are:

(via @MattChandler74)

Thanks for all the prayers today…feeling better and headed to bed…prayed a lot today…hurting really does draw us near!

Tough night and day…lots of nausea and a brutal headache…4 weeks of no issues and today the veil lifts a bit…praying for strength

These statements really just got me thinking about how we deal with adversity and our response to God as believers.  Many of you know that I come out of a charismatic background in the church.  And I look at these tweets and think about how vastly different these responses are from what I would have been used to earlier in my ministry.  I would have expected something more like:

standing in faith for God’s divine healing…pray with me as I continue to walk out the victory of the cross.

or

still refusing to accept the attack of the enemy.  choosing to see God’s miracles in my midst and walk in His healing.

Now, I’m not saying that there is no theological truth to either of the latter statements.  But what I am saying is that Matt Chandler has cancer and that’s just the truth of the matter.  Can God heal Matt?  Absolutely.  But what you’ll always hear stated in the charismatic church is that God’s will is for Matt to be healed.  That God “wants” to heal Matt.  Therefore, Matt’s healing is now dependant upon Matt’s faith and the faith of others alongside him.  Really?

God can and may very well heal Matt tomorrow.  But what if He doesn’t?  Does that in any way diminish God’s love for Matt?  Does that in any way diminish Matt’s faith in God?  I think not.  Here’s the deal.  God is sovereign and God is just.  How can we possibly comprehend the ways or the mind of God?  This thing is not for us to “understand.”  It simply demands us to continue to believe in, to love and to draw near to the God Who was there before Matt’s cancer…and the God Who will still be there afterwards.

I think about the story of Jesus and His journey to the cross.  There’s something very significant that happens.  Jesus basically lets God know that the cross is really not His first choice, but He’ll obey.  He says:

³⁵ He went a little farther, and fell on the ground, and prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass from Him. ³⁶ And He said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will.”    Mark 14 (NKJV)

The truth is, this isn’t necessarily as much about our faith in what is not, as much as it is about our response to what is. I think in these situations, what God really wants is the same thing that He always wants…for us to draw near to Him.  Period.  There’s really no mystery to it and there is no other set of circumstances that really requires a different response.  The response is always the same.  “nevertheless, not that I will, but what You will.”

Matt, if you ever get the chance to read this, know that I’m paying attention.  Thank you for leading us in His grace.

I was listening to this song today on the way home by Matt Redman called Fearfully and Wonderfully Made.  There’s never been a time that I listen to this song and it doesn’t grip my soul, and today, it did again.  I don’t know about you, but in my humanity, I am constantly questioning.  Why am I here?  Am I doing the right things?  Is God pleased with me?  Do people like me?  Am I good enough?

These questions can be downright overwhelming at times and can bring about much fear and anxiety if we don’t put these emotions in check with the word of God.  The first scripture that comes to mind for me is this:

For You formed my inward parts;
You covered me in my mother’s womb.
I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Marvelous are Your works,
And that my soul knows very well.
My frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.
And in Your book they all were written,
The days fashioned for me,
When as yet there were none of them.

Psalm 139:13-16 (NKJV)

Maybe you’re not as strong as someone else and maybe society has even labeled you as “not normal” or somehow challenged.  Maybe there are lots of people that do many things better than you, but I’m willing to bet that there’s something that you can do better than many others.  The bottom line is that it’s hard for me to read this passage in Psalms and see where God somehow messed up.  My interpretation is that…He didn’t.  We may just not be seeing what He sees.

I especially love the end here where the psalmist writes that his “days have been fashioned” even before his days even began.  That idea in and of itself is a blog for another day.  If I really try to sit and think about what that really means, my head hurts.  But at its core, it means simply that God has things that He’s intended for me.  In times when I’m full of doubt and questions, that’s a really refreshing thought.

If you need some inspiration, you’ve got to get this song by Matt Redman.  Get it HERE on iTunes.

I can’t even begin to tell you how truly elated I am that Republican Scott Brown has won the election for the US Senate seat left open by the late Sen. Ted Kennedy.  This race was huge.  There’s quite a few things now at play here.

The Republicans in the senate now have the ability with 41 votes to “filibuster” and block future attempts by Obama and the liberals to shove legislation down our throats.  And in the now, this may very well give the Republican party the ability to kill this healthcare bill in the Senate.  Unbelievable!  And these guys walk around like they’re invincible.  Well, news flash Obama, Reid, Pelosi and the like…your days are numbered.  The people have the power.

The other thing this election does is energize the conservative base.  If this doesn’t do it, then I don’t know what will.  Registered Democrats outnumber Republicans in the state of Massechusetts 3 to 1.  And we won even after Bill Clinton and Obama campaigned for Coakley.  Also, we’re talking about the seat formerly held by Ted Kennedy.  Listen, your voice matters and we have the power to enforce change with our votes.

So listen up Obama and all his cronies….we don’t want your stinkin’ healthcare bill! Are you listening now?  Do you hear us? We don’t want it and we’ll vote you out!

I’m so pumped about the Saints heading to the NFC Championship.  But, I have to say that I’m hoping for a Cowboys victory on Sunday against the Vikings.  A rematch in the Dome would be a sweet ending to this season.  So, after the first game of the regular season, I made a friendly wager that the Saints would make the NFC Championship game.  At stake…a steak at La Hacienda Ranch!  Well @tmslough, I like it medium.

I’d like some help picking out my prize from the list below.  I have to say, I’m already thinking Double Diamond™.

Texas T-Bone™
16 oz. T-Bone

The Trail Boss™
16 oz. Bone-in Ribeye, thick-cut and flavorful,
may have more fat

Ranch Filet™
7 oz. Tenderloin

Double Diamond™
10 oz. center-cut Tenderloin

Mexican Style Steaks
Served with a cheese enchilada, rice, refried or drunken beans

Cowboy Ribeye™
16 oz. Bone-in Ribeye topped with spicy ancho chile butter, very flavorful, may have more fat

Sundance Steak™
Bursting with flavor! 7 oz. Tenderloin topped with spicy Sundance sauce

Join with Cross Timbers Community Church to touch the hurting in Haiti.

Pray. We are joining churches all over the world in praying for the people of Haiti. At Cross Timbers this Monday, January 18 at 7:00 p.m, we’ll host an evening of special prayer for Haiti at all three of our campuses. We are inviting anyone and everyone to join us in Keller, Argyle or Denton for a time of prayer for the people of Haiti.

Give. There are two ways we are going to give towards relief efforts in Haiti:

1. Cross Timbers is going to make an immediate donation of $10,000 to Samaritan’s Purse to provide water and shelter to those in need.
2. We are setting up drop off sites at all three of our campuses to collect medical supplies for an organization called Love A Child.

Read the full story here.  Follow @tmslough for updates and please use #pray4Haiti on twitter to chat it up about prayer on Monday night.