Michael Perkins

We Stay In Our Trees

When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him,“Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today. So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. Luke 19:5-6

I love the story of Zacchaeus.

I love that his desperation drove him to climb a tree just to catch a glimpse of Jesus.

But there’s something else that is every bit as important as desperation,

something we don’t talk about to much.

Instant obedience.

Jesus told him to come down immediately from the tree.

And he did.

As I think about this story,

I realize how many times I’ve personally blown this.

I mean,

there have been times that I’ve been desperate to hear God’s voice.

And so,

I’d climb my own tree in hopes of catching a glimpse of Him.

I’d read my bible,

pray,

and fast.

And He would answer.

But,

there’s more to it than just Him answering.

We have to instantly obey.

There have been too many instances in which I’ve heard His voice beckoning me to come,

and I’ve chosen to stay in the tree I climbed.

Why?

To be honest,

I’m not really sure.

Maybe it’s easier to stay in my tree than to change? Maybe it’s safer to stay in my tree than to possibly fail? Maybe it’s more comfortable to stay in my tree than to embrace the unknown?

Regardless,

I’ve heard His voice and stayed right where I was:

In my tree.

And when I do that,

when I stay in my tree,

I’m missing out on a life filled with His presence.

Jesus, We Have Tables

Photo by
tim caynes

Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. “It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’”

It’s easy to read the above passage of scripture and think,

“I’d never do that.”

And I get that,

I really do.

For the most part,

you’re a good person,

You read your bible.

You pray.

And yes,

you even go to church.

But what if we still need Jesus to come and turn over some tables?

Seriously,

what if we still need Jesus to come and turn over some tables?

You know,

the tables that we’ve set up in our hearts,

tables that hold pride instead of prayer,

tables that hold hate instead of love,

tables that selfishness instead of selflessness,

tables that hold grudges instead of grace,

tables that hold religion instead of Jesus.

Now,

I don’t believe we ever really intend to set tables up.

Instead,

I believe that most of the tables that we’ve set up are because of our own neglect or laziness.

We think that we can leave something on the table for just a little while,

and when it’s convenient for us,

we’ll clear it off.

Look,

it doesn’t work that way.

We become busy and distracted and before you even realize it,

our tables are cluttered with things that bring death.

Jesus,

we have tables.

And we need You to flip them over.

I Want To Be Weak

Photo by
Tom Bech

Let’s be honest,

many are angry with God for what they don’t have,

for who their parents were or were not,

for how they were treated as a child,

for their education or lack there of,

for their popularity,

or for their job situation.

And I understand, I really do.

I understand how we can look at these things and see them as a disadvantages, but in all actuality, they are our credentials for being used by God.

You see,

the very things that you put yourself down for,

the very things that you may hate about yourself,

are the very things that qualify you to be used by God. (Tweet This)

Why?

Because those things create a need.

A need for God.

A need for Him to demonstrate His power through your weakness.

God, I want to be weak.

On Experiencing Renewal

Photo by
Moe_NYC

Maybe you need to stop what you are doing.

Seriously,

you may need to stop.

Why?

Well,

if you are like most people,

you are doing way too much and you never take the time to rest,

to be renewed.

And it makes you miserable.

I know I struggle with this.

Look,

there’s always one more thing that needs done,

one more thing that needs accomplished,

one more thing that needs marked off my list.

But can I be honest?

Most of our one more things can wait one more day. (Tweet This)

Because when we do,

when we make time for the things that really matter,

when we make time just to be still and linger in His presence,

renewal will be experienced.

And trust me,

we’ll be thankful we made time for that.

I will be like the dew to Israel; he will blossom like a lily. Like a cedar of Lebanon he will send down his roots; his young shoots will grow. His splendor will be like an olive tree, his fragrance like a cedar of Lebanon. (Hosea 14:5-6)

And So I Weep And Pray

A response to the Moore, Oklahoma Tornado

Photo by Dr. Stan Toler and Nazarene Compassionate Ministries

Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Romans 12:15

And so,

I weep

and pray.

I wish I knew what to say.

I wish I could say something that gives people hope,

something that comforts,

something that makes everything better.

But I cannot find the words.

You see,

instead of words coming from my mouth,

tears

stream from my eyes

and prayers

pour from my heart.

It seems that’s all I’m capable of.

And that’s okay,

because tears and prayers are needed more than my words.

And so,

I’ll continue to weep

and I’ll continue to pray.

WE NEED YOUR HELP: You can donate to Nazarene Compassionate Ministries Tornado Relief Fund. All money given will go to helping. You can donate here.

We See What We Want To See

Photo by
Moe_NYC

We see what we want to see.

It’s true.

We see what we want to see.

What we see depends on what we’ve experienced or not experienced,

what we know or don’t know,

and

what we expect or don’t expect.

For example,

at a sporting event,

some may see a call,

as a great call,

and others

will see it as the worst call in the history of calls.

In other words,

we see what we want to see,

we see however we are biased,

and all of us are biased.

If you are looking for something to be mad about, I promise you’ll find something quick.

But on the other hand,

if you are looking for something to be joyous about, you’ll find that quick as well.

It’s about perspective.

And when our perspective changes,

well,

everything can change.

Isolation

Photo by
Moe_NYC

Oh Isolation,

how you befriended me.

Offering protection,

protection from hurt,

pain,

suffering,

hypocrites,

and

heartache.

But,

the friendship wasn’t really friendship

and

the protection really wasn’t protection.

You see,

it was a lie,

a lie designed to callous my heart,

to hide me from love,

and most of all,

to deprive me of community.

Isolation,

you,

you are a liar that thrives on loneliness,

emptiness,

and

sorrow. (tweet this)

I no longer want to be friends.

In fact,

Isolation,

I no longer want anything to do with you.

Renovations and Lingering in the Mess

Photo by
Moe_NYC

Renovations.

They always sound like a great idea,

that is,

until,

you actually begin the renovation process.

And then you realize that you are in way over your head.

Why?

Because things are out of place,

everything is messy,

it always costs more than expected,

and it always takes longer than you had originally planned.

It’s here you have a choice:

You can continue the renovation, lingering in the mess, and end up with a beautiful, finished product.

Or,

you can hurry things along, halfway doing the job, and settle for something less than beautiful, something incomplete.

Either way,

it’s completely up to you.

But,

I for one,

have come to appreciate the mess.

I have come to appreciate the process of renovation.

You see,

it’s in the mess that beauty is created. It’s in the mess that restoration is found. It’s in the mess that hope comes to life. And it’s in the mess that He takes the broken and fragmented pieces of our lives and puts us back together. (tweet this)

So,

if you are going through a process of renovation,

don’t rush through,

instead,

learn to linger in the mess.

You’ll be better for it.

Loneliness, Discouragement, and the Power of Words

Photo by
Moe_NYC

Yesterday,

in my office,

I was having a bout with loneliness and discouragement.

Now,

before you judge me,

pastors are not impervious to these things. I mean, we’re people too.

Typically,

when I start feeling this way,

I’m usually wrestling with questions that many of us wrestle with. And by “us” I mean more than just those who serve in ministry.

I mean people in general.

Things like:

Am I making a difference? Because sometimes I don’t think I am.

What can I do differently? Because maybe “different” will shake things up.

Am I making a difference? (Honestly, this is the question I wrestle with more than any other, which is why I listed it twice.)

And then it happened,

because God knew what I was thinking,

what I was feeling,

and what I needed to hear.

Within a matter of minutes I received a text message that said, “You’re a blessing to me and to many others.”

And then an email came in that said, “I wanted you to know your voice doesn’t go unnoticed…He is using you in extraordinary ways outside the walls of your church.”

I lost it.

I became a slobbering, snot-nosed, teary-eyed, mess in my office; blown away by God’s love for me and how He speaks through others. (tweet this)

And all this happened because two people took the time to send a few words of encouragement.

Now,

before I go on,

I need to say that I’m not fishing for compliments.

No,

I’m trying to show and demonstrate the power of encouragement. Because, those simple, yet powerful, words sent to me, were exactly what I needed to hear at the exact time I needed to hear them.

And so today,

if God brings someone to mind,

maybe you can send them a few words of encouragement.

Because,

it may make all the difference in the world.

Focus On Our Light

Photo by
DeaPeaJay

You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:14-16)

Christians,

and more specifically,

me;

we’ve become proficient at complaining.

Okay,

maybe that’s a poor way to phrase it.

We’ve become experts at complaining.

And most often,

we complain about how dark the world is, how awful the world is, and how there’s no hope for the world.

But can I be honest?

I can?

Okay, I will.

We don’t have a darkness problem, we have a light problem. (tweet this)

We’ve become so consumed with pointing out what’s dark in the world,

in others,

and yes,

even in churches,

that we’ve neglected our light.

And that’s a major problem because if our light is neglected, then it’s brightness may start to diminish or be covered up completely.

Think about it.

The more we spread hate,

the more unloving we appear,

the more our influence is lost.

And our influence is tied directly to the brightness of our light.

So today,

let’s drop the agendas,

let’s stop the finger pointing,

and

let’s focus solely on our light so that hope may be seen once again.