The Flog – The Fabry Log

I don’t like hunting for cars. Especially now that the whole family is chemically sensitive. We can’t have cloth seats because they retain odors and chemicals. Leather is expensive, but it works. It's not as porous. Most cars I find have residue of smoke or some cleaning agent that burns the eyes, contricts the throat or leaves a weird taste on the tongue.

I am searching for the unreachable car. To reach, the unreachable car...

Imagine how hard it is to find a God you can trust in. One that is the perfect fit for your psyche. Your temperament. A lot of people have found a god in themselves. They don’t believe in a deity—it’s in them. Or they follow a god that tells them how many times to pray each day and what to eat and when not to eat. Or maybe a god that makes them do unimaginable things to please him. That kind of god is available.

I haven’t been able to find God. That’s the honest truth. I would have looked all my life and never would have found him.

Instead, he found me.

Jesus, every bit God as the Father, didn’t stay in heaven, though he had every right. He let go of that position and humbled himself. Made himself a servant. As a man, he fully submitted himself to God’s will and made a way for you and me to be made holy. Perfect in him.

But it cost. A lot. His life. He had to die in order for me to be found.

It says in scripture that before the foundation of the world was created, the Lamb was slain. This was God’s plan. This was his search and rescue mission for you and me. Any one of us can be found because he made the way. He humbled himself, became nothing, became obedient to even the degradation of the cross.

If you’re looking for God, don’t look at the tree where he went to show his love. If you’re looking for God, don’t look at the tomb where his body was placed. If you’re looking for God, he is exalted to the highest place and has the name that is above every name. And he’s calling yours today. He wants you to come to him.

Read Philippians 2:1-11 and respond to him today. Write whatever comes to your mind—thanksgiving, praise, ask forgiveness, repent, or just consider the vast love of a God who won’t be found, because he finds you and me.

Who needs leather seats when you have all of that?

Brian Kluth was on the program yesterday. We were going to have a conversation about generosity and finances and the economy. It turned into a conversation (two hours) about pain and how God uses it. Brian lost his wife on August 11th to cancer. Not the big “c,” according to Brian.

A caller told us that as she goes to sleep each night, she asks God to “take her.” She doesn’t want to live because of the pain of the past and present. Have you ever been there? Many have.

After the program, I received this email:

Dear Chris,
I was on my way home from work when I heard the caller. My heart went out to hear her pain. I know her pain and have lived it. I lived through abuse of all kinds from my grandparents, my mother, stepfathers and spouses. I ran just like she did from my pain thinking it would not bother me or that I continue to hold a grudge. I never fully realized that I continually kept that pain alive and kept up walls. I became a Christian 11 years ago. I thought that because Jesus saved me that all the past would in a way disappear. My past IS under the blood of Jesus but there was mending in me that He wanted to do. The Lord had to sort through all the horrible pain, insufferable things and mend my heart. I went to counseling with an organization called Freedom Ministries. It is intensive prayer, learning to let go of my high expectations, dealing with abandonment, fear, anything. I praise God that I went through the pain and was able to give it over to Jesus. The most amazing thing, I finally understood how much Jesus loves me. Even all the horrible choices I had made thinking that I had no others options. I can't express it fully but the feeling I get from her is “walls and isolation keep you in chains to the lies.” I know I have more mending. I guess I'm writing because I never realized how much Jesus loved me or how broken my heart really was. Just like her. We live in a mean world and I pray that she finds her way. I wish I could write more and explain better but I just can't put all my emotions into words. Just Lord help her and bless her.

I love that kind of prayer and that kind of realization. When we fix our eyes on Jesus, our pain doesn’t go away. The past is still there. But as we gaze upon Him, and as we focus on what he has made us, what he wants us to do, we’re able to get a better perspective of life. We’re enabled to be free.

Read Philippians 2:1-11 and focus on verse 8.

The ultimate obedient act that Jesus performed was to offer himself, to be obedient to death on a cross.

Jesus died for the events in your past that haunt you.

He died so that you wouldn’t have to pay the penalty for them.

Because of the obedience of Jesus, he purchased what you could never purchase on your own.

Have you ever prayed for God to “take you?”

Why do you think he didn’t? He could certainly take any of us as soon as we become believers.

What does God want you to do today in obedience to him?

How can you follow in the footsteps of obedience to Jesus?

What does it mean to “Fix your eyes on Jesus?” That’s what we’re trying to do in these forty days. We’ve heard from an exotic dancer who listened to the message and said she didn’t want to do that any longer. Yesterday I received this message:

Mr. Fabry,
I became a stripper in Dallas Texas when I was 23. During that period in my life I lost everything and I mean everything. By the time Dallas was done with me I lost everything material, financial, relational, but most importantly I lost me and I thought I lost God. My dignity, integrity, honesty, and purity was gone. I was empty. The last night I was in a strip club working I was drunk. Stumbling around the club half dressed in high heel shoes crying my eyes out; a man, a woman, or a spirit walked by me very fast and I heard, "What's a girl like you doing in a place like this?" All of the sudden it was as if someone clapped their hands. I came out of a trance and thought, "What am I doing here?"

There are those moments of clarity, in the midst of the sin—just like the Prodigal Son experienced. “When he came to himself…” That’s what happened to the person in Dallas. That’s what happened to the dancer who phoned us the other day. She came into her right mind. Jesus will help you do that if you ask him, no matter what the situation.

A disease can cloud your mind, too. Here’s another response to the devotion we’ve been doing the past 22 days:

When I was so very ill with lyme disease six years ago, if my eyes were not fixed on Him, looking to Him, thinking on Him or talking to Him, my symptoms would overtake me even to the point of suicide. But as I have gone through the healing process over the years I have gained strength. I know where to turn for comfort and I have learned I can trust wholly on Jesus, secure in His love and grace to get me through anything. I know that every day until I die or until His return, the only direction I want to place my eyes is on Him, the author and finisher of my faith!

What a great way to express the submission we’ve been looking at in Philippians 2:1-11.

Read the passage once again. Focus on verses 5-8.

Jesus fully leaned on his Father and submitted himself to his Father’s will. He fixed his eyes on God at every turn. If Jesus needed to do that, how much more do you and I need to do that?

God wants to set you free. What is holding you back from fully submitting your life to him today? Is there anything in your life that you feel is making you stumble? Is there anything about your life that you would say, “What am I doing here?”

If so, confess that to God and accept his forgiveness, and get out of there. Flee whatever that is today and fix your gaze on Christ.

Prayer:
Father, take my prodigal heart and turn it toward yourself today. I submit my life, and everything that I have, to your perfect will. Use me as I present my body, my mind, my soul, my life to you. I want to be more like Jesus. Show me those areas, shine your light on the places I need to see, and help me submit them to you today. For Christ’s glory and for your Kingdom, Amen.

God can set us free. The truth sets us free.

When Jesus stood in front of the synagogue one day, he read these words from Isaiah:
"The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed…"

I want to tell you what happened on the radio program yesterday. But first, I have to tell you what happened over the weekend. I knew we did not have a guest for hour 2 on Monday and in those situations I try to keep my eyes peeled. The scripture that kept coming was the scene of Peter walking on the water and losing sight of Jesus and then sinking.

I felt strongly we should talk about that and I wrote a brief devotion about it and posted it Monday morning. (You can read it below.) During the program I asked for calls from people who were looking at “wind” instead of Jesus. “What is your wind?” I asked.

Several people called about the obstacles they see in their lives. For one it’s infertility, another had a daughter with tumors, another was facing unemployment/underemployment. With a few minutes left I took an anonymous call. I called her “Ann” for short.

What transpired was something only God could orchestrate. Ann said that she was a single mom and in order to make money goes to a bar and dances. She said she’s tried to quit many times, but when the bills come due, she goes back to the bar. She doesn’t want to, but she does. Off the air she said when she heard us talking about the wind, she knew she had to call. She said she’d been asking God to help her get free from this.

She seemed hopeful when we spoke off the air and when I mentioned there would be people praying for her, she said, “Use my real name.” I was so proud of her. She wants you to pray for her and her daughter, as well as her roommate (who also wants to quit the exotic dancing) and her daughter.

So today, spend a few moments in prayer for Angelica and Priscilla, as well as Azalia and Jasmine. God wants to set the captives free. He longs for us to come to him and ask for things like this.

Today on the program, we’re going to link Angelica with a woman who used to be in the adult entertainment industry. And in the second hour we’re going to ask you, “How were you able to stop doing something you knew you had to quit?”

Whatever is holding you back today, God wants to meet you at that place. He wants to set you free.

I hope you had a good weekend. Here were are, halfway through the 40 days of prayer. We’ve been trying to “fix our eyes on Jesus” during this time, studying Philippians 2:1-11.

If you didn’t read the blog over the weekend, go back and look at the post for Saturday. I think there’s a progression that God provides for us in order to help us humble ourselves and serve him with all our hearts.

I don’t know what you’re facing today. Is it a doctor’s diagnosis? Health problems? A wayward child? Unfulfilled desires? Dreams you feel have crashed and burned?

Don’t focus on the disappointments right now, focus on the person of Christ.

For today’s devotion, I want to take you to Matthew 14. Look at this scene in the life of Christ and his interaction with Peter.

22Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. 23After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, 24but the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.

25During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. 26When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. "It's a ghost," they said, and cried out in fear.

27But Jesus immediately said to them: "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid."

28"Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water."

29"Come," he said.

Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!"

31Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?"

32And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. 33Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God."

What was Peter’s problem?

What was the answer to Peter’s problem?

What is your problem?

What is the answer to your problem?

Bring those things to God today and gaze at Jesus anew.

My guest blogger today is my friend, Robert Sutherland. He’s had some ups and downs in life. If you go to my earlier posts from last week and the week before, you’ll see he’s written to me about prayer and how difficult it is.

We’re “fixing our eyes on Jesus” during these 40 days, and no matter what you’re going through, I think that helps anchor us to what is true. We can’t go wrong if we do that.

So as you read Robert’s update, think about what you’ve been reading in Philippians 2 and where you are on the prayer continuum, on the humility continuum, and on the submission scale. Those aren't real measurements, of course. Only God can weigh the heart.

And his heart is turned toward you today.

I hope you have a great Sunday. Here's Robert's entry.

* * * * * * * *

Hi Chris,

Hope you are well.

You’re not going to believe this! – OK. You are going to believe this.

Do you remember when I said my car’s “Check Engine” light came on when I visited my dad for the weekend? Well, I prayed about it.

On Sunday, I had to drive 150 miles through the countryside to get home. The light never came on! Three days later, it still hasn’t come back on.

Thank you, Jesus!! An answered prayer! Already!

It’s not as if I’ve never prayed before. I have. And I used to read and memorize the Bible too. But that was then. This is now.

I won’t play dumb and pretend I don’t know what made me wander off the prayer path. It usually happens when God disappoints us … or when we feel we’ve disappointed God. At least, that’s what happened with me.

May I speak for people like me for a moment, please? “WE” don’t want to talk to God about our bills, our bosses, our kids, our spouses OR Exes, our pains and our sorrows … because if we do … WE are afraid He’s going to tell us to become missionaries to people who live in smelly trash dumps. That happens, you know. It really does.

WE don’t pray for the same reason WE don’t sit down and take the time to write our last will and testament. WE are afraid of what will happen next.

Praying to God about my job is easy. Several times a week I am told that I am going to be fired if I don’t sell more widgets. But, I know there are a bazillion unemployed people who are praying to God … right this very minute … asking for work! I don’t want God to give my job to somebody else because I’m complaining. I want Him to make it right for ME!

But what if God doesn’t save my job … and INSTEAD … asks me to forgive you-know-who? Or be kinder to people – even while driving?

What if I’m asking for mortgage money and God asks me to tithe more? He does that sort of thing, you know. He really does.

My big problem with prayer has nothing to do with me asking God to make my life better. That’s fine. There’s always time to ask for stuff.

I just don’t want God to – how shall I put this? – ask ME to do stuff … like living the way the Bible says to do.

I mean God wants MY LIFE. ALL of it. That’s WAY more important to Him than my job or my bills.

And that’s scary.

It’s not that I don’t have the time to pray. The truth is: I don’t have the time to become a real, live Christian.

And prayer can do that to people. I’ve seen it happen!

I know what you’re going to say. You’re going to say “Pray about it.”

Right?

OK. I’ll pray about it.

But if I get sent to that trash dump, you’d better visit me.

Robert