i had a dream where i went to a friends house. As i pulled into his driveway the first thing i noticed was that his house was surrounded by a tall wooden fence, high enough that you couldn’t hardly see anything of even the roof except the peak. i went to the gate, which had a buzzer and intercom, pressed the buzzer and told him i was there. In a moment, the gate unlocked. When i stepped through the gate, inside was another gate with a buzzer and intercom. There were many gates in a short space before i got to the front door. When he finally opened the front door he glanced around outside as if he was checking to see if anyone else was watching and let me inside. In the dream, from the front and back windows i could see his entire yard was a series of fences and gates. i thought why, oh why is there so much fencing, and fencing inside the fencing, mostly hiding nothing? When i asked him why all the extreme fencing, he said it was nobody’s business what was inside. i thought to myself, “But there’s nothing to hide but hiding itself.” As i woke up the Lord gave me a revelation. i realized his ardent fencing was built out of fear, fear that if anyone saw inside his yard they might use it against him, fear of shame, fear someone might “know” something. i thought to myself that truthfully speaking, there was nothing to know, and fear was driving all his constant guarding.

You know, i’ve discovered the hard way that we can be a friend to someone, even if they don’t let you in the gate, but it’s pretty impossible to have a relationship with them. As they sit inside their highly guarded, nearly insurmountable fence or wall, yes, we can talk to them through the boundary, pass notes back and forth, and even toss food and water to them over the top, but in the end, it is very, very limited, and totally controls any real connection, if any connection. We need to connect, meaning we must let God tear down the walls and fences of our own construction. i did NOT say boundaries were NOT good, because they are, they are God’s invention and even God has boundaries, obviously. But our constant walling out the Lord and the very people we need in order to prosper in our efforts to secure life and have it more abundantly, i believe is driven by woundedness, and fears of all sorts, and usually the kind of fears which totally make no sense. All the while, we sit in sustained, abject loneliness while feeling falsely secure behind our fencing, secretly wishing we could be free. We need to connect. Some are so dedicated to their fences, the term “immurement” comes to mind. Immurement literally means “walling in”, and is a form of imprisonment, in which a person is placed within an enclosed space with no exits, and if it’s allowed to persist, the prisoner will simply die from starvation or dehydration. It can be spiritual as well as physical.

Going to church is good, but is it really, truly, enough of a connection? i fail to understand how many people base their entire connectivity with God through a 1 and ½ hour event on Sunday. When scripture says, Forsake not the gathering together of yourselves in Hebrews 10:25, it doesn’t mean merely “go to church”, as we’ve been taught. It means to connect, and i mean for more than just 10 minutes before and after. The Lord didn’t make a law out of going to church in that scripture, we did. We’ll be told we absolutely have free will to do as we see fit, but then there’s the subtle, unspoken coercion that, “if you don’t then we’ll think you’ve backslidden”, all decided in the court of public opinion of course.  We’re the ones who made a law out of it all, yet we don’t make room for the real connections we need …and connecting takes time and maybe even courage. God is telling us to get ourselves to a group of like-minded people where we can freely express ourselves, be open and disclosing, and connect. Maintaining a complex fencing system denies us the connections we so desperately need, and i don’t care how tough you think you are, you can’t successfully do life unto the Lord, hidden behind your fences.

And what if we’ve been hurt by someone’s callous religiousness? Let me say that it’s bound to happen. Some people feel it’s their job to make sure others are compliant with the rules, and boy, do they love to tell people about all their rule breaking. In light of that, here comes the idea of “moral superiority” which inspires others to put up more fencing. “They’ve” been to church every time the doors are open and they really feel the need to ask, “i’ve been noticing you’ve not been here much. Why haven’t you been here?” “i’ve noticed you drink a beer occasionally, don’t you know it’s a s-i-n to drink?” “i’ve noticed you have some worldly music in your car. Where is God in your life?” “i’ve noticed you don’t bring your Bible sometimes. i thought you were a Christian.”

Regardless of those who feel obligated to make sure others are “fixed and complying” with some unspoken rules, we can look past them and address what’s going on with ourselves. We need to connect. Ever hear of stonewalling? It is a persistent refusal to communicate or to express emotions. It is common during conflicts, or when people attempt to avoid uncomfortable conversations out of fear that engaging will result in a fight, or someone will know something and use it against them. When we allow our fences to not only keep other scary people out, they also serve to keep us in. Every fence has two sides you know. Come out of your fenced in area you’ve built. God is calling you to connect. You think you’re gifted? You probably are, but, my friend, you can’t give away what you’ve got unless you are there to give it away. i’ll say it again, we can be a friend to someone, even if they don’t let you across the fence, but it is pretty impossible to have a relationship with them.

What do you think?

This year, i am 72. That isn’t long compared to some, but it’s pretty long to me considering when i was a child our neighbors said, “That boy will likely never live to see 7.” i was a dangerous child i suppose. These are the days i thought, in my youthful ignorance, that i’d never see, yet here i am, having cast a long shadow in my Christian community somehow, yet there it is. Surprisingly, i’m still alive — still praying, actually more than ever with greater intent, greater vision, living and walking in a personal, radiant, relational conversation with God all day, everyday. i never thought i’d see this level of intimacy with God, in fact, it was not even within me to imagine such beauty.

Think or more better, “think on these things”. Philippians 4:8, “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” Can you believe it?! Someone as vast and eternal as the King of the Universe has stooped down to know the very small dust in the window sill, who is me, and He actually wants to be friends. He even knows my name!

Regardless of me and my crazy life, God has caused me to “Cast a long shadow”. It may be a “long shadow” cast and only God can see, but it is there, never the less. To “cast a long shadow” can either be an idiom or a metaphor, and in my case it’s more idiom than anything else. For clarity’s sake, from the Oxford Dictionary of English Grammar, an idiom is a “common phrase or expression whose meaning is figurative, not literal, often rooted in culture.” For example, “stiff necked” in Exodus 32:9 means stubborn or rebellious. In Daniel 2:33-34, the idea of having “Feet of clay” points to a hidden weakness in someone who is strong yet they are destined to crumble. As it pertains to people, “Casting a long shadow” means having a significant, far-reaching, or lasting influence — a lifestyle which profoundly affects others. And it can be positive, as in someone’s achievements which may inspire generations, or negative, as in someone who acted scandalously or intimidated others, possibly for a couple generations.

To say a believer is someone who “casts a long shadow” is about legacy, meaning our walk in the Lord influences future people and events. As Christians our Fruit of the Spirit attributes, or character, can “cast a long shadow”. More than “what” we do, more than just being “on the way”, but wholly about “the way we go our way while in The Way”. Not merely the words we use but “how” we use our words which includes facial inflections, body posture and tone of voice. Do you get it? As example, my insistence on being honest, and i mean “down to the bone” type of honesty, influences those around me to also be honest. It may make others uncomfortable, but then we must ask “why are they uncomfortable?”

To quote a well-known missionary, C.T. Studd, “only what’s done for Christ will last” and he’s not talking about mere works, but more how we are, or, “the way we go our way while in The Way”. What he was saying reflects 1 Corinthians 3:12-15, “Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is.”

For years i worked hard as a musician. Oh boy, i religiously ran my scales, read my Bible, prayed, witnessed, religiously attended church, gave my tithe like a good boy, and ran the scales some more. Day in and day out. i played on the worship team at several churches, big meetings and small meetings, just every where i could. i was casting a long shadow alright, but i fear it wasn’t a good one. My “long shadow” was all about myself. i looked great but i was slowly dying inside. i didn’t pay any attention though to who i was but more how i appeared and how well i performed. i was always measuring, how good was good enough, how bad was too bad, did i say the right churchy sounding things, did the people like me, etc, ad naseum. Never once did it occur to me what kind of person i was. Jesus said I AM the Way, but i never thought about the way i went while in The Way.

Not until the last 20 years has God finally gotten my attention about who i was and how i was which was far more important than my ability to quote  scripture (so i would appear knowledgeable and pious), copying someone i heard preaching or praying so i could appear amazing, just amazing, and everyone would say, Wow!, a lot. But more importantly, did i value honesty, integrity, commitment and keeping my word? Did i put a higher value on knowing Jesus? Was my relationship with God one of belonging and connection, and Jesus as a forever-friend? All that loud living and full-throttle activity, without Christ as the focus and endpoint was/is/shall be a dead end.

So let me ask you, what kind of legacy will you leave? One day, i absolutely guarantee, you won’t be here any longer. You will no longer live under this sky, breathe this air, drink this water, or walk on this ground. i know it’s hard to imagine not being here anymore because it truly is the only place we’ve ever lived, but there WILL come a day when all you’ve known changes. Think! Do you “cast a long shadow”? What kind of shadow is it? Listen to me, i’m old and i really believe this is important — after you are gone, it is highly likely, within a couple generations, most all your stuff, pictures and all, will have gone to a thrift store or the trash. Within three generations almost no one will hardly remember your name, and the only one who remembers you and all that you have done is God. In light of that, more than anything i want my “long shadow”, my legacy, to be one of kindness not personal greatness. i want to be an advocator instead of a litigator, i want to impact the world around me with Godly patience and Godly boundaries, being generous like God is generous. Your actions create echoes upon the world around. If anyone remembers me i want them to think of how i loved my neighbor, remembered as the guy who listened and heard what other people said and possessed wisdom only God could have given, and that’s only a few. Who you are is more important than the great things you done. All that stuff you think is so great, when all is said and done, only what is done in Christ will stand.

If you want to make a difference, i believe the biggest difference you can make is to come into the likeness of the Son, Jesus. Be like Jesus, study Jesus, talk to Jesus and learn to have an everyday-walk-around conversation with God. Say, what kind of “long shadow” do you cast? Think about it.

Calvin Coolidge said: “Nothing in the world can take the place of Persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts.”

When we use the term, “Press On”, as it’s used in Philippians 3:12, it means to be diligent and keep on keeping on, don’t stop, don’t deviate, focus and keep on straight ahead. Persistence has won battles; it has been an undeniable aid in everything from restoring marriages to scientific discoveries to overcoming drug and alcohol addiction. i used to have virtually no persistence, couldn’t finish hardly anything, and wondered why my life felt so no-where. An old man told me once, ” persistence is not mere stubbornness—it is faith refined in the furnace of delay”. Ugh! The “furnace of delay”, meaning a prolonged, intensely difficult season of waiting where we have been purposefully delayed in the fulfillment of a promise, dream, or breakthrough. We need persistence. i think it’s a learned thing, especially in this “instant gratification” world we presently live in, and in light of getting what we want, when we want, and how we want, the idea of a “furnace of delay” sounds just awful.

Galatians 6:9 “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” Persistence. The Greek word for “abide” occurs 127 times in the N.T., 35 times in it’s variations in the gospel of John alone. A major concept in abiding is persistence, continuing on, to tarry, and carry on. Considering how often the Lord uses the word in scripture, i figure He sees persistence as important for us to learn and practice.

“Cave bestiam”, Latin for “beware the beast”. One of satan’s favorite things to do is to try and get us to give up! However, God tells us to endure, persist, continue, and finish. Let me say those four again …. endure, persist, continue, and finish.

Persistence is one of God’s more subtle attributes, but an attribute of the Lord nonetheless and we should be aware if God was not persistent and did not share His persistence with us, we would yield to the world and capitulate easily in the wave of darkness and wrongness of character, which daily, if not hourly, washes over the world around us. Evil may be persistent, but God is more relentless in His pursuit of us than we have enough imagination to grasp.

Persistence. The Lord has pursued us with His enduring, everlasting love, He persists in His relentless reaching and seeking of those who are His to bring us home to Himself.

Consider for a moment if you are a persistent person and in what way.

i want to re-tell a story, a sad story, of someone i met at a nursing home. i’ll call her Gladys. When a friend and i first walked into her room to visit, she was laying on her bed, covered by a crisp, freshly creased sheet and thin faded blanket, staring at the wall. She was bone thin with very fine gray hair pulled tight across and behind her head, withered facial features, and she was pale, nearly translucent pale, her skin so thin you could see the veins just below the surface. She was so frail and still we thought she was dead were it not for the faint rise and fall of her chest, barely perceptible only if we stood silently and watched for a moment. Holding our breath with intense focus, we paused for a moment, hoping she would turn her head and speak, but when that didn’t happen, i ventured forward and asked how she was today. In a voice as thin as the rustle of dry leaves, while still staring at the wall she replied that she was just laying there waiting to die, tired of being in this world and was done with breathing. Finally, she slowly turned her head to look at us, and from very thin pale lips, told us she didn’t understand why she was still alive. With perplexity in her voice, she continued on saying her heart just kept beating and beating, and she had decided to just wait on it to quit. So, everyday, all day, every week she waited.

The next week we came back and there was Gladys, laying in her bed, almost exactly as she was the first time we met. i’m telling you, it seemed she had not moved an inch since the last time we say her. Hands folded across her chest on top of the sheet and blanket, skin thin as wet paper and her eyes were closed. i spoke softly to her a little above a whisper and asked if she was awake. With her eyes still shut, she said “Yes”. i told her it was a beautiful day, it was warm, and the flowers were blooming everywhere — then i asked her why her eyes were closed. She said she was tired of looking at the sky and the flowers and trees, tired of looking walls and people and just didn’t want to see any of that anymore. She insisted she was still waiting to die.

A month or so later, Gladys really did die. She died from a failure to persist — she didn’t want to be here anymore so badly, her body just simply stopped. It took her over two years to will herself to die, but it appeared she had accomplished her goal.

Sadly, we came to find out, two years prior to that, someone had prophesied to Gladys she only had a couple years left and God was going to take her home, and in light of that foolish and cruel prophesy to a healthy woman with children and grandchildren, Gladys decided that if that was the way it was going to be, then she’d just lay down and wait. She waited for over two years, failing to persist everyday a little more and a little more, until one day, she indeed left the land of the living.

Gladys was a good example about where we go when we cease our persistence of the Lord, life, love, goodness, hope, peace or any other good thing God has sowed into our lives. After meeting Gladys, i realized that it’s the truth, any of us, if we allow it, can become so sad, so resigned to ceasing to breath, we will, at some point, stop. God has another plan though.

After that dreadful story, i much prefer a “positive perspective of persistence”. That phrase has a nice rhythm doesn’t it? “Positive perspective of persistence”.

Persistence, what is it? Here’s part of what i’ve come up with: it is the ability to maintain action regardless of your feelings. In other words, we press on even when we feel like quitting, even when you think you’ve got good reason to quit. If God didn’t say quit what you’re doing, we will stand our post like the soldiers we are. Standing firm to the end is not a way to be saved but it IS the evidence that a person is committed to Jesus. Again, persistence is not a means to earn salvation; it is the by-product of a truly devoted life.

Joyce Meyer said, “Typically, i have to do the right thing with a right attitude for a long time before i start getting right results, that’s persistence.” i believe she was right. In my experience, though limited, i too have realized i often have to treat people right for a long time before they begin to treat me the same way. Not always, but by far and large, most of the time. Persist in treating people right is the key phrase there. That means even when they don’t treat us well, we repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. Consider it a kindness. Consider it a version of sharing your bread with the poor like in Isaiah 58:7. Just as God is kind to us and persists to love us, we need to be like Him. Just as natural seed finally takes root and the beginning of a plant breaks through the ground, we also will see breakthrough if we continue to do the right thing, regardless of what others do. Again, the sticky words are “continue to do the right thing”, persist.

On a side note, what is your idea of “breakthrough”? Be honest, down to the bone honest.

People frequently give up too easily. When their feelings quit on them, they quit too. There is what i call, “The spirit of Eeyore”, which sounds just like Eeyore on Winnie the Poo. Eeyore’s attitude says, “What does it matter? No one cares anyway.” OR “It’s ok. i’ll learn to live without it.” OR “It figures, might as well go home.” OR  “Nope, just got lonely being so popular. i figured being boring old me was better’n being something i ain’t. Hope you’re not too disappointed.”

When we give up, or cease to persist, despair and hopelessness is just a breath away. Let me encourage us all, when we are pressured to give up and turn our back on our friends or even Christ Himself  — don’t do it. Remember the benefits of standing firm, and continue, or persist to live for Christ. Matthew10:22, “And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved.” Read Luke 18:1-8, James 1:12, and Romans 5:3-4 to name a few. God has a lot to say about perseverance and persisting.

Enduring means to persist, and it doesn’t mean to persist in order to merely be saved or merely get what we want, it means to persist in our pursuit to apprehend Jesus, our life, the Lover of Our Souls. He alone is the source and focus of our persistence! Altogether. Such persistence honors God’s sovereignty and transforms the one who waits. Persistence kills pride, or “I deserve an answer now”, deepens desperation for God Himself rather than simply getting from God what we want, and it forges character that can carry the eventual blessing without being crushed by it.

Just because we give up on something, does that mean we are a failure? No. It may seem to us we are a failure, but that’s failure as WE measure failure. God doesn’t see it that way. There’s a time to doggedly continue on just like there’s a time to let go and set your feet in another direction. Several years ago, two other men and i had a men’s meeting we called the “20/20 Men’s Group”. We persisted for a year, and at the end of that year we felt the Lord point us towards re-assessing our efforts. In our prayer and re-assessment, we perceived the Lord to encourage us to let our meetings go. Honestly, i didn’t want to because i loved the idea of the “20/20 Men’s Group”, but i also know it’s better to follow the Lord instead of keeping on with something He’s moved on from. So, we let it go, and it proved to be the right thing. Does that make us failures? Absolutely not. When to stop pursuing something is a good question, for truly, there are times to cease to pursue a direction which previously we knew to be the will of the Lord. If God changes direction, we must go with God, not be stubborn adherents to an old paradigm.

Greg Herrick wrote that “stubborn faith is not the same as persistent love.” Just because someone’s great-great grandparents did church like they did, if God has requested we change our way of doing things, for Heaven’s sake just change. When the great-great grandparents started the church, it was a great idea. But people have changed, culture has changed, ideals have changed and we mustn’t be so stubborn as to not change when God has moved on. If we’ll not change, what was once a great blessing could easily become a restraint so tight we can’t hardly breathe anymore. The gospel message is the same, of course, but how we go about doing it may lead to our being called to a higher place by the Lord. If we will move “with” the Lord we will do more than simply grow but will flourish. Persist in the pursuit of Jesus, not persist in a paradigm you like, methods you’re comfortable with, or some melancholy idea of “the way we used to do it.” In fact, i believe the phrase, “We ain’t never done it that way before” has stopped many ministries from continuing to prosper.

Here’s an interesting example of persistence with change: Ever heard of a company called “Traf-O-Data?” No? Well, at the time, me either. How about Microsoft? Oh, yea, we’ve all heard of that one. As it turns out both companies were started by Bill Gates and Paul Allen. Traf-O-Data was the first company they started in 1972. Gates and Allen ran it for several years before throwing in the towel. They gave up on their original. But, if they hadn’t given up on Traf-O-Data, then there might never have been “MicroSoft”, and i must say, they did much better with MicroSoft than their original idea.

So how do you know when to press on vs. when to let go and follow God’s lead to a new thing? Here’s some questions to help in the re-assement of things: Is your plan still correct and how can you tell? We’ve gotta’ be honest about that one. If it’s not correct, update the plan. Wait on God to confirm it, and yes, the Lord does, unwaveringly, confirm His word. Is your goal still correct? What’s your evidence? Be honest. If not, update or abandon your goal. There’s no honor in clinging to something when God has moved on. Here it is, hear me on this: Persistence is not stubbornness.

i am my own best example of stubbornness which i have often confused with persistence. Letting things go was hard for me. I had always believed we should never give up, that once i set my mind to something, i should hang on to the bitter end. i figured the only thing worse than dying was quitting. You know, the old “captain must go down with the ship and all. i often felt like a failure if i surrendered and didn’t grip my project even tighter in an effort to “make” it work, squeeze it until it works. It was hard for me to learn the difference between persistence and stubbornness. Again, if God changes direction, we must go with God, not be stubborn adherents to an old paradigm.

Romans 14:19 “Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which we may edify one another.”

Persist in apprehending that which makes peace and edifies the body of Christ. That’s very plain and straight forward.

Colossians1:23 says we should persist in our faith, persist in our being established and firm, not moved from the hope held out to us in the gospel.

1 Corinthians 14:1, “Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy.”

This obviously means to persist until we apprehend love, to persist in reaching towards the spiritual gifts God has for us, especially prophesy, and don’t let the word “prophesy” scare you off. i think so often we get stuck on a word and miss the content. This is not buying into crazy doctrine but i’m saying, simply, don’t get stuck on a word like “prophesy” just because it’s not in the scope of your vision. Persist to understand what God means, and just because some individuals have done it poorly doesn’t mean it is not a viable gift from the Lord.

Persist to walk in the truth, not just the facts, but the truth, truth and fact are different you know. Remember also there is a balance in persistence. 1 John 5:18 “We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin”. Friends, it isn’t necessarily the one cookie that makes us over weight, but the lifestyle of cookies we persist in. It isn’t automatically the one-sy, two-sy of things we do wrong which defile us, it is the lifestyle of wrongness which we persist in. It is not so much the lie here and there which get us in trouble but the theme of lying that causes us such grief. The key word for today in 1 John 5:18 is “continue” or “persist”.  Like in 1 John 3:6, it says “No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.” That scripture isn’t speaking of a single act, but a lifestyle. It is our conduct and habits which reveal if we really know Jesus or not. Remember: There is balance in our persistence and persistence is not stubbornness, and ceasing to persist on something does not mean anyone is a failure. Think! How does God see the situation? Persist and find out. If you ask Him i guarantee He will answer, by and by. Oh, yes He will.

i read somewhere that the value of persistence comes not from stubbornly clinging to the past. It comes from a vision of the future that is so compelling you would give anything to make it real. This life is real, God is real and alive. i really believe persistence of action comes from persistence of vision. Let me encourage us all to pursue God for our vision and dreams. It ain’t over yet, and i’ve not heard the bell ring, so let’s put our shoulder to the wheel and persist in our pursuit of Jesus. Think about it.

Persistence allows you to keep taking action even when you don’t feel motivated to do so. According to early Christian writers, there are two virtues of courage: Patience & Persistence. Patience is enduring difficulties or danger without being inordinately cast down. Persistence is continuance in spite of difficulties or danger. If there exists in us true courage, therein is faith & hope also, and if there is hope and faith, patience and persistence are close at hand. Persist in prayer, persist and endure through trials, and persist in faith and obedience. Through Christ we shall be persistent, enduring, and steadfast.

In Luke 5:17-20 Jesus was teaching in a house and some guys carried a paralyzed man up onto the roof. There they took apart the roof, and lowered the paralyzed man into the room so Jesus could heal him. Those guys were VERY daring, not to mention it was probably very messy considering there was dirt and roof stuff falling onto the people below. i’d bet anything people complained and maybe even yelled at them to stop, but yet they persisted because they had hope something would change, they had a vision of the future for their friend. Let us be willing to persist on behalf of our neighbors in the same way.

i’m Social Porter and this has been brought to you by Living In His Name Ministries, Area 22 Guitars, Cannie Ledbetter at Oakdale Cemetery, Skyland Battery and Ignition, Mr. Jack Johnson at Johnson’s Gulf Service, Elmo and Mary Hogan, and Trinity Bakers where there’s always something good in the oven.

Be persistent this week, press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called us heavenward in Christ Jesus. Persist! Persist! Persist! Be at peace and let Jesus be your rest and comfort. Until we meet again, Amen