Fuzzy Reflections

A Time for Change

2011-12-21T14:49:00.002-05:00

Change is the only constant that life promises us. We encounter it everywhere. Sometimes it's good. Sometimes it's bad. Sometimes it's expected and sometimes it's sudden. For the past few months I have been struggling with a choice about a change. Is it a major, life-altering choice? No. But it is one that is important to me, and that choice has been whether to re-locate my blog or not. After weighing the options and praying for several weeks I have made the decision to relocate my personal blog to www.ponderingpreacher.com. Before you jump ship, please allow me to explain my decision.

Why This Change?
Over the past year I was privileged enough to be a contributor on a couple of different blogs. They used a different host site than Fuzzy Reflections, and I got to see how the software and administrative controls worked. In other words, as a contributor I got to lift the hood and see what makes the engine run on a different blogging host. The more I contributed, the more I liked the tools available. It also gave me more options as far as design, domain name, and pricing if I choose to upgrade in any of several ways.

But I also noticed that in just setting up the skeleton of my blog I generated more traffic (site visitors) in a day than my blog here gets in a week. While I don't foresee my blog ever becoming a mass-appeal site, extra-traffic is always good, especially when you write about things that, hopefully, help people draw closer to God. I realize some of this traffic may be curious passers-by, I am hoping to expand my reach to a more global audience.

What Will Be Different?
The obvious difference will be the name of the website. It is now simply ponderingpreacher.com. The other obvious difference will be the name of the blog. No longer is it 'Fuzzy Reflections' but it is now 'The Pondering Preacher.' Why the name change? Because, my focus has shifted. Will there still be some 'fuzzy reflections' on every day life? Yes! But there will also be articles that challenge church leadership and deal with current event issues. There will also be my musings on any number of doctrinal and theological issues.

The other main difference will be the layout. I have simplified and downsized some of the gadgets in the side column. My hope is for a cleaner, more professional look. But when you see the site you will find it is just as easy, if not easier, to navigate through past posts and articles.

What Will Be the Same?
There will still be articles and occasional book reviews. All of the old posts from Fuzzy Reflections are archived on the new site and so are the comments. So if you have a favorite article to show someone, it will still be available on the new blog. You can still access my podcasts from the new blog as well. Just click on the link in the right hand column and it will take you to the media player for my podcasts.

Change is Risky
I realize that I am taking some risks in switching my blog to a new site, the biggest one being losing some of my wonderful readers as followers. Please, if you followed Fuzzy Reflections, follow The Pondering Preacher. It means a lot to me that so many people read and view my blog. I hope that you continue to do so, and spread the word to your friends to check out ponderingpreacher.com!

Why Marriage Matters

2011-12-15T14:16:00.001-05:00

Recently I read two articles (one on msn.com; the other oncsmonitor.com) that examined the downward trend of marriage in ourculture. One article revealed that now,barely more than 50% of adults aged 18 years or older are married (comparedwith 71% in 1960). The other articlerevealed that adults under the age of 30 are more likely to view marriage asobsolete than ever before. Both articlesrevealed that younger people are waiting longer to marry and that cohabitationamong young adults has trended upward while marriage amongst that samedemographic has dropped. Now these twoarticles did not surprise me nearly as much as a third article on CNN.com’sfaith page did. It revealed that moreand more young adults who claim to be Christian are cohabitating. In fact, it revealed that ‘Christian’ youngadults living together is trending upward at the same rate as theirnon-Christian counterparts.

More Than Just a Sin Issue

The first reaction for many Christians is condemnation. Some may chalk it up to the rebellious natureof youth while others may count it as one of many signs of the times. But we, as the Church, must realize that thisis much more than a sin issue that needs to be confronted. The problems that the disintegration ofmarriage presents go much deeper than a lifestyle choice or a church disciplineissue. What is at stake is how wecommunicate God’s relationship to humanity and the fabric of society as awhole.

Building Blocks

I remember several years ago being confronted with astatistic that read one out of every two children is either from a broken homeor a home with a single parent. Thatstatistic astonished me at first, but as I thought about the friends I hadgrowing up, I realized I was the only one who had parents that weren’t divorcedat some point. When I thought about thekids in the classes I was teaching at the time, easily half of them would havefit into the broken home/single-parent demographic, and I taught at a‘Christian’ school. The result has beena generation that views marriage as either inconvenient or disposable. So we saw divorce rates rise in the 70s and80s, but eventually they leveled off and began to drop as the practice ofcohabitation began to be more readily accepted by society. TV shows like ‘Friends’ and ‘Seinfeld’ (aswell as a score of others) portrayed cohabitation as normal, healthy and funny,and if Satan can get you to laugh at sin then you are no longer taking itseriously.

There is nothing funny about sin. As a minister, educator and friend, I haveseen the pain, heartbreak and confusion of divorce. I have witnessed how cohabitation destroystrust rather than builds it. But as Isaid earlier, this is deeper than a sin issue; it is a family issue. God, in Hisinfinite wisdom, ordained the family. There was to be one husband, one wife and they were to ‘be fruitful andmultiply.’ The family became the basicstructure for society. Inside the familyunit a child learns how to respect others, obey rules, treat the opposite sex,take care of property, work ethic, basic people skills as well as a host ofother things. History has proven thatwhen the family structure declines within a society, social problems increase. Crime rates rise (a child wasn’t taught thatbreaking rules has consequences). Economies suffer (a child never learned a work ethic from hisparents). Violence increases (a childmissed out on respecting others). I amnot saying that it is impossible to bring up good-citizens in a broken home,nor am I saying that all nuclear families will bring up perfect kids. What I amsaying is the higher the percentage of kids growing up insingle-parent/broken homes, the more likely that several of them will not learnlessons that most kids learn in the traditional family setting.

But the family is more than a building block forsociety. It is also a microcosm of theChurch. Fathers are called to be ministers to their families. Godly instruction begins within the home, notthe synagogue, tabernacle, temple or Sunday School class (see Deuteronomy6:4ff.) A Father is to instruct hischild about God through everyday routines. A mother is to impart wisdom to her child through Godly example (seeProverbs 31 for the ideal example of a Godly mother). When we forsake God’s blueprint formarriage, we are destroying the Church from within by destroying the nextgeneration of Christians. If we loveChrist and we love His Bride, we must respectand restore the institute of marriage to a place of honor.

Marriage as Evangelism

As Paul began to conclude his letter to the church inEphesus he shifted his attention from what the Church at large should look liketo what the Church in the home should aspire to. He gives wives and husbands specific commands. He tells wives to submit to their husbandsand he tells husbands to sacrificially love their wives. Both commands he links to the Church and toChrist. Marriage is a living parable ofGod’s relationship with the Church. Inother words, our marriage is a testimony to the world of whom God is and whothe Church is and how the two interact with each other. The love, passion, respect and submissionthat takes place in marriage teaches ourselves and others about God. More to the point, marriage is at its core atool for evangelism. If more and moreyoung people inside the Church areforsaking marriage for cohabitation then we are teaching about Godfalsely. God didn’t merely decide tocoexist with us; He entered into a covenant with us! He made a full-fledged commitment to us andbacked it up with His blood. His vow? To never leave us or forsake us. His dowry? The cross. His guarantee? The empty tomb. Marriage is a powerful picture of God’s loveand commitment to us. Frankly, ‘shackingup’ just doesn’t convey the same message.

Tackling the Issue

Realizing how much is at stake, I believe we have been goingabout preventing the rise of cohabitation all wrong. The Church for too long has been reactionaryto this problem, and our meager efforts at being pro-active have hardly proveneffective (do I really need to dig up statistics on how many purity pledges arebroken?) Our children are missing out onthe Bible’s full teaching on marriage when we focus on sin-prevention andpurity, and as a result they grow up not seeing the real importance ofmarriage. So what do we do? How do we educate, not only youth, but theirparents about marriage?

Teach the Positives

Instead of focusing on the negatives, which many purityprograms do (abstinence protects us from disease, heartache and sin, etc.) let’sstress the positives about what marriage provides. I’ve already touched on a couple of things: afoundation for society and an evangelistic message. There are more positives than merelythese. There is the sense of securitythat marriage was designed to bring. Another positive is the level of intimacy that a Biblical marriageprovides. The sense of stability thatchildren need to thrive and prosper is best found inside the bonds ofmarriage. Marriage provides fertileground for the next generation of Christians to grow and mature into productivedisciples of Jesus. Are there negativesaspects to forsaking marriage? Yes, andthey need to be taught as well, but let’s no let those things dominate ourteaching about love and marriage.

Equip Parents

It is not the Church’s job to raise children. That responsibility falls squarely in thelaps of parents. The excuse, ‘I broughtthem to church every week’ isn’t going to cut it. Parents have more opportunities to interactwith their children than anyone else, thus it is their responsibility to teachtheir children about the benefits of a Christ-centered marriage. But many parents are at a loss as to how todo this. Why? Because their parents never taught them! For too long the church has focused on teenswith purity events and abstinence programs. If we want to reach the kids we need to teach their parents how to talkto them about issues surrounding marriage, including sex, intimacy,expectations, etc. Only then will webegin to make any headway in this particular battlefront.

Imitate Jesus by being‘Full of Grace and Truth’

I love the Gospel of John. His near mystical approach to the life of Christ has always appealed tome. From the opening lines I find myselfmesmerized, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and theWord was God.” As you keep reading, youdiscover something even more miraculous, “And the Word became flesh and dweltamong us, and we beheld Him as the only begotten of the Father, full of graceand truth.” I love that description ofJesus, “full of grace and truth.” When Ithink about His ministry, I see evidence of both grace and truth. The woman at the well? Jesus offered her the grace of living waterbefore confronting her about the truth of her cohabitation. The woman caught in adultery? Jesus offered her grace by forgiving herbefore confronting her with the truth about her love life. If we are to reach a culture that is outsideof Christ with the truth about marriage we must be willing to offer grace. There are many single-parent homes that needthe grace of Jesus if we are to teach them the truth about marriage. The homes across America are littered withthe broken pieces of marriages that did not live up to the Biblical ideal. The last thing many of these families needare stones cast their way. Instead, theyneed some living water and the assurance that they can come to Jesus, even ifthey are embarrassed, naked and guilty. As I said earlier, this issue is much deeper than sins that need to beconfronted; its lives that need to be restored. I pray that by the grace of God, we restore and rebuild marriage to bewhat God intended it to be.

Lessons Learned this Year

2011-12-12T14:25:00.001-05:00

It's getting to that time of year where I start looking back and seeing what I have learned over the past 12 months. There have been dozens of books read and scores of sermons and lessons prepared and presented. There have been nearly 60 articles written for three different blogs, including a few that were published in our brotherhood's most recognized magazine. But what did I learn? How did I grow? All this productivity is for naught if I do not grow through it. Below is a brief list of ways that I have grown and lessons that I have learned along the way.

Issues take a Backseat to People

When I look at Jesus' life and ministry I see that He constantly put the needs of people at the forefront of His ministry. Whether it was breaking the social, racial and gender barriers by approaching a Samaritan woman a a well or by defusing the attempted execution of an adulteress caught in the act, Jesus always took the side of people over the issues. Does this mean issues aren't important? No. Jesus managed to maintain a perfectly holy lifestyle and, because He's God, He had perfect doctrine. But His adherence to truth never got in the way of Him helping those in need. Rather, His doctrine seemed to motivate Him to help. Remember His answer to which commandment is the greatest? 'Love God. Love People.' His theology motivated His charity.

Too often when we look at issues, whether they be homosexuality, abortion, the existence of Hell or any other hot-button topic of the day, we get caught up in whether we are right or wrong and people become an afterthought. I can't help but think that Jesus would turn that on it's head. Motivated by love, He would teach the truth concerning these issues while never losing focus that there are people who bear the image of God within them who are caught up in these issues. Sin would still be confronted, but it would be confronted from a position of love rather than a position of self-righteous condemnation.

Not Every Issue is a Hill worth Dying on.

I read an article last week about a minister in a small Wisconsin town. The town was being sued by an atheist group to remove the nativity from the town square which was local government property. Of course the townspeople, which are mostly Christian, are fighting back. But this minister was very aggressive in His commentary on the matter. "This is a hill worth dying on!" He proclaimed. Really? A creche display is worth dying for? Wouldn't it be more impactful of a statement if the citizens of the town displayed the nativity in each of their lawns, OR (now this is really radical) if they all displayed Christ-like behavior on a daily basis? I'm not saying I think the nativity should be removed, nor am I saying that I think the town is wrong for filing a counter-suit. What I am saying is that there are things MUCH MORE important than displaying baby Jesus in the town square. Starvation, AIDS, clean water are major issues all over the world, yet people want to get mired in a fight over a display. Shame on BOTH sides of the issue for being so easily distracted.

The American Church Needs Jesus

I know some of you are now saying, "Come on Captain Obvious, tell us something we don't already know." But it's true. Too many churches are adopting business models to grow their membership. Even more are more focused on outward appearances than inward change. Discipleship has taken a backseat to conversion. Oh, and by the way, these are problems that are 20-30 years old and what we are seeing is a generation of young adults totally and completely disenfranchised with the Church. The lack of trust in big-corporations isn't limited to the occupy Wall St. crowd. It is being applied to organized religion as well. Young adults are more cynical than ever before, and the result is that they see through the facade of programming to the heart of the matter: do we really believe in Jesus? If we really believe that He is God, then why don't we act more like Him?

But personal discipleship isn't the only ingredient missing in the American Church. Fellowship, sharing one another's needs and church discipline have all taken hits. The results have been disastrous with declining attendance numbers and stagnating churches becoming more the norm and less the exception. If we are to recover, then we need to heed the words of Jesus to the Ephesian church and "remember our first love." To quote Kyle Idleman, are we "fans or followers of Jesus?" A fan lacks true involvement, whereas a follower will sacrifice anything to please the Master.

Christians Need the Church

I've met a number of people who have rejected organized religion to go on their own personal faith journey. The idea appeals to many Americans. We respect people who take the initiative to accomplish something by themselves. We are a self-made country built on the backs of self-made individuals, so the person who says, "I'm doing it my way" is admired. The problem is that this goes directly against what the Bible teaches. Paul told the Corinthians, Romans and Ephesians that the purpose of Spiritual Gifts was to build up each other. Hebrews tells us not to forsake gathering together. Why? So we can encourage one another (see Heb. 10:25). Are there times when we need to focus on our personal walk with God? Yes! But not at the expense of the Church. We need the Church for purposes of accountability and encouragement, and the Church needs us and the gifts God has given to us to build up the body of Christ. If you want to see the Church improve, contribute!

You Can't Convince Someone by Trying to Please Everyone

Everyone wants to be liked, and I'm no different. But when you teach and preach and write about Biblical truth, there are times you must take some unpopular stances on controversial issues. Yes, people come first, but not at the expense of truth. The result has been a fair amount of criticism. I decided several months ago to contribute to a controversial blog that was designed to shake up leadership within the Church by pointing out some flaws in modern church philosophy. I got some 'hate mail' from people who were surprised that a 'conservative' like me would join forces with 'liberals' like 'them.' (Of course, those terms are so relative, that it's laughable whenever I am labeled as either conservative or liberal). But, more than any other year, I was able to let the criticism slide because my conscience was good. Everything between me and God was still good, so a little criticism didn't hurt as much as it had in previous years. I doubt I could say that if I had tried to compromise for the sake of popularity.

These are just a few lesson I have learned this year. My goal is to continue to grow and learn as God molds me into the vessel of His choosing.

Learning to See

2011-11-03T15:36:00.000-04:00

We got the note a couple of weeks ago. In the precise handwriting of a second-grade school teacher were the words, "Savannah is having trouble seeing. She needs to have her vision checked." This was paper-clipped to the school nurse's report that recommended an immediate visit to an optometrist. We called, made appointments, and last Friday the day came to take my seven-year old to her first visit to the eye-doctor. Now it must be stated that Savannah has always had a unique way of 'seeing' things. She expresses her opinion in blunt, unashamed statements that are sometimes funny when they come out of the mouth of pixie-faced second-grader. She was no different at the eye-doctor. Asked to read the eye chart, Savannah said, "I know the top letter is an 'E' because I saw it when I came in." When asked about the fourth line down she squinted and said, "F, Z, an upside-down A, a squiggly line, and is that a sideways number 4?" No doubt about it the kid needed glasses.

As the doctor did her best to find a prescription that would work, she had Savannah look through the ocular device that looks like a robotic mardi-gras mask and asked "Which looks better, one (flip the lens) or two?"
Savannah quickly replied, "Neither."
"Three or Four?"
Savannah Shrugged.
"Five or Six?"
"I guess six."
"Seven or eight?"
"Ellie wears number seven in softball!"
This was going to be a long doctor's visit. The doctor, with much patience and expertise, finally evaluated Savannah's vision enough to get a prescription. Savannah's vision was poor. The doc told us that at first reading was going to be hard for her because her eyes had never had to work to focus. She also said walking and balance might prove to be problems over the first several days because the ground would look different to her but that eventually her eyes would actually strengthen and adjust. We thanked the doctor and ordered the glasses and were told they would be in next week, which to an excited seven-year-old means eternity.

We picked up the glasses earlier this week and I got to pick up Savannah from school the very next day. Usually on the way home the child will talk my ear off, but she was abnormally quiet on this trip. I looked in my rear-view mirror and discovered why. There sat my my daughter, eyes wide as they took in the scenery that passed by her window. She could see birds flying in the air; leaves falling to the ground; a squirrel scampering up a tree; a cat sun-bathing on it's master's porch. Nothing escaped her vision, and she was too amazed to even speak.

I was reminded how often we go through life without actually seeing it. We get so caught up in the blur of our daily schedule that we fail to see the blessings and opportunities that God places in our path. When was the last time you paused to look at the changing colors of fall? When did you last look up to see the starry host of night and marvel at how big God is? Did you notice the beggar on the street? The elderly lady in the grocery store? The clerk at the gas station? Blessings and opportunities missed because we fail to see.

I don't know about you, but I need my spiritual vision checked. My eyes are lazy and don't want to do the work of focusing on the things of God. Will you come with me to the great physician? I warn you, the results may be hard to handle at first. We may find ourselves off-balance because we are not used to seeing so many needs. We may even stumble over ourselves because we are not used to seeing the path God has laid out for us. But see we must. So join me as I pray to the Holy Spirit of God, "Lord open my eyes, that I may see."

Change is Constant - God is Eternal

2011-09-22T14:52:00.002-04:00

I would hate to be the complaint department at Facebook right about now. They tweaked their networking site to handle newsfeeds, emails, and other minor things differently and the complaints started popping up on statuses everywhere. The emotions seemed to range from minor irritation to "I'm leaving facebook forever!" I couldn't help but chuckle at the irony at how a generation that has seen so much change in their lifetime can get so upset when a free service that is voluntary to use is changed. Perhaps as a minister this struck me particularly funny because so often it's the "old folks" that get portrayed as sticks in the mud and the young adults are the proponents of "change" and "progress." Now it seems the shoe is on the other foot. Let's see how it fits.

Our Generation isn't the only Generation to see Major Change

A few years ago I officiated a funeral for a lady who was 98 years old. In her lifetime she had seen some significant changes. As a young girl she remembered traveling to California... by stagecoach. Her generation saw the invention of the airplane, and the subsequent revolution in travel it would affect. She saw a World War, a Great Depression, and another World War. Alaska and Hawaii added their stars to our flag in her middle years. She witnessed how the interstate system shrunk a continent and how rock and roll united a generation. Her eyes saw race riots in the 60's and her ears heard the dream of Martin Luther King Jr. She witnessed a nation divided by war in Vietnam, then divided again by war in Iraq. She saw the walls of communism fall in Berlin and the Twin Towers fall in New York as terrorism replaced communism as the chief enemy of the United States. Yet, remarkably, she adapted to each and every change, and even when life was tough, she survived and adapted. One of the elders asked her to reflect on her life and teach him a lesson she learned. Her voice, feeble with age but strong with conviction whispered, "Change is constant, but God is eternal."

Adapting to a Changing World

Our generation (I speak to my peeps who are 35 and under) has seen a fair amount of change. September 11 forever changed how we travel and how we view safety and security. The internet has dramatically altered how we communicate and gain information. Cell phones have morphed from a brick with an antenna that only the rich could afford to devices that perform hundreds of functions and nearly everyone has one in their pocket. Blogs have given a voice to the undervalued and the overrated. Televisions are no longer large cubes on a tabletop, but flat screens on a wall that can double as portals into the worldwide web. Just this past spring, revolutions in Arab nations have altered the politics of the Middle-East. Yet we adapt. We change. We cope.

So why do we get so upset when something as insignificant as Facebook changes? Because, we desperately desire something to be constant. Why does the older generation resist change in the church? Because, through wars, depressions, recessions, civil rights movements and political upheavals, the church has been a constant to them. What we need to realize, in both technology and in the local church, change is a constant. When we need to cling to something that is never going to leave us, forsake us, or abuse us, we need to realize that we don't need a something but a someone. God is that eternal constant. God is the "anchor for the soul" (see Hebrews 6). God is eternal.

The next time something changes and it unnerves you, remind yourself of Who is your anchor, because change is a constant, but God is eternal.

A Prayer for My Country

2011-09-07T17:11:00.000-04:00

Oh Lord, how did we end up here? As I look around I see people who are hurting, angry, scared and indifferent. Pundits proclaim they have the answers. 'More education! More money! More Government! Less Government! Less taxes! Less God!' It's enough to make my head spin. I hardly know where to turn, so I turn to You. How have we gotten so far apart? Not even the 'Christians' agree on what our nation needs! Some say we need to get involved in every part of the political process. Others say that our nation is demonic and patriotism is idolatrous. Me? I can't help but love the land you have given me to be my home. The rolling hills that You created reveal an artist's heart. The sound of surf-pounded beaches remind me of the waters of your unquenchable Spirit. The buildings I have not built, and the food I have not grown and the freedoms I did not fight for remind me of Your blessings and Your provisions.
But now, as I look around, I see disasters. Blizzards, floods, tornadoes, earthquakes, wildfires and tornadoes sift us like flour. A poor economy, unemployment rates and a failing stock market make what once seemed like a stable future look shaky. Our leaders seek to make each other look bad instead of seeking You. Are You trying to get our attention? Are these the pangs of childbirth that You warned us about? Are You about to send Your Son? Oh I hope so! I long for that day when all nations will dissolve and the Bride of Christ will rejoice with her Savior. Or are these warnings of something else? Is judgment about to befall a country that has forsaken You in so many ways?
I find myself like Isaiah, wanting to repent on behalf of his people. Lord, I repent for the sins of my nation, for they have been my own. I repent of self-sufficient pride that says I no longer need You. I repent of materialism that has crowded You out of my life. I repent of being so comfortable that I did not bother to move to help my brother. I repent of seeking entertainment over enlightenment; of seeking pleasure over purity; of seeking my good over Your glory. I repent of being apathetic to Your call and ignorant of Your Word. I repent of leading people to a cause rather than to the cross. I repent of not recognizing Your voice as You called desperately for Your sheep. I repent of language that seeks to tear apart instead of bring together. I repent for being distracted when I should have been determined. I repent of seeking freedom apart from You instead of realizing that freedom can only be found in You. I repent with tears.
Have mercy Lord on me and my country. Raise up a generation who will bring people to Your throne. Nonetheless, Your will be done.
Lord, please come quickly.
In the glorious name of Jesus, the King of Kings, I pray.
Amen.

Earthquakes, Cancer, Hurricanes and other Signs of the Apocalypse

2011-08-26T09:52:00.001-04:00

It has been an interesting week to say the least. On Tuesday, Virginia had it's largest earthquake in over a century. It was felt from New York to the Carolinas. Fortunately, except for those close to the epicenter, the damage was minimal, but it definitely got the attention of everyone on the east coast who thought that earthquakes were a west coast phenomena. On Wednesday, I got a phone call to see if my wife could help out a friend who is a Vice-principal. This friend has a husband who has cancer and the future is very unclear for them. Even now as I write this, Hurricane Irene is bearing down on the east coast threatening fury like a woman scorned. The news station in the coffee shop where I sit is listing all the states that are having mandatory evacuations of their coastlines. The fear and concern of the residents interviewed is palpable.

What am I as a Christian to make of this? Earthquakes happen all the time. Hurricane season comes every summer. Everybody knows somebody that has cancer, or they have fought it themselves. But it seems everything is accelerating. We live in a time where economic uncertainty has become a fact of life. Revolutions are happening all over the Middle-East. Just a few weeks ago there were riots in the streets of merry old London. When I talk to people, worry is evident in their words. Worry over the future. Worry over what their children will face in their lives. Worry over whether or not America has seen her last golden age. And so I am left wondering what words of comfort I could possibly offer. So I turn to God's Word to see what He has to say about this.

There is a curious passage in Luke 13 where some people upset about Pilate killing Galileans approach Jesus for an explanation. Talk about a moment to see the shepherd comfort His sheep. This is a golden opportunity to see how God answers the age-old 'why-do-bad-things-happen-to-good-people' question. We lean forward, eager to hear what Jesus has to say. But Jesus does not answer the way we would expect Him to, instead He says,

Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.

What? No comfort from the lips of Jesus? No reassuring promises that everything will be alright? Instead, Jesus takes the opportunity to warn us, not once, but twice, that these events should remind us to get right with God. Every generation has known trouble, some more than others. But trouble should remind us of one thing: get your relationship with God right before you worry about the other things of this world.

Now this seems to be a calloused approach by Jesus. These men asking the question may have had a family member killed by Pilate. Perhaps they knew the men killed in the tower collapse that Jesus references. But Jesus wants to remind them of what is truly important. The reality of our situation is this: we are only on earth for a brief period of time. In the hourglass of eternity, 70-80 years is not even a grain of sand. What Jesus is doing in this passage is reminding them, and us, that life is fragile, brief and if we want to enjoy eternity, then we better have the eternal matters right.

So, as you shake with the quakes, or prep for the storms, or cope with a disease, be reminded that there is a God who wants a relationship with you. As you look ahead to uncertain times, make sure your eternity is certain by getting right with Jesus. Invest in things that matter by spreading the good news of Jesus to all you meet, for their lives are brief too. Once you do those things, then I invite you to pray with me, "Lord Jesus, come quickly."

MacArthur by Mitchell Yockelson

2011-08-12T15:32:00.000-04:00

The history buff in me couldn't wait to get his hands on this book. I wasn't disappointed. Yockelson's prose is easy to read and made this biography of one of America's most iconic heroes an easy page-turner. Yockelson starts with the childhood of Douglas MacArthur, detailing how he grew up as a military kid, moving from post to post whenever his father was transferred. MacArthur grew up seeing the west while it was still wild in many ways and loved the military life.

Yockelson then describes MacArthur's West Point days, as well as his adventures in WWI during which he would earn 7 silver stars, two distinguished service crosses, a Purple Heart and be recommended (though denied) for the Medal of Honor twice. From there MacArthur served as Chief of Staff under Hoover and FDR before being assigned to serve in the Philippines. It was while he was there that the U.S. was drawn into WWII by Japan's bombing of Pearl Harbor.

Again, Yockelson tells of MacArthur's wartime exploits with enough detail to keep the story moving, but not so much to bog the reader down. After WWII came MacArthur's time to serve Japan by rebuilding it's government. Of all his accomplishments, it was his treatment of the Japanese people that I found most noble about this great general. As they describe, he did not treat them as vanquished foes, but as allies in need of help. YOckelson concludes with MacArthur's brilliance in the Korean War, his clashing with Truman and subsequent firing, and his final speeches to congress, and then a decade later to West Point. Sprinkled throughout was the story of a man who tried to honor God the best way he knew how, by honoring his country.

I found the book informative, easy to read and fair. Yockelson doesn't sugarcoat over some of the messier details of MacArthur's life (like the mistress he had while serving as Chief of Staff or his surly attitude towards Truman over Korea and China), but he does treat the life of MacArthur with the respect deserved of a man who gave so much for his country. A must-read for any history fan out there.

Letter from Camp

2011-07-19T16:27:00.000-04:00

I have had a blast serving multiple weeks of camp this summer. If I were a kid and had to write a letter home that described some of the things I have seen, it might have looked something like this:

Dear Mom and Dad,

Camp has been fun so far and I just couldn't wait to write home about it. Yesterday I met a kid named Jimmy. He was covered head-to-toe with poison ivy! When he's not itching and scratching, he's at the nurse's station getting pink stuff poured over him. Jimmy says he's famous, but nobody knows it yet.

I also met a kid named Austin. I think Austin is going to be a gymnast someday because he likes to climb and flip off of the top bunks in the dorm. Even though the dorm dad tells him not to, Austin waits until he's not looking and dismounts with a 360 degree turn and lands perfectly on one toe!

My favorite time is pool time. Our dorm dad does the biggest belly-flops in the world! He makes the pool look like a tidal wave! It's more fun than that water-park you always take us to. We practice baptisms in the pool all the time, although the life guard yells at us when we hold somebody under for too long!

Worship time is fun too. I think it's funny when the worship leader forgets the words to the song and makes them up as he goes! Sometimes he tries to do the motions to one song while singing a different song. Somebody should tell him that he's got it wrong.

I miss the food at home. We had macaroni and cheese, but the cheese was all brown on top! Maybe mom can come and show them how to make mac and cheese like she does. I told the cook that all she needs to do is read the side of the blue box!

My friend Owen got baptized today. It was really neat. Some of the adults were crying and the other ones were clapping. I don't understand it all, but maybe when I get home Dad will explain it to me. Well I gotta go, the bell is ringing to go to campfire.

Love you guys,
Dave

The Reluctant Servant

2011-06-27T13:51:00.000-04:00

A week of opposites.

That is what last week was to me. We had breakfast at dinner-time and dinner at breakfast time. We ate desserts first and main course after. We walked in lines backwards and turned the daily schedule on it's head. Why? To illustrate that Jesus wants us to live 'backwards' and 'upside-down' to the way the world teaches us to live. As far as Sr. High weeks at camp go, it was one of the most effective I have been a part of in quite some time.

Rewind about a week. I didn't want to go to camp. My schedule was packed, and I had moved out of the area this camp served two years ago. But as a favor to a good friend, I agreed to help out. When I pulled into camp on Sunday night I found my self wishing I had turned my friend down. There was not an air-conditioned building in sight. It was hot, humid and buggy. The mosquitoes in Delaware are so thick you can see them in clouds, and the horseflies double as F-16s when they are not busy terrorizing the foolish camper who left his bug repellant at home. And the sand. Because of the camp's proximity to the beach, sand is everywhere. It's in the dorms. It's in the showers. It's in the beds. It's in your cereal. Grit and grime become routine at this Christian camp tucked away in middle-of-nowhere, Delaware. I found myself sorely tempted to look up the number to the local Holiday Inn. But I am a man of my word, so I stayed, and I'm glad I did.

God specializes at using the mundane to do the extraordinary. In His book shepherds kill giants and crucified carpenters save humanity. So I should not be surprised that at a small, remote and run down camp God decided to show up and make His presence known. The week was filled with incredible moments. Baptisms stirred the pool on three different nights. Tears of repentance, mourning, and healing were shed throughout the week, as old lives were left behind for new ones. Then came Thursday night.

The theme was to lead you must serve, and to illustrate it the dean brought out a tub of water and washcloths. Kids partnered up and began to wash each others feet. At first there were nervous smiles and anxious laughter. But as the worship leader began playing old hymns on the piano, the voices of dozens of teens began to fill the pavilion. Immediately, I could sense that the Holy Spirit was moving as the teens began to seek out the adult volunteers to wash their feet. I hung out in the back. I don't like anyone touching my feet due to being extremely ticklish. That, and there was something inside of me that said I didn't deserve such an honor. However, eventually a young woman found me and insisted that she wash my feet. I protested, but she would not relent. All she said was, 'If you are to serve others, you must be served.'

I didn't realize just how much cleansing I needed. Fifteen years of carrying the burdens and heartaches of others washed away as the water poured over my feet. Wounds received in serving God's army began to heal as I felt the washcloth scrubbing away the grime from my soles. If it wasn't for the fact that I was trying not to laugh at the tickling sensation, I would have been weeping like a baby. In that moment, I was restored. In that moment God renewed my strength. After the ceremony I was emotionally spent, but I was spiritually invigorated.

As I drove away from camp the next day, I couldn't help but feel a sense of loss. I was leaving a place that had become holy that week because it was visited by the Holy Spirit of God. There was part of me that wished that I could stay there forever. But just as certain as it was God who restored me, it was God telling me now it was time for me to serve others. Now is my time to be a servant with a basin and rags. Now is my time to take the message of Christ to others, and to help them bear their burdens and wash their wounds. Now is my time.

Now is also your time. Go. Serve. Wash some feet.

No He Can't by Kevin McCullough

2011-06-21T15:47:00.000-04:00

I typically steer away from getting mired down in politics. Even now, I am not sure why I picked this book to review from booksneeze (maybe there was a limited selection, or I was momentarily entranced by the eye-catching 'O' logo of Obama's). Either way I picked it, and now the onus is on me to review it.

The Good
McCullough is a talented writer. The information is presented in a clear and easy to read name. Even the chapter titles are catchy. Even a novice to American politics would be able to follow the points and reasoning of the author. While it is clear he is no Obama fan, McCullough does raise some salient questions that get the reader thinking and reasoning.

The Bad
The book is your typical political read. It shows the clear bias of a conservative journalist. I am sure that are several 'clones' of this book out there, as well as rebuttals written by journalists who lean more to the left. The biggest problem in all of this: politics is not what the world needs! I was hoping that a book coming from a 'Christian' publishing house would steer us away from the muck and mire of American political theater, and steer us toward the cross of Christ. While I am not ignorant of politics, I don't put my trust in them as a cure-all for societies ills.

Overall, A Good Read
If politics is your thing, give this book a read. Use it as a discussion with friends. But don't let it create such a division that evangelism becomes impossible, whether you are evangelizing to the left or to the right.

Max on Life by Max Lucado

2011-06-07T11:41:00.000-04:00

Max Lucado has long been a favorite author of mine, though admittedly I read him more to 'borrow' illustrations for sermons and lessons than for any other reason. When 'Max On Life' came out I was so excited to give it a read I was hoping for perhaps a more intimate look at Lucado's life and personal insights form his experiences. Granted, there are some personal stories and illustrations throughout the book, but it left me feeling like I had just read a 'best of...' featuring some of his more memorable passages etc. The book is arranged by questions, some deep, some very surface-level and Lucado responds with usually a one to three page response. The problem is that some of the deeper questions he really seemed to just skim the surface of while other questions were answered with a re-hash of a previous writing. Lucado often suffers from the criticism of 'if you've read one Lucado book, you've read them all.' Unfortunatley, this book does nothing to dispel that critique. If you love Lucado, give it a read, but don't be surprised if you've heard it all before in some other date with a book.

What If the Lunatics are Right?

2011-05-26T12:43:00.000-04:00

Harold Camping is just the latest in a long list of doomsday prophets who have fallen flat on their faces. As I watched the aftermath of his failed prediction I was struck by the sincerity of some of his followers. Sure, they were gullible and easily led astray. And yes, it's easy to look at them with total bewilderment as we see all that they sacrificed for a false prophet. ABC news profiled one guy who spent his entire life savings (nearly $150,000!) on billboards, pamphlets and posters. When asked why, his answer was something along the lines of "I wanted to do everything I could to save as many as I could." Was he misguided? Absolutely. Is there something we can learn from his example of total sacrifice? Absolutely.

A Long Line of Lunatics
Have you paid attention to just how many 'lunatics' there are on the pages of Scripture? What I mean by this is, just look at how many characters were willing to do crazy things to get the message of God out to the masses. These guys, if they existed in our culture, would be mocked by the media, estranged by mainstream Christianity, and thought of in the same vein as the sidewalk preacher who hands out the 'You're Going to Hell' tracts. Here's a list of just a few:

John the Baptist- Yeah, he attracted a huge crowd, but I wonder how many were just curious bystanders who wanted to look at the quack country preacher with long hair, itchy clothes and who ate bugs. Let's admit it, he would be the preacher that everybody says is just too 'out of touch' with modern culture, especially with that whole repentance message he had.
Hosea- This guy married a whore! No, really, he did. Can't you read the headlines now, "Preacher Marries Prostitute: 'God told me to do it!'" Never mind the laughability, now he's got no credibility among the religious right. And things are just going to get worse when he starts explaining that his marriage is a picture of God's people selling out to lesser idols rather than remaining true to God.
Jeremiah- As far as lunatics, this guy owns the franchise. During one series of sermons he walks around town with an ox-yoke on his shoulders (that will garner some unwanted attention). But that's nothing compared to his let's-preach-naked stunt. He would be on all the cable news shows for being locked up for indecent exposure, not to mention being sued by the naked-cowboy guy in New York for trying to steal his unique performance gimmick.

Our faith has been handed down to us by some radically different characters. Men and women who were absolutely unyielding in their devotion to God and unwavering in their commitment to Him. Unfortunately, such commitment and devotion is not only rare today, it is looked down upon by many within the Church. And the sad thing is, I am just as guilty of looking down my nose at those who are willing to do whatever it takes to share the gospel.

A Confession
Earlier this week, NBC news did a story on a woman who was taking a year off of work to do something different. She was going to walk from her home in Utah to Washington DC. What made her unique however, was that she was going to carry a ten-foot tall wooden cross the entire way. I'll be honest, my first reaction was religious snobbery. 'That's not going to be effective,' I mused pridefully to myself. 'She's just going to be a joke to 90% of the people she meets.' My snobbery was reflected in the faces of the news anchor who had that raised eyebrow smirk on his face. But then the Holy Spirit started to do it's work of convicting me. I began to ask myself all sorts of questions, 'What if she is called by God to do this? Who am I to question such a calling? How many conversations is she going to start on this 2,000 mile journey? Would I be willing to take a year off of work to do something radical for God? Am I as devoted to Jesus as she is?' Needless to say, I spent the rest of the night repenting, and being challenged by a woman I never met, that I don't know what her religious background is and that I initially thought of as a loon. I guess her walk wasn't in vain.

What About You?
Are you as dedicated to Jesus as Mr. Camping's followers were to his false teachings? Are you willing to give up everything you have to see others come to Christ? Would you take a year off of work to do something radical if God called you to do it? The 'lunatics' may be misguided at times, but their devotion should serve as an example of what Christ expects of His disciples.
For those of us who are leaders, are we leading by example? What are we doing to cultivate an absolute devotion to Jesus Christ in our followers? Are we, as C.S. Lewis pointed out in The Weight of Glory, "half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us..."? As Lewis concludes, I sometimes wonder if, "we are far too easily pleased." Let's get radical with our message. Let's go to people no one else will go to, preach the truth that no one else will preach, and love those that no one else will love. We may be branded as lunatics, but at least the message of Christ will be spread.

Rejoicing and Mourning- My feelings on the death of a Terrorist

2011-05-02T14:18:00.003-04:00

It is tempting to cheer, and at first I did. Hands went in the air triumphantly at the news that one of America's greatest foes had fallen. Justice was served. The innocent blood of thousands was avenged, and I rejoiced.

But in my heart something broke. Beneath the jubilation was a great sadness, a mourning of sorts. Yes an enemy was defeated. A murderer had his own blood shed. But the Spirit within me would not let me cheer with the others who chanted 'U-S-A' outside the gates of the White House. My heart was too heavy to share the jubilation of those who gathered in Times Square in the early morning hours of May 2, 2011.

Osama Bin Laden was dead. Terrorist. Murderer. Hate-filled propagator of evil. Image-bearer of God. It's the last one I struggle with. How can one filled with so much hate, who has killed and wounded so many, bear the image of God? Yet, I cannot deny that this is what the Bible teaches, and my spirit wrestles with the fact that one made in God's image appears to have died outside of His grace. So I attempt to answer two questions that many Christians are wrestling with today.

Is it Wrong for me to feel a certain amount of Joy at this News?
In short, no. Now before I get any 'Amens' from those who have rejoiced all day, and before my fellow believers who feel saddened that another soul has crossed the threshold of Hell cast any stones, let me explain. The Bible is full of examples of those who rejoiced when God's justice fell. Ranging from Psalm 58 to Revelation 19 we see examples of the righteous rejoicing when God's justice falls upon the unrighteous. We serve a God whose justice will not be denied. The Psalmist says that God is known by His justice (9:16), that He loves justice (11:7; 33:5) and that His justice is as deep as the oceans (36:6). We can rejoice that God is vindicated in this matter. We can rejoice that His justice has been meted out. We can rejoice that good has triumphed evil, that a murderer was brought to justice and that God can and will be glorified in this. We can rejoice that thousands of families will be brought closure by today's news. We can rejoice that New York City has taken a giant step towards healing today. So yes, it is okay to feel a certain amount of joy at this news.

Should I feel Sorrow that Another Soul has Died Outside of Christ?
Yes, but no more than you should for any other soul that has perished outside of God's grace. Why should Bin Laden deserve more grief than your neighbor? Should we not be sorrowed by every death of every unbeliever? If anything, this has reminded me that I do not grieve the lost enough. Many 'good' people die outside of Christ everyday. Why do I not mourn for them the same way so many are saying we should mourn for Bin Laden? It is to my shame that I do not shed tears for every soul in my community that perishes without a saving knowledge of Jesus. My heart should feel this weight every day, and I should feel more compelled than ever to share the good news as effectively as I can with as many as I can. I dare not mourn this man any more than any other lost soul, and I fear I do not mourn the lost as I ought. It is my prayer that the Holy Spirit makes me more aware than ever before of those who need the Gospel of Jesus Christ proclaimed in a real and tangible way.

I pray that this historical event does more than stir feelings of patriotism. I also pray that it does more than cause us to be saddened by the death of an evil man. I pray that it raises our awareness of two things, (1) God's justice is sometimes slow, but it always comes and (2) Because of God's justice, we need to share the Gospel with all who will listen.

I end by echoing the words of Paul in Romans 12:15, 21: 'Rejoice with those who rejoice and mourn with those who mourn... Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.'

What I learned from building a Fence

2011-04-28T14:35:00.001-04:00

Our dog had puppies. Five adorable, food consuming, poop producing puppies. This was not a planned pregnancy (our pooch was not even a year old when she lost her innocence to a rag-tag scoundrel of a dog that lived across the street). No, this is not a post about puppies having puppies (although I highly recommend spaying your pet). Nor is this a PSA for birth control (although I will be writing about a 'barrier' method of sorts). This is a post about what I learned in building a kennel for the dog and pups. I wanted an area large enough for all the pups to run and play (until we found good owners for them) and big enough for momma, a highly active Australian shepherd-miniature collie mix, to exercise while I was away at work. The most cost effective way of doing this was to build a fenced in area that measured approximately 20' x 20'.

Now I must admit, I don't have the foggiest idea about how to build a fence. But it can't be too hard, right? Just sink some posts in the ground and wrap some fencing material around them and 'Voila!' you have a fence. Fortunately for me, one of the deacons in my congregation is a fence-builder by trade, and when he saw my fence posts sticking haphazardly out of the ground he offered his services to help. When he came over I learned some very important principles on building a fence that can be applied to our walk with Christ, and I thought it would be good to share these fence-building principles with my readers.

Principle 1: Start with the Corners
The first thing we did was set the corner-posts of the fence. My deacon friend, Pete, took great care in sinking them to a proper depth, making sure they were level, square and plum. He then set them in cement, and once the cement cured, he tamped the dirt in around the post. Pete explained to me that a fence's strength comes from the corner-posts. They act as the 'foundation' of the fence. They keep the lines true and level. They determine where the other posts will be set and how flush the fence will set against them. If you don't set the corners correctly, the fence will not be as strong or effective.

What are your corner-posts? What are the things you give primary attention to in your life? If your corner-posts aren't strong enough to handle the stresses of your life, then your defenses won't hold up when the storms of life blow. There are many different things people rely on for strength, but most of them aren't sunk deep enough, or not cemented down, or they aren't square with the rest of their lives. Things like wealth, politics, pleasure, patriotism and even family are things we try to build our lives on, and while they offer varying levels of strength and security, they all prove to be too weak and too temporary to be adequate. Wealth can be squandered or lost. A politician's language is usually whatever is expedient at the time. Pleasure is fleeting and always leaves us wanting more. Patriotism, while noble in it's intentions, has yet to find an earthly country that lasts forever. And while we love, honor and protect our family, there is nothing that can wound us more deeply or bring us to our knees quicker than a family member.

There is only one corner-post, or 'cornerstone' that we can trust to be strong enough to withstand and endure everything that life can throw at it. In fact this cornerstone is often rejected by men, but God has made it 'the' cornerstone (see I Pet. 2:7-8) for His kingdom (the Church) and His people (Christians.) Jesus said those who built their lives on it would never fall in the midst of storms (see Matt. 7:24-25). What is this cornerstone? Actually the question should be 'who' is this cornerstone? He is Jesus. Only Jesus is capable of serving all the purposes of a corner-post. He can make sure the rest of our lives are straight and true. He can determine where we sink in the other 'posts' of our lives (things like how we use wealth, politics, pleasure and family). He is strong enough to withstand any and every assault that prevails against us. In short, only Jesus is adequate to serve as the corner-post of our lives.

Principle #2: A Fence's Weakest point is the Gate
As Pete continued to set posts, he took great care in measuring and re-measuring the opening for the gate. He made sure the gate-posts were sunk to the same depth. He took great care in reinforcing them in concrete and keeping them level so the gate would hang properly. Why all the extra-attention to this part of the fence? Because just as the corner-posts are the strength of a fence, the gate is it's weakest point. Because the gate moves it is more prone to be dug under, left open, or coming unlatched. If it is not hung true, it may not close tight enough to latch securely. The gate determines what enters and what leaves. It is vital that the gate be hung securely and fits snugly into place, or else you might as well not have the gate up in the first place.

You might be expecting me to ask what is your weakest area. You might expect me to equate that with your 'gate.' Instead, I want to encourage you as to who should be the 'gate' to your heart. He can keep the predators out and the good things protected. Again, He is Jesus. I take great comfort in Jesus' words when He says, 'I am the sheep-gate' (John 10:7ff.). The weakest point of the Christian's fence is Jesus! Our weakest defense is the God of the universe! It is little wonder that Paul writes in Romans 8, "If God be for us, who can be against us!"

Principle #3: A Fence Depends on Unity for Strength
As Pete finished setting the posts he gave some pointers on how to put up the actual fencing material. He told us how to stretch and anchor it securely to the corners and how all the posts will be strengthened by stapling the fence to each individual post. He encouraged us to run planks along the top and bottom, making the entire fence one, cohesive unit instead of four individual walls, independent of each other.

How united is your worldview with that of Christ? Do you manage your finances according to the principles Jesus outlined in His teachings? Do you interact with your family the way Jesus encourages you to? Have you subjected every area, or fence post, of your life to the teachings, or fencing material, of Jesus? If you haven't then you have some weak points that need to be addressed before they are infiltrated by the enemy.

Principle#4: A Fence Serves Two Purposes
Purpose 1: Keep Things Out
The reason I built the kennel was to keep out other dogs and predators. By keeping those things out I can ensure the safety and health of momma and her puppies. By making sure the fence is strong and secure, I can rest at ease knowing that hungry mongrels aren't stealing food or territorial males aren't mauling pups. If your life's fence is not strong, you will be prone to attacks. Satan will exploit every opening and every weak-point. He will invade every gap and attack every breach. Only a strong fence, with the proper corner posts will withstand such an attack.

Purpose 2: Keep Things In
It doesn't matter how strong your fence is if you let the wrong things inside. I could build the Fort Knox of dog kennels, but if I allow a predator inside the fence, the damage will be the same as if I had never put one up in the first place. Rather, I must take great care of what I place inside my fence in order to protect those things that are dear to me.

What do you let inside your fence? Do you let friends who have a negative influence on your life inside? Do you allow anti-Christian philosophies to take residence inside the fence of your heart? The most dangerous attacks are those that originate within the stronghold. We can claim Jesus as our cornerstone, but if we don't allow Him to guard the gate also, we can be destroyed from the inside-out and our fence will fail us.

I must give thanks to Pete, my fence-building friend. Not only did he build us an outstanding dog kennel, he is a reminder of how God can use any profession to remind us of the truths of scripture, and I know he lives his life according to the principles of the fence. Won't you do the same?

Handing Down my Inheritance

2011-04-11T09:47:00.002-04:00

Last Friday was a great day for me. We had a full week of revival and Friday night was our final night. A fantastic choir from a local church sang spirituals and that was followed up by a great message on the nature of Jesus Christ. But that's not what made the night great. As we stood and sang our hymn of invitation I looked up to see my oldest daughter coming to the front. Immediately my mind went into 'sappy commercial' mode, and instead of seeing a beautiful pre-teen young woman, I saw Ellie as a toddler, taking her first steps in a new world. It took me a verse-and-a-half to regain enough composure to sing.

As we stood in the baptistry, I took her confession of faith, and I realized, I gave her the most valuable thing I could ever give. Just as my parents handed down their faith to me, and their parents handed down their faith to them, and their parents handed down their faith to them, I handed down my faith to my daughter. I know that it's the Holy Spirit that convicted her heart, and that it was the blood of Jesus that washed away her sins, but the Bible places a high priority on parents teaching their children. In Deuteronomy 6 God instructs fathers to teach their children God's statutes 'as they rise up, as they eat, as they walk along the way.' In other words, we are to teach our children as we do everyday things. Chores can teach responsibility. Repairing things can teach good stewardship. Meal time can teach family values. And woven through all of these there must be the word of God serving as the foundation.

So as my daughter came up out of the water, I welcomed her as my sister in Christ. I also realized, just as when a child is born, my work was just beginning. But it's a work that I undertake with great joy, as I watch her become a young woman after God's own heart.

New Opportunities

2011-04-01T14:22:00.000-04:00

I am constantly amazed that God chooses to use such a broken jar of clay as myself. You may have noticed that my usual 'post-a-week' pace has slowed significantly. This is partly due to a busy schedule. This time of year is a busy time as we get ready for revivals, community-wide Palm Sunday services and Resurrection Sunday Services. But the main reason production has slowed is because God has opened up a new opportunity for me to use the gifts He has entrusted me with. Christian Standard (a magazine that serves Restoration Movement Churches) runs a website called 'Stake'. The site is a user-influenced blog of sorts designed to promote inter-denominational conversations about many of the relevancy issues the Restoration Movement faces. I have been asked to be a contributing author for the site, and after much prayer, I accepted. So for the last several weeks, much of my writing has been directed to that. However, I don't want to neglect my readers here. So you can still expect articles here, and once things slow a little I hope to get back to my normal pace of writing.

For now, I ask for your prayers. Ask God that He uses me in such a way that He gets all the glory in these writing ventures. Pray that I may have wisdom that exceeds my experiences. Pray that even more opportunities present themselves as I seek to use my gifts for His fame and glory. Thank you for being such faithful readers, and I look forward to more writing!

Leaking Happiness

2011-03-07T09:25:00.000-05:00

The written word. It's a powerful thing. Our history is littered with important documents: The Torah, The Magna Carta, the Declaration of Independence, The U.S. Constitution. These are works that have shaped not only our history, but the very culture that is Western Civilization. There are other works that have left a mark on history, whether you agree with them or not. Darwin's Origin of the Species forever altered the way many people view creation. Descartes' Meditations left a wake that the philosophical world still bobs around in.

I was reminded last week of the power of the written word. Charley has been learning about love at the Christian pre-school she goes to and parents were asked to write a 'love-letter' to their child. I wrote a page, describing how she was my favorite birthday present ever (Mandy found out she was pregnant with her on my birthday in 2006) and that I loved the way she laughed, and the way she has to hug everyone in a room before she leaves. When my wife picked her up from school later that day the teacher said, "Charley made me cry today." She then proceeded to explain to my wife how, as the letter was read, Charley began to cry. When I asked Charley why she cried when the letter was read, she sheepishly tried to explain deep feelings with a four-year-old's vocabulary, "it just made me so happy that it leaked out."

Even though I have said to Charley, "I love you" a million times over, there was something about having it written down that affected her deeply. Just as the works of men like Jefferson, Darwin and Descartes have impacted our world, that one page letter impacted her little heart in a way that I did not expect. In fact it has convicted to write more love letters to my children. I want them to have a physical reminder of their father's love for them.

God has left us a written love-letter that is the Bible. When was the last time you wept for joy over the following words, "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life"? Or what about the wonderful promise, "Perfect love casts out fear" or "How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!" I think we need to let the happiness 'leak out' so that the world may be infected with the love of God.

The Jesus Inquest by Charles Foster

2011-03-02T15:52:00.000-05:00

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is by far the central tenet of the Christian faith. It is at once the core of our doctrine and the source of new life in Christ Jesus. When I saw Charles Foster's The Jesus Inquest was available, I jumped at the chance to read it. The book is extremely well-researched and is set up in a debate-type dialogue where the debaters (x and y) alternately present their side of the argument. The book covers a plethora of topics centered on the resurrection ranging from the death of Christ (did he actually die?) to Scriptural integrity to different theories concerning the body (including some that are largely ignored by other apolegetics books). He even delves into what the earliest Christians actually believed and where their doctrine of resurrection originated (the Gospels, mythology, or somewhere else?) Overall I believe the author gave a very balanced and fair treatment of the subject matter at hand.

My biggest objection to the book is his source theory for the New Testament. He seems to outright reject the Apostolic authorship of Matthew and questions the authorship of the other Gospels. If I were an agnostic or atheist, this gap in the armor is where I would attack viciously. If the Biblical account cannot be validated by either eye-witnesses (Matthew, Mark, and John) or by those closely associated with the witnesses (Luke), then what authority does it carry? While the book, overall, builds a strong argument for the resurrection of Christ, my fear is that Foster's argument rests on a shaky foundation of poor textual critique.

Is the 'Movement' in Need of Restoration?

2011-02-22T12:03:00.002-05:00

Let me begin by saying I love the Church. As a minister I have had a front-row seat to see the Bride of Christ in action. I have sat as a witness to God’s people mourning with those who mourn and rejoicing with those who rejoice. I have seen the hungry fed, the homeless sheltered, the hurting comforted, the repentant restored, and most importantly, the lost saved. This is not to say I haven’t seen the ugly side of overly zealous religionists, but in my experience, the good has outweighed the bad.

I also must say I love the Restoration Movement. I love the principles upon which she was founded. I love the thought of ‘restoring’ the Church to that which God intended her to be. The ‘Movement’ runs deep in my veins. My family’s roots run at least four generations deep into it’s history. Both sides of my family boast preachers, elders, deacons, church planters, Sunday School teachers and missionaries. Even the congregation I serve is one of the oldest in our movement (depending on which local legend you accept either Campbell or Stone preached there and played an essential role in bringing Cool Spring Christian Church into the Restoration family). This is not to boast, this is just to say I have a vested interest in the subject that I am about to broach, a subject that may raise more questions than it answers.

Symptoms of a Dying Cause

Over the last several months I have read a fair share of articles questioning the relevance of our Movement. Granted, most of them are written by bloggers who are taking advantage of the technology available to them to voice their opinions. Some are unsubstantial, others raise some very good points and ask some very hard questions, all point to a huge problem: we are failing to reach young adults with the voice of our movement. Why is this?

Newer Churches Are Distancing Themselves from Our History

I have several friends and family who are involved in ‘new’ churches and church-planting. While I must admit that most of them are doing some exciting things in reaching unchurched people with the story of Jesus, and I love the fact that they are using their freedom from established traditions to use some unique methods in demonstrating the Gospel in their local communities, there is a disturbing trend among them all: they don’t have any teaching on their Restoration heritage. This not to say that they don’t have sound doctrine, nor is it to say that they are ineffective in reaching the lost or making disciples. What it does point to is that these churches, which are very effective at reaching the 40 and under crowd, are producing members of our Movement who may or may not even know that our Movement exists.

Our Movement is No Longer Distinguishable from other Denominations

I know, I know… eyebrows are arching and blood pressures are spiking, and the old arguments are beginning to escape from the lips of the faithful:

“We have no central governing body like denominations.”
“We have no man-made creeds like denominations.”
“We don’t follow non-Biblical traditions like some denominations.”

To this I would say that while we have no central governing body, the NACC often serves the purpose of one (what else would you call a group of leaders coming together to discuss matters pertaining to their organization?) And whether we admit or not, our movement is rife with creeds. ‘We are not the only Christians, but we are Christians only’ has served as a creed for centuries, as has the shibboleth ‘in essentials, unity; in non-essentials, charity; in all things, liberty.’ Even the battle cry of the Restoration Movement, ‘no creed but Christ!’ has served as a creed, or central teaching, within our movement since the times of Stone and Campbell. As for non-Biblical traditions, while we may not hold them as equals with the Scriptures like those in the Orthodox denominations, and while they differ from congregation to congregation, we cherish them nonetheless (just ask any leader who has tried to lead a church through the transition from hymns to praise choruses, or from one building to another.)

The fact is, while we may not see ourselves as a denomination, those unfamiliar or outside of our movement perceive us as one. While this may show ignorance on their part, it should also serve as a clarion call for us to once again distinguish ourselves as ‘different’ and ‘set apart’ and most importantly, as relevant.

We Are no longer Perceived As a Movement for Unity

Barton W. Stone and Alexander Campbell, independent from each other, sought to restore the unity of God’s Church. This was in response to Jesus’ plea in John 17. Unfortunately, we are no longer recognized as a force for unity. Rather we are known for one thing we are for (baptism) and a plethora of things we are against (Calvinism, Catholicism, Pelagianism and denominationalism, to name a few.) No longer are we the group who was considered scandalous because they dared to practice ‘open communion’ and allowed any who considered themselves ‘Christian’ to partake, regardless of denominational background. Today, a marked legalism and exclusiveness have become the fingerprint of our movement. This has lead to ‘denomination-bashing’ from many a pulpit and a pharisaic pride in our ability to ‘get it right’ in areas of doctrine and Biblical interpretation. In short, we have lost our focus, and as a movement we are flailing about aimlessly, sometimes fighting with each other through blogs and periodicals. This, most definitely, is not the picture Campbell and Stone had in mind when they began our Movement. It is this divisive nature that is alienating many from our cause and driving others from our ranks.

Searching for A Cure

So what are we to do? If we truly care for the Restoration Movement and her original purpose of restoring and unifying the Church we cannot merely stand by and watch as she becomes mired in a swamp of irrelevance and legalism. But how? What is needed, and is it too late?

A Good, Healthy Dialogue

One of the characteristics of the beginning of our movement is that it was founded in the golden age of debate. Campbell made a name for himself as a debater, and our movement flourished. Why? Because ideas were put forth, discussed, tested, compared, exchanged and adopted or rejected. In an age where we can exchange information faster, and more broadly than ever before we should see an exchange of ideas like never before. While this is true in many areas, within our Movement it is exceedingly rare. Usually we read one-sided articles. If we agree with them we file them away, if we disagree, we trash them. If we really disagree we might zip off a tersely worded letter to the editor or author. But there is no exchange. There is no dialogue. There is no debate.

Why is this needed? After all isn’t a debate bad? Not at all! At the beginning of this article I said it might generate more questions than answers. But that is not necessarily a bad thing! When we can have an intelligent, respectful exchange of ideas (and questions) it forces us to grow. We are forced to not only examine what we believe and why we believe it, but we are also forced to examine and test the ideas of others. We are stretched mentally and spiritually. Yet, in too many cases those who have concerns in our movement are shouted down or branded as a ‘liberal’. Within our movement we need to discuss why we exist, what God desires from us, and whether or not we are living up to either standard. These discussions and exchanges may become heated, but it is within that heat that a unity is forged as we search for common ground.

We also need to be willing to exchange ideas with leaders of the denominations represented in our community. If we are to seek unity, then it is we who must initiate the dialogue. How else will they see the values of our Movement if we do not share those values with them?

A Dose of Humility

As a young Bible College graduate I was convinced I had all the answers, and my attitude reflected that conviction. I was quick to judge others, sometimes based on nothing more than their denominational affiliation. As I have grown in my walk, I have learned that people must be, and deserve to be regarded as individuals with individual beliefs that are unique to them. In our movement there is a strong segment that is often labeled by younger ministers as ‘legalists’. My generation often looks at this segment with skepticism because in their zeal for perfect doctrine, they have built themselves altars of pride that mimic the Pharisees who knew the law, but not the Spirit behind the law.

But the ‘legalist’ segment is not the only segment that needs to eat some humble pie. As younger ministers strive to achieve unity and show love to the lost, they at times have been just as guilty of pride as they look at the legalists and say the prayer of the Pharisee, ‘Thank you Lord for not making me like them.’ The result can be a church that is strong on love and acceptance but weak on doctrine.

If the Movement is to be restored, we must strike a balance. In order to accomplish this, both sides need to acknowledge the strengths of the other and the weaknesses of their own approaches. We cannot sacrifice Truth on the altar of unity, nor can we teach the letter of the law of Christ without love for our common man. Rather, as the Scriptures say, we need to ‘teach the truth in love.’

A Focus on Jesus

Campbell believed that unity could be achieved through solid Biblical interpretation. However, if we are to achieve unity we must take it a step farther. Why? Because many denominations think their interpretation is correct and sound. To overcome this we must focus not on the written Word, but on the living Word; namely Jesus Christ. It is Christ who taught us how to make disciples. It is Christ who gave us the example of viewing others as more important than ourselves (Philippians 2:1-11). It is Christ who pleaded for unity in the Garden and that unity would be based in the fact that we are one with Jesus just as Jesus is one with the Father (John 17:20-26) and that oneness is rooted in a Christ-like love. If we are to survive as a Movement, if we are to be restored, then Jesus is our only hope.

Finding Equillibrium

2011-02-09T15:26:00.000-05:00

It seems all ministers live life in the middle of a teeter-totter. We are constantly trying to find balance in so many areas of our life:

Between church needs and family needs.

Between pride in our successes and giving God proper credit.

Between being available to people and being alone with God.

Between study time and devotional time (and yes, there is a huge difference).

Between working productively and resting responsibly.

It seems everything we do is an attempt to keep from leaning toward one side or the other. There is one area in particular that I struggle with, and that is striking a balance between theologian and shepherd. I love knowledge. I love to read, study, and debate as well as challenge myself by reading and studying what opponents to Christianity have to say. I love exploring theological conundrums and trying to explain passages of scripture that have been debated back in forth in millennia old table-tennis grudge matches. I also love the preaching and teaching aspect of my job. I thrive on going through a book of the Bible, verse-by-verse, with a group of people who are eager to dig deeper into the text and learn what God is teaching them through His Word. Needless to say, I tend to tip toward the Theologian side of the scale.

It’s the Shepherd side I struggle with. I am not naturally a ‘nurturing’ person. It is something I have worked on for years to try to develop, and God has used my children on more than one occasion to humble me enough to learn. I also don’t score very high in the compassion department. It’s not that I don’t care… it’s that I don’t always notice. This is where God has blessed me with an observant wife who notices people in need and points me towards them. But my lack of compassion sometimes leads to frustration in areas of counseling. My first impulse in counseling is to ask what someone has done wrong and then instruct them to stop! In addition to all these issues, my mercy meter usually reads on low. I have had to develop an attitude of grace and forgiveness, because like many a Pharisee (and remember, the Pharisees were strong theologians) I am quick to point the finger and quicker to pull the trigger.

In all this I have noticed something, however. I have met many a minister who is strong as a theologian, and I have met just as many who are strong shepherds. Yet I have rarely met one that is gifted in both. But God is rich in mercy and He has a place for theologically-challenged shepherds and sheep-fearing theologians. I am confident in this; God is working to develop within me the set of skills I will need to carry out His will for my life. Knowing this I say, ‘Bring on the sheep!’

The Ground Grows Thorns

2011-02-02T14:11:00.000-05:00

Dust and Dirt
Mud and Clay
Combined to form
A being like no other

Breath of God
Air of life
And there arose
A man with no mother

Image of God
Freedom of will
To choose right from wrong
To choose the dark or the light

Fruit forbidden
Talking snake
The crown of creation falls
And thus begins an everlasting fight

And the ground grew thorns
Thorns that cut
Thorns that choke
Thorns that cause pain and death
Yes, the ground grew thorns

Holy Spirit
Virgin maid
Combined to form
A being like no other

Heaven waits
with bated breath
As God the Son
Is born of a mother

Second Adam
Lamb of God
Love's master plan
Begins to unveil

Darkened Skies
Brutal cross
The gates of death
Will now be assailed

And the ground grows thorns
Thorns that cut
Thorns that choke
Thorns that make a King's crown
Yes, the ground grows thorns

God Knows His Plans for You

2011-01-26T14:37:00.002-05:00

I've been chewing on this one for a while. Having friends/family that serve in areas hostile to the Gospel and teaching Acts on Sunday evenings has brought this to the forefront of my mind. Please pray for the Persecuted Church.

I have a bad habit. If I hear a discussion on religion, I squeeze my way into it. It doesn't matter how awkward I appear or how insensitive it may seem. It's an occupational hazard. I see an open door and I barge boldly through it.

One example of this boorish behavior occurred several years ago when we were living in Kentucky. My wife and I went out to eat at the local Dairy Queen and seated near us was a group of teenagers. Their Christian T-shirts, 'WWJD' bracelets and brightly colored Bibles told me they must have been getting ready to go to a youth group meeting at one of the local churches. As I munched on my fries, I could hear the door of opportunity creak open as they began discussing, quite animatedly, a theological conundrum that has given scholars much to write about for centuries: Why does God allow bad things to happen to good people? The discussion started getting more lively and I looked up at my wife, who had the "you're-going-to-do-it-anyway-so-just-hurry-up-and-get-it-over-with" look on her face.

I put my french fries down and quickly assessed the group. The most dominant was a loud and brash girl who was maybe 16. She spoke with the cocksure confidence that comes with adolescence. So, like a gun-fighter approaching a posse, I chose to address her. She spoke of how her minister said as long as you had enough faith, bad things won't and can't happen to you, because you are under God's protection. She then went on to cite several television evangelists who spouted off the same message of prosperity and well-being for all God's faithful children. After she gave her side of the argument she crossed her arms and gave me a smirk that said, "I'm right. You know I'm right, so why don't you just go back to your fries and cold hamburger."

I politely asked her one simple question: What Scripture backs up this claim? Her response? Jeremiah 29:11- "'For I know the plans I that I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans for welfare, and not for calamity; plans to give you a future and a hope.'" I asked her about context and Biblical examples of suffering, including Jesus, but she was deeply rooted in her philosophy and would not yield. I knew when I was beat, and when discussing religion with a headstrong teen, reason would not prevail. I gave her my email address and excused myself from the table.

America is a tremendously prosperous nation. There can be no denying that God has blessed us materially. The majority of Americans live in the top 1% of wealth in the world! But all this wealth has had a side-effect that has seeped deep into the culture of the American church. Consider the following stats from the 2006 article 'Does God Want You to be Rich?' in Time magazine:

-17% of Christians claim to be a member of a church/denomination that teaches 'prosperity theology'

-31% of Christians believe that if you give God money, He will bless you with more money

-61% of Christians believe that God wants all Christians to be prosperous (although to be fair, the question did not specify spiritual or financial prosperity)

-The article goes on to claim that 3 out of the 4 largest congregations in America preach a message of 'prosperity theology.'

What the article does not say is that this theology is a phenomenon unique to the American church. In countries where the Church is persecuted, you won't hear a message of financial prosperity based on having enough faith. In cities stricken with disease and poverty, the 'health & wealth' gospel would be rightfully scorned. Every day Christians all over the world are arrested, imprisoned, tortured and executed for their beliefs. What do the prosperity preachers have to say to these martyrs? Was their faith, a faith that was fired in the kiln of persecution and purified in the crucible of humiliation, not enough to allow them to fulfill God's plan of financial well-being in their life? This doesn't include the Christians who die of cancer, who are suffering from debilitating diseases or who work hard every day to keep their head from drowning below the poverty line. The prosperity 'gospel' leaves way too many questions unanswered for my taste.

But what about Jeremiah 29:11? What about other passages where it clearly states that God desires to bless his children? How do we interpret these Scriptures in light of the reality we face?

1. Recognize that the World is Sick with Sin
Sin has consequences that reach far beyond our own personal lives. Because of sin death entered the world, and with it came every form of disease known to man. Because of sin governments are corrupt, depriving people of the ability to make a living or practice their faith openly. Because of sin natural disasters (a byproduct of the flood that destroyed the world in Noah's time. A world so sinful that God was forced to 'wash' it away and start anew) inflict terror that is felt acutely by countries so poor, they cannot properly prepare for them. Sin is what causes suffering. Not God, and definitely not a lack of faith in Him.

2. Recognize that God's Blessings are not Always Physical
Some of the blessings I have enjoyed from God are not physical in nature. Encouragement, the presence of His Spirit, the confidence of knowing He stands with me and the knowledge that this world of suffering is not my home are all things that pale in comparison to physical wealth. When we add suffering to the mix, the apostles open a whole new door on how to rejoice in God's blessing. They counted it as a blessing to share in Christ's suffering (Acts 6:40-41). Paul said that 'to live is Christ and to die is gain'. The greatest thing that can happen to a Christian is death. The early church understood this, and this leads us to one final point.

3. Recognize that God's People have a History of being Persecuted
Let's take Jeremiah as an example. Here is a guy who wore an ox-yoke while he preached, was imprisoned numerous times, was considered a heretic by the priests, a naysayer by the false prophets, and a traitor by the king. He was so hated that he was thrown into a cistern and left for dead. When his prophecies of defeat to Babylon came true, he was exiled to Egypt, and was hated by the exiles there as he warned against falling into idolatry. Jewish tradition teaches that while in Egypt he was assassinated and denied a proper burial. This is the guy that God delivered the message of "a future and a hope" to Israel. God's promise through Jeremiah was (a) specific to Israel and (b) a spiritual reality to His people. Today, nearly 20,000 Christians a year are martyred world-wide (according to Voice of the Martyrs). This persecution should not be ignored. Neither should it be grieved. These men and women gave their lives for the Gospel. As Tertullian said, their blood is the seed of the spread of Christianity. God placed upon them a burden that is perhaps to heavy for the American Church to bear. Their suffering blesses us with encouragement, edification and hope. If only our 'prosperity preachers' could be so worthy.

A Birthday Musing

2011-01-19T11:26:00.003-05:00

Today I turn 34. It's time for me to make a difference.

According to tradition my lifespan has surpassed that of Jesus' time on earth in the form of a man. I cannot help but think, "What have I really accomplished in that amount of time?" I have been reading a biography on the German martyr, Dietrich Bonhoeffer. By the time he was 34 he had earned a doctorate, began a church movement that rebelled against the Nazi-sanctioned German church, spoke at international conferences condemning the Nazi party and completed his masterful book, "The Cost of Discipleship."

I know, it's not fair to compare myself with the Lord of the universe (although He is the only One we ought to compare ourselves with), and Bonhoeffer's example is an exemplary one that few can measure up to. But still, I feel the weight of Paul's commands to 'make the most of every opportunity' (see Galatians 6:10 and Colossians 4:5 for a couple of examples) as I grow older. None of us know how many trips around the sun we get to take. Bonhoeffer would never live to see his 40th birthday, and yet he left an indelible mark on this world for the cause of Christ. Whether I live to be 40 or 100, I want to spend every moment pursuing Christ and His plan for me. I want to accomplish great things for His glorification. I want my life to matter.

Today I turn 34. It's time for me to make a difference.

Book List

2011-01-13T15:31:00.002-05:00

I get asked all the time about what I'm reading and what I've read lately that's helping me to develop my ministry and myself. Obvious answer #1 is: (drum-roll please) THE BIBLE! But I believe God has gifted many people with the gift of writing to edify and encourage others, so I decided to compile a list of books that I have read in 2010 that I found helpful. These aren't all the books I read last year, they are just the ones that I found beneficial in some way. And they are in no particular order. So without any further ado:

The Simple Life by Thom and Art Rainer, B & H Publishing
Think by John Piper, Crossway Books
Respectable Sins by Jerry Bridges, NavPress
The Faith Once for All by Jack Cottrell, College Press
Transforming Church in Rural America by Shannon O'Dell, New Leaf Press
You Are God's Plan A by Dwight Robertson, David C. Cook Publishing
Desiring God by John Piper, Multnomah Books
Renovation of the Heart by Dallas Willard, NavPress
The Christian Atheist by Craig Groeschel, Zondervan Publishing
Outlive Your Life by Max Lucado, Thomas Nelson Publishers
The Hole in Our Gospel by Richard Stearns, Thomas Nelson Publishers
Wild Goose Chase by Mark Batterson, Multnomah Books
Radical by David Platt, Multnomah Books
Starving Jesus by Craig Gross and J. R. Mahon, David C. Cook Publishing
Just Walk Across the Room by Bill Hybells, Zondervan Publishing
Living With Confidence in a Chaotic World by David Jeremiah, Thomas Nelson Publishing
Everyone Communicates, Few Connect by John Maxwell, Thomas Nelson Publishing
Why Men Hate Going to Church by David Murrow, Thomas Nelson Publishing

The following are books that I strive to read every year because of the great message within them:

Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire by Jim Cymbala, Zondervan Publishing
The Cost of Discipleship, by Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Simon and Schuster
Mere Christianity, by C.S. Lewis, Simon and Schuster
Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster, HarperCollins Publishers

Hope this helps. Feel free to comment and tell me what you are reading to help you grow in your walk with Christ.

Simplicity

2011-01-12T13:49:00.003-05:00

I have a confession to make. I know it may come as a shock to some, and a disappointment to others, but to those who know me best, this confession has been a long time coming.

I... am... a... clutter-bug.

Whew! I said it! It's now out in the open for all to see. It seems wherever I go clutter surrounds me. Even now as I type, my desk is cluttered with books, papers, paper-clips, two empty cups (why do I need two?) and scraps of paper with various tidbits of information scrawled on them (often on both sides). Beside my recliner at home is a stack of books (I can never read just one at a time), a magazine or two, remotes, a stack of mail from the previous couple of days, and if memory serves me correctly, a screwdriver (don't ask me why, it's just there.) When you add four kids to the mix, a busy life with all sorts of demands and a hobby that requires lots of painting and drawing supplies, what you get is a mess.

But lately I've been wrestling with the idea of simplicity. Some of the early church leaders considered simplicity a spiritual discipline. So what is simplicity? My take on it is this: paring down your life to only the things you use regularly. You could even take it a step farther by paring life down to only the things you need. The discipline part of this is easy to understand, especially to someone like me who is able to function amidst the detritus of a cluttered life. It takes discipline to put things away, to not buy new things to add to the mix and to throw away things you no longer need or use. But what part of this is spiritual?

Let me rewind a couple of weeks. God blessed my family this year with a very good Christmas. The kids got all sorts of stuff from parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc. I got a brand new recliner and we were able to give generously to our parents who have given us so much. But as I looked at all the stuff my kids got, it occurred to me we would need to get rid of older things to make room for new. As my wife and I began organizing and sorting old from new, used from neglected and superfluous from the necessary, we decided we needed to do the same with our things. Initially this decision was made to wage war against the materialistic demons that wage war in our culture. Things are great to own, but too often we become owned by them. But as we have continued to 'downsize' throughout the house it occurred to me, the more stuff I get rid of, the more room I have for God; the louder my proclamation that He is my sustainer and I need nothing apart from Him. It was one of those 'Ah-Ha!' moments as I realized what God has been trying to tell me over the last several months.

So as I threw away the 10-year old Sports-Illustrateds (the ones with the Yankees celebrating another World Series), and the stack of ball-caps that I had not worn in the last 3 years, and as we packed up clothes to donate, we did so as an act of worship. It was, and is, our declaration of dependence on God and God alone.

Now, I just need to clean off this desk.

Slave by John Mac Arthur

2011-01-06T14:27:00.002-05:00

John Mac Arthur's books have always been hit or miss for me. I either love them or really don't get anything out of them. This one, Slave: The Hidden Truth About Your Identity in Christ, falls into the 'love it!' category. MacArthur takes great care in uncovering a truth that has been lost in many modern congregations. In his own words, "The current of mainstream evangelicalism is driven by pragmatic concerns, not theological ones. Church growth gurus worry about what draws a crowd, not about what the Bible says... prosperity preachers make man the master, as if Christ were some genie in a bottle... Even within some conservative circles, pragmatic worldly methods... and almost boundless adaptations of the worst of worldly music are aggressively defended as long as they get visible results." (see p. 74)

What is this lost truth? It is the idea of God as our master and we are his slaves. MacArthur begins with a thorough word study of the Greek words 'kurios' ('master' or 'lord') and 'doulos' ('slave' or 'servant'). He rightly teaches that 'doulos' always means a slave, but that to avoid confusing first century slavery with British colonial slavery, translators have opted for the less offensive term, 'servant.' MacArthur follows this through with practical applications for how Christ is not only master over the Church at large, but also master over us as individuals.

Following Paul's pattern in Romans 6-8, MacArthur then points out how we are mastered by either sin or by grace. For several chapters he shows the tyranny of being enslaved by sin, and in his concluding chapters he artfully teaches the oxymoron that there is freedom in slavery to God. Throughout the book is a call for all Christ-followers to submit to Jesus as our master. He owns us and uses us at His discretion, and we, if we are true slaves of God, have no choice but to obey Him, and through this obedience discover true liberty.

A great read that I highly recommend to any Christian or anyone thinking about becoming a Christian. MacArthur helps us to count the cost and to choose whom you will serve.

Casting the Vision

2011-01-05T15:14:00.002-05:00

There she was, my eleven-year-old daughter trying on her first pair of glasses. Not only was she looking way too grown up for my taste, she was looking. As we walked around the store later her eyes were wide with wonder as she was able to read clearly that which was but a few moments before a blur. The fascination continued in the car trip home. She constantly marveled at the signs she could now read and the details she could now see. Vision was restored, and she didn't even realize how poor her eyesight had become.

That's the way it is with many of us. We often need vision revealed to us. It doesn't come naturally or easily. We need someone to correct our sight and re-focus our eyes on that which really matters. God has done this throughout my life. He has used parents, grandparents, professors, ministers, my wife, and even my children to adjust my vision. But His greatest tool has been His Word. When I am in the Word daily, my vision is clear. But if I miss a day, or two, or fifteen, the vision returns to a weakened state. That which should be clear is fuzzy, and I get very nearsighted, focusing only on the things that immediately affect me.

As we start a new year, my prayer is that my vision is His vision, and that I keep my eyes open to it. As a preaching minister, part of my ministry is casting a vision for the congregation I serve. It is a daunting and humbling task. Only after much prayer and consultation did I move forward, and even then it was with the nervousness of one who is about to attempt something he is not quite sure he is capable of completing. But that's the point! I am not capable. Thus, when the vision is achieved, God, not I, gets all the glory and praise.

My hope is that you realize God's vision for your life and for your local congregation. 2011 holds much potential, but it will only be realized when we begin to see it clearly.

Aftermath- Looking Ahead

2010-12-29T09:42:00.002-05:00

Torn scraps of colored paper litter the floor. Boxes, bows and ribbons are strewn throughout the room. Debris from ripping through packaging material are all that remains. Toys are in the rooms. Electronics are being played with and gadgets are being tested. There is relative peace, because Christmas is over.

I remember as a child it seemed Christmas was over all too quick. All the anticipation and build up was over after just 30 minutes of unwrapping presents. The mysteries of what was in each box were revealed and the puzzle of figuring out what was in that odd-shaped package was solved. Now all that was left was the clean-up (and the playing with the gifts of course). I can remember some years feeling a let-down, as if the end was anti-climactic compared to the waiting.

Now this doesn't mean I didn't have good Christmases growing up. Just the opposite. I had parents who gave us not only what we wanted, but what we needed, as well as unexpected gifts to help us pursue our passions or hone our hidden talents. It's just there were times, especially when I got older, that it seemed the excitement far outlasted the temporary happiness that each gift brought. And now, as an adult, the aftermath of Christmas means bills to pay (though we are fairly good at not going into debt for Christmas) and paring down of older things to make room for new things. It means the taking down of decorations and the constant reminding of children to put their new toys away. It means getting back to work and back to routine. Usually by mid-January Christmas is a distant memory and life plows on, ever-faster; ever-relentless. Surely this isn't what Christmas is all about?

As I think about this, I think about the disciples and what they must have felt after Jesus ascended into heaven. The long-awaited Messiah had come, and for three years ministered to the Jewish people. Now he was ascending into heaven. No political kingdom had been founded. No government coup had taken place. Caesar still ruled, taxes still had to be paid and the Sanhedrin still ruled the Temple with a legalistic tyranny. I wonder, as they waited in Jerusalem for what Jesus had promised (see Acts 1) what their conversations must have been. They had been on an adventure for three years, now what? Was it over? What was next? Surely this was not what they had anticipated.

Oh to be there on that day of Pentecost! When the senses were brought to life with the sound of a violent rushing wind and the sight of a flame coming to rest upon each one in that upper room. Oh to be there when the Apostles began to preach in a myriad of languages and to see 3,000 souls immersed into Christ! What a fulfillment that must have been! The Kingdom had come, and it came with power.

You know, that same Holy Spirit works within the Church today. He still moves and compels the people of God into a life of adventure and fulfillment. That doesn't mean it will be easy, but it will be an adventure. So as you put away the tree and wrap up the lights, remember, Christmas has always been, and will always be a beginning of an adventure, not merely a fulfillment of ancient promises. God has more in store for you and I!

The Marble

2010-12-15T13:34:00.003-05:00

Our bedroom looks like the gift wrapping department at a major retail store. Ribbons, bows and paper cover every available surface. Unused boxes sit in the corner, open and waiting to be filled with a thoughtful gift. Scraps of paper, too small for use on a medium sized gift, but too large to be thrown away, litter the floor. The kids are constantly trying to find ways to sneak into the 'forbidden zone' in hopes of catching a glimpse of an unwrapped toy.

The living room shows the fruits of this gift-wrapping chaos. Beneath the tree, neatly packaged and decorated with bows of green, red, silver, and gold, are the presents. Some small, some large, and various ones in between. Since most of the wrapping goes on after bedtime, the kids have been greeted several mornings with another gift or two under the tree. Last night, as I went to place the latest stash beneath the boughs I saw a wadded up piece of newspaper. I picked it up thinking it mus be something the cats have been playing with. But inside I could feel something hard. I slowly unwrapped it to discover a marble.

Now I must pause to tell you the significance of this marble. This was not just any marble. This was Savannah's marble. This particular marble had been residing in the top drawer of Savannah's dresser for several months. The top drawer was a place of honor. It was a place of distinction. From the top drawer Savannah's favorite trinkets and toys resided in relative safety from curious sisters and clumsy little fingers. And it was from within this top drawer, that the marble had been taken from it's place of honor to be wrapped in a piece of torn newsprint, to be placed beneath a tree.

I went to Savannah the next day to ask why she placed her beloved marble under the tree. Her answer was reflective of the heart that is sometimes hidden by her spunky attitude, "I wanted to give you something for Christmas, but I didn't have any money, so I gave you my favorite thing."

The story is so familiar isn't it? God, who has no use for money, went into his 'top drawer' to pick out His most valuable possession to give to us. This gift did not come wrapped in the fanciest, most colorful of garments, adorned with gold and silver, but it was wrapped in the swaddling cloths of a poor Palestinian maiden. Nor was it put in a place of honor. In fact, this gift would not be placed under a tree, but upon one. And through the whole story we hear God revealing His heart to us, "I wanted to give you something, so I gave you my favorite thing; I gave you my Son."

As I hugged Savannah, I couldn't help but smile because with her child-like heart she showed me once again, what Christmas is all about.

Preparations

2010-12-08T00:26:00.002-05:00

It's that time of year again. Many of us are pulling boxes out of closets and bins out of attics. Fragile decorations are placed carefully around the house and evergreen trees decorate the interior of our homes. Light strands are untangled and tested. Wreaths are dusted off and hung up proudly. Reds and greens are splashed everywhere. All in preparation for Christmas.

And that doesn't include the presents. Stores are staked out and reconnoitered for the appropriate gifts. Websites are assaulted daily by frugal shoppers in search of the best deals. Gift wrap, ribbons, bows, bags, and tissue paper litter our floors and tables. The sound of tape tearing and scissors snipping fills the air as mundane boxes are transformed into beautiful packages. All in preparation for Christmas.

And did I mention the food? We mustn't forget the food. Hams are glazed, turkeys are basted and potatoes are mashed. Gravy bubbles, casseroles steam and rolls rise in anticipation. And then there's dessert. The mouth waters as it thinks of all the cookies, pies, fudge, and dare I say it, fruitcakes that will be baked. Kitchens will be filled with laughter just as sinks will be filled with the dishes that bear witness to the feast that will be enjoyed. All in preparation for Christmas.

And then there's John the Baptist. Yes you heard me right. Don't back-up and re-read the previous paragraphs. I didn't forget to type a few transitional sentences. And, believe it or not, I didn't jump tracks. If we are talking about preparations, we can't neglect this wild preacher whose radical wardrobe of camel hair was rivaled only by his strange diet of locusts and wild honey. Yet he is described as a 'voice in the wilderness,' and as one who would go before the Messiah. One who would 'prepare the way of the Lord.' So he did. He went; he proclaimed; he prepared. His message was profoundly simple yet simply profound, and it only consisted of one word: 'Repent!'

Repent. A change in direction. An about-face. When we hear this word we must be careful not to make the common mistake of thinking that the word merely means to stop doing something. It involves much more than stopping. It involves turning. Turning requires volition. Turning requires initiative. Turning requires a change in goals. No longer are we enticed by the worldly riches, but by Godly treasure. No longer do we face our self-serving motives and desires, but we face the glorification of God in our lives. Our feet no longer carry us away from God, but toward Him; toward His love; toward His grace; toward His plan for our lives.

This was John's message to Jews awaiting the Messiah. It must be the Church's message. If you want to see the Messiah, repent. If you want to see salvation, repent. If you want to see mercy, repent. As we prepare to celebrate His coming, let us not neglect our preparations for His second coming. We need to be a voice in the wilderness. We need to 'prepare the way of the Lord.' We need to proclaim the Good News. All in preparation for Christ.

The Gospel According to Jesus by Chris Seay

2010-12-02T12:20:00.003-05:00

Okay, I'm going to be honest, this was a tough read for me. It's not that it wasn't well written (it was) or that it did not have some unique aspects (I enjoyed the interviews at the end of each chapter), it 's just that this book travels down the same road as several others I have recently read. Essentially, it's a book on discipleship. After reading Stearns' 'The Hole in Our Gospel' and 'Starving Jesus' by Gross and Mahon, and 'The Christian Atheist' by Craig Groeschel, this book struggled to keep my interest.

Seay begins with the fact that the term 'righteousness' is widely misunderstood in Christendom and that we mostly relate it to behavior modification. He then argues that to achieve righteousness we must live as Jesus lived (i.e. become a disciple of Jesus). He gives a chapter on what we were created to be (image bearers of God) and why we fail at this (because we are sinful), and then he spends the rest of the book on how we can live in relationship with Christ. At the end of each chapter he interviews some well known church leaders on how they accomplish this in their lives. Personally, I got more from the interviews than any other part of the book.

The book is written with a somewhat 'anti-establishment' voice that is common to many young writers and ministers who are trying to shape the Church into an effective institution for post-modern culture, yet he doesn't try to purposefully offend anyone. His call to live in relationship rather than with regulations is spot-on. If you haven't read any books on discipleship, this would be a good start, although there are several others that I think share the same message much more effectively.

The Christmas 'Advent'ure

2010-11-30T15:07:00.002-05:00

As a kid I grew up with an Advent calendar. There are several varieties, but most have a door or flap that is opened or removed as you count down the days to Christmas. I can remember the excitement building each day as me or my sister got to open the next door that revealed part of the nativity scene. The anticipation grew and grew until that Christmas morning when the final door was opened to reveal a baby laid in a manger.

Growing up in a non-denominational brotherhood of churches, my knowledge of Advent never spread beyond that calendar. I had friends at school that talked about Advent, but I chalked it up to some mysterious practice that many followed but few understood, and would proudly think to myself, 'I am glad that my church is above these silly traditions.'

Now I serve at a church that has a history that precedes the Restoration Movement by nearly 100 years, and one of their traditions is lighting a candle on an Advent wreath every Sunday leading up to Christmas. Immediately upon hearing this tradition my 'churchianity' detector kicked into overdrive as I sought out how to best handle this 'denominational' tradition. (Even I amaze myself at my overly pious pride), but as I researched this tradition I found some surprisingly Biblical insights.

The roots of this tradition are found in the meaning of the word 'advent'. It is based on the Latin for 'coming'. The leaders of the 5th-6th century church wanted to tie together the parallels between the Old Testament Jews waiting for the coming of the Messiah and the modern Church waiting for His second-coming. The time of year where we celebrate His first 'advent' seemed an appropriate time for this teaching. Over the centuries many more traditions became attached, some good, some not so good, but I think it is good to think about four 'advents' as we approach Christmas.

1. The First Advent of Jesus- His birth in a manger to a virgin mother is a miraculous fulfillment of prophecy (Is. 7:14). But that birth would mean nothing apart from His death, burial and resurrection. This is a great time of year to remember, and be thankful for the greatest gift ever given to us: Grace. And let us remember that grace is free, but not cheap. It required the life of Jesus and demands the life of His followers.

2. The Advent of the Holy Spirit- One of the great promises Jesus gave His followers is that He would not leave them alone, but that He would leave them a helper, companion and counselor: the Holy Spirit (for more read John 14 and John 16). The prophets spoke of a day when God would place His Spirit inside men (see Ezekiel 36:25-27 and Joel 2:28-32) and the coming, or advent, of that is found in Acts 2 when Peter and the rest of the apostles experience God's Holy Spirit and preach the first gospel sermon. It is in this sermon that we are told how we can enjoy the benefits of this 'advent', "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." (emphasis mine). The days the prophets long for are here and now. We enjoy the fulfillment of promises that were eagerly waited upon for centuries!

3. The Advent of the Church- Not only did God provide His Spirit to comfort and guide, but He established a Divine Institution to encourage and disciple us to maturity. This institution is the Church. The Church, after Jesus and the Holy Spirit, is perhaps God's greatest gift to man. In her we find community, fellowship, love and opportunities to make a difference. Within the Church we are instructed with the Word of God so that we may carry out the Will of God. I am not saying that every congregation is perfect, but I have had the privilege of serving and seeing congregations that truly seek out God's plan and purpose for them. Yes, we could sit around and swap horror stories of congregation that have abused God's grace, but I prefer to focus on the positive and strive to lift up the bride of Christ as a vehicle through which the Gospel is presented. If you aren't a member of a local congregation, than you are missing out on some great opportunities to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ!

4. The Second Advent of Jesus- Just as the Messiah was promised to come to the Jews, He has promised to return for His Bride, the Church. We can count on this second coming because God has established a track record of keeping His promises. The imminent nature of this second Advent should spur us on to evangelism. As the old hymn says, "There are souls to rescue, there are souls to save. Send the Light! Send the Light!" The Church was not established to give us Spiritual food so we can be fat and happy and content. We are to feed, and then give that food to others! God has sent us as servants so that His table might be full (see Luke 14:15-24). As laborers, we look forward to the rest this coming will bring, but as faithful stewards of the Gospel, we work to make sure that every person has an opportunity to accept the invitation of God!

What I have discovered is that this Christmas season, known as Advent by our denominational friends, should serve as a reminder that God has called us to a great adventure of serving, evangelizing and building for His Kingdom. There are preparations to be made and souls to be saved. But, there is also joyful anticipation as we wait for God to open that final door as He calls His children home to be with Him for eternity. Please keep this in mind as you enjoy this holiday season.

Driving with Frank Abagnale Jr.

2010-11-16T14:56:00.002-05:00

In 2002 the Stephen Spielberg movie "Catch Me If You Can" hit box offices. Starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks it told the story of Frank W. Abagnale, Jr. and his exploits as a con-artist and check forger extraordinaire. The movie was loosely based on Abagnale's biography that goes by the same title. I have watched the movie several times and at the end of the movie, Abagnale joins forces with the FBI to help catch other con-artists.

When I was driving around yesterday, scanning the radio stations for something to listen to, I came across a broadcast on Bloomberg Radio that had Abagnale as a sit-in guest. The host was Pimm Fox and the topic was protection against identity theft. As a fan of the movie, I decided to listen to a show I would otherwise skim over, and I nearly did as the advice was mostly common-sense type advice, but then the conversation turned to ethics and character development. As a preacher, this interested me. I am always interested in what the 'world' thinks. This is what I discovered.

1. The Secular World Recognizes that there is an Ethical Vacuum

Pimm Fox asked Abagnale something along the lines of 'What is the difference in philosophy between those who scam people today, and yours when you were scamming people?' Abagnale's response was simple: unadulterated greed. He even mused why, if a CEO cheated people out of 50 million dollars, why would they risk getting caught for a few thousand more? The only answer was greed. Abagnale then used this as a springboard for jumping to the topic of the lack of ethics being taught today. He spoke of how all of his children completed graduate degrees, and only the lawyer was required to take just one ethic course. The result? A generation of children have grown into adults with no character. From Wall Street to politicians (as I write this, the top story on Fox News is long-time Congressman Charlie Rangel from NY was found to be in violation of 11 ethics charges) the world we live in sees evidence of a moral vacuum.

2. The Secular World Doesn't have a Clue as to how to Reverse this Trend

What was Abagnale's solution? He suggested starting as early as middle school, teaching character courses and ethics in public schools. But he punctuated his advice with a curious phrase, "now I am not talking religion here." That short little phrase revealed a lot about what many people falsely think will cure society's issues.

First, to think that public education is solution is to fall into the same trap that sex education advocates have fallen. All sex education has done is increase teen sexuality, not curb it. Character development cannot begin in the classroom, it must begin in the home, with parents who are committed to raising morally upright children. If it doesn't, the problem will only get bigger because what you are in all actuality doing is raising a generation who will believe they can out-think the system.

Second, to think you can have morality without God is like thinking you can have law without a constitution. To take God out of the equation is to remove the foundation for morality. If we teach our children that we evolve from animals, it is only a matter of time before they begin to act like animals. If we teach them they are their own authority, soon you will see the results of anarchy. What power has government if you take away the God who ordained it in the first place? We Americans cherish the idea that a government cannot rule without the consent of the governed. But what happens when the governed decides they no longer wished to be ruled by any authority? Only a God-fearing people can thrive in a democratic society, because if we cease to fear God, chaos will erupt and the only human tool that can rule a chaotic society is military might. A quick perusal of history will show you that is how Greece, Rome, France, Germany, Russia, China and a litany of others went from either monarchies or democracies to dictatorships. The names of Caesar, Napoleon, Stalin, Hitler and others leave a sour taste in our mouth, but when a society rejects belief in a higher power, then only the philosophy of 'might makes right' remains.

This is where the Church comes into play. Am I advocating Church involvement in politics? No. What I am advocating is if God's people would do what they are called by God to do, namely to seek, save and disciple the lost, we can become a God-fearing people again. By changing people, one life at a time; by trusting in God's power to transform hearts and minds; by taking Christ at His word and lifting Him up so that He can draw all men to Himself; we can restore morality to America. It won't happen in the classroom. It will happen if God's people, the Church, move in a purposeful and motivated manner towards the goal God has placed before us in Matthew 28:19-20.

Broken but Blooming

2010-11-05T12:22:00.003-04:00

The poor thing didn't have a chance. Not with wind gusts of up to 60mph whipping around it. It was bound to fall over and sure enough it did. Potted plants just aren't made for that kind of weather and neither was my wife's Hibiscus. I went out the front door last week to find it lying on it's side in the middle of the yard, it's forlorn, windswept blooms staring up at me as if to say, "What are you doing leaving me out here?!?" I picked it up and placed it just inside the front door and looked it over to see if there was any severe damage. There was only one break. A small branch with a bud on the end had broken. But the break was not clean through. It kind of dangled there, sad and pathetic. I thought to myself, "That bud will never blossom." I went to get scissors to snip it off completely, and as often happens in a house full of children, I forgot about it completely.

Have you ever felt like that poor plant? You are sitting where God has placed you, and then out of the blue a storm comes and blows you off balance. And as you roll and tumble, you feel the pressure and then the snap! of something breaking. I have, and unless you are very young or very out of touch, chances are you have felt that disoriented and painful sensation of breakage.

We are reminded of brokenness everywhere we look. This month, my wife's cell phone decided that it would no longer charge. Snap! This past week as my car sat parked along a busy street, someone drove by and clipped my side-view mirror with theirs. Snap! Just this morning, I went to turn on the television to watch the news and heard a 'pop-fizzle' sound, and now instead of a TV I have a 27-inch paperweight. Snap! We are surrounded by brokenness.

Even our bodies remind us we live in a broken world. A father is diagnosed with cancer. Snap! A couple tries unsuccessfully for years to conceive a child. Snap! A family slowly loses their grandmother to the fog of Alzheimer's. Snap! Yes, our bodies act as barometers of the storms that bring pain and brokenness.

If only that brokenness were confined to things or our physical bodies, but we see broken people around us as well. A marriage suddenly ends when one partner decides that someone else's grass is greener. Snap! Children raised in good Christian homes grow up and reject the faith of their parents and live lifestyles that are self-destructive. Snap! A man tries to bear the weight of the world on his own shoulders, but succumbs to trying to drown out the world with alcohol. Snap! A woman is stuck in an abusive relationship because she doesn't know if there is any way out, and for some reason she truly does love the person who harms her. Snap! Broken people make up a large portion of our population, and chances are, there is part of you that is broken as well.

You lost your temper with the kids. Snap!
You got laid off at work and actually doubted God's ability to sustain you. Snap!
You failed to love your spouse like Jesus loves His Church. Snap!

You might even be wondering how God can use you if you are so broken.

Funny thing about that Hibiscus plant (you thought I had forgotten about it didn't you?) I came back the next day to place it outside and noticed something odd. The bud that was at the end of the broken stem had bloomed! Apparently it had enough of a connection with the main part of the plant that it was able to blossom, in spite of it's broken condition. This reminded me of a conversation that Jesus had with His disciples in John 14-16. Jesus is with His disciples on the last night of His earthly life and He instructs them that hard times are going to come. In other words, storms are coming to blow them off course. But then, in John 15, Jesus gives them the secret to surviving life's storms, "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing." (verses 4-5) I love how The Message paraphrases parts of this, "Live in me. Make your home in me just as I do in you... I am the Vine, you are the branches. When you're joined with me and I with you, the relation intimate and organic, the harvest is sure to be abundant..." What Jesus is saying here is that the key to survival is to keep the relationship with Him close and intimate.

You might be questioning right now, "But I am broken. How can God use me if I have snapped off the vine?" Just because you are broken doesn't mean you have been snapped completely off. Just as the flower blossomed, you too can bear fruit. Paul hinted at this in 2 Corinthians when he spoke of a thorn in the flesh, a physical brokenness that he felt inhibited him from bearing fruit. I love God's reply to Paul's request for the thorn, the broken thing, to be removed: "My grace is sufficient for you; My power is perfected in weakness." (2 Cor. 12:9) Stay connected. Pray for the Vine-dresser to come and repair you. Realize that even though you are broken, through the all-sufficient grace of God, you can bloom and bear fruit. And in this brokenness, God's power just may be perfected within you!

Who, not What

2010-10-29T23:37:00.003-04:00

I am not sure when it happened. Maybe it was during Bible College. Or perhaps during the turbulent first years of ministry. Or maybe it happened in the midst of trying to instill faith in my children. Whenever it was, it definitely happened.

What? you ask.

A shift in perception. A new way of describing my beliefs. Unlike some moments, there was no epiphany. No sudden revelations. Just a subtle move from one system of thinking to another.

It used to be I described my beliefs in terms of 'what.'

'This is what I believe about theology...'

'This is what I believe about the Bible...'

'This is what I believe about Jesus...'

But no longer! I am not confined to the world of 'what'! To me it is supremely more important to figure out who you believe.

Who do you believe about lifestyle choices?

Who do you believe about hope and love?

Who do you believe about salvation?

Why the difference? Because 'what' is subjective to my whim. I can choose this, or I can choose that. 'Who' is subjective to the authority of the person I believe, and when it comes to Jesus, there is no greater authority. Because 'what' is subjective to me, it can change and mutate, but 'who' is steadfast and reliable because Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever.

Also, 'what' leads to cold, legalistic religion. When I submit to 'what' I don't care about people, I care about rules. My concern is not about introducing people to Jesus, my concern is enforcing a law code. But the system of 'who' leads to relationship. As my relationship with Jesus grows, so does my desire to introduce others to Him, because only what He thinks matters and only what He does makes a difference.

Does this mean that 'what' is no longer important? No! but it is my contention that knowing the 'who' will lead to the 'what' and beyond!

What about you? Have you moved from 'what' to 'who'?

This is My Story- Part 3

2010-10-24T00:41:00.002-04:00

You may not know who Greg Allen is. You may not know that he is the worship leader for the largest Christian Church in North America. You may not know that every weekend he leads tens of thousands of Christians to the throne of God through music. You may not know that the staff around him respected not only his musical abilities, which are profound, but they also noticed his walk with God, which was so profound that they moved him from worship leader to a new position: the Minister of Leadership.

You also may not know that Greg Allen nearly lost his voice... permanently. In the late 1990s Greg had three different surgeries on his throat and vocal chords to repair damage. Unsure whether he would ever speak, much less sing again, he fell at the feet of Jesus. The leaders at his Louisville congregation valued integrity more than talent and still used Greg at times to lead worship even though all he could do was talk barely above a whisper and lip sync the lyrics. It was at this time that Greg felt God saying to him, "I do not love you because you are a worship leader. I love you because you are my child."

As I heard Greg share his story this weekend, I was reminded of my journey. I went to Bible College and got a degree in Bible and preaching. My first ministry was in northern Ohio. No friends nearby. No family around the corner. Cold weather that seemed warm compared to the culture of the congregation I found myself serving. Those first years were rough. My inexperience combined with feeling alone combined with overbearing leaders led to a lot of headaches, many of my own making. But I never wavered in my commitment. I was a preacher. I was called. I would not give up on my calling.

After Ohio came Kentucky. Everything Ohio was not, Kentucky was. Here I had friends. Here I had a network of ministers I could lean on. Here I was close enough to home to see family a couple times a year. But... these stories always have a but! But it was a difficult ministry. A church plant that had more going wrong than right when I arrived. I was hired as 'the last chance effort' to save the already 2 year-old plant. Long story short, there were internal power struggles that when confronted led to an already small church splitting. After three years the funding ran out and I was asked my honest opinion on what to do. What did I do? I fired myself! I told them to close the doors and relaunch. But my faith did not waver. I was a preacher. I was called. I would not give up on my calling.

Then came six long months of searching. Dozens of resumes went out (I stopped counting at 50!) and 'rejection' letters began to pour in:

"We're sorry but...

...you're too young to preach."

...you're too old to lead youth."

...we can't afford to support you and your family."

...you preach too well to be an associate."

Five months went by without a single interview. My wife and I each juggled part-time jobs as we tried to make ends meet during this dry spell, when finally a church in southern Virginia called. Virginia! Virginia was home! It was a youth ministry position under a well-seasoned and successful preaching minister that I could be mentored by and learn from his example. We could barely curb our excitement! We went and interviewed for the position. I prepared a lesson to teach to the youth and was told by elders and staff alike, "Pack your bags, the rest is a formality." This had to be God's will for us!

Turns out it wasn't. Two weeks later we got the rejection phone call. I was broken. I was shaken. I began to doubt if I was really called. After all, if I was called then God would have a place for me, right? All my confident statements turned into questions.

Am I a preacher?
Am I called?
Will I give up on my calling?

It was soon after this that I attended church with a good friend in Lexington. It was a Wednesday night service at a large church and I wanted to hide in a corner and hope beyond hope for some revelation. There was worship, but my heart had no song. There was a lesson, but my mind did not feed. But... these stories always have a but! But then the teacher said they were going to do something different. He divided the crowd into groups of a dozen or less and told us to pray for each person. I tried to avoid a group, but God's people have a way of sucking you in when you don't want to be but desperately need to be included. My group was only five or six people. We introduced ourselves and agreed to pray for the person to our right. I have long forgotten the name of the gentleman to my left. I don't remember every word he said, but I remember one phrase, "Lord let this young man know tonight that You love Him."

He loves me!
Oh how He loves me!

After the amens were said I left quickly and sat in my car and wept openly. The message God gave me that night was the same he gave to Greg Allen, "I don't love you because you are a preacher. I love you because you are my child!" I no longer doubted my calling; my calling as a child of God. Within a month I was employed in Maryland as a teacher in a Christian School and part-time associate minister. It was not what I had envisioned, but for four years God held me in a crucible of learning humility and obedience; two lessons I desperately needed to learn.

Then after four years God flung open the doors to preaching ministry. Today, I find myself in southern Virginia, doing God's will and not my own. You see my story is really His story and this is my story: I am a preacher. I am called. I will not give up on my calling.

What's your story?

This is My Story- Part 2

2010-10-23T13:05:00.004-04:00

Stories. We love them. From a young age we are indoctrinated by story. Bedtime stories, nursery rhymes and cardboard books dominate our childhood. As adults, we are just as addicted. Movies tell stories. Music communicates story in an emotive way. Even sports usually have a storyline running through them as we cheer for the underdog to overcome all obstacles to defeat their hated rival.

What's your story? You might not think it's much, but it's yours. God has given you a story to use for His glory.

My story is simple. I grew up in a Christian household with godly parents. At the age of 16 I thought I wanted to preach. My home minister scheduled my first sermon for a Sunday night service. Blessed with a preaching grandfather and a teaching father, I had many resources to pull from to write a sermon. With the vigor of youth I zealously researched, wrote and rehearsed. I was determined that it would be the greatest sermon ever preached. In my mind's eye I saw people repenting with tears, the waters of the baptistry rippling and fire from heaven consuming those who would defy the Lord (what can I say? I love the Old Testament!) Oh the naivety of youth!

The day came and I approached the pulpit with confidence. The pulpit was old school in design. It was elevated on an elevated stage and boxed the speaker into a fixed position. As I laid my Bible and notes on the pulpit a 'gust' of air blew and all 30 pages of notes fell off the pulpit to the floor below. Two things happened. First, I learned that numbering pages is a must. Second, I learned the power of prayer as I gathered the notes from the floor beseeching God that they be in the right order! In my rehearsal time the sermon took 45 minutes. When I reached the pulpit, again, I noticed the people (who knew people would be there!) and I sped-read the notes, not caring if they were in order, and finished in under 5 minutes.

As I shook hands after the service I was touched by the good Christian people who tried to be encouraging. Some offered pats on the back, others lied to me and said it was good, a few simply smiled and shook their heads as if to say, 'Nice try. Find a plan B.' I no longer thought I wanted to preach. One of the deacons, my future father-in-law in fact, handed me a slip of paper with a scripture scrawled on it. He told me to read it when I got home. I thanked him and placed the now wadded up paper in my pants pocket and promptly forgot about it.

Fast forward a couple of hours as I sulked in my bedroom. I argued with God over His calling. I know, it's stupid to argue with God, but I was determined that He made a mistake. As I prepared to bed down I cleaned out my pockets and discovered the piece of paper. The Scripture scrawled on it was 1 Corinthians 2:1-5. As I read it, I began to weep at Paul's words, "When I came to you brethren, I did not come to you with wisdom or superiority of speech. For I resolved to know nothing among you except Christ Jesus and Him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and fear and with much trembling and my message was not with wise and persuasive words, but in demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God." As I read those words through the tears in my eyes I realized my mistake: preaching is not about me. It must never be about me. It's always and forever about the God who called me. I no longer thought I wanted to preach, I knew I wanted to preach.

That's my story. So far.

This is my Story- part 1

2010-10-22T23:06:00.002-04:00

When I entered the sanctuary about an hour before the session started I heard the chords of a familiar praise song reverberating off of the 9,000 empty seats. Immediately my mind matched lyrics with music and I began to internally sing, "He loves us, O how He loves us, O how He loves us." I settled into a seat that promised plenty of leg room for my 6'7" frame. As I flipped through the conference booklet a melodic voice began to sing "This is my story, this is my song, Praising my Savior all the day long." But the music hadn't changed. In an instant I found myself caught up and carried away by the unexpected merge of modern mixed with traditional. Soon, another voice began to sing the lyrics that first popped in my head in harmonious unison with the familiar hymn. I began to worship as I contemplated that my story is His story of love for me.

I will have more on this topic later, but for now, What's your story?

On Purpose

2010-10-20T15:26:00.003-04:00

Raising children is an adventure to say the least. Comedian Bill Cosby has made the assertion that unless you have more than one child you are not a true parent because one child does not fight with themselves! Lately I have felt more like a referee than a parent as our two youngest daughters have been constantly bickering over everything from whose side of the room is whose, or who is the rightful owner of a particular toy (this despite the fact that the other has an identical toy), or whose clothes are whose since Charley is beginning to wear hand-me-downs from Savannah. Sometimes the bickering escalates into something more physical in nature. The most recent bout took the form of hair-pulling and face-smacking. As I interrogated the diminutive divas, Charley kept saying, "I didn't do it on purpose" as if that was an excuse for her wrong actions.

This prompted my mind to wander to the excuses we have when God convicts of sin. How often do we claim, "I didn't mean to sin. It wasn't as if I did it on purpose"? I can remember using that excuse with my mother once, to which she quickly responded, "You didn't mean not to either." In other words, I didn't purposefully make the choice to avoid my shortcomings.

Purpose. Purpose imbues intention on an action. As I read the Scriptures I am convicted that the best way to avoid sin is not to go through life with the, "I will not do this today." Rather, we must approach life with purpose, with intention, as we decide to do good in the place of evil. Good actions must replace evil deeds. It's not enough to avoid sin. It's not enough to simply say, 'I will not do this.' We must replace the sinful deeds with good ones. We must purposefully seek to do good. We must live life on purpose.

As I thought about this, I began to evaluate other areas of my life and work with the lens of purpose set upon it. Are my sermons 'on purpose' or are they simply set up according to whatever whim hits me at the time? Do my Bible studies reflect intentionality or do they simply jump from one random book to the next? Fortunately these two areas passed the purpose test. But some areas did not. Some personal areas that deal with familial issues and other not so personal areas, one of which is this blog failed to measure up to the standard of intent. I have not approached this blog with purpose or intention. My writings have been based upon whatever is bouncing around my cranium at the time.

I want to change this. Starting at the first of the 2011 year, this blog will show more purpose. It will still have book reviews from time to time (I'm not going to turn down free reading material), but the other posts will reflect more intentionality. They will reflect (1) the topic of that week's sermon for those of you who attend Cool Springs Christian Church that will also be applicable to those not privy to the sermon material, (2) a challenge to do something for the Kingdom, and (3) prayer topics based either on the post, the ministry that I am serving in or the impact of the blog. Even though I'm a small voice at a small church, it is my prayer that God can use this blog to impact a worldwide audience!

Transforming Church in Rural America

2010-10-11T16:27:00.002-04:00

I've been serving local churches in ministry for over a decade. All of them have been small churches struggling to find ways to grow. Some have been limited by a worship of the past, others were hampered by overbearing leaders and others still by poor location combined with limited facilities. In his book, Transforming Church in Rural America, Shannon O'Dell writes a church growth book specifically geared to small churches in small population areas. By using examples from his own congregation in rural Arkansas, O'Dell challenges the 'myth' that only churches in large urban/suburban settings can grow and succeed in dynamic ministry.

Through the use of the acronym VALUE (Vision; Attitude; Leadership; Understanding; Enduring Excellence) O'Dell imparts principles that a congregation of any size can follow. The author outlines his own successes and failures for the reader's benefit. The book is written in a very conversational tone that makes it both easy to read and to understand.

As for negatives, they are minor. There is an emphasis on vision throughout the entire book. The other principles are overshadowed by O'Dell's focus on developing, adopting and communicating vision to leaders and congregants alike. The book might be better promoted on how to develop vision for the rural congregation. Although I did appreciate the emphasis that a leader with no vision has no business being the lead minister.

Also, under-emphasized throughout the book is one of the major keys to O'Dell's success: a supportive leadership. Experience has taught me that in order to effect change in the traditional, country church you must have the lay-leadership in your corner. If not, change will not occur. O'Dell's claim that change produces conflict is 100% accurate, and without leaders that are long-time members of the church giving support, a minister will not be able to achieve his vision, no matter how clear it is.

I would recommend this book to any leader in the rural church who desire to cast God's vision before the church. The principles O'Dell outlines are solid even though his methods may not work in every congregation.

My Prayer for MACU

2010-10-03T23:59:00.003-04:00

On October 3, two students at my alma-mater, Mid-Atlantic Christian University, got into an altercation resulting in one young man being shot and losing his life. My heart has been breaking, and this is my prayer...

Lord,

I want to scream. I want to shake my fists and yell. But my enemy has no face. No, rather than give an object for wrath, he leaves this cold, impotent rage that struggles to be voiced. So I turn to You. My questions swim around my head. Questions of why this happened and how could this be allowed to happen and who does Satan think he is attacking my school, my family, my heritage?

But it's not mine is it? It's not mine, it's Yours. She was Your school and he was Your child. One family loses a son to murder, the other to prison. But they are Your families. A campus full of students has lost her security; her innocence. But she is Your campus. So I turn to You, to implore You, to beg You, be the God You have always been. The God who avenges the innocent. The God who protects the helpless. Spread a blanket of protection over the students, staff and families affected by this tragedy.

You are the God that drowned the armies of Pharaoh. Drown out the cries for retribution with Your grace.

You are the God who dried up the Jordan so Your children could enter the Promised land. Dry our tears and mend our hearts.

You are the God who knocked over Jericho's walls. Knock down the walls of fear that threaten to imprison us.

You are the God that guided David's sling. Guide our hearts toward restoration.

You are the God that destroyed the prophets of Baal. Destroy the arguments of those who would use this to defame Your name.

You are the God who restored the sight of the blind. Open our eyes to see who the real enemy is.

You are the God who rolled away a stone and proclaimed life out of death. Roll away this black curtain and speak life into a seemingly hopeless situation.

You have done all these things before and now we beg that you do it one more time. Out of the despair, bring rejoicing. Out of the anger, bring peace. Out of the sorrow, bring joy. Out of death, bring life. Then the world will know You are God.

Thank You for listening, for hearing and for doing. Take MACU in Your arms, dry her tears, and be the God You have always been.

In the name of the death conqueror: Jesus,

Amen

Of Plants and Men

2010-09-21T18:49:00.003-04:00

Jesus would often use the physical world to explain spiritual realities. Mustard seeds illustrate faith. Fruitless fig trees illustrate pointless living. A farmer sowing seed illustrates evangelism. The Gospels are chock full of Jesus' stories and their effectiveness is undeniable.

As a preacher, I am always looking for ways to emulate the Master Teacher. As fall approaches and the time for planting bulbs and certain other plants draws nigh, my wife is excited. After four years of living in an apartment with no yard, she is itching to plant a spring flower garden. This means that trips to plant nurseries, reading of countless internet articles on botany and visiting landscaping websites has occupied much of her time. This also means that I, the loving and understanding husband, have spent more than a few minutes listening to plans, ideas, and interesting tidbits about various plants. As she was doing this one day she reminded me of two phenomena that I remember learning in High School Biology class (I typically try to repress all memories from High School. Highwater jeans, thick glasses and a body type that resembled an anemic giraffe made me the recipient of much unwanted attention).

The first of these phenomena is phototropism. Have you ever put a potted plant in a window and after a few days it leans toward the window? What it is leaning toward is the light. The plant is actually stretching itself, and growing toward the light. God has equipped these plants with photo-receptive cells that can sense where the most light is and sends messages of, 'Hey, we need to go this direction if we want more sunshine!'

The second phenomenon is thigmotropism. Watch a vine grow up a trellis or see a venus flytrap close when a fly lands in its open maw and you are witnessing thigmotropism. The plant can actually 'feel' touch and will react to it. While most thigmotropic plants are harmless, some are parasitic and will wrap around another living plant, like a tree, and literally sap the life from them.

So what type of plant are you? Are you phototropic or thigmotropic? Do you want to grow in the light of a living God, thriving in your relationship with Him, or do you simply go with what 'feels' right at the time. The problem with being a thigmotropic Christian is that often what 'feels' right isn't. Solomon knew this when he penned, "There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death." (Prov. 14:12). As a minister I have seen this first hand when lifestyle choices that are contrary to God's plan are justified by saying, "In my heart I know this is right." God's Word begs to differ: "The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick..." (Jeremiah 17:9a).

What hope is there? I mean, if we can't trust our gut feelings and heart what can we trust? Simply put, we trust God's Word. In Psalm 119 David composed a love poem to God's word. In it he proclaims God's word as a "lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path." (v. 105) If we are phototropic we live in God's Word, and if we stay phototropic, eventually we can trust the heart again. How? By hiding God's Word in our heart (Ps. 119:11) In fact the true 'Word' of God is Jesus (John 1:1) and when He takes residence in our heart, He doesn't merely dwell there, He renews the heart! This is what God promised through Ezekiel when He said, "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove the heart of stone from you and give you a heart of flesh." (36:26)

"God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth." I John 1:5-6

Old Time Religion vs. New Morality

2010-09-17T11:42:00.003-04:00

I make it a point to try to read what people who disagree with my worldview write on a regular basis. My hope is to discover what makes them 'tick' or what they view as supremely important. Knowing that I do this, my wife pointed out an article to me on CNN's website:

http://www.cnn.com/2010/OPINION/09/16/brook.moral.code.outdated/index.html?eref=mrss_igoogle_cnn

The article basically takes the stance of if we accept the technological advancements of our age, we must therefore accept the moral advancements too. In other words, our moral code is too 'antiquated' to be effective for such a modern time. Instead of looking to people of great faith for our morality, we should look to people who made tremendous profits for our morality. To quote the authors, "it is they (the profiteers), not the Mother Teresas of the world, that we should strive to be like and teach our kids the same."

I wonder if the authors took into account that our current economic state is due to the fact that people valued profit above morals. I also wonder if they would be in favor of re-instituting the practice of colonial slavery in order to turn a quicker profit. While I respect their candor and intellectual honesty, I can't help but wonder where our world would be in the absence of such out-of-date morals. As it is the child sex slavery industry is devastating economically challenged countries. But the practitioners are earning the big bucks. Should we teach our children to honor that as well? This is what happens when we place intellectualism as a god instead of following the One who created all things (and yes, I still look to the Old Testament for my beliefs on origins).

Perhaps the most disturbing thing about this article is that it is written by two well-respected men. I worry that this philosophy of 'moral evolution' will make it into our classrooms (in some instances it already has I'm sure). I am confident that this very philosophy is being taught in many institutions of higher learning, resulting in the ethical vacuum we see on Wall St., in politics and in our judicial systems.

I am reminded of the book of Judges, where it is said twice of the extremely immoral time, "In those days Israel had no king and every man did what was right in his own eyes." I feel that the same is true of America. If we make profit our 'king', then we are headed toward a downward spiral that will end in catastrophic ruin. Instead, let's return to that "old time religion". It's good enough for me.

Immanuel's Veins by Ted Dekker

2010-09-14T11:01:00.002-04:00

I was very excited to learn that I could get the newest Ted Dekker release to review for booksneeze. I have read several of his works, including the Circle Series, Obsessed and Showdown to name a few. So when Immanuel's Veins showed up in my mailbox I was more than excited to get it.

The story takes place in 18th century Russia. Catherine the Great sends two trusted soldiers, Toma and Alek, to protect a Moldavian aristocratice family, a mother and two beautiful daughters. Alek, the consummate ladies' man, immediately falls for the younger daughter, a naive girl who is out to milk every physical pleasure she can out of life. Toma, the main character, falls for the older daughter, Lucine. Lucine has a painful past and is slow to trust or love anyone.

The antogonist is a mysterious Russian royal named Vlad. His mysterious castle and followers slowly entice each of the characters into a sensuous trap. Through many twists and turns Toma fights to free his love from the grasp of Vlad's power, and uncovers the power of true love over lust.

Dekker is a master at taking spiritual truths and explaining them through story, and this book is no different. With one story Dekker explains God's pursuit of His beloved and reveals the dangers of lust masquerading as love. The symbolism is powerful and poignant and the message is unmistakable. If there was anything I would have to criticize, it would be Dekker's character development. After reading several of his other novels, I know what he is capable of and I was disappointed with characters who were entirely two-dimensional. While the story line was great, and the action was fast-paced, making this book a page turner, the characters came off as flat and hard to empathize with.

Would I recommend this book? Yes, it's a good read, it just falls short of high standards set by a talented author.

Want a free Ted Dekker T-Shirt? Comment on my post and you will be entered into a drawing to win! One person commenting on my blog WILL win!

Outlive Your Life by Max Lucado

2010-09-10T11:10:00.002-04:00

Just when you thought that he couldn't possibly turn out another fantastic book, Max Lucado releases his best work in several years. I admit that I approached this book with a cynical point of view. Many of Lucado's books have a certain 'feel' to them, and after you have read a few, you feel like you have read them all. And this book had some of those same Lucado-esque qualities: short chapters, retelling familiar Bible stories in prose, modern-day stories and illustrations and powerful simplifications of Bible concepts were all present. But what set Outlive Your Life apart from his other books was the challenge to impact others in every chapter. His focus on applying the message sets this book a notch above most of Lucado's other works.

Lucado uses the events of the first 12 chapters of Acts to motivate the modern Church to do what the ancient church did so well; connect with hurting people. Lucado emphasizes that God used "ordinary Joes" to do extraordinary things. Whether it's feeding the hungry, helping the persecuted church or simply showing hospitality to the downtrodden in our communities, Lucado challenges the reader that he can help, and that the Biblical mandate is that he MUST help. Injected into each chapter is a story of a modern 'ordinary joe/jane' to illustrate how the most common people in the hands of an uncommon God can impact the world.

At the end of the book is an excellent study/discussion guide which can be used as an individual or in a small group setting. Even if you feel you have read all that Lucado has to offer, I recommend this book. It won't disappoint.

There is Coming a Day

2010-08-20T09:12:00.003-04:00

The time is at hand.

Soon, alarms will sound and people will be startled to a state of wakefulness. Moans and groans will echo from every direction. Some will stumble. Some will complain. Some will try to hide. But all will awaken. What is this dreaded event? What is coming that would cause such a stir?

Is it an air raid?

Is it a natural disaster?

Is it the end of the world?

No, it's the first day of school! My children have spent the last two weeks getting ready. Bookbags have been packed with supplies. New shoes and clothes have been purchased. Schools have been visited and teachers introduced, and come Monday morning, my kids will roll out of bed, bright and early, in order to greet another year of academic achievement.

They are not nearly as excited as their mother is. She has spent all summer, entertaining them, keeping them busy and keeping them out of trouble. She has been in 'mom' mode 24-7 for three solid months. Monday she will have her much needed, and much deserved, R & R. But as I said, the kids are not so enthusiastic. Morning will come early for them (Ellie has to catch her bus at 6:30am), but they will wake up, get ready, and LEAVE! They know it's coming, so they are prepared.

I often wonder how prepared we as Christians are. We know the day is coming when Christ will return for His bride, the Church. How many of us are living like it could be today? I wonder if our spiritual bags are packed. Are we fully supplied to meet the savior, and judge, of the world? My fear is many who should be ready won't be. Just like a student showing up without pen or paper, they will be without excuse. The 'supply' list has been made available, yet they chose to ignore it in the name of pursuing their own pleasures.

On that day, there will be two reactions from those in the 'church'. There will be those who will rejoice at the sound of the trumpet. Their knees will bow out of love and reverence, and with eyes blurred by tears of joy they will look upon their King. But there will be those who are caught by surprise. The trumpet blast will strike fear in their hearts. Knees will bow, not out of love, but out of fear. They will groan, and complain and try to hide because they are unprepared to meet their Creator.

Which camp are you in? Are you looking forward to the day of His appearing and working to prepare for that day, or are you living like it is a distant reality that won't need your attention until later in life? Unlike the first day of school, we don't know the time of Christ's return, but we do know it can be any time. We need to live like it could be today.

The time is at hand.

Cast of Characters by Max Lucado

2010-08-10T14:33:00.003-04:00

Everyone loves a good story, and the best story tellers are those who can take a familiar story that's been heard a hundred times over and tell it in such a way that it feels like it's the first time you've heard it. That's exactly what Max Lucado does in his newest release, Cast of Characters: Common People in the Hands of an Uncommon God. As someone who has read most of Lucado's books, I was familiar with most of the selections in this work, yet I found that I still could not put the book down. The array of stories ranged from the shores of Galilee to the banks of the Nile. Criminals, kings, fishermen and pharisees all told the story of how God used them, and changed them. Woven throughout the book was a great unity of theme: God can and will use anyone to accomplish His purpose.

If you have never read a book by Max Lucado, this would be an excellent start as it offers samples from a wide array of his previous writings. But even if you have read everything from the pen of this prolific author, you won't be disappointed by this collection. A definite 'must have' for the bookshelf!

Carpentry

2010-08-06T11:59:00.003-04:00

The carpenter rubs his hands over the surface of the table. He's looking, feeling, seeking for any imperfections. His hand comes across a rough patch. To the eye, it looks fine, but the hands know better. Out comes the sandpaper to rub away any imperfections.

I wonder if the wood minds. Does it complain when the tooth of the saw cuts? Does it gripe when the lathe turns? Does it rebel at the sight of a chisel? And what about all this endless sanding? Does the wood wonder when enough is enough? When is close enough good enough?

To the carpenter close enough doesn't cut it. He seeks perfection. His sharp eyes and expert hands seek out even the most minor of imperfections in order to correct them.

I don't think it an accident that Jesus was the 'son' of a carpenter. I can see him in Joseph's workshop watching his step-father ply his trade. Building. Fixing. Repairing. Rebuilding. Major problems required major tools. Smaller problems required a gentle touch. Some woods were hard and unyielding, requiring brute strength to work with. Other woods were as pliable as a bruised reed, and only the softest of touches were required. But both types of wood needed the carpenter's touch.

How is Jesus shaping you? Will you allow Him to chisel you into an image of His liking? It will hurt. Removing the rough spots of sin always causes pain. And for those of you who think you have arrived, there's still some irritating sanding to endure. But let the Carpenter do His work and you will be astonished at a beauty you never knew existed within you.

My afternoon

2010-07-28T15:11:00.003-04:00

I am worn out.

The to-do list is much longer than the 'done' list.
The Sermon ain't flowing like it does most weeks.
The phone and email haunt me as I try to contact people for various reasons.
There is work to be done at home.

I am worn out.

So what do I do? I do what I don't feel like doing. . . . I pray. I stop and pray. The words don't come easy at first (because my to-do list is interrupting) and my mind isn't focused totally on God (I'm still thinking about the second point in my sermon) and my heart isn't at peace (there are people to talk to and chores that are piling up), but I pray anyway. I begin to knock on the doors of heaven.

knock

I wonder if He'll hear me?

knock

Will He reject me?

knock

Maybe I'm wasting my time.

Have you been there? Have you knocked and knocked and felt like no one is at home? Me too. But I have found if I quit knocking and start talking, the doors open. Sure, they might be heavy and slow, but they open. So I keep talking.

"Lord there's so much to do..."
"It can wait"
"Yeah, but the sermon..."
"It can wait"
"But what about all the people I need to talk to..."
"They can wait"
"And the stuff at home..."
"It can wait too. I can't wait...
to talk with you.
to bless you.
to encourage you.
to hold you.
to inspire you.
I can't wait to be with you."

All of the sudden, I'm not so worn out.

Pause

2010-07-15T10:04:00.003-04:00

Summer is upon us and quickly marching past. Already I have sent two kids to camp, been to two outdoor concerts, celebrated 4th of July with friends, and had VBS at church. As I look ahead I see a week of camp that I am working, some weekend trips to historical sites and who knows how many meals cooked on the grill. Before I know it summer will be gone, kids will be in school and leaves will be falling off their branches. Where does the time go?

It's at times like these that it's good to take a break and pause. Pause to see God in the beauty of His creation. Pause to discover God in the wealth of His written Word. Pause to listen to God in those times of solitude and prayer.

Pause.

It's hard to do isn't it? So many obligations. So many needs. So many people. And with each cry for attention the seconds tick off even faster.

Pause.

It's a discipline I am trying to master; the art of pausing. I am slowly discovering that the world won't fall apart when I turn my cell phone off. Disaster will not strike if I take a couple days off from email. People will not reject me if I say 'no' every now and then.

Pause.

When we get so busy that we neglect our relationship with God, we are too busy. That is one reason I don't blog as often. It's not that I have run out of ideas (I have bunches). It's not that I have lost interest. It's simply one of several things I have cut back on so I can...

...Pause.

So do as God prescribed through the pen of the psalmist, "Be still and know that I am God."

The Hole in Our Gospel by Richard Stearns

2010-06-29T11:34:00.001-04:00

Does Jesus still change lives today? The answer is a resounding, "Yes!" and for proof, look no further than The Hole in Our Gospel by Richard Stearns. Stearns takes you through his journey from successful business man and CEO, through the heartbreak of poverty and starvation in Uganda in which he realized being a Christian with his resources should demand something more than a check in the offering plate. He takes you through his experiences on his road to World Vision where he would take the reigns in 1998. He uses his real life situation to challenge the American church to wake up and fill what is missing in our gospel, which is love and service to our fellow man.

The only drawback to this book was that it was hard to get into at the beginning. The first 50-100 pages seemed to drag as the author searched for his style of writing. After that, the book picked up pace, especially in it's challenge to modern-day Christians. I was challenged by this book and would definitely recommend it to others.

Land of Egypt

2010-06-24T12:26:00.002-04:00

Last week our VBS focused on the life of Joseph. As we studied his life I couldn't help but notice how God was cultivating Joseph in the midst of trials and unfair treatment. From being sold into slavery by his own brothers to being cast into prison by the false accusations of a spiteful woman, God humbled, matured and grew Joseph into the man that not only Egypt would need, but that the Hebrew nation would need as well. Yet, in the midst of these trials, Joseph has no indication of how long each trial would last, nor does scripture ever state that God explained Himself to Joseph. Yet Joseph remained faithful through every hardship. Not until he is able to look back with perfect hindsight is Joseph able to say to his brothers, "What you intended for harm, God meant for good" Genesis 50:20.

What's your Egypt? When have you faced trials and mistreatment through no fault of your own? Some of us might be inclined to question, doubt and blame God for our misfortune. I implore you however, pray for wisdom (James 1:5) and think to yourself, "What others have meant for harm, God intends to use it for good." Be like Joseph and look for opportunities to use your God-given abilities to help others. Stay faithful, because you may be just the right person God needs in your situation.

War of Words- Friends

2010-06-08T11:10:00.002-04:00

Part 5 of a Series

"No longer do I call you servants... but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you." John 15:15

Friends of God

There is a popular praise song that proclaims, "I am a friend of God... He calls me 'friend!'" The refrain is loosely based on John 15:15 where Jesus calls his apostles 'friends'. So we Christians like to walk around proclaiming ourselves to be friends of God and friends of Jesus, not knowing that some people in the world think us extremely arrogant for thinking of ourselves as such (not that it is wrong to do so, but we must remember we are friends by Jesus' merit, not ours.) Then when we evangelize we invite people into this "friendship" with God and some respond, but others give us a quizzical looks because, let's face it, friendship with a Deity is a mind-blowing concept.

"Will you 'friend' me?"

Facebook has transformed our use of the word friend. A word that was but a few years ago used exclusively as a noun is now used as a verb. The phrase "friend me" has become an invitation to follow our online personae as we update the world on what we are doing, feeling, seeing etc. It's as if this one social network, which has many positive uses, also has a dark side that tempts us to feel as if we are the center of our own self-made universe, and this universe is measured by the number of 'friends' we have.

Recently my 'universe' grew to over 230 friends. My sister has over 500. I even have a couple of 'friends' whose count is closing in on the 1,000 friend mark. But are these people truly our friends? Are they friends in the same sense Jesus calls His followers friends? Most of us would say no. There is no way that 1,000 people are sharing intimate moments with us. Only a fool would share the secrets of his life with 500 different people. Friends grow through trials, troubles and toils. Friendship takes work and effort to cultivate trust and communication, and for us mere humans, this is difficult to do with 3 or 4 people, much less 230.

So the facebook 'friend' is most likely an acquaintance. It may be someone we knew long ago and are interested in what they are doing now, but we don't share our secrets and trials with them anymore. Others may be people we know by face and name only. We might work with them, but we don't really know them. Still others might be friends of friends, so out of sheer curiosity we follow their postings. Acquaintances, workmates, former friends, these make up the facebook world we live in, but we should not think of them as friends, because in the truest sense of the word, they are not.

The Disconnect is Our Fault

Do you want to know why people look at you funny when you call yourself a friend of God? Do you really want to know why the dubious expressions when we invite them to be friends of Jesus? Here's the reason. Too many people say they are friends with Jesus when they are really a mere acquaintance. They view Jesus like a list of friends on facebook. They may have walked with Him long ago, but have since fallen out of step. They are interested in what He's saying or doing, but they don't have any real relationship with Him. They don't communicate with Him. They don't work on cultivating trust in Him. When trials come, they pray to Him, but it's for mere deliverance, and not for growth and maturity. They are acquainted with Jesus, but they do not know Jesus, and the difference is vast and catastrophic. And the saddest part, is that a world that desperately needs to see what a friendship with Jesus looks like, instead sees what you see on a facebook page; glimpses and snapshots, but nothing of real depth or meaning.

What about you? What does your relationship with Jesus look like? Are you helping the cause of Christ or hurting it by your example? Jesus needs some real friends to introduce Him to a hurting generation of people. Will you be that friend?

War of Words - Joy

2010-05-18T11:54:00.002-04:00

I know it has been forever since I have been on here, but between softball schedules, church demands and a surprise visit from my sister in Africa, my life has been full (in a good way) for the last several weeks. So with your forgiveness, I'll move on :)

The Pursuit of Happiness

I read recently an article in Psychology Today that revealed an interesting trend in our culture. According to this article in the year 2000 there were nearly 50 books published on the subject of happiness. In the year 2008 over 4000 books were published on that same topic. Why the rapid increase? Could it be that a society based on materialism is discovering the emptiness of physical possessions? Or perhaps in the post 9/11 world we are simply more aware of the evil in the world and as a culture we are searching for a way to cope. Or could it be something more?

Long ago, when this nation was founded, Thomas Jefferson penned within the Declaration of Independence a trinity of inalienable rights. Any eighth grade civics student could tell you that they are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. As I study the history of our nation, I see where the rights of life and liberty were cherished, protected and fought for. But over the last century, especially the last 50 years, I see a culture that wants to demand its right to be happy. They fail to notice that Mr. Jefferson said we had the right to pursue happiness, not that everyone would succeed in such a pursuit.

So what happens when a nation pursues happiness above all else? The rights to life and liberty suffer. The legalization of abortion has forfeited the right of the unborn to live in the name of "happiness" for the mother. Even now, big government threatens the liberties of many to secure "happiness" for a few. But let's avoid politics and look at the many other ways Americans are pursuing "happiness":

Materialism - The hope that "stuff" or money will make you happy
Hedonism - The hope that worldly/physical pleasures will make you happy
Intellectualism - The hope that education and knowledge will make you happy
Activism - The hope that pushing a certain agenda/cause will make you happy
Fundamentalism - The hope that absolute adherence to a certain dogma/religion will make you happy

One would think with all these avenues to happiness, we would be an ecstatic country. What other country has more stuff/pleasures/opportunities for education/causes/religions than the great U.S.A.? Then why so many books on happiness? Why, according to one study, do less than 40% of Americans describe themselves as happy?

Confusing Happiness with Joy

I've got something radical to tell you. Some of you might even label me "unAmerican" for suggesting such a thing. The right to "pursue happiness" is nowhere supported by Scripture. It is a wholly worldly idea from an imperfect human mind. To elevate it to a God-given right is not only unBiblical, it is downright dangerous. What we are called to do is pursue God and the joy that He gives, and there is a massive difference between pursuing joy and pursuing happiness.

We as Christians are called to rejoice with an "inexpressible and glorious joy" because of our salvation in Jesus Christ (I Peter 1:8). We call Jesus' message the "Gospel" or "good news" because of the joy that it brings. Yet I have seen Christians weep at funerals. I have seen them hurt by betrayal. I have seen them angered by sin and evil. Does that mean they are not joyful at those times regardless of the command to "rejoice in the Lord always"? (Philippians 4:4). And what about those that reject Christianity because they thought it would make them "happy" but then it didn't? Did the good news of Jesus fail to bring them joy? No, what they did was they confused the word "joy" for happiness.

What is Joy?

Joy is not an emotion, although it may elicit several emotive responses (the Bible mentions laughter, singing, dancing and making music as outward displays of joy). Joy is a sense of peace and fulfillment knowing that God's will is being accomplished. Throughout the Old Testament God's people respond with joy whenever His will is being accomplished, whether it is in the atoning for sins (Leviticus 9:24), the returning of the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem (I Chronicles 16:8-36), or the rebuilding of the Temple (Ezra 3:10ff) to name but a few.

But joy is more than finding peace in seeing God's will accomplished. It is also that sense of fulfillment when you are actively involved in bringing God's will to fruition. This is how the writer of Hebrews can say that "for the joy set before Him, [Jesus] endured the cross, despising it's shame." (12:2) The Bible is not saying that Jesus was on the cross laughing and having a good time. But it does say that the cross was a joy that God set before His Son. How can Jesus enjoy the cross? By understanding that He was actively participating in bringing about the completion of God's will. When He shouted "It is finished!" from the cross, it was not merely a shout of declaration, nor was it only a shout of triumph. It was a shout of joy!

What does this mean for us as Christians? It means that fulfilling God's will is not always pleasant, but it is joyful. And when we discover that "peace that surpasses all understanding" is directly linked to "rejoic[ing] in the Lord always" (see Philippians 4:4-7) the outpouring of emotion may very well be a happy one.

The Bottom Line

What it boils down to is this: Happiness is circumstantial in that it is based on the circumstances of your current situation. Joy is relational in that it is based on your relationship with God and in your fulfillment of His will. Getting back to the original question of why are so many Americans "unhappy"? Because many of them are living outside of God's will. If we want to impact the world for Jesus, we need to explain what true joy is. That it can, and at times will, make you "feel" happy. But that mostly, joy is the taking pleasure in seeing God's will done on earth just as it is in heaven.

War of Words- Love

2010-04-22T11:32:00.002-04:00

part 3 of a series

"For God so Loved the world..." -John 3:16

"All you need is Love" -John Lennon

"It doesn't really mean anything."

If you grew up in the late 80's-early 90's you were most likely exposed to the movie "Ghost" starring Demi Moore, Patrick Swayze and Whoopi Goldberg. During one scene, Moore's character tells Swayze's character, "I love you" (all the females who loved this movie can now commence with the ooooohing and aaaaaaaahing), to which he replies, "Ditto." She then presses him on why he never says, "I love you" and his answer is about the only line in the film I clearly remember, "Everybody says that, but it doesn't really mean anything."

It doesn't really mean anything. The first symptom of a changed definition is confusion of meaning. The film-writers were on to something, and as is typical throughout history, the arts precede philosophy, and we realized how a word that is so intrinsic to our nature, like "love", can lose it's meaning. We use the word love for everything.

Girls- "I love those shoes with that dress!"

Guys- "I love [insert favorite sports team here]"

Everybody- "I love ice cream!" (seriously, if you don't love ice cream I don't know if you can be American. It's in the Constitution, or it should be)

Then we turn towards our loved ones, people we cherish more than life itself, and we say, "I love you." What we have done, linguistically, is equate that loved one with a bowl of Rocky Road! The definition of love has been so broadened that it has become shallow and meaningless.

The Deification of Emotion

So, what do we do with such a shallow term? Do we discard it as useless? Do we abandon it, as so many other words that have gone before (e.g. when was the last time you heard someone say "forsooth" during a conversation?). No, amazingly enough, we have gone the opposite direction with love, and we have elevated it to a status above any other term.

First, let me point out that love, as it should be defined, does enjoy an elevated status in the Scriptures. Paul wrote an entire chapter on it in I Corinthians, where at the end he points out, "now these three remain, faith, hope and love, but the greatest of these is love." (13:13). But the love he refers to is not the shallow view of love. It is not the love that "doesn't really mean anything." But it is this shallow, diminished view of love that has been elevated in our culture.

Society has taken the term, "God is Love" (I John 4:8) and has turned it on it's head to say, "Love is God" thus elevating a shallow, emotional feeling to the status of deity. The problems this generates are tremendous. I have seen church-going people use love to justify adultery ("but I love him), overindulging their children ("I will feel that they won't love me if I don't give in"), and even homosexuality, ("God won't condemn our behavior because we love each other.")

But the repercussions of such a view not only generates problems within the church, but outside of it as well. When church leaders take a stand and condemn lifestyles that are forbidden in scripture, whether it is pre-marital sex, cohabitation before marriage, or homosexuality, those leaders are perceived as intolerant, bigoted and even hypocritical. How is this possible? Because the world views us as blaspheming against their god of an emotional and shallow form of love.

True Love Is...

It would be wonderful if I could sum up the definition of love in one sentence. Many have tried and there are some great efforts out there that attempt to do just that. But in trying to form a Biblical view of love, I am confronted by the fact that the ancients used multiple words that are translated today as love. For instance, the Greeks had four words for love:

1. Agape- This is the unconditional love that God has for us. It's a love that says, "no matter what you do, I will love you, even if you don't deserve it." This is the love described by Paul in I Corinthians 13

2. Phileo- A love shared by good friends. The words camaraderie and friendship best describe this love. To the Greek philosophers this, not agape, was the highest form of love.

3. Storge- A familial love. The love you share with your closest relatives.

4. Eros- A physical love- This word is where our English term "erotic" originates.

When we talk about God's love, we mean "agape". When we talk about the love we should have for our fellow Christians, we are talking about "agape + phileo" or "agape + storge". When we talk about the love a husband has for his wife it is "agape + phileo + eros." As you can see, "agape" is the common denominator for the love a Christian is to share, and it is "agape" that we are to share with those outside of Christ.

But this Biblical view of love is not empty emotionalism. No it is something that is active and requires something of us. Read first Corinthians 13 sometime and note how many verbs are used in conjunction with love. Take note of John's command in I John 3:18- "Little children, we must not love in word or speech, but in deed and truth." Biblical love acts, even when it doesn't "feel" like it. This is what will separate us from the world, when we can show love, even when someone is deemed, "unlovable". In fact, that is how we will overcome the false definitions of love that are floating around, we will let our actions speak louder than words.

War of Words- part 2

2010-04-16T14:52:00.004-04:00

part 2 of a series

Inconceivable!

One of my favorite films is The Princess Bride. The movie is chock-full of quotable lines and humorous zingers. Early in the movie, Princess Buttercup is kidnapped by three "villains;" Vizzini, Fezzik and Inigo. As they sail across the sea, Inigo notices a boat in pursuit. Over the next several minutes, after each update of how the mysterious stranger continues to advance upon them, Vizzini spits out, complete with a lisp, "Inconceivable!" After several utterances of the same epithet, Inigo makes the observation, "You keep on using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means."

I believe that as we seek to engage the world around us with the good news of Jesus we are using words that are defined by the world in a way that differs vastly from our long accepted definitions. It's as if the people we speak to are saying to the Church, "You keep on using these words. I do not think they mean what you think they mean." The result: disconnection, confusion and rejection of the Gospel. We are left scratching our heads and muttering, "Inconceivable!"

The Rules Are Changing

I have four beautiful daughters. I love them very much, but as much as I try to believe to the contrary, they are not perfect. They often love to play games with each other. Some games are real, others are made up on the spot, all are played with intense competition. The Richmond gene pool runs deep with a fierce lust for not merely defeating an opponent, but destroying them. Couple this with the genetics of my equally competitive wife and what you get is a recipe for a knock-down, punch you in the face type argument over Chutes and Ladders.

Recently, my oldest daughter, Ellie, taught chess to my second oldest, Jenna. In turn, Jenna decided to teach it to the five-year old, Savannah. Before long, Jenna was making up rules on the spot in order to reinforce her chances of winning. Savannah, easily the most competitive of the four, was not to be outdone. She simply removed all the pieces from the board, took them to her bedroom and proclaimed herself the winner, to which Jenna protested vehemently.

What happened? The rules changed. The battle-lines were redrawn. What started out as a civilized chess match became a chaotic melee that hardly resembled the original game. This is what Satan is attempting to do in the battle for the souls of men; he is trying to rewrite the rules. How is he doing this? By redefining words that make up the very core message of the Gospel message. Words like love, joy, communion and fellowship have all suffered a severe makeover, yet the Christian subculture is largely unaware of the shift occurring in the minds of our friends, neighbors and co-workers.

A Confession

I have a confession to make. I'm a nerd. (I know, I know, some of you are quite startled by such a revelation and may need to take a break from reading in order to collect your thoughts. Feel free to do so, I won't be offended.) One of my "nerdy" interests is words and their origins, or the science of etymology (not to be confused with entomology, the study of insects. Bugs; ICK!). As I said, it is a hobby and I by no means consider myself an expert, yet I feel I am up to the task of taking you through a journey over the next several posts and exploring how some vital words have changed, and what we may be able to do about it. In doing so I hope to make you aware of the ever-changing landscape of the battle we are fighting and we can shift from being reactive to pro-active in bringing people to the foot of the cross.

To be continued...

War of Words, part 1

2010-04-15T13:43:00.004-04:00

Part 1 of a Series

Several years ago I flew to Florida for a preaching opportunity. The church in Florida had booked my flight out of Huntington, WV which happened to be the closest airport to us at the time. Huntington is a small airfield situated on a mountaintop.

Small airport = Small airplanes.

I am not small.

So when my 6'7" frame tried to squeeze into an airplane designed to hold 20 people the result was humorous. Imagine a human accordion squeezing and contorting to fit snugly into a space designed for the munchkins of Oz. I nearly choked when the attendant said I needed to buckle-up for take off as if I was going to come loose and fall out of the seat. No, I did not need a seat-belt. What I needed was a crow-bar (or a "Caution: Contents under pressure!" sign). That's when the words you dread to hear came over the intercom, "Ladies and Gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. I'm sorry to inform you that our flight has been delayed due to fog on the mountain."

After the collective groan from the dozen passengers, the flight attendants handed out a small bag of pre-packaged cookies to the now captive flyers. At the time I didn't want to eat the cookies lest I expand another millimeter and become a permanent fixture of the aircraft. Visions of Winnie the Pooh stuck in Rabbit's hole served to tame my appetite so I resorted to playing with the bag of goodies. A small pocket of air was trapped inside the bag during the packaging process which delighted my bored mind to no end. I squeezed air from one end of the bag to the other making a nice crinkly-rattle type of sound. I even found that I could use the bag as a percussion instrument:

"Crinkle-rattle-rattle-Crinkle
Crinkle-rattle
Crinkle-rattle
Rattle-rattle-Crinkle-Crinkle"

I know, not very catchy, but hey, I was bored!

Then it happened. "POP!" The seam on the bag burst and my precious cookies were no longer protected by the foil packaging. They were exposed and in danger of becoming stale, which is a cardinal sin to a cookie connoisseur such as myself. I had to do something. My mind raced. I needed something that I could put the cookies in that would have a nearly air-tight seal. Then my eyes alighted on the perfect solution. The air-sick bag! It came fully equipped with a sticky strip to seal the contents within. It was exactly what I needed so I placed my snack in the bag.

Fast forward about an hour to when it came time to disembark the sardine can with wings. As I made my way up the narrow aisle, I had to turn sideways in order to pass between seats. In my forward hand I carried my cookies. The ever-watchful attendant noticed the package, and per her training offered to dispose of the airsick bag along with it's contents. At first, I was oblivious to her interpretation of the bag in my hand,

"Oh! No thanks. I'm saving this for later."

Her look of utter confusion sparked my slow brain to realize what she thought was in the bag. In vain I attempted to explain,

"You don't understand. I tossed my cookies in there."

Alas, by this time she was thoroughly flummoxed and I, tired of preventing my fellow passengers from disembarking walked away from a situation where words failed me, leaving behind a confused woman who was just trying to do her job

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where there was a mental disconnect from the person/people you were trying to communicate with? I have and it's disconcerting and discouraging. Especially when sharing the Gospel. I have heard countless stories of good, intelligent Christian men and women being discouraged when they attempt to share the gospel. They try and try, but the result is not much different than my experience with the flight attendant. Their words fail them and their audience is totally disconnected from the message they were attempting to share.

Over the next several postings I am going to explain one of Satan's tactics in this age of information. It's a tactic that creates confusion and often a disconnect between Christians and non-Christians. What is this tactic? It's the changing of definitions. Stay tuned.

If I Could Ask God Anything by Kathryn Slattery

2010-04-15T11:58:00.002-04:00

As a former curious kid and a father of four inquisitive daughters I elected for a change of pace and chose to review a book geared for children and Kathryn Slattery's If I Could Ask God Anything caught my attention. The 200+ page book is divided into major sections (e.g. Questions about God, The Bible, Jesus, etc.), and in this way it reminded of a kid's version of a survey of Christian doctrine. Questions usually averaged about a one page answer (some more, some less) and were written on about a 3rd-4th grade reading level. I found the book to be fairly thorough and informative.

Now for the negatives. I rarely expect any author to be in exact agreement with me on all things, but this book fell short in some areas. I had some doctrinal concerns, especially with the questions concerning salvation and baptism. I also felt that at times the author interjected opinion over scripture, especially in the section concerning guardian angels. Overall , I think the book is a good reference for parents to use with their children, but I would be wary of handing it to my child without me there to help explain. Besides, it's kind of hard to beat the ultimate answer book, The Bible.

Road Trip!

2010-04-05T12:33:00.002-04:00

Road Trips.

As a kid I loved them. The highlight of the year was piling into the car for a 26-hour drive to Nebraska. Along the way we played games, read books, tried to sleep and found unique ways to get on each other's nerves. It was the perfect formula for building memorable moments that are told and re-told for years.

Memories like the time my sister (about 5 years my junior) was three years old and a common, ordinary housefly decided to stow-away on the trip. as we entered about the seventeenth hour of the drive (about 3am) my father, hopped up on about every form of caffeine you can ingest is struggling to keep his weary eyes on the road. Mom and myself have drifted off to sleep. And then my sister discovers the fly. To the average person a fly is nothing to fear. A nuisance? Yes. Worthy of being on the business end of a rolled up newspaper? Absolutely! But something to be terrified of? No, unless you are a three-year old. To a three-year-old a common housefly is as fearsome as a fire-breathing dragon. Needless to say, when this unsuspecting fly alighted upon my sister, an ear-piercing scream of terror pierced the quiet atmosphere of the car. Mom jolted awake and I found my self clinging to the headliner. My father, nerves frayed from sleep deprivation, fought to keep the car on the road.

What ensued was a confused conversation that took the form of the following:

Dad: "What was that?!?"

Mom and I: "Angie screamed."

Dad: "Dave, what did you do?!?"

Me: "I don't know. I was asleep."

Dad: "Well, don't do it again!"

Me: "What? Sleep or make her scream?"

As you can tell, I was less than helpful. As for the winged culprit? He had disappeared for the moment. Ten minutes later, we get a repeat performance that would have made a B-Movie queen proud. This ensued for several rounds until we finally discovered the source of the commotion and rolled down the window to set the captive free.

What memories are you making for your family? Currently, I am in the van headed to Kentucky with 4 excited children, and they are laughing and playing and singing, and I have discovered that I still love road trips.

The Revolutionary Paul Revere by Joel J. Miller

2010-04-02T12:14:00.003-04:00

Woven into to the tapestry of American history is the familiar image of a man riding through the New England night crying out, "The redcoats are coming! The redcoats are coming!" on the eve of the battles of Lexington and Concord. What Joel Miller does is he takes that two-dimensional picture and adds depth and life to a man who should be known for so much more than one historic night. Starting with the journey of his indentured servant father, Miller spins a yarn that takes us through Paul's apprenticeship, his famous ride and so much more. Along the way Paul masters his craft, serves in the military during the French and Indian War, and socializes with the likes of Sam Adams and John Hancock. He joins secret societies like the Masons and the Sons of Liberty, which thrusts him into the role of chronicler of the Boston Massacre and partaker in the Boston Tea Party. Eventually, Paul ends up being the official messenger between the Sons of Liberty and the Continental Congress, which lands him the historic role of being the harbinger of battle.

But the story doesn't end there. Paul again serves his country through military service. What is most remarkable is that after independence is won is that Paul personifies America's entrepreneurial spirit. From silversmith to dentist to forger to bell-maker, Paul takes advantage of his new found liberty to build a successful business and uses his abilities to help his new country and when the war of 1812 breaks out, 80 year old Paul volunteers his services once again for the cause of Liberty.

As a lover of history I quickly devoured this book. Written in a narrative style it was easy to read while being well-documented. I fully recommend this book to anyone curious about one of America's early heroes. In doing so you will learn of a man who sought to serve his country no matter what his age, social status or financial situation. May we be so patriotic.

Spring Fever

2010-03-30T14:10:00.003-04:00

Spring is here! I absolutely love this time of year. The sun shines, the thermometer rises, flowers bloom and from now until the end of summer you will hear the crack of the bat as baseball and softball leagues limber up for another year of competition. But as much as I love all these things, my favorite part of spring is celebrating Resurrection Sunday.

God's planning is so precise that He chose the time of year when things that were dead in the winter come to life as the moment to raise His Son from the grave. As I look around I see withered grass turn green; dead limbs sprout leaves; colorful flowers bloom from what was in the fall a cold and dead seed. Evidences of a Risen Savior are everywhere.

If you feel dead, I invite you, turn to the Living Son of God. He will raise you up from the sleep of winter into the wakefulness of Spring!

God bless and have a Happy Easter!

March Madness

2010-03-18T10:13:00.002-04:00

Over the next several weekends American society will turn from it's daily rituals and pause. We will sit on the edge of our seats with bated breath. Some will have their dreams crushed while others will celebrate with joy. All will watch the TV for the next moment. Will a giant fall? Will the underdog prevail? Will my bracket survive this?

That's right, it's March Madness and as the NCAA basketball championship gets underway, I have made my picks and I am excited, once again about watching some basketball. My favorite thing to do is cheer for the underdog. I love watching a smaller, relatively unknown team topple a perennial powerhouse. I'll be the one rooting for Siena, Cornell, Richmond and New Mexico State, as opposed to Kansas, Kentucky or Syracuse.

I think there something within us all that relates to the underdog. We all know what it's like to go unnoticed. We have felt the pain of under-appreciation. We know how it feels to be counted out before we even start a task. So when a David gets to take on a Goliath, we cheer for David. We pull for the little guy, because in a lot of ways, we are the little guy.

Over the next few weeks, enjoy the basketball. Root for your team. But do not neglect the observance of the day when God made all the underdogs matter. The day the unnoticed got recognized, the under-appreciated received a nod of acceptance and the counted out were invited in. Easter is the day before the championship game. Easter is the day the ultimate victory was won. When Christ arose, it gave every underdog a chance to be victorious in the only thing that really matters: life!

So when I sit down to watch the championship game this year, I will probably be cheering for the team least likely to win. But I will rest assured that no matter the outcome of the game, my victory is secure, and this underdog celebrates that win every day!

Everyone Communicates, Few Connect by John Maxwell

2010-03-17T11:46:00.002-04:00

I was first introduced to the writings of John Maxwell as a Bible College student studying for ministry. Since that time I have read nearly a dozen of his books and always look forward to reading his next work. Everyone Communicates did not disappoint. In fact, I would rank it in his top three books as far as its applicability and ease to understand.

Maxwell spends the first half of the book describing the principles of how to connect with others. As is his style, he mixes simple concepts with real life illustrations in order to demonstrate the principle in action. As he says, "it's simple to understand, but difficult to apply." The second half of the book is where he rolls up his sleeves and shows us how to connect through five simple practices. As you read, you can't help but notice how he follows his own advice, even with his writing style.

I found this book to be extremely helpful. My profession requires me to connect with people as individuals, small groups and larger audiences. Every chapter ends with practical advice on how to connect on each of those levels. Some of the advice is simplistic and common sense, but often we complicate the simple and overlook the common and it was good to be reminded of those principles. A definite must read for anyone who is in leadership, or even for those looking to better connect with the people in their lives.

My Brutal Cross I Carry

2010-03-10T14:53:00.002-05:00

Alright I admit it, there is a part of me that is "artsy fartsy." That being said, I occasionally write poetry (please don't judge my manliness). Over the past several weeks this one has been on my mind. I wrote it about three years ago.

The night is over
And morning has dawned
The rooster crowed
And friends have gone
And my brutal cross I carry

Judges have sneered
Kings have mocked
Guards have beaten
Eternity is rocked
And my brutal cross I carry

The whip whistled
Flesh was torn
The knees buckled
Thorns are worn
And my brutal cross I carry

The crowds jeer
Satan awaits
Demons prepare
To storm Heaven's gates
And my brutal cross I carry

Pain sears
Ears roar
Patience is tested
Grace soars
And my brutal cross I carry

Nails pierce
Hands bleed
Lips thirst
Sinners need
The brutal cross I carried

Soldiers wonder
Crowds are awed
A thief forgiven
Because he saw
The brutal cross I carried

Strength fades
Angels hearken
Will I call
As the skies darken over
The brutal cross I carried?

Death awaits
Veils are split
The earth shakes
As I submit to
The brutal cross I carried

Three days pass
In the tomb
The sun rises
As I overcome
The brutal cross I carried

My call goes out
Far and wide
In order to live
One must die
and bear
The brutal cross I carried

The Map by David Murrow

2010-03-03T15:10:00.002-05:00

Perhaps the most unique book on men's spirituality I have ever read, The Map by David Murrow is both a page turning story and a call to discipleship. Murrow begins the book with a mystery/suspense story that takes him from Wales to New York to Greece in search of a map hidden in the writings of Matthew. This 'map' turns out to be a pattern for living that men are called to follow in order to live closer to God and do great things for His kingdom. The second half of the book is Murrow's explanation of his parable in light of Biblical examples and teachings. He reveals what he calls the "three journeys" of submission, strength and sacrifice that all men are called to follow. The book ends with a revisiting to the original story in order to clarify some points and call the reader to a deeper level of discipleship.

Overall a very good book with good teaching. The pattern of the three journeys is both obvious and undeniable in many areas of life. Whether or not Matthew intentionally wrote this pattern into his gospel is debatable, but that should not detract from the positive lessons this book has to offer. By reading this book, two things have happened to me: (1) I recognized what journey I am on and (2) I recognize what journeys the different men of the congregation I serve are currently walking. That by itself makes the book worth the read. The practical suggestions given by Murrow will challenge the traditional model of men's discipleship, which needs to be challenged if we are going to save the men of this generation and raise up men for the next.

A definite must-read for anyone involved in discipling men in the church or simply looking to deepen their walk with Christ.

The Blunt Subtlety of the Cross

2010-02-25T15:49:00.003-05:00

I hesitate to write because the subject of the cross is so vast and so deep that one or a thousand entries could not exhaust it's store. Nonetheless, as I prepare a series of sermons that will lead up to Resurrection Sunday, my mind is drawn to the cross.

I have always been amazed at how efficiently the Gospel authors describe the death of Jesus. Matthew describes the scene in what amounts to two paragraphs. Mark, known for his brevity, writes scantly more than Matthew. Luke, with a physician's precision uses maybe three paragraphs. John, who spends half of his gospel on the last week of Jesus' life and was the only writer who was an eye-witness, writes no more than Luke.

Part of the reason the writers don't dwell on the details is the first century reader would need no help envisioning such a horrific scene. Another reason may be that it was emotionally difficult for them to record what they had heard and seen because of their love for Jesus. Yet, in what amounts to no more than two or three pages of type, we read of the event that changed the world, the crucifixion of God.

God on a cross. How absurd that sounds. But to ransom my soul, He endured it's pain and humiliation. The message of the cross is blunt and two-fold:

1) Your sin is evil and deserves the severest of punishments
2) God is good and took your place on the cross.

But in that blunt message are hidden subtleties. Some are so subtle you may have never noticed them. The head adorned with thorns. Thorns that would not exist if it were not for man's sin (see Genesis 3:17-18). The hands pierced with nails. The nails do not hold Jesus there, for he could have come down any time he wanted. No the nails hold something else there; a certificate of debt that we could not pay, now stamped "paid in full" by the blood of Jesus (see Colossians 2:14). A discarded robe, representing the righteousness Christ shed so that we may clothe ourselves in Christ (Galatians 3:27). It's as if God had thought of every detail and placed them there for our discovery, if only we would look.

Unfortunately the cross has become too familiar. We see it as jewelery, emblazoned on T-shirts and decorating CD covers. To many, the cross is no longer heavy; it is no longer blunt. But I implore you, rediscover this core of the Christian faith. Never lose sight of the cross, for to do so is to lose sight of salvation. Once you discover, or re-discover, the bluntness of God's message ("you deserve these nails, but I took them instead") then discover the subtleties of His love and care.

There are many more subtleties than those mentioned above, but I leave those for you to discover as you meditate on the cross and what it means to a sinner saved by grace.

Living Life in the Zone by Kyle Rote Jr. and Dr. Joe Pettigrew

2010-02-17T09:49:00.002-05:00

As a minister who has a passion to develop men into the leaders they are called to be, I was happy to select Living Life in the Zone for review. I find most men's devotionals to be both superficial and shallow. Many either don't address the real issues men deal with, or they give short, "cookie-cutter" answers to complex issues. Not so with Kyle Rote Jr. and Dr. Joe Pettigrew's book. They tackle real issues ranging from faith, to family to work to temptations that men face everyday. Instead of short answers they offer a "game plan" to challenge men to be what God intended them to be. They back their daily thoughts with real stories from the worlds of sports and business that either lift up some positive role models or challenge the reader to learn from the mistakes of negative examples. The devotions strike the perfect balance between being too short to be effective, but too long to keep the attention. Each day ends with challenging questions and practical "assignments" to help men mature in their faith.

I would fully recommend this devotional to men. It is well written and easy to read. Even if they are not die-hard sports fans, the spiritual truths and practical suggestions make this devo well worth the 40 days to go through it. As with any devotional guide, it is meant to complement Bible reading, not replace it. But if a man will devote 15-20 minutes of his day to this plan, I feel they will mature in many areas.

Snowed In

2010-02-05T11:54:00.003-05:00

Do you remember when you were young and snow was in the forecast how excited you would get? Thoughts of school closing, snowball fights, snowman building and sledding preoccupied your mind as you watched the skies anxiously to spot the first flake drifting down from heaven as a gift from God. When the snow arrived, it painted the whole world white. Everything looked clean and new. I can remember wanting to be the first person out of the house. The first person to make an imprint on this new world just outside my door.

Now I have grown up, married, have children and a job. Snow in the forecast no longer excites me. In fact, after a week of being snowed in with children, the last word I want to hear is "snow." Nevertheless, I sit at my dining room table watching the flakes fall, cold and steady. My children, excited to be out of school again, dance around the kitchen playing and singing to each other. My only thought is, "how much will fall this time?" Snow has lost it's appeal to me.

Maybe this reflects your relationship with Jesus. When you first heard the gospel, your heart quickened just at the sound of His name. You found yourself waiting for His return. Maybe, like a child watching the sky for snow, you looked to the heavens often, hoping to be the first to catch a glimpse of His return, the first to see this gift from God descend from Heaven.

But then you "grew up." Life has become less spiritual for you as you deal with the everyday stresses of bills, job and family. Jesus, for some reason, isn't the first thing on your mind when you wake up, and He may not be the last thing on your mind when you lay down. You can't remember the last time you looked to the skies to see His return.

Let me give you the same advice that Jesus Himself gave to the church in Ephesus in the opening chapters of Revelation: "...you have left your first love... remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first..." (Rev. 2:5-6). In other words, restore the relationship. Draw close to Him. Look to the skies again, because one day He is coming.

As you wait enjoy the blessings He has given you and glorify Him to all you meet. For now, I'm going to watch the snow fall and try to beat my kids to being the first to step in the snow.

Fiery Preaching

2010-01-30T22:47:00.003-05:00

Earlier this week my oldest daughter, Ellie, emerged from the basement in that semi-conscious state that says, "I'm up and dressed, don't expect much more." It was about 6am and polite conversation was not yet awake. She looked at me and mumbled, "It's cold downstairs." Without any coffee in my system to blunt my response, I was short and to the point, "It's winter, and you're in a basement. It's supposed to be cold." I shrugged it off and went about my morning routine. Making lunches for the girls, brewing coffee, and grabbing a bite to eat. I quickly forgot about the cold basement... until I needed a shirt out of the dryer.

I saw Ellie off to the bus and went downstairs and discovered the basement was cold, and then it dawned on me. Typically, one of my last duties before retiring to bed in the evening is making sure I put some wood in the wood stove to keep the basement warm through the night. I had neglected to do that the previous night, resulting in a basement that was colder than usual.

I went to the wood stove and opened it up to discover a cold pile of ashes; evidence of the previous day's fire. As I lit some kindling, ("lighter'd" to those of you in rural Virginia) and stoked a new fire to life I couldn't help but be reminded of one of my favorite Bible verses. "Your word in my heart has become a consuming fire shut up in my bones; and I am weary of holding it in. Indeed I cannot." (Jeremiah 20:9)

That cold pile of ashes was the perfect description for how I feel on Mondays. After a day filled with preaching and teaching, I am worn out, consumed and burned up. Preaching takes a lot of energy. For thirty minutes every Sunday morning I place myself as a mouthpiece for God. My feet are held to the fire to see if I correctly handle the word. My mind is aflame with an awareness that I will be held to a higher standard. My heart is consumed with a desire to see people as passionate for God as I am. For thirty minutes I enter a crucible in which I open myself up, not only to public scrutiny, but to God's scrutiny. People critique the message itself, God questions whether my message and my life correspond to each other. This is followed by an hour of Bible teaching on Sunday nights. It's not as intense, but it's still hot (going from the fire into the pan, so to speak).

This means on Monday, all that is left is a cold pile of ashes. Mentally, I'm exhausted and physically I am drained. But God's Word still calls to me; beckons me and invites me. By Tuesday I'm ready to crack it open and allow the fire to warm me, even though I know I will be consumed again on Sunday.

People ask me why I preach. I could say all sorts of things that are true.

I love God.
It is my Gift.
I want others to love God.

But the truest answer is this: I preach because I must. If I don't, the fire will consume me. As the apostle Paul once said, "For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for I am under compulsion; for woe is me if I do not preach the gospel." (I Cor. 9:16)

"Is not My word like a fire?" declares the Lord, "and like a hammer which shatters a rock?"
Jeremiah 23:29

Where is God? by Dr. John Townsend

2010-01-27T16:07:00.005-05:00

Who among us has not felt abandoned and alone in difficult times? In his book, Where is God?, psychiatrist Dr. John Townsend not only addresses the "why" of why we ask this question, He also gives answers laden with Biblical truths and sound advice. He begins by explaining the that it is perfectly human to ask Where God is in the midst of trials, but that the asking of that question should prompt us to seek God for answers. He outlines for the reader correct views of God and incorrect ones as well as healthy and unhealthy approaches to dealing with tragedy and loss. The bulk of the second half of the book is dedicated to demonstrating God's presence, empathy and participation in our times of deepest pain. Dr. Townsend uses great real-to-life stories as well as Biblical examples to illustrate his teaching and advice.

As a minister who has spent many hours counseling the bereaved and grief-stricken, I found this book not only emotionally encouraging, but filled with practical "do's" and "don'ts" concerning coping and recovery. A must read for anyone who has found themselves asking, "Where is God?" or anyone who is on the front lines of helping people find God in the midst of a broken and hurting world.

Loving Life

2010-01-22T13:44:00.002-05:00

Today marks the 37th anniversary of Roe v. Wade. Since that time nearly 50 million babies have lost their lives to abortion. Instead of trying to opine on the moral state of our nation, I simply ask you to read the following scripture and pray for our nation's leaders as well as those who have felt the sting and guilt of abortion. Pray that they might find forgiveness and healing from the Author of life.

"...You formed my inward parts;
You wove me in my mother's womb.
I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Wonderful are Your works,
And my soul knows it very well.
My frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth;
Your eyes have seen my unformed substance;
And in Your book were all written
The days that were ordained for me,
When as yet there was not one of them."
Psalm 139:13-16

Heartquake

2010-01-15T11:15:00.004-05:00

This week I have been glued to the TV and internet watching the aftermath of the earthquake in Haiti. The destruction is catastrophic. The human suffering is heart-rending. But the reason I watch is not out of morbid curiosity. The reason I watch is because someone I know is there. His name is Billy Johnson, a minister at a small church on the eastern shore of Maryland.

Our relationship would be best defined as somewhere in between associates and friends. We know each other well enough to have a conversation when we meet, but "best friends" is not a term I would use to describe our relationship. But, I read his blog, interact with him on the internet, occasionally we shoot emails back and forth to each other. I know him well enough to know he was praying for this missionary trip to Haiti months ago. I know he has a heart to serve the people there. And I know he is there. So I watch the TV and watch the internet for updates from his parents. In doing this I have become aware of two things.

1) While the Haitian government is corrupt and the people are enslaved by an 80% poverty rate as well as spiritual darkness in the forms of witchcraft and voodoo, most of the Americans that I have heard of being there when the quake hit were missionaries of some sort. God's Church was there when tragedy struck. As of now Billy has delivered at least one baby, treated several wounded and comforted the grieving. Multiply that by the dozens (if not hundreds) of missionaries there who were doing the same thing, long before humanitarian efforts by worldly governments arrived. I pray that the Haitian people remember the Christ-followers who were already there to help and continued to do so.

2) My heart has become calloused. As I watch, my heart breaks for these people. Billy has told of orphanages, clinics and mission complexes being totally demolished. I can't help but think of the Tsunami that hit Indonesia several years ago, or the earthquakes in India. I was not effected by those nearly as much. I prayed for the people there, but my heart wasn't broken for the people. It took someone I know being there for God to touch my heart and say, "these are people too, made in my image. Care for them." I felt like Jonah being scolded by God over the city of Nineveh, "Should I not have compassion on... the great city in which there are 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left?" (Jonah 4:11)

I pray your heart is touched by the situation of Haiti, as well as the rest of the world whenever disaster strikes. If you would like to help monetarily I would suggest International Disaster and Emergency Services (IDES) which is a Christ-based, non-profit humanitarian relief group. For more information please check their website @ www.ides.org where 100% of your donation goes to relief efforts.

As for Billy, he is safe doing what he went there to do, to show the Gospel of Christ in action.

Giving God Glory in All Things

2010-01-08T15:19:00.002-05:00

Last night I, like many a red-blooded American male, watched the BCS national championship between Texas and Alabama. I was torn between who to root for (or root against as the case may be). Texas had stolen the Big 12 championship away from my beloved Nebraska Cornhuskers in a heart-breaking game, so I had no desire to see them win, but Alabama was from the SEC, a conference that has won the three previous football championships, and having friends who relentlessly remind me of how "great" the SEC is compared to all other conferences, I had no desire to see Alabama win either. So I watched with interest, not really rooting for anyone.

On Texas' second offensive series early in the first quarter, their QB, Colt McCoy, suffered an injury that knocked him out of the game. You couldn't help but feel bad for the kid. He's the winningest QB in College history, yet he has spent his college career in the shadows of heisman winners Sam Braford, from arch-rival Oklahoma and Tim Tebow from Florida. Now, his senior year, his final game, his chance for the spotlight to be his, and his alone, he gets injured and sidelined.

Texas ended up losing, largely due to a freshman QB from Texas who committed 5 turnovers that turned into 21 points for Alabama. After the game McCoy was questioned by an interviewer along the lines of "What are you feeling right now, knowing this is your last game in a Texas unifrom?" Fighting back tears, and trying to maintain his composure he answered, "To God be the Glory...He has plans for my life, and I trust Him."

We've all seen celebrities/athletes give thanks to God after winning something. But this was different. This was raw and real. There, in the midst of pain and defeat, a young man gives glory to God. He could've been sarcastic, "gee, thanks for asking THAT question!" He could have been surly, "what do YOU think it feels like you stupid reporter?!?" Instead, he gives glory to God at a time when he did not feel "happy" or "blessed". He glorifies His Maker, unashamed and unafraid.

What about you? When the phone rings in the middle of the night, do you glorify God? When the doctor comes back with a bad diagnosis, do you worship? When the audit comes, do you praise? You should. Why? Because He is bigger than football and He is bigger than your problems. Because, others may be watching, and they might just see that God is real enough to matter in the midst of tragedy and loss. Because, He is God. That's why.

Lopsided Christmas Trees

2009-12-22T18:52:00.004-05:00

The tree is lopsided this year. Despite my best efforts, it either leans, or the star bends one way or the other, and don't get me started on the ornaments. There are broken ornaments, ornaments that look like they came from garage sales or thrift stores, and even a few home-made ornaments. Some parts of the tree have two or three ornaments on a branch while other parts are as bare as Charlie Brown's Christmas tree. But what do you expect when you have four children age 10 and under that try to help decorate? Add to that two cats (one who thinks the branches are chew toys and the other who likes to use the upper boughs as her personal sleeping space). The tree has been nearly knocked over once, re-decorated twice and re-arranged more times than you will hear "White Christmas" on the Christmas music only radio station. Still, it's lopsided.

Yet, to my children, it is the most wonderful thing in the living room. When they see it, their eyes light up brighter than the tangled strands that adorn the limbs. It is their tree, and it is in their living room. And that makes it special to them. They can't see that it's lopsided.

I imagine God looks at us the same way. We have parts that are broken. We have areas of our lives that we try to cover up with superficial decorations while other areas remain unattended and bare. We are lopsided. Yet God sees us differently. We are His people; the objects of His affections. We are special to Him. It's not that He can't see we're lopsided, He chooses not to. That's why Christ came into the world... to set the lopsided things of this world straight.

So to all my lopsided friends out there, from one lopsided tree to another, I wish you a Merry Christmas!

The Liturgical Year by Joan Chittister

2009-12-09T16:47:00.002-05:00

In The Liturgical Year, Joan Chittister explores the liturgy of the Catholic and more orthodox faiths. She begins by explaining what the liturgical year is and that it's purpose "is to bring to life in us and around us, little by little, one layer of insight after another until we grow to full stature in the spiritual life." She then moves into more specifics, like advent (the beginning of the liturgical year), and Christmas, and Lent, then Easter followed by the Saints days and Marian feasts. Not only does she describe the symbolism of each, but also what the spiritual implication is to the believer who observes them.

I picked up this book from a purely educational standpoint. I am not a Catholic and their practices have always seemed mysterious to me. Overall, I enjoyed the book. I greatly appreciated the emphasis on Christ's redemptive work on the cross that is weaved throughout the yearly observances. The chapters dealing with advent and Christmas helped me appreciate even more the Christmas season and the "coming" of Jesus. I did find the chapters on the Saint days and Marian observances a little at odds with my protestant beliefs, yet they were historically enlightening. I would recommend this book to anyone wanting to walk closer with Jesus on a daily basis or for anyone trying to understand what their Catholic friends are doing.

What Will You Give Jesus?

2009-12-02T16:25:00.002-05:00

It must have been a long journey. Twenty-four months on camel back eating dust and sand. Two years following a star that pointed out not just the birth of a king, but the birth of THE King. Now these wise men, these magi, have arrived in the sleepy little town of Bethlehem. I wonder if they were taken aback by the humble surroundings. Were they dumbstruck by the fact that royalty did not dwell in the Herodian Palace, but in what was most likely a two room flat in an unimportant town? I bet they asked themselves, "Is this the right place?" Nevertheless they proceeded to the appointed destination.

Now put yourself in Mary's shoes. A caravan of perfect strangers arrive at your house asking if this where the King of the Jews live? That must have been an amazing conversation.

In the most humble of dwellings, a King receives His court. The king is a toddler and the court is a group of complete strangers from thousands of miles away. God loves to work through contradictions, and Jesus came to point out that God shows up in the most unlikely of places

But notice the wise men are truly wise, for they do not let doubt arrest their worship. They not only worship the God-child, they unveil the gifts they brought to Him. Expensive gifts. Thoughtful gifts. Gifts that not only proclaimed His royalty, but foretold His death. These were not only gifts of sacrifice, but gifts of worship.

As the Christmas season approaches, I have been consumed with what gifts to give to family and friends. After having a year of moving expenses, picking up two car payments, and going from two sources of income to one, I have been preoccupied with the fact that this Christmas may not be as nice as previous ones. But as I prepare my sermon this week God is pricking my heart. I have been convicted by the fact that my focus is on the wrong things. It's not about what I give, but about what God gave and continues to give. I've been reminded that most of those moving expenses were paid for by a loving congregation, that my job with it's benefits of parsonage and utilities pays nearly as much as the previous two incomes did. That while I have two car payments, I have one less college loan payment. God has given me so much this year, not to mention the bottomless well of grace that I drink from everyday.

So while the gifts under the tree may not be as numerous or expensive, my focus is elsewhere. It's on what can I give Jesus this year. He gives me so much, I feel compelled to give to Him. Not to earn grace, but because of my love for Him. What can I give Jesus? I can give Him the same things the Wise Men gave Him... worship and sacrifice. Worship as my God and Savior and sacrifice in the form of not living for me but living for Him.

I sacrifice my desires to His will.
I sacrifice my dreams to His plans.
I sacrifice my self-reliance to His care.
I sacrifice my family to His upbringing.

Now, what will you give Jesus this year?

A Testimony

2009-11-20T11:36:00.003-05:00

Have you ever encountered someone whose life has radically changed because of Jesus? You know, the type of person that was totally lost before Jesus.

The pusher turned pastor.
The murderer turned minister.
The abuser turned anointed.
The sinner turned saint.

I can remember growing up in church an hearing about how someone was able to conquer the demons in their life because of Jesus. In Bible College I met many people who did not come to Christ until their adult years, including one guy who dabbled in things like the occult and satan-worship. When I heard their testimonies, and how real God was to them at the moment of their salvation and I saw how God was using them, there was a part of me that got jealous.

That's right; jealous. I used to feel that I had no testimony of my own. In my opinion there was no major life change that had occurred. I grew up in a Christian family with a strong Christian heritage. Everywhere I looked there were examples of faith in my grandparents and parents lives and examples of God's grace as they raised me to the best of their abilities. Going to church wasn't an option, it was a requirement when I was growing up. Dad was a deacon/sunday school teacher/ board member/ interim preacher while mom was a sunday school teacher/VBS worker/volunteer. Both were incredible examples to my sister and I. Not because they were perfect, but because they lived what they believed. What I saw in them on Sundays I saw on Mondays-Saturdays. It's no wonder that they raised a son to be a preacher and a daughter to be a missionary.

But this upbringing, in my younger mind, was no earth-shattering testimony. I used to think that growing up in a Christian family and carrying on that tradition was nothing to brag about. There are no surprises in that story. No life-altering, heart-moving moments. No one would shed a tear at that kind of testimony.

However, over the last several years I have started to come to grips with something. My grandparents' testimony was a life that was sincere and integral enough to produce God-honoring children. My parents' testimony is the same. As I have grappled with this idea, I have recognized that my witness, my testimony, my gift to God must be my children. This is difficult as I realize what this may entail. I have watched as my parents pray and support a daughter in Muslim Africa. I have heard the concern in their voices when their preacher son struggled to make ends meet because the small churches he served could not afford to pay much. I have seen them lay their Isaacs on the altar of God and give them to Him, and to be honest, the prospect of doing that with my children scares me.

But, I am my mother's testimony. I am my father's testimony. More importantly, I am God's testimony to the world that a life lived for God, no matter how "mundane" is a light that shines in darkness. If I am to stay true to my call, to my heritage, I must trust God not only with finances and choices and relationships, but with my most cherished possession, my children. I want my children to be God's testimony. To reflect their Father in heaven. That will be my testimony.

I Once Was Blind...

2009-11-11T16:29:00.006-05:00

Yesterday my wife had a PTO meeting to attend, which gave me the rare opportunity to watch whatever I wanted on TV while she was gone, so like most red-blooded American males the clicker clicked and ESPN tuned in. The show was E60, a sports news magazine that covers some of the more personal interest stories in sports.

One story, titled "Blindside" was about High School freshman Charlie Wilks (see the video @ http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=4642733 ) who, because of a brain tumor, lost his sight at the age of five. It was an inspiring story of how a kid would stop at nothing to pursue his dream of playing football. His grandfather was an offensive lineman for the Kansas City Chiefs and played in the first Superbowl. The story covered all the obstacles and objections that Charlie had to overcome just to play football.

I couldn't help but be moved by this young man's story. There were so many lessons to take from it, like when a teammate admits that Charlie's example makes him try harder. There's also the lessons of hard work and determination. But, by far, the most thought-provoking of the entire segment was when Charlie stated his biggest fear. It wasn't getting hurt. It wasn't not making the team. His biggest fear? Getting his sight back.

You heard me right. There's no need to re-read, and if you don't believe it, hear it in his own words by watching it yourself. Charlie Willks biggest fear is getting his sight back. Why? Because he, like many blind people, envisions the world to be a perfect looking place, and he doesn't want to lose what his mind's eye perceives the world to be.

There are so many things to take from this. I could talk of this young man's maturity as he learns to not only accept his condition, but chooses to thrive in spite of it. But as I mulled his words over, I couldn't help but wonder about the spiritually blind. Could it be that the real reason that some chafe whenever they hear the gospel is because it threatens their perception of reality? They feel their little world is perfect, and Jesus' call would shatter that world. His light of holiness would expose their flawed lives and sin-filthy souls, so rather than be cleansed and perfected, they choose ignorance and blindness.

Maybe some of you remember that dark existence. You might even remember the trepidation you first felt when the good news of the Gospel began to challenge your fictitious, perfect lives. But now you see. You see that the world is flawed, but you also see the danger before you are upon it. Remember your darkness when you proclaim sight to the blinded. Recall why they are fearful, and encourage them that Jesus wants to give them sight so that they can see the truth, and as Jesus said, "the truth shall set you free."

If I could speak to Charlie, I would tell him how amazed I am at his abilities, how impressed I am by his spirit and determination. But I would also tell him not to fear sight, for although the world is imperfect and ugly at times, the beauty of God's creation overwhelms the imperfections, and the same can be said of our re-created souls.

Living with Confidence in a Chaotic World

2009-11-05T14:54:00.001-05:00

Living With Confidence in a Chaotic World is a refreshing, practical look at end-times prophecies. Dr. David Jeremiah looks at several passages, that at first glance may appear all doom and gloom, and mines out of them a message of hope and a call to return to practical Christian living. Admittedly, I was reluctant to pick up the book, because most books that deal with prophecy involve themselves so deeply in trying to "predict" the end of time, that they forget the point of the prophecy. Dr. Jeremiah does just the opposite as he outlines ten specific actions we can "stay" involved in, while anticipating Christ's imminent return.

The positives of this book are it's practicality to everyday life and the real-to-life illustrations woven throughout the teachings. It made the points easy to understand and easy to apply. The only negative was that I found this book simplifying truths to the point of redundancy. Some chapters that took twenty-plus pages could easily have said the same message in less than ten pages. This made the book, at times, a difficult read as you mulled, "didn't I just read this point." Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone who is struggling with their faith in the midst of troubling times.

What I Learned in Louisville

2009-10-27T10:57:00.006-04:00

For those of you who don't know, last week I went to the Leadership Conference at Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, KY. This was their first conference in five years, and it was worth the wait. I've been to their conferences twice before, and one thing that impressed me then continued to impress me this year and that is ANY size church can benefit from the principles that Southeast is committed to and has built upon. Not once did I ever get the impression that I was a small fish in a big pond or that "well, yeah, of course you can do that, you have an army of volunteers" feeling. The stress was always on the principles of a healthy, Biblical Church. I just wanted to share a few reflections, or lessons, from my experience.

LESSON 1: It's not the size of your congregation, it's the size of your God that matters. If we believe that God is all-powerful and can do anything, then we must believe that He wants His Church to prosper and that He can enable it to succeed. I am not saying that every church must be 18,000 members in order to be considered faithful. That is a ridiculous assumption. Take the congregation I serve as an example. There is not a population base nearly large enough to warrant that size of a congregation. I don't think there are 18,000 people in a 10 mile radius of where I sit right now! However, I believe God wants us to grow and reach people with the Gospel, and if we believe in His power, we must put faith into action and try some things that stretch our faith and will fail if God is not in it with us.

LESSON 2: God cares about lost people, and so must we. Every community, large or small, has people who are outside of Christ. When's the last time you wept for them? I'll admit, until this month as I prepared a series of sermons on God's prodigal prophet, Jonah, it had been a long time since my heart was broken for the lost. All too often we make excuses, "what can I do?", "I might offend someone," "evangelism is not my gift," "isn't that the preacher's job?" I'm so glad Jesus didn't make excuses. Imagine if He told God, "I might offend some people, and it will hurt, and death just isn't my gift, especially death on a cross, and it's not my problem anyway, I didn't sin." God has a passion for the lost, and that passion must be translated through us into our communities as we meet needs and proclaim Jesus.

LESSON 3: Everything we do should be done as an act of worship to God. As I mentioned before, this was my third trip to Southeast. I have also had the privilege of attending their worship services there occasionally, and for a brief period of time my sister called this congregation home. I have yet to see any church more committed to excellence than Southeast. Whether it is their music, videos, teaching, preaching, greeting visitors, childcare or simple building maintenance, Southeast is committed to doing everything with excellence. Why? Some say it's a show. Others say it's all to get numbers. But when you talk to the leadership, the real reason is because they love God and want to give Him the best they can humanly offer. In other words, it's about worshiping God. I challenge you to approach every task as an act of worship. Meeting a deadline is being obedient to your boss, a principle found in scripture. Do it, not because you might get fired, but because you love God and desire to obey God. Not only will you meet the deadline, but you will do better work. This principle applies to everything, from family to financial to free time, everything can be an act of worship to God and thus it deserves your best effort. When this principle is applied and practiced in our churches it results in a congregation that not only works together, but worships together, and that unity attracts people to the God we worship.

LESSON 4: It's God's Church. If there was any one thing that struck me more than anything else, it was the humility of the elders and lead ministers. Not one of them had the attitude of, "That's the Southeast way!" or "Look what we've accomplished." Rather, they were humbled that God had used them to help build what is now the largest church in our brotherhood and one of the largest in the world. They all gave credit to God, and continually mentioned how they always sought God's will above their own in each and every situation. God honors such humility, and we would do well to remember that the Church is God's. Our opinions should take a backseat to what Christ desires for His bride. Jesus once said, "the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few." More than once I have heard of or even experienced the damage that can be done when the "vocal minority" forces their agenda above God's in a small church. Let's not play politics and give to God what is rightfully His to begin with.

LESSON 5: Truth matters. It's human nature to second-guess success. When an athlete has a better-than average year we wonder if he's using steroids. When somebody strikes it rich on a business deal we assume they had insider information. Even long and sustained success brings out the inner skeptic as we question business practices and integrity. Unfortunately the same is true of churches. We see a large church and are tempted to assume they have compromised on some Biblical truth. It was refreshing to see such a large church that had so many "traditional" elements. Many of our churches have done away with the invitation at the end of the service. "We address those issues in small groups, etc." is the explanation given. Not at Southeast. They still believe in the power of preaching, and offer an invitation. Some of our brotherhood churches have adopted the denominational practice of having "baptismal services." Now in a church plant or building where a baptistry is not readily available, this is understandable. But Southeast believes in having baptisms as part of their worship service. Not only is it an act of obedient worship, but it becomes a teaching moment for all who are in attendance. I was privileged enough to witness 6 new births into Christ. Southeast's commitment to truth stands as a testament that truth does not need to be compromised in order to achieve growth.

These are just a few things I picked up while in Louisville. I already find myself looking forward to next year!

Some more pics from my trip are below.

The Main Worship Auditorium, seats 10,000+

Exterior of the Worship Center, all 7 stories

One side of the Student (High School) Center, aka "the Block"

The other side of "the Block." Seats 1,000+

A Faith that Climbs Mountains

2009-10-16T14:27:00.002-04:00

Last weekend Mandy and I took the girls for a drive through the Blue Ridge Parkway to enjoy the glory of God's creation in Autumn. The trees, not quite to their full splendor, were beautiful nonetheless. As we hiked to Indian Rocks, an outcropping of some very large rocks and boulders off the Parkway, our three-year old informed us she was going to climb a mountain. Then, with a confidence that only comes from being the youngest of four and having to prove yourself, she sprinted to the rocks.

Up, over, around, always a step ahead of her mother and I, she climbed until she ran out of rock. She then boldly proclaimed, "I climbed the mountain!" Now you know and I know that she only climbed a rock, but in her mind, she scaled Everest itself. All the way home she spoke of how she climbed a mountain with Mommy and Daddy. Mandy asked her why she climbed it, to which Charley answered, "Daddy said I could do'd it, so I do'd it."

We often quote Jesus when He told us that "If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you can tell this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move." (Matthew 17:20). In fact, we often come to God, as we should, asking Him to move the mountains in our life.

There's a Kilimanjaro of debt that looms before us. (move it Lord)
The Matterhorn of cancer blocks our way. (please, move it)
A Mt. Vesuvius, smoking with doubt and worry, chokes our faith. (O God, please move it)

But what if some of these mountains we are meant to climb, instead of move? What if God wants us to stand at the summit in victory and triumph over that which blocked our way? What if the mountain is there to make us stronger?

Travel with me to a garden nearly 2,000 years ago. There, in the midst of a grove of olive trees, stooped over with a burden of prayer is God in the flesh. He has a mountain looming before him. Physically speaking, it's more of a hill, but historically, spiritually and emotionally speaking, Mt. Calvary casts a long dark shadow that rivals our highest peaks. Listen to His prayer. Three times He asks the Father to move the mountain. Three times the Father says, "Climb."

So the next day, Jesus climbed Golgotha. His back is bent under the weight of our sin. Still He climbs. His head is pained by the thorns that came into being because of sin (see Genesis 3). Still He climbs. His steps are heavy with burdens that we should bear, but he bears them in our stead. Still He climbs. Up, over and around, He climbs, until at last, He reaches His goal: the place of crucifixion. To this day, the sign of a cross on a mountain is not a sign of defeat, but one of victory. There, on that mountain, Jesus defeated sin and Satan.

What mountain are your praying for God to move? Perhaps it hasn't moved yet because God is waiting for you to climb it. Not alone, but with Him. So get climbing, after all, your Father says you can do it, so do it!

The Search for God and Guiness by Stephen Mansfield

2009-10-07T23:25:00.002-04:00

Stephen Mansfield invites you to take a look at history through the lens of beer in his book, The Search for God and Guiness. Mansfield masterfully tells the story of the Guiness family's work and impact over the last 250 years. The story begins with entrepreneur Arthur Guiness and his twofold pursuit to not only provide his countrymen with a safe alternative to hard liquor and contaminated water, but to also produce a superior product. To quote Mansfield, "In the minds of most of the people in the world, Guiness is beer and that is all there is to the story. But this is far from true." To prove his point, the author paints a picture of generosity and faith passing from one generation to the next, and as the family business grows, so does the giving.

This work conveys the importance of the lost art of handing down a trade through the generations. It also shows how the values of hard work, commitment to excellence, generosity to the poor and innovative thinking all stemmed from a deep faith in God and a sense that a man can fulfill God's calling in any chosen profession. The epilogue was a refreshing call to return to ethically sound business practices which contrasts greatly with the greed that preceded our current economic state. This book would be a great read for anyone looking to practically live out their faith and their calling.

The Wonder Lamb

2009-10-02T10:04:00.005-04:00

Every morning I drive my three-year old to her pre-school. Usually the radio is off as I listen to her chatter and sing to herself. This morning was no different. She sang some of the usual songs, 'Jesus Loves Me' and 'Itsy-bitsy spider'. As I listened I took a certain amount of joy in her unashamed expressions of what was in her heart. To me it's a picture of what worship is supposed to be: the overflow of joy from a heart filled to the brim by a love and dedication to God.

Then she started singing a different song. "Mary had a little lamb," has long been a nursery rhyme staple and some have even attached theological undertones to the song. Charley sang and, as often is the case with three-year olds, fumbled with the words. I listened as she tried to find a word or words with the correct number of syllables that would fit for the word she forgot. The solution she came up with was at once cute, bemusing, and profound. She began to boldly sing, as if her word was the right one all along, without doubt or fear of rebuke. I smiled and was humbled as the depth of her "new song" hit me, "Mary had a wonder Lamb."

My mind swirled with the implications of her unintentional revelation. Was this how John the Immerser felt when he saw his cousin coming toward him, "Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world!"

Behold the wonder-lamb.
Behold the perfect sacrifice.
Behold the sinless Son.
Behold the Hands that created all we see as they willingly allow nails to pierce their flesh.
Behold the eyes that have seen the darkest depths of our soul and are wet with tears of compassion.
Behold the feet that once walked the streets of heaven, now covered with the blood and grime of our sin.
Behold the lips that spoke the universe into existence as they now pronounce forgiveness for all who have fallen short.
Behold the sin-taker.
Behold the cross-conqueror.
Behold the death-defeater.
Behold the hope.
Behold the grace.
Behold the Lamb... the wonder-lamb.

Let me ask you, when was the last time you felt wonder? When was the last time your heart was filled with awe over the grace of God? We lose the wonder in the mundane. Every-day life ceases to amaze us. But think about this: God's grace reaches to us every moment of every day. The Christian doesn't merely have everyday life, he has everyday grace, and believe me, there is nothing mundane about grace.

So take some time to be amazed. Take some time to behold the Lamb. After all, He is wonder-full.

Ministry of Reciprocation

2009-09-25T11:37:00.000-04:00

I love the "aha!" moments in life. As I was sitting in my office this rainy, Friday morning, putting the finishing touches on this week's sermon, I had one of those moments. My text this week includes the famed "golden rule" of Jesus found in Matthew 7:12, "In everything, therefore, treat people in the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets." Being the good Bible student that I am, I determined to find out what the "therefore" was there for. Let's be honest, when we quote this, we leave out the therefore as we say, "do unto others as you would have them do unto you." But Jesus precedes it with a therefore. In other words, what He is about to say is the logical conclusion of what He just finished saying. That's when the "aha!" moment came.

In the preceding verses, Jesus speaks of how God blesses us when all we do is ask of Him. It's as if Jesus is telling us, "since God has blessed you, you need to bless others." Dallas Willard, in his book The Divine Conspiracy, describes this type of command as a matter of "spiritual orientation" and he lists, very succinctly, a few other areas that this principle seems to apply. His point is, if we are correctly "oriented" towards God in our spirit, how we treat Him and how He treats us will spill over onto those we relate to in everyday life.

I prefer to call it the "Ministry of Reciprocation." To reciprocate is, according to Webster, "to give and take mutually." Here's the "aha!" How we treat others directly reflects how we treat God. If we love God, we will love others (see I John 4:7-8). In fact God "gives" us love, which we "take" and "give" not only as a return to God, but to others as well.

Check out the other areas this "give-take-give" principle of reciprocation takes place.

Forgiveness- In Matthew 6:14 Jesus tells us, "For if you forgive others (give) ... your heavenly Father will also forgive you (God gives, we take)."

Confession- Jesus teaches in Matthew 10:32-33 that "whoever confesses Me before men (give) I will confess him before My Father who is in heaven (a gift we take)." Add to this principle that those who hear our confession that we give publicly and respond to it will be saved (see Romans 10:9-17) we have reciprocation.

Blessing- James takes a different approach (as is so like him). Rather than demonstrate, he points out the absurdity of when we fail to engage in the ministry of reciprocation. In James 3:8-12 he describes how with one tongue we bless God and curse men. He compares this to the same bizarre behavior of a fig tree growing olives or a grapevine growing figs (v. 12) and rightly sums up God's opinion in v. 10- "My brothers, these things ought not be this way."

So what does all this mean? It means if we fail to "reciprocate" God's actions toward us, not only back to Him, but unto others as well, we reveal how close (or far apart) we are in our relationship with God. A failure to love people means we are falling short in our love to God. A failure to forgive reflects that we feel unforgiven in our hearts. Cursing people but blessing God reveals a duplicity that shows what we offer God is nothing more than "lip service" and is not a genuine, heartfelt response to His goodness.

So how is your walk with God? Perhaps I should ask, how are you relating to people? The two are linked. The golden rule is much more than a rule; it is an indicator of our relationship with our Maker. So go. Do unto others, and remember, what you do reveals your standing with God.

All-Consuming Passion

2009-09-23T14:49:00.000-04:00

I hate to lose. No, I really, REALLY hate to lose. I also hate watching my teams lose. I am a huge Nebraska Cornhuskers fan. For those not familiar with the history of college football, you would be hard-pressed to find a team with a deeper heritage, a better history of success or a more loyal fan base than the Huskers. The 1995 Nebraska squad is often touted as the greatest college football team of all time. The second best? The 1971 team.

Needless to say, I grew up watching them win... and win... and win. Losing not only wasn't an option, it wasn't fathomable. Then came the days of decline after legendary coach Tom Osborne retired, followed by the dark days of the Bill Callahan era. Now the Huskers are rebuilding and regaining prominence and it's exciting to watch... until they lose.

Saturday, September 19. 19th ranked Nebraska has led and defensively dominated the 13th ranked Hokies of Va. Tech. However, despite their defensive domination, the offense of the Huskers floundered and the lead was only 5 points. I watched, praying the clock would tick faster.

Five minutes to go.
Three minutes.
Two minutes.

Two minutes until Big Red snapped a decade long losing streak against top 20 teams. 2 minutes until their return to prominence was legitimate. Two long, agonizing minutes.

Then it happened. First a long pass play to get Tech to the three yard line. Then with 21 seconds on the clock, a touchdown pass. Game over. Nebraska loses by one point.

I was livid (remember, I hate losing). I ranted. I stalked around. I yelled at inanimate objects. I acted like a two-year-old.

I even went outside to finish some outdoor work just to blow off steam. As I reflected, I realized how foolish I must have looked. Then I got angry with myself (which didn't help, it only complicated matters). But I realized something; why don't I get that passionate over lost souls? When was the last time I got angry at Satan for deceiving millions? When did I last allow my hate for losing apply to spiritual warfare?

I felt small. There I was, upset over a football game, and every day souls die without knowing the Lord. All I could do is wonder, "Where is my passion for them?"

Lord, give me an all-consuming passion for the right things and an attitude of contenment for the non-essential things.

Until next time,
Dave

P.S. I have recently become an official "book reviewer" for Thomas-Nelson publishers. My pay? Free books! My job? Post the reviews on my blog. So be watching out for book reviews!

Here I Am!

2009-09-15T16:16:00.000-04:00

For the most part, my children have never experienced a high-school football game. For the last several years I worked with a small private school in Maryland that did not have a football team. As a result, this corner of American culture was left unexplored by my children, until a couple of weeks ago.

I grew up going to all the home football games that my high school played. While never a natural athlete, I have always enjoyed the excitement and thrill of sports, and in small towns across the nation, Friday nights in the fall are nearly as sacred as Sunday mornings. It's not just the game. It's the conversations in the stands. It's being with people who, while they differ from us in many ways, are there for a shared purpose: to root the home team on to victory. This camaraderie combined with the adrenaline of the game draws a community together, even in the cold and rain. Needless to say, when we moved to Lunenburg, I wanted to get involved in the community and introduce my kids to this staple of Americana.

As the game progressed, the home team (the Central Chargers) was getting closer to the end-zone. The crowd started cheering as each play brought them closer to the goal line. The cheerleaders began to lead the crowd in some chanting, three-syllable cheer. Every high school has such a cheer. Sometimes they are simply the initials of the school (C-H-S! C-H-S! C-H-S!) other times they are more encouraging in nature (GO! FIGHT! WIN!). The crowd was thoroughly involved in the cheer, and I was enjoying the atmosphere. When there was a break in the action, I turned to find my wife fighting to control her laughter. I gave her the quizzical "What's up?" look, to which she answered, that while the crowd was chanting, our youngest daughter, Charley, made up her own cheer. Even though her small voice was drowned out by the scores of football fans around her, she was loudly saying, "HERE I AM! HERE I AM! HERE I AM!" It was as if Charley wanted the fans to notice her and her efforts.

Have you ever felt like Charley? You go to church, because in it you hope to find a group of people from various backgrounds tightly knit together by a common Savior.

You attend.
You get involved.
You volunteer.
You work hard to get your life straight.

Then something happens. Maybe it's small at first. Just a feeling deep inside that you rarely give credence to, but it grows. You begin to notice that everybody seems to be doing better than you are.

His Sunday School class is more popular than the one you teach (but you have put in so many hours of study).
She gets an appreciation award for her involvement with the seniors ministry (but you take communion to them every week).
That deacon gets a public 'thank-you' for his donation to the building fund (what about your weekly gift. It's not much, but it's all you can afford).
That elder seems to have everything in his life in order (yet you try so hard)

Before you know it, you feel like screaming "HERE I AM! I NEED HELP!" but you feel nobody would notice or care. They seem focused on something else.

Been there? I have.
I've felt unappreciated;
un-noticed;
unwanted;
unloved.

So let me give you some advice. First, realize that people may be focused on someone else and that someone else just might be Jesus! If you are in a church that is focused on Jesus, you may have simply lost your focus. Don't do things for personal recognition (see Matthew 6:1ff) do them for Jesus. It's His approval we should strive for, not man's. Make sure you have "fixed your eyes on Jesus" as you strive to do His will.

Second, your tank may be empty. I love D.L. Moody's metaphor of the human soul, a "leaky pitcher" that must stay near the Holy Spirit's stream in order to remain full. You can't feed others and not feed yourself, eventually you will starve. Don't fall into the trap of substituting devotional reading with study for a lesson. Feed yourself! Let God's Word replenish you. Also, make sure you have mature Christians in your life to encourage (not brown-nose) you in your efforts. We all need a pat on the back. It shouldn't be our goal, but we need that "atta boy!" sometimes.

Finally, cry out for help. Someone will hear you. My wife heard her daughter's improvised cheer, and God will hear your impoverished cry, no matter how "loud" your world seems. God will hear, and perhaps, so will God's people. I honestly think that sometimes we don't give people enough credit. Give them a chance to help and heal you. That's what the Church is for, let them do their job.

Do these things and know that God is cheering you on. He is your biggest fan and He wants you to succeed. Moreover, He has given you the ability to.

Until Next Time,
Dave

What Happened to Biblical Preaching?

2009-09-08T12:47:00.000-04:00

I'm a huge fan of podcasts. I download several every week of different preachers that I enjoy listening to, and as I drive around or work in the office, I plug in my ipod and enjoy a good sermon (hey, us preachers need to be fed too!)

Recently, however, I noticed something. Several (not all) of the messages I listened to had little, if any, scripture references in them. Were they based upon biblical principles? In my opinion, yes. Did they say anything that would have constituted a "false doctrine". Not that I could tell. But still, this realization disturbed me. Some used a scripture here and there, almost like they were garnishing a dish. It was there, but not as the main meat of the message. One sermon in particular (I listened to it twice to make sure) never referenced or quoted a single passage of scripture. It was polished, well-delivered, motivational and had an impact. The illustrations were fresh and thought provoking. The points were both comforting and compelling. But there was no reference to or quotation from the Word of God.

"Now wait a minute..." someone may say, "...if it's got a Biblical theme, and is well delivered, do you really need to quote the Bible? After all, that might alienate someone who is not familiar with the church." To that I would answer with the apostle's words in Hebrews 4:12, "For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart." Now the question is, do we believe this? Do we believe the Word of God is a sword; a weapon against the temptations of Satan? Do we believe that it can change lives and hearts by cutting away that which distracts us from God? If so, then the Word of God must be present in every sermon for it to produce the effects of piercing the soul, judging the thoughts and intentions of the listener and producing a lasting change in the hearts of people. If scripture is not present, in my mind it is not a true sermon, but rather a motivational speech, nice and uplifting to listen to, but incapable of any eternal impact.

My other concern with Bible-less preaching is a question of authority. If I stand before a congregation, and give a "motivational speech" that contains no scriptural references, and people respond, even if they give their lives to Christ, I must ask myself, "Are they coming to Christ, or coming to me?" Without the Word of God there, I usurp God's authoritative call with my own sad imitation. Yet, if my message is bathed in God's Word, it rings with the sound of truth and authority, an authority that is not my own, but God's. If someone disagrees with my message, or finds it "too difficult" to apply, I merely have to point out the authority of Scripture to justify my message. No such option exists for the one who abandons his Bible in order to preach a more "acceptable" message.

Finally, a sermon without the Bible is like an empty bottle. It has shape and form, but it's contents can never satisfy. It might look like a sermon at first glance, but it will leave you thirsty and dry in the long run. Let those of us who preach put our faith in God when He told the prophet Isaiah, "My word...which goes forth from my mouth; it will not return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it." (Is. 55:11, emphasis mine). I want my sermons to accomplish something. I want my messages to succeed. I want God's word to return overflowing with results. For those who do not preach, challenge us who do, to keep God's Word at the center of every sermon, because His Word will be the final word.

Until next time,

Dave

Let's Do'd It!

2009-08-21T13:23:00.001-04:00

Our 3 year-old is fiercely independent. Recently potty-trained and armed with a tremendous amount of self-confidence, there is nothing she cannot conquer. The phrase of the week has been "I'd do'd it myself." It's an interesting construct of toddler grammar, accomplishing both present and past tense, which is essential in the mind of our daughter who considers her present task already accomplished.

However, even Charley has her limitations. This morning she came into the living room with both arms though one sleeve hole and a T-shirt so tightly wrapped around her upper torso she was forced to walk with her arms straight-up in the air. The shirt was wrapped around her head, preventing her from seeing, so she bumped and banged her way into the room. Obviously frustrated and getting angry I asked her, "What happened?"

"I'd do'd it myself," was the response.

I mused it over and asked if she wanted help. Again, "I'd do'd it myself," was the curt reply. I watched as she spun around in circles, swaying like a palm tree in a hurricane, until, inevitably, she fell over. I restrained from laughing (no easy task) as I watched Charley lay on the ground and think over her predicament. Finally she asked, "Can you help me do'd this myself?"

I wonder how often God watches us from heaven as we "do'd" it ourselves? When we think we know better, and there are times we do, we end up so wrapped up in our situation we can't function. Then, when we finally are humbled enough to ask for help, we ask God to help us "do'd it ourselves." In other words, we want the credit for God's help.

How often I've seen people struggle with a situation in their lives, whether it be at work, in the family, at school or dealing with relationships, and they are at the end of their rope. Then God provides a way out, and instead of giving Him the credit, they say, "Look what I accomplished and overcame, all by myself." In other words, "I'd do'd it myself."

Let's try something different. Instead of being fiercely independent, let's depend on God to work through us. Let's give Him the credit for our talents and abilities. Let the praise go to Him. Let us rejoice in the fact that, despite our weaknesses, God still chooses to accomplish His will through us. Then we can say, "He do'd it Himself."

"Let your light shine in such a way that men may see your good works and glorify your Father in Heaven." -Jesus

A Perfectly Crazy Love

2009-08-13T23:43:00.000-04:00

As summer winds down, I can't help but wonder how it went by so fast! I see my kids excited for the beginning of the school year and I know, I'm more nervous than they are. This is their first year in public school. Their first year without Mom and Dad working in the same building. Their first year (gulp) alone.

My mind keeps racing with the "what ifs". "What if they get hurt?" "What if someone picks a fight with them?" "What if their teacher hates them?" I know, I'm irrational. But what parents aren't when it comes to the welfare of their child? I can't think of a single parent who isn't insanely concerned for his/her children.

You know, it was the same with God. He was just as irrational and insane when it came to His love for us. In fact, God was so concerned for our welfare, that He did the most irrational act I can fathom: He sacrificed His Son for our benefit. God didn't play the "what if" game. He knew His Son would be rejected. He knew His Son would be ridiculed. He knew His Son would be killed, but He sent Him anyway.

When I think of that, sending my kids off to school doesn't seem nearly as scary. I am also comforted by the fact that God can sympathize with my anxieties. He's been there. The same can be said for you. Whatever you are fearing in life right now, God has looked it in the eye and conquered it.

Do you fear rejection? Jesus was rejected, but is now glorified.
Do you fear the doctor's diagnosis? Jesus can heal any disease, spiritual or physical.
Do you fear being alone? Jesus is with you always.
Do you fear death? Jesus left behind an empty tomb as evidence of death's futility.

Just give your fears to God, and He will conquer them for you because, "perfect love casts out fear." I John 4:18.

Adopted

2009-08-04T14:09:00.000-04:00

We have a new addition to the Richmond household. Apparently two kittens have taken up residence beneath the shed in the back yard. As far as I can tell they are only a couple of months old and my guess is that the mother abandoned them there. Of course as soon as they were discovered my daughters were begging to keep them. We already have one cat and the last thing I wanted were two more. But one kitten was so timid and cowed by the other. She almost never ate because her sister would eat all the food and keep her away from the food dish. So we brought the abused one inside, bathed her and fed her. Our other cat seemed none too upset over the smaller feline, so reluctantly (alright, I'm a big softy) we decided to keep the gray and white kitten (named 'Storm' by Ellie's friend, Jackie).

What about the other kitten? We took her to a shelter to be adopted by some other soft-hearted family. As I thought about it, I realized what we did for Storm, God does every day. He takes the weak, lost and abandoned and claims them for His own. He takes those who hunger and can do nothing to satisfy their appetites, and He feeds them (see Matthew 5:4ff). He takes those covered by the filth of this world and cleanses them (Titus 3:5). He takes the abused and neglected and protects them.

He adopts us.
He cares for us.
He shelters us.

Why? Because, like me, God has a soft spot for those who have been orphaned by the world. He takes the shut out and opens His doors for them. He offers His hospitality to those who realize that this world is not their home. God's love is both inexplicable and limitless. His ways are mysterious and sometimes He uses the weakest things of the world, like an abandoned kitten, to teach us a lesson in how to view those who we deem unlovable, unacceptable and unworthy of our attention.

It's my prayer that my heart is softend to the point where I feel the same compassion for the addict, homeless and vile as God did for me. May your heart be softened also.

Just another week in the Kingdom

2009-07-28T15:54:00.000-04:00

I find myself split in two this week. It is VBS week, which means I spend the better part of my afternoons prepping for VBS and my evenings are consumed with the program itself. Yet we also had a prominent member of the church pass away this week, which means I am also in the midst of funeral planning with the family. What it boils down to is on the one hand I spend my time celebrating with a bunch of kids and on the other I try to comfort a man who has lost his wife of nearly 50 years.

But isn't that life? When I look at Jesus' ministry I find Him constantly pulled in many different directions. While in the midst of dinner at a religious official's home, He is interrupted by a "sinful" woman seeking acceptance. Immediately after the mountain-top expereince of the transfiguration, Jesus descends the mountain to break up an argument amongst His disciples and cast out a demon. We see Jesus entertained at parties one moment and healing the sick the next. He plays with the children while rebuking the Pharisees. He casts out demons while enduring accusations of being in the same league as Satan. Ups and downs. Highs and lows. Let's face it, Jesus lived a life the same as so many of us.

It's into this life that His words resonate with the ring of truth as He boldly proclaims, "Seek first the Kingdom of God..." How do we survive the roller coaster of life? We live it with the Kingdom in view. Keeping His rule and dominion in mind, we can face both the victories and tragedies of the day with a proper perspective knowing that our needs will be satisfied. That's what Kingdom living is all about... keeping focused on Jesus.

Providence

2009-07-22T19:39:00.000-04:00

I know, two posts in one day! It's like the bogo sales at payless! I couldn't resist though. Today as we traveled to Richmond to eat lunch with my father we noticed this Blue Heron in the parking lot of one of the shopping centers off of route 1 in Hanover. What is so funny about this is that for the last four years I have lived on the eastern shore of Maryland, within a 20 minute drive of the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge. I have often driven out to Blackwater to try to capture one of these majestic birds on film so that I may use it as a reference in some of my artwork. After dozens of attempts I could never get close enough to one to warrant a good picture.

Now I have moved to southern Virginia, and am in a busy suburb of the city of Richmond, and this bird, so elusive in Maryland, walks right up to my van! I didn't even need the zoom feature on my digital camera. The irony struck me as profoundly humorous, but more than that, I think God was trying to prove a point to me. My best efforts could not get me close enough to this Heron. I tried so often, waited long periods of time, and exerted a lot of patience, and never did I get the picture I wanted. But when I least expected it, outside of my own doing, God provides the opportunity for a picture. I can't help but think of God's providence in all things.

We often try to force opportunities. We seek to do things "our way" and we get frustrated when we fail. Whether it be something as trivial as trying to get a picture of a bird or as important as receiving salvation, we receive the best outcome when we trust in God's timing and in God's way.

I can't wait to see what God provides next., and to all you driving in the northern Richmond area, watch out for herons!

Hungry

2009-07-22T08:59:00.000-04:00

Have you ever been hungry? I mean really, really hungry? I have been blessed enough in my life that I have never known true, brink of starvation hunger. Now, when I was a teenager, I might have argued this point. It seemed I was always hungry and could never get enough to eat. (Proof is in the half-loaf of bread and box of cereal I would eat every morning for breakfast). My mother swore that our refrigerator came with a teenager's rear-end hanging on the door.

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness." The phrase is so familiar to the mature Christian we often skim over it without a second thought. But if there's anything that I'm starting to learn, none of Jesus' words are to be taken lightly. His words recorded in scripture were never spoken casually. They were pre-meditated, intended for His followers, who millennia later would read them. I like Arthur W. Pink's term for the beatitudes. "Spiritual torpedoes," intended to explode in the depths of our soul when we least expect them. So it is with this beatitude and myself.

I am often harder on myself than I should be. I kick myself every time I sin. Every time I lose my temper I feel terrible afterwards. I blame myself, demean myself and all but fully convince myself that God's grace can't reach me. That's where this beatitude explodes into hope. Jesus doesn't say, "blessed are those who have attained righteousness" but rather those who hunger for it are to be blessed. I don't have to be perfectly righteous to attain God's blessing, I simply must hunger for, dare I say crave, perfection.

What do you do when you are hungry? I know what I do. I eat. When you hunger for righteousness then your desire will be to do right actions. That is the only way to saistfy your appetite, nothing else will do. And like the ever-hungry teenager, our appetite for righteousness must be perpetual. We must continue to grow in Christ, just like in order to stay physically healthy we must eat on a regular basis. God wants us to grow spiritually, so one meal of right actions may saisfy for a short time, but before too long, the Holy Spirit prompts us to another. In this way we begin to strengthen our walk with Christ.

But there is another benefit of this blessing. Here the Great Physician gives us the prescription for defeating sin. Most of our sins are ingrained in our habits. We do them so often they become second-nature. Then we complain to God when we can't break our cycle of sinful addiction. If you want to break a habit, you must replace it with another. Here, Jesus challenges us to replace our hunger/addiction for sin with a hunger/addiction for righteousness. And here is where the blessing truly takes hold, "they shall be filled." How often I have counseled those who thought that their sin would fulfill some desire in their life only to find that it left them empty inside. Whether it be a teenage girl who thought sleeping with her boyfriend would bring emotional fulfillment, or the young man who thought that drugs would give him an escape from the troubles of this world, or countless others, they all had the same empty feeling inside. Only a hunger for righteousness can be filled. Need proof? Try Revelation 7:16 which tells us that the righteous in heaven will never hunger or thirst again. Jesus gave a similar promise to a woman at a well in John 4.

So the next time your stomach grumbles, think "What do I really hunger for?" Your answer will determine if you will be filled or not.

God's Word in Real Life

2009-07-16T16:33:00.000-04:00

I never cease to be amazed at how God chooses to reveal His Word to us. As I have studied for my sermon this week (on the first three beatitudes in Matthew 5; "blessed are the poor in spirit... blessed are thos who mourn... blessed are the gentle") God has chosen to show how His words spoken two millenia ago are still relevant today.

About once a week I make a trip to a little coffee shop in Victoria, Virginia (Uptown Coffee for my fellow caffeine addicts) to enjoy a sandwich and a great cup of coffee. This week as I sipped my coffee and put some final touches on my website a couple of guys came in. They were dressed in the spandex outfits of byciclists and looked like they hadn't shaved in weeks. A quick glimpse outside revealed two Schwinn 10-speeds loaded down with the modern-day equivalents of saddlebags. I asked the two travellers where they were from. "San Antonio," was the reply that started a pleasant conversation between them, the waiter and myself. They had decided to spend their entire summer biking up the eastern seaboard hopefully as far north as Boston, which, to a Texan, is a foreign country. Eventually our waiter asked what they did for a living to help fund this trip. Their answer was both humorous and thought-provoking. "We're professionally poor," was the quip by these two college students.

My mind, consumed with all the theological nuances of the beatitudes lit up with an epiphany of sorts. As I watched these carefree trekkers who were spending nearly every last dime they had on this trip, I realized they were happy. "Blessed are the poor in Spirit."

Today I made two visitations. The first was to an elderly lady in a nursing home. The facility has been her residence for the past 9 months, and she does not like it. She has no surviving family to visit her, and thus she depends on caring people from her congregation to keep her updated on the events of the world. I could tell by looking at her that she was afraid. Afraid of ending up unable to sit up straight or to communicate the simplest of thoughts. Afraid of dying alone. She was mourning the loss of her freedom and individuality. As I held her hand and prayed with her, all I could think of was, "Blessed are those who mourn."

My second call was to the home of an older couple that are very active in the church. The wife was recently diagnosed with cancer, and the prognosis is not good. As I watched her husband feed her and care for her I was struck by his gentle demeanor. Here is a man who has worked his own farm for nearly 50 years. In fact, when I visited a couple of weeks ago, he had just gotten in from making hay on over 100 acres of land. Yet here he was, as gentle as could be, helping his wife by feeding her one spoonful at atime. He never complained, in fact he seemed more than content to do it. "Blessed are the gentle."

Now we look at the beatitudes, and we often list them as qualities we should embrace (but how does one embrace mourning?). But as I looked at these very different people in very different circumstances, I was struck by the fact that Jesus was using these qualities to illustrate that the kingdom of God was available to all people. Whether you feel like "the professional pauper" or are mourning the loss of something/someone dear to you, or are a practitioner of gentility in the face of death itself, the Kingdom is for you. This was my epiphany in the coffee shop: if we look at the beatitudes as merely a list to conform ourselves to, then we commit the sin of the Pharisees and begin a whole new practice of legalism; but if we look at the beatitudes as the extent that God's blessing can reach, we can be assured of being a "blessed" people, no matter our circumstance. No longer are the poor to be considerd poor, for God can bless them despite their poverty. No longer should the mournful be pitied, for God's comforting hand can reach them, even from beyond the grave. The meek in heart are no longer to be considered weak, for God's blessing is giving them the strength to be gentle.

Truly God can bless any person in any circumstance.

This was Jesus's message in the beatitudes.

This should be our message to the world.

The Kingdom of the Now, part II

2009-07-14T16:12:00.000-04:00

If God's Kingdom is as near as the air we breathe, why is it that we have such difficulty recognizing it? Let's face it, humans tend to believe in what they can see, taste, touch and smell. But Jesus has come on the scene proclaiming a Kingdom that surrounds us as the atmosphere does, but is so large that our galxy fits in one small corner of it. Before we can live according to the rules of this kingdom (which is what we will examine next week), we must first believe that it is what Jesus says it is.

If the Kingdom is all around us then we must first consent to one very important fact; we live in a spiritual world. Despite all that science has taught us, our post-modern culture is starting to awaken to the fact that if we look only at the physical, the BIG questions of life go unanswered.

"Why am I here?"
"What is my purpose?"
"Will I be truly loved?"
"What can I do to make a real difference?"

Look all you want for answers in your science books and nature journals, but no satisfactory answers will emerge. If all we are is a cosmic accident of chemical reactions, then life is random and purposeless.

Something deep within us refuses to accept that we are random. We want meaning. We desire purpose. We long for love and we all desire to leave our impact on the world. These desires are much deeper than carnal instinct, and to satisfy them we must turn to the spiritual realm. Only then will answers start to emerge.

Yet we must be careful, for the spiritual realms are unfamiliar to our physically minded souls. Satan lays in wait behind many a false teacher or vain philosophy. Many, longing for answers, have turned to spiritists, wicca, and othe new age practices to find answers. But these are not of the Kingdom Jesus speaks of. While His kingdom is spiritual, it seeks to help us thrive in the physical world, not retreat from it.

This leads to the second fact we must accept: God's kingdom exists in the physical world. Jesus' words are not the ramblings of a far-east mystic telling us to ostracize the physical world. On the contrary, He is teaching us how to make a real difference. Just read Matthew 4:23-24 and you will see why there was a crowd on the mountain. It was because Jesus was meeting physical needs. He was healing physical bodies. His kingdom, while spiritual in nature, was concerned with the physical welfare of others.

Go through the New Testament and see how often the Church (the physical representation of the Kingdom of the Heavens) is challenged to meet the needs of the poor, the orphaned, the widow, and the hungry. For the world to take our spiritual message seriously, we must take their physical needs seriously. Too often the church emphasizes one over the other. Bread is handed to the hungry with no connection to the Bread of Life. Or, sadder still, the poor are prayed for with nothing being done to clothe them.

Jesus' kingdom is both spiritual and physical. It is too big to be regulated to only one realm. Therefore we, as her citizens, must be concerned with both the physical and spiritual needs amongst our fellow humans. The Kingdom exists in the now, and we must serve others in the moment of their need.

I pray the world sees the immediacy of the Kingdom of the Now. "Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!"

The Kingdom of the Now, part I

2009-07-13T16:22:00.000-04:00

"Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!" Matthew 4:17

This week I started a sermon series on the greatest sermon ever preached, The Sermon on the Mount. As I introduced the sermon I referenced Matthew 4:17 to indicate the content of Jesus' message. His was the proclamation of an entire kingdom, and not any earthly kingdom, but the kingdom of Heaven itself! For everyone who has longed for a word directly from the Spiritual realm, open your mind and read Matthew chapters 5-7.

But first, before you dive into the message of Heaven, you have to make sure you have a proper understanding of Jesus' statement, "the Kingdom of Heaven." The phrase is unique to Matthew's gospel. The rest of the New Testament writers are content to use the phrase "kingdom of God," but not Matthew. He wants to wake up his Jewish readers. Matthew's purpose in writing his gospel was to prove that Jesus was the Messiah promised in the Law and Prophets. Therefore his use of the phrase, "kingdom of heaven" is significant. To a people expecting a political Messiah to establish an earthly reign, Jesus fell short of their lofty expectations. They failed to understand the Kingdom.

Heaven? What do you think of when you hear the word. Pearly gates? Crystal seas? Golden streets and harp music? That's not what the Jews thought. Their understanding of heaven was much simpler. They actually had three "heavens" that they could refer to at any time. The first heaven was the atmosphere of our planet. Literally the air we breathe. The second heaven is what we like to term, "outer space." This heaven is the home of the planets, moon, sun and stars. The third heaven was the spiritual home of God. The throneroom in Isaiah 6 describes this third heaven as understood by the first century Jews.

Now for the mind-blowing part. Jesus doesn't merely say "the kingdom of heaven." No, a literal translation of Matthew's gospel would read "the kingdom of the heavens." What does Jesus mean by "heavens"? What He means is that His kingdom is not confined to any one realm, but all three. The Kingdom is as near to us as the air we breathe, yet expansive enough to envelop the entirety of the universe. His Kingdom exists in this physical world, but is entirely spiritual in nature. In other words, it is in the world, but not of it, just as its citizens are.

But not only that, this Kingsom is "at hand." When I paint, I like to keep a rag at hand in order to clean anyspills or smudges that may occur. When my wife cooks, she likes to keep a pot-holder at hand in order to move a hot pan when the time calls for it. "At hand" means readily accessible. Jesus, in one phrase, is proclaiming that His kingdom is both nearby and readily accessible. The citizens of the Heavenly Kingdom can enjoy the benefits of citizenship now! We too often feel that eteranl life is a future asset. While in some ways it is, it's benefits of joy, power and peace are accessible now! We can start living like we are living forever now. We can enjoy God's presence now. We can be amazed at forgiveness now. That's what makes Jesus' proclamation so life-changing and breathtaking. He is here now, just as he has always been.

New Discoveries

2009-07-07T10:56:00.000-04:00

Wow, it has been nearly two months since I've written! (you may now commence with all the slacker jokes) But what a two months it has been. In eight short weeks I had to do all the things associated with leaving one place of work and going to another. On one end farewells had to be said, social obligations met, loose ends tied up, and boxes were packed while on the other end I was greeting new people, re-adjusting to my surroundings, unpacking the afore-mentioned boxes, getting used to living in a very rural setting (which I love) and discovering my job responsibilities. All this coupled with trying to figure out the best way to get internet connections to the tobacco fields of southern VA has seriously hampered my blogging abilities.

Amidst all this chaos, I have discovered a few things. One is that my children are incredible. In the month since we have arrived they have adapted far better than I had hoped for. They have already made friends, they love the outdoors and not having television for four straight weeks has forced them to find other avenues of entertainment ranging from reading library books in the morning to catching fireflies at night.

Another discovery is that television is overated. Five days ago we had the satellite installed and for the first time in four weeks we had live television. What's amazing is that I doubt we have turned it on for much more than an hour a day since. Without it, we talked more as a family, played more games, read more books and got more work done. While it's nice to watch a ball game and keep up with current events and even enjoy a favorite TV show now and then, I've decided that perhaps a little less TV is exactly what I need.

The final discovery is actually more like a reminder. God has taught me not only over the past several weeks, but over the past four years, that He knows best. I have been reminded constantly of God's promise to Jeremiah, "I know the plans I have for you; plans to prosper you..." Several times over the last few years I doubted that promise, but what I saw as being stuck and stagnant God saw as a time for growth. He was seasoning and preparing me for His plans and not my own. I pray that my eyes and heart continue to stay open to His will.

Until next time,
Dave

Silent Nights

2009-04-12T23:33:00.000-04:00

I'm a night-owl. I can't help it. Ever since childhood, I can remember never being tired when I was supposed to be. Sure, I had bedtimes, but that didn't keep me from laying awake in my bed. Even now, as an adult who routinely wakes up before 7am every morning, I still can't fall asleep until at least midnight.

But there are benefits. It's quiet at night. Life with four kids is... well... it's noisy. There are arguments, conversations, squeals of laughter, screams of delight, sobs of disappointment and that's just breakfast. So when night falls, and children are fast asleep, I enjoy my peace. I can read, relax, watch TV and, most importantly, talk with God.

I keep a journal by my bed. I don't write in it everyday, but I write often. I write down my fears (can I really do this God?) My successes (I can't believe You did this God!) My failures (I can't believe what I did God.) And my hopes (Will you really do this God?) Every once in a while, I leaf through my past writings and reflect.

"Boy, I was immature."
"Man, I can't believe how great God is."
"Wow, I really lacked some faith there."

Then these reflections grow into conversations as God reveals Himself to me through out my life's journey. He tells me how He seasoned me and prepared me. He reminds me of how He provides for me. He encourages me to have even more faith to trust His way instead of my own.

Without my quiet night time there would be no conversations. No reflections. No perspective. No relationship with God. So my question is: what's the noise in your life? Is it kids? Finances? Job? Relationship troubles? Health Issues? Addictions? Whatever is making noise, you need to find a way to put it to bed. God speaks loudest in the silent moments. Remember Elijah and the "small voice"? That came in the midst of chaotic noise. When you want to hear God loud and clear, you need silence. Turn off the cell phone. Unplug the TV. Log off your computer and, as the Psalmist prescribes, "be still and know that [He is] God."

Get Sharp!

2009-04-07T14:33:00.000-04:00

"As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another." A familiar proverb to me, and one that has proven true this week. I sit in my best friend's living room, a room I haven't sat in for nearly three years. It has been way too long since I've been in Kentucky. I have missed my friends, but more than that, I have missed our "sharpening sessions."
In the mornings, when we walk the dogs, we talk.
"What books are your reading?"
"What's God doing in your life now?"
"What are you struggling with?"
"Where is God leading you?"
These are wighty questions, but for iron to sharpen, it must face something equally as hard as it is. The sharpening process involves two things. (1) The blade must be "uncurled" or straightened. Whne you see a chef use a sharpening rod, this is what he is doing. A blade will actually "roll" over time. It's nearly microscopic, but that rolled edge means a dull blade. (2) Friction is used to hone the blade to the sharpest possible point. That is when a whetstone comes into play. The blade is dragged across the stone to remove any nicks and imperfections.
When my friend and I ask these questions we are uncurling ourselves, exposing our hearts, passions, dreams and fears to one another. We are opening ourselves to God's whetstone so that we can be honed as instruments for His glory. The questions aren't always easy to ask, and sometimes they are even more difficult to answer. But I want to be sharp. I want to be useful.
So as I sit in this familiar room I realize, I need to visit more often. My blade was dulled. My effectiveness slowed. I needed a good sharpening. After all, that's what friends are for.