The Dirty Church

Let's be all in!!!

2012-02-10T17:28:00.000-06:00

Most of my posts are simply observations, things I’ve seen or noticed that have impacted me in some way. Some of it drives me back to the Bible and some of it is just plain humorous or sentimental. I observed something last weekend that was somewhat disturbing. Two of my children (10 & 8) are involved in an activity called J.B.Q. (that’s Junior Bible Quiz). It really is a cool opportunity for kids to get together, study God’s Word and get it inside of their hearts and minds. Naturally when we learn things it follows that we want to test that information to see if we’ve actually soaked any of it up. So to test their skill and knowledge they meet once a month and quiz kids from other churches to see who has memorized it “the best”. Now there’s nothing wrong with memorization of course and even friendly competition, but what I saw as I watched the kids quiz went a little beyond that.

As we sat in the chapel area crowded with kids, parents and coaches there was a lot going on. Teams were coming in, coaches were getting organized and kids were visiting frantically full of Saturday morning excitement. The first thing I noticed was a wonderfully talented lady up on stage trying to lead everyone in worship and song before the morning competition. The only problem was that no one seemed to care, much less acknowledge what she was doing. As she stood up on stage worshiping, the room moved around her – with the exception of about a dozen kids who had moved up to the front of the stage to participate. That visual blew me away. We have a lot of clichés in Christianity. They may get used a lot or seem old but that doesn’t make them less true. Here you have someone trying to lead a group of Bible quizzers into worship, but few care. Only a remnant of blurry eyed kiddos who are ready and willing. Very cool. Unfortunately this is not limited to the Sunday School crowd. We need to be a people who make Jesus the #1 thing and get excited when we have the opportunity to be with Him. Is He the main thing in our life or are we waiting to meet Him on our terms?

As we moved off to quizzing and competition I noticed something else. There were a few teams who were pretty amazing little quizzers. They had studied hard, knew the questions before they were finished asking them and buzzed in to finish the question and give the correct answer. They wanted to win. Now there’s nothing wrong with winning – driven people are compelled to do things to the best of their ability. But here is what I saw. There were 10, 20 and 30 point questions. Each got progressively more difficult with verse quotations that had to be perfect. One team wanted to win so badly that they had some of their kids memorize only 10 pointers, 20 pointers and so on. They had developed a formula for success, and it was working. It was working but was it good? With some kids only memorizing certain questions they were missing out on whole portions of scripture. Instead of a well-balanced Biblical diet they were cherry picking portions that would suit them best and in the process missing the point of the competition. I wonder if we do that in our own lives sometimes. Do we take the Bible and pick and choose which parts to read or obey because “it works” for us? Have we boiled the Gospel down to a series of formulas because “it works doesn’t it”? I’m afraid that too often we value formulas over the One who gave them to us. Are we seeking a “reward” or are we seeking Him as the reward?

My hope and prayer is that all of those kids will not just make those questions head knowledge but that they’ll let it sink in and live it out loud. My encouragement for those who may read this is to make Jesus the most important thing in your life. Don’t seek the reward, seek Him. Instead of Jesus being one of the things that orbits around you, make Him the center. Don’t be distracted by everything else around you. Take everything that He has for you – the good and the bad. The enjoyable parts of scripture and the uncomfortable parts that make us think, “Surely He doesn’t mean for us to follow that in our current culture?” We can’t have one foot in the world and one foot in the church. Let’s be all in!

Fire It Up!

2012-01-27T14:56:00.000-06:00

So we’re finally into winter – colder temps outside make me realize how fortunate we’ve been to this point and also remind me that those racing slicks on my car known as tires aren’t going to make it through another snow. In an attempt to warm up the hearts and minds (and maybe even a rear or two) I’ve decided to write about fire.

When I was sitting down to dinner last night, catered by Dominos, a discussion began about what the kids had learned from school that day. I was pleasantly surprised to hear them talking about early explorers – men who are famous in history for their discoveries of new worlds and such. I’m a history nerd and an outdoorsman so I like to fancy myself back in the early 1500’s exploring next to Amerigo Vespucci (you know that guy America is named after!? Of course I knew that). It was fun hearing them talk about what they learned while I interjected facts that I remembered from my youth. I’m a dad,so telling "fish" stories and showing off to our kids are what we do best. And we eventually got around to talking about the explorer Cortez. One thing he was famous for, besides taking over the Aztec empire, was the story of how he burned his ships.

He was facing a mutiny from his men who were thinking about running away and selling him out. To stamp out this potential threat he burned his ships cutting off any hope of retreat and squashing the rebellion. He did this calling the vessels no longer seaworthy…not safe and no longer necessary. As a result his men were well motivated to complete their mission.

It reminds me of the story of young Elisha before he became the famous Old Testament prophet. In 1 Kings 19 the Bible tells us that the prophet Elijah goes out to find Elisha and make him his successor. In the story we find Elisha plowing a field with 12 team of oxen. Now I’ve seen a lot of movies and tv shows but I have never seen a guy working in the field with 24 oxen! Usually one or two, four at the most. So what does that tell us? Elisha was a pretty successful guy, you might even say a rich one at that. Either that or he was trying to plow through limestone! Okay so you have a well-to-do man who has been chosen by God to be His speaker to His people. How did Elisha respond? He burns his plows and slaughters the oxen and throws a BBQ for the neighborhood! He actually uses the wood from the yokes to make the fires. Why did he do that -why didn’t he just hand the reigns over to some responsible family member and ask him to “keep it runnin”?

Could it have been to block the road of personal retreat and spiritual mutiny? If things weren’t working out and the job was getting tough it would have been an easy road back to the successful farm life he left behind. To avoid that trap and say to God that he was “all in” – he set a fire to plan B. As a result he was not only well motivated but highly effective in the work God called him to do.

I write this for myself and hopefully it can be helpful to others out there as well. What fires do I need to start in my own life that will set fire to my Plan B, cutting off my retreat from God and holding my own little spiritual mutiny? All of us have something – something that gets between us and Jesus. The question is when are we going to get serious about it so we can crucify our flesh and pursue Him the way we were meant to.

A guy I know was fond of the saying, “It’s all gonna burn”. So true. Fire it up!

Time to decompress

2012-01-13T17:35:00.000-06:00

Ernest Hemingway once said, “There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.” While most of us now use laptops I think he was pretty spot on.

I haven’t “bled” in over a year and it’s been eating away at me. This was an exercise that I used to do when things were pressing on my mind in such a way that they needed to get out. In keeping with my personality I’ve simply bottled them up. But like a six year old with a 2 liter they’re about to explode. Maybe that’s too strong a visual but it’s healthy for me to sit down and put my thoughts on this little screen.

My wife and I just finished a two year discipleship course called INSTE. This course walked us through the fundamentals of the Christian faith, what we believe and why. It also took us book by book through the Old and New Testaments. This was extremely valuable for us in a number of ways and not the least of which was to grow and mature as followers of Jesus. During our two year program we did tons of homework, memorized lots of scripture and took more exams than we care to remember. It feels good to be done.

But now what? What do we do with our new found knowledge and maturity? The reason I got into the class was that I wanted to serve, but I didn’t know in what capacity. So through study and devotion I would finally figure out what it was God had for me to do, right? Well after the books are closed and the inks dried I’m not sure that I am any closer to that answer. And that’s okay.

I’m reading a new book that speaks about our relationship WITH God. It states that often times people, in their search for God meaning, live UNDER, OVER, FOR or FROM God. Interesting take. I’m still in the first part of the book but as I took a look at my own life I saw many attempts to relate to God that didn’t always include the “WITH”. Deep relationship that abides with Him 24/7. That’s what I want.

If there is anything that my studies have taught me it’s that God doesn’t want our time, money or things – He simply wants us. There is much He can do with people who are wholly surrendered to Him. That’s what I want to be. I am all too aware of my own shortcomings, failures and sin. I know Nathan….but so does Jesus and He loves me in spite of that. And it makes me want to be WITH Him more.

*pffffttt* (sound of bottle opening) Ahhhh, I need to do this more often.

A Self Centered Gospel

2010-10-05T10:49:00.000-05:00

I never thought I would say this but I LOVE to read again. It used to be something I despised - a chore. But it depends on the reason you are reading I guess that determines your attitude towards it. I picked up a new book recently that is really challenging me. That's one of the things I truly love about reading - the plowing and tilling up of my heart towards the things of God. The book is "Radical" by David Platt. In it he makes mention of a few observations that I took to heart. I'm not even halfway through it yet but here are a few observations thus far.

In America we are living a self centered gospel - not the one Jesus showed us in the Bible. If you were to ask most Christians what the message of the gospel is, they would most likely respond with a phrase like, "God loves me" or "Jesus loves me and He died for my sins". And while those two statements are true they are not focused in the right direction. Notice the words, "me" and "my". Kinda makes ourselves the center of the message doesn't it? David asserts that we were created for two things: first to enjoy God's grace. We like this part of course and we might be tempted to stop there as it fits in very well with our grace & tolerance theology so popular today. Instead of allowing God to mold us into His image we have molded Jesus into our image to fit our culture. But the other reason is that we exist to bring massive amounts of glory to our creator - God - and to take that glory to the ends of the earth. That puts God right back in the center where He belongs. There is also some action required in that statement. This refers to the Great Commission where Jesus, in His last command to His disciples in Matthew 28, tells them to "GO - make disciples of all nations".

There is way too much to put down here but as I listened to my mp3 player this morning on the way to work I was listening to a group called "Jesus Culture". They were singing their version of an amazing song written by Keith Green - "O Lord, You're Beautiful". Here are the lyrics to that song:

Oh Lord, You're beautiful
Your face is all I seek

For when Your eyes are on this child

Your grace abounds to me

Oh Lord, please light the fire

That once burned bright and clean

Replace the lamp of my first love

That burns with holy fear

I want to take Your Word and shine it all around

But first help me just to live it, Lord

And when I'm doing well, help me to never seek a crown

For my reward is giving glory to You

That last verse really hit me because it is so true. When we have right relationship with Jesus we want to take it and shine it everywhere! But first comes the preparation of living it out in our daily lives - God shaping us into His image for His purpose. Oh and when we feel like "we" are doing a good job please help us re-center our attitudes on you because our true reward has nothing to do with us but is to bring You glory and make Your name known.
God help me to do that. Love You only, live in right relationship with You, make disciples for You and bring You massive amounts of glory.

Can Comfort be Painful?

2010-09-09T11:17:00.001-05:00

I think I've mentioned previously that I am a bit of a workout fanatic - I love it. I wouldn't call myself a "fitness" fanatic because that would involve eating right which I'm still working on. Anyway the program I've been using for the past five months or so is pretty cool. It's called CrossFit. If you're looking for something new in your routine I highly recommend it (http://www.crossfit.com/). As I patrol the main site where the daily workouts are posted I start to notice some of the athletes wearing these really weird shoes. Shoes that have toes in them! They look a bit like water socks or some kind of amphibious footwear but they're actually an alternative to barefoot workouts like lifting, running, etc. As you can see they have no padding or gel built into them at all. No air sacks or inserts that promise to make you the next #1 draft pick.

Now I've worn Nike shoes for as long as I can remember to the point where I admit to being a bit of a "brand hog". But after weeks of running consistently on my nice Nike running shoes with built in shock absorbers, my knees were achy and swollen and my ankles were sore. I couldn't understand it. How could these not be the best running shoes in the world? They're built for comfort! So I started to research these weird shoes - Vibrams Five Fingers. Everything I read lead me to believe that they might be worth checking out. So for our anniversary this year my wife and I decided that these would be our gifts to each other. As I started wearing them in the gym a few things happened. First I got some strange looks from other people as I hopped onto the treadmill in my new kicks. Secondly after a few weeks the aches associated with the running started to go away. No more swollen knees, hurting ankles, achy back. How could less comfort equal less pain? I did some more research and here is what I found:

Most runners land on their heels and roll their foot forwards - this is heel striking which basically sends a shock wave up your legs and spine causing a lot of friction and pressure. So most running shoes are cushioned towards the back where this striking takes place. The Vibram's cause you to run more flat footed or on the balls of your feet which is more natural and less damaging to your joints. Basically you are changing your running style and training differently. I might not have believed it until I felt the results for myself.

So this got me thinking about my Christian walk and the way God is dealing with me. Lately He has been stripping away some of the things I have used to "comfort" myself. Things I use to identify myself or use just to "vegg out" or rationalize life. Getting me to train differently. I think its easy in our culture so surround ourselves with creature comforts that distract us from our purpose or how we're supposed to be living. We can replace faith with worldly knowledge and stuff. Why do we need to put our complete faith in Jesus if we have almost anything we want at our fingertips? If we are in tune with God and really chasing after Jesus then it is my belief that He will continually stir us up and move us out of our comfort zones so that we can be used for His purpose.

I think of some of the great characters in the Bible who were used mightily by God - most of them had a pretty rough road. Abraham had to leave the only home he'd ever known and go out into the wilderness to a place where God called him. Moses started out in Egyptian luxury but was moved into a totally opposite situation as a Hebrew slave so that God could use him. It seems most of the prophets in the Old Testament lived difficult lives mostly in solitude. Joseph went though extremely dire circumstances before God placed him in a position of power. John the Baptist lived in the desert, wore animal skins and ate grasshoppers -the original Survivorman! The Disciples left their businesses and families and went out into the world with nothing to proclaim the Gospel. And of course Paul - beaten, jailed, stoned, whipped, shipwrecked and the list goes on. But these men who gave up the comforts of the world and emptied themselves were able to be used in a big time way to affect the Kingdom. Paul wrote this in Philippians 2 -

5-8Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. He had equal status with God but didn't think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn't claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that—a crucifixion.

So I am learning to run this race differently - to see that worldly comfort can be painful and debilitating in the end, leaving us "aching" for something more. And while spiritual training can cause some momentary discomfort it will actually yield spiritual fruit and lead to righteousness. That is what I want, less of me and more of You.

The Ever Encroaching Presence of the World

2010-08-04T14:58:00.000-05:00

On my way into work this morning I was in a bit of a hurry. You see I hadn't had my coffee yet and so I needed to make a quick stop at the gas station to get my morning "fix" before heading out. I'll say upfront that my morning commute is not one of my favorite things - a close second to my afternoon commute. Right at a pivotal point of my commute there was an accident - on a bridge - right where the highway bottlenecks. So there is normally a backup in this particular piece of highway and the accident only made things worse.

We were all at a stand still and the wreck was close enough I could see the lights blinking in the distance - about a half mile away. I sat in my car thinking, "Well this is just perfect. I'm already in a hurry and now this." As we weaved back and forth to make room for emergency vehicles to pass it really hit me. "I am so self centered". Someone less than a half mile ahead of me is having a much worse start to their day than I am and I'm concerned about how long I'm going to have to sit in my car! So I sat there convicted of my selfishness and prayed that the people involved would be okay. Then I could see it. An eighteen wheeler and a small two door car. Evidently the car had gotten squeezed up against the median and lost the battle with the diesel since the car's back end was now up on top of the barrier.

Bad situation ahead but the traffic, almost moving like a slow predator, kept creeping forward. Slowing encroaching on this incident seemingly with the mindset of, "hey! I'm going to be late here! What about me!" Calloused.

Matthew 13:15
15For this people's heart has become calloused;

they hardly hear with their ears,
and they have closed their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
hear with their ears,
understand with their hearts
and turn, and I would heal them.

Encroaching is defined as "gradually intrusive without right or permission". That is what the world, aka the enemy, does to us. He gradually intrudes on our lives. He has no right to do so but if we are not actively fighting against it then we are passively allowing him access to our lives. And so we become calloused. Calloused to things that should appaull us and move us to tears. We see this from time to time in our children and we think, "oh how sweet". But its the innocence - before they've become so numb to their feelings and so focused on themselves that it's real. I heard someone say once that the things that break the heart of God should break our hearts. If they don't then why not? How can we un-callouse our hearts? Only God's Holy Spirit can do that.

Psalm 51:10 "create in my a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me"

As the three lanes of traffic merged into one we passed police cars and ambluances. Fortunately it looked like everyone was okay. And with a renewed awareness I headed on down the highway. Who is sitting on the throne of your world today? Is it you or is it Jesus?

A purpose greater than pain

2010-06-09T09:29:00.000-05:00

Okay it's been awhile since I've posted anything here so let's see if it's like riding a bicycle... I've had this thought bouncing around in my head for the past few months - purpose. Specifically God's purpose for my life and those around me. It's a topic I wrestle with on a consistent basis. A few months ago I found out that my father had colon cancer. My parents were just about to leave the States to head back out on the mission field. Three days before their flight took off, the tests were done and confirmed - "you're not going anywhere" the doctor said. A six month battle with chemo is underway. This after a six month sabatacle to get re-energized. That's a full year off the field. I kept asking myself, "why would God take them off the field to seemingly be put on the bench. They were after refreshment, not this.

Often times the pain of a circumstance can be hard to understand much less think about. Why must my father go through the pain of cancer and chemo treatments when he's trying to do "the Lord's work". The only thing that kept coming back to me was - there is a purpose that is greater than the pain - God's purpose. The Bible says that God's ways are not our ways - certainly they wouldn't have chosen this path. There are stories in the Bible - the great ones - where the central character must endure some trial or pain before they are ready to be used by God. Moses, Joseph, Paul - all went through crazy trials where they had to be wondering, "God is this really what you have in mind here?" And Jesus was the role model for them all. Hebrews 12:2 says -

looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

When He was in the garden Jesus prayed - "If it's possible God my flesh doesn't want to do this! But not my will but Yours be done". He wouldn't have chosen that path if there was another way but He knew there was a purpose that was greater than the pain and the shame of Calvary. Pain and trials are what God uses to build character into our lives and mold us into the people He wants us to be. Have you ever watched a metal worker mold iron or steel into a shape that he has in mind? It's a pretty brual process of thrusting it into the fire until it "softens up" and yeilds to the metal worker and allows itself to be molded. If it wasn't put into the fire and he just started banging away at it you'd have broken metal everywhere. We can either endure the trial - knowing that God has a purpose that is greater that He is wanting to accomplish in us - and be shaped into His image or we can be stiff necked and ultimately broken by the hammer of God.

As I type this I am sore - my body is aching from workouts. I love to work out. I would stay in the gym for hours if I could. Why do I put up with the pain and soreness that I know I'm going to experience? Because there is a purpose greater than the pain and I will endure it to get the desire results. The book of Hebrews 12:11 again states, "For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it."

Are we willing to be trained by God regardless of the tool He uses and the circumstances He sets before us to get the desire result of looking more like Him? Give me Your eyes God that I may see my life and the things You take me into, through Your perspective. Amen!

I'm not alright

2010-03-05T11:50:00.000-06:00

A song by Sanctus Real that I heard this morning and speaks directly to where I am at. Thank you God for sending it my way just when I needed it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2LCvCBaqVg

If weakness is a wound that no one wants to speak of
The "cool" is just how far we have to fall
And I'm not immune, I only want to be loved
But I feel safe behind the firewall

Can I lose my need to impress?
If you want the truth I need to confess

I'm not alright, I'm broken inside, broken inside
And all I go through, it leads me to You, it leads me to you

Burn away the pride
Bring me to my weakness
Until everything I hide behind is gone

And when I'm open wide with nothing left to cling to
Only You are there to lead me on.
'Cause honestly, I'm not that strong.

I'm not alright, I'm broken inside
Broken inside
And all I go through, it leads me to You
It leads me to You
Closer to You

And I'll move,
and I'll move,
and I'll move,
Closer to You (x3)

I'm not alright I'm broken inside
Broken inside
I'm broken inside, Broken inside
And all I go through leads me to You
Leads me to You

I'm not alright, I'm not alright
I'm not alright

... that's why I need You.

It's Me

2010-03-02T11:51:00.001-06:00

I have four children, all of them wonderful and unique. They teach me so much on a daily basis about what it means to be a father, son and husband. It is an ever present reminder of how important it is to have our eyes and ears open to see/hear what it is God is trying to tell us.

Last night as my wife and I sat at the dinner table talking our youngest daughter - almost two - strolled up to us and put her little fingers up on the table. She is talking more and more now and calls each of her siblings by name. While she was standing there, fingers reaching up to grab the table, I asked her, "who is that?" She simply responded by saying two sweet words, "It's me!". We've tried to get her to repeat her name as she does with her brother and sisters but each time she just says, "It's me!" There was no need for her to say her name to her daddy. She just looked up at us with those big, blue eyes as if to say, "you know who it is".

We are navigating some difficult times right now, searching for direction and clarity as to what God would have us do. It can be frustrating to not have all the answers - to live day to day and not be able to see past tomorrow. But there is a greater purpose at work in us as we walk this path that seems to be so crooked. "God why do we seem to be wandering from this place to that? Please make our way straight (easy) so that we can give our lives purpose and direction". Some of that is a selfish request on my part. I want to enjoy a certain amount of structure and stability in my life. But I think that these moments we will later relish as moments when God was actively at work drawing us to Himself. Telling us - "Your focus and direction needs to be in Me". I read this poem yesterday that spoke to my wife and I in a powerful way:

He may wait til He explains

Because we know that Jesus reigns

It puzzles me; but, Lord You understandest

And will one day explain this crooked thing.

Meanwhile, I know that it has worked out Your best -

Its very crookeness taught me to cling.

You have fenced up my ways, made my paths crooked,

To keep my wandering eyes fixed on You,

To make me what I was not, humble, patient;

To draw my heart from earthly love to You.

So I will thank and praise You for this puzzle,

And trust where I cannot understand.

Rejoicing You do hold me worth such testing,

I cling the closer to Your guiding hand.

There are times when I bow my head to pray, not really knowing what to say or really even having the words to speak to my Heavenly Father. In these times I think it's enough to reach up and simply say, "Father, it's me".

Child-like Faith

2010-01-30T10:09:00.000-06:00

Proverbs 3:5

Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don't try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he's the one who will keep you on track. Don't assume that you know it all. Run to God! Run from evil! Your body will glow with health, your very bones will vibrate with life! Honor God with everything you own; give him the first and the best. Your barns will burst, your wine vats will brim over. But don't, dear friend, resent God's discipline; don't sulk under his loving correction. It's the child he loves that God corrects; a father's delight is behind all this.

Last night as we were preparing the kids for bed I took a moment to show off my hard work to my oldest daughter. I have been painting her new room for a few days now and she wanted to see how it was going. We stood in the room admiring the colors and listening to her ideas on what we could do next. At one point she climbed up onto the step ladder that I had been using and said, "Daddy, turn around I'm going to jump to you!" After I caught her I put her back up on the step ladder and attempted to explain to her a trust building exercise where she would turn around with her back to me, put her arms out to the side and fall backwards. I would catch her of course but it was nearly impossible for her to do it without looking back. She wanted to "see" me. I've thrown her in the air, twirled her around, done just about every crazy thing you can do while having fun with you children (most to my wife's dismay) and she had no problems with any of them because she could see me.

As it is when you have multiple children they all wanted their turn falling backwards off the ladder. That's when my wife and I noticed a revealing truth. The younger the child, the easier it was for them to trust me and simply fall back. My oldest had a pretty difficult time with it while the baby (almost two) got right up there and without any hesitation at all plopped right into my arms. Child-like faith is amazing. To trust without seeing - to know that you'll be caught and saved.

I think in our Christian walk it can be like this sometimes if we're not careful to consistently make a habit of trusting in Him. The older we get, the more "experience" we gain, we let doubt and fear creep in. We want to look back to make sure God is still there. We put out fleeces, try to strike deals with God or ask Him to confirm His words to us through at least half a dozen sources. After we put the kids to bed my wife and I sat down and talked. Amazed at how God had just shown us a real life parable and used our children of all things to drive home a point: "I'm here. You can't see Me, but I'm right behind you. I will catch you. I have my eyes fixed upon you and I won't let you fall."

In times like these I am reminded of a phrase that is used often in the Bible and by Jesus. "For those who have ears to hear, let them hear". I always thought that was a strange saying. Are people missing ears? What is He saying? Here's what He means - are you listening to the words I am speaking? Are you tuned into Me? Are you open to letting Me move and speak into your life? Some of us hear but we don't listen. God is speaking to all of us if we will keep our spiritual ears and hearts open to His words. It was comforting to hear Him speak to us right where we needed it. In our fear and doubt He said, "I'm here".

Dog-Pile

2010-01-22T11:18:00.000-06:00

God has brought a number of books into my life over the past year. Books that I needed to read at that exact moment in my life. God speaks to us in many different ways and these books are just one of the ways that He sends me messages of love and assurance. I just have to sit there and smile. I've been reading a new book that I received over Christmas by John Eldridge called "Fathered by God". In it he talks about the different stages of manhood and while all of them are present at one time or another there are distinct periods of a mans life where he lives predominantly in that stage. If I remember right the stages go from Boyhood, to Cowboy stage, Warrior stage, Lover stage, King stage and the Sage. As I was reading a portion the past few days regarding the Warrior stage something jumped off the pages to me. In life when things get difficult it is a natural reaction to sit back and question, "why does life have to be so darn hard!" We can be lost in the trouble and confusion of the moment but are those events something that God uses to initiate us as men to awaken the warrior inside of us to rise to the challenge and fight. I'd never really thought of it like that before. I've read a lot of things that speak to character building and refinement that comes from hard times but the word initiation by God to awaken a warrior really stuck with me.

And then I read this section which, to me, spoke to where I am feeling right now. If the enemy (Satan) cannot take the Warrior out of the battle (through giving in to sin or temptation) and if he cannot keep the Warrior out of battle altogether (through passivism - a word that scares me a lot) then his last resort is - DogPile. Keep the battles coming one right after another. So much so that the warrior starts to think that life is all about the battle, he becomes consumed by it. But life cannot be all about the battle. Life has to be about our relationship with the one who is making us into His image through the battles, through the peaks and the valleys.

In my last post I described what was, for us, a difficult week. One of the "lowlights" was a car accident. I received the call from my wife that morning while I was doing my morning Bible reading. On Tuesday morning of this week I was reading through my daily Bible reading when I was called into my manager's office and notified that my position with the company was being eliminated. Two instances of bad news, both while reading my Bible! "Why does life have to be so darn hard!" At least that was my initial thought (more or less). However in my email the following two days were these "verse of the day" snippets:

"And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 4:19

"The Lord will work out his plans for my life -- for your faithful love, O Lord, endures forever. Don't abandon me, for you made me." - Psalm 138:8

Coincidence or God speaking to me through His very Word? God cares about us and He speaks to us if we have ears to listen. Tuesday's "My Utmost For His Highest" devotional by Oswald Chambers read:

VISION AND DARKNESS

"An horror of great darkness fell upon him." Genesis 15:12 Whenever God gives a vision to a saint, He puts him, as it were, in the shadow of His hand, and the saint's duty is to be still and listen. There is a darkness which comes from excess of light, and then is the time to listen. Genesis 16 is an illustration of listening to good advice when it is dark instead of waiting for God to send the light. When God gives a vision and darkness follows, wait. God will make you in accordance with the vision He has given if you will wait His time. Never try and help God fulfil His word. Abraham went through thirteen years of silence, but in those years all self-sufficiency was destroyed; there was no possibility left of relying on common-sense ways. Those years of silence were a time of discipline, not of displeasure. Never pump up joy and confidence, but stay upon God (cf. Isaiah 50:10,11). Have I any confidence in the flesh? Or have I got beyond all confidence in myself and in men and women of God; in books and prayers and ecstasies; and is my confidence placed now in God Himself, not in His blessings? "I am the Almighty God" - El-Shaddai, the Father-Mother God. The one thing for which we are all being disciplined is to know that God is real. As soon as God becomes real, other people become shadows. Nothing that other saints do or say can ever perturb the one who is built on God. So bring on the DogPile. The Warrior is awakened. I am built on God and He is my rock and foundation. I will call to Him and He will save me in my time of trouble. To Him be all the glory. Amen.

God Never Changes - and He's never surprised

2010-01-18T12:59:00.000-06:00

Philippians 4:11 (The Message)

Content Whatever the Circumstances

^10-14I'm glad in God, far happier than you would ever guess—happy that you're again showing such strong concern for me. Not that you ever quit praying and thinking about me. You just had no chance to show it. Actually, I don't have a sense of needing anything personally. I've learned by now to be quite content whatever my circumstances. I'm just as happy with little as with much, with much as with little. I've found the recipe for being happy whether full or hungry, hands full or hands empty. Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am. I don't mean that your help didn't mean a lot to me—it did. It was a beautiful thing that you came alongside me in my troubles.

God is good - that is one thing I am sure of in a very unsure world. This past week has been hectic to say the least. One that can leave you reeling with questions and lead you either into prayer or into a depressed state. On Monday morning I sat in our computer room doing my daily Bible reading when the phone rang. My wife had just pulled out of the driveway minutes before so I walked over to the phone to see if it was her. It was. Her words to me, "I've been in a wreck".

She was on her way to take the kids to school driving through our neighborhood as we had done every day the past few weeks in this snowy, icy weather. Well, the roads were slicker than normal and as she approached the stop sign and started to brake the vehicle started to slide.....down the street approaching the main road that crosses in front of our subdivision. As she looked to her left she saw a school bus headed her way. As she pumped the brakes and said a short prayer the car slowed down just enough to avoid being in front of the bus and merely clip the back end. Fortunately no kids were in the bus but as you can imagine this made for a fairly eventful morning. Everyone was okay. The car was still drivable but definitely in need of repair. Bumpers can be replaced and I am thankful that my family was kept safe.

On Wednesday night I came home as my wife informed me that she had set out some steaks for grilling. I could eat steaks every night so needless to say I was excited as I went out to "fire up the grill". We have a gas grill - the ignitor on it broke years ago so after turning the gas on I just toss in a match for a quick fire show. I ran back inside (still pretty cold out) to change out of my work clothes when I heard the kids racing down the hall. "Somebody's at the front door!" they screamed as my wife went down to see who it was. What she saw was a man waving his hands for her to hurry down and open up the door. As she did he was quick to explain that he needed to come inside as there was a fire on our deck! My wife said he practically was walking inside already as he was explaining his hurry. She yelled down to me (still in the bathroom changing), "hey! there's a guy here in the house and something's on fire out on the deck!" I threw some pants on while wondering, "why in the world is there a guy in my house?". I raced out to the deck not sure what I'd find. As I stepped out there the plastic grill cover that I had tossed next to the house, was completely engulfed in flames! My neighbor, new to the neighborhood and still a stranger to me, was working to try and stomp out the fire. I yelled into the house that we needed water. Funny how slowly it comes out when you're in a hurry. As I stepped towards the fire to throw some water on the flames I took in a breath of air. As I did what I was actually inhaling was all the toxic fumes that were being put off by the plastic grill cover. So as I and my new found friend were standing out on the deck coughing away due to the fumes we were able to snuff it out. We shook hands as I introduced myself. We have one of those community mailboxes right at the corner of our sidewalk. He just happened to be going down to get the mail when he spotted the flames on the deck. After I sat down and thought about it for awhile it kinda freaked me out. If he hadn't been walking down to get his mail it could have been 5 minutes or so before I went back out to check the grill. By then the backside of our house could have been on fire! Fortunately no harm was done to the house, just a couple black marks on the siding to remind us of the incident.

So we took some brownies down to our helpful neighbor and we laughed about that moment that had taken us both by surprise. And I was reminded of how even though crazy things happen that can make life more difficult to walk through - God is never surprised. He is never caught off guard when these things come our way. He goes before us to "prepare our way". He knows and He cares. A few lessons in humility and simply being content and happy with our present situation even though it feels like things are "on fire" all around us. If there were no tests, no trials or difficult times could we really be made into the men and women God is calling us to be? Hard as they are I can say I am thankful that it makes me continue to put all my faith, hope and trust in Jesus. He never changes and He is good.

Initiation and Anticipation

2010-01-02T14:52:00.001-06:00

I had a dream the other night, which is significant for me as I don't have many of them and if I do I don't remember them. In the dream I was walking through a large house, holding a large keyring full of keys. All the doors in the house were closed and as I approached each one I would hold up the keyring - start rifling through the keys and try them one by one. Some would work which would lead me into another room in the house, most of the time they were bigger, brighter rooms but not always. And of course sometimes the keys didn't work at all which left me in the room for awhile. In these circumstances I either had to try more keys (to no avail) or wait for the door to be opened.

I've been thinking about this dream for a few days now. Why did I have it and what does it mean? This past year has been a very important one for me. If I had to sum it all up in one word it would be "awakening". I discovered a new love for reading. I started writing. Both are things I had forgotten how much I enjoyed when I was younger. I think I started to dislike them when they became chores, i.e. schoolwork. The same can be said of bible readings or devotionals - as soon as they become chores, one more thing to check off the list, we begin to lose interest and miss the point of what the exercise is all about. As a result of my readings, I have grown as a husband and a father. It's also shown me I have a long way to go. I have also felt a call of God on my life to get more involved in ministry work. I still do not know what that looks like but I am eager to find out. This period of waiting has been difficult for me. I do not wait well. I get stir crazy on weekends if I'm not involved in a project by noon. I'll drive my family a little nuts with my restlessness. Good thing I was painting today.

I read a passage by John Eldridge in his book, "Fathered by God" which talks about being initiated into the different stages of manhood. Before you can move into the next stage you must be initiated into it - it's a process not an overnight event. For a lot of men we are "unfinished" - never having been initiated into a stage or never having fully finished a stage of manhood before moving onto the next. Before you can bear responsibility you must be prepared for it in some way. There are many applications in those thoughts but for me this past year and currently are periods of initiation. In my dream I was holding a large keyring. I'm not sure what those stand for - talents, experiences, tools - all things that could open "doors". What I do know is that I feel stuck in one of those rooms and none of the keys in my hand are opening the door. It can't be opened by any talent I possess, any experience I have. The door infront of me now can only be opened by God and only after He is done initiating me through this period, this process. So I wait with much anticipation as God fathers me through this stage in my life. I am learning to lean on Him and put my faith in Him as I never have before. I must combat the doubts of, "will He show up?", "does He care?". I know He will and I know He does. In the meantime I'll pray.

In the new year I think God is leading me to grow in the area of my prayer life. I'll admit that this area has been a tough one for me. I read this passage the other day which is a perfect analogy for this. It is from Acts 12 and the excerpt is from a daily devotional called Streams in the Desert - Peter was in prison awaiting his execution, and the church had no human power or influence that could save him. There was no earthly help available, but help could be obtained by way of heaven. So the church gave themselves to fervent and persistent prayer. And God sent an angel, who "struck Peter on the side and woke him up". Then the angel led him past "the first and second guards and they came to the iron gate leading to the city. It opened for them by itself" (v10), and Peter was free. The secret? The believing prayer of the saints.

James 5:16 says -"The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much". Meaning it gets a lot done. Through prayer and waiting on God to open doors I cannot, I have great anticipation to see what He will do in 2010.

Merry Christmas - May the Force be with You!

2009-12-22T10:16:00.006-06:00

Last night I attended a truly unique play that featured many different aspects - all of which I enjoy. The overall plot: the Nativity Story told by the characters from... STAR WARS. Sounds a bit strange at first. How can we make the jump from Star Wars to the amazing birth of Jesus Christ?

This play was first thought up by one of my sons friends and I have to admit that when my wife first told me of the idea I was a little skeptical. My first thought - "wow that sounds weird". Whereas I might have been tempted to squash this creative notion as silliness the parents of the "author" we quite encouraging. Encouraging to the point of scheduling time for the boys to rehearse for about three weeks and secure a space for them to perform in.

Last night after the performance I mentioned to my friends dad that I was really happy that they had encouraged the kids in their creativity and not doused their enthusiasm. As parents we are responsible for raising our children which to a large part entails finding out what their God given talents and abilities are and encouraging them in those areas. Proverbs 22:6 says, "Train up a child in the way he should go and even when he is old he will not depart from it". I always took that to mean teach them the rules, teach them about the Bible and God and when they are old they'll stick to that stuff. And while that is true I think another very important point is what I mentioned above: study your kids - find out what their good at, what their giftings are (things that have been put into them by God) and lead them in that direction so that when they grow up they can fulfill the purpose God has for them to accomplish. Those things are put inside of them for a reason and there may be tasks that can only be completed by them. How tragic would it be to stifle the excitement of a child just because we thought it silly or because it wasn't something we ourselves were interested in.

We (and boys) are drawn to these types of movies (Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Braveheart, Indiana Jones) for a reason. There is evil in the world, spiritual evil that needs to be confronted and defeated by spiritual good.

2 Corinthians 4:18 (New American Standard Bible)

¹⁸while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

There is also the search for a hero - a person who will come along, find out what his purpose is and fulfill it to the good and rescue of all. These are all good things but the truth is that they mirror the ultimate story of Jesus Christ. God sent his only son into the evil world to confront it, conquer death and save all of humanity to himself.

So as we drove home last night it made me happy to think about this group of boys -my son included - who have that desire in their hearts to be heroes. To fight the unseen evil with the unseen good. And to tell the ultimate story at the same time that Jesus came to earth as a baby, heralded by angels to the lowest of men yet also worshiped by the wisest who sought him out. He came here to save us all. It was a wonderful Christmas memory that I will remember for a long time. Merry Christmas!

Living Out Loud

2009-12-12T08:39:00.004-06:00

Yesterday as I drove in to work I was listening to a christian radio station and a familiar song hit the airwaves. A song for the Christmas season - "Joy to the World". This is a classic and one of my favorites to hear this time of year. As the song neared the opening verse the words to the song started to roll aroud in my head - "Joy to the World, the Lord has come. Let Earth recieve her King" - the only problem is that the words never came out of the radio. This particular version happened to be without lyrics. Now there is nothing wrong with that however the words to this song happen to be very powerful and meaningful when describing what this season is all about. The song sounds good, very talented musicians all in sync but it just didn't feel right. How can you have the song without those powerful lyrics? Without them it just seems like so much fluff.

So that started the wheels in my head turning as I finished my drive in. Do we as Christians - self proclaimed followers of Jesus - live our faith out loud with "lyrics" people can understand or are we just nice people, who others don't mind being around but without the powerful, tangible message of the gospel on our lips? Ouch. Some might say, "hey I'm playing the song, what are you all worked up about?" Now more than ever I think the people we come in contact with need to hear it come out of our mouths as well as lived out tangibly in our lives.

That night I attended my kids' school Christmas program. The kids were excited to say the least with the prospect of Christmas and winter break coming soon. And while the songs that were performed that evening were ones that only parents could love there was one song that impacted me. One of the last songs of the night was "Joy to the World" - sung with much enthusiasm. As the kids belted out those powerful verses it reminded me of how amazing the message is - that our king came to earth as a child, born into poverty, in a messy, wretched situation. Born to two parents who had to have been scared out of their mind. All the while with Angels singing, shepherds running and wisemen traveling to witness this sight.

The message is powerful, people need to hear it - live out loud.

Open Hands

2009-12-02T16:08:00.002-06:00

Matt Pappa - Open Hands
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10CnkuMzBB0

Proverbs 28:27 Be generous to the poor—you'll never go hungry; shut your eyes to their needs, and run a gauntlet of curses.

I heard this song about a month ago and the message just shook me. It's the first song I've heard by this artist and I think it hit me so hard because it's where God has me right now. The concept of giving of ourselves - loving "the least of these" is a learning process and is at the heart of the Gospel message. It also speaks of the earthly treasures that will never satisfy us inside. I think that is evident by simply looking around at the wealthy and prominent people in our secular society and how miserable they are even though it would seem they have it all. And lastly he mentions the freedom Jesus brings when we surrender everything we are to Him - open hands reaching out in surrender. It seems backwards doesn't it? If we give up everything, we feel satisfied and free. That's because the kingdom of Heaven runs counter to the very things this world tells us to do.

Matthew 16:25 states - "for whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it."

I think a lot of people see open hands and immediately think of receiving something. Open hands moving inward towards self. Open hands to receive for yourself sets up the person as the center. And anything that sets itself up as the center besides Jesus is idolatry. What we should be striving for is open hands moving in an outward motion - to give rather than to receive. When we give love, we receive love. If all we do is take, take, take then we are trying to fill an endless hole. But if we give of ourselves we will be filled to overflowing and in turn giving out of our abundance.

I notice there are people who come to church with the expressed purpose of "filling up" for that week. They want a great worship experience that makes them feel good, a message that tells them what they want to hear. They also want people to approach them, to initiate conversation and relationship with them - they're waiting for people to engage them and they have their hands open to receive. But when that doesn't happen they become bitter or upset sometimes looking for another "church" where they can get what they feel should be coming to them. I mean, these people are "Christians" aren't they? Why aren't they greeting me and inviting me to their groups? As a result they leave empty handed. (And isn't it ironic that the people who are asking these questions are usually Christians themselves...)

In my experience it is those people who have their hands open to GIVE, who initiate those conversations and relationships that seem to have the most joy and fulfillment. There are plenty of opportunities to get plugged in but you have to do the initiating. If you want good relationships - open your home and time to other people. If you want to be mentored, pursue a mature Christian to develop a relationship with and ask them to guide you. If you want the Lord's blessing in your life commit everything you have to Him (that includes your tithe) and watch the ways He will fill you up. And when I say "blessing" I'm not talking about material things. If you had the choice to truly bless someone - say even your child - why would you give them something that would be gone tomorrow when you could give them something that would last forever?

The material society we live in I think is a huge hurdle to the church in America. Today more than 26,500 children died of preventable causes related to their poverty. The same will happen tomorrow and the day after that. Did you know that approximately 5 million people die each year of water-born illnesses? Water! We take so much for granted - too often we have our open hands out to receive when we should be seeking out those less fortunate with open hands to help and heal. May God change our perspective and give us His eyes so that we may see the world as He does. Rearrange our priorities God as we surrender all we are to You and your purpose for us in this life.

Mother Teresa once said that in the faces of the poor whom she served, she saw "Christ in His most distressing disguise."

Be Prepared, Use what You're Given and Walk the Walk

2009-11-23T16:30:00.004-06:00

I've been reading a new book that's been quite timely for me. It's called "The Hole in Our Gospel" and it's written by Richard Stearns, the president of World Vision. I'm only about 5 chapters into it but the theme seems to be the one that's been ringing in my head all year long - "go be the church". It's about a very wealthy CEO of a fine china company who is called by God to become the new president of a charity organization that meets the needs of the poor. I've been rocked on multiple occasions reading through it's pages but interestingly enough it was a passage out of Matthew that's stuck with me for about a week now. I've read Matthew 25 before - heard it preached hundreds of times - but with this passionate desire to tangibly help people in need it hit me like it was the first time I had read it.

The first part of Matthew 25 is about the story of the virgins and their lamps. Five who were wise and brought extra oil for their lamps and five who were foolish, ran out and were kept out of the wedding celebration. The second story is the parable of the talents. Three servants who were given money to invest while their master was away. Two acted wisely according to what they were given and increased their master's money. The third buried his money so he wouldn't lose it and acted foolishly. In "The Message" translation it says he was thrown into utter darkness.

The third story is what I've been meditating on. The story of the sheep and the goats. Jesus is in Heaven and is separating the nations for judgment. The sheep he puts on His right and the goats on His left. Here is the passage:

^34-36"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Enter, you who are blessed by my Father! Take what's coming to you in this kingdom. It's been ready for you since the world's foundation. And here's why:

I was hungry and you fed me,
I was thirsty and you gave me a drink,
I was homeless and you gave me a room,
I was shivering and you gave me clothes,
I was sick and you stopped to visit,
I was in prison and you came to me.'

^37-40"Then those 'sheep' are going to say, 'Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and give you a drink? And when did we ever see you sick or in prison and come to you?' Then the King will say, 'I'm telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me.'

One of the things the author - Richard Stearns - points out in his book is the fact that the sheep are surprised when Jesus says this to them. They were just living out their lives in love with God and in doing so it spilled over into tangible acts of love towards others. "You will know them by their fruit" (Matthew 7:16). This group of people lived lives that were filled with the evidence of their faith. The goats - although professing to know Jesus - did none of these things. They had no compassion for their fellow man or those less fortunate than themselves. They had a knowledge of God but no relationship with Him and certainly no tangible evidence that they served the God they professed to follow.

Another point Mr. Stearns makes is that the sheep are herded into their eternal reward after Jesus points out their acts of faith. Jesus didn't say, "Because you prayed the prayer of faith, tithed 10% and attended church regularly you may enter into your rest". No, he speaks of them tangibly meeting the needs of the poor. Feeding people, clothing people, visiting the sick and imprisoned. Does that scare you at all because it sure scares the heck out of me! Wow, are there going to be a huge group of people standing before Him on that day being separated into the goat pens because they turned a blind eye to the things that matter most in this world - the treasure God seeks - human beings? Obviously doing good works is not enough. Simple belief in Jesus is not enough. A radical relationship with Jesus that manifests itself in compassion and love for others is what He is looking for.

God I pray that You would give me Your eyes! Don't let me look the other way or hold back compassion when it is within my power to give it. Let us be Your hands and feet to a hurting and desperate world.

So the chapter as I read it breaks down like this:

Story of the Vigins and the oil lamps - BE PREPARED, you do not know when Jesus is coming back.
Story of the Servants and the Talents - WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH WHAT GOD HAS GIVEN YOU? Everyone has been given varying amounts of "raw material" to work with. Don't complain that yours is different or not as much as someone elses - use what you've got!
Story of the Sheep and Goats - WALK THE WALK, it's not enough just to believe - even the demons believe. Don't be a talker - be a DOER of the WORD. Walk it out every day and in every area of your life. What good is faith without the evidence that it's real?

I hope you see this chapter in a new light as I have. It inspires me to become the man God has called me to be. Enjoy the journey.

The Vice of Pride

2009-11-04T13:40:00.004-06:00

I have recently been digging into C.S. Lewis' classic, "Mere Christianity". I can't tell you how amazing it has been to glean his insights into the faith and how he came to his belief in Jesus from an Atheistic background. Over the past week I have been pummeled by the issue of pride. Seems everywhere I turn, either in a book or on the radio the subject is being addressed - and with good reason. C.S. Lewis calls it "the greatest sin" and a 'spiritual cancer'. It is the sin that caused Lucifer to fall from Heaven. Pride is a vice that keeps a person in a constant state of looking "downward'. And if we are always looking downward we're certainly missing the mark and not lifting our eyes up to the standard of Jesus Christ.

So with it on my mind I thought I'd better put down my thoughts here before I lose them. Not coincidentally this was in my daily Bible reading this morning.

Proverbs 27:1-2
¹ Don't brashly announce what you're going to do tomorrow; you don't know the first thing about tomorrow.
² Don't call attention to yourself;
let others do that for you.

Brashly announcing what we are going to do tomorrow has a lot to do with 'our will' and not God's will. Living self-centered lives places us in front of God and pride creeps in. While most people wouldn't think of having and 'idols' in front of God the idol of self is the most hidden but probably the most prominent. C.S. Lewis puts it this way:

"There is one vice of which no man in the world is free; which every one in the world loathes when he sees it in someone else; and of which hardly any people, except Christians, ever imagine that they are guilty themselves. I have heard people admit that they are bad-tempered, or that they cannot keep their heads about girls or drink, or even that they are cowards. I do not think I have ever heard anyone who was not a Christian accuse himself of this vice. And at the same time I have very seldom met anyone, who was not a Christian, who showed the slightest mercy to it in others. There is no fault which makes a man more unpopular, and no fault which we are more unconscious of in ourselves. And the more we have it ourselves, the more we dislike it in others."

So that doesn't mean that we don't plan for the future but I think it has everything to do with where our heart is. Are we living 'presently' or are we consumed with the future? To be consumed with the future opens the door for worry. Worrying over future circumstances is a lack of faith in the awesome God that we serve.

Matthew 6:34 - Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.

Verse two in Proverbs 27 states to not brag on yourself -to let others do that for you. C.S. tackled this one as well in the same chapter and I found it noteworthy given my reading today.

Pleasure in being praised is not Pride. "The trouble begins when you pass from thinking,, 'I have pleased him; all is well,' to thinking, 'What a fine person I must be to have done it.'"
The kind of pride that means "a warm hearted admiration for something/someone" is not Pride.
Pride is not a threat to God -- it is a threat to our relationship with him.

C.S. Lewis wraps up his chapter on Pride - the exact opposite of humility - in this way:

If anyone would like to acquire humility, I can, I think, tell him the first step. The first step is to realize that one is proud. And a biggish step, too. At least, nothing whatever can be done before it. If you think you are not conceited, it means you are very conceited indeed.

Micah 6:8 is a great verse to memorize. I know the verse but actually had to look up where it was located. I'll end with this -

⁸He has told you, O man, what is good;
And what does the LORD require of you
But to do justice, to love kindness,
And to walk humbly with your God?

God help me to walk humbly with you all the days of my life. Amen!

Break to Build

2009-10-26T16:34:00.006-05:00

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.

So I'm sitting at home last night watching a little Sunday Night Football while my wife and I go back and forth sharing thoughts about things we've read and learned the week prior. Typically I don't recommend trying to have a serious conversation while watching football but last night during a lull in our discussion a Nike commercial played that totally captured my attention. First let me say that I'm a big fan of sports in general and possibly an even bigger fan of Nike products. Those two facts rendered me awestruck during those fascinating sixty seconds. Commercials are one thing this company definitely does right. I've been in advertising for over ten years and every time one of their spots comes on I have to stop and watch. But if you're not a sports fan - you won't care. You'll probably roll your eyes and wonder what in the world makes me shallow to the point of being moved by a television commercial. If you're intrigued take a look:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNP16ulyd6c
- JORDAN "Break to Build" video

The hard hitting action sequences gave me a rush but it was the last line of the spot that caught my attention, "Break to Build". The point being that in sports many times you have to break down bad habits or break yourself down physically before you can have a clean, strong foundation to build from. (Nike products, of course, will give you the edge you need in your building process.)

Here's where this :60 second "ah ha!" moment hit me. My wife and I had just been talking about being 'ruined'. In our context, feeling ruined for any earthly endeavors be it fame, fortune or notoriety. And to be honest we're not really too sure why we feel that way. But that's okay. To be ruined is to be damaged irreparably. To be incompatible. I am no longer a tool that can be used by the world because I am no longer compatible with it. Oh I'm in the world alright but I fit an entirely new set of bolts and screws now. I want to be a tool that can only be used in the hands of God.

2 Corinthians 10:3 The world is unprincipled. It's dog-eat-dog out there! The world doesn't fight fair. But we don't live or fight our battles that way—never have and never will. The tools of our trade aren't for marketing or manipulation, but they are for demolishing that entire massively corrupt culture. We use our powerful God-tools for smashing warped philosophies, tearing down barriers erected against the truth of God, fitting every loose thought and emotion and impulse into the structure of life shaped by Christ. Our tools are ready at hand for clearing the ground of every obstruction and building lives of obedience into maturity.

The past couple of years have been a time of testing for me as I sought to find fulfillment through secular employment. It is only recently that I have seen the futility of it and acknowledged the call that Jesus has on my life. A call to walk closer and go deeper with Him in every area of my life. These times of testing have been to break me down to the point where all I want is to draw near to Him and go where He leads me. That is the foundation He wants to build from - Break to Build. As I have been broken and realized my brokenness I have grown from it. I have grown more in the past year than in the past ten put together! I say that half excitedly for the future and half regretfully that it has taken me this long to get to this point. But now that I am doing my best to live "in Christ" I am being built into a new creature. Those old things I used to desire are passing away and I can hardly wait for the things that are to come.

If you find yourself in a time of testing or feeling "ruined" take heart. God has building plans for you - plans to give you a future and a hope. Old things are passing away and new things are about to spring forth. Even if that future and hope that He's building is simply the new realization of how incredible His love is for you and that He will never leave your side.

Zechariah 10:3God-of-the-Angel-Armies will step in and take care of his flock, the people of Judah. He'll revive their spirits, make them proud to be on God's side. God will use them in his work of rebuilding, use them as foundations and pillars, Use them as tools and instruments, use them to oversee his work. They'll be a workforce to be proud of, working as one, their heads held high, striding through swamps and mud, Courageous and vigorous because God is with them, undeterred by the world's thugs.

Amen to that, Love God - Love Others.

Presents or Presence?

2009-10-19T16:04:00.003-05:00

Last week I had a birthday. Birthday's get less exciting as you get older. The most "exciting" part of my birthday was how totally excited my kids were to give me presents that they had picked out. I enjoyed that. The looks on their faces meant more to me than any material thing ever could. In a sense their physical PRESENCE meant more to me than their PRESENTS.

I think in our society we have put way too much emphasis on gifts - on giving a material thing to someone for a special occasion. So much so that gifts rarely impact us to the point where we're moved by receiving one. Most are given out of obligation. Most gifts do not say, "I saw this and it made me think of you". We attach "gift receipts" to our presents so if the person doesn't like what we got them they can take it back and exchange it for something they do like.
So we have de-gifting and of course re-gifting. Taking a present that you really don't care for and pawning it off on someone else. Gift cards (while I actually enjoy receiving them) are the ultimate obligatory gift. "I have no idea what to get you because I really don't know you that well so here's some money!"
Yesterday I attended the birthday party of my nephew -he was turning two. It's a great age but once he got honed in on a gift he liked it was over! All he wanted to do was play with the one thing he had in his hand. He was overwhelmed with so much stuff that everything else had lost its meaning to him. We've had this experience too on a few Christmas mornings and I felt for the parents as they tried to capture what they had hoped to be a very memorable party.

Here's my point - God has given us incredible gifts. The gift of His unimaginable love for us - His grace and forgiveness in spite of our unfaithfulness and constant attempts to prove ourselves to Him. He knows exactly what we need (and what we don't) and He gives them to us freely. And because of our materialism and insensitive attitudes towards earthly gifts we don't fully appreciate what He has done for us.

Romans 5 says, (vs 15-17) Yet the rescuing gift (salvation) is not exactly parallel to the death-dealing sin. If one man's sin put crowds of people at the dead-end abyss of separation from God, just think what God's gift poured through one man, Jesus Christ, will do! There's no comparison between that death-dealing sin and this generous, life-giving gift. The verdict on that one sin was the death sentence; the verdict on the many sins that followed was this wonderful life sentence. If death got the upper hand through one man's wrongdoing, can you imagine the breathtaking recovery life makes, sovereign life, in those who grasp with both hands this wildly extravagant life-gift, this grand setting-everything-right, that the one man Jesus Christ provides?

God's presence is what we should desire above all else. The 'wildly extravagant life-gift' that Jesus provides is amazing. I wish we could all come to a real sense of what it is He is offering to us. What if we took that to heart and lived out of that realization? I think if we did we would live our lives very different. Our response would be to chase Him with reckless enthusiasm and seek out all the things He has for us. It's more than we could possibly fathom!

Spiritual Binoculars

2009-10-02T10:37:00.003-05:00

One of the things I try to do on a consistent basis is journal my daily Bible readings. This has not only made my daily readings a lot more enjoyable but I actually remember most of it too. Now I'm not perfect in my dailies and I need to do more but if you struggle with picking up God's Word then I encourage you to try this approach. Oneyearbibleonline.com is a fantastic resource. It's made a huge difference in my spiritual life. This was today's reading using the SOAP method of journaling.

S - Scripture text: Philippians 3:4-21 (The Message)
15-16: So let's stay focused on that goal, those of us who want everything God has for us. If any of you have something else in mind, something less than total commitment, God will clear your blurred vision - you'll see it yet! Now that we're on the right track, let's stay on it.

O - Observation
Paul is writing to the Church here to encourage them to stay on course. What is important in this life is The Prize - Jesus - not our pedigree or our titles. All that is "garbage" Paul says in comparison to the knowledge and relationship we can have with Him. Paul also says hey look, I'm not perfect in this regard, none of us are, but we leave the past behind us and reach out for what God has for us. A more fulfilled life in Him! The ultimate goal of being transformed into the likeness of Jesus.

A - Application
Earthly treasures and titles often get in the way and "fog up" our vision. They can steer us off course from the stated goal and there is more to this life for us as God followers. We reach out for Him because He so amazingly reached out for us. Get into His Word, know His promises for your life so you can have spiritual clarity and stay on the path that will lead you to Christ. If you ever feel lost on this journey, pick up the letter that God left for you and remember that He has called us up - to be set apart for His purpose.

P - Prayer
God give me a zeal for your Word and discernment to discard any other teaching that is not from You. Give me spiritual binoculars to stay on course and the wisdom to help guide others as well. Thank you for your incredible love for us and that those you love, you discipline. You are awesome!

Stephen the Martyr

2009-09-30T16:39:00.003-05:00

I just read this last night and it really captured my attention. I've never heard it quite laid out in this way. Stephen was the first christian martyr that we know of and his story is well chronicled in Acts chapter 7. Stephen was sparring with the religious leaders of the day when they had finally had enough of what they termed as heresy.

⁵²Which one of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? They killed those who had previously announced the coming of the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become; ⁵³you who received the law as ordained by angels, and yet did not keep it."

Stephen Put to Death

⁵⁴Now when they heard this, they were cut to the quick, and they began gnashing their teeth at him.

From "Stephens Test of Faith" - One of the many throwing stones at Stephen was names Saul. Even though Saul was religious he was full of anger and of hate. He wanted to kill Christians and only stopped when he received Jesus. The way to defeat your enemy is to make him your friend. Jesus can change people's hearts. Stephen prayed for those who accused and stoned him (Acts 7:60) and asked God not to hold this sin against them. Was Saul's life saved for eternity because of this prayer? If Stephen had not trusted in God's keeping power, during his unjust execution, what kind of witness would he have been to Saul?

WOW, that hit me like a ton of bricks. Stephen doesn't get talked about much outside of being the first recorded martyr however his personal prayer of forgiveness and sacrifice might have actually saved the life of Saul - whom God turned to Paul - who wrote most of the New Testament that we hold in our hands today. There are no small parts in the kingdom life. Because Stephen gave everything he had and was obedient even unto death - others around him were changed forever. Now certainly Jesus appearing to you along the road will rock your world but I've never thought about that short prayer of forgiveness he uttered before going to be with Jesus.

Another interesting thing to think about: "Stephen's Test of Faith" - many times in the Bible it speaks of Jesus as being raised from the dead and being seated at the right hand of the Father. However in Acts chapter 7:55-56 it tells us that Stephen looked up into the heavens and saw Jesus standing at the right hand of the Father. Could Jesus have been rising to honor and receive Stephen's spirit?

Amazing to think that Jesus would stand up and receive those spirits of the martyrs. It's a beautiful picture of forgiveness and faith. 1 Timothy 6:12 states - Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. Sometimes I picture a great "cloud of witnesses" cheering me on in this race. That might not be too far from the truth. And I am encouraged by that.

"She's Copying Me!!"

2009-09-26T13:49:00.005-05:00

We have an ongoing issue at our house. One that I'm sure has been around since the dawn of rugrats, i.e.- little children. It usually starts out something like this. My wife and I are talking - trying to squeeze out a meaningful conversation in the 5 to 6 minutes we have together before having to attend to one of our four children. When from down the hall we hear one of our girls shout, "Mommy, Daddy, she's copying me!" If you are the parent of more than one child you've experienced this before.

It's often been said that imitation is the highest form of flattery but I don't think that's what the girls had in mind. More of a passive aggressive sibling rivalry kind of a thing. Why is one form called 'high flattery' and the other just plain annoying? I suppose it's in the approach and ultimately the intent of our heart.

There is a big emphasis today on not conforming to the crowd but to be an individual. Be different. Even though if we all took that approach we'd be conforming to non-conformity wouldn't we? Sounds confusing doesn't it. But as followers of Jesus Christ our ultimate goal is to be conformed into the image of our Saviour. From the time we accept His calling to the time we are taken to be with Him it is a long spiritual journey to conform ourselves to Him, to "copy" Him. And in the culture we live in I'd say that would be pretty different wouldn't it?

Ephesians 5:1-2 says it this way - "Watch what God does, and then you do it, like children who learn proper behavior from their parents. Mostly what God does is love you. Keep company with him and learn a life of love. Observe how Christ loved us. His love was not cautious but extravagant. He didn't love in order to get something from us but to give everything of himself to us. Love like that." - The Message

So to look at this from an adult perspective (oddly enough it works on a 6 year old too) we are to be imitators - of Jesus Christ. We are to copy Him in every way living and loving like He does. Notice how many times the word "love" is used in the verse above? Six times. If a word is repeated that many times in two verses I'd say the author thought it was pretty important - a main theme if you like. And it doesn't say anything about judging like God does. Sometimes verses are just as impactful for the things they don't say as the things they do. God is the only perfect judge. Leave the judging to Him and just try to Love as He has loved us.

I truly love it when everyday circumstances point us back to the grace and holiness of Jesus. If we could hear Jesus turn to His Father and yell, "they're copying me!" my impression is that the next thing you'd hear out of the Father is, "well done". That is what I am striving for.

Jesus our Mediator

2009-09-04T14:56:00.003-05:00

My wife shared with me a story the other night that I felt compelled to jot down here lest I forget the impact of her experience. While I was out of the country a few weeks ago she had the unenviable task of appearing in court due to a traffic incident that had happened months earlier. Now getting in an accident is bad enough but having to actually appear in a courtroom is even worse. It simply drives home the whole mess like a mallet and brings back all the frustrating emotions tied to the event.

While she was sitting there waiting for what seemed like forever, she noticed a teenage boy - not quite an adult yet - standing before a judge. He had no representation, no one to stand by him in his defense of whatever it was he had done. It didn't even look like any parents had accompanied him. She watched as the judge, very carefully and slowly, explained to the boy that if he waived his rights to an attorney he could not guarantee how these proceedings would pan out. Evidently he couldn't afford or didn't seek out a lawyer and was willing to go it alone in front of the judge. As a mother the scene broke her heart. He was totally alone in a very overwhelming place. That's when she heard the Holy Spirit whisper in her ear, "Aren't you glad you have someone to stand by you in your defense? Someone who stood in and took the punishment that we rightly deserve?" The weight of that question hit her hard. We do have an attorney, a mediator - a High Priest who will go before God on our behalf and show the evidence of his blood that was poured out to forgive our sins. And we don't get what we deserve. Instead we get something we very much don't - Mercy,Grace and Forgiveness.

Romans 6:18-20 states, "We who have run for our very lives to God have every reason to grab the promised hope with both hands and never let go. It's an unbreakable spiritual lifeline, reaching past all appearances right to the very presence of God where Jesus, running on ahead of us, has taken up his permanent post as high priest for us, in the order of Melchizedek." - The Message

My wife read to me two nights ago from a book by the title, "He Shall be Called" in which it talked about Jesus' Priestly names. Specifically the Bible mentions a number of times that Jesus will be a High Priest according the order of Melchizedek. Why is that significant? Melchizedek was set up by God has a universal priest, one that blessed Abraham. And since he was set up before Abraham - before the nation of Israel was even established he was not a priest due to his lineage. That is, not of the tribe of Levi who were the priests for the Jewish people. He was a priest for all men - Jewish and Gentile. Do you see my point? Jesus was established by God as our High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek, an eternal priest who would forever be a mediator between God and man - all mankind. And Jesus' lineage was from the tribe of Judah - not the priestly tribe of Levi. And according to the order making him a High Priest for both the Jews and the Gentiles. Awesome!

So it was a very tangible reminder to both of us how God has given us Jesus to fix our eyes upon - to call upon him when we are in trouble or when we have blown it. He will be the one to pick us up, dust us off and by his blood redeem us. Very cool stuff that I never given much thought to but once again just shows how God has been putting His plan together for us since the beginning.

Guatemala MissionsPictures

2009-08-28T09:41:00.003-05:00

What has hit me this week is that I need to view EVERYONE that I come in contact with the way I viewed the amazing people in this village - with love and compassion. We need to reach out daily to those in our circle who are broken and hurting. That keeps us from living on just a single "experience" to walking it out in our everyday life.

Mission Guatemala

2009-08-26T14:00:00.003-05:00

How do I encapsulate a week long trip to a place like Guatemala? On Aug. 15th I left with a group of five other men for a ministry trip to Hospital Shalom in Peten Guatemala. The purpose of the trip was simple - there were many projects at the Hospital that were "shovel ready" and just needed hands to do the work. That was our job. We joking said, "we never said we were good, only that we were available!" Hospital Shalom is a missionary hospital in the northern Peten region near the city of Flores. It provides hope and healing to people with physical needs. One of only two medial options in the area where the locals can go from medical care. The other is a state run hospital and the people there refer to it as the "place where you go to die". The infection rate at the state run hospital is around 70%.

As a group we had little construction experience to pull from but working together we accomplished everything we came down to do. It was amazing. We painted inside the hospital and inside the ministry house on the grounds. We also worked on a new kitchen project which involved covering the block walls with concrete. This is called repello (repayo) and was difficult but interesting work. The first day we were on a series of impromptu scaffolding made of branches and wooden boards to make the job just a little more exciting. Fortunately the local concrete crew was following close behind to do the finish work and make us look like we knew what we were doing! It was very rewarding to see the finished product on day three and know that soon this dirt floor room would be a fully operating kitchen that would serve the needs of the people in the hospital.

Other projects included replacing the screens on outter doors. Most of which had large holes in them created by energetic children. By the time we were done with them they were triple ply and ready for action! One of the funnest jobs was working on the tool bodega (or shed) that housed all the tools and machinery needed on the grounds. The wood on the outer porch area was totally rotten and collapsing. It was basically held together with a few nails and some wire. The posts weren't even secured to the slab. We had purchased new wood and after some quick, although well thought out, drawings we got to work. The result is a brand new outter area that can now withstand a tropical hurricane! Lag bolts, L-brackets and some gorilla glue will ensure that. One of our guys even found a router and carved out the hospital logo into the newly built benches. One thing about the wood down there - we called it "concrete wood". It was so dense we broke multiple bits just trying to drill through it. So much so we started using masonary bits that were smoldering black after each use. We also constructed a series of outdoor shelves that should be a blessing to the local grounds keeper. We hope he gets a lot of use out of them and that it makes his daily job a little easier.

By far the highlight of the trip was our Thursday trip to a remote village called Sesatule. The village itself has only about 100 people in it and it took us an hour and a half by school bus to reach them. The roads were so poor I don't think we hit 40 miles per hour our entire trip. The mission - replace broken water filters. There was no water to speak of where they were located. Just a few years ago local missionaries installed water catch systems in the village that collected rain water. Before that they were literally digging holes in the ground sometimes 10-12 feet deep and using ground seepage for cooking and drinking. These new systems were being provided by a local missionary who makes them out of concrete. Hollow on the inside they are filled up with rock, gravel and sand. As water is poured in the top the reverse osmosis process eliminates harmful bacteria and gives the household 99% pure water. Each water filter weighs in at 160 lbs! Hauling the old ones out an the new ones in was quite a feat in and of itself.

Kids - amazing kids. While we were there we handed out toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap and floss. We also gave them coloring books, hair bows for the girls. At one point we broke out a soccer ball and walked over to their "field" to take on the boys and see what kind of skills they had. Incredible players - running around in the 90+ temps with reckless abandon and most without shoes on. I think we were outmatched.

Before we left we handed out frozen kool-aid drinks as well as some extra soccer balls we had brought out with us. I think we spent 5 or 6 hours with these people but the experience will stay with me forever. They have so little and yet seem perfectly happy. It's overwhelming to walk out of our culture of excess right into something you'd see on National Geographic. Definitely makes you rethink the way you live. We left there exhausted - a merriad of emotions in our heads and our hearts. Happy we could do something but did we really do that much? These are questions that haunt me continually. I cannot look at my car, my house, my closet the same way again. I think eveyone should take a trip outside the US, someplace that will stretch you and get you out of your comfort zone. Someplace that will get you dirty and cause you to refocus your life and what's important. Hopefully I can return and see those faces again. If not there then somewhere that will continue to stretch me and realize that we are all God's children and that we should view everyone in that light.

Returning to the 'real world' is bittersweet.

Open Doors

2009-08-13T09:26:00.003-05:00

This week I was able to be a part of something very cool - I was able to witness a broken and desperate man walk away from his old life and take a step towards Jesus. I've really only seen this happen a few times in person but it's amazing.

On Monday I received a call from a father who told me his son had disappeared 9 days ago and they hadn't seen or heard from him until he showed up on his doorstep that morning. His son, I'll call him Joe, has struggled with drugs and alcohol addiction since he was young teen.

Joe had agreed to go in and talk with our pastor about his situation to get some Godly counsel and try to figure things out. Joe was convinced he had a demon inside him - one that had possessed him in a strong way and made him do things to hurt himself and others. My pastor was able to meet with Joe and his father as they talked and cried for about three hours. After visiting with the pastor it was evident that there was indeed a demon inside of Joe who had a strong hold on his life and didn't want to let go. They prayed the demon into submission and for the first time in weeks Joe said he was able to think clearly - even though his speech was quite broken and scattered. Now I believe in angels and demons - the Bible tells us that the things which are not seen are more real than the things we can see with our earthly eyes. That's a pretty scary thing if you think about it. More real!

So Joe called me on my way home from work on Monday to talk to me directly. I hadn't spoken to him in years. I could tell from his voice and just the way he was speaking that there was a lot going on in his heart and inside his head. Joe told me he felt there were only two ways out of this - either the demon leaves (through prayer and fasting) or Joe leaves (talking of suicide). Now this is the first time I have ever talked to someone struggling with this issue and it was difficult to stay focused as thoughts started to swirl around in my head. Joe told me he was feeling a lot better and was in a solid state of mind even though he really didn't sound like it. He followed that up by telling me that he felt like God was telling him he needed to get baptised. I thought that was great. I would find out later that he had never been baptised before. Then Joe said, "no, now I need to be baptised soon - like first thing in the morning". Wow, that was interesting I thought and a bit of a challenge since it was Monday and tomorrow was Tuesday - the day our church is closed. Joe didn't want to be baptised in a church though or somewhere with a lot of people around - just simple between him and God. Beautiful. It's inspiring to talk to someone who has just had a revelation of sorts. They are so passionate and sincere.

Now it's important to note that in the days leading up to this event my wife and I were talking at length about people reaching out to us and how we react to that. Do we do all we can to meet their need in a practical way or do we say, "I'll pray for you" and not think of them again? Then our pastor brought a message that was all about serving others, relationships and community. When I talked to my mother the night before she was telling me a story of a man who called a local pastor and told him he needed to be baptised right away (sounds familiar). So the pastor saw the open door -the opportunity - and agreed to meet the man first thing in the morning and he baptised him! He didn't schedule him a couple weeks out, make him attend a class and write down his statement of faith....the man was convicted, turned towards God and the pastor was obedient to the call.

So when this all transpired I was getting the message loud and clear. So I told Joe, if you want to be baptised we'll make it happen. I made a few calls and told Joe I'd meet him in the morning at a local convenient store and we'd head out from there. He was ecstatic. Then the thoughts started hitting me, "this guy could be crazy, what if he wigs out on you, how big is he, could I take him if he turns violent and the demon manifests himself, how do you feel about facing a demon possessed man, do you have the scripture to quote if this thing goes wrong?" All those thoughts hit me as I sat there thinking about the morning. Joe said he wanted it to be out in nature - in a local park with a creek. I thought that sounded neat until my thoughts went wild. So I called a good friend and asked him to join us, just in case. He agreed and that made me feel better.

So I met Joe at 8am and saw him for the first time in I don't know how long. He's 27 now - a pretty big, athletic guy. Not the scrawny kid I used to know. We hugged through the window of his Dodge pickup and he told me he didn't think the creek was a good idea, probably not deep enough. I agreed and we called the friend who was joining us and asked him if we could use his backyard pool. He said yes so Joe got in my car and we drove over to his house. I noticed his arm was wrapped up so I asked rather hesitantly what happened. He said he broke it smashing it up against a concrete wall in one of his rages. He said he was weary of his fight against this demon, that he couldn't do it any longer. But he wasn't ready to sacrifice himself to get rid of it. He talked as we drove - his sentences disjointed but making sense.

When we got to my friends house we jumped out of the car and headed towards the pool. We were greeted by my buddy and about six guys from his work crew. About half of them have struggled with drug and alcohol abuse so I think it was a God thing that we ended up there. They were extremely encouraging as Joe was fighting off thoughts that he must be crazy or silly. We gathered in the yard as Joe briefly explained what was going on in his life and why he wanted to be baptised. The group huddled and we prayed that his repentent heart would yield much fruit in the future and that Joe would no longer be tormented by his demon. That he would fill that new void with the things of God so there wouldn't be any room for a return visit.

The air was cool as we hopped into the pool, everyone standing on the deck to witness the account. Joe held his broken arm to his chest as he and I stood there - in the cold pool - to wash away the old life and Joe be raised a new man in God. It's hard to put into words the feelings at that moment when he went under the water - the hope and anticipation he must have had. When I raised him back out of the water he was very emotional and we hugged as he told me how thankful he was that we had made the time. But all we did was walk through a door - a wide open door that was apparent for all of us to see. God calls us to be obedient and when we listen for His voice and step out to do the things He asks us to do it is more rewarding than you can imagine. I pray I get to experience more events like the one that took place this week. Now more than ever I am listening for His voice, lookign for that open door.

Our Ultimate Victory

2009-07-24T08:33:00.003-05:00

I was reading in Romans chapter 8 this morning and wanted to jot this down. A familiar verse hit me from a different angle and really spoke to me and where I am in life. Verse 28 - "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose."

What struck me is that is says that God causes all things to work together for good - not necessarily OUR good but for His good to accomplish His will through us. Every time I have read this I have put it in the context of "it's going to be okay - God will work it all out". He very well may work it out for our good but I think He is more concerned with bringing about His good in us and growing our faith in Him. I've heard it said that God is more concerned with the condition of our heart than He is the severity of our circumstances. In other words, God's not all that concerned with our comfort - just our obedience to what He has asked us to do. Why do we think we deserve to have it all so easy? This life is not easy and the life of a God follower is even more difficult.

So what's the hope? What's the point? Our ultimate victory is in Jesus knowing that He knows what is best for us not only for today but for the rest of our lives on this earth. If we follow Him, love him and follow His purpose for our lives God's good will come out of it and spill over onto everything we come in contact with. I know I would like His good to come spilling out of my life in a tangible and evident way that glorifies Jesus and causes others around me to fix their gaze on Him. That is my prayer for my life.

The Spontaneity of Love

2009-07-02T12:24:00.003-05:00

I was going to blog about something else today but read this excerpt from "My Utmost for His Highest" and had to share it.
-Love is not premeditated - it is spontaneous.
-The characteristic of love is spontaneity.
-When His Spirit is having it's way in us, we live according to His standard without knowing it and on looking back we are amazed at the disinterestedness of a particular emotion, which is the evidence that the spontaneity of real love was there.
-The springs of love are in God, not in us.
-If we try to prove to God that we love Him, it is a sure sign that we do not love Him.
-The life of God manifest itself in this spontaneous way because the springs of love are in the Holy Ghost. (Romans 5)

Invest in Continuous Improvement

2009-06-26T11:22:00.003-05:00

This concept seems simple however I keep coming back to it. Why do so many people have trouble grasping it? I'm not sure if it's between the ears or just plain laziness. To get better at something or grow in an area you have to invest in that area. If you want to produce "fruit" which is the evidence of a godly life -you invest in yourself by reading the word, praying and seeking godly council.

Like a farmer who breaks up the ground and plants seeds for new growth, we must invest in continuous improvement as it pertains to following Jesus. The investments I mentioned above are the seeds that will grow over time. Seeds that you'll reap not only in that area but in other areas of your life ase well. Otherwise we'll be left with a heart full of weeds.

If you've ever planted anything or pulled weeds for that matter it's a dirty job. But the results are extremely rewarding. So too the results of a life well cultivated in Christ.

Here is a link to an article I received from a friend of mine - all good, thought provoking material.
http://www.neueministry.com/2009/06/when-does-relevance-become-irrelevant-2/print/

Father's Day Thoughts

2009-06-19T10:16:00.004-05:00

This one will be a little different for me. I just want to share some thoughts on Fatherhood that are bouncing around in my head right now. I have read a couple books this year relating specifically to the subject of fathering that have really transformed me as a dad and husband. I highly recommend "Point Man" and "Finishing Strong" by Steve Farrar. He has a writing style that really kept me turning the pages. I also just finished "Every Man's Marriage" by Stephen Arterburn and Fred Stoeker. One of the most challenging books I've read. Anyone who knows me also knows that I am not a big reader. This is a change that is happening in me for the better.

If you want to know which direction you are headed in life simply ask yourself, "what am I investing in?" The answer - where you spend your time and focus - will give you a good idea. If we as men have trouble with something we usually ask someone or read a book (website) on the topic. Unfortunately I do not think that is the case with being Husbands and Fathers. If these areas are important to you (and they should be) then you should be constantly investing in yourself to become better. We can blow $13 on a lunch out with friends but we hesitate to spend the same on something that can have an eternal impact if we apply it. The only thing we can take out of this world is people, so start with your wife and kids.

I love being a dad, I have four awesome kids ranging from 14 months to 8 years of age. The weight of the responsibility I have is always in my mind. There is a Jewish Proverb in "Finishing Strong" that states - "The Truth is heavy, so few men carry it". I want to be a man who carries the Truth and pastors my family to the best of my ability. I cannot do that in my own strength. I need the Bible and the strength of the Holy Spirit as well as a tight knit group of men to keep me accountable. I am fortunate to have those things active in my life but it didn't happen by accident. I would encourage everyone if you do not have a mentor - find one. Surround yourself with a godly group of men as your peers and keep your eyes open for opportunities from God to mentor or "bring up" others in the faith. That's how we as "the church" need to operate.

I find I am writing this for myself. After reading almost three books on this I feel like I could go on and on so I'll stop here today. It's definitely stirring me up inside and that stirring is good.

Regeneration

2009-06-09T10:15:00.004-05:00

Defined as - renewal or restoration of a body, after injury or as a normal process.

This buzzword has been bouncing around in my head ever since a friend of mine mentioned it. Specifically in the context of our spiritual life and the fruit - or lack thereof - that we are producing. What is "fruit"? Well since the only thing we can take with us from this world and into the kingdom of Heaven is people, let's start there. Are you reaching out and investing in those around you so as to bring forth fruit. This ties in beautifully with the concept of mentoring. A lot of us are content to work on our own Christianity and if we get real courageous we might even branch out to our families as well.

Now we know that we "should" be investing in the lives of others, especially in the body, to raise them up to maturity so they can turn around and do the same. People will inevitably do as others around them do. What if a church had a mentoring program where it's members were constantly bringing people up? It was explained to me like this - you should always (yes always) have someone in front of you (a mentor), beside you (team of your peers) and behind you (someone you are mentoring). That's a tough thing to do and we may do it for a season before we experience burn out.

That brings me to the principle of Abundance. We cannot give to others what we ourselves do not have.

Isaiah 63:7[ God's Ancient Mercies Recalled ] I shall make mention of the lovingkindnesses of the LORD, the praises of the LORD,According to all that the LORD has granted us,And the great goodness toward the house of Israel,Which He has granted them according to His compassionAnd according to the abundance of His lovingkindnesses.

God gives out of His abundance - His cup overflows for us. When we look at mentoring -or leading our family - it must first start with the individual, you. Invest in yourself spiritually, draw near to God so that you may have His abundance to share with others. Only then will you have what is needed to pour out into the lives of others, lead them into new growth and release them to do the same.

Are we listening?

2009-06-01T11:27:00.003-05:00

I was struck with a terrific word picture this past weekend that I think parallels the experiences and often frustrations we have as Christ followers. Being the father of four children is an experience in and of itself. One that I enjoy but at times can be challenging.

We live in a surburban neighborhood that contains many families of young children. This is great for our kids who are able to walk out the front door at almost any time of day and find someone with which to play. I did not grow up in this type of environment so my wife and I are very happy that they have neighborhood friends that live across the street.

Crossing the street...to the other side....where the grass is greener and things are always "more fun" right? On Saturday we were outdoors working on home projects when our third child, who is three years old, spotted our neighbors across the street in their driveway having this "fun". Immediately she darted across the street, much to my wife's dismay. We always preach - "look both ways before crossing the street!" but when there's fun to be had that often goes by the wayside. There were no cars in the street and she made it across without harm but we were quick to reitereate the 'look both ways' rule.

I think our walk with Jesus is this way. We prefer our kids to stay at our side or behind us so we can protect them. When they get out in front of us there is the potential for danger. If we are walking with or behind Jesus we are in His will. He is leading and we are following in his steps. It's when we get out in front of Him and try to go it our own way that we can get off track. He calls to us, just like we do to our children, but are we tuned in to His voice? The normal response we get from our kids when we ask them why they didn't stop is, "I didn't hear you". Is that our response to God when we get out in front of Him? May we walk so closely behind Jesus and become so in tune with His voice guiding us that we become "covered by the dust of the Rabbi".

If we're not close enough to become dirty with His "dust" - I suggest we close the distance.

Originally Clean

2009-05-29T10:11:00.005-05:00

An interesting discussion I had with my wife the other night as we were talking about getting our hands "dirty" and doing the work of Jesus who has called us. She brought this verse to my attention which is different from the main idea but I felt was entirely appropriate.

When God created Adam and Eve they were clean and without sin. Life was not meant to be this difficult, messy road we travel on. Here is the verse:

17Then to Adam He said, "Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, 'You shall not eat from it'; Cursed is the ground because of you; In toil you will eat of it All the days of your life.
18"Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you; And you will eat the plants of the field;
19By the sweat of your face You will eat bread, Till you return to the ground, Because from it you were taken; For you are dust, And to dust you shall return."

In toil we must work to bring forth fruit. This also applies to us spiritually as well. This is not an easy process but walking out our faith can be a muddy mess. We fall, covered with the dirt of this world, dust ourselves off with a repentant heart and start chasing after God again. If you've ever fallen in the dirt it's practially impossible to get it off you completely - my wife's weapon of choice is OxyClean. Much the way that stuff works miraculously getting out stains, so the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all our sin. None of us are perfect creatures -we're all dirty.

So from dust we were formed and to dust we shall return. In the meantime we are to be transformed via our relationship with Christ, reach out to others that are still in the dirt (this requires the kind of love that stoops to help others - ponder that for a minute) and point them towards Jesus.

Practice that "stooping love" in your circle of influence today.

D.C. W.O.W. Weekend #1

2009-05-22T14:55:00.002-05:00

D.C. W.O.W. Weekend #1 -
Desperation Church With Out Walls Weekends - what are we talking about? Exactly what I believe the church is called to do, take the love that Jesus has and the message of salvation outside the church walls and into our community. One weekend each month we cancel all church services and turn our focus outward. It was awesome to see so many people - wearing their yellow t-shirts - worshiping the Lord infront of an old warehouse building and looking forward to getting out of their comfort zone to serve others.

Our first weekend was simple - go to area nursing homes and be Jesus to a group of people that have been forgotten and marginalized. This was an incredibly moving time of service and sharing that ranged from planting flowers and pulling weeds to going room to room to give out haircuts and paint fingernails. Such a small gesture meant so much to these seniors and the payback was all in their smiles.

Galatians 5:13
For everything we know about God's Word is summed up in a single sentence: Love others as you love yourself. That's an act of true freedom.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSzgPSndBKI