Well Said Luther!

Many things I have tried to grasp, and have lost. That which I have placed in God's hands I still have.

-- Martin Luther

All I Want for Christmas Is... A Sack Full of Coal?

Children all over the world breathed sighs of relief as they opened and found sweets and toys in their stockings in stead of lumps of coal. Grace was showered, instead of wrath. For years, Christmas lore has told of the infamous lumps of coal bestowed upon those lads and lasses who were naughty and not nice. I, however, am longing for a whole sackful of coal this year.

There are a number of passages in Scripture that, regardless of who you are, if we all practiced the principles found therein, the world would be a different place. I think if the church alone wholeheartedly pursued excellence in this area, we would see issues of depression, poor "self-esteem" and mental health virtually disappear.

Although I read this passage days ago, I have been drawn back to it several times this week by the Spirit. A familiar passage in Isaiah 6 would rank in the number of aforementioned vital truths. The prophet is given a rare glance into the Holy presence of the Lord Almighty and he is shaken to the core. His response to God's Holiness is recorded in verse 5, "'Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I live among a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.'"

His confession has to do with, of all things, his mouth. He is cut to the chase as to his speech is found lacking. I have heard him referred to as the potty mouth prophet or the cussing prophet. I am no Hebrew scholar, but based on this passage I do not see evidence that he had issues with expletives. Nevertheless, there is issue to be dealt with here. Along with other sins, we will all give an account for the inappropriate words that have slipped past our lips, and it should cause us to shutter.

Our verbal uncleanness comes in a variety of shapes and sizes that definitely bears a trip to the returns counter. Unfortunately, once it shoots past our teeth, it is gone, and often the damage done is lifelong. One of the of the stupidest tidbits of information passed off as truth to our kids is, "sticks and stones may break your, but name swill never hurt you!" What a lie! If that were true, why is it that hurtful things said to us decades ago still resonate in our minds? But still, we speak things that simply should not proceed out of the mouths of saints of God.

Far too many folks utter profanity. But verbal transgressions are not limited to those individuals who cannot articulate themselves without a random pattern of wingdings (@#$%@#!) The Word has much to say about the issue of the tongue. Click on these few passages and see which ones hit home with you: Psalm 34:13, Proverbs 25:18, Proverbs 29:20, James 1:26, and probably the most all inclusive Ephesians 4:29. These are just a few, and they have all tripped me up at one time or another. But I think the one that is the most scathing comes from the Savior Himself, "For there is no good tree which produces bad fruit, nor, on the other hand, a bad tree which produces good fruit. For each tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they pick grapes from a briar bush. The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart." (Luke 6:43-45)

Do you want a test of how deep your faith really is? Listen to that which comes out of your mouth. It bears witness against us. Is it cutting remarks? profanity? gossip? dirty jokes? The list can go on and I assure you there is a scriptural rebuke for each. But it basically comes down to this, if what we say does not build someone up, then we shouldn't say it. (or think it for that matter!) Now I am not talking about speaking the truth in love that corrects a sinful behavior. But even with that exhortation, the motivation must be in love, not condemnation.

I wonder if a whole sackful of burning coals would cleanse my lips of the terrible, cutting shameful things that I have uttered. Only by filling ourselves with the truth of God's Word can we begin to reverse the heart disease (cf. Romans 12:2).

So, what do I want for Christmas this year? A good start would be a sack full of burning coals.

Good Quote...

I received this after my morning post. It fits well...

"Faith is unutterable trust in God, trust which never dreams that He will not stand by us.

-- Oswald Chambers

Spiritual DIY

I am not the typical man. Most men, like to work with their hands, build stuff and fix things. And yet, I find that, like Tim the Toolman, the more I try to repair stuff around the house, the more expensive the damage gets. All the while I should have picked up the phone and called someone who knows how to fix the trouble. Instead, I trust in my own ability to fix the problem. I have since resigned myself to enjoying the expertise of those talented individuals on the Do-It-Yourself channels on TV.

Once again veering from my study through the Books of the Law, I find myself reading a book I haven't read very often. As a matter of fact, much of my reading has been pieced together over the years. I am reading through the prophecy of Isaiah. While only a few chapters in, there is already much richness in the text. This morning I was reading through chapter 7, and several common threads jumped out to me as I often struggle with these same issues.

Isaiah is addressing King Ahaz, the grandson of the famous King Uzziah of Judah. Ahaz finds himself surrounded by nations that are conspiring against Judah to invade and conquer them. Needless to say the nation was shaking in their boots. Facing this scenario, Ahaz begins to make plans to do something drastic... align himself with one of the then enemies... Assyria. One commentator describes the foolishness of this by likening it to a mouse asking the cat to help against two rats. Being Italian, I think of it like one neighborhood family hiring the mafia to come help with a couple of local street gangs.

So, God sends Isaiah to Ahaz to address the situation, and here are some of the things that God tells Ahaz in verse 4a, "'Take care and be calm, have no fear and do not be fainthearted.'" Later, in verse 9b, He says, "'If you will not believe, you surely shall not last.'"

How many times have I faced multiple hardships, gotten nervous and decided to "fix" things myself. God isn't moving at the pace that I think He should move nor in the manner in which I think it should be done, so I am going to "help" things along by taking matters into my own hands. Now while, I have learned much from the dumb things I have done, I would have been saved much sorrow had I only trusted God and waited on Him and not tried to be a spiritual do-it-yourself-er. I am sure Ahaz and I are the only ones who struggle with spiritual DIY. Sometimes, I should have followed the revised cliche, "Don't just do something, stand there!" Call on the expert who not only has the blueprints, but is the Designer Himself.

A great passage to follow up with is Psalm 37. I tried to choose one verse to post, but it's all good, read it!

A Question to Ponder...

I have been thinking about this the last couple of days. I have for years heard the cliche, "they are so heavenly minded that they are no earthly good." What are your thoughts on that statement? Do you agree or disagree and what would that look like? Is that talking about a veiled false piety rooted in pride or legalism or is it an excuse to have worldly behaviors and sinful attitudes?

Break Free!

Many of you have seen the epic movie "Braveheart," the dramatized story of Sir William Wallace of Scotland, played by Mel Gibson. One of my favorite scenes is at the end when Wallace is being executed, and he is given the chance to utter his last words. Wallace summons every ounce of strength to boldly proclaim that for which he lays down his life... freedom!

Americans are somewhat familiar with the concept of freedom. After all, we live in the land of the free, right? However, I think the two prominent errors we see lived out in our country, is prevalent in the Body of Christ as well. We are either trying to take away the freedom of others, or we are using our freedom for selfish gain and to abuse the grace by which we live.

I read this quote this morning by David Edwards, "When purity is reduced to legalism, our hearts are no longer free; they are focused more on maintaining rituals and customs than on living out a genuine character change."

I wonder what our churches would be like if this statement really rang true? It seems that all too often we go from one set of shackles to another. If our desire to obey God is not rooted in a motivation of gratitude and love, we miss the point of the death and resurrection of Christ. Living under the law cheapens the work of Christ whether it is the Mosaic Law, your own law, or somebody else's. I am amazed at the vastness of legalism in the Body of Christ. When will we finally realize that we can never be loved or accepted by God any more than He already does? A few verses come to mind when I think about this topic:

"It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery."

-- Galatians 5:1

"So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, 'If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.'

'So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.'"

-- John 8:31-32, 36

Once we begin to live in true freedom, it is then when we live the way God intended, not to please our flesh.

"Everything is permissible"—but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible"—but not everything is constructive. Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others."

-- 1 Corinthians 10:23-24 (NIV)

When we enjoy our freedom, we are set free not to do as we please and satisfy ourselves, but rather to do good for others' benefit. I have two important questions for you today:

1. Are you truly free?

2. If so, what are you doing with freedom?

They Sure Grow Up Fast!

Today is my oldest daughter's birthday. She is five years old and it has been five amazing years of getting to know her and getting to know myself as I have grown up with her. God has truly blessed me with the five years of knowing and loving my big girl. Happy Birthday Melody, you will always be my song of God's grace. You have taught me more than you will ever know. Through that Grace, I pray that God may bless me with many more years as your Daddy! You my princess!

I've Got a Secret

It would only take one look at me to realize that I was never much of an athlete. I played a little soccer in elementary and Jr High, but for the most part, none of my yearbooks were not filled with accolades of Athletic prowess. Truth be known, I was one of those who was usually picked last for teams. The feeling of rejection followed me through much of my life and even now, when I witness this today whether in person or on a movie, there is a sinking feeling in my stomach. There is one thing that I believe is at the heart of every human being... the need for acceptance and intimacy... specifically with God.

Look around you and you will see people, Christian and non-Christian alike, clamoring for that which is but a hollow shell of what they desire the most. Don't believe me, well then logic would say that if material wealth and popularity is what satisfies, then one would assume that those who live in Hollywood and Washington would be the most emotionally stable and healthy. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that that couldn't be farther from the truth.

Last night in our small group we talked about this at length. We have been talking about the two parts of the Gospel: 1. Christ's death on the cross dealt completely with our sin, 2. Christ rose from the grave to give us new life. And it was no surprise to me that as I shared my heart in this second area from my own experience, the look on their faces told me they had never really fully grasped this part of their identity in Christ. This is one of the most important and yet I feel one of the most neglected aspects of the Gospel in the church today. And I have come to realize that, unlike Oprah's new fad cult "the secret,"this topic truly is the "The Secret" to the abundant life Christ refers to in John 10:10. I will admit that some can articulate these two parts, but so few in the Church really live in the truth of the second part.

This morning, I was reading and found this Thomas A Kempis quote that describes what we talked about: "The one who loves flies, runs, and is glad; he is free and not bound. He gives all for all, and has all in all, because he rests in one who is supreme above all things, from whom every good thing flows and goes forth." It wasn't until just a few years ago that I realized that although I was a follower of Christ, I was not free, but bound in slavery to my guilt and sin that Christ had overcome by His death. I was not living in the rest that is described here.

I remember growing up in the church and watching people get baptized, I would hear the pastor quote Romans 6:4 as he dunked them into the water, "Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life." That odd little phrase was never explained to me, not really. I mean I understood that as a Christian I was to stop doing bad things, but it never was explained to me that my identity had changed and I actually had the power to do that. I was a new creature in Christ. (cf. 2 Corinthians 5:17).

You see when we become new creatures in Christ, God actually gives us a new life. We are born again. That is not just a religious phrase, it is a new identity. The trouble is few people ever learn how to actually walk in that identity. Oh, they may do a lot of trying, but how many people in the Church do you know that are actually living the life of rest in the Supreme one that Kempis refers to? I sure wasn't. I thought the Christian life was hard-- it's not! It is impossible. Jesus describes eternal life best for us in John 17:3. It is about relationship with the Father. That is the Secret! Once I learned the Secret, I was set free by the Truth! Do I always hit the mark? Absolutely not, but I can rest in the fact that I don't have to because He is the One that has completed the work required for complete acceptance before the Father. I can now remain intimate with Him as long as I abide in him. I will spend the rest of my life sharing the Secret with those both in the Body and out.

Now you know the Secret! Go walk in newness of life by the power of Christ in you!

Are We There Yet... pt. 2

So, here we are, we have returned from a long trip, and yet I find myself still exhausted in every area of my life, wanting so desperately to have been refreshed after a week off. But then, as frequently happens, God begins to speak to me. I had just finished reading the Gospel of Luke these past few weeks, and had actually began to read the first couple chapters of Acts, when I was led to get back into my study of the Pentateuch. I had left off in Numbers. In addition, I am reading John Ortberg's, Love Beyond Reason. That is were the Lord's message to me converged.

I think there are times in our lives when we get so wrapped up in our circumstances that we spend time in the Word and it falls on deaf ears what God wants to say. We get impatient with people, with ourselves and we just want to give up. Then, comes the two-by-four... WHACK! I was reminded in a very short period of time of what God does in the lives of His people. God is most interested in our character NOT our activity. When God takes the people out of Egypt, the people were so weary of the slavery, I think they wanted the Promised Land more than they wanted the Promiser of the Land. He had given them some amazing examples of how big He was, plenty enough to trust Him, but they did not believe. They did not trust in Yahweh, the Promise Keeper.

Then come the cries, "Are we there yet!?!?"; "How many more miles?"; "How much longer until we're there?"; "We're hungry,"; "We're tired of eating Manna,"; "We're thirsty,"; "This water's bitter"... Are we there yet? It's an old problem with a simple, but impossible, solution. Impossible apart form the power of God. It is an issue of faith, of trust, of... contentment... contentment not just in the material things that we currently have, but rather at the core of who we are.

One of my favorite Psalms is Psalm 37. Many a day I have poured over this Psalm when I was going through a pity-party. Wanting out, wanting a change, wanting more, asking God, "are we there yet?" Those are the days when our hearts cry out, "Lord I am tired of it all, please come back, take us to heaven, now!" But I have found the answer to this common dilemma is echoed throughout Scripture, Old and New Testaments alike. My favorite in this Psalm is in verse 4. "Delight yourself in the LORD; And He will give you the desires of your heart." In my worship of self, my tendency is to focus on the latter half of that verse, and yet, it is the first half that is so critical. When I delight my self in the Lord, it is not that He will give me whatever I want, but rather, He becomes and manifests that which my heart most longs for... eternal life. Along around this verse the focus is on knowing and trusting God. Check it out for yourself. Jesus described this focus in His prayer in John 17:3, "'This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.'"

God reminded me that it is not about the destination; it is all in the journey and with whom we are traveling. Like my daughters, I have gotten into the mindset, "get me out of this car seat, I want to be there now!" Instead of resting in the the hands of the driver, enjoying the trip, and enjoying being with the family, I just want to be there now. I didn't want to sing another song, play another round of I spy, nothing. I was not content in who I was or more importantly, who He is. You see, God is a God who takes His people to the Promised Land by way of the desert. Ortberg describes it as the "roundabout way." These are the places where God develops us into His likeness. Ortberg quotes Thomas Merton, "The man who does not permit his spirit to be beaten down and upset by dryness and helplessness, but who lets God lead him peacefully through the wilderness, and desires no other support or guidance than that of pure faith and trust in God alone, will be brought to the Promised Land." I had allowed myself to be beaten down by the dryness and helplessness of the desert.

Where are you in your trip? Is your heart crying, "Are we there yet?" Are you chasing the emptiness of the world's treasures, or rather, are you sitting back and enjoying the ride with your Father doing the driving? That is what He desires. The question is will we delight ourselves in the driver and the voyage?

Are We There Yet? part 1

Along with millions of others this past week, I loaded up the car with our family and traversed the countryside for a couple days of the good life with our family. My two girls are now almost 5 and 20 months old. My oldest, Melody, we have traveled with numerous times, and she has always traveled well. The younger on the other hand... well, let's just say we haven't and she doesn't. Melody is now at the age where she has learned the world-famous traveling phrase, "Are we there yet?" She anticipates the undivided time she will glean from the aunts, uncles and cousins present and can't wait to put on her best performances, as the world (a.k.a. my sister's house) is her stage! So, even though she has been told we won't arrive until well after dark, she is on an internal timer set to go off with the above mentioned mantra every 2-3 minutes-- beginning at the time of our departure, 3 PM.

Now this is somewhat manageable, however; the other child, although her verbal skills are not yet fully developed, has no trouble in relaying the fact that she loathes the invention of the car seat and is convinced that it was, by engineering, not intended for occupation beyond 15-20 minutes. We know she is adamant about this fact as she sounds off her opinion in crying, whining and pleads for momma every 15-20 minutes! Understand, this is the norm; however, the intensity of this song on our holiday voyage was raised a few notches as she was sick and running a fever.

Our trip was scheduled to take 7 to 7-1/2 hours in total. After 6 hours, we had just made it half way thanks to heavy Austin traffic and frequent stops to frees the inner ear canal of its new nemesis. We made the executive decision that it would be best for all in our exhaustive state to stop for the night in San Marcos. We woke physically refreshed but asking God why there was not a toddler's version of Dramamine available. The total trip down we squeezed 7 hours into 11 hours-- the trip back was only 10 (yeah!)! You parents reading this are most likely snickering thinking, "Yep, been there; done that!"

In the midst of my exhaustion I was not prepared for the lessons God had for me on this trip. Once again, in perfect and sovereign timing, He coincided, both circumstances, messages from His Word along with conversations and other readings to pull out the proverbial two-by-four to drive home a message I needed to hear desperately. I will expound further on this lesson tomorrow or the next day... to be continued.

Holiday Irony

It occurred to me yesterday, isn't it interesting that in a couple days we will celebrate a day set aside to recognize that God is the source of all things and that we are to live in an attitude of gratitude and thanksgiving. This holiday precedes by a mere few weeks another holiday which in origin was set aside to commemorate the coming of the greatest gift of all. Perhaps if we stuck to the original design for these days the first would help prepare us for the second.

But our culture like many other things has perverted, the first is now about a meal and some football. Christmas has turned in to a free for all gimme gimme gimme.

Hmmm. How ironic. Psalm 103:1-2 states: "Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget none of His benefits;"

Perhaps we have...

Kickin' Back...

Today, I begin the first week long vacation I have had in years. All vacation time I have experienced in recent years has been a day here two days there. That is okay, but I have to admit I found myself coveting that time that friends of mine that have taken one and two week vacations. Reading their blogs of fly-fishing in the Gotacatchabigun River or sailing across the glassy Lake Lazyday have only served to heighten my awareness of a desperate need to rest and recuperate physically, emotionally and spiritually.

This morning, I began my vacation time with a fine dining experience at Cafe Antoine. It was a hearty breakfast prepared by Chef Antoine himself! I had to wake the girls up in time for this breakfast catering because they were all sleeping later than normal. I then enjoyed a spa-like shower sensation, and am now settling in for some creative expression.

Okay, so, I am feeling a little delusional. In short, I made breakfast for my oversleeping girls, stood in my own shower for an extra five minutes, and now sit at a cluttered desk blogging. But I have savored every bit of it. I thoroughly enjoy cooking-- especially for others, lingering in the shower and not having to rush out the door away from my girls, and finally getting to be still long enough to record some of my thoughts on my blog. I imagine there will be much gibberish on here the next day or so as there is much pent up inside me that needs to come out. I will however try not to make you feel like you have experienced literary vomit.

In the next couple of days, we will be traveling to spend a couple days with my oldest sister in South Texas, where we will enjoy a long time family tradition of playing board or card games trying to make her wet herself from laughing so hard! I pray that you will enjoy some time away from the unimportant rush to nowhere that you too will drink deeply the life God has blessed you with. In the midst of the gluttony of food, sporting events, and bargain hunting, may you be able to be still and know that God is God.

Psalm 46:10a records this familiar verse. The NIV states it like this, "Be still, and know that I am God;" and that is powerful. But sometimes, I need to hear it like the NASB translates it, which as I understand is a more accurate rendering, "Cease striving and know that I am God." Ceasing striving means to not fighting against me. The Psalms are so therapeutic and refreshing. Listen to how Eugene Petersen describes this verse in the message, "Step out of the traffic! Take a long, loving look at me, your High God, above politics, above everything." That is what I am going to attempt to do this week. Take a step out of my high traffic life and know that God is God.

I hope to blog much in the next few days, perhaps multiple postings in a day. Or maybe not. There are few things I must do, and I will take my time in doing those. The rest I will take a wait and see attitude.

The First Insurance Agent

Like a good neighbor... State Farm is there. When the thought for this blog came to me this morning, of course so did the old jingle, so since I am being tortured with it, I thought I would share the blessing! I was reading this morning, when I noticed something that I hadn't seen before. I always figured that insurance was a relatively new concept. Nowadays, insurance companies are synonymous with greed and lobby groups. Yet, as I did a little research, I was reminded that God actually came up with the whole concept of insurance. Don't believe me? Do a word search on the word "neighbor" and read some of the passages associated with it. We get some of our principles of modern insurance from what we see in the Word. I believe however, that we are a long way off of what was intended... but anyway, I don't want to get off on too much of a rabbit trail.

This morning I found a record of what I believe may be the first insurance agent. I found it in what is probably one of the most well-known parables that Jesus taught. Have you guessed it... the good Samaritan! This exchange between a lawyer and the Master was centered around self-righteousness. We know this by a little phrase hidden in the discussion in verse 29, "But wishing to justify himself, he said to Jesus, 'And who is my neighbor?'" This man was trying to impress the Master with his own good works of the Law and Christ hits him right between the eyes with the truth. He explains what the good neighbor was in the parable and that this man, considered to be pond scum to the average Jew, was far more righteous than this religious expert. The expert in the law got the point, but do we?

The image of Christians, especially in America ain't too great if you haven't noticed, and I think much of this perception is well-founded. We isolate ourselves from "the world" mostly citing passages like James 4:4 as the justification for it. However, we oft forget passages like John 17 where Christ prays that we not be removed from the world, but rather that we are protected from the Evil One. However, too often, once people become Christians, they begin the process of slowly removing themselves from the world we were called to influence and season as Salt and Light. I cannot tell you how many people I have heard ask that God remove them from their pagan jobs so they can work at a "Christian" company. And yet if God answered their prayers He would be removing some of the only light in that company!

We must engage our culture, not run from it. We can no longer walk on the other side of the road just because these folks don't share the same political or social views as we. God places in our paths people that need us to bind their wounds and care for them, but instead, we oft shirk off our role to professional organizations because we are too busy with our schedules to do anything. Jesus told the disciples on the mountainside faced with a crowd of hungry people... the same thing I think He is telling us, "YOU feed them!" One of the main reasons non-believers have the perceptions of Christian that they do is that they do not know any.

This must change brother and sisters! If we are too busy to know our neighbors let alone love them, then we are too busy! If we continue to huddle around our Christian talk shows and just stew in our indignation we will continue to walk farther and father on the other side of the road from those we are meant to love. I am not suggesting that we abandon the pursuit of personal holiness, that is absurd. But can no longer continue to elevate ourselves above thsoe we are called to love. We must adopt the new motto, "Like a good neighbor, Christians are there!" I know it's corny, but it's true. Are you a good neighbor?

Dangerous Love

"To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly be broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket- safe, dark, motionless, airless- it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. The alternative to tragedy, or at least to the risk of tragedy, is damnation. The only place outside Heaven where you can be perfectly safe from all the dangers of perturbations of love is Hell"

- C.S. Lewis

Personal Reflections on Suffering

Not an hour ago, I was in the hospital visiting one of our members who was having a surgical procedure, one that she has had multiple times over the last 15-20 years. When I arrived, she was about to have an IV put in and she was really anxious about it. She, like my wife, does not like needles... at all. For some people, this seems trivial, for others it can be very traumatic. I am only 37 years old, but there are a few things that I am absolutely certain of. One of those is suffering is real and immanent, another is God is good.

I would be naive to try to encapsulate every thought on pain and suffering in this blog, as I don't think there are easy answers to much of what goes on in the world. Perhaps, it is because I saw the video clip I posted earlier, or perhaps it is because I have had numerous conversations with people about personal trials and suffering that I am thinking about this, but nevertheless I feel compelled to write about this topic that is way bigger than myself.

Our Monday night small group is wading through some of the tougher topics that Christians face, and the very first was wrapped up in the following statement from Lee Strobel's book, "The Case for Faith." Since evil and suffering exist, a loving God cannot. Wow, that is a big claim. I could not begin to deal adequately with the whole of this statement in a month of blogs. Really, all I can say is what I have learned in a 37 year long experiment in hardship and suffering.

Some people are arrogant in their thinking that some people cannot handle suffering because they are not strong enough or don't have enough faith. Others wear there suffering experience like a badge looking down on others because the other person's suffering cannot be real because it isn't as bad as what they have endured. Then, there are those who never seem to every leave the place of suffering and seem to like it there and set up house. Also, there are those who truly have gone through a tremendous amount of pain and grief and never seem to be shaken in their faith in God. I wish I could be found in the latter.

I guess I am no hero. I have had my share of hurt and disappointment. I have dealt with each in various ways, some in not so God-glorifying ways. I grew up in a severely dysfunctional home where I began my life with health issues. At the age of seven, my father died leaving my emotionally screwed up mom with me and three older sisters with nothing but business debts. My family has seen abuse of all kinds (some thanks to my father), a relative sense of poverty, the death of friends and family, as well as, rejection. Since I have been with my wife, we have experienced financial strain, murder of a loved one, more death of young and old alike, a miscarriage, the victimization of a financial scam, and betrayal by those we were close to. And while in the midst of all of that, even though there were few laughs or smiles, I can say on the other side with confidence that I still believe with all my heart that God is good.

I do not know a single person who has any character that did not derive it without having experienced suffering. However, sadly there is a dominant thought in the world that all suffering is always bad. I reject that notion, and I am challenged with the task of teaching my girls to suffer well. I would not be honoring God nor doing them any good in life preparation if I took away all suffering out of their lives. I believe that suffering and evil in the world is not present because God is not good, but rather because sin came into the world. (James 1:2-4)

One of the truths that sustains me when in the midst of trying experiences is knowing that none of the experiences I have will ever be as bad, as it will be glorious when I am with the Lord in eternal paradise. The Apostle John wrote this (in exile I might add):

"Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away." (Revelation 21:1-4)

Shaky Bridges

Although I do not watch vast amounts of television, I find myself drawn to certain types of programming. The main networks have little to offer me in terms of viewing. Our cheap little TV package has a channel where I frequent when I do watch... the Science Channel. By no means do the programs that speak of our "origin" draw me (as a side note, have you noticed how many of those are beginning to dramatize what their theories are to make them more believable?), but rather those more on the side of engineering and how things are made. I recall recently one show that spoke of an engineering nightmare. Nearly a hundred years ago, one man designed a suspension bridge in California that was very pliable and swayed in the wind in order to prevent being blown over in the high winds in the area. The film cut to a shot of the bridge swaying so much that even the most experienced sea captain would be seasick. Even if physics is not your specialty, if you have ever played with a paper clip or other piece of metal, you know that if you continue to bend it over and over again, the metal will heat up and then suddenly break. Well, this one windstorm broke the paper clip. Fortunately, only one person was killed when it finally gave. This man had faith in his engineering; however, the the object of his trust was in error.

The Bible says there is nothing new under the sun. For millennia, people have been buying the same lie over and over again. It was true with the Jews, and it is true still today. An oft propagated lie is that it doesn't matter what you believe as long as you are sincere in your faith. The truth is, if what you believe is false, it doesn't become true by believing it with more fervor. This engineer believed that his theory of bridge-making was sound, but that in which he placed his trust- and believed enough to put others lives on the line- was flawed from the beginning. Paul addresses this same principle in his letter to the Romans. "Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved. For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge. Since they did not know the righteousness that comes from God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness. Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes." (Romans 10:1-4)

You see the Jews trusted not in the grace of the God who was Holy to save them, rather they placed their trust in following His laws and regulations. Even with instructions and warnings throughout the Old Testament, they still missed it. They continued to build their bridges with flawed engineering.

Today, we still trust in things that have proven to fail time and time again: money, jobs, politicians, other people. We, like the bridge engineer, could learn much from Jesus' parable of the two builders. On what we build is vitally important. If our foundation is sound, our lives will remain intact. However, if our "engineering" is flawed, our bridges will buckle. Are your bridges shaky?

In the News Today...

Like many people, part of my morning ritual is having some coffee and watching the news. But is it really news? I have watched it day in and day out for years, and it is pretty much the same thing, just different locations and different people: Sadly some folks died because someone either can't control their anger or was so greedy they wanted what someone else possessed; there is battle going on all around the world; traffic is heavy in metro areas; it is too wet in some areas and too dry in others; the Dow Jones hits new highs or new lows; politicians disagree, etc. ad nauseum.

This morning in several ways, God reminded me of something that I think for all of us who follow Him may seem like a no-brainer, but the longer I am alive, I am not so sure that everyone even in the Body of Christ really understands... the Good News (or Gospel) of Jesus Christ.

I will start off by stating what it is NOT. It is not a church membership nor a ticket to heaven, although it can lead you there. It is not a plan or purpose for your life, although through it you can you may definitely obtain these. Even though you can walk in the newness of life that can be found in Him alone, it is not a way to feel good about your yourself nor bolster your self-esteem.

The Apostle Paul hit the nail on the head in his description of what exactly is the Good News in his first letter to the Corinthian church. "Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures," (1 Cor. 15:1-4).

Anytime I lead someone to Christ, for me it is imperative that they understand the core of the Gospel, not just to be able to regurgitate the "Roman Road" or any other "plan of salvation." The sheer fact that "Christ died for our sins" is the first step. One must understand WHY Christ died for our sins. WHY did we need a Savior? I wonder if all of the American Church REALLY knew the answers to that, would we be as impotent as we are in our culture. Because if we did, it would transform us into the new creatures that Paul speaks of in his second letter to the same church. (2 Cor. 5:17) If we really grasped that one element of the Gospel, our faith would not be without works as James tries so hard to explain in his letter. (James 2:14-26)

You see, we were so desperately separated from God because of our failure to maintain a righteousness on our own that only God could reconcile us to Himself. THAT is the Good News! We no longer have to be separated from God by our missing the mark of His perfection, but rather because of His grace (giving us what we don't deserve), we can be reconciled to Him forever. We put our trust in the completed work of Jesus Christ when he hung on a cross to accept the full responsibility for everything you and I ever have or ever would do that was displeasing to God.

Consider Eugene Peterson's rendering of Romans 5:6-8: "Christ arrives right on time to make this happen. He didn't, and doesn't, wait for us to get ready. He presented himself for this sacrificial death when we were far too weak and rebellious to do anything to get ourselves ready. And even if we hadn't been so weak, we wouldn't have known what to do anyway. We can understand someone dying for a person worth dying for, and we can understand how someone good and noble could inspire us to selfless sacrifice. But God put his love on the line for us by offering his Son in sacrificial death while we were of no use whatever to him. "

For me I have to stop and remember regularly what the Good News did for me, otherwise, I get caught up in the day to day news report that can drown out what is truly good. "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus!" (Romans 8:1) Now THAT is some Good News!

Cup o' Joe?

I received this story this morning...
----------
A group of alumni, all highly established in their respective careers, got together for a visit with their old university professor. The conversation soon turned to complaints about the endless stress of work and life in general.

Offering his guests coffee, the professor went into the kitchen and soon returned with a large pot of coffee and an eclectic assortment of cups: porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal - some plain, some expensive, some quite exquisite. Quietly, he told them to help themselves to some fresh coffee.

When each of his former students had a cup of coffee in hand, the old professor quietly cleared his throat and began to patiently address the small gathering... ''You may have noticed that all of the nicer looking cups were taken up first, leaving behind the plainer and cheaper ones. While it is only natural for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is actually the source of much of your stress-related problems.'

He continued...''Be assured that the cup itself adds no quality to the coffee. In fact, the cup merely disguises or dresses up what we drink. What each of you really wanted was coffee, not a cup, but you instinctively went for the best cups... Then you began eyeing each other's cups...

''Now consider this: Life is coffee. Jobs, money, and position in society are merely cups. They are just tools to shape and contain life, and the type of cup we have does not truly define nor change the quality of the Life we live. Often, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee that God has provided us...
----------

Good story, right before receiving this story, I received word that a sister in Christ was in the hospital recovering from an attempted suicide. A few verses came to mind after reading this:

"He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." (Micah 6:8)

"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." (Matthew 6:33)

"But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body. So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you." (2 Corinthians 4:7-12)

It breaks my heart, when I hear of believers that live in despair, because they have bought the lies of the world and find their worth in things that mean nothing. It breaks my heart because I have been there. Wishing things will stop, wanting to end it all. They are in bondage to the thinking that they have to perform to find acceptance before the Lord. People all around us with their facades up need to know the Truth. The Truth and only the Truth will set them free.

Enjoy your coffee today. Share the brew the Lord has given you today!

Little Words

Most everyone knows that words are powerful. Much good and much evil have been done with words alone. Strangely enough, often times it is not the long, fancy, $3 words that have the most effect, but rather the monosyllabic words (ever wonder why monosyllabic has so many syllables?) -- words like LOVE, GRACE, HATE, FOOL, SHAME, CARE. These are powerful words in themselves, and when placed in context of environment and humanity, they have the power to build up, restore, or tear down and destroy.

As I finish my reading through Leviticus, I ran across two little words, that in scripture are probably some of the most powerful. The first one is only two letters long, but has tremendous impact on what is being said in the context: "IF." There are many in evangelical circles that, I believe, misuse much of the Old Testament promises. They are quick to claim promises appropriated to the Hebrew people alone. However, they ignore this little word. This word makes the temporal blessings conditional, and suggests that there is a flip side-- which there is. Here is a common example, "If you walk in My statutes and keep My commandments so as to carry them out, ..." (Leviticus 26:3). The proceeding words describe blessings that will be bestowed as a result. Now which commands does this refer to? ALL of them (there's another powerful little word that I won't get into). The flip-side if they do not get them ALL result in curses that I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy.

The second word happens to be one of my favorite words in the Bible. The word "BUT" is a conjunction that draws a contrast. In this passage, it is used in two significant ways, the first is seen in verse 14 (linked above to ALL). It is connected to the first little word, and it draws the contrast that IF they do not follow ALL the commands they will be cursed. The usage I want to zero in on, however, is in verse 40 (used in the NIV, but not NAS). After describing the plagues and destruction that comes as a result failing to follow ALL of the commandments, God gives GRACE. It basically says that even if you fail miserably and fall short of the perfect standard of the Law, you can start all over if you confess to Him and admit that you can't do it on your own. Some of my favorite uses of this word are found in the New Testament that carry much of the same connotation: "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6:23), and "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8)

"BUT" doesn't leave us in our sin; "BUT" shows that God lavishes out the grace and mercy that apart from His perfect love, we would never be able to enjoy relationship with a Holy God. Because of little words we are set FREE. Because of this little word, we can enjoy ETERNAL blessings that are not conditioned on our performance.

May you enjoy the goodness of the Lord today!

Where's the Party?

I am not a real sentimental person, and haven't been for sometime. Most holidays, save anniversaries and birthdays, have been pretty nonchalant celebrations in our home. I really haven't been content with my stance on this, but haven't really known what to do about it. This morning, the Lord corrected my attitude on the matter, and I have begun reconsidering what to do about it.

In Leviticus 23, we see that the LORD instituted various festivals and celebrations that the Israelites were to follow, and each festival had specific days and things that were required. Without getting bogged down in following the Law, I began thinking about the LORD's intent behind the festivals-- He wanted them to remember. Really, that is why we have holidays. We have forgotten to remember.

I think the bulk of my response, or lack thereof, to holidays is rooted in rebellion to the over-commercialization of them and the focus on just the fun part of the holiday. Now, there is nothing wrong with having fun, but the reason we have holidays is to commemorate an event or person. I think we have lost the whole idea behind true celebration or memorial events and turned them into a time to eat a meal with our families and exchange gifts and allowed that to be an end in itself. It's not that those things are wrong, but it can't end there.

I am rethinking my attitude about holidays, and I may even come up with a few on my own, just special days that we as a family set aside to remember God's goodness or provision in our individual lives. I have thrown out the baby with the bathwater on the subject of holidays. It is should be a good thing to celebrate what God has done in our lives.

I am going to bake a cake, and I am gonna make a wish and blow out the candles and celebrate God's goodness. We're having a party, wanna come?

Have you been called to go out on a limb for God? You can bet it won't be easy. Limb-climbing has never been easy. Ask Joseph.Or, better yet, ask Jesus. He knows better than anyone the cost of hanging on a tree.

-- Max Lucado

"Do" vs. "Done"

It has been a good week in the Word this week, and in typical sovereign fashion, the Lord has been preparing me ahead of time for things that I get to teach on. This weekend, our church will be continuing a new study of faith essentials (TEAM training for those of you at Crossroads). I get to teach on something that when I learned it through TEAM, it was something that set me free in many regards of my spiritual life. It is the topic of "Law and Grace."

In short, and believe me if I get started I will be here for a long time, the issue of Law and Grace is about how we come to God for acceptance. Law teaches that in order to find your acceptance, you must "do." Grace, on the contrary, teaches that in order to be acceptable before God, you must trust in what has been "done." The cool thing the Lord reminded me this morning, is that even in the midst of the book of Leviticus (a book that is mostly about following a long litany of specific requirements to worship God), God was revealing Grace. And, he says it over and over again!!!!

Look with me at the 21st and 22nd chapter of Leviticus, as you read through this passage, you will notice 3 prominent truths and over again, "I am the Lord," "I am holy," and "You are to be holy." Now, if you haven't skimmed over the specific regulations for these people you could easily become overwhelmed by them (and maybe even a little grossed out). Simply put, these truths are that He is God, He is Perfect, and since they are His, they are to be perfect also.

Then, I noticed another truth I believe that is critical that is repeated in these chapters. If you are not careful, you will miss it. It first shows up in 21:8. "You shall consecrate him, therefore, for he offers the food of your God; he shall be holy to you; for I the LORD, who sanctifies you, am holy." You see it again in 21:15, 21:3, 22:9, 22:16, & 22:32. The God who is Holy and expected them to come to Him holy in order to be acceptable, says that HE is the one who will make them Holy.

Now for us, we look back at the completed work of Christ and are able to be identified with the righteousness of Christ through placing our faith is what He has done on the cross. For the folks first reading these words, their task was to place their faith in what was to be done. All while they were hearing how they must "do," (or rather could never do) God was telling them that it had to be "done" for them!

Way too often, even in the Christian church, we heap on others what they must "do" in order to be acceptable before God. Folks, that is a lie from the pits of hell. Our acceptance is not found in found we do, but in placing our trust only in what Christ has done.

What about all the things in the New Testament that we are told we to do? I think author Bob George nails this one best in his book Classic Christianity. He says, "...we are not obeying New Testament commands in order to be accepted by God. Under law, a man works in order to be accepted by God. Under grace, a man serves because he is already accepted by God."

If you are trusting in what Christ has done for you, you are accepted by God. Let that sink in. As a matter of fact, chew on that today. Because once you really grasp that you are completely accepted by God, it will change your life. It has mine. I used to struggle with depression because I felt I wasn't measuring up to God's standard, even to the point of having take medication for depression. However, once I embraced this truth, God began to transform me by the renewing of my mind. It has now been 6 years since I took any pills for that because I haven't needed it. You too can be free! Just rest in what has been done.

Start Fresh

We are products of our past, but we don't have to be prisoners of it. God's purpose is not limited by your past. He turned a murderer named Moses into a leader and a coward named Gideon in to a courageous hero, and he can do amazing things with the rest of your life, too. God specializes in giving people a fresh start.

-- Rick Warren

Blood Bath

I want to ask you the same question I asked the church congregation as we started our worship service yesterday. Before you entered into worship, how many of you made sure that you offered up your sacrifices before you left the house? I asked the folks to raise their hands showing which ones followed through on that biblical command, but there were no takers.

As you might have determined, I have entered into the land of Leviticus in my readings. For years, I would avoid Old Testament books like this with much fear and trepidation. Partly because it was boring with all the specific details of law and ceremony. But today, although I do not consider myself an authority on the sacrificial system of the Hebrew people, I can take away a couple of vital lessons from this rich book. Firstly, the fact of your likely negative answer to the above mentioned question is incredible. You see, God's requirement for relating to Him was literally a blood bath. Your cleansing to be purified before a holy God came at the expense of laying your hands on an animal (bull, ram, dove, etc.) looking into its eyes and killing this innocent animal, and then splashing its blood everywhere so you could worship God. IF that were not enough it had to be done repeated, because the it was only temporary relief. The New Testament book of Hebrews 9 reaffirms Leviticus that the cost of worshipping God was blood shed. But original my question teetered on the absurd because this prerequisite of worship is completely foreign to us today. The biggest "sacrifice" most folks made to come to worship was getting out of bed "early."

Thankfully, in that same passage of Hebrews, it also describes the permanent washing of all sin came when Christ offered Himself as the perfect sacrificial Lamb of God. He, in Himself, completely satisfied God's requirement of an atonement for sin. We were able to speak the name of God and relate to Him yesterday without the required blood bath because of what Christ did. So, next time you worship, give thanks to God for what we so often take for granted that we no longer have to be repeatedly cleansed in such a violent manner before we enter into His presence.

"Come now, and let us reason together," says the LORD, "Though your sins are as scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they will be like wool." (Isaiah 1:18)

Peek-a-Boo!

My youngest daughter has earned the nickname "Boo." She has, for months, loved playing peek-a-boo and hide-and-go-seek. Nothing seems to bring more giggles of glee as when we find her and go "Boo!" So, the name name stuck. The funny thing is she LOVES to be found... over and over again, and I must say that it is really cute when she does this. I guess part of her joy comes from knowing that her father is seeking her.

Did you know that your Father is seeking after you? Jesus testifies to this to the woman at the well when He tells her that, "true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers." (John 4:23b) In Exodus, God outlines some of what this looks like. God being God, has the right describe to us what His expectations are when it comes to worship. In my reading this morning, I noticed a couple of things that seems to be prerequisites for worshiping in spirit and in truth.

The first thing I noticed is that God is seen for who He is. God himself describes some aspects of His character; He declares to Moses who He is. Moses responds IMMEDIATELY: "Moses made haste to bow low toward the earth and worship. " (Ex. 34:8) Just as Christ tells the woman, truth of who God is is part of what God seeks in our worship. How can we worship what we do not know? God has revealed Himself in so many ways in His word, in His creation, in His Son; do you know Him for who He is?

Secondly, I noticed is that God outlines for Moses and the Hebrews "HOW" they were to come to Him. The cool thing is that He not only lays out what He expects them to do or not do in order to worship Him. After He reveals Himself, He then makes provision for them to be right before Him. In verse 10 of the same chapter, God initiates the covenant with His people, so that, as the NIV renders it, "The people you live among will see how awesome is the work that I, the LORD, will do for you. " How would like to try to guess how to please God, knowing that the wrong methods would result in a non-humorous version of the cartoon I posted yesterday?

Lastly, we see that the people responded with glee. In chapter 35, their hearts were moved for God, and they gave massive amounts of money and materials to contribute to the building of the tabernacle. Over and over in scripture, we see that God is seeking those who will do what it takes to honor God not because it is something they HAVE to do, but because it is something they WANT to do. Are you worshipping Him begrudgingly, or is it something that excited you to pour out your love to Him as He deserves? The result in the end of this book was a Tabernacle was constructed to be able to meet with God, and God's Glory filled the place.

These are some of the things that God is seeking. Do we giggle with glee when He finds us, or do we run from Him and hide in shame?

Good Night, Sleep Tight

For those of you that have read and followed my online musings you will have noticed an absence of blog entries, or at least a deviation from the consistency thereof once present. My work schedule has kept me incredibly busy... too busy. My physical body has been wrought with exhaustion from lack of sleep. Even though my body is physically tired, I often fell short in the necessary rest needed. Often times, I find myself up at night replaying the day's events or waking very early going over the tasks before me in the coming day. My mind does not settle, therefore, neither does my body. Sometimes it is worry that keeps me up (or wakes me up), often times however, it is simply a desire to be done with my list. My personality is task-oriented and so I tend to operate best in a context of completing the tasks I have begun. However, when tasks on my list are incomplete, it causes a restlessness within me that can affect my sleep. It is probably a good thing that I am not a farmer or rancher where tasks are seldom completed or at least they drag out for days.

I have, however, been teetering dangerously in a realm that is not healthy neither physically nor spiritually. I was reminded this morning of this as I read an exchange that took place between Moses and the LORD. The Hebrews had just completed the apostasy of the calf in Exodus 32. God is about to wipe them out, Moses pleads for them, and in chapter 33, God says that He would remove His presence from them and not go with them into the promised land. Again Moses pleads that God not remove His presence from His people. There in verse 14 I found my transgression. The LORD says, "My presence shall go with you, and I will give you REST."

The rebuke was strong. The sin is a common one especially found in those who serve vocationally in ministry. Although staying in the Word, I have been so wrapped up in doing "the work of the ministry" I have neglected to find rest in Him and just enjoying His presence. Psalm 4 and Psalm 62 reiterates that in God's presence and that alone do we find rest. Jesus offers the same counsel in Matthew 11.

Please bear with me in my repentance. Oh Lord, I have neglected your gift of rest by neglecting your presence. Please forgive me for not trusting in You alone and trying to go it alone. In the words of your servant I find my plea O Lord, "Then he said to Him, 'If Your presence does not go with us, do not lead us up from here. For how then can it be known that I have found favor in Your sight, I and Your people? Is it not by Your going with us, so that we, I and Your people, may be distinguished from all the other people who are upon the face of the earth?'" (Ex. 33:15-16) AMEN.

I pray that we all rest well tonight.

Until "Life" Do Us Part?

"There is not one marriage in today's culture that is not vulnerable. Why? Because we've allowed the culture to seep into our souls. ... Clearly we can no longer pattern our marriages after the people around us -- if we ever could. Not only does the world not know how to divorce-proof its marriages, it is well on the way to making broken relationships the norm!"

-- Dr. Fred Lowery

Longing For Sinai

I sinned this week. Multiple times. Some of those were even deliberate. Don't you judge me though, you have sinned too. But the sixty four dollar question is, "why?" Why, when we know what not to do, or we know what we should do, do we fail miserably? The Apostle Paul struggled with the same issue and his explanation is recorded in the famous Romans 7 passage. But why do we continue in our sin? I think Max Lucado hit the nail on the head, "Sin is not an unfortunate slip or a regrettable act; it is a posture of defiance against a holy God." While we will not be rid of our sin nature until we are finally in the Lord's presence, we are still called to live holy lives.

So, where do we start? In Exodus 20, just after Moses had descended from Mt. Sinai with the Ten Commandments, the people were literally trembling from the physical expressions of God's might in the mountain. They thought they were about to die. I can only imagine the what it was like. Then, Moses tells the people what I think we too need to hearken to, "''Do not be afraid; for God has come in order to test you, and in order that the fear of Him may remain with you, so that you may not sin.'" (Ex. 20:20)

Several years ago, there was a slogan that became popular on T-shirts and bumper stickers, "No Fear." This appeared everywhere, and eventually took on many different variations. But I think that if we adopt a variation of this, our world would be a different place... our churches would definitely be different places. We should "KNOW FEAR." Very simply put, we sin, because we do not take God seriously. Sometimes, I wish we could revisit Sinai and remember how big God really is. And yet, God continues to give us demonstrations of His might-- reminders that He alone is in charge. Some people call this global warming. I think it is just God flexing His muscles. I have yet to hear the media make the connection of the gross increase in immorality to the increase in natural disasters. Maybe this would be a good study. Any takers?

I Theenk I'm Gonna Need a Beeger God

In my continuing study through the life of the Hebrew people in the Exodus, I came across a passage that has a lesson we would all do well to learn. I know I haven't mastered it yet. And it seems, the older I get, the more I realize how little I really have mastered it. Oh, when I was in my twenties, I thought I had it figured out pretty well. It is the lesson of theology proper. While there are more complicated definitions, theology is simply defined as the study of God. Not long ago, I used to think that theology was boring and only for people who sit in closed seminary offices. However, I have since changed my mind. A.W. Tozer wrote, in Knowledge of the Holy, that worship of God requires that we think rightly about Him. He says, "The history of mankind will probably show that no people has ever risen above its religion, and man's spiritual history will positively demonstrate that no religion has ever been greater than its idea of God." That makes sense really, how can we worship what we do not know? Jesus said the same to the woman at the well.

How great is your idea of God? In Exodus 15, the Hebrews had gotten just a few glimpses of how big a God He really is, and it caused them to worship. If you have problems having reasons to worship Him, then perhaps your concept of God is too small. The fact that we cannot begin to fathom the mysteries of all who God is, is a great place to start. My absolute all time favorite quote still remains, "If God were small enough to be understood, He would not be big enough to be worshiped." (Evelyn Underhill) If we are not in a constant state of being awed by our God, perhaps it is time for us to take the little god out of the boxes we so often put Him in and get a bigger God!

Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! "Who has known the mind of the Lord?
Or who has been his counselor?"
"Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him?"
For from him and through him and to him are all things.
To him be the glory forever!
Amen. (Romans 11:33-36 (NASB))

Forgetting to Remember

I am a big fan of Disney-Pixar movies. Well produced and written, I find myself easily identifying with certain characters. In "Finding Nemo", by far, my favorite character is a blue fish named Dory. She suffers from short term memory loss. Now by many people's standards, I am not an old man. However, even though I am a few years shy of 40, I see glimpses of the brain damage that is on the horizon. As I have aged, one of the things that I have seen is my own faining memory. Only ten tens ago, my mind was sharp, and I could remember the most obscure details. Now I am almost at the point where I need to stick post-it notes to remember to go to the bathroom!

Probably one of the most important aspects of a believer's growth is their faith. The bigger your faith, the more peaceful your life as a Christian will be. Jesus said that pure faith the size of a mustard seed can accomplish huge things. Now, I am not talking about blind faith; that is not a biblical faith. The New Testament has this to say about faith, "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. " (Hebrews 11:1) The latter part of the verse sounds like the blind-faith that you hear about with TV Evangelists, but the first part of the verse alludes to what is at the heart of real pure faith- a good memory. Where does this "assurance" come from? It comes from having seen or heard about God's work in the past and remembering it.

In Exodus 14, we see the first of many wilderness memory lapses of the Hebrew people. Probably not even weeks from witnessing first-hand God's power in the ten plagues, they find themselves backed up against the sea looking at the impending attack of the Egyptians. Here's what they say in response to Moses, "'Is it because there were no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you dealt with us in this way, bringing us out of Egypt? Is this not the word that we spoke to you in Egypt, saying, 'Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians'? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.'"(v.11-12) They would have rather remained slaves than to trust God to bring them to their future inheritance.

While there is much that could be said in commentary, the lesson is simple. Do we more often remember what God has done for us in the past and trust God with the army we are currently facing, or do we call into question God's character? I think the key to a pure walk of faith begins with not forgetting to remember. How's your memory? If you are like me sometimes, you are a lot like Dory. Let's not forget to remember!

The "Dark" Side of Sovereignty

Bloggers forgive me, it has been days since my last blog... wait a second this is starting to sound like confession and I ain't Catholic. It has been a mad past couple of weeks, and we have a couple more of high intensity coming. I have been out working until past at least 8PM almost every night, and our computer harddrive crashed in the midst of all that. You would think that God would head this stuff off when He knows we have hard days coming... I mean it's not like He doesn't know they're coming. He is God right? What kind of God would let my computer crash right in the middle of some of the busiest days since I started this ministry!?!?

Now, I haven't actually been thinking like lately, although I confess I have had those conversations with God in the past. I think we all have. I had an opportunity to ride with another one of my new favorite people, Robert. He is one of those folks that is young in the faith. He couldn't tell you about some of the more complicated theological discussions, neither would I. But what he knows, he believes and he lives it out to the fullest, and I respect him tremendously for it. (there's a lesson to learn there) We were talking about life and things we were reading in God's Word and about some of the tough stuff in the Word that we all struggle with from time to time. I had made an observation about one of the things I was reading through the early life of Moses. Specifically, I noted how it was interesting how God uses bad things and bad people in the life of His kids.

In these passages, it was the Pharaoh. While I was reading, I noticed that God was the One that was hardening Pharaoh's heart, and then He would bring about death and destruction. Like Pharaoh couldn't make up his own mind. The more I chewed on it, the more I noticed it occurring. I know this is something that really bugs alot people and even causes some to question God's character. Then I found a verse, that I hadn't noticed ever before which I think hit the nail on the head. I really like the way that the NIV renders this,

"13 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Get up early in the morning, confront Pharaoh and say to him, 'This is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: Let my people go, so that they may worship me, 14 or this time I will send the full force of my plagues against you and against your officials and your people, so you may know that there is no one like me in all the earth. 15 For by now I could have stretched out my hand and struck you and your people with a plague that would have wiped you off the earth. 16 But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might show you my power and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth." (Ex. 9:13-16)

Wow! God's main purpose for Pharaoh was that His name may be proclaimed! This can be hard to swallow for some, but the thing about being God is that He is God! He is in charge. Paul echoes this same argument in his letter to the Romans. We are created for God's purposes. This may seem like the "dark side" of His sovereignty, but we cannot isolate one of God's character traits and put Him in a box. He is so much more! His holiness is in perfect balance with His mercy. He sees the beginning and the end. We are just small pieces to a puzzle that is so infinitely bigger than we can comprehend. But as finite beings we are often tempted to perceive and judge God's intentions based on our limited viewpoint.

When I have weeks like I have had recently, I cling to the fact that God is good, all the time. I may not see all that He has laid out for me, but I can trust His heart keeping in mind that He is God and I am not. Just because I cannot see all of what He is doing doesn't give me the right to question His character. It would behoove us to revisit the life of Job and check out the dialogue between God and Job in chapter 38. It puts things into perspective. Consider what John says in his first epistle, "This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. " (1 John 1:5)

Pennies on the Dollar

It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words, but how much are our words worth? If you look at our culture today, one might estimate, not much. We live in a world of fine print. Whether it is near microscopic at the bottom of a contract or a blazing blur of words at the tale end of a TV commercial, we have subjected ourselves to a world where legal counsel is a must if we wish to keep from losing our shirts to unscrupulous scam artists. It is like this because phrases like, "my word is my bond" are no longer standards of business integrity but rather they are the exception. I would venture to guess that most of you, like myself, have been on the receiving end of a shady deal or disappointment in the area of a broken promise. However it wasn't always like this. Many folks in my grandfather's generation lived with the belief that if you shook hands on it, it was a done deal and both parties would honor it. A person's word was worth its weight in gold.

Back during Joseph's times, they went even further to honor their word. Jacob (aka Israel) and his eleven sons have moved to Egypt to be with Joseph during the great famine. Jacob is aged and wants to clear up a few things with his son: "When the time for Israel to die drew near, he called his son Joseph and said to him, "Please, if I have found favor in your sight, place now your hand under my thigh and deal with me in kindness and faithfulness. Please do not bury me in Egypt, but when I lie down with my fathers, you shall carry me out of Egypt and bury me in their burial place." And he said, "I will do as you have said." He said, "Swear to me " So he swore to him Then Israel bowed in worship at the head of the bed." (Genesis 47:29-31)

I don't know about you but sticking my hand under someone's thigh is a little strange to me. But culturally it was similar to our shaking of hands. Joseph gave his word to Jacob, and fulfilled in Genesis 50. Later this same tradition is carried on with Joseph's bones, but this time it was different. He told his brothers to carry his bones back to Canaan, but apparently, the oath they took was binding on their descendants because they didn't fulfill this oath until hundreds of years later after they were released from Egyptian slavery.

What kind of weight do our vows hold? Whether we shake hands on it or put our hand under the thigh of the one we pledge to, it means nothing if there is no intention of making good on our promise. Here's what Jesus says on the matter, "Nor shall you make an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. "But let your statement be, 'Yes, yes' or 'No, no'; anything beyond these is of evil. (Matthew 5:36-37) Now all of us have moments where something changes or we overcommit ourselves, I know I do. But are we doing everything in our power to do what we committed to? Put your money where your mouth is, or are your words worth pennies on the dollar from when they were spoken.

You Just Never Know

There are a hand full of phrases both cliche and scripture that are used to illustrate God's sovereignty like "God works in mysterious ways," and Isaiah quoting God tells us that God ways are not like ours. Dealing with the unknown and unforeseeable future is probably one of the hardest things to face in the walk of faith. We make decisions based on our perception of what is to come, and many times events befall us that leave us shaking our heads wondering what God is doing. Although it is seldom enjoyable at the time, when our lives seemingly careen out of control we are left fearful and confused. All the while, God in His eternal omniscience has been in control all along. Sometimes, we are blessed with knowing how a turn of events in hindsight the reason for our plights. It may take weeks, months or even years to see what God has been doing. Other times, we may never fully know.

In my continuing study this morning through the life of Joseph, I read about his epiphany. Joseph, wise after decades of a litany of trials and hardships, tells his brothers what was really behind all the things that had been done to him. He explains that even though they had mistreated him, that it was all part of what God had intended for a greater purpose. "God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant in the earth, and to keep you alive by a great deliverance. Now, therefore, it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh and lord of all his household and ruler over all the land of Egypt." (Genesis 45:7-8)

A few months ago, having gone through a trying period of my life, once again I found myself "by coincidence" reading through the book of James. And I found myself reading, at just the right time, the verses in chapter 1 that instructs on dealing with trials of all kinds because they produce perseverance. Now this was a familiar verse to me, but one thing I zeroed in on that I hadn't before, the first part of that verse starts with "consider it pure joy." The more mature we are in Christ, we will adopt an attitude of considering the hard times "pure joy." Now while I have gotten to the point in my life where I can look back and see God's hand and the lessons He was teaching, I realized that I was not yet able to consider it pure joy. I believe that is our goal response, since it takes into account God's Love for us and that He desires the best for us. And when we experience those trials, remember that God's wants us to grow in perseverance and trust in Him. Thanks be to God who has been patient with me while I learn to adopt this attitude. I ain't there yet, and I know that He has many more things for me to learn. But because I have experienced His grace thus far, I know that He is more than worthy of my trust. You just never know what God has in store.

Run Away! Run Away! - When Finding Favor Turns Sour

I am a sick person. One of my favorite cult movies is a British based movie called Monty Python and the Holy Grail. I am sick because this movie is not the kind normal people enjoy. You either enjoy this movie because you have a strange sense of humor (like myself) or you have acquired a taste for it through multiple exposures. There is a secret club that sick people like myself belong to. I say secret because you don't know who is a member until you hear them say one of the secret passwords, which are simply some of the famous quotes from the movie. All one must do is hear certain phrases and it conjures up scenes from the movie. For example, quotes like these usually bring smiles to club members' faces: "Bring out your dead," and "go away or I shall taunt you a second time," or "it's just a flesh wound," and countless others.

One of my personal favorites comes from scenes throughout the movie when King Arthur and his knights are engaged in "battle" and the conflict turns ugly, and King Arthur's brave demeanor changes and he proclaims to his comrades, "Run away! Run Away!" as they flee in fear of the impending doom. In most battle-grounds fleeing is a sign true cowardice; however, there are times when it is a mark true heroism and wisdom.

Joseph ran away. Genesis 39 gives the account of the scene. He has found favor in the eyes of Potiphar, his owner... and his wife. Joseph was apparently a stud muffin. Scripture describes him as "handsome in form and appearance" the NIV uses the words, "well-built and handsome." In the scripture, Joseph was doing his job, but his master's wife orchestrated events that allowed her unbridled access to the Hebrew young man. The proposition was made and the man of God did the bravest thing he could, he ran away.

This attitude toward sin is carried throughout the Word. For example, Paul tells Timothy to flee youthful lusts, and the same instruction to the Corinthian church. I hate confrontation, and there are times, however, that call for a frontal attack, but when it comes to dealing with personal sin, we are told to run away. The enemy knows our weaknesses and when we are tempted, we should not stick around to see if we have the intestinal fortitude to overcome it.

So, how do we run away? Sometimes, it is a physical action where we remove ourselves completely from the situation. But I think it also involves avoiding situations that will lead to a fall. The specifics of this will depend on your particular struggles, but the instructions remain the same. For example, if you struggle with drunkenness, the last place you need to be ministering is a bar. You would think this is common sense, but many folks have fallen in battle simply because they failed to adopt the motto, "the best offense is a good defense."

So, don't be a hero. Make like Arthur and, "Run away! Run away!"

Finding Favor

Big Tom is a new friend of mine. I have only known him for a few months, but he has quickly become one of my favorite people. He is a great story teller and an all round funny person with a huge heart for serving God and others. He has been a believer for only a few years, but God has truly transformed this man's life. His background, like many, is pretty rough, but the hand of God on this man's life is very evident. He recently was offered a new job. And while all new jobs have that honeymoon period before the reality sets in, this job seems to be a stark contrast to where he served the last few years. Not only did his compensation go up, but the work environment and his schedule has drastically changed and this has been a tremendous blessing from God.

Big Tom is a hard worker and always has been as I understand. From what I have personally observed, he can work most people under the table - as can his boys. I know that his ability to get things done definitely attributed to his new-found employment, but I also firmly believe there is more to it. You see Tom's life transformation took place at the core of his being. When he came to Christ, he was truly a model of what Paul talks about in Romans 12; Tom was transformed by the renewing of his mind. As a result, the way he thinks and consequently, the way acts is controlled by the Spirit of Christ in him. He understands where he came from, and so he has a truly humble attitude about himself. And as a result, I believe Tom got his new job, like the one I read about this morning, because Tom found favor with others.

As I was reading through the life of Joseph, one thing began to stand out to me. Joseph like Tom had a rough start. He was betrayed by his brothers and sold into slavery. But beginning in Genesis 39:2, we see a key thing that I think made a huge difference in Joseph's life. God was with Joseph. As a result, everything that Joseph touched went well. Even when he had been falsely accused and thrown into prison, we see that Joseph found favor in the eyes of those he served.

Now that does not mean, as I know that Tom can attest to, that everything is roses. I definitely do not fall into the camp of thought that just because you are a Christian that you have the right to wealth and riches, because I firmly believe that God uses the roughest times and trials in life to shape and develop our character. At those times, we are compelled to realize that we are not in control and consequently we must rely on God which is where He wants us to remain. It was obvious that Joseph's attitude and actions were affected by his trust in the Lord, and as a result people took notice. It is an Old Testament example of what Peter's charge to the church that I discussed in my sermon, "Living Out Loud." There are many other passages that teaches this same truth.

It causes me to ask, am I finding favor with those that I come in contact with because my actions have been affected by what I believe? This is contrasted by the seeking favor of men. I think Big Tom is an example of the way it should happen. He found favor in others because he was seeking after God. As a result God has blessed him. Congrats Big Tom!