I know A card trick.
I know only one card trick. Its a good one. My Dad mesmerized me with it when I was an impressionable young boy. Here's the gist of the card trick; my dad could predict each card atop four stacks of cards before they were laid face up. When Jake the Card Shark called out the Jack of Diamonds before flipping that card over, I was stunned! Not only that, he did it three additional times, calling out cards back to back to back and never missing a one!
I was confused too. I thought he worked at the railroad when he left the house every morning. He might have snuck off a few times to the Cleveland 'Slight of Hand' University instead. He was way too smooth with that card trick! He did teach it to me later, and as a fellow graduate from 'SHU', (Slight of Hand University), I have wowed his grandchildren and a few others along the way. I am thinking that the Kirby Van Burch Magic Show in Branson might give me a look if I really perfect the ONE card trick I know!
"Do you not know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God? Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the spirit he caused to live in us envies intensely?" James 4:4
Everything is not as it seems. The Evil One plays this 'card' to the max. He wants you to embrace a life apart from God, so he uses a little 'slight of hand'. He attracts us by offering ungodly satisfactions to godly needs. This is his strategy to move your heart away from your Creator and potential Redeemer. At first, in our gullibility, we align ourselves swiftly to the appeal of desire fulfilled. After all, what can be so bad about what we think we see if it has a promise to deliver. This is where the trickery of deception draws us away from the God of Love and straight into the grasp of short-lived pleasure and unavoidable loss.
There is something even more painful...the realization that we have become God's 'enemy' in route to supposed fulfillment. Not only have we been robbed from the joy of experiencing His life, we have set ourselves against His affections in the Camp of the Enemy. An enemy of God? We have been duped into becoming His adversary through the ploy of the Evil One set to deliver temporal pleasure and fleeting gain.
So what is real in this spiritual realm?
His jealousy over you! He desires you exclusively, untarnished by the appeals of the world to satisfy what only He can fulfill in you and for you. He longs for you to move once again in His direction, trusting Him enough to yield completely to Him. Honestly...have you become too 'friendly' with the world? You know the answer to that before you read through to the end of this sentence! It will take tears of repentance to restore what the supposed 'friendship' actually stole from you. You may even find yourself in such grief for your lack of discerning the real agenda of the Great Pretender that you will downright wail! (See James 4:7-10 for more insight).
Michael Corleone of Godfather fame is often quoted; "Keep your friends close and your enemies closer." He did not realize that the real enemy already owned him!
No...get close to the heart of God. Move away from the one who stacks the deck against you. Thank the Father for His jealous love for you that will not tolerate any other suitors.
His hand is open. See the scars? No 'slight of hand' there. Those scars are the constant reminders that you are deeply loved by God and that He deserves no less than your total affection. He puts all the 'cards on the table'...nothing hidden.
"Come near to God and he will come near to you." James 4:8
What a guarantee!
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Word Nerd
"I guess I am a word nerd."
That is how David Cook, American Idol contestant from Blue Springs describes himself. This guys just loves words, (and music too, obviously). He is into crossword puzzles, word find games, definitions and Scrabble. I have a hunch that his favorite subject in school was Vocabulary! He probably can't wait for the next issue of Reader's Digest to hit the mailbox so that he can get to the 'Enrich Your Word Power' section!
"Words--so innocent and powerless as they are, as standing in a dictionary, how potent for good and evil they become in the hands of one who knows how to combine them."
Author Unknown (to me)
Think for a moment of the power of words. Teachers use words to instruct. Coaches use words to motivate. Politicians use words to convince. Nurses use words to comfort. Writers use words to tell stories. Students use words to text answers to each other during exams! Without words, there is no conversation, communication, friendship or country music love songs. Without words, Hallmark would be a picture gallery, and the Hollywood Writers Guild could have stayed on 'Strike' forever!
Now, think of the power of words that are spoken to you. How have the words of your parents impacted you? Affirmations and insults both have a long shelf life don't they? Ever been talked about? Insulted? Misrepresented? Misquoted? Have you ever been complimented, praised or congratulated? You bask in those words, don't you? There is nothing more spirit building or spirit disabling than the power of words combined.
"We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check." James 3:2
"The tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body...set on fire by hell." James 3:5-6
"All kinds of animals have been tamed by man, but no man can tame the tongue."
James 3:7-8
God has a way of cutting to the chase when it comes to the impact that our words can have on those who are within earshot. Fires completely devastate. Fires raze to the ground all life within its scorching heat. Fires suffocate breath as a prerequisite to death. Words can set us and others ablaze as well! Here's some good advice; don't go shooting your mouth off! Be careful how you choose your words. Pack your words full of grace, 'seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone." (Colossians 4:6). I heard this axiom many years ago that has stuck with me and transformed my conversation and word choices (for the most part); "People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care."
For a 'Communicator', those words went deep into my heart. I realized that I used words to insult, far too often. I had to admit that I cared more about being right than being related 'right' to those closest and dearest to me. Words became a weapon, not a wellspring of refreshment to those on the other end of me 'shooting off my mouth'...family and congregations alike. It's easy and habit forming to misuse words. As a Christian, I became further convinced that my conversations did not always reflect God's heart and attitude to my wife, children and friends, much less those I became pastor to. I asked God to put the 'fire' out. Have you ever kept your opinion to yourself because you yielded your words to God for editing and approval before release? That will change your word choice for sure!
"A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver." Proverbs 25:11
"Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer." Psalm 19:14
It is no wonder that Jesus was the 'Word made flesh'. I understand the heart of Peter who said, 'Lord, where will we go to? Only You have the words of life." How is that a gruff, blue collar fisherman became such a soul stirring orator? His words changed because his heart was transformed by a better 'Word'.
Could it be that he became a 'Word Nerd' of a different kind?
Before you speak a word today...pray and think first. Set no fires. Do no damage. Speak no lies. Tell no stories. Let His Spirit speak His words through you, in every context of your day today.
You are about to bless some people today...you 'Word Nerd', you!
That is how David Cook, American Idol contestant from Blue Springs describes himself. This guys just loves words, (and music too, obviously). He is into crossword puzzles, word find games, definitions and Scrabble. I have a hunch that his favorite subject in school was Vocabulary! He probably can't wait for the next issue of Reader's Digest to hit the mailbox so that he can get to the 'Enrich Your Word Power' section!
"Words--so innocent and powerless as they are, as standing in a dictionary, how potent for good and evil they become in the hands of one who knows how to combine them."
Author Unknown (to me)
Think for a moment of the power of words. Teachers use words to instruct. Coaches use words to motivate. Politicians use words to convince. Nurses use words to comfort. Writers use words to tell stories. Students use words to text answers to each other during exams! Without words, there is no conversation, communication, friendship or country music love songs. Without words, Hallmark would be a picture gallery, and the Hollywood Writers Guild could have stayed on 'Strike' forever!
Now, think of the power of words that are spoken to you. How have the words of your parents impacted you? Affirmations and insults both have a long shelf life don't they? Ever been talked about? Insulted? Misrepresented? Misquoted? Have you ever been complimented, praised or congratulated? You bask in those words, don't you? There is nothing more spirit building or spirit disabling than the power of words combined.
"We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check." James 3:2
"The tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body...set on fire by hell." James 3:5-6
"All kinds of animals have been tamed by man, but no man can tame the tongue."
James 3:7-8
God has a way of cutting to the chase when it comes to the impact that our words can have on those who are within earshot. Fires completely devastate. Fires raze to the ground all life within its scorching heat. Fires suffocate breath as a prerequisite to death. Words can set us and others ablaze as well! Here's some good advice; don't go shooting your mouth off! Be careful how you choose your words. Pack your words full of grace, 'seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone." (Colossians 4:6). I heard this axiom many years ago that has stuck with me and transformed my conversation and word choices (for the most part); "People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care."
For a 'Communicator', those words went deep into my heart. I realized that I used words to insult, far too often. I had to admit that I cared more about being right than being related 'right' to those closest and dearest to me. Words became a weapon, not a wellspring of refreshment to those on the other end of me 'shooting off my mouth'...family and congregations alike. It's easy and habit forming to misuse words. As a Christian, I became further convinced that my conversations did not always reflect God's heart and attitude to my wife, children and friends, much less those I became pastor to. I asked God to put the 'fire' out. Have you ever kept your opinion to yourself because you yielded your words to God for editing and approval before release? That will change your word choice for sure!
"A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver." Proverbs 25:11
"Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer." Psalm 19:14
It is no wonder that Jesus was the 'Word made flesh'. I understand the heart of Peter who said, 'Lord, where will we go to? Only You have the words of life." How is that a gruff, blue collar fisherman became such a soul stirring orator? His words changed because his heart was transformed by a better 'Word'.
Could it be that he became a 'Word Nerd' of a different kind?
Before you speak a word today...pray and think first. Set no fires. Do no damage. Speak no lies. Tell no stories. Let His Spirit speak His words through you, in every context of your day today.
You are about to bless some people today...you 'Word Nerd', you!
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Pride and Prejudice
My grandfather liked Pepsi. I preferred Coke.
When we visited my Dad's folks on summer vacation to Jupiter, Florida 'back in the day', what soft drink do you think we drank?
My grandfather liked Chevy's. My father preferred Fords.
When we jumped in the car with Dad, which model car do you think we tooled around in? When Grandpa took us kids on the morning drive down Florida Highway A1A, what model car do you think we jumped into at his invitation?
Grandpa was a Republican. My father was a...that's about as far as I can stretch this one...but you get the point, right?
We compare. Pepsi to Coke. Chevy to Ford. Republicans to Democrats. We have preferences and reasons why we have them. Listen to sports radio and you will get an earful from KU and MU fans as to who really deserved the invite to the Orange Bowl! They played that game in January and the talk is still not over!
In these areas...comparison is a matter of taste, thought or team colors. Discussion can be fun or frustrating, but for the most part, it is harmless...
Unless you compare yourself to others. That is where there is real danger. When you compare yourself to others you might get depressed. They may have more than you. They may know more than you. They may be more recognized than you. They may be better looking than you, have more money than you, drive a golf ball farther than you, and the list is as deep as your heart sinking into your shoes.
On the other hand, when you compare yourself to others, your might celebrate instead. You have more than they do. You know more than they do. You are more recognized than they are. You are better looking, more athletic, more conversational. You may even realize that you are spiritually superior as you compare yourself to others. In the Bible, that is called 'Pride', and you are in danger of being in league with the Devil himself if you excuse this root of all sin.
C.S. Lewis said this of pride;
"What you want to get clear is that Pride is essentially competitive--is competitive by its very nature. Pride gets no pleasure out of having something, only out of having it more than the next man." He went on to conclude; "As long as you are proud you cannot know God. A proud man is always looking down on things and people: and, of course, as long as you are looking down, you cannot see something that is above you."
Do you practice favoritism? Do you prefer others on the basis of what they have or know (because you believe that you identify with them) and do you look down on others with a justifying glare?
"If you really keep the royal law found in the Scripture, 'Love your neighbor as yourself,' you are doing right. But if you are showing favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers." James 2:8
God says it plainly. If you call yourself a Christian and elevate yourself above others that you consider 'lesser' than yourself (for any reason), you do not reflect the heart or the character of the God of the Bible and you are guilty of sin. Pretty cut and dry. Hard to escape that obvious of Scriptural instruction. Could it be that you have become prey to the spiritual cancer of pride...the kind that exacts judgment and even withholds mercy? That is the kind of pride that lives in prejudice and is easily identified by the secular and the spiritual...and certainly the just and impartial God of Scripture.
Christians have a PR problem at times. Those unskilled in the Word know that professing Christians are to live like the Christ who they are pledged to. When our treatment of others smacks against the 'Royal Law', the radius of our offense is broadened to include those pained by our favoritism and those angered by it. Living by faith requires the sincere expression of God-love lived out with integrity.
"You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone...as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead." James 2:24, 26
What then is the expression of real 'faith'? That may mean that as a Christian with a Ford F 150 that you give your Wal Mart parking place to the Chevy Silverado that is competing with you for that piece of asphalt. It may mean that as a Christian who enjoys Coke that you show gratitude to the waitress at Chili's who tells you that they carry only Pepsi products. It may mean that as a Christian of one political party that you listen and show respect for those with a political world view that differs...greatly differs from your own. That kind of faith in action loves and serves others in the name of Christ, no matter the social standing, the economic status, or skin pigmentation of any person at any time in any context.
Jesus, the very Son of God, dispatched from heaven never looked down on anyone...and He could have...fully justified as fully human yet fully divine. "Though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich." (2 Corinthians 8:9)
Becoming 'poor' rather than being 'proud'? For my sake? That is astonishing. That is convincing.
Those are your choices.
When we visited my Dad's folks on summer vacation to Jupiter, Florida 'back in the day', what soft drink do you think we drank?
My grandfather liked Chevy's. My father preferred Fords.
When we jumped in the car with Dad, which model car do you think we tooled around in? When Grandpa took us kids on the morning drive down Florida Highway A1A, what model car do you think we jumped into at his invitation?
Grandpa was a Republican. My father was a...that's about as far as I can stretch this one...but you get the point, right?
We compare. Pepsi to Coke. Chevy to Ford. Republicans to Democrats. We have preferences and reasons why we have them. Listen to sports radio and you will get an earful from KU and MU fans as to who really deserved the invite to the Orange Bowl! They played that game in January and the talk is still not over!
In these areas...comparison is a matter of taste, thought or team colors. Discussion can be fun or frustrating, but for the most part, it is harmless...
Unless you compare yourself to others. That is where there is real danger. When you compare yourself to others you might get depressed. They may have more than you. They may know more than you. They may be more recognized than you. They may be better looking than you, have more money than you, drive a golf ball farther than you, and the list is as deep as your heart sinking into your shoes.
On the other hand, when you compare yourself to others, your might celebrate instead. You have more than they do. You know more than they do. You are more recognized than they are. You are better looking, more athletic, more conversational. You may even realize that you are spiritually superior as you compare yourself to others. In the Bible, that is called 'Pride', and you are in danger of being in league with the Devil himself if you excuse this root of all sin.
C.S. Lewis said this of pride;
"What you want to get clear is that Pride is essentially competitive--is competitive by its very nature. Pride gets no pleasure out of having something, only out of having it more than the next man." He went on to conclude; "As long as you are proud you cannot know God. A proud man is always looking down on things and people: and, of course, as long as you are looking down, you cannot see something that is above you."
Do you practice favoritism? Do you prefer others on the basis of what they have or know (because you believe that you identify with them) and do you look down on others with a justifying glare?
"If you really keep the royal law found in the Scripture, 'Love your neighbor as yourself,' you are doing right. But if you are showing favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers." James 2:8
God says it plainly. If you call yourself a Christian and elevate yourself above others that you consider 'lesser' than yourself (for any reason), you do not reflect the heart or the character of the God of the Bible and you are guilty of sin. Pretty cut and dry. Hard to escape that obvious of Scriptural instruction. Could it be that you have become prey to the spiritual cancer of pride...the kind that exacts judgment and even withholds mercy? That is the kind of pride that lives in prejudice and is easily identified by the secular and the spiritual...and certainly the just and impartial God of Scripture.
Christians have a PR problem at times. Those unskilled in the Word know that professing Christians are to live like the Christ who they are pledged to. When our treatment of others smacks against the 'Royal Law', the radius of our offense is broadened to include those pained by our favoritism and those angered by it. Living by faith requires the sincere expression of God-love lived out with integrity.
"You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone...as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead." James 2:24, 26
What then is the expression of real 'faith'? That may mean that as a Christian with a Ford F 150 that you give your Wal Mart parking place to the Chevy Silverado that is competing with you for that piece of asphalt. It may mean that as a Christian who enjoys Coke that you show gratitude to the waitress at Chili's who tells you that they carry only Pepsi products. It may mean that as a Christian of one political party that you listen and show respect for those with a political world view that differs...greatly differs from your own. That kind of faith in action loves and serves others in the name of Christ, no matter the social standing, the economic status, or skin pigmentation of any person at any time in any context.
Jesus, the very Son of God, dispatched from heaven never looked down on anyone...and He could have...fully justified as fully human yet fully divine. "Though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich." (2 Corinthians 8:9)
Becoming 'poor' rather than being 'proud'? For my sake? That is astonishing. That is convincing.
Those are your choices.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
It's On!
"Do that one more time...and IT IS ON!"
That was one of my standard lines to whichever of my four sons was egging on a 'fight'.
Back in the 'the day', we took wrestling matches seriously around the Weber house. Furniture would be moved, the imaginary bell would ring, and the Tag Team Grudge Match started in earnest as the women screamed. This was not like the 'Soap Opera for Men'...that stuff cabled into your living room...Oh no...at Weber Arena, we wrestled for keeps.
Usually 3 sons, sometimes my daughter, and later my youngest, would form a wrestling alliance that kept me 'in the ring' as they continued tagging in and out. It was non-stop thumping that even the Energizer Bunny could not keep pace with. As the kids tagged in and out of the brawl, eventually I would wear down. Sometimes they cheated! More than one at a time would pile on, (they said that never happened, but I'm not buying that) as they worked like a wolfpack in overpowering their loving Dad.
They reveled in Wrestle Mania until the referee broke it up (thank you Mrs. Weber) and made us put the furniture back...that time was usually later than I had hoped...after rug burns, yanked hair, poked eyes, twisted limbs and total oxygen deprivation. Then, they would celebrate; and rubbing insult into injury...they would brag as wannabe wrestling champs. I cannot begin to assess the damage reports when they graduated from elementary school! That is when the brawling turned into beat downs!
"Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him."
James 1:12
James goes on to say..
"When tempted..each one is tempted when by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full grown, gives birth to death. Don't be deceived, my dear brothers."
James 1:13
Trials and temptations. Life is full of the both of them. We feel at times that we are being piled on...over and over and over again by these supposed tag team partners. Yet, one is an ambassador to royalty, leading to reward, while the other is an invitation to depravity, leading to destruction and certain death. One is the means through which we inherit the character of the God who loves, the other is the method of the one who lies, charming those who follow by fraud.
Don't miss the difference and the distinction!
Trials lead us to our knees. Trials invite us to confess our dependency to the Father. Trials draw us into His presence. Helplessness reminds us that the best of our abilities, perfectly timed and properly deployed, still leave us over-matched. Trials make us cry out to God, throwing out our trust upon Him as our only Source of deliverance and lasting hope. Trials develop faith and build champions of prayer who experience the joy of His strength leading to victory.
Temptations unresisted undo those who squander their lives, and become ensnared by their self dependence. Temptations succumbed to leave scars of regret, shame, guilt and bitterness in those who opt for fleeting and temporal 'delight'. Temptations acted upon can put to death a lifetime of character recognitions in a single fateful act...and set into motion the entrapment in the 'cords of sin' described by the wisest man who ever lived, (Proverbs 5:22-23 is a must read at this point).
Some trials indeed come from God as messengers that invite us to share in His life and holiness. Not so with temptation. Each comes from your Life Enemy who is bent on your destruction, and never delivers what he promises with the lure.
When your life is eulogized, how do you want to be spoken of? Do you want to be remembered as the one who was 'beat down' or the one who 'endured through'? Resolve that your daily life and witness is yours to build or break. Resolve that in your trials, you will appeal to God, and in the temptations, you will appeal to Him even more!
"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change..." James 1:16
Trials and temptations both, place us in the position of yielding our circumstances and our choices to Him.
Because you have faced both...be kind to those around you who feel as though they are being brutalized by the 'pile on'. Be there for them in their trials as His ambassador of hope. Pray for them and with them while the assault of temptation is levied against their hearts.
Wrestle Mania at the Weber House was absolutely fun. I miss those days. I reflect on them from time to time. I also realize that 'Wrestle Mania' is real for all who live in this real world of actual trial and relentless temptation. "It's On!"
That's a fact! "It's On" for real.
That was one of my standard lines to whichever of my four sons was egging on a 'fight'.
Back in the 'the day', we took wrestling matches seriously around the Weber house. Furniture would be moved, the imaginary bell would ring, and the Tag Team Grudge Match started in earnest as the women screamed. This was not like the 'Soap Opera for Men'...that stuff cabled into your living room...Oh no...at Weber Arena, we wrestled for keeps.
Usually 3 sons, sometimes my daughter, and later my youngest, would form a wrestling alliance that kept me 'in the ring' as they continued tagging in and out. It was non-stop thumping that even the Energizer Bunny could not keep pace with. As the kids tagged in and out of the brawl, eventually I would wear down. Sometimes they cheated! More than one at a time would pile on, (they said that never happened, but I'm not buying that) as they worked like a wolfpack in overpowering their loving Dad.
They reveled in Wrestle Mania until the referee broke it up (thank you Mrs. Weber) and made us put the furniture back...that time was usually later than I had hoped...after rug burns, yanked hair, poked eyes, twisted limbs and total oxygen deprivation. Then, they would celebrate; and rubbing insult into injury...they would brag as wannabe wrestling champs. I cannot begin to assess the damage reports when they graduated from elementary school! That is when the brawling turned into beat downs!
"Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him."
James 1:12
James goes on to say..
"When tempted..each one is tempted when by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full grown, gives birth to death. Don't be deceived, my dear brothers."
James 1:13
Trials and temptations. Life is full of the both of them. We feel at times that we are being piled on...over and over and over again by these supposed tag team partners. Yet, one is an ambassador to royalty, leading to reward, while the other is an invitation to depravity, leading to destruction and certain death. One is the means through which we inherit the character of the God who loves, the other is the method of the one who lies, charming those who follow by fraud.
Don't miss the difference and the distinction!
Trials lead us to our knees. Trials invite us to confess our dependency to the Father. Trials draw us into His presence. Helplessness reminds us that the best of our abilities, perfectly timed and properly deployed, still leave us over-matched. Trials make us cry out to God, throwing out our trust upon Him as our only Source of deliverance and lasting hope. Trials develop faith and build champions of prayer who experience the joy of His strength leading to victory.
Temptations unresisted undo those who squander their lives, and become ensnared by their self dependence. Temptations succumbed to leave scars of regret, shame, guilt and bitterness in those who opt for fleeting and temporal 'delight'. Temptations acted upon can put to death a lifetime of character recognitions in a single fateful act...and set into motion the entrapment in the 'cords of sin' described by the wisest man who ever lived, (Proverbs 5:22-23 is a must read at this point).
Some trials indeed come from God as messengers that invite us to share in His life and holiness. Not so with temptation. Each comes from your Life Enemy who is bent on your destruction, and never delivers what he promises with the lure.
When your life is eulogized, how do you want to be spoken of? Do you want to be remembered as the one who was 'beat down' or the one who 'endured through'? Resolve that your daily life and witness is yours to build or break. Resolve that in your trials, you will appeal to God, and in the temptations, you will appeal to Him even more!
"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change..." James 1:16
Trials and temptations both, place us in the position of yielding our circumstances and our choices to Him.
Because you have faced both...be kind to those around you who feel as though they are being brutalized by the 'pile on'. Be there for them in their trials as His ambassador of hope. Pray for them and with them while the assault of temptation is levied against their hearts.
Wrestle Mania at the Weber House was absolutely fun. I miss those days. I reflect on them from time to time. I also realize that 'Wrestle Mania' is real for all who live in this real world of actual trial and relentless temptation. "It's On!"
That's a fact! "It's On" for real.
Friday, February 22, 2008
Holy Courage
"What is worth dying for?"
One of my sons asked me this question one day as he grappled with life's meaning and what and where to dedicate his life energy to.
I felt like I was on 'Stump the Chump'. The weightiness of that single question did not baffle me...it made me think...seriously think, of what is really worth laying down your life for. "I'll get back to you on that one." I wrestled with that one question for months. I had to be sure that my response matched my own willingness.
"They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail." (Acts 5:18)
"They made then appear before the Sanhedrin to be questioned by the High Priest." (Acts 5:27)
"When they heard this, they were furious and wanted to put them to death." (Acts 5:33)
"They called the apostles and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. The apostles left rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name." (Acts 5:40-41)
As personal witnesses of the universal grace of God on display through the Cross upon which Jesus became the Atonement Sacrifice, validating His Lordship and power by being resurrected from the grave, and beholding His ascension into the very heaven from which He came...these 'ordinary' men knew exactly what was worth living and dying for. They staked their lives on making known Jesus as the Christ to their countrymen. They knew full well that the fury of the jealous religious aristocracy awaited them after every act of their obedience to the powerful message of redemption entrusted them went on full display in the lives of those made 'whole'.
These men lived in joy...but also in danger. They lived on assignment, but also under threat. They rejoiced in the awesome grace of God, demonstrated in power and accompanied with the miraculous, and knew that from the very stairs of the national House of Worship they would be arrested, jailed, maligned, beaten and commanded to 'sush'! The 'Name' was worth it all! The 'Name' of the Great 'I AM', Jesus Himself, was being communicated as the God of nearness who offered His own self as the single most supreme act of love ever demonstrated, (read Romans 5:8 for more on this) to every heart and household in every generation for all time, (look at Hebrews 10:11-18 for a more full explanation of this very fact).
This was a message that each apostle, (and many Christians to come) would lay down their own life for before compromising their commission or closing their mouths.
Whatever a person lays down their life for will take courage...in this case, more than a human resolve and beyond the fortitude of true grit kept the apostles moving forward with the full knowledge that they were under a death warrant by their non-compliance. The souls of men were at stake. Could they possibly even consider obliging misguided and intimidated authorities?
"For the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." Mark 10:45
When you are willing to offer yourself to the God who created you and then redeemed you...that is your act of followship...and it is joyful...but will cost you. It may cost you friendships. It may cost you promotions. It may cost you family. It may cost you comfort. It may cost you advancement, pleasures and the respect of your peers. It may, and very soon...cost you your very life. If you can rejoice in the midst of such threat as you make Him known by your lifestyle and conversation, by your values and choices, by your speaking of the 'Name'...you have Holy Courage.
Stay on assignment today. After all, if is costs you 'everything', being with Him is 'so much better'. And...there are many others full of holy courage and speaking the 'Name' as well.
One of my sons asked me this question one day as he grappled with life's meaning and what and where to dedicate his life energy to.
I felt like I was on 'Stump the Chump'. The weightiness of that single question did not baffle me...it made me think...seriously think, of what is really worth laying down your life for. "I'll get back to you on that one." I wrestled with that one question for months. I had to be sure that my response matched my own willingness.
"They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail." (Acts 5:18)
"They made then appear before the Sanhedrin to be questioned by the High Priest." (Acts 5:27)
"When they heard this, they were furious and wanted to put them to death." (Acts 5:33)
"They called the apostles and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. The apostles left rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name." (Acts 5:40-41)
As personal witnesses of the universal grace of God on display through the Cross upon which Jesus became the Atonement Sacrifice, validating His Lordship and power by being resurrected from the grave, and beholding His ascension into the very heaven from which He came...these 'ordinary' men knew exactly what was worth living and dying for. They staked their lives on making known Jesus as the Christ to their countrymen. They knew full well that the fury of the jealous religious aristocracy awaited them after every act of their obedience to the powerful message of redemption entrusted them went on full display in the lives of those made 'whole'.
These men lived in joy...but also in danger. They lived on assignment, but also under threat. They rejoiced in the awesome grace of God, demonstrated in power and accompanied with the miraculous, and knew that from the very stairs of the national House of Worship they would be arrested, jailed, maligned, beaten and commanded to 'sush'! The 'Name' was worth it all! The 'Name' of the Great 'I AM', Jesus Himself, was being communicated as the God of nearness who offered His own self as the single most supreme act of love ever demonstrated, (read Romans 5:8 for more on this) to every heart and household in every generation for all time, (look at Hebrews 10:11-18 for a more full explanation of this very fact).
This was a message that each apostle, (and many Christians to come) would lay down their own life for before compromising their commission or closing their mouths.
Whatever a person lays down their life for will take courage...in this case, more than a human resolve and beyond the fortitude of true grit kept the apostles moving forward with the full knowledge that they were under a death warrant by their non-compliance. The souls of men were at stake. Could they possibly even consider obliging misguided and intimidated authorities?
"For the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." Mark 10:45
When you are willing to offer yourself to the God who created you and then redeemed you...that is your act of followship...and it is joyful...but will cost you. It may cost you friendships. It may cost you promotions. It may cost you family. It may cost you comfort. It may cost you advancement, pleasures and the respect of your peers. It may, and very soon...cost you your very life. If you can rejoice in the midst of such threat as you make Him known by your lifestyle and conversation, by your values and choices, by your speaking of the 'Name'...you have Holy Courage.
Stay on assignment today. After all, if is costs you 'everything', being with Him is 'so much better'. And...there are many others full of holy courage and speaking the 'Name' as well.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Power Trip
Louis Michael is bent on 'creating' a tornado.
Michael, a Canadian mechanical engineer is working on making a 30 foot wide, miles high spinning vortex of hot air. He is not the only researcher committed to making tornadoes 'useful'! He is one of many who are convinced that 'Tornado Power' is the energy wave of the future, created and controlled to generate electricity to thousands of homes.
In Prattville, Alabama this past Sunday, (February 17) and F-3 tornado touched down in the 31,000 population bedroom community of Montgomery, Alabama cutting a quarter mile swath, with winds gaging from 140-150 miles per hour. When this spinning vortex left P'ville, 9,000 homes and businesses lost power. Incredibly, no fatalities have been reported.
A tornado is a well organized, violently rotating column of external air from a thunderstorm to the ground. Damage paths have been recorded wider than a mile wide and in excess of fifty miles long. Winds can reach and F-5 level when climbing to 200 miles per hour. In one Oklahoma tornado, a single straw blade was found lodged in a still standing telephone pole, having been propelled by the force of an F-5!
Tornadoes pack a wallop! The concentrated power of a tornado is simply stunning.
"By what power or by what name do you do this?" (Acts 4:7)
This was the lead question in a prolonged interrogation of Peter and John by the religious 'powers' of that day. They were overcome with fear, dread and anger as the message of the resurrected Christ had been visibly demonstrated in the healed legs of the 40 year old once lamed beggar. To make matters worse, over 5,000 men responded to the Good News message declared by these two simpletons who were known to be 'ordinary', (Acts 4:13) and yet anointed with the mighty presence of God as they spoke. Peter and John attributed this single demonstration of the miraculous to the name of Jesus Christ, the Resurrected One, (Acts 4:10-11).
God's Spirit packs a wallop!
After being commanded to bring to a screeching halt their constant habit of making Christ known...and threatened with punishment should they continue, these two men went to their fellow believers to to report of God's powerful activity and to pray to the Lord to keep the power coming! Not only that, they asked the Lord to give them additional courage and boldness to remain faithful in declaring the Good News constantly and without fear. When they finished their praying, God 'showed up' and re-charged them internally by His Spirit and shook the place they were meeting at to validate His presence, power and pleasure to His faithful ones.
The Bible says that the name of God is 'I AM", (Exodus 3:14-15). In other words, "Who I have always been, I am right now!" Do you think...maybe the better word is 'believe' that the God of the Bible is just as current in dispensing and displaying His power in this century as He has been from the 1st century and before? Is God any less interested in drawing others to Himself by His obvious power at work in 'ordinary' folk like you and me? What could you expect to happen around you if the heart within you was yielded in abandon to His presence and agenda? Think He might 'pack a wallop' in you? How about in your marriage and family? How about in your church and throughout your community? The most profound attraction to the Living Christ is His power unleashed in you.
So, Michael is 'creating' a tornado with the intent of harnessing its power into a vortex funnel to make an energy difference in this world, right?
May the God of Wonder focus His power upon you today so that through you, this world will indeed be made 'different'. Now, that's a life that packs a wallop...for sure!
Michael, a Canadian mechanical engineer is working on making a 30 foot wide, miles high spinning vortex of hot air. He is not the only researcher committed to making tornadoes 'useful'! He is one of many who are convinced that 'Tornado Power' is the energy wave of the future, created and controlled to generate electricity to thousands of homes.
In Prattville, Alabama this past Sunday, (February 17) and F-3 tornado touched down in the 31,000 population bedroom community of Montgomery, Alabama cutting a quarter mile swath, with winds gaging from 140-150 miles per hour. When this spinning vortex left P'ville, 9,000 homes and businesses lost power. Incredibly, no fatalities have been reported.
A tornado is a well organized, violently rotating column of external air from a thunderstorm to the ground. Damage paths have been recorded wider than a mile wide and in excess of fifty miles long. Winds can reach and F-5 level when climbing to 200 miles per hour. In one Oklahoma tornado, a single straw blade was found lodged in a still standing telephone pole, having been propelled by the force of an F-5!
Tornadoes pack a wallop! The concentrated power of a tornado is simply stunning.
"By what power or by what name do you do this?" (Acts 4:7)
This was the lead question in a prolonged interrogation of Peter and John by the religious 'powers' of that day. They were overcome with fear, dread and anger as the message of the resurrected Christ had been visibly demonstrated in the healed legs of the 40 year old once lamed beggar. To make matters worse, over 5,000 men responded to the Good News message declared by these two simpletons who were known to be 'ordinary', (Acts 4:13) and yet anointed with the mighty presence of God as they spoke. Peter and John attributed this single demonstration of the miraculous to the name of Jesus Christ, the Resurrected One, (Acts 4:10-11).
God's Spirit packs a wallop!
After being commanded to bring to a screeching halt their constant habit of making Christ known...and threatened with punishment should they continue, these two men went to their fellow believers to to report of God's powerful activity and to pray to the Lord to keep the power coming! Not only that, they asked the Lord to give them additional courage and boldness to remain faithful in declaring the Good News constantly and without fear. When they finished their praying, God 'showed up' and re-charged them internally by His Spirit and shook the place they were meeting at to validate His presence, power and pleasure to His faithful ones.
The Bible says that the name of God is 'I AM", (Exodus 3:14-15). In other words, "Who I have always been, I am right now!" Do you think...maybe the better word is 'believe' that the God of the Bible is just as current in dispensing and displaying His power in this century as He has been from the 1st century and before? Is God any less interested in drawing others to Himself by His obvious power at work in 'ordinary' folk like you and me? What could you expect to happen around you if the heart within you was yielded in abandon to His presence and agenda? Think He might 'pack a wallop' in you? How about in your marriage and family? How about in your church and throughout your community? The most profound attraction to the Living Christ is His power unleashed in you.
So, Michael is 'creating' a tornado with the intent of harnessing its power into a vortex funnel to make an energy difference in this world, right?
May the God of Wonder focus His power upon you today so that through you, this world will indeed be made 'different'. Now, that's a life that packs a wallop...for sure!
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Begging Off Begging
You have seen them off exit ramps and in busy intersections.
The poor. The homeless. The impoverished. The sign wielding street person stoically waiting for the kind of heart to drop some coin or cash in their outstretched palm or cup. Their best friend is the red light that halts the flow of traffic providing them with opportunity to be the object of a stranger's compassion.
When you see them, what do you do? Do you pray that the light stays green, hoping to avoid yet another 'guilt trip' as you turn toward the Quick Trip? Do you speed through the yellow light, narrowly escaping the dread of obligation? Do you slow down and reach for your wallet? Do you pray blessing upon the destitute while soberly and gratefully considering how good the Life has been to you?
Jesus said the society would forever be involved with addressing material poverty, (Matthew 26:11, Mark 14:7) and coming to the aid of the helpless. Their plight illustrated a greater need that every person must humbly admit to.
How would you like to be 'helpless'? How would you navigate through the emotional torrents of perpetual dependency upon the favor of others to sustain you? Think of the continual heartache of daily begging as your only option for staying alive. Can you picture anything quite as pitiful?
"Now a man crippled from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money...he was expecting to get something from them." (Acts 3:3-4)
Keep reading through this Acts account and you will see that he really did 'get something' from them! No coin, cash or bling...hope, healing and joy instead! By the obvious power of Redeemer Jesus through the ministry of the Holy Spirit working mightily in these apostles, this lame beggar, familiar to all who entered through the most celebrated Gate leading to the Temple was surprisingly 'walking, jumping and praising God'. This one man experienced the favor of God that money, or even the generosity of others could never secure for him. That is the beginning of this account of the supernatural activity of God...starting with the beggar and including the crowds that witnessed and now were hearing about how Jesus moves to all who cry out in their spiritual bankruptcy.
Jesus once said that 'the poor of spirit' would be most blessed with their inclusion to the 'Kingdom of God', (Matthew 5:3). In other words, the recognition of spiritual bankruptcy was the pre-requisite for real hope, lasting change and union with the heart of God. Only those who admit their desperate need for 'divine intervention', confessing their complete inability to suffice apart from God's extended grace qualify for His lavish provision. In other words, we are all spiritual 'beggars'. It is the all inclusive Club Humanity whose membership has no dues. Membership is universal and affordable as all are spiritually destitute...until there is a reaching out to the One Who gladly offers you inclusion into His royal family. The elevation upward begins with the humble cry of the downcast.
Can you imagine the shame of embarrassment that this poor man was subject to EVERY day? How many jeered at him, scorned him or simply ignored him as he waited by the 'Beautiful' gate for what he had no hope of providing for himself? His condition changed...dramatically...even beyond his expectations when he looked in the direction of admitted and empowered Christ followers.
People become God's powerful instruments of redemption after they have have been lifted from the ranks of the spiritually impoverished. Peter and John both would illustrate that for us. They too had been lifted from the shame of their spiritual bankruptcy and were anxious to 'share the wealth'.
Who took you 'by the hand' and raised you up to meet the Lord in deliverance and joy? Thank God for them and be everlasting grateful that you were not ignored when you were spiritually hopeless.
Before you walk past people who are famished for a lasting touch from God, remember you once 'begged' too. Get in the game. Determine to make a difference in the lives of those around you. Decide that you will walk across the room for a change, directly to someone in need...with the power of the Spirit upon you, raise them up to know Him...
...and smile as the 'beggar' becomes a 'dancer'!
The poor. The homeless. The impoverished. The sign wielding street person stoically waiting for the kind of heart to drop some coin or cash in their outstretched palm or cup. Their best friend is the red light that halts the flow of traffic providing them with opportunity to be the object of a stranger's compassion.
When you see them, what do you do? Do you pray that the light stays green, hoping to avoid yet another 'guilt trip' as you turn toward the Quick Trip? Do you speed through the yellow light, narrowly escaping the dread of obligation? Do you slow down and reach for your wallet? Do you pray blessing upon the destitute while soberly and gratefully considering how good the Life has been to you?
Jesus said the society would forever be involved with addressing material poverty, (Matthew 26:11, Mark 14:7) and coming to the aid of the helpless. Their plight illustrated a greater need that every person must humbly admit to.
How would you like to be 'helpless'? How would you navigate through the emotional torrents of perpetual dependency upon the favor of others to sustain you? Think of the continual heartache of daily begging as your only option for staying alive. Can you picture anything quite as pitiful?
"Now a man crippled from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money...he was expecting to get something from them." (Acts 3:3-4)
Keep reading through this Acts account and you will see that he really did 'get something' from them! No coin, cash or bling...hope, healing and joy instead! By the obvious power of Redeemer Jesus through the ministry of the Holy Spirit working mightily in these apostles, this lame beggar, familiar to all who entered through the most celebrated Gate leading to the Temple was surprisingly 'walking, jumping and praising God'. This one man experienced the favor of God that money, or even the generosity of others could never secure for him. That is the beginning of this account of the supernatural activity of God...starting with the beggar and including the crowds that witnessed and now were hearing about how Jesus moves to all who cry out in their spiritual bankruptcy.
Jesus once said that 'the poor of spirit' would be most blessed with their inclusion to the 'Kingdom of God', (Matthew 5:3). In other words, the recognition of spiritual bankruptcy was the pre-requisite for real hope, lasting change and union with the heart of God. Only those who admit their desperate need for 'divine intervention', confessing their complete inability to suffice apart from God's extended grace qualify for His lavish provision. In other words, we are all spiritual 'beggars'. It is the all inclusive Club Humanity whose membership has no dues. Membership is universal and affordable as all are spiritually destitute...until there is a reaching out to the One Who gladly offers you inclusion into His royal family. The elevation upward begins with the humble cry of the downcast.
Can you imagine the shame of embarrassment that this poor man was subject to EVERY day? How many jeered at him, scorned him or simply ignored him as he waited by the 'Beautiful' gate for what he had no hope of providing for himself? His condition changed...dramatically...even beyond his expectations when he looked in the direction of admitted and empowered Christ followers.
People become God's powerful instruments of redemption after they have have been lifted from the ranks of the spiritually impoverished. Peter and John both would illustrate that for us. They too had been lifted from the shame of their spiritual bankruptcy and were anxious to 'share the wealth'.
Who took you 'by the hand' and raised you up to meet the Lord in deliverance and joy? Thank God for them and be everlasting grateful that you were not ignored when you were spiritually hopeless.
Before you walk past people who are famished for a lasting touch from God, remember you once 'begged' too. Get in the game. Determine to make a difference in the lives of those around you. Decide that you will walk across the room for a change, directly to someone in need...with the power of the Spirit upon you, raise them up to know Him...
...and smile as the 'beggar' becomes a 'dancer'!
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
My Captain
I met him at a concert many, many years ago.
Something was going on in the heart of this teenager. His karate friend, Brian invited him to a concert that I took my youth group to. He was ready for more than music. He was ready for a serious life change...and later that night...that transformation happened.
Just a few months before he decided that he was never going to take another beat down and be stuffed in a trash can again. That literally happened as he became the prey for the campus 'tough guys' who liked to put a beat down on the lesser of stature and short on street brawling experience. After yet another time of tasting his own blood, Rodney decided that he would take up karate...and use it as needed. He never took another 'beat down'...but he did put a few on those who asked for one!
At the concert that night, he was impacted by the message of hope in Christ that was being communicated and spoken of through Dallas Holm. From the balcony, his spirit deeply moved, Rodney Thomas gave his life to Christ. I did not know him much before that night, but I stayed glued to him for years after that night! He was absolutely transformed. He had become a 'new creation' in Christ for sure. No doubt about it. Without hesitation, he lived for Christ 24/7. He was the real deal. Never pushy, but always convincing. God's hand was on this young man.
Time went by and Rodney completed Undergraduate and Graduate degree programs in his journey of becoming an accomplished and effective Youth Pastor and Lead Pastor in small communities in southwest Texas. He even worked for me as a Summer Intern three times. Once I offered him a the Student Minister position at a large church that I served on the Executive Staff of. To my absolute shock, he turned me down. "God is calling me to something different than this...I don't know what that is just yet, but I know it isn't here." God's Spirit was all over this man...I wanted him on my Ministry Team...he would not let our strong bond keep him from a calling that was yet to be revealed. And it was...
Rodney later became a Captain in the Army. He was compelled by the Spirit to minister to the young people of the Armed Forces. His Duty Station began in Fort Hood, Texas, the largest Army Installation in the United States. He knew beyond any doubt that this was his life calling. Years before the fateful 9-11 attacks, Rodney ministered blessing, hope and the Good News to soldiers from the States, to Korea to Europe. When it was time to go to Iraq, Rodney was there with the men he ministered to...on the battlefield and in the middle of combat. He would call me before going out on 'missions' and would ask to pray for ME!
"All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak as the Spirit enabled them." Acts 2:4
I have known precious few who have lived with the constant and obvious presence of God's Spirit upon them. Captain Thomas was the most consistently yielded person to Christ that I knew very, very well. He had the God-given gifts that enabled him to break through the crusty resistance of men turned warriors. He spoke truth that convinced and comforted soldiers and families...as he did in the earlier years when he interned for me. The anointing and power of God never changed...just the context.
"How is it that each of us hears them in our own native language?" Acts 2:8
On the Day of Pentecost, the arrival of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of Jesus' apostles enabled and empowered them to communicate through language barriers so that thousands could hear the message of the Good News clearly. Rodney could speak in that kind of way. He was gifted by the Spirit to speak boldly, directly and convincingly to literally thousands of America's finest. No wonder that at one battlefield worship service, Captain Thomas baptized 104 new Christ followers.
As Charlette and I trembled for our Marine Son, Sam...ready to engage in the initial ground assault into Iraq, my Captain prayed and raced along the Kuwaiti border looking for my son...a literal 'needle in a haystack'. He promised me that he would do all that he could to locate our boy and to affirm our love to him and to minister blessing to him...AND HE DID! Among the thousands positioned to advance into Iraq, ready for combat, my Captain found my son! He sent us the picture of Sam he took on that day...and from that day until Sam's discharge, that picture stayed on our fridge door...a constant reminder to pray for our son...and to thank God for my Captain.
Tell me that God is not awesome and powerful! Tell me that God will not use any person who is abandoned to Him! That is the power of the Spirit active in the lives of those who belong to Him.
A couple of years ago, my Captain was getting ready for yet another Tour of Duty to Iraq, (this would have been his 5th or 6th...)went to his car after a run at Ft. Hood. It was there that he collapsed and died instantly. When news of his passing on reached me, devastation soaked my bones. I was rocked. I lost my breath and could not stop the flow of grieving tears. At his funeral in Uvalde, Texas, my Captain was eulogized in the way that I knew him to be...Spirit filled and completely yielded. As one soldier put it, (his personal bodyguard), "He wore out ministering to us on the battlefield. There was no more respected or greater man among us than was our Chaplain."
"Everyone was filled with awe." Acts 2:42
Not even 42, my Captain passed from this life to eternal life. I am still 'in awe' of what God can do in a Spirit filled, empowered person who comes out of a trashcan and leaves a lasting mark for His glory in this world and upon my heart.
I long to be that kind of man.
Something was going on in the heart of this teenager. His karate friend, Brian invited him to a concert that I took my youth group to. He was ready for more than music. He was ready for a serious life change...and later that night...that transformation happened.
Just a few months before he decided that he was never going to take another beat down and be stuffed in a trash can again. That literally happened as he became the prey for the campus 'tough guys' who liked to put a beat down on the lesser of stature and short on street brawling experience. After yet another time of tasting his own blood, Rodney decided that he would take up karate...and use it as needed. He never took another 'beat down'...but he did put a few on those who asked for one!
At the concert that night, he was impacted by the message of hope in Christ that was being communicated and spoken of through Dallas Holm. From the balcony, his spirit deeply moved, Rodney Thomas gave his life to Christ. I did not know him much before that night, but I stayed glued to him for years after that night! He was absolutely transformed. He had become a 'new creation' in Christ for sure. No doubt about it. Without hesitation, he lived for Christ 24/7. He was the real deal. Never pushy, but always convincing. God's hand was on this young man.
Time went by and Rodney completed Undergraduate and Graduate degree programs in his journey of becoming an accomplished and effective Youth Pastor and Lead Pastor in small communities in southwest Texas. He even worked for me as a Summer Intern three times. Once I offered him a the Student Minister position at a large church that I served on the Executive Staff of. To my absolute shock, he turned me down. "God is calling me to something different than this...I don't know what that is just yet, but I know it isn't here." God's Spirit was all over this man...I wanted him on my Ministry Team...he would not let our strong bond keep him from a calling that was yet to be revealed. And it was...
Rodney later became a Captain in the Army. He was compelled by the Spirit to minister to the young people of the Armed Forces. His Duty Station began in Fort Hood, Texas, the largest Army Installation in the United States. He knew beyond any doubt that this was his life calling. Years before the fateful 9-11 attacks, Rodney ministered blessing, hope and the Good News to soldiers from the States, to Korea to Europe. When it was time to go to Iraq, Rodney was there with the men he ministered to...on the battlefield and in the middle of combat. He would call me before going out on 'missions' and would ask to pray for ME!
"All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak as the Spirit enabled them." Acts 2:4
I have known precious few who have lived with the constant and obvious presence of God's Spirit upon them. Captain Thomas was the most consistently yielded person to Christ that I knew very, very well. He had the God-given gifts that enabled him to break through the crusty resistance of men turned warriors. He spoke truth that convinced and comforted soldiers and families...as he did in the earlier years when he interned for me. The anointing and power of God never changed...just the context.
"How is it that each of us hears them in our own native language?" Acts 2:8
On the Day of Pentecost, the arrival of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of Jesus' apostles enabled and empowered them to communicate through language barriers so that thousands could hear the message of the Good News clearly. Rodney could speak in that kind of way. He was gifted by the Spirit to speak boldly, directly and convincingly to literally thousands of America's finest. No wonder that at one battlefield worship service, Captain Thomas baptized 104 new Christ followers.
As Charlette and I trembled for our Marine Son, Sam...ready to engage in the initial ground assault into Iraq, my Captain prayed and raced along the Kuwaiti border looking for my son...a literal 'needle in a haystack'. He promised me that he would do all that he could to locate our boy and to affirm our love to him and to minister blessing to him...AND HE DID! Among the thousands positioned to advance into Iraq, ready for combat, my Captain found my son! He sent us the picture of Sam he took on that day...and from that day until Sam's discharge, that picture stayed on our fridge door...a constant reminder to pray for our son...and to thank God for my Captain.
Tell me that God is not awesome and powerful! Tell me that God will not use any person who is abandoned to Him! That is the power of the Spirit active in the lives of those who belong to Him.
A couple of years ago, my Captain was getting ready for yet another Tour of Duty to Iraq, (this would have been his 5th or 6th...)went to his car after a run at Ft. Hood. It was there that he collapsed and died instantly. When news of his passing on reached me, devastation soaked my bones. I was rocked. I lost my breath and could not stop the flow of grieving tears. At his funeral in Uvalde, Texas, my Captain was eulogized in the way that I knew him to be...Spirit filled and completely yielded. As one soldier put it, (his personal bodyguard), "He wore out ministering to us on the battlefield. There was no more respected or greater man among us than was our Chaplain."
"Everyone was filled with awe." Acts 2:42
Not even 42, my Captain passed from this life to eternal life. I am still 'in awe' of what God can do in a Spirit filled, empowered person who comes out of a trashcan and leaves a lasting mark for His glory in this world and upon my heart.
I long to be that kind of man.
Monday, February 18, 2008
Unforced Errors
Tennis anyone?
I played when I was young, dating and flirting with my soon to be bride. I really never thought about playing tennis, but for her, I quickly changed my mind! That redhead surprised me with her backhand smash. She could whip that ball across the net knowing that I had little chance of making a decent return. Time after time I would race to the stripe and unwind what I thought would be a wicked volley, only to see that neon green fuzzball knocked down by the net.
"Unforced error" is the inability to return serve or volley. In other words, "No one made you hit such a sorry shot...you did that all on your own." That's my translation anyway. I just could not hit that ball back over the net. There was no excuse that I could muster. No one else that I could blame as a distraction. Usually what caused my 'unforced error' was that I became much too anxious to make the return. I did not set my feet correctly. I did not take the time to get into good striking position. I did not carefully monitor my form until it became habit. I just tried to get that ball over the net with power! I was so busy anticipating that I refused to wait for the ball to reach me before I was swinging madly, sometimes more than once! It was laughable.
"Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift that my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about...in a few days, you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit." These are the words of Jesus to His disciples as He once again reiterated that they were to be patient and prayerful as they waited for the Father to unleash His power upon them and within them. "Wait".
And 'wait' they did. They gathered together in the city as instructed by Jesus. They devoted themselves to prayer as they anticipated the gift of the Father in the arrival of the Holy Spirit. They waited for the Spirit who would empower them to carry on the ministry of the Messiah throughout the known world as Jesus taught them to. When the power came...it really came! It was a God Movement in the city! It started with just a few who were willing to wait and resisted the temptation to commit 'unforced errors'.
We have become experts at marketing the church, (I even have a book in my library by that title!). We have mastered reading the needs of the culture with the intention of offering attractional events, seminars or programs hoping to lure people to Christ rather than compel them toward the faith. In process, we commit loads of 'unforced errors', trying new angles (we call this 'creativity' at times) to catch the attention of a generation that believes in matters spiritual but has no use for the brand of 'religion' that they see lived out as well as marketed. This is not to say that the Good News cannot be presented through meeting the felt needs of the culture, (Jesus did that when He fed the hungry), but it is to say that apart from investment in prayer, all else is nothing more than 'unforced errors'...things that we do out of a sense of anticipation for a God sized movement rather than the result of God's response to serious intentional petitioning to Him.
We commit the error of presumption...thinking that if we work hard for God that we can expect the power of God. Rather than quieting our souls to seek Him, patiently waiting for His perfect timing and obvious power, we tend to concoct means that can be mistaken as His presence by those unaware (at that time) of our 'unforced error'.
Is there something that you can do to experience the lavish presence and power of His activity in your life, your family and your church? Anything that is not the result of seeking and waiting is an error that need not be forced. Be patient in prayer. Guard yourself from the anxious pursuit of a counterfeit 'movement' of which He has no part. The Psalmist said it best, "Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord," (Psalm 27:14).
When He shows up...you will be rejoicing in His powerful demonstrations rather than regretting the puniness of self-effort.
Prayer, anyone?
I played when I was young, dating and flirting with my soon to be bride. I really never thought about playing tennis, but for her, I quickly changed my mind! That redhead surprised me with her backhand smash. She could whip that ball across the net knowing that I had little chance of making a decent return. Time after time I would race to the stripe and unwind what I thought would be a wicked volley, only to see that neon green fuzzball knocked down by the net.
"Unforced error" is the inability to return serve or volley. In other words, "No one made you hit such a sorry shot...you did that all on your own." That's my translation anyway. I just could not hit that ball back over the net. There was no excuse that I could muster. No one else that I could blame as a distraction. Usually what caused my 'unforced error' was that I became much too anxious to make the return. I did not set my feet correctly. I did not take the time to get into good striking position. I did not carefully monitor my form until it became habit. I just tried to get that ball over the net with power! I was so busy anticipating that I refused to wait for the ball to reach me before I was swinging madly, sometimes more than once! It was laughable.
"Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift that my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about...in a few days, you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit." These are the words of Jesus to His disciples as He once again reiterated that they were to be patient and prayerful as they waited for the Father to unleash His power upon them and within them. "Wait".
And 'wait' they did. They gathered together in the city as instructed by Jesus. They devoted themselves to prayer as they anticipated the gift of the Father in the arrival of the Holy Spirit. They waited for the Spirit who would empower them to carry on the ministry of the Messiah throughout the known world as Jesus taught them to. When the power came...it really came! It was a God Movement in the city! It started with just a few who were willing to wait and resisted the temptation to commit 'unforced errors'.
We have become experts at marketing the church, (I even have a book in my library by that title!). We have mastered reading the needs of the culture with the intention of offering attractional events, seminars or programs hoping to lure people to Christ rather than compel them toward the faith. In process, we commit loads of 'unforced errors', trying new angles (we call this 'creativity' at times) to catch the attention of a generation that believes in matters spiritual but has no use for the brand of 'religion' that they see lived out as well as marketed. This is not to say that the Good News cannot be presented through meeting the felt needs of the culture, (Jesus did that when He fed the hungry), but it is to say that apart from investment in prayer, all else is nothing more than 'unforced errors'...things that we do out of a sense of anticipation for a God sized movement rather than the result of God's response to serious intentional petitioning to Him.
We commit the error of presumption...thinking that if we work hard for God that we can expect the power of God. Rather than quieting our souls to seek Him, patiently waiting for His perfect timing and obvious power, we tend to concoct means that can be mistaken as His presence by those unaware (at that time) of our 'unforced error'.
Is there something that you can do to experience the lavish presence and power of His activity in your life, your family and your church? Anything that is not the result of seeking and waiting is an error that need not be forced. Be patient in prayer. Guard yourself from the anxious pursuit of a counterfeit 'movement' of which He has no part. The Psalmist said it best, "Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord," (Psalm 27:14).
When He shows up...you will be rejoicing in His powerful demonstrations rather than regretting the puniness of self-effort.
Prayer, anyone?
Friday, February 15, 2008
Security Issues
More tears. This time in DeKalb, Illinois on the campus of Northern Illinois University.
90 students attending an ocean science class in Cole Hall fell prey to a graduate student gunman. Five are dead, 16 additional are wounded, some in critical condition.
What is going on?
How can every venue of social interaction be protected from the onslaught of the delusional, the terrorist, the angry, the mean spirited and those with a twisted sense of 'justice'? How can every access point where people gather to learn, fly, worship, shop, recreate and do business be made 'secure'? In just one week across America, several incidents involving middle and high school students with guns on campus, threatened administrators, teachers and fellow students...some with injury...and then tragedy befalls NIU on Valentine's Day.
Let's quit kidding ourselves. Life has changed in a span of a short half century in the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave. Home Alarm system sales have skyrocketed. Neighborhood Watch programs have escalated. Dead bolts are the norm. Gone is the day of going to the store in a quick rush, leaving the front door unlocked as you hurry for that gallon of milk. That day is over.
Husbands intentionally buy cars for their wives with the 'automatic start' feature so that while hustling through the mall parking lot, the car is ready to go as soon as she is buckled in. Armed with a can of mace and just graduated from the local community college course in Self-Defense, while the Mall Security is cruising the lot, you can have confidence that your spouse or child is protected from danger. Really?
"The sheep listen to his voice. He calls His own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice"
John 10:3-4
Did you know that the Bible describes people as 'sheep'? Sheep have interesting characteristics. They can be stubborn. They have about the shortest attention span in all the animal kingdom. They cannot upright themselves should they stumble and fall. They have the speed of frozen honey and are easy targets for predators. They need a shepherd. They must be supervised. They must rely on security provided for them. Again...they need a shepherd.
Did you know that present day nomadic Bedouin shepherds around the Dead Sea lead their flocks each night into the protective shelter of rocky crags, laying down at its entrance? No predator can attack the sheep without first cresting the 'door', and that will not happen...only if the shepherd must lay his own life down for the sake of the sheep he is protecting does an attacker have any chance of harming the sheep.
"I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal, kill and destroy; I have come that they (the 'sheep')may have life and have it to the full." John 10:9-10
In the devolving of this culture, where safety and protection has obvious limitations, you can have absolute assurance of your Shepherd's oversight of your heart and life...that is if you have recognized His invitation to 'enter in' to His eternal watch care secured for you by the laying down of His own life for you. If you wonder if you are really loved, if you are skeptical that you matter to anyone much less the God who created you...just look at the Shepherd who for two millenia has received countless 'sheep' into His fold.
Yesterday's Valentine tragedy at NIU reminds us of our need to place our complete trust in Him as the Guardian and Protector of our souls and our eternal destinies, no matter the destructive realities of the enemy's ruthless daily assaults. Entrust yourself to the Great Shepherd today, and pray His shepherding comfort over those who today are drowning in tears of grief.
It is true; 'The Lord is my Shepherd'.
90 students attending an ocean science class in Cole Hall fell prey to a graduate student gunman. Five are dead, 16 additional are wounded, some in critical condition.
What is going on?
How can every venue of social interaction be protected from the onslaught of the delusional, the terrorist, the angry, the mean spirited and those with a twisted sense of 'justice'? How can every access point where people gather to learn, fly, worship, shop, recreate and do business be made 'secure'? In just one week across America, several incidents involving middle and high school students with guns on campus, threatened administrators, teachers and fellow students...some with injury...and then tragedy befalls NIU on Valentine's Day.
Let's quit kidding ourselves. Life has changed in a span of a short half century in the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave. Home Alarm system sales have skyrocketed. Neighborhood Watch programs have escalated. Dead bolts are the norm. Gone is the day of going to the store in a quick rush, leaving the front door unlocked as you hurry for that gallon of milk. That day is over.
Husbands intentionally buy cars for their wives with the 'automatic start' feature so that while hustling through the mall parking lot, the car is ready to go as soon as she is buckled in. Armed with a can of mace and just graduated from the local community college course in Self-Defense, while the Mall Security is cruising the lot, you can have confidence that your spouse or child is protected from danger. Really?
"The sheep listen to his voice. He calls His own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice"
John 10:3-4
Did you know that the Bible describes people as 'sheep'? Sheep have interesting characteristics. They can be stubborn. They have about the shortest attention span in all the animal kingdom. They cannot upright themselves should they stumble and fall. They have the speed of frozen honey and are easy targets for predators. They need a shepherd. They must be supervised. They must rely on security provided for them. Again...they need a shepherd.
Did you know that present day nomadic Bedouin shepherds around the Dead Sea lead their flocks each night into the protective shelter of rocky crags, laying down at its entrance? No predator can attack the sheep without first cresting the 'door', and that will not happen...only if the shepherd must lay his own life down for the sake of the sheep he is protecting does an attacker have any chance of harming the sheep.
"I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal, kill and destroy; I have come that they (the 'sheep')may have life and have it to the full." John 10:9-10
In the devolving of this culture, where safety and protection has obvious limitations, you can have absolute assurance of your Shepherd's oversight of your heart and life...that is if you have recognized His invitation to 'enter in' to His eternal watch care secured for you by the laying down of His own life for you. If you wonder if you are really loved, if you are skeptical that you matter to anyone much less the God who created you...just look at the Shepherd who for two millenia has received countless 'sheep' into His fold.
Yesterday's Valentine tragedy at NIU reminds us of our need to place our complete trust in Him as the Guardian and Protector of our souls and our eternal destinies, no matter the destructive realities of the enemy's ruthless daily assaults. Entrust yourself to the Great Shepherd today, and pray His shepherding comfort over those who today are drowning in tears of grief.
It is true; 'The Lord is my Shepherd'.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Voicemails and Inboxes
"You have four NEW messages. First new message from..."
I like voicemails. When a call is missed, just dial up your voicemail and retrieve the message left just for you. Some of the advantages of voicemail are;
1. Listening to a familiar voice that encourages and comforts at just the right time.
2. Being informed of a responsibility, assignment or task.
3. Having an immediate sense of connection with a loved one or friend.
4. Utilizing the 'Repeat' or 'Delete' options.
5. Returning the call...only to leave a voicemail!
When your Inbox is slugged with new email, you have the immediate satisfaction of making contact, exchanging responses, staying current...and using the 'Save' or 'Delete' options.
Some folk are annoyed with the technology of communication...to them, it is impersonal and cold. All I know is that when Charlette calls or emails me, I look forward to hearing her voice through my bluetooth, or reading her message on screen. Sure, I would prefer to look into those hazel eyes, but if that just can't happen, I value the electronic communion until she walks into the room and has me at 'Hello'.
Mark Auckerburg and Tom Anderson, the founders of Facebook and MySpace have understood the cultural need for connecting and socializing by providing the means to converse electronically. 'Personal' conversations now have a 21st century 'face' to say the least through the powerful and expanding reach of the internet. Just a couple of weeks ago I was introduced to 'Skyping'. We talked to our son and daughter on-line...able to see one another while enjoying conversation. I hung on every word and loved every moment of seeing their expressions as we talked.
Words are powerful. Delivered via the Inbox, Voicemail, Facebook or 'Skyping', they are powerful and can reach deep into our hearts and spirits.
"He who sent me is reliable, and what I have heard from Him I tell the world."
John 8:26
Jesus' WORDS were spoken directly to an audience that heard them and did not like the message. The message being offered was that He came with the mission of removing sin and the sorrow that it caused. This was a heavenly message. This was an eternal message of present joy and lasting hope. You would think that such an offer to new and lasting life would be gladly accepted...after all, who would opt to 'die in their sins' (John 8:24)? Who would refuse such an offer from the One sent by the Father?
After the rejected invitation stirred a commotion, Jesus made this sobering comment; "You are ready to kill me because you have no room for my word." (John 8:37)
That is sad. We make room for so much else and yet go into disconnect when the Heavenly Father appeals to us through His Son...and His Word. Here is the upside; "If you hold to my teaching (word) you are really my disciples" (John 8:31).
God still speaks. No internet connection needed. No wireless device required. His Word is a good word. 'Make room' for every letter. Whatever you do, don't hit the 'Delete' option. Use the 'Save Now' feature, instead. There is no better response than to be 'saved now'!
I like voicemails. When a call is missed, just dial up your voicemail and retrieve the message left just for you. Some of the advantages of voicemail are;
1. Listening to a familiar voice that encourages and comforts at just the right time.
2. Being informed of a responsibility, assignment or task.
3. Having an immediate sense of connection with a loved one or friend.
4. Utilizing the 'Repeat' or 'Delete' options.
5. Returning the call...only to leave a voicemail!
When your Inbox is slugged with new email, you have the immediate satisfaction of making contact, exchanging responses, staying current...and using the 'Save' or 'Delete' options.
Some folk are annoyed with the technology of communication...to them, it is impersonal and cold. All I know is that when Charlette calls or emails me, I look forward to hearing her voice through my bluetooth, or reading her message on screen. Sure, I would prefer to look into those hazel eyes, but if that just can't happen, I value the electronic communion until she walks into the room and has me at 'Hello'.
Mark Auckerburg and Tom Anderson, the founders of Facebook and MySpace have understood the cultural need for connecting and socializing by providing the means to converse electronically. 'Personal' conversations now have a 21st century 'face' to say the least through the powerful and expanding reach of the internet. Just a couple of weeks ago I was introduced to 'Skyping'. We talked to our son and daughter on-line...able to see one another while enjoying conversation. I hung on every word and loved every moment of seeing their expressions as we talked.
Words are powerful. Delivered via the Inbox, Voicemail, Facebook or 'Skyping', they are powerful and can reach deep into our hearts and spirits.
"He who sent me is reliable, and what I have heard from Him I tell the world."
John 8:26
Jesus' WORDS were spoken directly to an audience that heard them and did not like the message. The message being offered was that He came with the mission of removing sin and the sorrow that it caused. This was a heavenly message. This was an eternal message of present joy and lasting hope. You would think that such an offer to new and lasting life would be gladly accepted...after all, who would opt to 'die in their sins' (John 8:24)? Who would refuse such an offer from the One sent by the Father?
After the rejected invitation stirred a commotion, Jesus made this sobering comment; "You are ready to kill me because you have no room for my word." (John 8:37)
That is sad. We make room for so much else and yet go into disconnect when the Heavenly Father appeals to us through His Son...and His Word. Here is the upside; "If you hold to my teaching (word) you are really my disciples" (John 8:31).
God still speaks. No internet connection needed. No wireless device required. His Word is a good word. 'Make room' for every letter. Whatever you do, don't hit the 'Delete' option. Use the 'Save Now' feature, instead. There is no better response than to be 'saved now'!
An 'Ah Ha' Moment
My own MP3 player!
I got one! It was 'mine'! I could load all the songs that I could ever want on that puppy, plug in my headset and get to cutting the grass! This was a PERFECT birthday gift (or was it Father's Day?) from the family. I could hardly wait to step into the 21st century...
...but I had a problem...
...I had no clue how to use it. None.
I did not know how to power it up. I had no clue where the volume control was or where the headset plugged into the jack. I didn't have the foggiest how to 'download' any tunes. My 'no tech, low tech' inadequacies were fully exposed. I felt like I needed a 'Forrest Gump' moment, "Run Forrest! Run!" I so so embarrassed at my total inability to make sense of that small rectangle that I wanted to run far away and hide, (like to a Best Buy MP3 Seminar).
Then, kindness was lavished all over this MP3 idiot. My young adult kids patiently showed me how to make my new toy function. As they schooled me, it was like a light turned on inside my head. I realized that I did not have to run. In just moments, my embarrassment turned into a 'Ah Ha' moment. I got it. I understood. I was no longer intimidated by that techno gadget. Charlette, (my lady for 30 years) showed me how to get my favorite tunes into my MP3. I was ready to take on the lawn as I was fully equipped by Sanyo and Honda! All it took was an 'Ah Ha' moment.
"Then the man said, 'Lord, I believe,' and he worshiped Him, (Jesus)." John 9:38
Jesus made it a habit of making blind eyes see. In this instance, an adult man, completely blind since birth, is touched by Jesus, and through a follow up act of obedience, is made to see. Some argued that his own prenatal sin was the cause of his blindness, (see John 9:1-2), a proposition that Jesus rejected entirely. When he could see, he became Exhibit A for those who preferred to prosecute Jesus for His audacity to heal on the Sabbath, rather than to celebrate with the 20/20 Man and to thank God for His obvious merciful movement in their midst.
For this man, there was a greater redemptive act in store to be offered by the Son of Man. When Jesus found this rejected man who had been banished from the high minded and cold hearted assembly of the 'religious' (his crime was that he knew he had been the object of God's grace while others debated the obvious) He asked;
"Do you believe in the Son of Man?" (John 5:35)
This was the 'Ah Ha' moment for the once physically blinded beggar. Looking into the eyes of Jesus, his spiritual eyes were now opened to recognize not only his Healer, but his Deliverer. In that moment of stark realization, he gave Jesus more than his gratitude, he gave him his faith; "Lord, I believe." Those three words of response are loaded with meaning and application for all who will take note and pay special attention here in the 21st technical century of electronic sophistication. In fact, the Son of Man continues to perform spiritual lasiks surgery, revealing His awesome light to those groping in daily spiritual darkness.
He too, patiently waits for you and I to get to the 'Ah Ha' moment. He has kindly provided for multiple physical and material needs apart from our full realization of His generosity and mercy. In doing so He is making known a love far greater than even material kindness can fully express.
"Who is he, sir? Tell me so that I may believe in him." (John 9:36).
"You have now seen Him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you." (John 9:37)
I bet you are 'getting it' now! Knowing Christ as Lord initially is a huge 'Ah Ha!'. You will find that 'Ah Ha' moments just multiply from that point on!
I got one! It was 'mine'! I could load all the songs that I could ever want on that puppy, plug in my headset and get to cutting the grass! This was a PERFECT birthday gift (or was it Father's Day?) from the family. I could hardly wait to step into the 21st century...
...but I had a problem...
...I had no clue how to use it. None.
I did not know how to power it up. I had no clue where the volume control was or where the headset plugged into the jack. I didn't have the foggiest how to 'download' any tunes. My 'no tech, low tech' inadequacies were fully exposed. I felt like I needed a 'Forrest Gump' moment, "Run Forrest! Run!" I so so embarrassed at my total inability to make sense of that small rectangle that I wanted to run far away and hide, (like to a Best Buy MP3 Seminar).
Then, kindness was lavished all over this MP3 idiot. My young adult kids patiently showed me how to make my new toy function. As they schooled me, it was like a light turned on inside my head. I realized that I did not have to run. In just moments, my embarrassment turned into a 'Ah Ha' moment. I got it. I understood. I was no longer intimidated by that techno gadget. Charlette, (my lady for 30 years) showed me how to get my favorite tunes into my MP3. I was ready to take on the lawn as I was fully equipped by Sanyo and Honda! All it took was an 'Ah Ha' moment.
"Then the man said, 'Lord, I believe,' and he worshiped Him, (Jesus)." John 9:38
Jesus made it a habit of making blind eyes see. In this instance, an adult man, completely blind since birth, is touched by Jesus, and through a follow up act of obedience, is made to see. Some argued that his own prenatal sin was the cause of his blindness, (see John 9:1-2), a proposition that Jesus rejected entirely. When he could see, he became Exhibit A for those who preferred to prosecute Jesus for His audacity to heal on the Sabbath, rather than to celebrate with the 20/20 Man and to thank God for His obvious merciful movement in their midst.
For this man, there was a greater redemptive act in store to be offered by the Son of Man. When Jesus found this rejected man who had been banished from the high minded and cold hearted assembly of the 'religious' (his crime was that he knew he had been the object of God's grace while others debated the obvious) He asked;
"Do you believe in the Son of Man?" (John 5:35)
This was the 'Ah Ha' moment for the once physically blinded beggar. Looking into the eyes of Jesus, his spiritual eyes were now opened to recognize not only his Healer, but his Deliverer. In that moment of stark realization, he gave Jesus more than his gratitude, he gave him his faith; "Lord, I believe." Those three words of response are loaded with meaning and application for all who will take note and pay special attention here in the 21st technical century of electronic sophistication. In fact, the Son of Man continues to perform spiritual lasiks surgery, revealing His awesome light to those groping in daily spiritual darkness.
He too, patiently waits for you and I to get to the 'Ah Ha' moment. He has kindly provided for multiple physical and material needs apart from our full realization of His generosity and mercy. In doing so He is making known a love far greater than even material kindness can fully express.
"Who is he, sir? Tell me so that I may believe in him." (John 9:36).
"You have now seen Him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you." (John 9:37)
I bet you are 'getting it' now! Knowing Christ as Lord initially is a huge 'Ah Ha!'. You will find that 'Ah Ha' moments just multiply from that point on!
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Shock and Awe
"No one ever spoke the way this man does."
John 7:46
John 7:46
When Jesus spoke, the hearts of many became ground zero. Immediate spiritual realizations rocked His audiences, His disciples and those whom He conversed privately with. Every word was precisely timed and directly aimed. It was like Jesus had an intrinsic GPS system that guided every word to an intended soul destination...that NEVER missed the target!
What was the point?
Some were so stunned that they would marvel; "Surely this man is the Prophet!" (John 7:40). Others were so overwhelmed that they would say outrightly; "This man is the Christ!" (John 7:41). People then, like people now...were spiritually famished...right in the middle of society steeped in religious exercise and expression. In this chapter of the Bible, the annual Feast of Tabernacles was being celebrated...a remembrance of God's miraculous provisions for His people in their post-deliverance wanderings in the desert sands of Sinai, centuries and centuries before. Smack in the middle of this entire week of religious festivity, the Temple in eyesight...religious people in a spiritual black hole longed for a personal God Movement.
Does this not strike you as odd?
Teachers of the Scripture (they were called Pharisees) made it their habit to study, apply and communicate God's Word to Israel. They were disciplined learners, academically advanced, entrusted with setting the spiritual direction of the nation...and they did...they led their listeners to spiritually empty personal barrenness. They did this while they taught incessantly and while they hoisted themselves up on public prayer platforms in the business district during the lunch hour. Meticulous to the detail, these spiritual leaders and communicators parceled out to the fraction any financial offerings dedicated to God. They prided themselves on having touched all the religious bases and expecting others to listen to their renderings of Scripture (mixed with their own intellect and rule keeping) so that the 'God-man' connection could be made and sustained.
What was the point?
Some were so stunned that they would marvel; "Surely this man is the Prophet!" (John 7:40). Others were so overwhelmed that they would say outrightly; "This man is the Christ!" (John 7:41). People then, like people now...were spiritually famished...right in the middle of society steeped in religious exercise and expression. In this chapter of the Bible, the annual Feast of Tabernacles was being celebrated...a remembrance of God's miraculous provisions for His people in their post-deliverance wanderings in the desert sands of Sinai, centuries and centuries before. Smack in the middle of this entire week of religious festivity, the Temple in eyesight...religious people in a spiritual black hole longed for a personal God Movement.
Does this not strike you as odd?
Teachers of the Scripture (they were called Pharisees) made it their habit to study, apply and communicate God's Word to Israel. They were disciplined learners, academically advanced, entrusted with setting the spiritual direction of the nation...and they did...they led their listeners to spiritually empty personal barrenness. They did this while they taught incessantly and while they hoisted themselves up on public prayer platforms in the business district during the lunch hour. Meticulous to the detail, these spiritual leaders and communicators parceled out to the fraction any financial offerings dedicated to God. They prided themselves on having touched all the religious bases and expecting others to listen to their renderings of Scripture (mixed with their own intellect and rule keeping) so that the 'God-man' connection could be made and sustained.
"No one ever spoke the way that this man does."
That one comment triggered some serious anger issues for these religious but empty zealots.
Jesus did not speak to be lauded as a 'communicator'. Jesus did not speak to be admired or to scratch an ego itch. Listen to what He has to say and you decide...
Jesus did not speak to be lauded as a 'communicator'. Jesus did not speak to be admired or to scratch an ego itch. Listen to what He has to say and you decide...
"If anyone chooses to do God's will, he will find out whether My teaching comes from God or whether I speak of My own. He who speaks on his own does so to gain honor for himself, but he who works for the honor of the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him." John 7:17-18
This is why the words of Jesus still 'shock and awe' in the 21st century ear...He came with a message and for a reason...'the Word made flesh'...communicating the heart of God for those 'religious' or irreligious in an audible and visual way. When He spoke, the literal dead were made alive. When He spoke, fish jumped in nets and storm winds calmed. When He spoke, compassion mattered more than duty. When Jesus opened His mouth, the Father's will that He be offered as sacrifice for sin...a permanent sacrifice for sin...a lasting sacrifice for sin so that where 'sin abounded grace did much more abound' was the offer on the table for those who would believe.
Jesus declared that He came directly from the Father and He was sent by the Father's commissioning to rescue the guilt ridden, to return the lost glory, stolen in the Garden of Eden, and to promise future hope with Him where sin had no place or power to ever 'steal' again.
This is why the words of Jesus still 'shock and awe' in the 21st century ear...He came with a message and for a reason...'the Word made flesh'...communicating the heart of God for those 'religious' or irreligious in an audible and visual way. When He spoke, the literal dead were made alive. When He spoke, fish jumped in nets and storm winds calmed. When He spoke, compassion mattered more than duty. When Jesus opened His mouth, the Father's will that He be offered as sacrifice for sin...a permanent sacrifice for sin...a lasting sacrifice for sin so that where 'sin abounded grace did much more abound' was the offer on the table for those who would believe.
Jesus declared that He came directly from the Father and He was sent by the Father's commissioning to rescue the guilt ridden, to return the lost glory, stolen in the Garden of Eden, and to promise future hope with Him where sin had no place or power to ever 'steal' again.
"Many in the crowd put their faith in Him."
John 7:31
John 7:31
Count me in 'the crowd' too!
You may be in search of meaning for today and purpose and hope for your future. Listen to the words of Jesus...and to others who speak His words to you. Listen carefully. Listen repeatedly. Listen prayerfully.
You can trust Him. In a world of skepticism...you can trust Him. In a culture of constant religious duty and time consuming and energy sapping, spirit depleting exercises...you can trust Him. Trust Him with your heart...he won't break it. Trust Him with your life...he won't waste it. Take Him at His Word. It is the kind of 'Shock and Awe' that will certainly rock doubt and skepticism into a heap from which you will arise as an astonished believer.
You may be in search of meaning for today and purpose and hope for your future. Listen to the words of Jesus...and to others who speak His words to you. Listen carefully. Listen repeatedly. Listen prayerfully.
You can trust Him. In a world of skepticism...you can trust Him. In a culture of constant religious duty and time consuming and energy sapping, spirit depleting exercises...you can trust Him. Trust Him with your heart...he won't break it. Trust Him with your life...he won't waste it. Take Him at His Word. It is the kind of 'Shock and Awe' that will certainly rock doubt and skepticism into a heap from which you will arise as an astonished believer.
Monday, February 11, 2008
Battling Skepticism
It was stupid...but at the time was entertaining.
It was the annual "Beat Bob Contest" that I drummed up with the teenagers in my Youth Ministry.
Each year I would challenge my teenagers to to 'Out Bob' me. Who could chug the most from a 2 liter un-chilled Coke was a favorite. The sounds that erupted afterwards were even better received! If you could out beat me during the pie eating contest...you were tall timber in our group! The most favorite was the Jalapeno eating contest. That brought out the most contestants. The stage would be lined with students ready to take me on...one jalapeno at a time!
I fudged a bit. Pride was at stake. I had a reputation of being unbeaten up to this point.
To help me a bit, I took a jar of jalapeno and emptied it replacing them with pickled peppers. I knew I could eat a ton of those while the kids swallowed hard the hot ones! Each year, time after time the crowd was amazed as their Youth Pastor could down jar after jar of the volcanic peppers while teen after teen ran for the bathroom. I could not be ousted! Until I was found out and forced to 'play fair', (that is what those kids called it, anyway). In all those years of beating down the competition, there was a skeptical sense that I was not all 'the man' that I had the boasted to be. On that day...I was easily dethroned by a 8th grader!
Skepticism is sometimes justified. Candidates in hunt of office pander to our appetites with pledges that the experienced electorate have heard time and time again. The idealism of hoped for change...the kind that makes a difference slips away into a sea of doubt. Athletes are paid millions to throw and catch, hit and run...and some use hidden substances that increase their physical edge on the field of play...and lose the Hall in Fame in route to their success. The people in the stands wonder who is for 'real'. Coaches grant permission to their camera crews to to tape signals from the opposing sideline to give them advantage. After all, as one put it, "If you ain't cheating...you ain't trying!" Do the Championship rings really matter? To some...you bet!
So, what can you believe in? Who can you really trust? When a pledge is given, a promise spoken, can you know for sure that it was meant for you?
Let's talk about 'faith' this week. In the culture of the dissatisfied, let's talk about trust...real trust.
It was the annual "Beat Bob Contest" that I drummed up with the teenagers in my Youth Ministry.
Each year I would challenge my teenagers to to 'Out Bob' me. Who could chug the most from a 2 liter un-chilled Coke was a favorite. The sounds that erupted afterwards were even better received! If you could out beat me during the pie eating contest...you were tall timber in our group! The most favorite was the Jalapeno eating contest. That brought out the most contestants. The stage would be lined with students ready to take me on...one jalapeno at a time!
I fudged a bit. Pride was at stake. I had a reputation of being unbeaten up to this point.
To help me a bit, I took a jar of jalapeno and emptied it replacing them with pickled peppers. I knew I could eat a ton of those while the kids swallowed hard the hot ones! Each year, time after time the crowd was amazed as their Youth Pastor could down jar after jar of the volcanic peppers while teen after teen ran for the bathroom. I could not be ousted! Until I was found out and forced to 'play fair', (that is what those kids called it, anyway). In all those years of beating down the competition, there was a skeptical sense that I was not all 'the man' that I had the boasted to be. On that day...I was easily dethroned by a 8th grader!
Skepticism is sometimes justified. Candidates in hunt of office pander to our appetites with pledges that the experienced electorate have heard time and time again. The idealism of hoped for change...the kind that makes a difference slips away into a sea of doubt. Athletes are paid millions to throw and catch, hit and run...and some use hidden substances that increase their physical edge on the field of play...and lose the Hall in Fame in route to their success. The people in the stands wonder who is for 'real'. Coaches grant permission to their camera crews to to tape signals from the opposing sideline to give them advantage. After all, as one put it, "If you ain't cheating...you ain't trying!" Do the Championship rings really matter? To some...you bet!
So, what can you believe in? Who can you really trust? When a pledge is given, a promise spoken, can you know for sure that it was meant for you?
Let's talk about 'faith' this week. In the culture of the dissatisfied, let's talk about trust...real trust.
"For it is My Father's will that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in Him shall have everlasting life, and I will raise him up on the last day."
John 6:40
John 6:40
Jesus knew what we do not want to admit. We look to the wrong places and to the wrong people. We want from others that which only He can deliver...lasting peace, soul rest, perfect contentment, eternal life, to name a few. We get duped. We have fallen to the image without looking carefully at the substance. We have done that so many times...given away our trust, that in our brokenness we pledge that we will NEVER do that again. No more marriage vows. No more verbal agreements. No more believing what you see. No more trusting the next guarantee. Warranty's have their 'small print'. We are stripped from believing faith in the One Who loves us and draws us because we have been burned by too many others in the past with words of assurance and acts that fooled us.
This week...as you read through John 6-10, mark EVERY time you read the word 'believe'. You will see that in Christ, the deepest of needs are dealt with head on, and skepticism melts away even the hardest of hearts. It's time for you to believe. It is time for you to partake of the 'Bread of Life'. It is time for you to jump in the boat that He keeps from drift. It is time for you to be seated with among the crowds for a taste of the divine nourishment that cannot be counterfeited.
Pull out the dollar from your pocket. "In God We Trust". Before you spend it...believe it...not in the ability of the money to bring you what you are looking for, but in the truth for a supply that 100 cents just can't make happen.
It's time to 'believe'. He keeps His promises. I have met too many people along the journey that have confirmed that. They have risen above the ranks of the skeptics...and you can too!
This week...as you read through John 6-10, mark EVERY time you read the word 'believe'. You will see that in Christ, the deepest of needs are dealt with head on, and skepticism melts away even the hardest of hearts. It's time for you to believe. It is time for you to partake of the 'Bread of Life'. It is time for you to jump in the boat that He keeps from drift. It is time for you to be seated with among the crowds for a taste of the divine nourishment that cannot be counterfeited.
Pull out the dollar from your pocket. "In God We Trust". Before you spend it...believe it...not in the ability of the money to bring you what you are looking for, but in the truth for a supply that 100 cents just can't make happen.
It's time to 'believe'. He keeps His promises. I have met too many people along the journey that have confirmed that. They have risen above the ranks of the skeptics...and you can too!
Friday, February 8, 2008
Riptide
The best family vacation ever!
Anna Maria Island, Florida....many years ago...we still recall this one because it was nothing short of absolute fun for all seven of the Weber Tribe.
We were living in Tampa at the time and were offered a beach cabin by a wonderfully kind member of our church. We did not have to pray long over that invitation! We enjoyed the beach, (private I might add), the sun, the surf, fetching up sand dollars, sunset evening, sand castles...and well, you get it. Quiet, enjoyable, night time family games with the kids...this was the absolute best experience we could ever have dreamed of.
Nearing the end of our week, the morning surf seemed different. Our youngest, (now away at college) was goofing in what seemed to be shallow waves, well within our view from the beach. We began to notice that he began to drift...and then to bob up and down while he was adrift, and then to obviously struggle to catch his breath above the water that was now sweeping him away. He was caught in a riptide!
In shock and panic, emotion took over. With Charlette coaching me from the shore I ran to the water and began to swim as hard as I could to our son. When I reached him, he clung to me, both of us relieved by the safety of being locked together. His clutch was one that I would never forget...he was not letting go...and that was fine with the both of us! As I turned to swim with him parallel to the beach, ( the only way out of the riptide), I turned and to my amazement there was my oldest son! He was a young, young teenager at the time. I was horrified...now three of us were in harm's way. "What are you doing here?" I screamed! "That is my little brother, and he needs me!" Seth said without a hesitation.
We made it back to the shore...all three of us...and a bond formed that day between the youngest and the oldest that remains strong to this moment...years and years later.
Anna Maria Island, Florida....many years ago...we still recall this one because it was nothing short of absolute fun for all seven of the Weber Tribe.
We were living in Tampa at the time and were offered a beach cabin by a wonderfully kind member of our church. We did not have to pray long over that invitation! We enjoyed the beach, (private I might add), the sun, the surf, fetching up sand dollars, sunset evening, sand castles...and well, you get it. Quiet, enjoyable, night time family games with the kids...this was the absolute best experience we could ever have dreamed of.
Nearing the end of our week, the morning surf seemed different. Our youngest, (now away at college) was goofing in what seemed to be shallow waves, well within our view from the beach. We began to notice that he began to drift...and then to bob up and down while he was adrift, and then to obviously struggle to catch his breath above the water that was now sweeping him away. He was caught in a riptide!
In shock and panic, emotion took over. With Charlette coaching me from the shore I ran to the water and began to swim as hard as I could to our son. When I reached him, he clung to me, both of us relieved by the safety of being locked together. His clutch was one that I would never forget...he was not letting go...and that was fine with the both of us! As I turned to swim with him parallel to the beach, ( the only way out of the riptide), I turned and to my amazement there was my oldest son! He was a young, young teenager at the time. I was horrified...now three of us were in harm's way. "What are you doing here?" I screamed! "That is my little brother, and he needs me!" Seth said without a hesitation.
We made it back to the shore...all three of us...and a bond formed that day between the youngest and the oldest that remains strong to this moment...years and years later.
"If anyone see his brother commit a sin that does not lead to death, he should pray and God will give him life."
1 John 5:16
Sin can get you in trouble...deep trouble. It is possible to let yourself 'play' in danger, with the thought that the sweeping of the tide of trouble you can easily escape by sheer will. Then, you watch as your life is swept away by an avoidable compromise that led to a spiritual entrapment that cost you just about everything...until the Rescuer showed up!
Today, keep yourself out the 'riptide' of compromise. Watch your thought life. Guard your heart. Be careful what you listen to and be sure to take note of any possibility of being 'swept away'. Thank God for those that love you enough to pray for you and who place themselves in the difficult position of interceding for you...sometimes even face to face. For those that have loved you enough to warn you...listen and receive the invitation the Father is making for your safety.
AND...be willing to be used of Him to be a 'Rescuer' if you see someone that you know is being caught away by the deadly riptide of sin.
If to love God is to obey Him, (1 John is all about that theme!), then be sure that you love Him enough to keep yourself from willful sin and to accept the call of active duty that puts you in directly in the position of restoring hope to your 'brother' or your 'sister'.
'Family' is always worth putting yourself at risk for...especially those of the 'Family of Faith'. Jesus did that for you...we can do no less than that for one another.
Today, keep yourself out the 'riptide' of compromise. Watch your thought life. Guard your heart. Be careful what you listen to and be sure to take note of any possibility of being 'swept away'. Thank God for those that love you enough to pray for you and who place themselves in the difficult position of interceding for you...sometimes even face to face. For those that have loved you enough to warn you...listen and receive the invitation the Father is making for your safety.
AND...be willing to be used of Him to be a 'Rescuer' if you see someone that you know is being caught away by the deadly riptide of sin.
If to love God is to obey Him, (1 John is all about that theme!), then be sure that you love Him enough to keep yourself from willful sin and to accept the call of active duty that puts you in directly in the position of restoring hope to your 'brother' or your 'sister'.
'Family' is always worth putting yourself at risk for...especially those of the 'Family of Faith'. Jesus did that for you...we can do no less than that for one another.
Thursday, February 7, 2008
One Word
"Relationships"
He continued, "That is the MOST important word in the English language. Don't ever forget that. This one word is the bottom line for you making a difference in this world."
I should have known that. I thought maybe 'success' would be 'the word'. Maybe 'money', or 'position', 'promotion' or the word 'me' would be better. I was a young grad student at the time and also a professional on the climb to the top...until this 'one word' hit me...and it hit me hard.
How about 'character', or 'integrity', or 'vision'? These are weighty words of worthwhile pursuits. Why not them? What about 'love'? Now that is a word that is just about at the core of every song (Rock, Bach, Classic or Country) or Hallmark card. Then I realized that I could 'love' peanut butter and not people and not make a lasting difference on anyone! That would be the end result if I 'loved' any object or ambition not focused on 'relationship(s)'.
He continued, "That is the MOST important word in the English language. Don't ever forget that. This one word is the bottom line for you making a difference in this world."
I should have known that. I thought maybe 'success' would be 'the word'. Maybe 'money', or 'position', 'promotion' or the word 'me' would be better. I was a young grad student at the time and also a professional on the climb to the top...until this 'one word' hit me...and it hit me hard.
How about 'character', or 'integrity', or 'vision'? These are weighty words of worthwhile pursuits. Why not them? What about 'love'? Now that is a word that is just about at the core of every song (Rock, Bach, Classic or Country) or Hallmark card. Then I realized that I could 'love' peanut butter and not people and not make a lasting difference on anyone! That would be the end result if I 'loved' any object or ambition not focused on 'relationship(s)'.
"Dear friends, since God so loved us, we ought also love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and His love is made complete in us."
1 John 4:11-12
1 John 4:11-12
One of the messages that has saturated our culture with rare exception is that those 'words' previously mentioned are really the most important descriptions of what matters most...all of which affix attention on 'self'. Think about it. Think about it seriously. BUT, the message of the Scripture is so much different. The 'spirit of the world' does not recognize that Jesus came to love people, but to teach people, encourage people, be an example to people, but certainly not to redeem people. Yeah, Jesus was a good guy...but that is about it. That is why so many enjoy what Jesus had to say, but do not see Him as God's Son, expressing the Father's divine love for people!
'People'...now that is a 'relationship' based word! God sent His Son so that we could relate to God personally and with others who are in that relationship with Him as well. Did you read those first two words, "Dear friends...". There is the people principle from the very start!
So, today...make an adjustment...it may be radical to others who love things and use people when you start loving people and using things. Try this as you focus on the 'one word' today;
* Remember that you are invited by God to have relationship with Him personally. He initiated the relationship (read 1 John 4:9-10 and you will see that to be true) with you because you are the object of His affection and love. He has addressed the issue that has severed the relationship that sin caused by the Cross upon which His Son died.
* Remember that your new relationship with Him will require that you pay attention to it. When you value the relationship, it grows and deepens, and you will experience the daily joy of personal intimacy with God and watching His activity in your life that will bless you and others.
* Evaluate how you relate to others. Take a serious look at the messages that you communicate to the one you are married to, the kids that you are raising, the folk that you are neighbor to, the associates that you work with in the Conference Room or the job site. If God's love is in you (if you know Him then you can expect His heart for people to become your heart for people), use your words wisely, even with the inflection and tone of your voice as well as your body language. Since 'no one has seen God at any time', how can He be paid attention to? By you expressing the kind and the quality of 'love' that is His very character at work in you. You will go the 'second mile'. You will value people just like He values you.
This is how 'His love is made complete in you' as the Scripture says. Even the word 'love' is relational. It means that you are so valued that the need you cannot meet for yourself, God is willing to meet even at the expense of sacrifice...the kind that is focused on you. YOU are loved beyond the comfort or the convenience that God could have opted for instead of sending His willing Son to the Cross. Do you love others willingly and if necessary, sacrificially? Now that is the relational test that you can self-grade.
Oscar Thompson was right. 'Relationship' IS the most important word in the English language. He was one of my professors in Seminary 25 years ago. When he died of cancer just 18 months after making this introductory statement in my first class with him, I wept. I wept not because he was right. I wept because he befriended me. He chose to relate to me. His teaching became personal to me. I knew he loved God, and I realized that he loved me (and many others too!). God's love was fully expressed to me through the life of this yielded Christ-centered man. I wept because I did not say 'thank you' for the godly imprint this dear man made on me.
One day I will be able to say 'thank you'...to Oscar and especially to the Lord Who dispatched this man to love me to Him.
The power of 'one word' can change you and others around you as well. Relate well today, and if you haven't...confess that to the God who loves you...and then get on with the joy of building 'relationships' that mean something and that will last here and forever.
'People'...now that is a 'relationship' based word! God sent His Son so that we could relate to God personally and with others who are in that relationship with Him as well. Did you read those first two words, "Dear friends...". There is the people principle from the very start!
So, today...make an adjustment...it may be radical to others who love things and use people when you start loving people and using things. Try this as you focus on the 'one word' today;
* Remember that you are invited by God to have relationship with Him personally. He initiated the relationship (read 1 John 4:9-10 and you will see that to be true) with you because you are the object of His affection and love. He has addressed the issue that has severed the relationship that sin caused by the Cross upon which His Son died.
* Remember that your new relationship with Him will require that you pay attention to it. When you value the relationship, it grows and deepens, and you will experience the daily joy of personal intimacy with God and watching His activity in your life that will bless you and others.
* Evaluate how you relate to others. Take a serious look at the messages that you communicate to the one you are married to, the kids that you are raising, the folk that you are neighbor to, the associates that you work with in the Conference Room or the job site. If God's love is in you (if you know Him then you can expect His heart for people to become your heart for people), use your words wisely, even with the inflection and tone of your voice as well as your body language. Since 'no one has seen God at any time', how can He be paid attention to? By you expressing the kind and the quality of 'love' that is His very character at work in you. You will go the 'second mile'. You will value people just like He values you.
This is how 'His love is made complete in you' as the Scripture says. Even the word 'love' is relational. It means that you are so valued that the need you cannot meet for yourself, God is willing to meet even at the expense of sacrifice...the kind that is focused on you. YOU are loved beyond the comfort or the convenience that God could have opted for instead of sending His willing Son to the Cross. Do you love others willingly and if necessary, sacrificially? Now that is the relational test that you can self-grade.
Oscar Thompson was right. 'Relationship' IS the most important word in the English language. He was one of my professors in Seminary 25 years ago. When he died of cancer just 18 months after making this introductory statement in my first class with him, I wept. I wept not because he was right. I wept because he befriended me. He chose to relate to me. His teaching became personal to me. I knew he loved God, and I realized that he loved me (and many others too!). God's love was fully expressed to me through the life of this yielded Christ-centered man. I wept because I did not say 'thank you' for the godly imprint this dear man made on me.
One day I will be able to say 'thank you'...to Oscar and especially to the Lord Who dispatched this man to love me to Him.
The power of 'one word' can change you and others around you as well. Relate well today, and if you haven't...confess that to the God who loves you...and then get on with the joy of building 'relationships' that mean something and that will last here and forever.
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
God in the Wind
Tornadoes have hit.
Last night, tornadoes pummeled regions and cities of the south. This morning, many are celebrating over the election results of last night's Super Tuesday Presidential Primaries, while others are accessing their losses...stunned and grieved.
Network and cable news outlets have brought to our immediate attention the frightening details of those who have lost their lives as well as others who have lost their homes, possessions and personal memories in the devastation of their properties. This is a sad day...for Democrats, Republicans and Independants alike...our fellow citizens are in the midst of calamity as we web browse and blog. Where is God is all of this? What do we do in response to such tragedy?
At Union University in Jackson, Tennessee, a Southern Baptist campus of 3,500 students, took a direct tornadic hit! Initial estimates say that over 1/3 of campus buildings and structures have been totally destroyed. Students had been trapped in dorms in the aftermath of the storm. Hardly a car was left untouched. In the midst of the debis, there was not a single fatality as had earlier been reported. One newscast put it like this; "God was in the wind".
Yes, He was.
Here a some things that we might want to consider on this side of the storm and as lives are now in the initial stages of recovering and re-building;
Remember that in Christ, we belong to the Heavenly Father.
Last night, tornadoes pummeled regions and cities of the south. This morning, many are celebrating over the election results of last night's Super Tuesday Presidential Primaries, while others are accessing their losses...stunned and grieved.
Network and cable news outlets have brought to our immediate attention the frightening details of those who have lost their lives as well as others who have lost their homes, possessions and personal memories in the devastation of their properties. This is a sad day...for Democrats, Republicans and Independants alike...our fellow citizens are in the midst of calamity as we web browse and blog. Where is God is all of this? What do we do in response to such tragedy?
At Union University in Jackson, Tennessee, a Southern Baptist campus of 3,500 students, took a direct tornadic hit! Initial estimates say that over 1/3 of campus buildings and structures have been totally destroyed. Students had been trapped in dorms in the aftermath of the storm. Hardly a car was left untouched. In the midst of the debis, there was not a single fatality as had earlier been reported. One newscast put it like this; "God was in the wind".
Yes, He was.
Here a some things that we might want to consider on this side of the storm and as lives are now in the initial stages of recovering and re-building;
Remember that in Christ, we belong to the Heavenly Father.
"How great is the love the Father has lavished upon us, that we should be called the children of God! And that is who we are."
1 John 3:1
1 John 3:1
God is always reaching out to us. He is always at work around us, inviting us to know Him, personally, practically and intimately. Maybe you have been introduced to Him through a friend, a parent, a classmate, a work associate, a neighbor...or through a 'storm' in your own life that just about blew you apart...and then you reached out to Him through the nail scarred hand of His Son...than hand that was waiting for your embrace.
Reflect on your relationship with Him that brings real and lasting change;
Reflect on your relationship with Him that brings real and lasting change;
"Everyone who has this hope in Him, purifies himself as He is pure."
1 John 3:3
1 John 3:3
Sometimes we are jolted in taking life a bit more seriously. We come to the place that our personal assessment of our life agenda and priority is not just lacking...it is bankrupt! In the pursuit of personhood, pleasure and fulfillment, compromises, regrettable choices and sin...yes, sin, have stolen real life from us and left us with a broken life and a hardened heart. For the Christ follower especially, compromises, neglect and eventual sin have led to a starved spirit that has neither time or want for a Holy God or a holy life. Blessing or calamity draws our attention to the accountability that we have before our Redeemer Christ, and we are propelled to repentance and we long for personal cleansing and lasting spiritual transformation.
Restore your heart for the sake of others;
Restore your heart for the sake of others;
'If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?"
1 John 3:17
1 John 3:17
Imagine yourself to be a parent of one of those Union University students for just a moment. Anxious? Fearful? Relieved? Waiting? Overwhelmed? Praying? Amazed? Grateful? All of these and more?
No loss of life...that is a blessing and indeed a miracle! What now? How are the helpless helped? How are the ruins re-built...in the soul and on the campus? How are needs met? This is the time and the hour that those who say that they know Christ especially have the joyous obligation to offer of themselves...materially, financially, emotionally, and without a doubt...prayerfully. To say that we love God and abandon the destitute is a spiritual oxymoron! Today, maybe at this moment...stop and pray God's grace upon these students, their parents and the faculty and staff of Union University. Ask for His comfort to be lavished upon them. Ask that all material provisions for urgent and immediate physical needs be met. Offer your resources to give 'teeth' to the compassion that you have and express in a tangible and practical way.
Start with Union University...and broaden the circle of your prayer to God in behalf of those who have lost loved ones in the aftermath of last night's storm.
Don't forget to look for 'God in the wind' either. In the winds of adversity or in the breezes of blessing...He is indeed, 'God in the wind'.
AND, if you have a kid off at college...be sure to contact them today assuring them of your love and blessing them with your affirmations. Hey, I have three in college...one far away, one further away...one near by...not to mention the two others stretched from Virginia to south central Kansas...I better get to emailing and texting...right away!
No loss of life...that is a blessing and indeed a miracle! What now? How are the helpless helped? How are the ruins re-built...in the soul and on the campus? How are needs met? This is the time and the hour that those who say that they know Christ especially have the joyous obligation to offer of themselves...materially, financially, emotionally, and without a doubt...prayerfully. To say that we love God and abandon the destitute is a spiritual oxymoron! Today, maybe at this moment...stop and pray God's grace upon these students, their parents and the faculty and staff of Union University. Ask for His comfort to be lavished upon them. Ask that all material provisions for urgent and immediate physical needs be met. Offer your resources to give 'teeth' to the compassion that you have and express in a tangible and practical way.
Start with Union University...and broaden the circle of your prayer to God in behalf of those who have lost loved ones in the aftermath of last night's storm.
Don't forget to look for 'God in the wind' either. In the winds of adversity or in the breezes of blessing...He is indeed, 'God in the wind'.
AND, if you have a kid off at college...be sure to contact them today assuring them of your love and blessing them with your affirmations. Hey, I have three in college...one far away, one further away...one near by...not to mention the two others stretched from Virginia to south central Kansas...I better get to emailing and texting...right away!
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
'SuFat' Tuesday
Does anyone really know what day it is?According to the political calendar, it is 'Super Tuesday'...the day when loads of states will be engaged in the Presidential primary ballot casting for delegate selection for the Democratic and Republican Parties. You know about the candidates and who is running for the highest office in the land...and you may be one of the many who after making careful investigation of the issues and the candidates knows exactly who it is that you will opt for and cheer on as the election results come in later in the evening.
According to the 'Party' calendar...well...its 'Fat Tuesday' or "Mardi Gras". This is the climax for parties and parades that began on January 6th and is to conclude on this day before Ash Wednesday. Folk by the thousands crowd the streets of New Orleans especially...many of which have no idea what it is exactly that is being celebrated...they just like the jazz and the party atmosphere!
According to the liturgical calendar, this is the day before the season of Lent is to be observed, a time when introspection and spiritual preparation for Easter begins in earnest...with the discarding of habits or the giving up of whatever it may be that keeps you from being the person of character or spirituality that you hope one day to realize. For some, that means giving up Snickers candy bars, (say it isn't so!), or smoking, or over eating, gossiping or gambling or you name it...the list is endless!
That is why I have called today 'SuFat Tuesday' for 2008.
Make it 'official'.No matter what today is to some or to many, this can be the day that you KNOW something important, eternal and with certainty, according to the Scriptures...
"We know that we have passed from death to life because we love our brothers."
1 John 3:14
You may be confused as to who to vote for, or what all the partying on the Gulf Coast is about, but one thing you can know for sure is that in Christ, you are free to live, to live well, to live for others, and to live eternally. That is God's guarantee to you.
So in all the choices of 'SuFat Tuesday'...make sure that you choose real life. No candidate can guarantee that. No party can ever satisfy that. If you need more answers, go to the 'First Steps' page on our website and begin the journey to real living TODAY!
According to the 'Party' calendar...well...its 'Fat Tuesday' or "Mardi Gras". This is the climax for parties and parades that began on January 6th and is to conclude on this day before Ash Wednesday. Folk by the thousands crowd the streets of New Orleans especially...many of which have no idea what it is exactly that is being celebrated...they just like the jazz and the party atmosphere!
According to the liturgical calendar, this is the day before the season of Lent is to be observed, a time when introspection and spiritual preparation for Easter begins in earnest...with the discarding of habits or the giving up of whatever it may be that keeps you from being the person of character or spirituality that you hope one day to realize. For some, that means giving up Snickers candy bars, (say it isn't so!), or smoking, or over eating, gossiping or gambling or you name it...the list is endless!
That is why I have called today 'SuFat Tuesday' for 2008.
Make it 'official'.No matter what today is to some or to many, this can be the day that you KNOW something important, eternal and with certainty, according to the Scriptures...
"We know that we have passed from death to life because we love our brothers."
1 John 3:14
You may be confused as to who to vote for, or what all the partying on the Gulf Coast is about, but one thing you can know for sure is that in Christ, you are free to live, to live well, to live for others, and to live eternally. That is God's guarantee to you.
So in all the choices of 'SuFat Tuesday'...make sure that you choose real life. No candidate can guarantee that. No party can ever satisfy that. If you need more answers, go to the 'First Steps' page on our website and begin the journey to real living TODAY!
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