Worship Matters

Our Rear Guard

2012-01-31T15:01:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite activities with my 22 month old son is walking. Specifically, we love to go downtown, get a coffee drink (for Dadda) and a mini-scone (for B-man), and run up and down the sidewalks watching the city wake up. Brennan loves to run ahead of me, and I love to be behind him so that I can keep an eye on him. I notice when I'm following him I'm always scanning ahead; looking for danger, cars, obstacles he might trip on, trying to keep him away from things that could harm him. I don't (and can't) prevent him from never getting hurt or falling, but I can watch out for the big stuff...anything he might not be able to handle.

Last time we went for a walk I was struck with this picture; that of God as my "rear guard." That brought me to this passage in Isaiah;

⁶ “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?
⁷ Is it not to share your food with the hungry
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when you see the naked, to clothe him,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
⁸ Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
and your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousness will go before you,
and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.
⁹ Then you will call, and the LORD will answer;
you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I." (Isaiah 58:6-9)

I don't know about you but I long for God to be my rear guard. In this passage, however, it's important to note the condition for the promise. The promise comes to those who...
- losse the chains of injustice
- untie the cords of yoke
- set the oppressed free
- share their food with the hungry
- provide shelter and clothes for those who have none

And when we do this, our "light will break forth like the dawn." I love that picture. Jesus was the one who said that we are the light of the world. And what is the light? Is it not to do the things that God has prepared in advance for us to do? The two great commandments are to Love God and Love our Neighbors (which includes our enemies). Not just to love with an emotion, but to love with action.

The point I think is simply this; when we are investing our lives in the things that matter to God, He indeed will be our guard. How are you doing? How am I doing? Are we paying attention to the important things? Mercy, justice, caring for the orphan and widow, loving the homeless and hungry? Not just with words but with deeds?

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

Can't See the Forest for the Trees

2012-01-17T06:00:00.000-08:00

Do you ever wonder about some of our figures of speech, or our proverbial sayings? One of my favorites (except when it applies to me), is "He/She can't see the forest for the trees." It means that someone is so focused on the details that they miss the big picture. Or put even more simply, it's when someone is missing the point.

In John chapter 11 we have an amazing account of Jesus healing someone. This isn't just a "regular supernatural healing" (as if there is such a thing); not just a blind man seeing or a lame man walking. This is a man who is dead...and Jesus calls him from the grave and brings him back to life. So what happens next? You'd think that every single person who saw or heard about this would immediately bow down and worship Him. Some do. But others, well, read for yourself...

"If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.” (John 11:48)

They, (the religious leaders), couldn't see the forest for the trees. They were missing the point. Here they have the fulfillment to their very own Scriptures living, breathing, healing and moving among them, in their lives and they missed it. Too focused on their own position to see the Son of God. I wonder, though, if you and I would be different?

Part of my job has me leading worship on a regular basis for our local congregation. Let's say for a moment that a new, young, good-looking great guitar-playing worship leader joined our church, and I decided to let him lead a few weeks. He's amazing. Humble, talented, Spirit-filled, teachable, and our church is clearly being moved to worship in ways they have never experienced under my leadership. Nobody says anything to me, but I can tell that all eyes are on me. Will I embrace him? Will I let him lead even more, or even position him in a place to take over? Or will I squelch his leadership, too consumed or worried about my position and what I might lose? Will I miss the forest for the trees?

You see, it's all too easy for us to point fingers or cast judgment on how the Pharisees and religious leaders of Jesus' time responded (or didn't respond) to Him. And yet when I think hard enough and search my own heart, I am humbled...and I know that were it not for His grace in my life, I could easily slip down the same path they were on, a path that leads me away from God.

The point? I think this is a case for humility. A dangerous prayer to pray is "God, keep me humble..." and yet I pray that prayer because I know the other path is so, so dangerous. Will join me in this prayer?

Are you Secure?

2012-01-13T14:00:00.000-08:00

Today my Bible reading plan took me to Psalm 16. So many things jumped out at me as I read this Psalm that I thought I'd highlight just a few of them.

¹ Keep me safe, O God,
for in you I take refuge.

Do I? Do you? Do we take refuge in God? In one respect, yes...the evidence simply being that every time I'm in trouble or need help, I turn to God. But this very thing also reveals that I too often place my trust and faith in things other than God...and it's only when they fail that I turn to God to take refuge. The million dollar question remains; "is God enough?" If all else were stripped away; money, health, family, friends, job, house, food, even life itself; is God enough? My prayer is that indeed, I would find and take refuge in God.

² I said to the LORD, “You are my Lord;
apart from you I have no good thing.”

James reminds us that every good and perfect gift comes from God, but more then that, the single greatest gift of all time is the salvation we find in and through Jesus Christ. Many gifts find their true joy, their true meaning and their true fulfillment only with God. For example, the gift of loving and being loved unconditionally is only perfectly fulfilled in God. Remove Him from the equation; take Him out of your life, and you have nothing. "What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?" (Mark 8:36)

⁵ LORD, you have assigned me my portion and my cup;
you have made my lot secure.

However, through Jesus, I am secure. I have nothing to fear, and nothing can harm me. I know Christ, He knows me, and because He is Sovereign, I can rest knowing that everything passes through His hands before it comes to me. Blessings, trials, tests, sorrows, they all come through the hands of a Sovereign God. Because I know Him, I am secure.

⁷ I will praise the LORD, who counsels me;
even at night my heart instructs me.
⁸ I have set the LORD always before me.
Because he is at my right hand,
I will not be shaken.

Because of all of this, because of all He has shown, His love demonstrated by His brutal and painful death, I will praise Him. For even when I'm resting He counsels me. As I quiet my heart I hear His voice. Jesus Christ; my rear-guard. Wow. When you feel insecure, when you feel unsettled and shaken, know that He is there. He is always there...leading, guiding, whispering.

⁹ Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
my body also will rest secure,
¹⁰ because you will not abandon me to the grave,
nor will you let your Holy One see decay.
¹¹ You have made known to me the path of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence,
with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

Worship. Worship is a response. Let it be that our lives are lives of worship; lived in response to all that He has done for us. Just as Jesus did not see decay, so we, adopted as sons of the living God and co-heirs with Christ Himself, will not see decay. No, in fact we will see Him face to face, and see the place He is and has been preparing for all who trust in Him.

soli deo gloria - To God Alone be the Glory!

2012: Time to Grow

2012-01-02T07:00:00.000-08:00

In my previous post I commented on my resolution to experience growth in my relationship with Christ this year. I want to take the picture of our garden, one step further (if you haven't read that post, click here and read it first). There's a few things that I'm responsible for if I want to experience spiritual growth...and let's be real honest here; spiritual growth is never an option for believers in Christ. It's something we should all see in our lives.

Step 1: prepare the soil (my heart). If I want to see growth, I need to make sure the soil is good. This involves both putting things in, fertilizer so to speak, and taking things out. I need to guard my heart above all else. This means "bouncing my eyes" and being careful what I listen to, read, watch and look at. It means investing in things that strengthen my heart. It means an unwillingness to engage in things that poison my heart.

²³ Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. (Proverbs 4:23)

Step 2: plant the seed (God's Word). Obviously if you don't plant anything then nothing will grow except weeds. If you want something good to eat, you have to plant the seeds...and plant them properly. This is one area I need to work on this year. I read my Bible frequently, and completed a 2-year Bible reading plan...however, more often my reading was done simply to check the box. Instead, I need to read with my eyes and ears wide open, listening for God to speak to me while I read. And beyond that, planting God's Word is more than just reading...it's involves study. Asking and answering the simple questions as I read; (who was this written to? what was the context? what is it saying to me today? is there an over-arching principle I need to learn or apply?). It's only as I read in this manner that the seed gets properly planted.

¹² For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12)

Step 3: water the seed (Pray). Prayer involves two distinct things. Talking and Listening. I do a lot of talking, but not much listening. This is where other disciplines such as solitude or fasting come in handy...they force you to slow down and listen. Still, I know many men and women who have tons of knowledge but lack prayer. Prayer is what moves the hand of God. Prayer is what reveals the secrets in His Word. Prayer is what brings peace to my marriage, creativity to my job, energy to my body. Prayer is what settles disputes, protects the vulnerable. Prayer changes things. Prayer leads to peace. And without prayer, your seed will lay beneath the surface and never poke through.

¹⁸ And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. (Ephesians 6:18)

Step 4: get into the sun (Deeds - DO). Many Christians stop at step 3. They protect their heart, they read and study, they have a deep prayer life, and they stop. They become as I heard one pastor put it, "spiritually constipated." There's no outward expression. Our faith should make a difference in this world. Step out and take a risk. Do something bold for Christ...or just do something. But whatever you do, don't stop at step 3...get out and serve. Consider the words of Christ;

"Let your light shine before men that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." (Matthew 5:16)

Step 5: Hang on for the ride. Once you are growing, you will see God do amazing things...

Time for a Fresh Start...

2011-12-30T13:51:00.000-08:00

Christmas is over...it's time to take the tree down, put the lights away, find a new home for those gifts, and settle in for the winter. So what's to look forward to, you ask? Lots. It's time for a fresh start. I love the new year because it feels like a chance for a "do over" or a "mulligan" as it were. It's a time to set new goals, dream new dreams, and re-evaluate. One of the things I'm most thankful for is that God is full of grace for His children.

²² Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.
²³ They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
Lamentations 3:22-23

Many years ago I worked through a process laying a "Life-Plan." It's simply a plan I created to help make sure I'm prioritizing things correctly and living the life I feel God has called me to live. I came up with about 7 areas I wanted to be intentional about, and at the very top of the list was my relationship with Christ. How am I doing? Not as good as I'd like. My "vine-time" has suffered as life got increasingly busy this past year. So not surprisingly, most (if not all) of my "resoluting" this year will be centered around growing my relationship with Christ. It's not complicated, but it will take discipline.

Growth doesn't just happen.

My wife has a garden and I've noticed something...growth doesn't just happen. First the soil must be turned over and prepared. Then seeds must be planted. And seeds only grow with sunlight and water. Too much of one without enough of the other means poor growth and the harvest ends up being wasteful.

If I want my relationship with Christ to grow this year, I have to prepare the soil (my heart), plant the seed (His Word), and make sure it gets sunlight (prayer) and water (deeds). My goal is simple...intentional growth.

How about you? What's your "resolution" for year 2012?

Anticipation...

2011-12-23T11:38:00.000-08:00

This time of year there is so much build up, so much anticipation, for Christmas. You can sense it everywhere you go. The music, the lights, the gatherings, it's a time of year that is anticipated for weeks, even months.

I often wonder about the anticipation felt during the days leading up to the first Christmas. I have a feeling that most of earth and its inhabitants didn't really grasp the situation. I wonder if even Mary and Joseph fully understood who they were about to bring into the world. All of history prior to Christ's birth, points to His birth...the promised Messiah, the Light, the Prince of Peace, the Righteous One was coming.

And then there's the anticipation in heaven. I usually ponder and think about Christmas from my perspective or earth's perspective; but think about it from heaven's perspective. Did all the angels and heavenly creatures know what was about to happen? I think they did. And if they did know, they certainly understood just who Jesus was/is. Jesus was there at the beginning...He has always existed. He is the one they worship. He is the one that all things were created through and created for. And here He is, Jesus, the one and only Son of God, about to willfully enter into human flesh...and once He was conceived in Mary's womb, there would be no going back. What were the angels thinking?

They did there best to let us know...the heavenly host that came to the shepherds point-blank told them exactly what had just happened. They announced the birth of the Messiah, the Son of God. And yet for them, the whole event must have seemed so under-whelming. The entire planet should have stopped to gather and worship...but instead, only a handful of shepherd's showed up.

What's the point? I wonder if in the midst of Christmas, knowing what we know now, I wonder if we too don't miss the birth of Christ at Christmas. I know I do. The busyness, shopping, preparations, gifts, lights, trees, food, all of it...none of it bad. But it makes it all too easy to forget that Christmas is about Jesus. After all, it's His birthday we are celebrating.

This weekend, make sure you take time to honor, worship, celebrate, and maybe even sing to Him.

The people walking in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of the shadow of death
a light has dawned.
For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Of the increase of his government and peace
there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne
and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
with justice and righteousness
from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the LORD Almighty
will accomplish this.
(Isaiah 9:2, 6-7)

The Perfect Gift

2011-12-16T13:38:00.000-08:00

In my family a few years ago we started doing our Christmas Gift Giving in a slightly different way. We used to buy gifts for everyone, but that got too expensive. Then we started drawing names and making lists, but some complained that you always knew what you were getting and what if you found the perfect gift for someone who wasn't on your list? So what do we do now? We call it "miscellaneous gifts." You buy whatever you want, bring it, wrap it, put a clue on it, and then we draw numbers for the opening order and away we go!

Personally, it makes it very hard to shop. It's much easier to shop when you know who you're buying for; but when you're supposed to find some "random" or misc. gift that a majority of people in your family might like, it makes it a real challenge. You might find something that 1 person would like, but nobody else. Each year that goes by makes it harder as well; as we've kind of exhausted the flashlights, pocket knives and gadgets category (for the guys).

But what if you could find the perfect gift for someone? What if you were able to know exactly what someone really wanted...maybe they didn't even know they wanted it, but then they open the gift and they are overcome that someone would know them so well as to find the perfect present, one they had never thought of but now that they see it wonder how they could ever survive without it?

The people walking in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of the shadow of death
a light has dawned.

For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Of the increase of his government and peace
there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne
and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
with justice and righteousness
from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the LORD Almighty
will accomplish this.

(Isaiah 9:2, 6-7)

Hmmm...the perfect gift, indeed.

Where's Your Allegiance?

2011-12-12T07:00:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago I was out walking with my wife when I observed a funny thing. It was a teenage boy whom I will call a "confused sports fan." He was wearing a Boston Red Sox shirt, a St Louis Cardinals hat, and a Seattle Sounders scarf...all at the same time. This struck me as quite humorous for obvious reasons...my immediate question was "who are you following?"

It seems that many people are, like this boy, confused. We are quick to follow the latest fad, or allow pop culture to dictate to us our morality, and we often don't really understand why we believe what we believe, leaving us vulnerable to a world that doesn't exactly embrace absolute truth. We often end up looking like that boy; picking and choosing from different belief systems or religions, which often leads to a sort of hypocrisy. Our words say one thing, while our actions say something else.

I wonder when people see me, what they see? Do they see someone sold out to Christ; one team, one uniform, one hat/shirt/scarf...do they see someone who's words and actions "alibi" each other? Or do people see in me something like that boy, not quite sure who I'm following or what I stand for?

The key to the whole thing lies in building a passionate and committed relationship with Christ. Build your life around the catalysts that lead you to this relationship; Bible, Prayer, Community, Service, and Worship...and allow God to lead you closer to Him.

"For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him." (2 Chronicles 16:9)

It Bears Repeating

2011-12-09T10:51:00.000-08:00

This past Sunday Pastor Jeff preached on contentment; a challenging message that bears repeating (if you missed it, click here to download or listen online).

One of the key verses in the whole Bible on contentment is found in Philippians; "I can do everything through Him who gives me strength." (Philippians 4:13). What things? What can I do? Can I really do anything and everything?

Pastor Jeff reminded us that this verse was not a blank promise that God will enable us to do whatever we want; rather, it is Paul's reminder that because of God's power in our lives, we have the ability to be content in any and every situation; (remember that Paul wrote this letter in prison).

Pastor Jeff closed by challenging us with the "three G's" as the secret to contentment.

Godliness: We can only be content as we develop and grow in our relationship with Christ. Time in His Word, time in Prayer, time in Worship, Community and Service - all of these are catalysts to help us grow in godliness...remembering that "godliness with contentment is great gain." (1 Timothy 6:6)

Gratitude: We have also been reminded throughout Philippians (especially chapter 4), that thankfulness and gratitude are a safeguard for our heart and a key component of contentment.

Giving: Giving then becomes the application of our contentment. As we grow in godliness, living life with gratitude, the outcome should be a life marked by being a great giver.

How are you doing on the three G's?

Are you "All In?"

2011-12-08T09:59:00.001-08:00

This past Monday I was able to attend Sting's "Back to Bass" concert in Seattle. It was a great show with great musicians singing some great music. Now to be clear, I don't think Sting is a believer or follower of Christ; but one thing he said caused me to stop and consider my relationship with Jesus, and my relationships with others.

It was in the context of him bragging on his wife. He talked about how much she completed him, filled in all his gaps, and how their love for each other had endured. He then mentioned something you don't hear often when couples speak of love; he said that "she also has the power to completely ruin me." In other words, he has so fully given his heart and himself to his wife, Trudy, that she now has a power that could utterly leave him wrecked.

The point is simple; he has moved "all in" in this relationship. And that's the thing about relationships; if you hold back, you risk less, but you also have less rewards. It seems that many relationships today are just that; risk management, almost like (as Sting put it), that people get married with an "emotional pre-nup" not willing to risk certain parts of their heart of life.

Question; are you "all in" in your relationship with Christ, to the point that He could utterly ruin you? Have you risked all your emotions, all your heart and longings? Or are you holding back, simply "managing" your relationship with Him? And for us married types, how about our relationships with our spouses? Are we "all in" or have we bought into the "emotional pre-nup?"

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength." (Mark 12:30)

Thank You

2011-11-11T09:23:00.001-08:00

A Lesson in Humility

2011-10-29T08:00:00.000-07:00

So True...

I'm on a 2-year Bible reading plan and let me just confess that I am happy to be out of Ezekiel and into Daniel. Daniel is an incredible man (so is Ezekiel), and his book is full of stories, mysteries, and unbelievable events (Fiery Furnace? Lions Den?). Early on in the this book we see that Daniel has a gift of interpreting dreams. Specifically, when nobody else in the land can help the king out, Daniel steps in. That's where we find him in chapter 2. Nebuchadnezzar has just had an alarming dream and he doesn't know what it means. After consulting everyone he can find and still not knowing the meaning, he finds Daniel, who says this to him.

"As you were lying there, O king, your mind turned to things to come, and the revealer of mysteries showed you what is going to happen. As for me, this mystery has been revealed to me, not because I have greater wisdom than other living men, but so that you, O king, may know the interpretation and that you may understand what went through your mind." (Daniel 2:29-30)

Today, let us consider Daniel's humility. Here he is asked to do something that nobody else could do, and God gives him the ability to do it (interpret a dream). Does he gloat about it? Step up and say something like "unlike all your so-called 'wise men' who weren't able to help you, I and I alone have the correct interpretation. What will you give me if I interpret it for you?" Maybe he jumps on Twitter or Facebook to tell the world that he alone has the answer? No! In fact, he rather does the opposite, making it clear that he is no wiser than anyone else, but just happens to have received the understanding from God.

Humility has been defined many ways, by many men and women. In this instance, Daniel's humility is simply this; seeing himself in his proper place. What I mean is this; Daniel is humble because he demonstrates the ability to properly see who he is (and is not). He remembers that he is not God, he is not the source of wisdom, he is not a creator, he does not give dreams or interpret them. And what he is; he is only a man, he is a receiver and messenger of God's wisdom (not his), he is obedient (in sharing the dream with Nebuchadnezzar).

Pride, so often, is not remembering who we are. We get prideful when we forget that we are nothing...that everything we are and everything we do is by God's grace and power. Remember these words from Jesus? "Apart from me you can do nothing." Daniel knows...and we would do well to remember as well. The point?

At a recent leadership conference I was able to attend I heard an incredible message given on the topic of humility. The findings traced the power of humility all the way back to, guess who, Jesus. One of his opening statements was simply this; "Humility makes the great, greater." We would all benefit from remembering who we are, and worshipping God in all humility.

No Worries Mate

2011-10-24T15:00:00.000-07:00

Warnings ranged from
"severe pain" to "death"

I love Australia...well, at least what I know of it. I've been there one time back in 2008, spending 2 weeks in Cairns, which is in the state of Queensland (Northeast Australia). Among other things, Queensland is home to 9 of the 10 deadliest snakes in the world, not to mention the infamous jellies. In fact the one beach we visited had 3 signs warning of the 10 types of deadly jellies, plus sharks, plus crocodiles. It's ironic, then, that one of the most common phrases uttered in Australia is "no worries mate." A good friend of mine who is from Australia utters these words constantly. No matter the task, danger or obstacle, his response was always "no worries mate."

I wonder if we can't learn something here...

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life." (Matt 6:25-27)

Want to go swimming?

To be a Christian is to live by faith. There is no way around it. But for those of us who have a bent towards worry, how can we overcome that? Is it as simple as telling yourself to stop worrying? Hmmm.

I believe the root of worry is a desire for control. We tend to worry about things we can't control. We worry about the choices our kids make, we worry about our investments, we worry about what others think about us, we worry about many things...things we can't control.

And if we can't control them then our worrying won't help.

There is another way, though. There is a way to exert some control over the things we can't control. How? Prayer. It's simple, really. God CAN control them, and in fact He is sovereign. What if we replaced all the time we worry about things we can't control and instead prayed about those things; and in that way, we brought some semblance of control? Prayer moves the hand of God to action. Prayer binds our heart with His. Prayer is about connecting with the Lord of the universe. And if we could master the life of never-ending conversation, prayer, with God, then truly we can say with all honesty, "No worries mate."

Awake My Soul

2011-10-21T13:41:00.000-07:00

"Awake, my soul!" (Psalm 57:8)

Do you ever have those moments where something that seemed so familiar, all of a sudden becomes new again? Maybe something that was always there, but now seems different. You're driving home and you notice a tree changing colors that you've never noticed before. You're out and about and see a building, or restaurant, and you ask your wife "is that new?" and she says, "no, honey, it's always been there." And you think, "how could I have missed it?

As believers, this type of thing should happen to us often. You're reading your Bible and come across a passage that seemed so familiar, but takes on a whole new meaning. It's God's Spirit speaking to you.

This just happened to me this week; a song that I'd heard a thousand times, but usually as background music, struck me in a new and powerful way. Ironically, it's called "awakening." Why did this song impact me so much this week? I'm not sure...

Maybe because like Keith Green wrote so many years ago, I often feel like I'm "asleep in the light."
Maybe because I long for more...to know that I'm making a difference in eternity.
Maybe because I spoil for a battle, but wonder if I could overcome my fears should that battle ever materialize.
Maybe because I know I was made for more then what I'm experiencing right now.
Maybe because I hear God's voice constantly beckoning me closer, into a more intimate relationship with Him.
Maybe because I feel like there is a challenge awaiting me, and I long to enter it and be proved worthy, and yet so often my own fears hold me back.

And then I sing this song and for a few brief moments I feel my soul rise up and I am convinced that in God's strength I can do what He calls me to do. The song transforms me...no, that's not quite right. God transforms me as I listen, sing, and worship. And in that moment, this simple lyric becomes my most earnest prayer.

"God, awaken my soul, awaken me..."

Take a moment and watch/listen;

What God Desires

2011-10-14T14:40:00.000-07:00

"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." (James 1:27)

"As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead." (James 2:26)

"Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?" (Isaiah 58:6)

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

A song that has haunted and motivated me for the past couple of years. Take a moment to be challenged.

Heaven

2011-09-30T14:11:00.000-07:00

"If you read history you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were precisely those who thought most of the next. It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this..." "Aim at heaven, and you'll get earth thrown in. Aim at earth, and you'll get neither." (C.S. Lewis)

How much time do you spend thinking about heaven? How much time do you spend dreaming about heaven? I mean really thinking about what heaven will be like. Do you know what it will be like? When I even ask those questions, what comes to your mind? A surge of adrenalin, of anticipation, or a "yawn"? Do you "hope" that heaven is going to be exciting, or do you "know" that it is?

If you're like many Christians you've been duped, tricked, fooled. I believe that one of satan's greatest weapons to cripple Christians, making us so ineffective, is somehow getting us to buy into the lie that heaven will be boring. I mean after all, what in the world will be do for an eternity? We'll have fun for awhile, but then we'll get bored. Or worse yet, all we're going to do is sing all day long. Isn't that what worship is, after all? Singing?

I'm doing something I rarely do in this blog...I'm recommending a book. The book is titled "Heaven," written by Randy Alcorn. I believe that every Christian should read this book. It's not a perfect book, and he gets a little repetitive, and I wish it was shorter; but still, it will get you excited about heaven all over again.

Heaven, will be awesome. Imagine the best vacation you've ever had and multiply it times a thousand. Heaven will be full of fulfillment, security, love. Heaven will have adventure, rest, discovery, and wandering. In heaven we'll see loved ones, family, friends, and those whose lives we impacted without ever knowing. Heaven will be more beautiful then the most glorious sunset you've ever seen. In heaven we'll have time to be the person that God had designed us to be. The part of you that you've been hiding.

Heaven is not some abstract place up in the clouds. Heaven is not boring. Heaven is not repetitive.

Heaven is a reunion with your Creator. Heaven is face to face with Jesus. Heaven is Eden. Heaven is renewal. Heaven is earth as it was meant to be; more colorful, more vivid, more beautiful. No death or decay, but life. Heaven is man with no sin. God will one day soon come and set things right. He will renew the earth (not destroy it). Think of the happiest moment of your life, and that is a taste of heaven.

Heaven is Home. The Home you were always meant to have. Heaven should grip your heart and occupy your mind. And once you get a glimpse, you'll do everything you can to help everyone you know get into heaven with you.

Is heaven in you?

Risk

2011-09-19T09:36:00.000-07:00

"He was stepping into a moment where God would have to come through if it was going to achieve its ultimate end."
(Erwin McManus, Chasing Daylight)

"Most of us never experience the power of God in our lives because we never attempt anything that would require it."
(Jim Cymbala, Fresh Wind Fresh Fire)

Risk. When is the last time you attempted something so bold that if God didn't show up, it would utterly fail? I'm reading the book by McManus and this morning, I picked up where I had left off and made it through exactly one paragraph until I came upon that quote up above. It stopped me. McManus is referring to Jonathan and his armor bearer who single-handedly killed 20 fully armed men. This wasn't a sneak attack, they didn't have sniper guns, they had swords. And they whole approach was in full view of the enemy who in fact knew they were coming up. And still, in an area of about 1/2 an acre the two of them killed 20 men. Not scared 20 men, not wounded 20 men, but killed them. The story is amazing (read it here).

God used Jonathan (and his armor bearer) as a catalyst to inspire the rest of the army who went on to rout the Philistines on this day. Saul, the king and leader of the army, was doing nothing...hanging out under a pomegranate tree.

So here's the question(s) that haunt me;
- Am I more like Saul (hanging out under the tree waiting for something to happen), or Jonathan (leading with boldness, risking all and trusting God to win the victory for me)?
- When's the last time I attempted something so bold that its success depended on God intervening?

McManus makes a great point for those of us who, like me, long to have boldness but seem stuck in lives of safety and risk management. His point? Faith to do the big things starts with obedience in the little things. So if you long to have bigger faith, then I'd encourage you to do two things;

Do the little things God asks of you this day. Listen for His voice, and act...with boldness. It might be as simple as having a conversation with someone not like you, or giving a cup of water in His name. Obedience in the little things will be rewarded by God asking you to take increasingly bigger risks for Him.
Pray for boldness, and pray for opportunities to strengthen and increase your faith.

Can you imagine what God could do with a world full of "Jonathan's"? Men and women willing to risk it all, totally dependent on God?

What is Worship?

2011-09-14T10:37:00.000-07:00

Worship is all that we are, responding to all that God has revealed Himself to be, empowered by the Holy Spirit.

Or, to put it even more simply,
"Worship is responding to God's revelation."

Worship was initiated by God. He gives us breath and life so that we might glorify Him. He gives us a share in His glory, so that we can return it and make much of Him. He gives us songs to sing so that we can sing them back to Him.

He reveals Himself to us through creation, through His Son, through His Spirit, through His grace, through His actions, through His Word, through His voice and whispers, through the cross, through His covenant, through each other (who are made in His image), through music and song, through laughter and tears, through the stars and the moon, through a sunset or sunrise, through a hurricane or earthquake, through miracles, through those who persevere under intense trials, through simple faith. God reveals Himself to us. We respond and that is worship.

Worship is singing, but not only
Worship is praying, but not only
Worship is serving in His name, but not only
Worship is lifting hands or dancing, but not only
Worship is drawing and painting, but not only

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength." (Mark 12:30).

The greatest commandment, the one greater than all others, is to worship God.

How? In all ways. When? At all times.

Heart - worship Him with passion and emotion
Mind - worship Him with knowledge and understanding
Soul - worship Him with conviction
Strength - worship Him with actions and service

So then, the great question should never be "how was worship?" The question should be "are you worshipping?" Or better yet, "is my worship an appropriate response to all that God has revealed?" Or are you holding back? God has held nothing back from us...let us worship Him, holding nothing back from Him.

9/11

2011-09-11T11:25:00.000-07:00

9/11 - Two words that will forever hold significance for those who lived through the events of Sept 11, 2001. On that date the world changed forever. All of us have memories from that morning; where we were, what we were doing, how we got the news. Many of us seem to know someone who was there, or close by. As the images of that morning flashed across newsrooms we all sat horrified, seeing the death of so many.

My thoughts at this time turn to so many things...here are three.

1) Life is fragile. Life is much more fragile than any of us ever want to think. For everyone who woke up that morning and went to work in the two towers, they never could have imagined what would await them...for many, the last hours of their life on earth. Or consider those who were on the airplanes; maybe on a business trip or vacation, or on their way to see family. They never imagined their planes would be hijacked and rammed into buildings. Life is fragile and apart from God granting us every breath we take, we would cease to exist. As James says, "You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes."

The point? Make today count...this moment, sieze it for God's purposes and His glory. Whether in little things like loving your wife and children, or big things such as sharing your faith, feeding the poor, caring for the needy; in all things, make today count.

"Life as if Christ died yesterday, rose today, and is coming back tomorrow." (Theodore Epp)

2) Broaden your perspective. The events of 9/11 were tragic and historic as thousands of people lost their lives. The best estimate is 2977 people lost their lives, plus another 19 dead hijackers. This is tragic. However, let us remember that 25,000 people die every day due to hunger. Every 3 seconds, someone dies because of hunger related causes. I have often asked myself why my heart doesn't break for that as much as it does for the deaths of 9/11? Probably because it's just too big; it's a statistic that doesn't touch my life. And yet it breaks God's heart. And that's only hunger related deaths. We are insulated in the United States, and blessed...many fear for their lives daily.

The point? As the song says, "[God], Break my heart for what breaks yours." And do something. All of us, especially in America, have resources at our disposal to do something to alleviate suffering, hunger, and injustice. Let's get in the game. Let it never be said of me, "he thought it was just too overwhelming so he didn't do anything." Much better to be said "even though it is overwhelming, he made a difference for a few."

3) Pray. The day Sept. 11, 2001 should have been a wake up call for many of us. It should cause us to pray for at least three things;

- Pray for Revival: As much as many people turned to God during this crisis, how many more turned back to themselves once the tragedy had passed. We need to pray for God to awaken the church...as it is the church that is God's strategy to save the world.

- Pray for our Leaders: "As the leaders go, so goes the people." We need to continually hold our leaders before the Almighty God.

- Pray for our enemies. Yes, as much as we might not want to do this, it is God's heart for us that we pray for our enemies.

And yes, let us take time today to remember.

2011-09-01T08:00:00.000-07:00

"I'm standing on the seashore. A ship at my side spreads her white sails to the morning breeze and starts fot eh blue ocean. She's an object of beauty and strength and I stand and watch her until, at length, she hangs like a speck of white cloud just where the sea and the sky come down to mingle with each other. And then I hear someone at my side saying, 'There, she's gone.'

Gone where? Gone from my sight, that is all. She is just as large in mast and hull and spar as she was when she left my side. And just as able to bear her load of living freight to the place of destination. Her diminished size is in me, not in her.

And just at the moment when someone at my side says, 'There, she's gone,' there are other eyes watching her coming, and there are other voices ready to take up the glad shout, 'Here she comes!'

And that is dying."

(Heaven, by Randy Alcorn, p. 462)

Puritan Prayer: "God the All"

2011-08-31T09:12:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday I had our congregation pray through a puritan prayer, "God the All." I wish I prayed prayers like this. Below is what I had us pray; not the full prayer, but most of it (although I confess I changed the Thee's and Thou's to You's).

There is no comfort in anything apart from enjoying You
and being engaged in Your service;
You are all in all, and all enjoyments are what to me You make them, and no more.
I am well pleased with Your will, whatever it is, or should be in all respects,
And if You bid me decide for myself in any affair, I will choose to refer all to You,
for You are infinitely wise and cannot do amiss, as I am in danger of doing.
I rejoice to think that all things are at Your disposal,
and it delights me to leave them there.
Then prayer turns wholly into praise, and all I can do is to adore and bless You.
What shall I give You for all Your benefits?
I long to make some return, but have nothing to offer,
I can of myself do nothing to glorify Your blessed name,
but I can, through grace, cheerfully surrender soul and body to You.

Hope in Pain

2011-08-26T08:00:00.000-07:00

I'm reading through a 2-year Bible plan and today, I started the book of Lamentations, most likely written by the prophet Jeremiah. Jeremiah was not the luckiest of prophets. He was the one chosen by God to pronounce God's impending judgement and discipline on His chosen people. Jeremiah was the one who fore-told, and then witnessed the fall of Jerusalem. In his weaker moments, Jeremiah even accused God of "deceiving him" (see chapter 20). And yet the word of God within Jeremiah was something he couldn't keep to himself even if he wanted to...("his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot."). For these reasons and more, Jeremiah is known as the "weeping prophet."

All that to say, Jeremiah was not a happy camper when he wrote the great lament. He "told them so" and they didn't' repent, and so he gets to witness first hand what it's like to receive judgment from the hand of God. And yet, in the midst of all of that, Jeremiah writes these words;

Yet this I call to mind,
   and therefore I have hope:
Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed,
   for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
   great is your faithfulness.
I say to myself, “The LORD is my portion;
   therefore I will wait for him.”
The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him,
   to the one who seeks him;
  it is good to wait quietly
   for the salvation of the LORD. (Lamentations 3:21-26)

It is easy to have hope in God in a time of blessing. But how much harder to hold onto hope when it seems all hope is gone? Here is Jeremiah sitting in the midst of his darkest moment, writing words of hope.

This got me thinking; how many of us have that kind of faith, that in the midst of our darkest trials, tests, moments, we can remember and cling to the grace of God? There are times when there is nothing we can do but wait and hope, trusting in the character of God to bring comfort, deliverance, or justice.

If you're in one of those times, do what Jeremiah did; call to mind the truths about who God is. There is none like Him, and His love is great.

Grief and Joy

2011-08-23T15:05:00.000-07:00

Do you grieve well?

A few days ago a day that I had been dreading for awhile finally arrived. A day that should have been filled with joy at the birth of my niece Aimee, was instead filled with pain as she went home to be with God after 1 1/2 hours with us on earth. Expected? Yes...we all knew this was the likely outcome. Easy? No. During this time, and my years as a pastor, I've observed a number of responses from people who are suffering this type of pain. In this post, I want to address one.

Somewhere, some of us seem to have this idea that if we are true followers of Christ and have enough faith, we will always be thankful, full of joy, optimistic at every turn, never question God, and never feel pain or sorrow. This type of response used to bother me, but more often now it causes me to feel sorry for the individual, because I think they miss out on a much needed time to grieve, question, feel pain, and grow stronger as a result.

"Jesus wept." (John 11:35).

John 11 presents us with an incredible picture of Jesus and how he loved. Jesus had a special relationship with Lazarus; "Lord, the one you love is sick..." (v. 3) and so it would seem to be no surprise that He would weep at his death. And yet, when you read a little closer, you see that Jesus knew from the beginning that Lazarus' death was only temporary.

v. 4: "This sickness will not end in death..."
v. 11: "I am going there to wake him up."
v. 23: "Your brother will rise again..."
v. 25: "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies."

And yet...

v. 33: "When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled."
v. 35: "Jesus wept."

Jesus is overcome by the emotion of the moment; the sight of so many suffering so much pain was enough to cause the Son of God to weep. Now let me ask you this; if Jesus, knowing He was going to perform a miracle was overcome with emotion and wept, how much more should you and I feel the freedom to grieve deeply?

The truth is there are many things that break God's heart...and I would guess that God, who identifies Himself as our Father, grieves for us when He sees His children suffering heart-ache. Isn't that what we see in this picture with Jesus? Jesus (God), is overcome by the pain that His children are suffering, and it causes Him to break down and weep Himself.

What's my point? I think I have a couple...
1) When you are overcome with emotion and feel like crying, cry.
2) When you see someone else grieving deeply, don't try to make them feel better...instead, try just sitting in silence and grieve with them. Buy them a cup of coffee, and ask them about their pain.

10 < 613 > 2

2011-08-05T15:37:00.000-07:00

This post will be simple, ironically enough.

God gave 10 commandments. The Pharisees and religious leaders of the day turned those 10 commandments into 613 laws. Jesus came along and reduced 613 laws to 2 commandments.

Love God with everything you are...
Love your neighbor.

From 10 to 613 to 2.

How are you doing in life? Are you keeping it simple? It's a battle, I know but I need it...the simple life. The older I get, the more I see how overly-complicated we've made life. It doesn't have to be that way. You know what I think the number 1 reason is for our over-complicated lives? Trying to please others instead of trying to please God. Other people puts tons of expectations on us, and we waste so much time trying to meet their expectations.

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." (Matthew 11:28-30)
Two commands. Love God, and Love People.

Tomorrow morning is a brand new day. When you wake up, first thing, pray this prayer;
"Dear Lord, please help me today to love you with all I have, and to love those I come into contact with today." Then focus on those two things...Love God, Love others.

Amen.

Axioms, Adages and Proverbs (9): Living For ___?

2011-08-01T08:00:00.000-07:00

“The great use of life is to spend it for something that will outlast it.” (William James)

I have a long list of quotes or sayings; (axioms, adages and proverbs), things that motivate me and are rooted in truth. Here's another winner...(if you want to see others I've written about, click here).

Recently I was reading through my facebook news feed and was overcome with how self-centered all of us are (including myself). It was shocking, really, to see that almost every post or comment was about us...me. A new vacation, new car, new house, new toy, new phone, new outfit, new friend, etc. If it wasn't that, it was some comment or gripe or complaint about something we didn't like here. Not issues of justice, really, but pet peeves. Now is this wrong? Of course not...facebook is not evil in itself, and I'm really not writing this to comment on facebook.

My point is this; all of us, without applying some sort of external pressure to force us to do otherwise, will naturally tend to be internally focused. We're born into this world as infants who think the world revolves around us, (and it does, really), and we seem to struggle to shake this worldview for the rest of our lives. We even carry this into our views of God and Jesus where the focus is on how much Jesus loves me.

Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. (James 4:14)

Want to live a life that matters? There's only one way...spend it for something that will outlast it.

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matt. 6:19-21)

Eternity...this is something that will outlast our earthly lives. Heaven, or Hell, for all mankind...there are only two paths; one wide, one narrow...that is our destiny. Want to build treasures for ourselves, things that will outlast us? Then invest in eternity. What does that look like? Many ways...

- Give freely (time and money)

- Share your faith always (in words and deeds)

- Love deeply

- Confront injustice

- Help the poor and needy, the orphans and widows (because when you do, you are helping Jesus)

Leave fingerprints everywhere you go that point people to Christ.

“You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."

You and I are the light...God has set us on a hill to give light the world. How bright are you burning?

The "Vanilla Factor"

2011-07-26T08:00:00.000-07:00

What's the most popular flavor of ice cream, do you think? Answer? Vanilla. However, it's not enough to say that vanilla is the most popular; that only tells part of the story. Vanilla is not just the most popular, it's more than three times the popularity of the second place flavor, Chocolate. 29% of respondents say vanilla, compared to Chocolate at 9%. It's not even close. Let's call this the "vanilla factor..."

A few years ago a large and influential American church began to take a hard look at how effective they were at accomplishing their mission of making disciples. "Sure," they said; "we have lots of people coming to church, tithing, our small groups are large, people are serving, but is any of it making a difference?" "Are people more in love with God and each other than they were? Are people moving closer to Christ?"

After surveying themselves, and then thousands of churches and hundreds of thousands of people just like you and me, trying to pin down what helped people actually grow closer to Christ, one finding jumped off the page. Bible. Specifically, reading, reflecting, and applying God's Word to your life.

Many things can help us grow, they found; serving, fasting, praying, journaling, being in a small group, attending worship services, Bible studies, tithing, belief in certain key doctrines...all of these are catalysts. However, Bible was the vanilla factor. It wasn't even close. Not just reading God's Word, but reading it, meditating on it, and living it out.

It is the vanilla factor for spiritual growth.

"For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart." (Hebrews 4:12).

So the question, it seems, isn't "how do I grow closer to God?" The question is "are you getting into God's Word often, reflecting on it, applying it, and living it?" What is your plan?

"Your words were found and I ate them,
And Your words became for me a joy and the delight of my heart;
For I have been called by Your name,
O LORD God of hosts." (Jeremiah 15:16)

We Need to Be Found (2 of 2)

2011-07-22T14:48:00.000-07:00

First, you must read part 1...this is the second part of two posts. (Click here)

Picking up where we left off, there at least 2 other points I want to make from these parables.

2) We need the shepherd, and we need the flock.

When we wander off, we are lost to ourselves, lost to the flock, and lost to God. The shepherd can leave the 99 by themselves because they have safety in numbers; and yet the 1 who has wandered off is in grave danger. Isolation is never good. I believe it's one of Satan's tricks. I worry about some of my fellow believers who, disillusioned by something in the local church have wandered off to do their own thing. They may not know it, but they are in danger...they've been isolated from the flock. No, the local church is not perfect, (far from it...I mean, we are all sheep), but it's the way God set it up. In the flock we learn to love each other through our imperfections. This was God's plan from the beginning...to live in community with each other and to build His church.

3) There is a party when we are found.

Check this out...it's amazing! The partying is being done by the shepherd/woman in the parables. They're the ones who found the sheep/coin, they're the ones who can't contain their joy, they're the ones who invite their neighbors and friends to join them, and they're the ones rejoicing. Look at verse 10 again; who's doing the celebrating? The angels are present, but it's almost like they're watching the party. It's God, Jesus, who is celebrating in the presence of the angels. Don't miss this - the essence of this passage is that the shepherd's joy is so great, he cannot celebrate alone, but must gather with his friends.

Second, the party is triggered by repentance. We commonly assume this means repentance unto salvation, but again, that's not what the text says. Whenever anyone repents; that means you and I, Christian, there is joy in the Father's heart. Want to start a party in heaven? Confess your sin to God and repent of it, and you will trigger a party. The word repent has an "ongoing" essence to it. Repentance is not something you do once...it's something we do constantly. It's both a change of mind, and change of action. The bottom line is that God is over-joyed when we repent. One commentator put it this way; "there is nothing here of a reluctant shepherd scolding the sheep..." - only joy. Pure joy.

These parables show us the amazing heart and compassion of our Father. His love is vast and He will stop at nothing to find one of His lost sheep. Have you been found? Are you wandering off?

How Big He is, How Small I am

2011-07-18T07:00:00.000-07:00

We're in the midst of a series looking at pride and humility. This week's message will focus on Jesus' humility, and how He demonstrated this humbleness. This got me to thinking about how all of us instinctively place "self" at the center of our lives and erroneously live, at least at the sub-consicence level, believing that it's all about us. Consider for a moment...

The Milky Way Galaxy contains between 200 and 400 billion stars. That's 200,000,000,000 stars.
The Andromeda Galaxy is one of the closest galaxies to our own Milky Way...it is only 15,000,000,000,000,000,000 miles away.
There is an estimated 100 billion galaxies in the universe. Each galaxy contains between 10 million and 1 trillion stars. That means that a safe estimate gives us 10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 stars in the universe...and any one of those stars could have a planet or two (or 9) orbiting around it.
To point, there have recently been about 350 planets found in our own milky way galaxy. Now let's just say there's another 200 planets in all those other galaxies out there (1 of the 100 billion). 350 x 100 billion = a very large number! And that's just what we've found so far.
How big is the universe? Nobody knows for sure, but estimates put it at about 90 billion light years in diameter. One light year = 6 trillion miles (approximately). Let me say that again. 1 light year = 5,878,625,373,183 miles, and the universe is estimated at 90,000,000,000 light years in diameter.
Oh - and we know that the universe is constantly expanding at a rate of approximately 50 miles per second. That means in the next 24 hours, the universe will have expanded about 4.3 million miles.

So let me ask you a question; does it make sense to think we know more about our lives than the God who made this universe? I mean, in comparison to how big, how awesome, how utterly incomprehensible He is, we are nothing. We are a speck. We are like a grain of sand that you blow away. We are a fog that appears in the morning, and by afternoon is long gone.

Now consider this; "For God so loved ___________ [insert your name here], that He gave His one and only Son..."

This God; awesome, huge, gigantic God, who creates from nothing, chose to create YOU and ME in HIS IMAGE. Stop. Let it sink in. Even though we are but a speck, He knows you.

For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well. (Psalm 139:13-14)

As I write this, I am overwhelmed with the love of God for us...for me. Every hair on my head is numbered, every day I live has been written down by Him, planned, thought out. Every cell in my body, every gift I have, everything I am is because of Him. I am a product of His creation, His thought, His creativity. Whenever I open my mouth to speak to Him, He hears. Whenever I repent of sin and turn to Him, He rejoices. Whenever I do something in His name, He smiles. He knows me...and He knows you.

"So what can I give, what can I do, but offer this heart Oh God, completely to you."

That is the refrain of a popular worship song we have just taught at our church and the reason I love it so much is because in that one line, it sums up my response. I can't do anything or give anything that would ever be enough, but I can give the 1 thing that God most desires from me; my heart...to Him, completely, totally, surrendered.

He is Worthy.

We Need to Be Found (1 of 2)

2011-07-15T15:37:00.000-07:00

Have you ever heard someone say something like this? "_____ just needs to find God." Or maybe you've even said it as part of your testimony? "I was _____, but then I found God." I believe that not only is this theologically incorrect, but this thinking also causes us to miss the heart of Jesus.

Luke 15 contains three amazing parables, stories that Jesus taught that reveal His heart for us. I want to focus on the first two, which you can read here; (pointless to keep reading this post until you click on that link and read the parables).

In the first parable, Jesus is the Shepherd, and we are the sheep. A few observations about sheep...
- They're dumb, stupid, and they stink all the time
- They're constantly dirty and need the shepherd to keep them clean
- They're weak...they can't defend themselves and rely on the shepherd and the herd for protection
- They are helpless...without their shepherd they'd never find food or water

Sound like you and me?
- We think we're smart and in control, which only shows how dumb we are...we have NO control
- We sin constantly, and need forgiveness daily to keep us clean
- We're very weak, insecure, fearful, and constantly succumb to temptation
- We're helpless to save ourselves...our one chance is to live a perfect life and, well that didn't work out so well.

In steps Jesus, the Good Shepherd. What does He do? Hang on.

In the second parable, Jesus represents the woman, and we are the lost coins. One of us gets lost. What does the woman do? She searches high and low, inside and outside, lighting lamps and basically, not resting until she finds her lost coin. And when she finds it? It's a party! Let's stop there and make some observations.

1) JESUS FINDS US. We don't have to figure out how to find Him, He finds us. The sheep doesn't get hopelessly lost trying to figure out how to get back to the flock, the shepherd leaves the flock to find the sheep! When a sheep wanders off, the shepherd would leave the flock and go on a search. He may end up walking miles to find that 1 lost sheep. And what happens when he finally finds the sheep? He scoops up the hungry, scared, wounded sheep, places him on his shoulders, walks him all the way back to the flock. Same thing with the woman; she loses a coin and immediately drops everything until she finds that missing coin.

Notice what Jesus doesn't do...

- He doesn't send someone else to go after the sheep while he hangs out with the 99

- He doesn't "let it go" (I mean, after all, it's only 1 sheep/1 coin...I have many more)
- He doesn't sit tight and wait for that wandering sheep to figure out how to get back to the flock

In the same way, when we wander off, Jesus comes to find us. When we are lost, He finds us. We need to be found. He will go any distance, to any place to find one of His sheep. This should change a little bit how we pray for those who are "lost" - we don't pray that they find us, or find God, we pray that God finds them. They are lost, and they need to be found. And this is good news!

Stay tuned for part 2 of this post...

A Dangerous Trap

2011-07-12T09:58:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday our Senior Pastor (Jeff Geise) preached on pride vs. humility. To say the least, it was a convicting message. This brought me back to a passage of Scripture that I had read recently, Galatians 6:4. Let's take a look in three versions...

"But each one must examine his own work, and then he will have reason for boasting in regard to himself alone, and not in regard to another." (NASB)

"Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else" (NIV)

"Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else." (NLT)

There are a ton of angles and things to talk about when dealing with the issue of pride. If you're like me at all, you probable drift in and out of being prideful and humble. However, let's just take a look at this one verse. (If you want to go deeper, check out Jeff's message here).

The heart of this verse is quite simple; examine, test, and pay attention to your own actions. Don't worry about what others are doing, and don't compare yourselves to others. They have their own struggles, gifts, challenges, etc. You, (and I), should pay attention only to the job we do. If we do this, then we can feel good about the job we've done.

The bottom line? It's what I wrote in my journal after reading that verse. "We should only measure our successes by comparing ourselves to ourselves." In other words...

- Was my motive pure?

- Did I do my best?

- Am I striving in accordance with my potential?

- Did I bring glory to God?

I can take pride in pleasing God...and I know I please Him when I answer "yes" to those questions. It's when I come to Him, feeling smug about myself because I _______ better than someone else...that's when I'm headed for a downfall."

So let's make a pact this week; focus on your actions, and compare yourself to yourself. Try to do things for God's glory, to the best of your ability, ultimately bringing Him glory and honor. And then rest easy for a job well done.

Holy or Happy?

2011-06-24T16:00:00.000-07:00

What if God designed marriage to make us Holy more than to make us Happy?

This quote comes from Gary Thomas and his book, Sacred Marriage. I was recently reminded of this quote earlier this week by a friend of mine. It has stuck with me all week, but in a slightly different way. The question that I've been pondering this week is this;

What if God's purpose for my life is Holiness rather than Happiness?

Somewhere, somehow, a lot of us grow up programmed with a sense of entitlement. Maybe it's the growing up in America where we have so much, with the primary message being "if you work hard enough, you can have it all"...you know, the American Dream and all. Whatever the reason, this sense of entitlement is simply something like this; I deserve to be Happy. Then we become Christians and we carry this over into our faith journey. Somehow we believe that God's greatest desire for our lives is that we be happy. There are huge ramifications if we live life this way;

- It makes God's favor to be something we earn. If I'm not happy, surely I must be doing something wrong.
- It makes us the god of our life. If I am happy, it's only because of what I'm doing right.

When we live life believing that God's greatest wish is for our happiness, then when we are in times of deep trial, testing or pain, we have no way to reconcile the God that loves us with the God that allowed all of this stuff to happen...because, surely He wants me to be happy (or so the thinking goes).

But what if, what if God's greatest wish for you has very little to do with happiness, but instead holiness?

"But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: 'Be holy, because I am holy.' " (1 Peter 1:15-16).

Holy in simple terms means "set apart...different." God is holy; He is set apart, He is different, there is none like Him and never will be...He is Holy. And He calls us to be holy; different, set apart. We are to love when the world hates; we are to live in freedom when the world is bound by sin; we are to live in power while the world suffers in weakness; we are to be temples of God...we are to be holy.

Holiness and happiness do not go together. A holy person can and will have times of happiness, but also times of desperation and pain. But it is through the tests, trials, and pain that we learn to trust God and lean on Him. It is through those times that God wrestles the steering wheel from us. It is through the fire that He seeks to make us holy. Someone who trusts little and seeks control of their life isn't living a "holy" (different/set-apart) life. They are living like everyone else. On the contrary, someone who lives with extreme faith in the face of tests, trials and pain is definitely living a holy life...a life "set apart" or "different."

And in the end, if it is true that God wants our Holiness more than our Happiness, well then, that changes everything...everything!

Who is God?

2011-06-21T08:00:00.000-07:00

Creation offers us a glimpse of who God is...

Have you ever tried to describe God? Do you ever stop to ponder who He is? Do I ever stop long enough when I pray to consider just who God is and who I am approaching in prayer?

I love this song by David Crowder, which perfectly summarizes my feeble attempts to describe God.

I need words, as wide as sky

I need language wide as, this longing inside

And I need a voice, that's bigger than mine

And I need a song to sing you, that I've yet to find

Words are not enough to describe God. Still, we should try. We should try to describe Him. Why? Because when we do, we are forcing our minds to learn about Him, to know Him, to understand Him. Yes, it's impossible to understand God because He is unfathomable. It's impossible, but not pointless. In our pursuit of describing Him, we pursue Him. And in pursuing Him, we learn about Him...what matters to Him, what is close to His heart, and how we can bring pleasure to Him. Consider these words from God Himself;

"You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." (Jeremiah 29:13)

The promise is we'll find Him...not necessarily understand Him or His ways, but find Him. We find Him when we seek Him. Stop right now, stop what you're doing, and start making a list. Describe God. Who He is. I'll start for you...

- Savior, Friend, Redeemer, Banner, Holy, Near, Sovereign, Loving...

Now keep going with your list. And know that as you pursue God, you will find Him. He loves you, and He loves to see you seek Him.

A Walk with B

2011-06-17T08:00:00.000-07:00

The other day Julie and I took our son on a walk through a forest. There was a nice path to follow and we had lots of fun getting him into the outdoors. I noticed something though, when walking with Brennan. He's all over the place! And my "position" with him constantly changed.

- Sometimes I walked behind him, just "letting him run"
- Sometimes I had to hold his hand and "guide him" in the right direction.
- Sometimes I had to jump in front of him and re-direct him away from something dangerous.
- Sometimes I would run ahead of the path, turn and face him, and try to entice him to come to me.
- Sometimes I had to use more harshness, saying "Brennan, NO!" if he was in a tight spot.
- And, of course, for part of the walk I put him on my shoulders and carried him.

You know where I'm going with this, don't you.

I believe that short walk with Brennan perfectly illustrates our walk with God. We are all over the place, constantly getting distracted from the path that God has for us. And God uses all sorts of ways to help us stay on the narrow path. It is narrow, and the distractions are plentiful. There are a million things that vie for our time and attention, and yet none of them will lead to any sort of lasting peace. Only God.

God will carry us at times, push us from behind, run ahead of us and "woo us" to Him, walk side by side holding our hand, and even run off the trail to rescue us when we go AWOL. And just as I had my eyes on Brennan during the entire walk, God never loses sight of us, (even though we may lose sight of Him). He is always there.

Where are you right now? Are you on the path? Have you veered off? Are you walking with God, ahead of Him, or is He trying to get your attention to come back to Him?

⁷ Where can I go from your Spirit?
   Where can I flee from your presence?
⁸ If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
   if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
⁹ If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
   if I settle on the far side of the sea,
¹⁰ even there your hand will guide me,
   your right hand will hold me fast.
¹¹ If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
   and the light become night around me,”
¹² even the darkness will not be dark to you;
   the night will shine like the day,
   for darkness is as light to you. (Psalm 139:7-12)

How to "win"

2011-06-11T09:00:00.000-07:00

I'm a sports fan...I admit it. I'm having a fun time keeping tabs on the NBA finals right now, usually catching the 4th quarter of the games. This finals matchup is very interesting because it pits two teams and two players against each other who both desperately need to win to "validate" their place in the game. Lebron James and Dirk Nowitzki are both great players who have never won and NBA title and both have received their fare share of criticism for their apparent failures.

Here's the interesting part, though; every game has been close, going down to the last few minutes. And yet following the game, the focus is ALWAYS on which of the players "failed" to perform good enough to lead his team. You get the distinct feeling that the media is already getting ready to "roast" whoever fails to win the title. The legacy of this finals won't be so much who won, but who lost, and in so doing failed. Apparently, in the world of the NBA, you either win it all, or you fail. The question I keep asking is this; is it possible to "win" while losing?

Ultimately, the question I'm asking is "how should our success be measured?" I believe it should be measured by this question; what did you do with what God gave you? All the talents, gifts, resources that God has entrusted you; did you use them? For Him?

There are so many places in Scripture we see this principle at work;
- The widow's mite,
- The parable of the talents,
- The parable of the sewer,
- Jesus' words on "watchfulness" in Luke 12 (to whom much is given, much is expected...)
- Even the principle of tithing hints at this, (equal sacrifice...10%)

I think the "gold standard" Scripture verse on this principle is Colossians 3:23-24;

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

There are three big ideas or applications here;
1) It's not so much what you do, but what you do with what you've been given.
2) It's not so much what you do, but the spirit and motive with which you do it.
3) It's not so much what you do, but who you do it for.

Coming full circle; in sports, your success should be measured not by the result (did you win or lose), but by how you performed relative to what you have. Did you play as hard as you can? Did you prepare the best you could? Did you hold nothing back? If so, you "won."

And so it is in God's economy...

Amazing Promise

2011-06-07T09:34:00.000-07:00

(Long Beach, WA Coast)

³ You will keep in perfect peace
   him whose mind is steadfast,
   because he trusts in you.
⁴ Trust in the LORD forever,
   for the LORD, the LORD, is the Rock eternal. (Isaiah 26:3-4)

Peace...isn't this something we all want in these troubled times? It's kind of numbing. Everywhere I look I see the results of sin and a broken world. Death, rape, murder, homes lost, starvation and world hunger, DUI, DWI, senseless loss of life, terrorism, politicians we can't trust, governments that are corrupt...where does it end?

And yet into this mess of a world that we created, God enters. He enters to "pay in full" the punishment we deserve. He enters to show us the face of God. He enters, to bring us...peace. Ultimately it's peace with God that we need, and Jesus so willingly took on God's wrath for us, paving the way to peace with God. But there's another kind of peace we need...

Brennan, my 14-month old son, loves food. He is a great eater, even though he only has 3 teeth. The other day he had his first bits of ice cream including the cone. Well wouldn't you know it but a small piece of cone got caught in his throat. You could see this look of panic come across his face as he tried to cough it up between his crying...finally, Mamma had to turn him over on his stomach and help him dislodge the cone. It worked perfectly, and he quickly coughed it up. However, he was a little traumatized and couldn't stop crying for awhile. Julie had to rock him, shhhh him, sing to him, and tell him it would be ok. And it was.

And in that moment I saw God in her...and this is the kind of peace we need. When our world seems out of control and we are on the verge of being swallowed, God enters. He is there, he is always there, even when we don't think He is. As our Pastor put it on Sunday, "He always sees us, even if we don't see Him." He comes to us in our time of need and "rejoices over us with singing" (read The Main Thing if you missed it).

Our job is very clear (but not easy). Trust. Trust God. Trust Him. Trust His love, His plans, His sovereignty, His provision and purpose for you. Trust Him. Let go of your independence, and run to Him. And in turn, He will keep you in perfect peace...

Careful now...

2011-06-01T07:00:00.000-07:00

Checkbox Christianity, "Elder brother syndrome," it's all the same. It goes something like this...

- God owes me because I _____.
- If I just ______ than God will ______.
- If I just pray enough, read my Bible enough, serve enough, do enough good things, love enough people, than God will bless me.

Sure, few of us, if any, would intellectually agree with any of that. However, deep down I wonder how often we fall into a pattern of Christianity that essentially boils down to works based salvation. The problem with that? It's all about us. Our works, our deeds, our being good enough. And the problem with that? We're rubbish. All the good we could ever do will never overcome our sin. Where am I going with this? Read the following passage;

⁷ “You are the LORD God, who chose Abram and brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans and named him Abraham.⁸ You found his heart faithful to you, and you made a covenant with him to give to his descendants the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Jebusites and Girgashites. You have kept your promise because you are righteous." (Nehemiah 9:7-8).

The key words I want to focus on are the last four words; "because you are righteous." God didn't keep his promise with Abraham because of what Abraham did; he kept his promise because God is righteous. And remember when God made that covenant? He had to swear by Himself because nobody and nothing else was higher or worthy of Him to swear by. Anything God might possibly swear by other than Himself would be meaningless since HE CREATED it all in the first place (see Hebrews 6:13).

Remember also the book of Job? To be sure, Job received much misery that was probably un-deserved...but here's the problem. Who's to say what's un-deserved? Whenever we feel wronged, we tend to get defensive and justify ourselves for why we don't deserve it. In fact, Elihu, the only friend of Job who spoke truth to Him pointed this very thing out. He was angry at Job for justifying Himself rather than God. Put it another way, Job was essentially saying, "Hey, I checked off all the boxes and lived right...why is all this happening to me?"

It's so easy to do...self-justification, self-pity, self, self, self. How about this for deserving; an innocent man brutally murdered while the guilty ones got off totally un-punished? If we read that headline in a newspaper, we'd be outraged; and yet, isn't that exactly what Christ as done for YOU and ME?

What's the point, you ask? God's love is vast, and He loves to bless us. However, at the end of the day we must come to the place where we lay down our check-boxes as a pathway to God's favor, and instead pursue Him. Let me say it again; we must come to the place where toss out any notion that anything we do can cause God to owe us something, and replace that with the notion that God's love alone should motivate us to relentlessly and passionately pursue Him. In the end, God's promises to us are not dependent on us, but on Him. And that, my friend, is very good news.

"...know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and nob by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified." (Galatians 2:16)

soli deo gloria
To God alone be the glory

The Main Thing

2011-05-27T14:09:00.000-07:00

Me and my son Brennan

"The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing." (Zephaniah 3:17)

If someone asked me to describe God in one word, it would be hard, but I would probably go with the word "love." Everything He is, everything He has done, everything He is doing is motivated by love...His love. Not our kind of "conditional, superficial, over-emotional love, but His pure, un-conditional love. Think about it...

- In the beginning God creates...why? Love.
- God walks with Adam and Eve in the garden because of love.
- God delivers Israel from slavery because of love.
- God rescues Noah and his family because of love.
- God sends Jesus as a substitute for us, to take our punishment, because of love.
- Jesus remains obedient to the Father all the way to the cross, because of love.
I could keep going...

You know where we often go wrong? We think it's all about us. It isn't. We are not the subject; but we are the object. We are the object of God's love, but He is the subject. He is the main thing. He is the one who made a way for us, who pursues us, who loves us time and time again.

There's a story in the Bible that perfectly conveys God's immense love for us. It's Hosea's story. Hosea is commanded to marry Gomer, a prostitute, and take her as his wife. He does, and she bears him 3 beautiful children; (2 sons, and 1 daughter). Soon after, Gomer leaves Hosea for another man...and God promptly tells Hosea to go and show his love to her again.

"Go, show your love to your wife again, though she is loved by another and is an adulteress. Love her as the LORD loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods..." (Hosea 3:1)

This is one of the most important stories in the Bible. Why? Because it shows us exactly what God has done for us. I am the adulterous wife, and so are you. Every time we sin, we commit adultery. And yet, there is our bride-groom, pursuing us still, loving us always.

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! (1 John 3:1)

"Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to 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 4:7-12)

What is the point of this post? God's love, when fully comprehended, will motivate everything we do in this life. His life laid down for us, with a promise of heaven awaiting. I'm afraid that too often I lose sight of this love...a love that should compel me to fulfill the greatest commandments; to love God, and to love people.

And that picture at the top? I included that because I think it's a picture of God's love of us...He delights in us, and rejoices over us. After all, He made us in His own image!

Just Show Up...

2011-05-24T10:23:00.000-07:00

Have you ever been through deep waters? Have you ever gone through a time in your life when you felt like you were being buried alive? Have you ever felt, gulp, even that God was working against you? Alone, isolated, attacked, forgotten?

Recently I read through the book of Job, one such man who faced this wall of pain. Imagine for a minute that you woke up this morning, thinking it would be a day like any other, when suddenly...

- Your boss calls you into your office to tell you that due to the economy, they have to lay you off
- You get a text from your neighbor that your house has burned to the ground, and everything in it was lost
- Five minutes later, your wife calls you at work to tell you that a tragic accident has taken the lives of your entire family...they are all gone, dead...only she remains alive.
- You check in at the local hotel, only to come down with an extremely painful outbreak of boils on your body. You are in excruciating pain, and you even look detestable, such that nobody will meet your gaze. Instead of receiving pity, you get scorn and dirty looks.
- And as if that weren't enough, your financial advisor emails you later to apologize, but all your investments have gone belly-up...in short, you're broke. Zero money. It's all gone.

Instead of focusing on Job and his response, I want to look at someone(s) else;

"Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights. No one said a word to him, because they saw how great his suffering was."

There are two obvious applications from this;
1) I want to be that kind of friend...someone who just "shows up" even if I don't know what to say.
2) Sometimes the most meaningful ministry you can have is just showing up.

I need those kind of people in my life...those who don't try to solve my problem, but will just sit with me and be there in times of need...and I need to be that kind of person for others as well. Who in your life right now, needs you to just "show up," and sit with them for awhile, and listen?

Who's to Blame?

2011-05-08T23:11:00.000-07:00

Brennan heading for the surf

My family just got back from vacation...it was an amazing time together; our first real vacation with our 1 year old boy, Brennan. We were on the beach and were amazed at the fearlessness that "B" showed...his feet hit the sand for the first time ever, and he made a bee-line straight to the ocean. If I hadn't picked him up before he reached the surf, he'd have taken a nose-dive for sure.

Throughout the trip I noticed just how fearless and independent Brennan is. He would charge for the water, and I'd try to hold his hand to keep him safe, but all he wanted to do was push my hand away. Funny thing was, on the occasion he would take a face-plant or get knocked over by the unsuspecting wave, he would give me this look of panic that seemed to say, "Dadda, why didn't you save me?"

It dawned on me that so often, this is exactly how I, and many of us, tend to deal with God. We constantly push him away, trying to live under the illusion of control and independence, until the moment some tragedy hits us. Then we turn to God and ask "Why?" When all along, oftentimes, (not all the time), the tough times we experience are a direct result of our own dumb choices that had we walked closer with God and allowed Him to lead us in the first place, we might have avoided altogether.

This isn't to say that all our tests, trials and tragedies are avoidable if we just stay close to God; not at all. However, there are definitely some pains we experience that could be avoided...and even if it can't be avoided, how far from God do you want to be when that moment hits? The closer you are when it hits, the shorter the distance you have to run to Him for help.

"Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by name, you are mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
and the flame shall not consume you.

(Isaiah 43:1b-2)

Axioms, Adages, and Proverbs (8): Leadership

2011-05-06T09:00:00.000-07:00

If your'e late to the party, I am a collector of what I call "Axioms, Adages, and Proverbs" - quotes or sayings that motivate me. If you want to catch up on other posts in this thread, click here. It's been awhile since I contributed to this category of posts so here's a new one. It comes from Wayne Cordeiro, Pastor and Leader of New Hope church in Oahu. His leadership launched this church into the multiple thousands, and they have since planted all over the country and world. I recently was listening to a podcast of his directed at leaders. He had this to say;

In the end you won’t be measured by what you do, but by what others do because of what you have done. (Wayne Cordeiro)

Now don't be mis-led...we know from Scripture that indeed we will be judged for all of our deeds...some will burn, others will survive the fire. However, what Wayne was alluding to was in regard to our leadership. What does real leadership look like?

The good leaders lead people...the great leaders equip people. What I mean is this; some of us lead by doing lots of great things, and that is great, but our leadership will only extend so far. The great leaders are those who pour into others, equip them, and set them loose to use their gifts to lead. There's a simple model for this;

1) You watch, I do

2) We do together

3) I watch, you do

4) You do alone

If you want your influence to expand, you have to multiply yourself. Ultimately it means "working yourself out of a job."

In the New Testament we get a great picture of the relationship Paul has with his young apprentice, Timothy. Paul poured into Timothy, trained him up and set him loose. Who's your Timothy? Who are you pouring into and training up? Or are you holding so tightly to your leadership position that you feel insecure in training anyone else up behind you?

The Wedding...

2011-04-29T14:23:00.000-07:00

Unless you've been living under a rock for the past few weeks, you are certainly aware that story #1 in the world today is the wedding of Prince William to Kate Middleton. I admit, while I'm not very interested in the wedding, I did watch a 1 hour show dealing with some of the preparations for the wedding and the dinner that will follow later. In so doing, I found myself thinking of another wedding and feast that is in the future for some of us;

⁶ "Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting:

   'Hallelujah!
   For our Lord God Almighty reigns.
⁷ Let us rejoice and be glad
   and give him glory!
For the wedding of the Lamb has come,
   and his bride has made herself ready.
⁸ Fine linen, bright and clean,
   was given her to wear.'

(Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints.)"

(Revelation 19:1-8)

As I was watching the preparation for the Royal wedding in London, I was taken aback by all the planning, the pageantry, the outlandish cost, the dresses, the silver, flowers, food, wine, etc. all the way down to the seating chart. It is amazing the amount of money and thought going into this wedding. Every bottle of wine being served will be decanted by a sommelier; tasted, tested and expertly poured, prior to serving. Do you know how many sommelier's there must be to serve wine for 300 people? Every glass and piece of silver must be polished, every chair set just like "so," every flower planned to open at just the right time, all the food timed to be served at the perfect temperature...

And all the time I'm wondering, "will there be an actual wedding 'ceremony' in heaven? And if so, wow, what in the world will that be like?" I mean, we are the bride, and He is the bridegroom...and the feast which we will share in is with Jesus Himself! I can't even begin to imagine what that feast will be like...

Why do I write this blog? Because I want to inspire you...because you and I do not look forward enough to what awaits us. If we did, our lives on earth would look radically different. How so? Well for those of you who are married, what was it like from the day you got engaged until the day you married? For me it was a time of anticipation, a time of preparation, a time of arrangements being made, colors, flowers picked, suits ordered, capped off by the week of rehearsal dinners, bachelor party, tea for the ladies, evenings with friends and family, all of it pointed toward and culminating in an unforgettable wedding ceremony.

Do you realize that if you are a believer, you are engaged? And every thing you do on earth is in preparation for a wedding? We are the bride of Christ. Like I said, let that sink in, and it will change you.

⁹ "Then the angel said to me, 'Write: "Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!" And he added, "These are the true words of God." ' " (Revelation 19:9).

Shhhhh

2011-04-11T08:00:00.000-07:00

"Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him..." (Psalm 37:7)

This post will be simple, short, and yet perhaps contains the hardest challenge of all to live out...

I am a "doer." I am one who is always on the go, and grow restless with ideleness. I have a short attention span and have been dubbed "intenso man" by some. I'm good at "getting things done" but have a hard time slowing down. Now add a 1 year old boy to the mix and it has become a major challenge to find time to stop.

This morning, my wife is out and Brennan is napping...so I opened my Bible and read this verse, and stopped...literally, stopped. I heard God's voice saying to me, "Mike, shhhhhhhh. Be still. Quiet. Listen. I have much to say to you but first you need to stop..."

Shhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Take a breath. Listen. Wait. God is at work. His word is living and active...and yet to hear it, we must learn to stop and listen. Maybe you already have this mastered? Maybe you have Sabbath rest incorporated into your life regularly...this challenge isn't for you.

For the rest of us, though, "Be still..."

Shhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

Are you Hangin' out on the Step?

2011-04-06T15:38:00.000-07:00

Brennan, my son, just turned 1. He is a joy, and his smile and giggles will light up a room. Still, like any human, he was born into sin. He longs for independence and even at his young age, is constantly testing his boundaries. One boundary we have for Brennan is he's not allowed to climb up the stairs without me or his Mom watching him. It's a rule we have for his protection (he already took one tumble down the stairs). Brennan knows the rule, and yet probably 15-20 times a day he'll crawl over to the bottom step and look over at me or Julie. We'll say "Brennan, you need to stay downstairs" and he knows exactly what we mean...and yet, he lingers, hanging out on that bottom step, trying to resist the irresistible urge to climb.

⁶ "Then the LORD said to Cain, 'Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? ⁷ If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it.' " (Genesis 4:6-7)

Like Brennan, all of us have areas in our life that we struggle to master. We are tempted in these areas constantly; fighting ourselves to overcome our human nature to sin. Temptation...it is always there. Here's the secret; if you hang out on the bottom step, your ability to resist sin is already lost. The key is not going anywhere near the steps!
¹⁴ "...but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. ¹⁵ Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death." (James 1:14-15)

Going back to Brennan, we do all we can to help him avoid this temptation. Before he gets disciplined, we'll usually pick him up and move him back to the living room where all his toys are. We'll even fire up one of those "noise-making" toys, or grab a couple of his favorite books, trying to divert his attention from the stairs. Sometimes it works, but more often than not, he's right back there, hanging out on the step.

It makes me wonder, how many times has God done the same for me? He gives me all these blessings, all these incredible gifts for me to enjoy, showing me the good-life and yet, I go crawling right back over to the step...hanging out on the edge of sin. You know what happens when you hang out on the edge of sin? It's like putting a man who struggles with lust in a room filled with pornography and telling him "don't look." It's an impossible battle to win.

The key is not to say "don't look" but to fill your life with good things that God has provided. Instead of thinking about avoiding temptation, fill your life with Worship, God's Word, Prayer, Family, Relationships, Community, Good Food. Get outside in Nature, Serve...get busy doing the good works that God prepared for you to do. As your life fills with these good things, you will have much less time for temptation and sin.

Are you hanging out on the step?

Remember;
Sin will take you further than you want to go.
It will keep you longer than you want to stay,
and it will cost you more than you want to pay.

A Lesson from B

2011-03-29T08:00:00.000-07:00

Who is B, you ask, and what does he have to teach us today? He's my son, Brennan, of course! And he is adorable, don't you think?

The other day I was on "B" duty as my wife Julie, was away. Brennan is very active, very fast, and very curious; a dangerous combination. Like all 1-year old's (he's almost there), he understands a lot more than we give him credit for. He knows "no," and "no touch," and "more," and "bath" and "dance" and probably even more than that. He also knows "down," the word we use when he's approaching the stairs. We have two gates in our house to prevent him from going downstairs, but nothing to keep him from going up.

Well I had my back turned for about 2 seconds, after telling him "down," and of course you know the story...in those 2 seconds, he managed to climb up a few stairs. I turned around, rushed to grab him, but was too late as he fell down about 2-3 stairs, bumping his head on the way. Of course he cried hard, mostly from being startled, and gave me a scare (he was fine after about 30 seconds).

Why do I tell this story? Well there's two lessons to be learned here;
1) Dad's - never turn your back, or you'll have some explaining to do...
2) Delayed obedience is dis-obedience. For Brennan, he didn't obey right away and it cost him...even if he had thought "I'll just climb a few stairs and then come back down," by then, it would have been (and was) too late. He had fallen.

I was reading through Matthew the other day and came across these verses;
^{¹⁸^-20}Walking along the beach of Lake Galilee, Jesus saw two brothers: Simon (later called Peter) and Andrew. They were fishing, throwing their nets into the lake. It was their regular work. Jesus said to them, "Come with me. I'll make a new kind of fisherman out of you. I'll show you how to catch men and women instead of perch and bass." They didn't ask questions, but simply dropped their nets and followed. (Matthew 4:18-20 - The Message)

Of course, what stuck out to me was that last bit...they didn't hesitate, didn't ask questions, didn't balk...they dropped their nets and followed. And it's that "dropping the nets" that is really the challenge. Why? Fishing wasn't something they were just doing for fun on a lazy summer day; fishing was their livelihood. It was their career, their life-work, the way they earned money for food. It was their passion.
So imagine if Jesus showed up at your work-place and said, "Mike, stop what your'e doing, quit your job and follow me, and I'll teach you a whole new way of life."
- But what about my job? What about my career? Where will we earn money for food? What are the risks? What's the future? What will you ask me to do? Where will we live, what will we do?

"Follow me." Jesus said "follow me." Not "buy into my plan, my strategy to grow the church," but "me....follow me." Not "don't worry, you'll be successful in a new way," not "I'll give you a better career," but simply "follow me."

Lately I've been trying to re-focus myself on listening to the Spirit. It is hard; there are so many distractions, and He doesn't always ask me to do the things I want to do. But still, to hesitate is to disobey. The way to intimacy with God is through the door of obedience...and really, when it comes to it we hesitate because we don't trust God.

"Without faith it is impossible to please God..." (Hebrews 11:6).

What about you? When God speaks, how do you respond? Do you follow Him, or do you hesitate?

Does the Scale Lie?

2011-03-24T08:00:00.000-07:00

This morning I did something I rarely do anymore...I stepped on the scale. While my 5' 6" frame has never been overweight by any stretch, (I've pretty much stayed between 122-130 in my adult life), this thought hit me this morning...the scale can lie.

Here's what I mean. Stepping on the scale and reading my weight can give me a false sense of health. There are at least three areas that I need to focus on to maintain proper physical health; exercise, (specifically cardio - getting my heart-rate up), building muscle, (which I do via push-ups, sit-ups, and other athletic activity), and diet. Doing 1 of the three, or even 2 of the 3 is not enough. In order for me to promote health, I need to do all three; exercise, diet, and muscle building. Stepping on the scale and reading my weight doesn't really tell me anything. I could easily add 10 lbs and if I do it right, I could be healthier than I am now. Conversely, I could lose 3 lbs but if I lose 3 lbs of muscle, I'm actually doing a dis-service to myself.

What hit me this morning is how our spiritual lives mirror this. There are three primary areas that Jesus calls us to grow in if we're His disciples; heart, mind, and strength...or in other words, knowledge, passion/intimacy, and application.

Mind = Knowledge: This is our life-long pursuit of learning and knowing about God. For how can we properly worship a God we only partially know? So many of us are guilty of worshipping a God that we invent or project, without taking the time to really know Him. There's a worship song we used to sing where the chorus says "I will worship You for who You are..." and every time we would sing it, my prayer was "God, help me to see You for who You truly are, not for how I project You to be." The more we get to know Him, the more we love Him and can respond to Him. I love my wife more today than I did when we got married. Why? One reason for sure is because I know her so much better.

Heart = Passion/Intimacy: I use both of these words together, because I believe they are tied together. Passion has to do with our zeal for God, our emotional commitment. It's not just enough to "know" God; He wants a heart-commitment from us. After all, He has gone "all in" with us and wants the same back. Again, to use the marriage analogy (which God does), what if on your wedding day your wife/husband handed you a book and said, "here you go honey. Read this book memorize it, and you'll know all about me." That would be great and all, but it would definitely not be enough. You'd end up with a relationship that was all knowledge, and no passion...no commitment, no intimacy. In Isaiah 29 God had this rebuke for his people;

"These people come near to me with their mouths but their hearts are far from me." (Isaiah 29:13).

Knowledge alone is not enough...it must be accompanied with passion, zeal, emotion. God desires intimacy with you and I.

Strength = Actions: As great as it is to have knowledge and passion, those two are not enough if they're not accompanied by doing the things that God wants us to do. What sets Christians apart from everyone else is love...love the way God defines it is a verb, an action word. How we love each other and how we love our community and the world is what sets us apart. And sometimes we simply need to obey because God told us to.

"We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. Whoever says, 'I know him,' but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them." (1 John 2:3-5a)

Of course if you still need convincing about our actions/works, read the story of the Sheep and the Goats. The point of this story? What you do for others...how you love them is what marks the difference between those destined for heaven and those destined for hell.

If all I ever did was read my Bible, I would have a lot of knowledge and nothing else, and would be well on my way to becoming a modern day Pharisee.

If all I ever did was do good works, I'd be known as a great man but in the end, would God even know me?

If all I ever did was show my passion and zeal for God, I'd likely become known as overly-emotional with no depth...someone who just kind of "flips on the God-switch."

The goal is to be 100% sold out to all three areas of our life! To grow fully as a disciple, we must cultivate knowledge, risk our heart in relationship and trust, and do the good works that He has for us.

"Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength." (Deut 6:4-5)

God's Glory Revealed...

2011-03-18T12:45:00.000-07:00

“Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.” (Isaiah 6:3)

Have you ever stopped to ponder this question; "what is God's 'glory'?" I have. I've written about on this blog in many places (here's one spot, if you're interested). Today I want to take a look at one aspect of this question; that is, what is Isaiah referring to?

Taking a more literal look at this verse, the Hebrew here puts it more emphatically; "the fulness of the whole earth is His glory." And what is the fulness of the whole earth? Let's go back to the beginning...the very beginning.

" ⁽¹⁾In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth... ⁽³¹⁾ God saw all that He had made, and it was very good." (Genesis 1).

Track with me here; In the very beginning, God created everything...EVERYTHING. He created it from nothing. Light, dark, water, animals, plants, fish, trees, forests, mountains, sky, moon and sun, stars, galaxies, black holes, universe(s), everything! God created it all. And the crown jewel of His creation? Man and Woman. Why are we the crown jewel? Because He created us in His own image. Us. Created by God, in God's image, to display God's glory. And he put us in the Garden of Eden, a place of unimaginable beauty, where He sought relationship with us. Now STOP right here. At this moment in time, Adam and Eve exist in perfection; sinless, guiltless, shameless...they exist with God, in an intimate relationship with Him, in a garden of perfection that God Himself created.

This was His original plan...a perfect earth, perfect man, a perfect garden...in fact, God said of this creation, "it was very good."

So what about now? We are not in that state of perfection anymore, nor is the earth. We're fallen. So what gives? Maybe I'm a simpleton, but really, it's simple. The key word is "fulness." The fulness of the earth is God's creation in perfection. We do not live in perfection right now, but that does not mean that God's glory is not on display. It is! Creation still displays His glory, as do you and I. Are we seeing His glory in it's fulness? Not yet.

But therein lies our great hope! When Jesus rose from the dead, He foreshadowed what awaits us. A glorified body. Not only that, but we know from Romans that creation itself is longing for the curse to be lifted. Why? Same reason we are - we long to be renewed. Why? To fully display the glory of God.

"He who was seated on the throne said, 'I am making everything new!' Then he said, 'Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.' " (Revelation 21:5).

And what is the point of all of this? You, and I are the image-bearers of God, created for the display of His glory. The point is not us at all, although we should be honored...no, blown away that God would choose us to display His glory. However, that's not the point. The point is Him. God. Jahweh. The fulness of creation is purposed to display, shout, tell of and marvel in God! His glory. Not ours, His. Not us, Him. The point has always been and will always be God. He is the beginning, and the end.

- soli deo gloria; (To God Alone be the Glory)

To read more on this from an amazing teacher, preacher, scholar and writer, (John Piper), click here.

A Secret Revealed...

2011-03-15T14:22:00.000-07:00

Do you like a mystery? Or how about a treasure hunt? The best part of a mystery (or treasure hunt) is the unbridled anticipation of solving it. You're always looking for clues, hunting for that next thing that might be the final piece of the puzzle. The movie National Treasure is a great example of this effect...hunting for a treasure of unspeakable fortune, solving clues and riddles along the way all in the hopes of cracking the code.

"Now to him who is able to establish you by my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past, but now revealed and made known..." (Romans 16:25-26a)

"No, we speak of God’s secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began." (1 Cor 2:7)

"...the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints. To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery..." (Colossians 1:26-27a)

Do you realize that from the of beginning time, there has been a great mystery going on all around us? A treasure hunt to end all hunts? I'm not speaking of a hunt for money, but something far more valuable. For whoever finds this treasure gains immortality and power. It's a fountain of youth that never goes dry. It's treasure that's far more valuable than money or riches. Whoever unlocks the clues and discovers this mystery receives everything his heart was truly designed for. Life, forever, in paradise. For at the end of this rainbow lies GOD. Yahweh. The answer to our purpose for living.

Friends, do you realize that you and live in the midst of the revelation of this mystery? The mystery has been discovered! The key has been found, the clues have been de-coded, the map has been solved, and the door has been opened. The answer has been given...

"Beyond all question, the mystery of godliness is great:

He appeared in a body,
was vindicated by the Spirit,
was seen by angels,
was preached among the nations,
was believed on in the world,
was taken up in glory." (1 Timothy 3:16)

"God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory." (Colossians 1:27)

The greatest treasure hunt the world will ever know leads right to Jesus Christ. He is the answer. He is the doorway. He is the path to all the riches of His Father's kingdom. Christ In You. CHRIST IN YOU! I cannot possibly over-emphasize the power in those three words. Our hope, our only hope is found in those words.

Christ = The "Anointed One"
In You = He actually lives in you...you are the temple where the King of Kings resides, the Holy of Holies.

Here's the real secret, though; this doorway will not stay open forever. There is a day coming where the door will be shut, forever. Just like the movie Stargate in which a portal opened to a world beyond our own, so Jesus is that opened portal to God. It will not be open forever.

Friend; do you know the day or hour of your death? Have you entered in?

"Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near." (Isaiah 55:6)

Echoes of heaven

2011-03-11T13:09:00.000-08:00

The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. (Romans 8:19-22)

Are you looking forward to heaven? What is your view of heaven? Where did you get that view of heaven? Do you ever dream about what it will be like? Do you ever stop to ponder what life will be like in "heaven?" Does that thought scare you or bore you? If so, you have an incomplete view of heaven.

In one word, heaven is all about renewal. And in that word, we can declare a few facts revealed to us in Scripture.

1) Our bodies will be renewed - not re-made, not thrown out, but renewed...perfected.

2) The earth and all of creation will be renewed, as the curse will be lifted.

3) We will reign and rule over the renewed earth, like God's original plan.

Is it by accident that the first two chapters in the Bible (Genesis 1-2) show us Creation, and the last two chapters (Revelation 21-22), are all about Renewing that creation?

There is no chance that in one short blog post I can possibly capture heaven for you. But if you are one of the many Christians who aren't really looking forward to heaven, then you have been duped. Heaven will be paradise...Eden. And earth is a foreshadow of heaven.

What is the most amazing thing you've experienced, or seen on earth? I saw a sunset up here in Bellingham a couple of years ago that I swear had colors in it that I'd never seen before. It stretched from horizon, to horizon. It was the most magnificent sunset I have every witnessed...deep blues, oranges, reds, purples, it had it all. It was awe-inspiring...and it is a foreshadow of heaven.

I've included a small handful of pictures that I have had the pleasure to witness...but these pale in comparison to what we will see in heaven. A renewed earth...curse lifted...new bodies for us...

The next time you see a jaw-dropping sunset, you have just experienced a small taste of what heaven will offer.

If you want to explore more of what heaven will be like, I'd encourage you to first go to Scripture with fresh eyes, and second, I recommend the book Heaven, by Randy Alcorn, which will point you to what the Bible says about the paradise that awaits us.

God can't help Himself...it's how you finish

2011-03-07T08:00:00.000-08:00

My last post profiled a couple of kings of Judah; two men who started well...really well, but finished poorly. Today I want to look at a man who did the opposite...started bad...really bad, but finished well.

It's another king of Judah; Manasseh. He took over after one of the "good kings," Hezekiah, but unfortunately for him and the people of Judah, he did not follow in the footsteps of his father. He did evil in the eyes of God. He basically un-did all the good his father had done; rebuilding the high places, erecting altars to the Baals, made Asherah poles, and even sacrificed his own sons. To sum up his evil;

"But Manasseh led Judah and the people of Jerusalem astray, so that they did more evil than the nations the LORD had destroyed before the Israelites." (2 Chronicles 33:9).

God rescued Israel from slavery and used them to drive out many evil nations from the promised land...and yet here they are, His people, now guilty of more evil than all the nations whom they had driven out. And the ring-leader of this rebellion? Manasseh. As the leader goes, so goes the people. You might guess what happened next; God brings punishment and rebuke. Manasseh loses it all and is summarily escorted (quite rudely) out of his kingdom to Babylon, where he was prisoner of the Assyrians. It's what happens after this that is quite shocking, on at least two levels...

¹² In his distress he sought the favor of the LORD his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers. ¹³ And when he prayed to him, the LORD was moved by his entreaty and listened to his plea; so he brought him back to Jerusalem and to his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD is God. (2 Chronicles 33:12-13)

First, it is shocking that we actually have a man who responds in humility to God's discipline. I can think of a lot more people that did evil and DIDN'T respond; Saul, Jezebel, almost all the kings of Israel, just to name a few...and yet, here we have a man who arguably did more evil than all of them, and he chooses to respond to God's rebuke in humility.

Second it is shocking that God would forgive Him. I mean, I know intellectually that God always forgives...but Manasseh is no light-weight sinner. He not only was a "sinner of sinners," but he led the entire nation of Judah into rebellion; he even murdered his own sons. Yet God's grace even covered those sins.

This kind of love is not earthly. And it is shocking. Some might even be mad at God for forgiving Manasseh...he deserves death for all he did. The point? I think I have three points to make here;

1. Humility is something that God can't resist. He takes great pleasure in honoring and glorifying those who have a humble heart and spirit. God can't help Himself.

2. There is no depth of sin that is not so great that God's grace cannot cover it. Nobody is ever beyond the grasp of the love and grace of God.

3. It's never too late...it's not how you start, but how you finish. As long as you have breath in your lungs, you have a chance to enter through the narrow door of Jesus Christ, into His glorious kingdom.

Heaven will be filled with folks like Manasseh; people who were evil, vile, criminals, murderers, child molesters, rapists, and worse. Heaven is not for religious people or for those who lived good lives. Heaven is for one group of people and one group only; those who know Christ.

"That if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. As the Scripture says, 'Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.' For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, 'Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.' ” (Romans 10:9-13)

Who's Walking with You?

2011-03-02T15:36:00.000-08:00

Take a look at these two verses and see if anything jumps out at you;

"Joash did what was right in the eyes of the LORD all the years of Jehoiada the priest." (2 Chron. 24:2)

"He sought God during the days of Zechariah, who instructed him in the fear of God. As long as he sought the LORD, God gave him success." (2 Chron. 26:5)

These two kings of Judah have something in common. They both started well, and finished poorly. They both intended to follow God, but somewhere along the way they lost their way. And why is that? The answer is contained in these two verses...Jehoida, and Zechariah.

Jehoida and Zechariah were both men of God; one a priest, the other a prophet. Jehoida advised Joash, who became king at the ripe age of 7. As a 7-year old king, it was crucial that he listened to those who knew more than him, and Joash did this in the beginning. Joash was instrumental in rebuilding the temple and re-instituting the tax for those who looked after the temple. But Jehoida was growing old, and died at the age of 130. And it seems that Joash lost his way. In fact, he and the people "abandoned the temple of the Lord" - the very same temple that he had re-built.

Similarly, Uzziah got off to a great start. He was not much older than Joash when he became king...16. As a teenage king, he too needed help and he got it in Zechariah. Uzziah helped expand the kingdom of Judah, taking on the Philistines and Arabs who lived in the land, and oversaw the construction of new gates and towers throughout Jerusalem. In fact, he was doing so well that "...his fame spread as far as the border of Egypt, because he had become very powerful." (26:8)

But then like Joash, it all went wrong.

"But after Uzziah became powerful, his pride led to his downfall. He was unfaithful to the LORD his God..." (26:16).

He stopped listening to Zechariah, stopped following God, and ended up stricken with leprosy, an outcast from the palace and kingdom that God had given him.

Two men, started well, ended poorly. The key to their success? They both were (at one time) humble enough to allow other men to speak wisdom into their lives, helping to shape their hearts and decisions, and keep them accountable to following God's plan. And it appears that as long as these mentors were given that access, both Joash and Uzziah succeeded. However, the event that signified their departure from God's will and subsequent downfall, was their separation from these mentors.

All of this made me stop to ask myself, who's holding me accountable? Accountable to following God, to being a great father, husband and pastor? Who's helping to shape my decisions and thinking and actions? Have I given anyone in my life access to the innermost parts of my heart, to help mentor me into being the man of God that He designed me to be? I have some mentors, but talk with them far too infrequently...this has to change.

What about you? Who's your Jehoida, your Zechariah? If you don't have one, pray that God would send one your way, and then pray for the humility to accept their wisdom...and hold fast to God.

"He who walks with the wise, grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm." (Proverbs 13:20)

Two Ways to God...

2011-02-27T14:23:00.000-08:00

I thought I'd get your attention with that title! "Two ways to God," you ask? "Uh, Mike, have you lost your senses or forgotten your Bible?" Not at all. Let me explain...and then I'll get to the point.

The Bible actually presents two ways to God. The first way is by keeping the law. Those who attempt to justify themselves by keeping God's law, will in the end be judged by the law. Another way of saying this is those who attempt to reach heaven by "being good" or "doing good things," will be judged by that same standard. Now before you set your eternal destiny on this path, consider a few things...

- If you plan to get to heaven by doing good things, then you are living by the law, and you will be judged by the law.
- Breaking any part of God's law is the same as breaking all of it. In other words, it's not a "curve" or a "sliding scale." It's not a matter of making sure your "good" out-weighs your "bad;" (If I do 51% good things and 49% bad, I'm ok...NOT). Again, if you break ANY part of the law, you break it all. Someone arrested for speeding and another arrested for murder do have something in common; they are both guilty of breaking the law.
- God also makes it clear that those who break the law are on the path that leads to death.
- The biggest problem of all? Jesus. He comes and preaches the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7, and there He makes it very clear that breaking the law is not just about our sinful actions, it's about our sinful hearts. It is our heart and our actions that makes us law-breakers.

In order to get to God and heaven by doing good things, you would have to live a perfect, sinless life (actions) with perfect, sinless motives (your heart). Only 1 person has done this...the Son of God, Jesus Christ.

But there is another way. Faith in Jesus Christ. This other way is easier, and harder. It relies totally on the grace of God, through His Son Jesus Christ. This other way admits sin, confesses it, and repents. This path comes before a Holy God NOT relying on the good you did, but relying on the blood of His Son to cover your sinfulness...your sinful actions, and your sinful heart. In fact, He takes away your heart of stone and gives you a new heart.

The point: Why did I take the space to write this post, which for many of us, is "Christianity 101"? Because when I look out at our American Evangelical World, and when I look in the mirror, I so often see a people who believe in the second option, but live our lives like the first option. We know and believe that salvation is only through Christ, and yet we're trapped in trying to be good enough and do enough good things to somehow earn God's love. We know we're forgiven, but somehow stuck. To you (and myself) we must remember this;

"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. But by faith we eagerly await through the Spirit the righteousness for which we hope. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love." (Galatians 5:1-6)

One of the mistakes the Galatian church was about to make was submitting themselves to the rule of circumcision. The great danger was in doing that, they were falling into the trap of trying to attain a righteousness by works, and not by faith. In other words, according to Paul, circumcision was not necessary for salvation.

What about us? What traps do we fall into? What about you? Are you living in freedom, or bondage? Are you trying to earn your salvation? There is good news...

"Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit." (Romans 8:1-4)

Praise be to God, through His Son Jesus Christ, who has saved us, called us, and given us hope and life!

Axioms, Adages, and Proverbs (7):

2011-02-18T14:24:00.000-08:00

"Wisdom is the right use of knowledge. To know is not to be wise. Many men know a great deal and are all the greater fools for it. There is no fool so great a fool as a knowing fool. But to know how to use knowledge is to have wisdom." (Spurgeon)

We're back today in the series of blogs I have called "Axioms, Adages, and Proverbs." And today we look at a tough one. Wisdom, and Knowledge. According to Wikipedia, "wisdom consists of making the best use of knowledge."

If we can agree that this is true, that wisdom is the proper use of knowledge, than a question begs to be asked; "What do you have? Knowledge, wisdom, or both, (or, gulp, neither)?"

To help make this point, let me draw in a couple of other things. First, from Scripture;

"If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you." (James 1:5)

This is GREAT news. It means that if we ask God, He will give us wisdom - the ability to properly apply knowledge. And since all truth is God's truth, ultimately, He gives us the ability to apply His truth in our lives and deeds, in order to bring glory to Him.

Second, let's throw in a couple more words...

Orthodoxy: right belief
Orthopraxy: right action

These two must work hand in glove, together. And this leads us to the main point of this post;

"What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds?" (James 2:4)

In googling the web in writing this post, I came across a blog written by a mormon, who said the following;

"in Christianity, the focus is much more on what one believes than what one does."

And therein lies the rub. Is that statement true? Is it true of us? More importantly, is it true of what Jesus modelled for us and taught us? I wonder...

³ We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. ⁴ Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. ⁵ But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: ⁶ Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did. (1 John 2:3-6)

¹⁵ Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. ¹⁶ If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? ¹⁷ In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. (James 2:15-17)

"If you love me, keep my commands." (John 14:15)

I've heard it said that Christians are most known for "being against things." I wonder if that's what Christ would want His Church to be known for? Make no mistake...we cannot save ourselves. Our deeds will do absolutely NOTHING to remove God's wrath from us...only the blood of Christ can cover our sin, and that is a free gift from God...grace. However, Jesus is quite clear that His true followers will not just be known for their orthodoxy, their beliefs, but will also be known for their orthopraxy, their deeds.

Bringing it home, Jesus says that the world will know we are true disciples by how we love...how we love Him, and how we love each other. And love is a verb...action. To help make his point, Jesus told the story of the Good Samaritan. This was a man who showed his love through his deeds. And let it not be lost on us that the man he helped was his enemy!

Now we have the knowledge...we know God's heart, we know His will, and we have His instructions. But do we have wisdom?

God - today, help to live out my faith in a way that brings glory to you.

What is your gospel worth?

2011-02-09T16:01:00.000-08:00

²⁷ "Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ..." (Philippians 1:27)

If you have been reading this blog lately, you might sense in me an unrest, or a wrestling and working out of what it means to be a disciple of Christ. To be honest, you're right. The older I get, and, I hope, wiser, the more it seems that there are aspects of my life that don't match up with what a disciple looks like.

It all boils down to this;
- Do I love God through Christ more than anything?
- And do I show that love by obeying Him, and investing in the things that matter most to God?

Of course, the great enemy is 'self.' The things that so often consume me, and us, quite frankly, just don't matter in light of the gospel. A house, a car, health, nice clothes, a good computer, retirement, vacation, a good night of sleep, hobbies, etc. The list is endless. But is it God's list for my life? None of those things are bad, and God does give us good gifts to enjoy...and then there's that verse up there, that hangs like a sword in mid-air. When it lands, what side will I be on? What is the gospel, and what does it mean to live a life "worthy" of it?

¹ "Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you... ⁽³⁾ For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, ⁴ that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.. "

Put simply, the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ is this;
God created us in his image; We turned from God in sin; A Holy and Just God cannot leave sin un-punished...our sin leads to death and separation from God forever; Jesus Christ took our punishment, God's wrath, for us; Through Jesus we are now reconciled back to God...but ONLY through Jesus.

There are two possible destinations for every living soul; heaven, which is attained through faith in Jesus, and hell, for everyone else. sound harsh? Not at all - harsh would have been if God didn't send Jesus, and left us in our sin forever...but even that wouldn't have been harsh as much as justified. What's amazing is the love of God which made a way for ANY who would believe in His Son, a way back to Him.

As of 2005, approximately 155,000 people die every day worldwide. That works out to 107 people every second. In the time it takes me to write this blog, over 6000 people will step into an eternity...either an eternity with Christ forever, or an eternity of suffering apart from Him. Do I really believe this? If I live to be 80 years old, or even 90, what is 90 years in light of eternity? Is my life counting for the gospel of Christ?

I want you to wrestle with this question, as I am. What does it mean to live a life worthy of the gospel of Christ? Jesus, who was completely innocent, took on himself the wrath of God...the punishment that our sin deserved. He did this in obedience to His Father, and because of His love for us. Apart from Christ, every single human life would have ended up in hell...eternally separated from God. But because of Christ, we now have an opportunity for LIFE. That is the "good news." What does it mean to live a life worthy of that gospel?

It means saying "yes" to God without delay
It means caring about the things God cares about
It means fully surrendering to Him in everything
It means yielding to His Spirit at all times, no matter what
It means a willingness to do anything, go anywhere and spend everything, for Him
It means taking risks for God, attempting things that will only succeed if God intervenes
It means living a life of faith and trust, not "risk management"
It means talking about His love in your life with everyone you meet
It means offering your body, daily, hourly, as a "living sacrifice" to Him
It means wrestling with God in prayer

Most of the world doesn't "get" our American Christianity; where we switch churches if we don't like the music, or the services run too long, or the kid's teacher/youth group leader doesn't fit our "style." Christians around the world are dying for this gospel. I recently heard of a believer who, only hours after converting to Christianity, was killed, martyred for his faith. This is not something to mess around with. It's life or death.

I believe I would, with God's strength, die for Him. But as one pastor put it recently, what is easier to do? To die for God, or to live for Him? And I had to ask myself, while I'm ready to die for Christ, will I live for Him? Will you? God is doing something in me...a stirring, an awakening. I want my life to count...

²⁷ "Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ..." (Philippians 1:27)

It's All About Love (5: Final)

2011-02-04T14:47:00.000-08:00

This is, I think, my last post on this topic called "It's All About Love." While this may be the last post, it certainly is not the end of the journey. In the past few weeks, I feel like God has "called me out" with the simple question, "Mike, do you love me?" It's a familiar question...one that Peter had to face three times (see John 21).

Consider this question; "If you died today, what would you be remembered for?" Or if that question seems too morbid for you, how about this simple question; "what are you known for?" Are you known for passionately loving God through Jesus? Are you known for having great faith?

I shared with a friend today that I want to be known by God, and I want to be known by the enemy. I want God to know me as one follows Him whole-heartedly; as one of His "special forces" whom He can ask to do anything, knowing the order will be carried out because of my love for Him. I want the enemy to know me as one who is dangerous to his efforts; one he has to keep an eye on. My greatest fear would be not to be known by either.

Don't get me wrong; I believe that my name is written in the Book of Life forever, and yes, God absolutely does know my name. But beyond that, does He beam with pride when He looks down on me? Or does He grow frustrated, as a loving Father can be frustrated by a son who keeps on making silly mistakes that take him off the greater path.

If you, like me have wrestled at all with living a passionate love relationship in response to our creator, then know that you are in good company. To be in a position where we are constantly seeking intimacy with God...this is a good place to be. Remember, the righteous live by FAITH. Not by sight, not by our own understanding, but by Faith. His promise that we will find Him is a promise fulfilled when we seek Him with our whole being.

"You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." (Jeremiah 29:13)

Has the flame of your love grown weak? If so, go back...back to the joy of His salvation. Go back to what your life was like or would be like apart from Christ. Live in that place awhile...I mean really imagine a life with no savior. And let what God has done for you wash over you all anew. And then, follow Him...all in.

Want more on this? Depending on where you're at in your journey, there are three books I'd recommend.
1. Struggle with understanding God's love for you? Read What's So Amazing About Grace - Phillip Yancey
2. Struggle with "working" or trying to "earn" God's love? Read The Prodigal God - Timothy Keller
3. Struggle with feeling luke-warm? Read Crazy Love - Francis Chan

I leave you with a song written by Josh Wilson. They lyrics to the chorus capture much of what I feel...

I try to be so tough
But I'm just not strong enough
I can't do this alone, God I need You to hold on to me
I try to be good enough
But I'm nothing without Your love
Savior, please keep saving me

It's All About Love (4): Where love begins...Wrath

2011-02-01T09:00:00.000-08:00

Need to catch up? Read my last three posts here, and then here, and lastly, here.

This is where I may lose some of you. Tired of these "All about love" posts? Ready to move on? Hmmm...sorry to disappoint, but I'm camping here just a little big longer...and really, what better place to camp? I mean after all, we're talking about the most critical question that every single person will have to one day answer to God; "Do you love me?" Ultimately, it's not our mouths that will answer this question, but our lives. God will either say "welcome, enter your rest" or "I don't know you." To those He welcomes, eternal love forever; to those He rejects, it's God's wrath...forever. Those last two sentences I just typed should stop you...they stop me. They scare me. But do we live with this truth?

That's all an opening. The question I'm focusing on answering today is this; "where does love begin?" Or, put it a slightly different way, "how do I 'love' God more passionately?" I think this is especially a struggle for those two types of people; 1) for those who came to faith very early in their lives as children, and 2) for those who were "loved" into the kingdom without ever knowing what they were being saved from.

"So how about it, Mike" you ask? "Where does love begin? I want more of Him, I want this reckless love, I want Christ, but I fight myself so much...how do I get it?" Welcome...now you're starting to feel my angst.

I believe that the pathway to recklessly loving God, holding nothing back, begins by allowing God to take you to the depths of your sin, and His wrath.
¹⁸ "The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness..." (Romans 1:18)

I heard one pastor say "ultimately, God saved us from Himself." God is Holy...He is set apart, and there is NO-ONE like Him. He is eternal; He has no beginning, no end. He is all pure, light, and love. Our sin is something that He cannot live with. Sin cannot remain in the presence of God. Sinners cannot inherit His kingdom. Without Christ, we are condemned to an eternity with that wrath of God sitting squarely on us. The law? No chance. We cannot possibly justify ourselves through the law...we cannot get to God by ANYTHING we do. No amount of good works, no amount of religion, spiritualness, nothing can get you to God...or to put it more aptly, nothing you do can remove your sin from God's sight.

²⁰ Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin. (Romans 3:20)

Want to love God more? Want to have a passionate relationship with him, sold out and completely abandoned? It must start here! You are toast. Fried. Done. End of story. You and I, left to ourselves, would spend eternity separated from the one thing that can bring us what we most desire. God's wrath, the punishment of our own sin, squarely laid on our shoulders. Stop for a moment, and let that sink in. Eternity is a very long time to live in a lake of fire.

We are not alone in this struggle. Read...(Romans 7)

¹⁴ We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin.
¹⁵ I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.
¹⁹ For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.
²²For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; ²³ but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me.
²⁴ What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death?

In short, we are toast. We, a sinful people have absolutely no right, no ability, no chance to ever see God. We are in desperate need of a Savior. And this is exactly where Jesus steps out of heaven and into history. He comes...a baby. Fully God, fully man. And really, it had to be Him. Nobody else could fulfill the law...Christ is the only one who "justified Himself" through the law, and then, after living the perfect, sinless life, dies.

²⁵ God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness...(Romans 3:25)

²⁵Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! (Romans 7:25)

My dear friends, do we ever stop to ponder what we are saved from? Have we been sold a "cheap gospel?" The more I read the New Testament, the more I see how shallow my own faith is. If we want the life that Christ has promised, we must choose that path that confronts us with our own sin and the dangerous path it put us on. Only then can we see Jesus, and respond to Him by laying down our lives as a living sacrifice.

Thanks be to Jesus Christ, my Savior.

It's All About Love (3)

2011-01-28T14:35:00.000-08:00

If you are "late to the party," read my last two posts here, and then here.

- "God is most glorified, when we are most satisfied in Him." - John Piper
- "Love God and do as you please." - Augustine

- "Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart" - King David (Ps. 37:4)

Let me start by asking you a question; do you love God more than anything? I mean, really, do you love and treasure God more than any other thing...any of it? More than your stuff? More than your wife/husband? More than your children? What is love anyways?

Take a look at that quote from Piper. What do you think; do you agree with it? I do, and here's why. God, who is all-sufficient, all-knowing, everywhere, for some reason delighted to share His glory with us, sinful men. That's right, God's glory, shared with us (for more on this, read my post here). God's glory, on us. What words could I type to wrap around this concept? None. What does God ask from us? To sell out to Him...heart, mind, soul and strength. To LOVE Him...with everything. To seek Him and find Him. What's the first commandment? Thou shalt have no other gods...none! Nothing should replace God in our lives. No material things, no people, no children, no goals/dreams or aspirations, NOTHING. God's command is to put Him first in everything.

In other words, when we find our total satisfaction in Him and Him alone, He is most glorified. Make sense? He has shared or placed His glory on us and when we love him fully, He is glorified in us.

And that brings us to Augustine's quote...if, and only if we are loving God in this way, then yes, do whatever you want. It's what Nathan the prophet told David in 1 Chronicles 17:2:

"Whatever you have in mind, do it, for God is with you." The truth is, God is with everyone who loves Him fully.

Which brings us to the third quote up above in Psalm 37:4...when you delight yourself in God, find your sole satisfaction in Him, then He will give you the desires of your heart.

Stop: this doesn't mean that there's some kind of cosmic equation at work; "if I love God, he will give me that boat/car/vacation/money/wife/son/daughter _____ I've always wanted..." This is not a cheap kind of love that is self-seeking...this is a reckless love. A love that will risk all, a blind-love that sees God for who He is. A love that will stop at nothing...a love that is so blind that the only thing that matters is pleasing God. He wants us to love Him, yes, but for the right reasons. We love Him by loving His son. How did Jesus describe to us the way He wants us to love Him?

⁴⁴ “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.

⁴⁵ “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. ⁴⁶ When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it. (Matthew 13:44-45)

God has invited us into His kingdom. Will you enter? Will you forsake everything for Him?

How do you get there? I have some thoughts on that too, coming soon, but first, do what I'm doing right now. Pray. Pray hard. Seek Him. Fast. Give. Serve. Read. Know Him. Learn Him. And whatever you do, don't ever stop running to Him.

It's All About Love (2)

2011-01-25T07:00:00.000-08:00

If you haven't read my first post, read it now (here).

I want to talk about a trap that we all fall into in our pursuit of God.

The first trap is "works-based Christianity." We read our Bible and pray, and that makes us feel good about ourselves. When we don't, we feel bad. We tithe our %10, give a little extra, and that makes us feel good. We go on a missions trip or two, and that makes us feel good. We go to church, possibly even get involved in a ministry...more pats on the back. Certainly, because we're "doing" all these things, we must be a good Christian and God must be pleased with us. The problem? Often all these "works" mask the fact that our heart is far from God. The works in themselves are not the problem; it's the heart that is often lacking.

“The Lord says: 'These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.' " (Isaiah 29:13)

Remember when you were young and you did something bad and your parents told you to say you were sorry? But deep down, you weren't? So with that snide look you said "soooooory." And then your parents said "say it like you mean it." That's kind of the difference between doing something with the right heart.

Actually, the real problem with living "works-based" is that it puts all the focus on US. It becomes self-justification. There's a group in the Bible that were masters at this; the Pharisees. I am always so quick to judge them for their legalism, their religiosity, and yet deep down I wonder if I have more in common with them than with Jesus' disciples.

My point is not to depress you (or myself). My point is, however to hopefully motivate you and I to consider our relationship with God. Is it based on our works, our actions, our pursuits? Is it based on us? Or are we truly motivated by the amazing love that God has shown us?

Truth: For GOD so loved the world...no amount of good works you ever do will ever earn a single ounce of love from God. He already loves you with everything He can. He cannot possibly love you any more. No matter what you do. If you sold all you had and gave it all away and moved to Africa to serve God the rest of your life, He would NOT love you any more than He does right now, today.

Truth: God is after your HEART and your hands. Giving Him our hands is often easier; we can measure that. How many minutes did I read my Bible, how much money did I give, how many good things did I do in His name. However, giving God your hands without giving Him your heart is self-justification. It's worthless.

Truth: God is after an intimate relationship with you; one of reckless, risk-taking love. He wants it all!

Unfortunately, if you're reading this looking to me for the 3-step process to turn your relationship with Christ into a risk-taking, passionate one, you're in the wrong spot. However, I can encourage you to take time...TIME...lots of it...as much as you can spare...to pursue Him. How?

When you've fallen in love with someone, how do you pursue them? It's the same...

"You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." (Jeremiah 29:13)

It's All About Love

2011-01-21T13:26:00.000-08:00

⁽³⁷⁾ " 'You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.' ³⁸ This is the first and greatest commandment. ³⁹ A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ⁴⁰ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.' " (Matt. 22:37-40)
⁴ "If someone claims, 'I know God,' but doesn’t obey God’s commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in the truth. ⁵ But those who obey God’s word truly show how completely they love him... ⁶ Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did." (1 John 2:4-6)

"The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love." (Gal. 5:6)

It's all about love. God created us because of love. God called us because of love. God sent Jesus because of love. And in response, God calls us to love Him back. To love Him with everything we are...and also, to love each other. How are we doing?

Can I ask you a question? I'm asking it of myself as well. What does someone who is passionately in love look like? Think about that. A few characteristics come to mind;

- They can only think of their love...day and night
- They will act stupid and do silly things for their love...they really don't care what people think
- They will drive long distances, or even fly, just to have a few moments with their love
- They will radically change their lives to be close to their love
- They will try to do things for their love, that they know he/she will enjoy
- They want to be loved back by their love
- They get sweaty hands and a skipping heart when they get close to their love
- A written love letter from their love is cause for delusionary, almost "drunken" behavior

Have you ever seen a friend of yours "fall in love?" Remember how they seemed to change "over-night?" Their behaviors, thought patterns, work ethic; everything got chucked out the door and suddenly nothing, not even you, mattered anymore; the only thing that mattered was them getting close to that person.

Does this describe your relationship with God?

"Love the Lord with all your heart..."

Does God want us to love Him, passionately? Yes.
Does God want us to act foolishly in pursuit of Him? I believe Yes.
Does God make room for us to partially love Him, but not fully? Hmmm. I don't think so.

You see, at the end of the day, there are only two kinds of people; those who love God with everything, and those who don't. Those who love Him with everything will do absolutely anything for Him. And those who don't, well, you know...

My prayer today is this;

"God, even though you've already done everything for me, please Lord, I ask you this one more thing; please re-open my heart to fall in love with you all over again. Strip away my selfishness, strip away my 'works-based Christianity,' forgive me for my 'luke-warmness' and help me to truly love you with everything I have; heart, mind, soul and strength. Lord Jesus, do not allow me to try to earn what you've already given me, nor allow me to believe I am not good enough for You; for both of those paths put the focus on me, not You. It's always been about You; Your grace, Your love, Your plan, Your purpose. Lord, help me to love You more. Amen."

What's your balance?

2011-01-14T13:37:00.000-08:00

"Because of this, I always try to maintain a clear conscience before God and all people." (Acts 24:16)

Keep short accounts. These words were first uttered to me by a friend of mine who counsels. They are great words to live by. What do they mean? Think in terms of your bank account balance. You always want to make sure your deposits are greater than your withdrawals. Make too many withdrawals without enough deposits, and you'll soon be out of money...or worse, in debt. By keeping "short accounts," you are making sure that your deposit/debt ledger is never very long. And herein lies the key question; do we keep short accounts with God, and with others?

There are two main commands that God has for us. First, we are to love Him with everything we are. Second, we are to love each other. The "verb" in both of those commands is "love." It's an action. It's God's greatest desire. How do we know if we're succeeding in this? It's complicated, and ultimately God is the only just judge of our heart; however, I believe part of that answer is in that verse Paul uttered.

Strive to keep a clean conscience; first with God, and second with our human relationships. Or, to put it another way, keep short accounts with God first, and with others second.

With God; has He been trying to get your attention about something? Are you struggling with an addiction or sin issue? Do you find yourself, as Paul did early on, "kicking against the goads?" As a brief side-track, "goads" were used to prod cattle to move them forward. Often, the cattle would kick against them. Has God been trying to "goad" you forward, and you keep kicking against Him? Is your conscience clear before God?

But that's only half the equation. In some ways, the second half is harder. With God we have someone who always loves unconditionally and always forgives. With our human relationships we deal with people who don't love that way. We hold grudges, we get hurt easily, we have sensitive egos. All this can make it hard to keep short accounts with each other. But still, it is God's command. Is there someone you need to ask to forgive you, or someone you need to forgive? A friend you've hurt? Someone you owe something to? Do you have a clear conscience before men?

What a great day it will be when Christ comes back to take us to be with Him forever. I pray that I, and you, have a clear conscience with Him and each other on that day. Start today!

Axioms, Adages, and Proverbs (6): Let it Snow...?

2011-01-11T15:12:00.000-08:00

"Live as if Christ died yesterday, rose today, and is coming back tomorrow." (Martin Luther)

1-11-11: what a date! And here I sit, waiting for the much anticipated snow event that is due to hit. I love the snow. If I had it my way, we'd get about 2' of snow right now. Whenever there is even the slightest chance of snow, I grow restless with anticipation, checking weather maps, radar images, forecasts, barometric pressure, and more. And so it is today; I've been watching the snow approach us for the past few hours and as I write this very moment, the snow is at our door.

I wonder; what would happen if I lived my life on earth with this same sense of anticipation for Christ's return? I mean He is coming back, right? And more than just a few inches of snow, when He comes back, He will be bringing me into His presence, forever. Wow! What could be better? A new heaven, a new earth, a new body that works all the time, a wedding feast in the presence of God Himself, a thousand year reign over a renewed earth? Amazing! Even as I write I start dreaming of heaven. And yet...

And yet I confess that most of my life on earth is lived out with no anticipation of this event at all. It's like the songwriter Keith Greene put it; "Asleep in the Light." C.S. Lewis put it this way;

"If you read history you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were precisely those who thought most of the next. It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this."

What does he mean? Well let me go back to my snow analogy. If I told you that I had irrefutable evidence that beginning tomorrow morning around 9:00 AM, we would get a snow-storm and by the time it was done we would have about 3 feet of fresh snow on the ground, followed by at least a week of sub-zero temperatures, it would probably change how you lived your life today. You'd probably go to the store on the way home from work to make sure you were prepared. You'd probably make sure you had plenty of food, firewood, flashlights and the like. You'd probably dig out all your warm clothes. Bottom line: it would change how you lived your life.

And yet, Christ has told us that He is absolutely, positively coming back. But are any of us living any differently with that knowledge? Or is it just some distant, future event that has no real bearing on our lives today? In other words, are we, am I, so consumed with my life here on earth, that I've lost sight of the bigger picture?

If I knew that Christ was coming back sometime in my lifetime, it would definitely change how I lived today. And that, my friends, is the challenge. Whatever that "change" is, that's how Christ calls us to live today, right now, and everyday.

³² “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. ³³ Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. ³⁴ It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with their assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch. ³⁵ “Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. ³⁶ If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. ³⁷ What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’”

The call is not an idle one, to sit back in an arm-chair and "watch." It's a call to action!

Live as if Christ died yesterday, rose today, and is coming back tomorrow. (Martin Luther)

Hezekiah's warning

2011-01-05T12:00:00.000-08:00

Reading through the descriptions of the kings of Israel and Judah can be a depressing thing. Time after time, king after king, the people are led astray. Rather than turning to God, Jahweh, who brought them into the very land they were living, time and again the kings turn away from Him and embrace worthless idols. Still, there were some bright spots. Two names jump out, in particular; Josiah, and Hezekiah. I want to take a closer look at Hezekiah right now.

He got off to a great start, solely because he trusted God and followed Him (see my New Years post). Hezekiah was a very bright spot among the kings of Judah...right up until the end (kind of). Hezekiah was struck with an illness and God was apparently about to call him home. We get two accounts of the illness that almost took his life in 2 Kings 20, and 2 Chronicles 32. Hezekiah prays earnestly to God and God decides to add 15 years to his life. This is where the trouble starts...

²⁴ In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. He prayed to the Lord, who answered him and gave him a miraculous sign. ²⁵ But Hezekiah’s heart was proud and he did not respond to the kindness shown him; therefore the Lord’s wrath was on him and on Judah and Jerusalem. ²⁶ Then Hezekiah repented of the pride of his heart, as did the people of Jerusalem; therefore the Lord’s wrath did not come upon them during the days of Hezekiah.

Apparently, Hezekiah had a pride issue. The root of his pride appeared to be in his wealth; ironically, a wealth that he had only due to the kindness of God. Look what happens next, in 2 Kings 20...

¹² At that time Merodach-Baladan son of Baladan king of Babylon sent Hezekiah letters and a gift, because he had heard of Hezekiah’s illness. ¹³ Hezekiah received the messengers and showed them all that was in his storehouses—the silver, the gold, the spices and the fine oil—his armory and everything found among his treasures. There was nothing in his palace or in all his kingdom that Hezekiah did not show them... [this little display brings a rebuke from God]

¹⁶ Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Hear the word of the Lord: ¹⁷ The time will surely come when everything in your palace, and all that your fathers have stored up until this day, will be carried off to Babylon. Nothing will be left, says the Lord.”

I've often thought that Hezekiah would have been better off without the additional 15 years. I wonder - he obviously has a problem with pride, and it appears to be tied to his wealth. I wonder even more if the reason he didn't plead with God for his life to be extended wasn't just so he could enjoy his wealth and life? Of course, that's just conjecture...but it does seem plausible...not unlike someone who's worked their whole lives for a nice retirement, and then wants to kick back and enjoy it.

There's a few things at work here, and it is critically important to remember that God sees what we cannot see; He sees our heart, our motives, our secret thoughts. Pride. I wonder, would I have felt any differently? Pride - Pride is an evil and cunning enemy. None of us think we are prideful, and that is his first lie. Pride uses sneak attacks. He seeps into your thoughts, and leads you to judge others harshly, without waiting to hear the facts. Pride seeks to elevate self above all others, even God. And that, my friends, is the greatest danger.

Pride left un-checked will take God off the throne of your life, and replace Him with you. Think about the stupidity of that; replacing the God of the universe, with a finite man. The greatest danger with pride left un-checked? It leads to idolatry. Hmmm...somewhere I read something that said "you shall have no other gods before me!" Pride has us read the Old Testament, constantly thinking "I would have never been like that..."

The antidote? Humility. But then, that's a dangerous prayer...but it is a prayer that leads to Godliness.

New Year, Same Path?

2011-01-01T00:01:00.000-08:00

It's funny...how a new year gives us all a feeling of a fresh start; but if I had to hazard a guess, I'd probably say that well over 90% of new years resolutions go un-fulfilled, goals un-met. Hmmm. What's the answer? Set no goals? I mean, if you have almost no chance of success, why even try?

As I look forward to 2011, I have taken a small turn in my "resoluting." Instead of setting a bunch of 1-year goals, I've decided to focus more long-term. Instead of words like "goals" and "resolutions," I am using words like "path" and "direction." In short, I want to make sure the direction my life is heading is the direction I want it to go.

I do have a goal, though - to do and finish the work that Christ has called me to. The question is, "is my path and direction helping me to accomplish that goal?" Allow me to compare two situations found in 2 Kings 17 and 18. This book chronicles the kings of Israel and Judah...most of whom, chose to forsake God.
First the bad;

¹⁴But they would not listen and were as stiff-necked as their ancestors, who did not trust in the LORD their God. ¹⁵ They rejected his decrees and the covenant he had made with their ancestors and the statutes he had warned them to keep. They followed worthless idols and themselves became worthless.
(2 Kings 17:14-15)

There are three problems with the Israelites that are putting them on the wrong path and sending them further away from God.
1) They are not trusting God
2) They have rejected His covenant
3) They have followed worthless things, and in turn become worthless. (Funny how that works; you become what you chase after).

And what is the result? God left them. He exiled them and removed them from His presence. Now I don't know about you, for I can tell you for sure that I do NOT want to be removed from God's presence. But there is another way...

⁵ Hezekiah trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him. ⁶ He held fast to the LORD and did not stop following him; he kept the commands the LORD had given Moses. (2 Kings 18:5-6)

In contrast, we have Hezekiah. What did he do?
1) He trusted in God
2) He held fast to Him and His covenant, and did not stop following
3) Hezekiah did NOT chase after worthless things, but in fact chased after God

The result?

⁷ And the LORD was with him; he was successful in whatever he undertook. (2 Kings 18:7)

2011 is here. What path are you going to choose? There are only two...

Want to read more about this principle? Check out Principle of the Path by Andy Stanley.

This Just In...

2010-12-24T20:00:00.000-08:00

I often wonder if Jesus was born in the 21st century what it would be like; what would the headlines be? Would anyone know or recognize Him?

"Woman Gives Birth - Claims She is a Virgin" - Three days ago in the small town of Minot, North Dakota, a 15 year old woman who claims to be a virgin, gave birth to her first-born, a son. Most are skeptical of her claims but thus far, nobody, doctors included, have been able to prove her wrong. Many of the local religious leaders have gathered to assess the truth of her claims and what, if any significance this brings. Some claim her son to be some deity, but most have passed the story off as a cleverly crafted lie.

"Homeless Group Claim Divine Vision" - A group of homeless men and women claim to have come face to face with an unexplained being(s); "something from heaven," one man said. Apparently, they were bedding down for the night when they were met with a vision. 'We weren't drunk, we weren't on drugs, we know what we saw, and we believe,' a woman interviewed for the story proclaimed. "I will never be the same" she went on. Few believe their claims, but it made news on an otherwise quiet evening in December.

"Strange New Star Appears" - A fierce battle has developed over the past few weeks between scientists, astronomers, astrologists, and religious leaders from around the world, as a bright new star has suddenly appeared in the night sky. Nobody can doubt that the star exists, for it is the brightest thing in the sky. Still, nobody seems to know where it came from. NASA, in concert with the European Space Agency, have agreed to move the Hubble Space Telescope in position to capture some images of the new star in hopes of learning its secrets.

I used to think, when I was young, that certainly I would have been one of the ones who would have believed. Now that I'm older, I often wonder...would I have believed? Would I have recognized Him? Or maybe like Thomas, would I have only believed if I saw with my own eyes?

"I wonder as I wander, out under the sky
How Jesus the Savior did come forth to die
For poor or'nary people like you and like I
I wonder as I wander..."

It Matters - Virgin Birth

2010-12-21T08:00:00.000-08:00

¹⁸ "This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. ¹⁹ Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.
²⁰ But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. ¹⁸ She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus,a because he will save his people from their sins." (Matthew 1:18-20)

As our gospel of Jesus Christ comes under more and more attack these days, it is becoming critical that we have a deep understand about what we believe and why. It matters. One of the doctrines that gets talked about this time of year is the virgin birth. In two words, IT MATTERS. Jesus being born of a virgin is critical to who he is. And who is He? He is fully God, and fully man. Take away the virgin birth, and He's fully man but not God. Take Mary out of the picture, and He's fully God, but not fully man.

And yet Jesus embodies both...He is both. During His time on earth He identified Himself as both. "...before Abraham was, 'I Am' " was a clear and absolute statement that He saw Himself as fully God. And yet one of his titles is the 2nd Adam; another is the Son of Man. If Jesus weren't fully man, He wouldn't be qualified to take our punishment on Himself and endure the cross.

Put simply, the virgin birth means that Jesus' Father is God, and His mother is Mary...fully God, born of the Holy Spirit, and fully man. It matters because this is Jesus' entry into our world. It matters because through this birth, God becomes man.

"So what?" you ask?

"What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us." (A.W. Tozer).

I might paraphrase him and say this;
"What we believe about Jesus Christ is the most important thing about us."

It matters.

Who do you listen to?

2010-12-15T13:14:00.000-08:00

²⁰"He who walks with the wise, grows wise;
but a companion of fools, suffers harm." (Proverbs 13:20)

I'm reading a book called "The Principle of the Path" and want to take some time to write about one of the concepts in this book. The point of this post is so simple, at the end of it you very well might say "no duh." That's how it hit me...until I looked at how I actually apply this principle. It's one thing to know something, or even to believe something; but it's quite another to implement it and live by it. So what is the big it?

Before we get there, let me ask you this. If you were driving and got lost, who would you rather get directions from? Someone who is on the side of the road and is also lost, or someone who has been to the place you're going and can tell you how to get there? Or let's say you're on vacation in Waikiki and you've never been there before. You're trying find the surf-rental shop. Do you ask directions from someone who is also on vacation for the first time, or from the local who has lived his whole life there?

The answers to both of those questions are obvious...we want directions from the 2nd person...the one who has been where we're trying to go and can tell us exactly how to get there.

Now let me ask you a question; the last time you needed some really good advice about something, who did you ask? One of your friends? Your peers? A brother or sister? Or, did you ask advice from someone who has been where you're trying to go?

A classic example of this can be found in 1 Kings 12. Rehoboam has just taken over the kingdom from his father, Solomon, who has just passed away. He is approached by the people's representative, Jeroboam, who has but one request of the new king; lighten our load, and we will serve you forever. Rehoboam wisely asks for 3 days to consult with two groups of people.

Group 1 are the elders; these are older, wise men who have been with his father Solomon, (the wisest man who ever lived), and their advice is to do just what the people have asked...lighten the load, and their hearts will be with you. Group 2 is Rehoboam's peers...in fact, not even his peers, but his groupies - men his age or younger perhaps, who serve him. They tell the new king to make their load even heavier. Rehoboam goes with the advice of the younger ones, and it doesn't go well at all. The people reject him as king, appointed Jeroboam as their king and the kingdom gets split in half.

There are two glaring mistakes we can see in this story, that we would do well to avoid.
1) When seeking advice, make sure you ask the right people. Ask it from those who are where you want to be.
2) If you're not willing to follow the advice you get, don't bother asking.

Rehoboam, from all appearances, already knew what he wanted to do and merely was looking for affirmation from his buddies to do it. Once he got that affirmation, he moved.

What path are you on? Is it taking you where you want to go? Are you getting good advice from those who are where you want to be?

The "Why" of Christmas

2010-12-10T13:58:00.000-08:00

Who is Jesus, and why do we celebrate anyways? The answer can be found in the three names assigned/given to Him.

- Jesus: it's a transliteration from the Hebrew name Joshua, and means "Jahweh delivers or rescues" or, in a word, "Savior"

- Christ: it's a translation of the Hebrew name Messiah, meaning "Anointed one."

- Immanuel: this descriptor puts two words together; ʻImmānū which means "with us" and 'El, meaning "God." Literally, Immanuel means "With us God."

In these three names or titles, we have everything we need to know about Christmas...and more than that, everything we need to know about God.

The name Jesus gives us His purpose in coming - His purpose was simply to save. Jesus knew his purpose, Himself reading from the scroll of Isaiah;
¹ "The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me,
   because the LORD has anointed me
   to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
   to proclaim freedom for the captives
   and release from darkness for the prisoners..."
(read the full chapter here)

Jesus = Savior. He came to seek and to save that which was lost.

Which brings us to his title, "Christ" or "Messiah." This is His identity - He was and is God's "Anointed one." Matthew especially constantly refers to Jesus as "Messiah." This is the one - the long awaited one...the anointed one. Read through the first chapter of Matthew as he recounts the genealogy of Jesus and you'll see 3 times in those 17 verses that Matthew refers to Jesus as the Messiah. It's who He is. Which lastly brings us to this;
²³ “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”^[a](which means “God with us”). (Matthew 1:23, quoting Isaiah 7:14).

Immanuel (or Emmanuel), "With Us God" or "God with us." With us in both time and space, with us in that He set aside His divinity to enter the restraints of our universe; fully human, and yet full divine. With us in that he is FOR you, so much as you have given your life to following Him and believed in Him for salvation. With us in that He, Jesus, lives inside of you. With us in that we no longer need to wonder what God is like. Do you want to know the character of God? Simply look at Jesus. He is the character of God...He IS God. Immanuel...I don't know there could be anything greater.

What does all this mean? It means everything. It is the whole point of Christmas. What more is there to say?
¹⁶ "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷ For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." (John 3:16-17)

Christmastime is here

2010-12-03T14:01:00.000-08:00

²"The people walking in darkness have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned..." (Isaiah 9:2)

Christmas means many things to many people. Gifts, lights, decorations, trees, family, hot chocolate, time off school, parties and gatherings, etc. Too often, however, it all adds up to two words; business + stress. It would behoove us, then, to be intentional about what this season signifies.

⁶"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." (Isaiah 9:6)

What if Jesus never came? What if God didn't allow his Son to come? What if? We would still be walking in darkness. We would be a people with the wrath of God laid squarely on our shoulders. But...

⁴"Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering,
yet we considered him punished by God,
stricken by him, and afflicted.
⁵But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
⁶We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to our own way;
and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all." (Isaiah 53:4-6)

It's a very scary thought to ponder...a life without Jesus would be a life with no hope. Just look at those verses again and imagine the significance of Jesus. My words seem hollow to convey the meaning of His birth. It is the entrance of a deity into our human world. There has never been and never will be a more significant entrance. Not a king, but The King. Humble, full of grace and truth.

Take that word, iniquity - do you know what it means?

1. Gross immorality or injustice; wickedness.
2. A grossly immoral act; a sin.

That's what God laid on Him...His Son, Jesus. He laid on Him the gross immoralities, injustices, and immoral acts of all of us - the entire human race. All our pride, all our sin, all our selfishness, all our lust, all our gossip, all our murderous thoughts - all of it, laid squarely on Christ. Why?

⁴Since you are precious and honored in my sight,

and because I love you...

¹⁸"Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.
¹⁹See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.
²⁰The wild animals honor me, the jackals and the owls,
because I provide water in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland,
to give drink to my people, my chosen,
²¹the people I formed for myself
that they may proclaim my praise." (Is. 43:18-21)

God formed us for Himself. He loves us...without condition. What did we do to earn or merit such love? Nothing. We did nothing. And that's the whole point. It's God's love and grace, not ours.

What's the point of Christmas? It's found in words; Hope, Peace, and Love. But ultimately I think this word is even more appropriate to the season - Salvation. This is the reason for Christmas. As we go through the coming weeks, let us pause often in gratitude and remember who's birthday we are celebrating.

Axioms, Adages, and Proverbs (5): Worry...

2010-11-19T13:21:00.000-08:00

"Anxiety does not empty tomorrow of its sorrows, but only empties today of its strength." (Charles Spurgeon).

"Worry. Anxiety. Stress. These are the ways of the dark side." (Yoda). Ok, Yoda didn't ever say that, but I'm sure he might have or could have. This quote by Charles Spurgeon hits the nail on the head.

There are really only two categories of things in our lives;
1) Things we can control
2) Things we can't control.

Everything falls into one of those two categories. When we worry about things in category number 2, we turn ourselves into God. Another word for this is "self-idolatry"... and idolatry of any kind is sin. Yes, that's right, worry is sin. The opposite of worry? Trust.

A couple of years ago a counselor I was seeing at the time broke it down very simply; things in category 1 are my "to-do" list; and things in category 2 are my "prayer list." This making sense to you?

The antidote to worry is trust. It's really the only thing that will help. Those who constantly worry have little faith...their need is to control the situation, which again, takes God off the throne and replaces Him with themselves. The secret to trust is knowing who you're trusting in. The only way to gain this is through intimacy with God. He wants it, we need it. This is why everything hinges on greatest commandment, to love God with your whole being...with everything. Love is a VERB (and for those who forgot their English lesson, a verb is an action word).

I learn best visually so let me try these equations for you;

Loving (verb) God = Intimacy with God
Intimacy with God = Knowing God (His true nature).
Knowing God = Increased trust in Him.
Trusting God squeezes out any room to worry.

And when we are living close to God, trusting Him in all things, we are STRONG. There is a depth and strength in the person who is intimate with God. That is the beauty of Spurgeon's quote; worry empties today of it's strength, but turn that around, trust and intimacy with God fills today with strength.

The wisest man who ever lived put it this way;

^5-6 Trust God from the bottom of your heart;
don't try to figure out everything on your own.
Listen for God's voice in everything you do,
everywhere you go; he's the one who will keep you on track.
(Proverbs 3:5-6, The Message)

Don't focus on not worrying; focus instead on knowing Him...intimately. That will negate the worry that plagues you. This reminds me of one other fantastic quote - and let us strive to live like this...

"The happiest people I know are the ones who have learned how to hold everything loosely and have given the worrisome, stress-filled fearful details of their lives into God’s keeping." (Charles Swindoll)

Warning, Admonition, and Promise

2010-11-16T06:00:00.000-08:00

⁸ Be of sober spirit, be on the alert Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. ⁹ But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world.
¹⁰After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you. (1 Peter 5:8-10)

A Warning, Admonition and Promise.

I. Warning: It pays for us to be constantly reminded that the very thing we fight against is the very thing our enemy wants us to forget. It's like this; the devil, our enemy, would like us to forget that he's our enemy. He'd like us to look at each other as enemies; divide and conquer, it's the oldest trick in the book. Have we fallen for it? Here's what I mean; our battles are won and lost in the spiritual realm.

¹² For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. (Eph. 6:12)

2. Admonition (or Ammunition): This leads us simply to our admonishment...our response. It's simple RESIST HIM!!! How? First, we are to remain firm in our faith. This really has a double-meaning; first to be firm as a believer, using our weapons (namely, The Armor of God) but also, to pray in faith believing God has and will deliver us. Second, we are reminded that we're not alone. There are Christians all over the world fighting this same battle and we can be encouraged by the Saints that have gone before us and those that will come after us, as well as those who are right now fighting with us. Yes, God has defeated satan, but he has some power to deceive us (see John 12:31, 2 Cor 4:4, and Eph 2:2). He is an enemy to take seriously...which leads us to

3. Promise. I love the way verse 10 starts; "after you have suffered a little while..." Now first I have to put this in context. I have suffered very little for the name of Jesus. I have never been beaten, imprisoned, or even threatened because I am a Christian. Still, the point is this; after you have suffered, God Himself will what? Look at these words and what they mean...

Perfect: to render, i.e. to fit, sound, complete, to mend (what has been broken or rent), to repair
to complete

Confirm: to make stable, place firmly, set fast, fix; to strengthen, make firm; to render constant, confirm, one's mind

Strengthen: to make strong, strengthen of one's soul

Establish: to lay the foundation, to found; to make stable, establish

Wow! That's quite a list of things that will be done. Who's going to do that in me? God Himself. Not an angel, not another person, not a pastor or leader or mother or father, but GOD HIMSELF. It's almost like that job is too important for Got to trust it to anyone else.

That is what gives us the strength to endure whatever suffering He asks us to. What a promise.

Reaching Down, Lifting Up...

2010-11-12T14:17:00.000-08:00

Our God is a personal God. He leads as a Father would lead His children, as a Shepherd leads His sheep. Yes, His call is high, but His love and mercy are deep.

Last week was an especially busy, hard, and somewhat lonely week for me, probably made worse by a severe case of what I call L.O.S.S. (Lack Of Sleep Syndrome). It was in that context that I came across a song of David. The book of Psalms is a great place to go to for getting "real" with God; however, the Psalms are not the only place where David's songs are recorded. In 2 Samuel 22 we read a song of David that is packed with stuff. David writes this song towards the end of his life. In fact, he has just finished his last battle; (at least the last battle he will personally participate in). He is getting old and Abishai has to come to his rescue, at which point David's men swear that he will never ride out with them again. It is in this context, nearing the end of his earthly life that David penned this song (you can read the whole song here);

¹⁷ “He reached down from on high and took hold of me;

he drew me out of deep waters.

¹⁸ He rescued me from my powerful enemy,

from my foes, who were too strong for me.

¹⁹ They confronted me in the day of my disaster,

but the LORD was my support.

²⁰ He brought me out into a spacious place;

he rescued me because he delighted in me."

When life comes at you fast, and you feel like you're drowning, remember these words. God reaches down from heaven and draws us out of our trouble. He saves us, He gives us perspective, He speaks peace and life into us, and He restores us. Take a closer look at verse 20; God not only reaches down to lift us up, but He puts us in a "spacious" place. That word "spacious" is interesting. Other translations use "broad", wide-open" or "large" place. Think about that for a moment...

Hayden Valley, Yellowstone National Park

When I read that I immediately got this picture of a wide-open meadow, looking over rolling hills, with a mountain vista in the background. It's the opposite of the "city" feel. Why a "spacious" place? Because in a spacious place there is time, space, peace, healing, safety. Because in a large place there is room for God. A wide-open place is not busy, it is not urgent, there is no-one pounding on your door needing your attention, no phone calls or emails to return, it's an "un-plugged" place. The to-do list is set aside, and you're asked to simply "be." It's a place of rest, a place of eating, a place of re-discovering the God that adopted you into His family.

And here's the real kicker; WHY did God bring you to this place? It's right there in verse 20b; "because He delighted in me." Be encouraged today, disciple of Jesus Christ. You are a son and daughter of the Most High; a citizen of the city of God...

¹⁷ "The LORD your God is with you,

the Mighty Warrior who saves.

He will take great delight in you;

in his love he will no longer rebuke you,

but will rejoice over you with singing." (Zephaniah 3:17)

Thank You

2010-11-11T17:11:00.000-08:00

I've been thinking all week about our Veterans. I've been searching for what I could write on my blog this day, but words seem not enough to convey what's in my heart. Simply, "thanks." I know many Veterans and none of the ones I know would ever want or pursue fame or acclaim. They see what they did as duty. I see what they did as sacrifice...and I am grateful.

So when words fail, I simply want to say...

Thank you

Axioms, Adages, and Proverbs (4): Who do you Worship?

2010-11-09T07:00:00.000-08:00

To be right with God has often meant to be in trouble with men. (A.W. Tozer)

Let's take a little quiz; I'll make it multiple choice for you.

1. Who are you living to please?

a. Myself

b. Others

c. God

2. Who do you worship? Your answer to question #1 is also the answer to question #2.

Here's the deal; are you willing to live at odds with man if it means living rightly with God? Are you willing to be a risk-taker; to be totally sold out to Him? No matter what? Even if it means you won't be liked? The heart of Tozer's quote does not mean we should seek to be at odds with people...for God does call us to love each other and live in unity. But still, there will be those times when living for Christ will be a very unpopular position. Reminds me of two more of my favorite quotes;

"I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody." (Bill Cosby)
Well I do know the way to success; it's living to please God. These words that Samuel once spoke to Saul seem to cut to the chase;

"What is more pleasing to the Lord: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice? Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than offering the fat of rams." (1 Samuel 15:22 - NLT)

Reminds me of one last quote by Mother Theresa. It's not so much a quote by her, although she did say it, but this was a commitment she made to God and I believe He honored her for it. She said this;

“I will refuse Him nothing…and say ‘yes’ without delay.”

The goal is not to get caught up in some legalistic way of living, but to relentlessly pursue God through Jesus with all your heart, soul, mind and strength, TODAY. And tomorrow, we start again...don't worry about being at odds with man; seek to be right with God instead.

Grabbing Hold or Letting Go?

2010-11-05T17:00:00.000-07:00

A couple of days ago I took Brennan on a walk using a Baby Bjorn, (he loves to face forward and sit on my chest as we walk). It was a relatively sunny day and the Fall leaves were out. Early in our walk I picked up a crispy leaf and handed it to him; he loved it. Surprisingly, he didn't try to put it in his mouth (like everything else), but instead he seemed fascinated by the feel and texture of the leaf, slowly crunching it in his hands.

A little later, I picked up an even bigger leaf; one of those huge maple leaves that fell to the ground. I could see Brennan's eyes light up and his curiosity to grab it from me, and yet, there was a problem; he wouldn't let go of the smaller leaf. I had to actually pry open his hand (which is harder than you think), pull out the old leaf, and put the bigger one in it. This happened one more time when I came across a huge leaf...again, he wanted it, but didn't want to let go of what he had.

This got me to thinking...how many times has there been some "thing," some gift, some area or a blessing that God has wanted to give to me but because I was hanging on too tightly to what I already had, I missed out. Or perhaps I eventually received the gift, but only after God pried open my hand.

I think that the hardest part of being a believer is trust. Trusting God totally. Trusting in His goodness, in His grace. Living life with an open-hand. Me? The minute something good happens, I tend to shut my hand and then try to hang on for dear life, resisting anything that might threaten me. However, all too often I find that once God does pry my hand open, and places in it something I may never have chosen for myself, that I always come out the other side better for it. Which makes me wonder, do I live life with an open hand, or a closed one?

Key Question: What are you hanging onto today, that maybe, God is trying to take out of your hands...and just maybe, He's trying to replace it with something else?

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!" (Matthew 7:7-11)

The Heart of a King

2010-11-02T08:00:00.000-07:00

I'm reading through the account of king David in 2 Samuel right now and a couple of things really struck me. First, a reminder that God refers to David as a man after His own heart. Would you like God to say that of you? "Mike? Yeah, I know him. He's a man after my own heart." Well if so, it would behoove us to pay attention to David...since here we have an account of the man after God's heart, and as such, we get a really good glimpse at exactly why God calls David that.

I'm in chapters 15 & 16 of 2 Samuel today which largely chronicles the account of Absalom's attempts to take the kingdom from his father, David. Now imagine just for a moment what David must be going through. He is the king! Undisputed, appointed by God, the king of the greatest nation on earth. And yet here is his son, Absalom, who over a 6-7 year period steals the hearts of the kingdom. David catches wind of Absalom's plan and proceeds to gather is men around him, and leave Jersualem, "The City of David" nonetheless. It is in this context, David leaving his palace, that we read a couple of remarkable things.

"First, David makes a decision to send the ark back into the city. He says, "If I find favor in the LORD's eyes, he will bring me back and let me see it and his dwelling place again. But if he says, 'I am not pleased with you,' then I am ready; let him do to me whatever seems good to him." (2 Samuel 15:25-26).

A little later, David meets up with Shimei, a great guy from Saul's clan. Shimei proceeds to shout curses upon David and throw rocks at him and his group. This is a pretty stupid thing to do considering that 1) David is still the king, and 2) David is surrounded by his body-guard. In fact, one of those men, Abishai, asks permission to chop off his head. But David replies in this way;

"Leave him alone; let him curse, for the LORD has told him to. It may be that the LORD will see my distress and repay me with good for the cursing I am receiving today." (2 Samuel 16:11-12)

David has every right to condemn Shimei to death...but he doesn't. He lets him live, accepts his insults, and moves on, thinking that some day, God, if He sees fit, will repay David in kind for the insults he is receiving.

What strikes me is the open-window view we get into David's heart in this passage. We see in David a man who has refuses to stoop to the level of his adversaries. We see a man who leaves justice in the hands of God. We see a man who doesn't feel the need to defend himself, or to take matters into his own hands. Remember - this is a pattern with David. He had multiple opportunities to kill Saul, and was perfectly in his right to do so as Saul was hunting him down...but he didn't. David took the high road, and God rewarded him for doing this.

This pattern we see in David gets at the character of his heart. In a word, it's TRUST. David trusts God implicitly with every facet of his life. He trusts God to reward him, if he is worthy of reward, and trusts God to repay evils done to him. And ultimately, I think this is what God is most wanting from us; total and complete trust. Trust in his law, trust in his plan, trust in good times and bad, trust God to repay when we're wronged, trust God to reward us, trust God in all things.

A man after God's own heart? I believe that a big part of that is found in this word, trust. It's like the old song says; "trust and obey." This is what God is after.

Is Your Soul Sold, or For Sale?

2010-10-30T13:16:00.000-07:00

Is your soul sold, or is it for sale? This question just struck me as I read these verses;

"The king said to Ittai the Gittite, 'Why should you come along with us? Go back and stay with King Absalom. You are a foreigner, an exile from your homeland. You came only yesterday. And today shall I make you wander about with us, when I do not know where I am going? Go back, and take your countrymen. May kindness and faithfulness be with you.'

But Ittai replied to the king, 'As surely as the LORD lives, and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king may be, whether it means life or death, there will your servant be.' " (2 Samuel 15:19-20).

This response from Ittai is pretty striking. He had only arrived in Judah one day earlier, was an exiled foreigner, had nothing to fear from Absalom, and had just been granted a peaceful parting by the king...and yet here he is committing to follow David in his wanderings, with no idea where David is going or what the future is. Ittai commits to follow David in life or even in death. He soul is sold...sold out to following David. A little later we read that David puts Ittai in charge of 1/3 of his army. I wonder why...?

What are you sold out to? What am I? When we signed up to become a disciple of Christ, did we do it with the spirit of Ittai? No turning back? In life or death? Or did we somehow expect a certain lifestyle? Blessings, health, money, houses and cars, nice vacations, children that are well-behaved, etc. Christ, of course, calls us to follow Him...no strings attached.

There's really only one other option to being sold; being for sale. If your'e for sale, watch out. The devil who masquerades as an angel of light has many, many things he'd like to sell you.

Being sold out to Christ is both a one-time commitment where you step over the line and into eternity, and a daily, moment by moment decision to remain in Him. Not that you move in and out of salvation, but that we are being challenged and tested constantly. A Christian, you recall, is a "Little-Christ." Being sold out is not to have attained to being a perfect Christian, but it is a commitment to following Him...a commitment to living a holy life, "set-apart." What does it look like? I think the apostle Paul puts it best;

"Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 3:12-14)

Run hard, run fast, commit to following Him in life or death, and make sure your soul is not for sale.

The Path

2010-10-27T15:02:00.000-07:00

"The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it." (Proverbs 27:12)

I recently started reading a book called The Principle of the Path written by Andy Stanley. If you follow this blog you know that I rarely, if ever, write a book review - and to be true, this is not a review of the book. However, it has grabbed me simply because of it's "no duh" premise, which so many of us (including myself) violate over and over.

If you plan on reading this book and don't want any spoilers, stop here. Otherwise, keep going.

The main thrust of the book is this; "direction, not intention, determines your destination." I told you it was a "no duh" premise, so what's the point? The point is this; most of us, including myself, seem to live by a different principle that goes something like this; my intentions and plans determine my destination.

For example, you intend to be healthy and in good shape, therefore you will be. It's your intention. Meanwhile, you eat fast food, never exercise, drink lots of soda and mochas, and somehow expect to end up healthy. Oh, for sure, you plan to "get around to it" some day. But then, another day goes by...

Or you desire to be close to Christ and develop an intimate relationship with him, yet you spend more time watching espn and reading the paper than you do in God's Word and prayer. Hmmmm. Direction = Destination. I wonder...

As I read this book I'm already being challenged to either 1) examine my life and determine what parts need a direction change in order to lead me to my desired destination, or 2) read the book and say "some day I'll get around to incorporating that into my life" and then putting it on the shelf like so many others. As Stanley himself says, "Knowing doesn't make the difference. Doing does."

I hate books like this....but I need them.

If I had to describe in one word the kind of life I want to live, it would be this word; intentional. I don't want life to "happen to me," I don't want to live reactionary. I want to live an intentional life...a life with a purpose, on purpose. Maybe that's why this book resonates with me, because in many ways, it's putting words to what I already believe. I challenge you to find any great leader or person you admire who just "accidentally" arrived at where they are now. Still, just because I want to live an intentional life, doesn't mean I am or I will. I have to DO it.

In the same way, living as a Christian requires intentionality. It means making choices that will put you on a path that leads you closer to Christ. Direction, not intentions = Destination. Which leaves us with one simple question; where are you headed?

Christ + ? (2 of 2)

2010-10-26T08:00:00.000-07:00

First, if you haven't read my previous post titled "Secret Things," go back and read it. This post kind of takes off from there. I ended that post with this Scripture verse found in Deuteronomy;

"But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul." (Deut 4:29)

I am daily confronted with something in myself that I hate, but seem powerless to get rid of. Pride, Selfishness, Desires. I pray, but often my prayers are for my comfort. I pray for health, for provision, for job security, for a raise or bonus, for recognition for things I've done, for honor. Even my prayer for other people are often self-motivated. Sure, I might "pray" for closeness with God, but so often they seem to be merely words. Truth? I'll grow closer to God as I go through tests, trials or tragedies, yet I would never pray for those things. I would grow closer to God if I experienced persecution, yet I never ask for that.

It seems that I've settled for a different Gospel. Christ + ________ (fill in the blank); or worse, ________ (fill in the blank) + Christ. What I want is "my life + Christ." But when I read the Bible, I see Jesus said this;

"For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it." (Matthew 16:25).

The gospel is Jesus + nothing. It's Christ and Christ alone. It's total and complete surrender. It's the "free gift that will cost you everything" or enemy of God.

This is a challenging truth to live out and I confess I don't have this one nailed. I am blessed. God has blessed me in so many way; a beautiful wife, a son, a house and cars, health, a great family, a great country where I'm free to live and worship, retirement accounts (even if they are low), and so much more. Would I give all of it up for Christ if He asked for it?

The truth? Jesus + nothing = everything.

Here's the challenge, for me at least. I am wired as one of those people who loves to "finish" things, to check off the boxes and cross items off the to-do list. I have a hard time when I have projects unfinished hanging over my head. And yet, I know that to be a Christian, I will never "arrive." It's a daily struggle to run this race. I am wired for the 40 yard dash, and yet God has called me to run a 50k.

My goal must be to live today, for Christ, and for nothing else. Go back to that verse in Deuteronomy; If I pursue him with 3/4 of my heart, not enough. If I give Him 95% of my soul, not good enough.

My encouragement for you? Don't you dare, for one single second, take your eyes off of Christ. He MUST be everything in your life; your strength, your insurance, your motivation. He won't settle for anything else...in fact, He demands this from us.

What right does He have to demand this from us? One word. Cross.

Secret Things...(1 of 2)

2010-10-22T16:01:00.000-07:00

We want answers, and we want them now. The media feasts on this desire, often making up answers just to appease their audience, (us), who can't bear to live with unanswered questions. When something weird happens, we want an answer. When something bad happens, we want justice. When something we can't explain happens, we want/demand an explanation. Closure. Answers.

The person I fear the most is someone who appears to have all the answers. Consider;

"But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong." (1 Cor 1:27)

"Therefore once more I will astound these people with wonder upon wonder;
the wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish." (Isaiah 29:14)

"Who has known the mind of the Lord?
Or who has been his counselor?" (Romans 11:34, quoting Isaiah 40:13)

Do you ever stop to consider the greatness of God? Consider eternity for a moment; think about it. With God there is no time; there is no past, present or future. He is eternal. Before time began, He was. He has always been. Beyond the farthest galaxy, He exists. There has never been a moment in time, if time existed with Him, that He was not. And when our "finite" life on earth has ended, we will step into eternity with Him...or apart from Him. Eternity...no end, no beginning. It kind of blows my mind...I can't figure it out, and that kind of bugs me. I think Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived put it best;

He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. (Ecclesiastes 3:10)

Think about the word "holy" for a moment, which literally means "set apart." God is holy. He is not like us, but he is set apart. Do you ever stop to consider the "otherness" of God? He is a mystery, He is a Spirit. His ways are above our ways.

And yet, He calls us to worship Him, to pray to Him, to commune with Him. He calls us into a relationship with Him, and because of His love for us, He desires us to live with Him to eternity.

"The secret things belong to the Lord..." (Deuteronomy 29:29)

"What's your point?" you ask? My point is this. This holy, infinite God who holds all wisdom and the keys to the secret things, has made a way for you and me to know Him. Do we? Do I? Not know about Him, but really know Him? Proverbs 3:5-6 talks about "acknowledging God in all our ways." That word for "acknowledge" literally translates as "know him" and implies an intimacy with Him. Remember Jesus' prayer for us was that we would be "one" with Him; He in us, and us in Him. Oneness...one heart, one mind, one purpose...to know the Father.

"How" you ask? That is a lifetime answer. But this much I know...

"But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul." (Deut 4:29).

Have you?

Never Alone

2010-10-13T12:52:00.000-07:00

Like many people around the world today, I am transfixed by the drama unfolding in Chile as the 33 miners who have spent 69 days 2000' underground are pulled to the surface one by one. I can't imagine the ordeal they went through as day after day went by with an uncertain future.

In reading the CNN article on this story, (so far, as of noon on Wednesday), one line jumped out at me.

"To say there were 33 trapped in the mine is wrong, Ramirez said. There were 33 men -- and God."

I've had a few phone calls this week with folks who are facing uncertain futures, and fighting with despair. Whether it's health issues, job issues, divorce, addictions, or a myriad of other challenges that our people are facing, the challenge remains the same; an uncertain future.

It is imperative that we remember one critical truth as we navigate our life on earth; you are never alone. For those who have called and trusted in the name of Jesus, you will never again be alone. It's you + God and that is an equation built for success. Consider the following Scriptures;

[Jesus] "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand." (John 10:27-28)

"Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." (Hebrews 4:14-16)

No matter what we face in life; whether it's a test or a trial, grief or sin, remember that you're never alone. As the popular worship song by Matt Redman says,

Oh no, You never let go, through the calm and through the storm,
Oh, no, You never let go, through every high and every low,
Oh, no, You never let go, Lord you never let go of me.

"When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze." (Isaiah 43:2)

My prayer is that you would be reminded today that Christ is IN you. I leave you with this;

"And Christ lives within you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life because you have been made right with God. The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you." (Romans 8:10-11)

Axioms, Adages, and Proverbs (3): Rest

2010-10-05T15:30:00.000-07:00

"The mark of a successful man is one that has spent an entire day on the bank of a river without feeling guilty about it." (author unknown)

Why is it we are so task driven? Why is it I often feel so guilty whenever I have an afternoon to rest?

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."

Have you ever taken an entire afternoon to just rest? I read that quote above and wonder, what is it that makes this man successful, the one who spends an afternoon on the bank of a river? I think it's found in these words; solitude, reflection, self-awareness, prayer, and strength.

I just got back from a week at Orcas Island in the San Juan Islands with my wife and son. It was like a breath of fresh air. Physically restful, no, not with a 6 month old. But mentally and spiritually restful? Absolutely. Thanks to my amazing wife, I was able to find moments almost every day to rest my mind. I often took a kayak out into the middle of the bay and just drifted. There I found time to pray, to rest, to have solitude and quiet, to read, and in all of that, to find strength. The hardest part? Not feeling guilty about it.

How about you? When's the last time you rested? Go ahead, pull up a chair and take a load off. It's command #4 by the way. (Click here to read all my posts on "rest").

POV

2010-10-01T13:05:00.000-07:00

What's POV, you ask? So glad you asked! It stands for "Point of View" as in, "depending on your 'point of view,' " the Huskies loss to Nebraska last Saturday is either a blip on their way to their first bowl game in years, or a sign of another sub-.500 season. Or "depending on your 'point of view,' " Starbucks epitomizes what good coffee should be, or, they over-roast their beans and have merely cashed in on American's caffeine addition. Or "depending on your 'point of view,' " jazz instrumental music is only fit for elevators, or jazz instrumental music show-cases incredibly talented and creative musicians.

Depending on your 'point of view,' God is a task-master, or God is a genie in heaven, or He is so Holy we could never come close to Him, or He is our best friend. He is either the forgiver who never holds our sin against us, or He is a just and righteous God that demands our awe.

You have to be careful with point of view. Point of view is often based more on our experiences rather than facts. The thing is, our 'point of view's' change so quickly. Take these two pictures, for example. Same building, same day, same minute, but very different pictures. The only difference? About 10 feet. In photography, often the difference between a good picture and a great picture all boils down to your Point of View. You have to move a few feet, or sometimes just a few inches to get the angle and lighting just right.

In life, often the difference between a bitter person and a joyful person, is simply how they view their lives. Is the glass half-empty, or half-full? Do I spend more time counting blessings, or worrying about trials? What is your point of view as you go through life?

"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."

What's your point of view? Is your glass half-empty, or half-full? If you're struggling right now with some sort of test or trial, some circumstance that has hit you or something that has you worried constantly, STOP! Pause for a moment and write down on a piece of paper all that you're thankful for. Try it - it just might change your point of view.

Axioms, Adages, and Proverbs (2): Good Timber

2010-09-25T15:45:00.000-07:00

"Good timber does not grow with ease. The stronger the wind, the stronger the trees." (J. William Marriott)

This is an proverb which is easy to affirm when the weather is calm; much harder to affirm during the storm. That being said, it is the storms that shape us and form us into the leaders we become.

I read alot of book on leadership and one thing I have found common in all great leaders; they have all gone through a crucible of some kind, and come out the other side better for it. These crucibles tend to come in three forms; test, trials, and tragedies. Depending on how you face them and how you endure them, they can either crush you and send you spiraling, or they can be a catalyst for growth.

Crucible: a severe test.

Catalyst: an agent that provokes or speeds significant change or action.

When faced with a crucible, some sort of test, trial or tragedy, how do you tend to react? It reminds me of something Winston Churchill once said,

"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."

Do you aspire to be a leader, to be great? Do you hope for influence and a position of authority? Do you desire to to fully utilize all the gifts and potential that is within you? If so, you must prepare yourself to face the "fires" of life which are needed and necessary to refine you into the great person that God has created you to be.

I remember my HS Basketball coach who, after one particular hard practice pulled me aside and in love reminded me, "Mike - don't be worried when I yell at you or correct you. It's only because I see the potential in you. It's when I stop yelling at you that you should be worried." In a similar way, God allows us to face these crucibles in order that we might be more fully used by him. Reminds me of yet another saying;

"...being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." (Philippians 1:6)

Remember - the stronger the storm, the stronger the trees.

Is God Enough?

2010-09-20T11:37:00.000-07:00

(1 Samuel 8) ⁷ [God speaking to Samuel] "it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king.”
(1 Sam 12) ¹² "But when you saw that Nahash king of the Ammonites was moving against you, you said to me, 'No, we want a king to rule over us'-even though the LORD your God was your king. ¹³ Now here is the king you have chosen, the one you asked for… ¹⁷ And you will realize what an evil thing you did in the eyes of the LORD when you asked for a king.

I've been reading through 1 Samuel which among other things, chronicles Israel's move from being a people ruled by judges, to a people ruled by a king. It is a surprising end to an era in Israel's history; an era that saw them move from trusting God (mostly) and the men He appointed to lead them, (Moses, Aaron, Joshua), to wanting to look like the other nations and have a king (rejecting God). There's many observations and lessons we could glean, but I want to focus on just 2.

1) Is God enough? It is clear in this passage that God views Israel's desire for a king as outright rejection. They no longer trust God. Instead, they want a king - and in effect they are saying, "we trust in human kings that we can see more than in an Sovereign God that we can't see." Now before you get all judgmental on them, ask yourself, who or what do you trust in? It's easy to say you trust in God, but what if things stopped going your way? What if you lost your job, or house, or cars, or had all your savings lost, or the stock market crashes and you lose your retirement, or you get diagnosed with cancer, or a child dies, etc. Then who do you trust? Is God enough? What if, like Job, everything you had and had worked for were stripped away? Ultimately, we can't honestly answer that question unless we're in that place. However, the call for us as believers is nothing short of whole-hearted trust in God.

2) Do you look like the world? In other words, Israel wanted a king because all the other nations had kings (1 Sam 8:19-20: " 'No!' they said. 'We want a king over us. Then we will be like all the other nations..."). How many times have you and I been guilty of wanting something or wanting to do something simply because "everyone else has/does it?" As Christians, we are called to live "in" the world but not to be "of" the world. Our citizenship is in heaven and we are sons and daughters of God. In other words, we're not supposed to look like everyone else. We're supposed to be LIGHT - and SALT.

In the end, Israel was found guilty on both counts; rejecting God as their king, and wanting to look like everyone else. And still, God promised to bring them back to Him if they would follow Him whole-heartedly; "For the sake of His great name the Lord will not reject His people..." (I Sam 12:22)

I leave you with two questions; 1) Is God enough? 2) Are you "different"?

Axioms, Adages, and Proverbs (1): The Stonecutter

2010-09-17T13:47:00.000-07:00

"When nothing seems to help, I go look at a stone-cutter hammering away at his rock, perhaps a hundred times without so much as a crack showing in it. Yet at the hundred and first blow, it will split in two, and I know it was not that blow that did it, but all that had gone before." - Jacob A Riis

I am starting a new series of blog posts which I'll call "Axioms, Adages and Proverbs," or, from now on, AAP's. I love to collect these things, these AAP's, which often contain in them great truths and help to keep me on track, especially when times are hard. I'm leading off with one of my favorite's, above. Now lest you think I'm getting away from the spiritual component, hang with me on this journey. Take the above quote - in a word, this is all about perseverance.

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." (James 1:2-4).

Perseverance is a trait that we all should seek...in fact, more than that, it's a trait that God is going to build into us. Perseverance and Trust go hand in hand. Remember the story Jesus told in Luke 18 about the unjust judge (read it here)? It wasn't because the judge wanted to do right that he gave a widow justice; it was because she was wearing him out by constantly coming to him with her case. Her perseverance won the day. The point Jesus was making was simply to never, ever stop praying. Perseverance.

Jim Collins, business consultant, author and lecturer, has spent a lifetime studying success, mainly in the world of business. In his book "Good to Great" he talks about what he calls "Level-5 leaders." These leaders come in all shapes and sizes and are not the charismatic types we tend to think of as CEO's. However, with all their differences they had 2 things in common, Humility, and Will. Think of "will" as "strength of character," the "never give up" attitude, or in a word, perseverance.

Back to the stone-cutter - what if he had stopped at 100 blows, and given up? The rock never would have split. This leads me to another AAP;

"Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up." - Thomas Edison

Makes me wonder; what prayer have I stopped praying that God still wants to answer? What has He called me to, that I have stopped persevering in? What break-through is right around the corner, as long as I don't give up? Persevering is not easy...you never know whether you're at the beginning, middle, or end of the journey...whether the break-through has many more blows to go, or whether the next blow will split the stone, and I suppose this is why splitting stone with a hammer is not the type of work for all of us. Still...I wonder? How close are you to that break-through? Have you given up? It might be time to pick up the hammer and chisel again.

Whole or Half?

2010-09-15T10:02:00.000-07:00

It was a long time, twenty years in all, that the ark remained at Kiriath Jearim, and all the people of Israel mourned and sought after the LORD. ³ And Samuel said to the whole house of Israel, "If you are returning to the LORD with all your hearts, then rid yourselves of the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths and commit yourselves to the LORD and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines." ⁴ So the Israelites put away their Baals and Ashtoreths, and served the LORD only. (1 Samuel 7:2-4)

Are you (and am I) following whole-heartedly, or half-heartedly? I find that it's all to easy to fool ourselves into thinking we're "X" when in actuality we're "I." For example;
- one says that they strive for health, yet they eat poorly and never exercise
- one says they believe in balanced finances, yet they have no budget and rack up debt
- one says they live for Christ, yet find themselves consumed with the cares and worries of the world.
There's a gap between our beliefs and our actions. Someone once said "I will show you what you believe by looking at what you do."

This sounds harsh - it is not meant to. The goal is not to guilt any of us into "doing" anything but instead to look at the "line in the sand" and see where we fall. Take that passage of Scripture; the Israelites have been experiencing "discipline" at the hand of the Philistines. The Philistines at one point capture the ark of God and rout the Israelites, killing over 30,000 of them at one point. Well having the ark doesn't go so well for the Philistines and so they return it to Israel, which prompts Israel to mourn and seek God.

The next couple of verses are the critical pieces - God, through Samuel, wants to test the level of repentance. Is it lip service, or are they serious? In other words, the challenge is laid down - "if you're seriously repenting, then 'for crying out loud,' get rid of all the other 'gods' you have and are worshipping, commit whole-heartedly to God, and He will deliver you." You see the Israelites had their hand in two places; they were returning to God and seeking Him, but they were also clinging to other 'gods.' They wanted it both ways.

This got me to thinking - what 'gods' do I worship? Am I, have I truly forsaken EVERYTHING and committed to follow Christ whole-heartedly? Am I also guilty of "seeking God" yet clinging to other 'gods?' What exactly did Jesus mean when He said, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it."? (Luke 9:23-24)

God is love and His grace is un-ending. Anyone who calls on the name of Christ and believes in Him will be saved. However, His call is high - He is a jealous God, and is not willing to share us with anyone or anything. He does give us His Spirit to "guide us into all truth." However, we do have the ability to "quench the Spirit" and in effect, choose to go our own way. It all boils down to this; Is there anything keeping you from whole-heartedly following Him? Today?

The Land Between

2010-09-10T14:04:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I was able to attend a Leadership Conference. There were many great speakers, and I want to take a moment and share with you some thoughts from one of the sessions. The speaker was pastor Jeff Manion, and his session was called "The Land Between." If you want to hear or see him speaking on this topic, click here. Or click on the picture to the right to check out his book (which I haven't read).

The Scripture text is Numbers 11. The setting - the Israelites have just been rescued from Egypt's army by God, who in miraculous and dramatic fashion parts the Red Sea allowing Israel to pass through on dry ground. God rescues them from certain death and brings them into the desert. They are no longer in Egypt, but they have a journey in front of them before they reach the Promised Land. They are in "the land between."

All of us have been, are currently, or will be in this land. It's a place where some of us have been often. Our church is in this land, as we are "in between" senior pastors. Many men in our church are in this land, "in between" jobs. In his talk, Pastor Jeff makes 5 points about this land that need little explanation.

The land between is fertile ground for complaint. (vv 1-10)
The land between is fertile ground for meltdown. (vv 11-15)
The land between is fertile ground for God’s provision. (vv 16-17)
The land between is fertile ground for God’s discipline - inflicting pain for redemptive purposes (vv 18-20).
The land between is fertile ground for transformational growth – for learning to trust God. (vv 21-35)

As I read those 5 points again, I know that I've done all 5. I've complained, and melted down more often then I'd like to admit. However, his last point might be the most important thing to remember if you're in the land. The Israelites were coming out of generations of idol worship and living in the land of the Egyptians. God knew that if they were going to be "His people," then they had to learn to trust in Him. So it is for us. If we are truly to be God's people, His sons and daughters, then we must learn to trust Him totally, implicitly, without wavering. It is here; in the "land between" that we learn to pray, rely, and depend on God…this does not happen automatically. It is also the place where faith goes to die. We have to choose.

Something Jeff said in that session - you “deter” complaint by inviting in trust. “Trust and complaint are incompatible roommates.” If that's true, I wonder, am I living in trust or complaint? Am I one of God's sons who has learned to trust? If you find yourself in "the land between," remember first, you're in good company. All of us have been there, are there, or will be there (multiple times). Second, you just may be in a growth spurt of sorts...transformational growth often happens in this land. And as I write, I have offered up a prayer for all of you who find yourselves in this land.