Noble Blogging

If I ever get a tattoo ...

2011-12-30T09:36:00.000-08:00

I just started studying the book of Romans again. I have read Romans numerous times in my life and am always blown away with some new truth The Holy Spirit reveals as I read it. I agree wholeheartedly with what Martin Luther had to say about this magnificent book:

"This letter is truly the most important piece in the New Testament. It is purest Gospel. It is well worth a Christian's while not only to memorize it word for word but also to occupy himself with it daily, as though it were the daily bread of the soul. It is impossible to read or to meditate on this letter too much or too well. The more one deals with it, the more precious it becomes and the better it tastes."

"Simul Iustus et Peccator". (yes you read that correctly and that would be part of my tattoo)

What does Simul Iustus et Peccator mean? It is a Latin phrase that was used during the Reformation ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protestant_Reformation ) by Martin Luther and other reformers to describe how a Christian should see themselves in this life.

"Simul" ...simultaneously

"Iustus" ...justified (or declared righteous and not guilty)

"et"...and

"Peccator" ...sinner

Understanding what this means is the heart of the book of Romans:

"But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 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, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus." Romans 3:21-26 NIV

"However, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness." Romans 4:5 NIV

Simul Iustus et Peccator is what the Bible calls "justification". When someone puts their faith in Jesus Christ, meaning they are relying on what He did in living a perfect life, dying a substitionary, sacrificial death, and being raised from the grave (1 Corinthians 15:1-6) for forgiveness of sin and the promise of eternal life, they are declared not guilty and righteous by God. The key is we are declared righteous while still in the sinning state. That is the scandal of the gospel.

Several years ago I was asked by a close friend of mine to share some scriptures with his father who was literally on his death bed dying of lung cancer. The first time I went to meet with Jack I quickly realized he was a man full of questions. Blind faith was not an option for him. Like many other people he was skeptical. He was a thinker and could not reconcile faith and science, and many other issues that blocked him from having faith. That particular day I gave him my best apologetics, my best reasoning, my best theological and philosophical arguments for faith in Christ. He did not get it. I felt like I was talking to a brick wall.

A few days later, my friend Barry told me that Jack wanted to meet with me again. I was a little shocked to be honest. So hesitantly I went back to his house. I really did not know what to say. So I asked the Lord what scriptures he wanted me to read to Jack. I felt led to read Romans 5:1-2:

"Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand..."

After I read that passage, Jack said: "I have a always believed there had to be a God and a Creator, but I never really knew what to do with this Jesus fellow. But according to what you just read I can only come to God through Jesus." I said: "yes Jack that is what it means. Do you want to come to God through Jesus?" He said yes. So we prayed and he came into a relationship with God through faith in Jesus. A few days later he passed away. At his funeral I shared that story with his family and friends that had gathered to grieve his passing. Most of them looked confused because they knew Jack as a man who was not "religious". I shared about the thief on the cross who asked Jesus to let him into heaven when he died (Luke 24:42-43). Jesus promised him that his request that was filled faith would be granted. The thief lived as a sinner yet died justified. So did Jack. So will I. So can you if you put your faith in Jesus Christ.

Start over

2011-10-24T16:20:00.000-07:00

When you’ve trusted God and walked his way
When you’ve felt his hand lead you day by day
But your steps now take you another way …
Start over.

When you’ve made your plans and they’ve gone awry
When you’ve tried your best and there’s no more try
When you’ve failed yourself and you don’t know why …
Start over.

When you’ve told your friends what you plan to do
When you’ve trusted them and they didn’t come through
And you’re all alone and it’s up to you …
Start over.

When you’ve failed your kids and they’re grown and gone
When you’ve done your best but it’s turned out wrong
And now your grandchildren come along …
Start over.

When you’ve prayed to God so you’ll know his will
When you’ve prayed and prayed and you don’t know still …
When you want to stop cause you’ve had your fill …
Start over.

When you think you’re finished and want to quit
When you’ve bottomed out in life’s deepest pit
When you’ve tried and tried to get out of it …
Start over.

When the year has been long and successes few
When December comes and you’re feeling blue
God gives a January just for you …
Start over.

Starting over means “Victories Won”
Starting over means “A Race Well Run”
Starting over means “God’s Will Done”
Don’t just sit there ………… ..

START OVER

By Woodrow Kroll

Josh Hamilton & the People of the second chance

2011-10-07T07:50:00.000-07:00

Josh Hamilton and the Texas Rangers are playing in the American League Championship once again. His personal story is one of tragedy, failure, grace, redemption, stardom, and pain. He is one heck of a baseball player, a modern day Roy Hobbs. His story is a reminder that God never gives up on anyone and that the grace found in the gospel of Jesus Christ is bigger than any failure we can think of. (Click on the title of this post to watch and hear Josh's story)

Enjoy!

Lessons from "the seats"

2011-09-07T14:54:00.000-07:00

Go figure. Last night I was at another Rockies baseball game. Early Tuesday morning I got the call from Dad that he had "the seats". These are not just any seats, these are front row seats were you can actually see the players faces and what they are saying to each other. I am used to usually sitting in the cheaper seats so "the seats" are an awesome experience.

A few years ago we were sitting in "the seats" and had a funny experience. "The seats" are real close to first base where you have a great angle on plays at first base. You can hear the umpire and the first baseman talking because you are that close.

On this particular night there was a really close play at first base that the umpire called in favor of the other team. As home fans do, they booed the umpire. To our shame we were booing as well. Somebody near us made a snide comment to the umpire and he looked over to see who said it. There is an old term in baseball for umpires who do not know how to over look frustrated fans and who hear every comment, its called "rabbit ears". Rabbits are know for their long ears and their keen sense of hearing. So when an umpire gets caught up into the comments of the fans or the players and coaches they are called "rabbit ears."

My dad being the fan that he is, saw the umpire look over to find the guilty fan who was verbally harassing him and blurted out: "just call the game rabbit ears!" I was thinking to myself that the umpire must be really mad and frustrated.

Proverbs 15:1 'A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger." NIV

How would the umpire respond? Would he show his anger? Would he try to win a stare down and intimidate the fan that was talking to him and escalated the moment?

Instead of getting angry or tough he displayed wisdom and he modeled a lesson from the Proverbs, as crude as it was, on how to handle situations like that.

After hearing my Dad's comment about "rabbit ears" he very slowly pulled out both of his back pockets and let them dangle there on his dairy ere, as if to say:"I got your rabbit ears right here. He did this while staring stoically forward at the playing field. It was hilarious! What a great response. We all laughed and gave him applause. We had all forgotten that he blew the call and went on to enjoy the game.

I imagine he learned how to handle situations like that as a veteran umpire. I am sure as a young umpire he took it all way to personally, but learned that he would not last long as an umpire unless he learned how to respond appropriately. I walked away from that thinking about the Proverb: 'A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger." NIV

Lets strive to be the type of people who do not stir up wrath by reacting to the moods, actions, and frustrations of others, but rather controlled by the Spirit we respond with a gentle answer and turn away wrath.

What is your hope in?

2011-08-16T17:21:00.000-07:00

The world is a crazy place right now.

There are people rioting and looting in London, showing that when given the right opportunity human beings, even the "civilized" can be intensely insubordinate and cruel.

Following the stock market is like being on a brutal roller coaster ride. Following the National debt is so mind boggling it makes mathematicians shake their heads. Financial instability is causing people to be in great fear for their future.

People are hurting because people hurt one another, betray one another, and fail to keep their promises.

Things that we thought were stable have turned out to not be so stable. People we trusted turned out to be untrustworthy.

What do we do?

"Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful." (Hebrews 10:23)

How can I know that my hope is really in Christ? Ask the following questions of yourself.

1. How do I respond when I am falsely accused, misunderstood or betrayed?

"To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. "He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth." When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly." (1 Peter 2:21-23)

2. When I am offended by others am I quick to forgive?

"Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you." (Colossians 3:13)

3. Is my hope in money? My job? My 401K?

"No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money." Luke 16:13

"Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." So we say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?" (Hebrews 13:5-6)

"Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life." (1 Timothy 6:17-19)

4. Is my hope in people, family, a good marriage, my kids? Is my hope truly in God alone?

"For if my father and mother should abandon me, you would welcome and comfort me." Psalm 27:10 TLB

I pray for us that..."the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." (Romans 15:13)

In the flow #1 (How would you answer?)

2011-07-06T08:25:00.000-07:00

The following is from John Ortberg's latest book "the me I want to be" :

"How is your Spiritual life going?"

I used to answer this question by looking at the state of my devotional activities: Did I pray and read the Bible enough today?

The problem is that by this measure the Pharisees always win. People can be very disciplined, but remain proud and spiteful. How do we measure spiritual growth so that the Pharisees don't win?

I asked a wise man, "How do you assess the well-being of your soul?" He immediately said, "I ask myself two question".

* Am I growing more easily discouraged these days?

* Am I growing more easily irritated these days?

At the core of a flourishing soul are the love of God and the peace of God. If peace is growing in me, I am less easily discouraged. If love is growing, I am less easily irritated. It was a brilliantly helpful diagnostic to assess the health of my soul.

How would you answer those two questions?

www.themeiwanttobe.com

I am full of it...and so are you

2011-05-27T11:24:00.000-07:00

It is that time of year when folks are spring cleaning, getting their houses and yards looking good for summer. Some are even zealous enough to plant vegetable gardens in hopes of enjoying the fruit of their labor at some point during the summer. I am not much of a gardener but I do fertilize my lawn, and its looking nice and green (it always does this time of year). Some people I know actually put real cow manure on their lawns to make them healthy and green. I am not much of a farmer but it is common knowledge that manure makes crops grow. The food we eat is nourished and given life by the waste of animals. Quite an appetizing thought!

Lets get right to it...

I am full of manure....and so are you. We all are. All of us have had experiences in life whether it be the bad choices of others or our own regretful mistakes that mark us. Call it what it is, painful, filthy, rotten, stinky MANURE! Life's manure actually makes us who we are. It is not a matter of if we have manure, it is rather how we view the manure of life that determines whether it will nourish and grow us or have th the opposite effect which is decay and death. Perspective is everything.

Life brings problems. Problems bring pain. The amount of pain we experience from life's problems is directly determined by our perspective of the problem. If my perspective of my problem, loss, grief, shame, failure, fear, etc. is out of focus or bigger than it should be I am going to experience a large amount of pain. However, if I can get the right perspective of the problem and see things through the right lenses I can actually benefit from my problems.

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28)

Sometimes we need to look at what a verse of Scripture does not say in order to understand what it actually does mean. First, notice he does not say "we see". Its hard to "see" how the manure of life is going to work for good especially when your going through it. To "know" is a faith word. It is trusting that some how some way God is going to work manure for good. Secondly, he says "all things". He did not say "some" things. So no matter what it is or who caused it God can and will work "all things" for our good. Thirdly, God works it for "good". God never calls evil good, but He certainly has the wisdom and power to work it for good. Lastly, the promise is for those "who love him". God has promised those who trust in Jesus that all of life's pain and sorrow will somehow someway work for their good and His glory. It is not a trite promise, it can be taken to the bank. Do you love Him? Then you can rest assured the manure of life will be worked for your good.

"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)

I first heard the Good News about Jesus Christ when I was a teenager. It affected me. I wanted Christ. I wanted assurance of heaven. I wanted purpose for life. A seed most definitely was planted in my heart the same way a gardener plants a seed in hope of a crop. However, circumstances and many bad choices created a large amount of manure in my life that actually at the time detoured me away from a relationship with Christ. The cares of this world seemed to choke out the seed and growth in my life. It wasn't until several years later that I actually came into a living relationship with God through Christ.

Once when I was reading Psalm 1 I realized something amazing about manure. Psalm 1 teaches about those who love God and have a relationship with Him and who trust His word. Verse 3 leaped off the pages at me:

"They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season without fail."

Because of Christ I was a tree planted by living water! God had used the manure manufacturing choices of my life to actually nourish me so He could make me the person He wanted me to be.

So say this with me..."I am full of it...manure that is". But also say this: "I am a tree planted by living water, because of manure, and most importantly because of God's grace I will bear fruit, spiritual fruit in each season without fail!"

The Incomparable Christ

2011-05-02T15:44:00.000-07:00

THE INCOMPARABLE CHRIST

Almost two thousand years ago there was a Man born contrary to the laws of

life. This Man lived in poverty and was reared in obscurity. He did not

travel extensively. Only once did He cross the boundary of the country in

which He lived; that was during His childhood exile.

He possessed neither wealth nor influence. His relatives were inconspicuous

and He had neither training nor formal education. In infancy, He startled a

king; in childhood, He puzzled doctors; in manhood, He ruled the course of

nature, walked upon the billows as if pavement, and hushed the sea to sleep.

He healed the multitudes without medicine and made no charge for His service.

He never wrote a book, and yet all the libraries of the country could not

hold the books that have been written about Him.

He never wrote a song and yet He has furnished the theme for more than all

the songwriters combined. He never founded a college, but all the schools

put together cannot boast of having as many students. He never practiced

medicine, and yet He has healed more broken hearts than all the doctors

far and near.

Every seventh day the wheels of commerce cease their turning and multitudes

wend their way to worshiping assemblies to pay homage and respect to Him.

The names of the past proud statesman of Greece and Rome have come and

gone. The names of past scientists, philosophers, and theologians have

come and gone; but the name of this Man abounds more and more. Though time

has spread two thousand years between the people of this generation and

the scene of His crucifixion, yet He still lives.

Herod could not destroy Him, and the grave could not hold Him.

He stands in Heavenly Glory, proclaimed of God, as the living, personal

Christ, our Lord and Saviour.

Dr. SM Lockridge

If

2011-04-20T07:38:00.000-07:00

If you never felt pain, Then how would you know that I’m a Healer?

If you never went through difficulty, How would you know that I’m a Deliverer?

If you never had a trial, How could you call yourself an overcomer?

If you never felt sadness, How would you know that I’m a Comforter?

If you never made a mistake, How would you know that I’m forgiving?

If you never were in trouble, How would you know that I will come to your rescue?

If you never were broken, Then how would you know that I can make you whole?

If you never had a problem, How would you know that I can solve them?

If you never had any suffering, Then how would you know what I went through?

If you never went through the fire, Then how would you become pure?

If I gave you all things, How would you appreciate them?

If I never corrected you, How would you know that I love you?

If you had all power, Then how would you learn to depend on me?

If your life was perfect, Then what would you need me for?

Author unknown (but thanks for writing this)

A woman, a well, and Jesus

2011-04-07T14:38:00.000-07:00

Written by Tyler Hannan

In John 4 there is a story

a story of a woman
and a well

and Jesus

a story we are all, likely, familiar with...

a woman
a well
and Jesus

as the story progresses, we find out details
details about this woman
about her life
her pain
her brokeness

a woman with 5 husbands
a woman living with a man who isn't her husband
at a well
in the middle of the day

when you draw water
you draw it in the morning
you draw it in the evening
but not

in the heat of the day

so why was this woman at the well in the middle of the day?

because of the others who came to the well
her brokenness
and their comments
caused her such pain that she traveled
in the heat of the day
to a well

a woman
a well
and Jesus

"Everyone who drinks this water will be thirst again, but whoever drinks the water i give them will never thirst"

at times this story is told
as a story of crossing a racial divide
or crossing a gender divide
or the forgiveness of sin
a story told where Jesus accuses the woman of sin
a story told where Jesus acknowledges the woman's failing

but, regardless of the telling
there is one common element

love.

this woman
at a well
in the heat of the day

replies to Jesus and says

"I know the Messiah is coming and when he comes he will explain everything to us"

and Jesus replies
Jesus replies
5 letters
3 words

I AM HE

a declaration of divinity
an acknowledgment of being the Messiah

finding a woman
at a well
in the heat of the day

hiding
hiding from the accusation of others
hiding from the condemnation of the crowd
searching,
waiting,
for the coming of the Messiah

I AM HE

waiting
for water that fills
water that heals
water that is readily available

I AM HE

waiting
so her spirit doesn't thirst
so her pain can be addressed

and there He is

a woman
a well
brokenness
sin

the Messiah offering water

"Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life."

I AM HE

the call is the same
if you thirst
drink
if you find yourself in the heat of the day
drink

but don't drink a cupful
don't find contentment in the least
when
water
is available

I AM HE
I AM HERE

The Sermon on the mound

2011-03-31T12:10:00.000-07:00

Opening day is here once again. We have survived the cold of winter and new optimism fills the air.

Baseball is in my blood so to speak. It has been passed down to me by my father http://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/player.cgi?id=appleg001fra who had it passed down from his father and my kids whether they realize it or not have had it passed down from me.

As a kid I loved to play baseball. I would gather anyone and everyone in the neighborhood to play ball whether it be wiffle ball, stick ball or hard ball. It wasn't until I stopped playing organized ball after college that I realized how much I love this game. As a follower of Jesus I have also recognized that Baseball is one of the greatest metaphors for the Christian life:

1. It teaches you how to deal with failure. The most successful hitters in the game fail 7 out of 10 times. Out of the 30 Major League teams only 8 make the playoffs and only one is crowned champion.

"We all make many mistakes..." (James 3:2 NLT)

"For though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again..." (Proverbs 24:16 NIV)

"Failure doesn’t mean you have blown everything. It means you have some hard lessons to learn. It doesn’t mean you are a permanent loser. It means you aren’t as smart as you thought you were. It doesn’t mean you should give up. It means you need the Lord to show you the next step. It doesn’t mean that God has abandoned you. It means that God has a better plan." Ray Pritchard

2. It is a team sport, however the team really is very dependent on individual performance. For example, if the pitcher is off there is not much the rest of the fielders can do about it. Or lets say there is two outs and your on base but the hitter at the plate does not get a hit you you cannot score.

"The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ." (1 Corinthians 12:12 NIV)

"Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others." (Romans 12:4-5 NIV)

3. To be successful requires Spring Training.

"...discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness; for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come." (1 Timothy 4:7-8 NASU)

4. Every team needs a good manager.

"...For apart from me you can do nothing. (John 15:5 NLT)

"For I can do everything with the help of Christ who gives me the strength I need." (Phillipians 4:13 NLT)

5. Opening day means a fresh start for every team. (Great news for Cubs fans!)

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" (2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV)

"He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" (Revelation 21:5 NIV)

"For I am about to do a brand-new thing. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness for my people to come home. I will create rivers for them in the desert!" (Isaiah 43:19 NLT)

PASTORAL PROGNOSTICATION

Some songs never grow old

2011-03-25T10:30:00.000-07:00

"If I stand" by Rich Mullins

"There's more that rises in the morning
Than the sun
And more that shines in the night
Than just the moon
It's more than just this fire here
That keeps me warm
In a shelter that is larger
Than this room

And there's a loyalty that's deeper
Than mere sentiments
And a music higher than the songs
That I can sing
The stuff of Earth competes
For the allegiance
I owe only to the Giver
Of all good things

So if I stand let me stand on the promise
That you will pull me through
And if I can't let me fall on the grace
That first brought me to You
And if I sing let me sing for the joy
That has born in me these songs
And if I weep let it be as a man
Who is longing for his home

There's more that dances on the prairies
Than the wind
More that pulses in the ocean
Than the tide
There's a love that is fiercer
Than the love between friends
More gentle than a mother's
When her baby's at her side

And there's a loyalty that's deeper
Than mere sentiments
And a music higher than the songs
That I can sing
The stuff of Earth competes
For the allegence
I owe only to the Giver
Of all good things

So if I stand let me stand on the promise
That you will pull me through
And if I can't let me fall on the grace
That first brought me to You
And if I sing let me sing for the joy
That has born in me these songs
And if I weep let it be as a man
Who is longing for his home

And if I stand let me stand on the promise
That you will pull me through
And if I can't let me fall on the grace
That first brought me to You
And if I sing let me sing for the joy
That has born in me these songs
And if I weep let it be as a man
Who is longing for his home

And if I weep let it be as a man
Who is longing for his home

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72L-bDOozNY&feature=related

Contents under pressure

2011-03-17T14:36:00.000-07:00

Recently my wife brought a few diet Pepsi in from the garage that were frozen on the inside. We learned the hard way why labels on cans often say "Contents under pressure." After a few short moments of extreme temperature change the can blew off the top and frozen diet Pepsi was all over our kitchen with some that even made it down the hall way. Thankfully, the half of a can that whizzed by my ear did no real damage except leaving behind a big mess to clean up.

After we cleaned up I thought about the pressure that most people feel with crazy schedules, difficult situations, and the stress of life and how a lot of people feel like "contents under pressure." When things get tough people explode emotionally and relationally.

When times get tough its easy for people to turn to other things and wrong things than turn to God when they feel pressure. When people drink too much, yell too much or go into a fit of anger they are actually trying to deal with or numb pain they are feeling. In times of difficulty it is easy to find comfort in the wrong things.

Thinking about this made me think about Jesus' promise concerning the Holy Spirit:

"And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;" (John 14:16 KJV)

I love that the Holy Spirit is called the "Comforter." It is a great picture of how God wants to help us in our lives if we will surrender to him. The Greek word for "Comforter" is the word "Paraclete" which literally means "one who comes alongside." I looked up 5 other translations to see how "Paraclete" is translated here is what I found:

NIV: Counselor
NASB: Helper
NLT: Advocate
The Message: Friend
Amplified: Intercessor, strengthener, stand by
Spanish: Consolador (Note the root word "console")

The Holy Spirit was sent to counsel us, to help us, to be our advocate, to be our closest friend, to be our strength, and to be our consoler. When we are under pressure we need to stop and surrender our emotions, our situations, people, whatever it is that is causing us to feel pressure and let him help. We are promised in Scripture:

"But I say, walk and live [habitually] in the [Holy] Spirit [responsive to and controlled and guided by the Spirit]; then you will certainly not gratify the cravings and desires of the flesh (of human nature without God)...But the fruit of the [Holy] Spirit [the work which His presence within accomplishes] is love, joy (gladness), peace, patience (an even temper, forbearance), kindness, goodness (benevolence), faithfulness, Gentleness (meekness, humility), self-control (self-restraint, continence)." (Galatians 5:16, 22-23 AMP)

Here is a great prayer to pray when you are under pressure:

God, teach me to be patient, teach me to go slow,

Teach me how to wait on You when my way I do not know.

Teach me sweet forbearance when things do not go right
So I remain unruffled when others grow uptight.

Teach me how to quiet my racing, rising heart
So I might hear the answer You are trying to impart.

Teach me to let go, dear God, and pray undisturbed until
My heart is filled with inner peace and I learn to know your will.

- written by Helen Steiner Rice

What to do when you fail?

2011-02-19T09:10:00.000-08:00

Lord, are you trying to tell me something?

For:

Failure doesn't mean I'm a failure.
It does mean I haven't yet succeeded.

Failure doesn't mean I have accomplished nothing.
It does mean I have learned something.

Failure doesn't mean I have been a fool.
It does mean I had enough faith to experiment.

Failure doesn't mean I've been disgraced.
It does mean I dared to try.

Failure doesn't mean I don't have it.
It does mean I have to do something in a different way.

Failure doesn't mean I am inferior.
It does mean I am not perfect.

Failure doesn't mean I've wasted my life.
It does mean I have an excuse to start over again.

Failure doesn't mean I should give up.
It does mean I must try harder.

Failure doesn't mean I'll never make it.
It does mean I need more patience.

Failure doesn't mean you have abandoned me.
It does mean you must have a better idea!

Amen.

Playing to win rather than playing not to lose

2011-01-31T18:01:00.000-08:00

I am a huge sports fan. I think sports offer great life lessons and there is much we can learn about life from sports themselves. Cliches about sports often end up being descriptions of real life situations. One of those cliches is "playing not to lose." Playing not to lose usually happens when a team is ahead by several points and the other team begins to comeback and score consecutive points.

Just the other day I was watching my beloved Colorado Buffaloes basketball team. They were ahead by seventeen points on the road at Baylor. To gain that lead the Buffs were playing loose and fast. They had a great game plan to win the game. They were taking it to Baylor's serious height advantage. Then something happened. Baylor scored a few baskets in a row and Colorado begin to take bad shots and turn the ball over. Next thing you know the Buffs were completely out of their game plan. They were panicking trying to conserve their lead. They begin to play not to lose rather than playing to win, they stopped playing the way that got them that seventeen point lead in the first place. They blew the game and lost.

Don't we often do the same thing in real life? We do it in our relationships, in our spiritual lives, in ministry, and on our jobs.

If we were to compare and contrast playing to win with playing not to lose we would have to start with the fact that playing to win always requires a level of risk and playing not to lose emphasizes conserving. Risk and and conserving are opposites. You can't risk and conserve at the same time. Risk by definition is the possibility of suffering harm or loss.

Another difference between the two is that playing to win requires boldness and playing not to lose oozes reluctance. Boldness is not carelessness but it is confidence and the ability to trust and move forward. It is faith in action whereas reluctance is motivated by fear. In particularly fear of loss. Risk and boldness are excited about the future, reluctance and fear spend a lot of energy on holding on to the past.

In my opinion the person who typifies playing not to lose in the Bible is Saul (1 Samuel 9-31). According to Scripture Saul was "an impressive man without equal and a head taller than any of the others" (1 Samuel 9:2). He had all the advantages a King could ask for yet he played not to lose all of his time as King. His focus was on himself and not losing his Kingdom. He was reluctant, indecisive, and filled with the fear of man. All of his decisions were stained with his desire to conserve what he had rather than be obedient to the Lord.

A character that is the complete opposite of Saul is Caleb (Numbers 13-14). Caleb typifies playing to win. Caleb was one of the spies who went into the land God had promised the Jews. The land was filled with all the great things God had told them but also had giants that intimidated the majority of the spies. In fact they were so intimidated that all but two refused to take God at his word and go into the land. Caleb was one of them that believed God would keep his word:

"Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, "We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it." (Numbers 13:30 NIV)

God was pleased with Caleb's faith:

"But because my servant Caleb has a different spirit and follows me wholeheartedly, I will bring him into the land he went to, and his descendants will inherit it" (Numbers 14:24 NIV)
Playing to win pleases God: "...without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." (Hebrews 11:6 NIV)

Is there a place in your life where you are playing not to lose rather than to win? Where are you walking in fear rather than faith? Reluctance rather than boldness? Conserving rather than risking?

The difficult part in following Jesus is that playing not to lose can be very costly:

"Then Jesus said to the disciples, "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must put aside your selfish ambition, shoulder your cross, and follow me. If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for me, you will find true life." (Matthew 16:24-25 NLT)

However, the reward for playing to win with him is great: "Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven..." (Luke 6:23 NIV)

Paul prayed a prayer about playing to win for some early Christ followers. Would you pray it with me?

"For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light...With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may count you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may fulfill every good purpose of yours and every act prompted by your faith. We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ." (Colossians 1:9-12, 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12)

New Year prayer by Billy Graham

2010-12-30T15:41:00.000-08:00

"Our Father and our God, as we stand at the beginning of this new year we confess our need of Your presence and Your guidance as we face the future.

We each have our hopes and expectations for the year that is ahead of us—but You alone know what it holds for us, and only You can give us the strength and the wisdom we will need to meet its challenges. So help us to humbly put our hands into Your hand, and to trust You and to seek Your will for our lives during this coming year.

In the midst of life’s uncertainties in the days ahead, assure us of the certainty of Your unchanging love.

In the midst of life’s inevitable disappointments and heartaches, help us to turn to You for the stability and comfort we will need.

In the midst of life’s temptations and the pull of our stubborn self-will, help us not to lose our way but to have the courage to do what is right in Your sight, regardless of the cost.

And in the midst of our daily preoccupations and pursuits, open our eyes to the sorrows and injustices of our hurting world, and help us to respond with compassion and sacrifice to those who are friendless and in need. May our constant prayer be that of the ancient Psalmist: “Teach me, O Lord, to follow your decrees; then I will keep them to the end” (Psalm 119:33).

We pray for our nation and its leaders during these difficult times, and for all those who are seeking to bring peace and justice to our dangerous and troubled world. We pray especially for Your protection on all those who serve in our armed forces, and we thank You for their commitment to defend our freedoms, even at the cost of their own lives. Be with their families also, and assure them of Your love and concern for them.

Bring our divided nation together, and give us a greater vision of what You would have us to be. Your Word reminds us that “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord” (Psalm 33:12).

As we look back over this past year we thank You for Your goodness to us—far beyond what we have deserved. May we never presume on Your past goodness or forget all Your mercies to us, but may they instead lead us to repentance, and to a new commitment to make You the foundation and center of our lives this year.

And so, our Father, we thank You for the promise and hope of this new year, and we look forward to it with expectancy and faith. This I ask in the name of our Lord and Savior, who by His death and resurrection has given us hope both for this world and the world to come."

Amen

Christmas and the invisibility of God

2010-12-23T08:23:00.000-08:00

"Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen." (1 Timothy 1:17 NIV)

"No one has ever actually seen God, but, of course, his only Son has, for he is the companion of the Father and has told us all about him." (John 1:18 TLB)

"Christ is the visible image of the invisible God..." (Colossians 1:15 NLT) "God is love..." (1 John 4:16)

"No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love has been brought to full expression through us. (1 John 4:12 NLT)

Did you notice the sequence of those scriptures?

I love what Pastor and theologian John Stott says about the invisibility of God. It is very applicable for us as we celebrate Christmas this year:

"It is a fact that God is invisible. No one has ever seen him and the very invisibility of God has always contributed a major problem to faith. In Old Testament days, the Jews were ridiculed by their heathen neighbours - 'Where is now your God? We can't see him. Come to our temples and we'll show you our gods. They are visible, they have ears, and eyes and mouths. But where is your God?' The people of God were embarrassed by these heathen taunts and would reply, 'True, your gods have eyes - but they can't see, they have mouths, but they can't speak. Our God, however, has neither eyes nor mouth but he can both see and speak.' Psalm 115:2-8. The same problem confronts scientific secularists today. Trained to use the empirical method, they are sceptical of anything which is not amenable to investigation by the five senses. They refuse to believe in what they cannot see. How then has God solved the problem of his own invisibility? The first answer is given in John 1:18 (RSV) 'No one has ever seen God: there is only the Son - he has made him known'. Jesus Christ is the visible image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15). As he himself said, 'he who has seen me, has seen the Father' (John 14:7). That's wonderful, people may respond - but it was also two millennia ago. Is there no way in which the invisible God makes himself visible today? Yes there is. 1 John 4:12 begins with exactly the same words, 'Nobody has ever seen God' - but instead of continuing that only the Son has made him known, it goes on - 'If we love one another, God dwells in us…' It is surely one of the most breathtaking sentences in the New Testament. It declares that the same invisible God, who once made himself visible in Christ, now makes himself visible in Christians - if we love one another. There is no more convincing evidence of the reality of the living God, than the love which animates the Christian community."
(This first appeared in a publication from the London Institute of Contemporary Christianity.)

May God bless each of us this Christmas with a richer understanding of His love so we in turn bless this world. When we love one another we literally manifest the presence of God! What a profound thought. As Jesus prayed, let us also pray:

"...I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. (John 17:20-23 NIV)

Diving in

2010-12-10T07:34:00.000-08:00

I am thankful for kid movies. I think I like them as much as they do! One of my favorites is "Finding Nemo." Before that movie I had never heard of the East Australian Current. The EAC is an ocean current that moves warm water in a counter-clockwise manor down the eastern coast of Australia.

There is a scene in the movie where Sea turtles use the EAC as a super highway to travel down the eastern coast of Australia. Like vehicles merging onto the freeway the turtles merge into the current and let it take them where they want to go.

With that in mind let me tell you what happened the other day.

I have been a pastor for a long time. Ministry is a truly privilege. However, it is not always as glamorous as you may think. There are mundane days and irritating situations. The other day felt like one of those days when it started.

I had a call to meet with a with a man who "needed to talk to pastor." In my experience that can mean many things. Little did I know that this time would be a sovereign move of God.

The man did not tell me he needed money or that he had some crisis in his life that he needed rescued from, he simply told me he was empty and was looking for direction and purpose.

It was a "God" experience. I felt a deep impression in my heart that I was going to have the privilege of leading this man to Christ, the One he was longing for.

There are times when you are talking to someone about the truths of the Gospel and it feels as if your words are bouncing off the person's forehead. This was not one of those times. He was a sponge to all that I was talking to him about. It made me think of all the other people that had spoke into his life at some point or another. Someone somewhere planted a seed, someone else watered, God made it grow and I was about to harvest.

I wonder if doctors who deliver babies ever grow tired of seeing newborns come into this world? I know when my kids were born I was always aware that there was Creator, life giving, God, and that at each birth I was witnessing a miracle.

Putting faith in Jesus is a birth, it is the New birth Jesus talks about in John 3. So spiritually I was about to deliver a newborn into this world. The person who delivers the baby can't take credit for anything in the process of life but serving and being available to help the mom and the family. The same is true when we lead someone to Christ. We do not get any credit, we just get the privilege of seeing the work of God before our very eyes.

So, back in my office I asked the man if he wanted to put his faith in Jesus and be a follower of Him. He said he did. So he prayed his first prayer to God and asked Jesus to be his Savior and Lord.

"For if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved." (Romans 10:9-11 NLT)

It was pretty awesome to witness. I truly had to repent to God for not always having the best attitude going into situations. I have had the privilege of leading others to Christ before, but it had been awhile since I this had happened. I think being a pastor gets in the way of doing real ministry sometimes!

What does all this have to do with the East Australian Current? Well, The picture God gave me after praying with the man was that of God's current. God's current, spiritually speaking, is always flowing. We like the sea turtles of Australia are not moving toward God but moving about in the vast ocean of life doing our own thing, going our own direction, when suddenly God in His amazing love draws us into His current. We then learn to flow with Him, letting Him lead, and ultimately Him leading us into Eternal life with Him. That is the destination of His current. It does not matter how old we are when we dive into His current, it does not matter where we have been, what matters is that we dive in.

I am so thankful God drew me into His current. I can feel my selfish nature fighting against it sometimes, but God in His love always reminds me of His grace and ultimately where we are headed and I stop fighting and let Him lead again.

Lets Dive in...

Spiritual tug of war

2010-11-25T10:16:00.000-08:00

I feel the tension inside my soul (Romans 7:15-23). The tension between the self-centered rebellious man and the self-righteous religious Pharisee (Luke 18:9-14). The rebellious man wants to be in charge and makes excuses for doing whatever is in my best interest (Luke 15:11-24). The religious Pharisee in me believes that my standing with God is based on my behavior and wants others to think well of me (Luke 15: 25-30). In fact, the religious man in me is way to dependent on the approval of others and can be paralyzed be the disapproval of others (Galatians 1:10).

I know I am not alone (Romans 3:10, 23).

There is a little Pharisee in all of us. There is a bit of legalistic self righteousness in us that thinks we are right with God by following rules and do's and dont's. There is a judgmental person that looks down on others when they have problems or fail. It makes us feel better about ourselves if we have someone "worse" than ourselves, but we feel bad about ourselves when deem someone to be "holier" than us. When we think like this our spiritual confidence before God is based on earning, based on a merit system.

In all of us there is also the pull and power of self. Selfishness can so easily be the chief motivator of our actions and behavior.

The problem with all of us is we tend to look inside ourselves for salvation from both extremes. We look within and find despair. How do we get out of this tug of war (Romans 7:24-25)?

We need to stop looking within for hope and salvation and look to Christ. The more introspective we are the more prone to despair we are.

In the words of the great Reformer Martin Luther:

"...when the devil throws your sins in your face and declares that you deserve death and hell, tell him this: "I admit that I deserve death and hell, what of it? For I know One who suffered and made satisfaction on my behalf. His name is Jesus Christ, Son of God, and where He is there I shall be also!...This life therefore is not righteousness, but growth in righteousness, not health, but healing, not being but becoming, not rest but exercise. We are not yet what we shall be, but we are growing toward it, the process is not yet finished, but it is going on, this is not the end, but it is the road. All does not yet gleam in glory, but all is being purified."

The answer to the tug of war is not to pull harder with one side or the other, but to let go of the rope all together. The lyrics to the old hymn say it best:

Before the throne of God above I have a strong, a perfect plea: A great High Priest, whose name is Love, Who ever lives and pleads for me. My name is graven on his hands, My name is written on his heart; I know that while in heaven he stands No tongue can bid me thence depart No tongue can bid me thence depart. When Satan tempts me to despair, And tells me of the guilt within, Upward I look, and see him there Who made an end of all my sin. Because a sinless Savior died, My sinful soul is counted free; For God, the Just, is satisfied To look on Him and pardon me To look on Him and pardon me Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Praise the One, Risen Son of God! Behold him there, the risen Lamb My perfect, spotless righteousness, The great unchangeable I AM, The King of glory and of grace! One in himself, I cannot die My soul is purchased by his blood My life is hid with Christ on high, With Christ, my Savior and my God With Christ, my Savior and my God

Ten 13 Sixty Seven

2010-10-13T12:59:00.000-07:00

My mom is in the hospital as I write this for a pretty serious back surgery. She is recovering well, just in a lot of pain. The surgery and her recovery has taken place ironically at the same hospital I was born in 43 years ago today. They have moved her to the older part of the hospital. She told me this morning: "who knows, maybe it was this very room you were born in." That was a weird thought.

Where did 43 years go? I don't feel 43. I definitely don't act 43. When I was eight 43 seemed very old. When I was 18 it seemed even older. I have very vivid memories of my childhood. I can remember graduating from high school like it was yesterday. They were not joking when they said time truly flies by after high school. Our birthdays and New Years Day help us reflect twice a year that life is short and we better make the most of it because one thing for sure we cannot control is getting older.

One of my Spanish speaking friends wrote on my facebook page:"FELIZ CUMPLEAÑOS"
Literally translated from Spanish to English it means "Happy years completed." I like that. I have completed 43 years! Some were better than others. Some were easier than others. Never the less, they are complete.

One of my favorite writers Henri Nouwen said this about birthdays:

"Birthdays are so important. On our birthdays we celebrate being alive. On our birthdays people can say to us, "Thank you for being!" Birthday presents are signs of our families' and friends' joy that we are part of their lives. Little children often look forward to their birthdays for months. Their birthdays are their big days, when they are the center of attention and all their friends come to celebrate. We should never forget our birthdays or the birthdays of those who are close to us. Birthdays keep us childlike. They remind us that what is important is not what we do or accomplish, not what we have or who we know, but that we are, here and now. On birthdays let us be grateful for the gift of life."

In other words we should make a bigger deal out of birthdays than any other accomplishments, graduations, or successes because of the simple fact that we were born. We count. We matter. We exist. Most importantly we matter to God. He created us and gave us purpose and in Christ gives us hope. Celebrating birthdays matter because we matter to Him.

So on my birthday I offer this simple prayer:

"Lord, let my birthday be a reminder to me of all the gifts and blessings I have received from You this day and all the days of my life. On my day of celebration, I thank you for my life and all of my blessings and ask for another year filled with Your presence in my life that I may continue to grow in your love. Gracious God, I thank You for enabling me to celebrate my birthday. Lord You have been good to me all these years and I thank You for all the blessings I have recieved but especially for life itself. Creator God, I do not know what lies ahead for me this year. Yet I know that You are holding my future in Your hand. Let my ways be pleasing to you. As You have promised, be with me, Lord. Gird me with Your strength and grace so that I can live for Your light. Enable me to draw closer to You that I may walk in your peace and be the creative and loving person that you intend for me to be. I ask this and all things in the sure and certain knowledge of your love for me and for all your people. Amen."

Letting Go

2010-09-08T07:40:00.000-07:00

To let go doesn’t mean to stop caring, it means I can’t do it for someone else.

To let go is not to cut myself off, it’s the realization that I can’t control another.

To let go is not to enable, but to allow learning from natural consequences.

To let go is to admit powerlessness,
which means the outcome is not in my hands.

To let go is not to try to change or blame another, I can only change myself.

To let go is not to care for, but to care about.

To let go is not to fix, but to be supportive.

To let go is not to judge, but to allow another to be a human being.

To let go is not to be in the middle arranging all the outcomes, but to allow others to effect their own outcomes.

To let go is not to be protective; it is to permit another to face reality.
To let go is not to deny, but to accept.

To let go is not to nag, scold or argue,
but to search out my own shortcomings and to correct them.

To let go is not to adjust everything to my desires,
but to take each day as it comes.

To let go is not to criticize and regulate anyone,
but try to become what dream I can be.

To let go is not to regret the past, but to grow and live for the future.
To let go is to fear less and love more!

Author Unknown

Who do you love?

2010-08-26T18:13:00.000-07:00

I once heard a definition for love that has always stuck with me: :"Love cares for, provides for, and protects the well-being of the one loved." We have heard it said that love is not a feeling but it is an action. There are many examples in Scripture that support this understanding. For example: "Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth." (1 John 3:18) Jesus said there was no greater love than a person lay down their life for their friend.

Love is a tricky thing. It is a word that is used very loosely. We can "love ice cream" and we can "love God and others" meaning a very different type of love.

If love is an action more than a feeling then I am asking myself the question: "who do I really love"?

We are not commanded in Scripture to "like" everyone, we are told to "love" everyone. Even those who hurt us, who speak badly of us, those who mistreat us, those who are even our enemies.

Jesus said that people will know who are His followers if they live lives of love.

I know that my love is imperfect, yet God's love is perfect. "God is love." He is the very definition of love and He lives in me, therefore I can love the unlovely and unlovable because He does.

I dream of the day when I will be so consumed in God's love that love for others will be the first response from my heart when I get hurt by others or people disappoint me.

Lets pray together:

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace;
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon:
where there is doubt, faith ;
where there is despair, hope
where there is darkness, light
where there is sadness, joy
O divine Master,
grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood, as to understand;
to be loved, as to love;
for it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.

Amen. (Prayer of St. Francis)

This is a must read: Simply life changing

2010-07-23T18:34:00.000-07:00

Copy and paste this link

http://download.redeemer.com/pdf/learn/resources/All_of_Life_Is_Repentance-Keller.pdf

One of the best books I have read is called "The Prodigal God" By Tim Keller who is also the author of this article. Everything he teaches and preaches is centered on what Christ has done for us and how that is the key to real and lasting hope and change.

For more by Tim Keller follow this link:

http://www.monergism.com/thethreshold/articles/bio/timkeller.html

Prone to wander

2010-07-11T18:50:00.000-07:00

Why is it so easy to be so introspective and self-abasing? Why do we struggle not only believing the Gospel but living in the grace that the Gospel of Jesus Christ has provided? Jesus died to make us right with God. There is nothing we can do that adds to the righteousness found in the Gospel and there is nothing we can do to take anything from it. (Romans 3:21-26)

Martin Luther is helpful when he writes:

"This life therefore is not righteousness, but growth in righteousness, not health, but healing, not being but becoming, not rest but exercise. We are not yet what we shall be, but we are growing toward it, the process is not yet finished, but it is going on, this is not the end, but it is the road. All does not yet gleam in glory, but all is being purified."

I woke up this morning thinking about a verse found in 2 Peter 1:3:

"His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness." NIV

God has given us EVERYTHING we need. That means we lack nothing of what really matters and we do not lack the things that are necessary for real life! He truly has given us everything we need.

What has He given us? He has given us the promise of eternal life. He has given has the Lord Jesus, our Savior, our King, the best friend we could ever have! He has given us His word which provides lasting peace & real joy. He has given us the Holy Spirit. He has given us the Church, He has given us "one another." What else do we really need? How we answer that may help each of us answer my first question of why we are so restlessly introspective and self-abasing.

I can relate to the old hymn that says:

O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I’m constrained to be!
Let Thy goodness, like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to Thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above.

Butt Prints in the sand

2010-06-26T20:07:00.000-07:00

One night I had a wondrous dream,
One set of footprints there was seen,
The footprints of my precious Lord,
But mine were not along the shore.

But then some stranger prints appeared,
And I asked the Lord,"What have we here?"
Those prints are large and round and neat,
"But Lord,they are too big for feet."
"My child," He said in somber tones,
"For miles I carried you alone.
I challenged you to walk in faith,
But you refused and made me wait."
"You disobeyed,you would not grow,
The walk of faith,you would not know,
So I got tired,I got fed up'
And there I dropped you on your butt."
"Because in life,there comes a time,
When one must fight,and one must climb,
When one must rise and take a stand,
Or leave their butt prints in the sand."
--Author Unknown

Valor

2010-05-28T18:32:00.000-07:00

val·or: boldness or determination in facing great danger, especially in battle; heroic courage; bravery: a medal for valor

Pat Tillman was killed in friendly fire on April 23, 2003 in Afghanistan. Tillman was a successful defensive back for the Arizona Cardinals. He was so successful he was on the brink of signing a multi-year contract worth millions of dollars. He had turned down more money from the St. Louis Rams the previous year out of loyalty to the Cardinals. Tillman was so moved by the terrorist attacks of 9/11 that he felt it was his duty to join the Army and serve his country. He gave up fame and fortune to follow what he felt was his obligation at the cost of his own life.

To me this is the definition of sacrifice. When we sacrifice it means we give up something for the benefit of others. I am thankful for those in the military who sacrificed their comfort and convenience for the rest of us. Numerous men and women have shown incredible valor by facing danger and adversity for the sake of the freedom of others. There are not enough words to express thankfulness for their bravery.

Memorial Day makes me think of someone else who possessed incredible valor, Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ laid down His life to give freedom for sinners like me. He did not have to do it, but He chose to do it because He loves us: "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13)

The reality is we should be mindful of the sacrifice of those we remember on Memorial Day more than one day a year, and we should be even more mindful of the sacrifice of Jesus everyday.

2 Corinthians 5:21
"For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ." NLT

As soldiers do their best to defer, deflect, and detour those who would harm us, so Jesus did when He died on the cross. The cross of Jesus Christ will never make sense nor be fully appreciated until we grasp the sinfulness of sin and the holiness of God. Sin destroys lives that is why God hates it so much and that is why it took such a great sacrifice to atone for it. Scripture puts it this way:

"We are made right in God's sight when we trust in Jesus Christ to take away our sins. And we all can be saved in this same way, no matter who we are or what we have done. For all have sinned; all fall short of God's glorious standard. Yet now God in his gracious kindness declares us not guilty. He has done this through Christ Jesus, who has freed us by taking away our sins. For God sent Jesus to take the punishment for our sins and to satisfy God's anger against us. We are made right with God when we believe that Jesus shed his blood, sacrificing his life for us. God was being entirely fair and just when he did not punish those who sinned in former times. And he is entirely fair and just in this present time when he declares sinners to be right in his sight because they believe in Jesus." (Romans 3:22-26 NLT)

Jesus turned away God's righteous judgment of my sin and yours when He died on the cross.God treated Jesus way I deserved to be treated. He was judged so that we do not have to be judged. Jesus showed what valor was all about when He faced the agony of the cross. Christ's valor was motivated by perfect love. He was not dying for land, governments, policies, oil, or any earthly kingdom.

"...He was willing to die a shameful death on the cross because of the joy he knew would be his afterward. Now he is seated in the place of highest honor beside God's throne in heaven." (Hebrews 12:2 NLT)

Great quotes from an honest Christian

2010-05-14T10:07:00.000-07:00

"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."

"I gave in, and admitted that God was God."

"I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else."

"God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing."

"There are two kinds of people: those who say to God, "Thy will be done," and those to whom God says, "All right, then, have it your way."

"You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream."

"You don't have a soul. You are a Soul. You have a body."

C.S. Lewis

Concerning life: Choose quality over quantity

2010-04-25T15:54:00.000-07:00

Ecclesiastes 8:7-8
Indeed, how can people avoid what they don't know is going to happen? None of us can hold back our spirit from departing. None of us has the power to prevent the day of our death. NLT

We really do not have much say over the quantity of our lives. Yes we can do somethings to take care of ourselves, like eat right, exercise, wear seat belts etc. but we ultimately do not have control over when we die. We cannot control accidents, cancer, heart problems, war, the weather, or the choices of others. However, we do have a say in the quality of life we live. By quality of life I do not mean possessions, money, or material goods, but a life of peace, joy, and happiness that money cannot buy. Money and possessions are outward things, peace, joy, and happiness are internal things therefore quality of life is not dependent on outward circumstances, but rather an inward attitude of faith. The thought of dying and the reality of dying makes me want to live better today. It makes me want to live more fully and to live fully alive.
I want to fully enjoy God's gifts.
I want to love more and complain less.
I want my life to be a walk of faith, hope, and truth.
I want to die having lived beyond regret.
I want my actions to show the people in my life that they are important to me.
I want my words to bring life and encouragement rather than pain and disappointment.
I want to learn from my failures and mistakes.
I want to forgive and be forgiven.
I want to judge less and trust more.
I want God to use my life to bless others.
When all is said and done and I crossover into eternity I want to look into Christ's eyes and hear His words: "Well done."

God has given us life. We have been given a certain number of days. We do not choose how long we live but we do choose how we will live. We do not choose the quantity of our lives but we do choose quality of life.

Praying written prayers

2010-04-14T13:04:00.000-07:00

The majority of my Christian life has been spent in a Non-Denominational Church. Non-Denominational churches tend to pride themselves on not being enslaved to tradition and being free from the shackles of dry and dull liturgy. As a Non-Denominational Christian I understand and agree with the premise of the arguments against stale and predictable prayer and worship, I do not agree, however, that there is nothing to be gained or experienced by reading or participating in liturgy or liturgical services especially when it is from the heart. Anything can be can become predictable and dry if it is not done or offered from a sincere heart.

With that in mind, I have found reading and praying the prayers of others to be significant in my own spiritual growth and intimacy with God. I was not raised going to church much, so the majority of hymns in modern hymnals I have never sung (although there seems to be a great revival amongst contemporary Christian music in bringing back the old hymns put to modern music & melodies). Several years ago a pastor in Scotland gave me a hymnal from the Church of Scotland. It has been a treasure to me in my private devotional life. I find myself reading them as prayers to God and He always strengthens my faith through them.

When we read the Psalms we are simply reading the written prayers and songs of people who followed God thousands of years ago.

I have found that writing out my prayers to God and then reading them aloud to be a great way to pray. If you struggle with prayer, not knowing how to pray or what to pray, try writing out a prayer to God, get on your knees and read it out loud to God. God will use it stir up other things and lead you further into His presence.

The following is a prayer you can recite first thing in the morning as you offer your day to God

"Almighty and everlasting God, Creator & Sustainer of the universe, I worship you.
Lord Jesus Christ, Savior and Lord of the world, I worship you.
Holy Spirit, Sanctifier of the people of God, I worship you.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen
Heavenly Father, I pray that this day I may live in your presence and please you more and more.
Lord Jesus Christ, I pray that this day I may take up my cross and follow you.
Holy Spirit, I pray that this day your fruit may ripen in my life-love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
Holy blessed and glorious Trinity, three persons and one God, have mercy upon me. Amen."

The expense of our salvation & our discipleship

2010-04-01T15:02:00.000-07:00

"If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it." Matthew 16:24-25 (NIV)

Salvation is free; however, following Jesus costs us everything. The good news of Jesus is that God sent his son to live and die in our place. He lived a perfect life meaning he loved God perfectly and loved his neighbor as himself perfectly, thus he never sinned. However, he willingly stood in our place dying on the cross for our sin, sin he had never known or committed. In the Old Testament we are told: “If you fully obey the LORD your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. All these blessings will come upon you and accompany you if you obey the LORD your God…” (Deuteronomy 28:1-2, NIV). The scripture goes on to list blessings for obedience. In the same chapter we read:

“However, if you do not obey the LORD your God and do not carefully follow all his commands and decrees I am giving you today, all these curses will come upon you and overtake you…” (Deuteronomy 28:15, NIV).

The chapter goes on to pronounce a curse for disobedience. Did you notice the “ifs” in those Old Testament verses? Here is the beauty of the gospel: Jesus answered the “ifs” of the law. He lived in perfect obedience, and he paid the penalty for disobedience. “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: ‘Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.’" (Galatians 3:13, NIV).

Salvation cost you and me nothing, but it cost Jesus everything. However, following Jesus will cost you and me everything.

Taken from "Noblesse Oblige" by Scott Applegate pages 111-113

God never wastes a hurt (Happy St. Patricks Day!)

2010-03-16T17:19:00.000-07:00

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (NIV)

It has been said, “God never wastes a hurt.” This truth is illustrated in the life of Saint Patrick. Most people, including the Irish themselves, do not know why we celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. Much to the chagrin of most, St. Patrick’s Day is not about drinking green beer or even the Irish people, but rather, it is the celebration of Saint Patrick bringing the Gospel of Jesus Christ to Ireland.When Patrick was young, he was kidnapped from his home in England and forced into a life of slavery by the Irish. Several years later, he escaped and went home to England. At home in England, he became a dedicated follower of Jesus. During a time of prayer, he felt led to go back to those in Ireland who had enslaved him and bring them the “good news” of Jesus Christ. Needless to say, his work and impact literally changed a people-group. It is amazing that God brought Patrick back to his place of pain so he could use him to grow his kingdom in the same people that had no regard for him years earlier.

Like St. Patrick, God wants to use us to further his kingdom as well. He wants us to use our life experiences to help others in need. God does not require us to have great skills and abilities He requires faith and obedience.

CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW: BE BLESSED!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7O9OqBd2us

(From "Noblesse Oblige" by Scott Applegate pg. 41-42)

Random thoughts of a hopeful Christian

2010-03-10T14:33:00.000-08:00

"I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it." Jesus

Statistics seem to indicate that Christianity in the USA is declining at a fairly dramatic pace. Some groups say that in 1990 86% of Americans claimed Christianity as their faith. In 2008 it dropped to 76%. I understand that there is a big difference in someone saying they are a Christian and someone who actually follows Jesus Christ. A follower of Jesus Christ is someone who bases their life, actions, hopes, and dreams on the sacrificial death of Jesus and on His teachings.

The reason I feel these types of statistics are important is because they reveal not necessarily the truth about who are Christians or not but how our culture views Jesus. George Barna points out that the majority of people who say they are Christians are what he calls "casual Christians" and the rest are what he calls "captive Christians". He says: "The lives of Captive Christians are defined by their faith; their worldview is built around their core spiritual beliefs and resultant values." Where as the lives of Casual Christians are marked by: "...balancing everything just right so that they are able to maximize their opportunities and joys in life without undermining their perceived relationship with God and others."

"Liminality" is a word I have just recently discovered. A basic definition for liminality is a state where what used to work does not work anymore and what is going to work in the future has not yet been revealed. In other words, things are ambiguous. Its sort of like a 13 year old boy. He is no longer a little boy, but is not yet a man.

Liminality seems to describe Christianity in our culture. What used to work or the norm is no longer working and what is going to work has yet to be revealed. I realize that Jesus, His truth, and His true followers contiune, but how that looks in our culture is in a state of liminality.

Christianity in the United Kingdom has been on the rapid decline for several decades. As a matter fact, many parts of England and Scotland are considered unreached people groups. How did this happen? First, The church became irrelevant to culture. It stopped answering the questions of its society. The church became a building rather than a living movement of people who followed Jesus with their whole lives. In other words the church became casual in how it influenced culture. It is easy for the church to have a fortress mentality where people are invited in but the people living on the inside have no influence on those on the outside. The church in America seems to be following in their footsteps.

I know Jesus is building His Church no matter what I think or see. I am actually excited that we find ourselves in "liminality" because that means something good is coming. Whenever God makes changes its always good. I talk to people every day who are bored with their faith or disillusioned about what it means to follow Christ. The statistics of how many American Christian kids leave their parents faith behind once they turn 18 is staggering. I think people are hungry for something beyond casual Christianity. They are hungry for something that they can base ALL of their life on. I am banking on it. I am not ashamed to be a Captive Christian. How about you?

Mark 8:34-35 "If any of you wants to be my follower," he told them, "you must put aside your selfish ambition, shoulder your cross, and follow me. If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will find true life. NLT

http://www.barna.org/barna-update/article/13-culture/268-casual-christians-and-the-future-of-america

What would you say to Tiger?

2010-02-19T08:50:00.000-08:00

2 Corinthians 7:10 For God can use sorrow in our lives to help us turn away from sin and seek salvation. We will never regret that kind of sorrow. But sorrow without repentance is the kind that results in death.

I just finished listening to Tiger Woods statement regarding his "moral failures". It made me think of the Apostle Paul's statement in the book of Romans:

"I don't understand myself at all, for I really want to do what is right, but I don't do it. Instead, I do the very thing I hate. I know perfectly well that what I am doing is wrong, and my bad conscience shows that I agree that the law is good. But I can't help myself, because it is sin inside me that makes me do these evil things. I know I am rotten through and through so far as my old sinful nature is concerned. No matter which way I turn, I can't make myself do right. I want to, but I can't. When I want to do good, I don't. And when I try not to do wrong, I do it anyway. But if I am doing what I don't want to do, I am not really the one doing it; the sin within me is doing it. It seems to be a fact of life that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong." (Romans 7:15-21 NLT)

Tiger Woods, like all of us, has to come to grips with this internal struggle. I can relate. I have found myself saying over and over: "I can't believe I did this again." I want to do what is right, but I also find myself pulled to do what is wrong! Like the Apostle Paul I want to scream:

"Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin?" (Romans 7:24 NLT)

Tiger said that one thing he was going to do to try and overcome his struggles and behavior was to return to his Buddhist faith.

The Buddhist teach that a person overcomes their struggles by "The Four Noble Truths":
1. Life is suffering 2. We suffer because we desire the impermanent 3. The way to liberation from desire is to eliminate desire 4. Eliminate desire by following the eight fold path:(Have a right understanding of the four noble truths, Have right thought, Have right speech, Have right action, Have the right occupation, Have the right effort, Have mental self-control, Have right concentration)

I believe Buddhism has it partly right. Life is filled with suffering. Regardless of one's beliefs, all people agree that life is painful. And I would agree that most suffering does come from a desire of things that are impermanent, things that cannot ultimately satisfy the longings of the human heart.

However, the remedy is not found in self-effort or religion. Humanity has always had two ways of trying to achieve happiness & peace: Self-righteous religion (if I follow the rules, if I try harder, if I shape up I will be ok), or Self-centered rebellion (I am going to live it up, I am going to get mine, I will do what ever brings me pleasure). I believe both are an attempt to remedy the inner struggle common to all. I believe neither work.

I am a follower of Jesus because only He makes sense of the struggle and only He can set me free from my selfishness. Scripture teaches that only Jesus can set us free from self, sin, and death. Scripture teaches that the harder I try to keep the rules the more aroused my sinful self gets (Romans 7:5). Jesus taught that selfish sinful behavior comes from what is inside of our hearts (Matthew 15:19). We always try to change the outside first. But that never works. Religion is about humanity conforming outwardly to a set of ideals. True Christianity is about God changing us first on the inside, inside our hearts and the outside then follows. To me, this separates Christianity from all other faiths. Religion is man trying to gain God's favor and forgiveness by climbing the ladder of do's & dont's, and rules & regulations. Christianity is God coming to man. It is Him extending favor and forgiveness not based on works & effort but on faith in Jesus. Therefore, I agree wholeheartedly with the Apostle Paul once again:

"Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 7:24-25 NLT)

Jesus died to free us from the penalty of sin (Romans 3:23, 6:23), He gives us the Holy Spirit when we believe to free us from the power of sin (John 8:34-36, Romans 8:9-11), and He will ultimately free us from the presence of sin in eternity with Him (Revelation 21:4).

Hopefully Tiger Woods will be back playing golf soon. I pray nothing but the best for Tiger Woods. I certainly am no one to judge him. Jesus paid the price for his sins and mine. I think it would be a great story for him to make a full recovery and find himself back doing what he loves soon. My prayer is he would put his faith and hope in the one person who always delivers on His promises, and that is Jesus Christ.

Viva Las Vegas

2010-02-14T14:01:00.000-08:00

I had the privilege last week of being the guest speaker for the DTS (discipleship training school) at the Youth with a Mission (YWAM) Las Vegas base. I had the responsibility of teaching 12 lectures Monday through Thursday on the "Noblesse Oblige". It was a lot of work but very worth it.

Las Vegas: aka "Sin City" or "Lost Wages", as some like to call it is an interesting place. It is a crazy place somewhat like the New Testament city of Corinth where the apostle Paul encountered all sorts of debauchery and hedonism. There really is nothing new under the sun. Mankind has always had two paths to fulfillment: Self-Centered rebellion or Self-Righteous religion. Las Vegas just prides its self on its openness to feeding the Self-Centered hedonistic ways of humanity. Las Vegas is a place that is the antithesis of 1 John 2:15-17:

"Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world-the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does-comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever." NIV

On the other hand is there not a more strategic place for a Christ-follower to be than in the middle of a place where broken people are looking for God in all the wrong places? If Jesus would have lived in our day I'm sure he would have found his way to Vegas to talk to the outcast, the broken, the rich, the stripper, the gambler, and the drunk (Matthew 9:10-13, Matthew 11:19). Jesus was always found with the broken and the broken were always attracted to Jesus.

As my wife and I drove the first day we got to Vegas we were shocked at 50 or so homeless people living under the under pass a block or so from the base. People were sleeping on the sidewalk. What an eye-opener. The base is located in a rough part of town.

The students have signed up for 12 weeks of daily discipleship that consists of communal living, Bible lectures, outreach to locals, much prayer, and servant hood. At the end of the 12 weeks the students will have formed a team that will go and share the love of Jesus to people who are less fortunate and spiritually lost without Christ. But even more than that, they will be marked for life by the bonds of unity Christ will form in each of them by them pursuing and living out their "Noblesse Oblige" (French for Noble obligation).

I am proud to know each one of them. They picked a difficult place to do their training. I am even more proud of their leaders who serve them and serve with them everyday. My prayer for all of them is found in Romans 15:5-6:

"May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. "NIV

Thank you YWAM Las Vegas. You taught me more than I taught you. You reminded me what its all about.

Abba Father

2010-01-26T14:46:00.000-08:00

My dad had a total knee replacement recently. He is in a ton of pain and the rehab is going to take several months. However, when all that is over I think he will be pleased with the change.

I am very close with my dad and to see him in pain is difficult. He has enjoyed good health the majority of his 72 years of living. He still plays baseball, swims, and golfs. He is very active for his age.

My dad has always been a good example to me of what God the Father is like. I know so many people who have warped images of God because of their earthly fathers. That is not the case with me. My dad has always showed unconditional love to me. When I was far from living the life God intended for me my dad always kept a close relationship with me.

Obviously, my dad has flaws. But what he does have is a tender heart towards his kids and his 12 grandkids (plus 4 great grand kids). Everyone of us know how much he loves us. The love of God the Father is tender and unconditional and for that I am grateful. My prayer for my dad is that he would continue to know the love of His heavenly Father and thus let that shine through his life.

Jesus called God "Abba". Which simply means daddy. It is a term which oozes with closeness. The New Testament tells us that because of Jesus we can call God "Abba" as well:

Romans 8:15-16 For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. NIV

My prayer for all of us is simple, that each one of us would know and live in the unconditional perfect love of our heavenly Father.

P.S. I also pray my dad heals quickly, we have a lot of baseball games to go to soon...

What song would you want played at your funeral?

2010-01-09T10:30:00.000-08:00

"...Death is the destiny of every man; the living should take this to heart." King Solomon

As a pastor I have officiated numerous funerals. A constant at most funerals is picking the right songs to sing or play the songs that best represent the life of the person who passed away. I have heard everything from Jimmy Buffet, tons of Country, Christian contemporary, and many hymns.
I do not plan on dying anytime soon, but if God has a different plan for me the song I want played at my funeral is "These are the words I would say" by a band called "The Sidewalk Prophets." Here are the lyrics:
Verse 1
Three in the morning, and I’m still awake So I picked up a pen and a page And I started writing just what I’d say If we were face to face I’d tell you just what you mean to me Tell you these simple truths
CHORUS
Be strong in the Lord And never give up hope You’re gonna do great things I already know God’s got His hand on You So don’t live life in fear Forgive and forget But don’t forget why you’re here Take your time and pray These are the words I would say
Verse 2
Last time we spoke you said you were hurting And I felt your pain in my heartI want to tell you that I keep on praying That love will find you where you are
I know cause I’ve already been there So please hear these simple truths
Repeat CHORUS
Say… from one simple life to another I will say… come find peace in the Father
Be strong in the Lord And never give up hope You’re gonna do great things I already know God’s got His hand on You So don’t live life in fear Forgive and forget But don’t forget why you’re here
Take your time and pray And thank God for each day His love will find a way These are the words I would say
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fpKwja0j50&feature=related

Where would we be without CHRISTmas?

2009-12-11T10:59:00.000-08:00

Luke 2:11-12 "Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord." NIV Revelation 21:5 "...I am making everything new!..." NIV

It is hard to believe that Christmas is already upon us. Christmas really is a wonderful time of year. The sights the sounds, and the smells are truly amazing. One thing that I love the most about Christmas is that it precedes the New Year. I'm not sure if Jesus was really born on December 25th or not and truthfully I don't really care to the accuracy of His birthday, I am just glad He was born. I am glad that God chose to become one of us so that He could become our empathetic, triumphant Savior and Lord.

It is so brilliant that we celebrate the birth of Christ so close to the New Year because it provides the opportunity to finish the year with reflection on Who Jesus is, Why He came, and How His person and work affect our lives. Regardless of how the year went Christmas provides reflection on what is most important in life. In a sense it refocuses our priorities and purpose when we stop and celebrate the birth our Savior. Without His birth we would not be able to celebrate the salvation that His life, death, resurrection and ascension has provided. We have none of that if He had not first chose to become flesh and make His dwelling among us.

Christmas at the end of the year also provides the opportunity to have a fresh outlook on the New Year. Regardless of the failures of the past year, regardless of the heartache, we have experienced, Christmas is a perfect illustration of the heart of God for us. At the birth of Christ God was ushering in the beginning of His kingdom of which there is no end. Of which we are invited be part of. "Behold He is making all things new." That includes us. For that I am thankful. As you celebrate the birth of Christ this year celebrate the newness of life that Christ not only offers but delivered and will fulfill at His return.

A Tough Command

2009-11-25T20:26:00.000-08:00

1 Thessalonians 5:18
“give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.” NIV

Thanksgiving is by far my favorite holiday. What is better than family, food, and football? (Three of my favorite things in life) However, since I have become a follower of Jesus Thanksgiving has a deeper meaning.

As you search the pages of Scripture you find that thankfulness is a way of life for anyone who wants to know and follow after God. Thankfulness opens the door for reflection on the goodness of God, the character of God and the providence of God.

But how do we give thanks for difficult times and the trials we go through? It is so hard in the middle of difficulty to be thankful. Without a doubt, pain, suffering, and the trials of life are the biggest obstacles for people to overcome concerning faith in God.

I remember being on a mission trip in El Salvador many years ago. We were in the airport awaiting our trip home. It had been an amazing trip. God had done many great things in the lives of many people. With that said, I was ready to get home. We had been there for two weeks. It was hot, humid, and I had taken one shower during the two-week period. You are probably thinking, “Wow, I bet you stunk”. We did bathe, but with buckets of rainwater. I learned to be thankful for simple conveniences that I had taken for granted at home.

Anyhow, back to the airport.

With my eager desire to hurry up and get home we got to our gate and got an announcement that our plane was going to be delayed by 13 hours. Needless to say I was very ticked off. As I began to complain about this inconvenience, the Lord spoke: “give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.” My complaining heart gave way to faith that God was in control. I thought to myself: “Maybe God is protecting us from something by delaying our plane.”

You see God was not through with what he wanted to do even though I was done. In the airport the team bonded, prayed, and shared Christ with many people who would have otherwise not have been ministered to.

Awaiting us at the Houston airport was a Church bus that was going to drive us back to Denver. This bus was the same one we drove to Houston in the middle of the summer with no air-conditioning (You think God was teaching me some lessons?). The students that I had the privilege of leading wanted to stop in Dallas and spend the night with a former youth group member. I was once again faced with my own selfishness and being inconvenienced. I tried to talk them out of it , “if we drive through the night we will be home in the morning,” I reasoned. But nothing doing, we stayed the night. I pouted on the bus, and slept there all night. I woke up in the morning did my duty bible reading and felt self-righteously ready to depart.

After we had traveled an hour or so, one of the 10th grade girls approached me and said she “felt like God had a word for me.” She began to tell me that God was not through ministering to the team and that I needed to finish strong and be open to what God wanted to do. I was extremely convicted. It took God to use a girl half my age to set me straight. God wonderfully did some healing work in the lives of several people on the bus ride home that would have never happened had we drove through the night. We did indeed finish strong.

What if we saw inconveniences as opportunities for God to move? What if we looked for things to be thankful for in the midst of trials? How different would life be?

The only way to be thankful in all circumstances is to believe two important verses that speak of the sovereign power of God over our lives.

Philippians 2:13
“…for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.” NIV

Romans 8:28
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. NIV

What I like about both of these verses is the word “good”. God works and acts for his GOOD purpose, which is obviously for our own good.

Sometimes it is a good practice to ask what a verse does not say in order to understand what it really does mean.

Notice that Paul does not say, “we see”, but rather “we know”. We may never see how God works something good in our lives, but by faith we can trust that he will.

Secondly, he uses the phrase “all things.” He did not say “some things”. God uses everything, our mistakes, the mistakes of others, and all the difficulties life brings us and works it for His good purpose in our lives.

Thirdly, he says it he works it for “good”. He does not say that all things are good. God never calls evil good. He does not call the difficulties good, but that he will work it for good.

Lastly, he uses the phrase “His purpose”. God’s purpose for us is to become like Jesus. The good purpose in God allowing difficulties in our lives is to conform us to the likeness of his son (Romans 8:29). If we do not grasp this then we will be unable to be thankful in all circumstances and we will not grow in Christ-likeness.

May prayer for each of us is that no matter what we have gone through, are going through, or will go through, we will have a heart of thankfulness to the God who is Sovereign, all powerful and all knowing and thus bring him glory with our lives.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Spiritual bitter beer face

2009-11-13T11:46:00.000-08:00

“See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.” Hebrews 12:15 NIV

Several years ago there was a beer commercial that claimed if you drank a certain brand of beer you could avoid "Bitter beer face." Bitter beer face happened when you drank beer that was bitter. In the commercial there was an old man who could contort his face in such a way he almost appeared as if he was wearing a mask (see above picture).

On a more serious note, bitterness in the human heart does more than harm our facial expressions, it is so serious it can lead to spiritual and emotional death.

What is this kind of bitterness? According to one noted Bible teacher:

“Bitterness is planted as a seed of anger, rejection, or resentment, bitterness grows into a poisonous emotion that chokes out the peace of God in our lives and defiles the lives of family members and friends.” C.Stanley

In other words, bitterness has it's roots in disappointment and unforgiveness. People can be bitter with God or others, usually a combination of both.

How do people get bitter? People get bitter towards God because when things do not go our way or when He does not answer our prayers the way we had hoped. People get bitter towards others when people disappoint, hurt or offend us and we refuse to forgive them.

Weeds need to be pulled out by the roots. Sure, you can mow over the weeds in your yard and make it look better for a few days, but the weeds will be back. Unless a weed is de-rooted it will always grow back and in most cases stronger because the roots are stronger.

The only remedy to the root of bitterness in the human heart is to choose to forgive and walk in love. Something very helpful is to actually view the person you are bitter with as a tool in God's hands to make you more like Jesus. Walking in grace towards others is very difficult. That is why it is important to always remind yourself of how much God has forgiven you. Charles Stanley writes: "It is impossible for bitterness to grow in the soil of grace." The only way to have a heart filled with grace is to daily ponder the cross of Jesus and what He did for you. When we do this it is like putting spiritual weed and feed on our hearts.

If you would like to go deeper on the subject of bitterness you can listen to the podcast titled 'Bitterness". May God bless you with freedom from bitterness and the joy of having a forgiving heart.

What would it be like?

2009-10-27T18:40:00.000-07:00

What would it be like if we actually lived what we say we believe?
More importantly, what would it be like if followers of Jesus actually and consistently put the teachings of Christ into practice? "Why do you call me Lord, and do not do the things which I say?" (Luke 6:46-47)

What would marriages be like if couples who said they followed Christ, actually let Christ be in charge instead of themselves? What if every day each spouse made it a priority to make life better for each other rather than being self serving?

What would families be like if Jesus was allowed to be the head of the home? How differently would people in the family treat each other? How much more true joy would there be and how much true celebration of life would there be?

What would it be like if Christians in the work place chose everyday to give Christ first place? How much more productive would we be if we lived with a sense of accountability to God for our time? What would it be like if every business transaction was done through the integrity of Christ rather than being blurred by selfish motives?

What would our community look like if we actually believed that Jesus loved people and wanted to use us to bring healing and hope to all?

What would our churches look like if we truly believed that the local church was the hope of the world?

What would it be like if all who said they followed Christ took his command to love one another more serious than anything else?

What would it be like if we joined Christ's in his invitation?
“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

What would life be like?

Looking for "It"

2009-09-25T16:16:00.000-07:00

I was having a conversation with someone recently who was struggling with life. They were sharing that relationships were disappointing, that they did not like their career route, and they were unsure of God's calling on their life and whether their life was counting for much. In our conversation I realized that this person's struggle was coming from their quest to find "it". We all find ourselves looking for "it" sometimes, I know I do. We think "it" will be found in the right relationship, the right job, the right ministry, or even the right house or car. Yet if we were honest the harder we look for "it" the more dissatisfied we find ourselves.

I told this person that "it" was God Himself. As Augustine said: "Our hearts are restless until they find rest in Thee." "It" is found in learning how to enjoy God. True joy can only be found in God. God's gifts in life are meaningless if we do not enjoy the Giver of the gifts first. John Piper puts it this way: "To be satisfied in God does not come naturally to sinful people. By nature we get more pleasure out of God's gifts than God Himself." Joy is serious business to God. Finding joy in God is a command in scripture: "Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart."(Psalm 37:4 NIV) As with all of God's commands He always has our best in mind and at heart.

He is the Superior Pleasure.
Delighting in God is the remedy to overcoming sin: "You have filled my heart with greater joy..." (Psalm 4:7 NIV) Sin promises pleasure; that is why we are tempted by it. God promises pleasure as well. When we seek Him and obey Him we will find a greater joy than sin can offer.

He is the Superior Promise.
Delighting in God is the remedy to heartache and disappointments of life:
"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade-kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith-of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire-may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls." (1 Peter 1:3-9 NIV)
The promise of eternal life in heaven outweighs any trial, struggle, or disappointment this life can bring.

He is the Superior Power.
Delighting in God is the remedy to routine and apathy: "...the joy of the LORD is your strength." (Nehemiah 8:10 NIV) Joy in God is where we find true spiritual and emotional strength. Sometimes I find my prayer life a drag. Why? Because prayer becomes drudgery when it is seen as duty rather than a means of joy. The same can be said of worship. Worship becomes routine when it is not pursued as a means of joy.

I know that what I need in my life is to learn to enjoy God more. There are many things that get in the way of me enjoying God. TV, busyness, schedules, self, false thoughts of God, avoiding the Word, avoiding prayer, avoiding others, keeping grudges, pursuing joy in God's gifts rather than God Himself, the list could go on and on.

I realized the other day I was looking for "it". God reminded me that I was simply looking for Him. He had not gone anywhere. I am determined not to pray more, read more, serve more, or even obey more, but rather to enjoy God more. I know if I do that all of these things will be in my life.

I pray you will join me...

Oh How He Loves Us

2009-09-19T15:59:00.000-07:00

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

He is jealous for me, Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree, Bending beneath the weight of His wind and mercy. When all of a sudden, I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory, And I realize just how beautiful You are, And how great Your affections are for me.

He loves us, Oh how He loves us, Oh how He loves us, Oh how He loves. Yeah, He loves us, Oh how He loves us, Oh how He loves us, Oh how He loves.

And we are His portion and He is our prize, Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes, If His grace is an ocean, we're all sinking. And heaven meets earth like an unforeseen kiss, And my heart turns violently inside of my chest, I don't have time to maintain these regrets, When I think about, the way.

He loves us, Oh how He loves us, Oh how He loves us, Oh how He loves. Yeah, He loves us, Oh how He loves us, Oh how He loves us, Oh how He loves.

The words to David Crowder's latest song are powerful (the song is actually written by John Mark McMillan) The thought hit me the first time I heard it that if people could just truly accept the truth of these words our lives would be changed. It would not matter what people thought of us. It would not matter how much money we have or do not have. It would not matter what our circumstances brought to us because we have the perfect love of the Creator of the universe in our hearts...

Romans 8:31-39
What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all-how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died-more than that, who was raised to life-is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. NIV

The rest of the story

2009-09-02T11:39:00.000-07:00

NOTE: Please read the previous blog "Very Humbled" to understand the context of this entry.

My last entry was about the gift that I received from the African Pastor in Nigeria. The day that I entered that blog I tried to contact, through e-mail, the pastor and thank him for the beautiful garment. I wanted to get some more books to him as well. If you recall, a couple in my church had given their son a copy of "Noblesse Oblige" as he was graduating from college. I had met the Durhams and their son Ben on August 16th. That is the day they gave me the gift from Africa. We did not have much time that day to talk. It was more of a quick version of the story of how and why the book traveled to Nigeria. In short up until today I thought the highlight of the story was what had transpired through the Nigerian Pastor Timothy, reading "Noblesse Oblige." In comes the rest of the story.

It was my understanding that Ben was gong back to Nigeria, so I tried to contact him to get him some books to take with him. Ben returned my phone call today and informed me that he was not going to Nigeria, but back to Texas to do graduate work. Thankfully, I got to hear Ben's whole story. You see, this whole story is not really about me, the book, the Nigerian pastor, but about Ben and his relationship with Jesus.

Ben told me that the reason he went to Nigeria was to study an indigenous religion called "Ifa" ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ifa ). Ben had been raised in the Christian faith, but lost his faith at age 16 when his mother died of cancer. Like so many people, Ben wondered: "how could a good and all powerful God allow such suffering"? Without going into great detail, the Ifa religion offered some possible answers to a lot of unanswered questions for Ben. Thus Ben journeyed to Nigeria in search of peace and hope.

On the flight over Ben said he read my book. He said that it primed the pump spiritually for what God was about to do in his life. This is where the story takes off.

Ben's host family for his study time would be at the home of Reverend Timothy Oyebisi, a local Christian pastor. Over the years the Reverend has hosted many students like Ben, showing them grace and hospitality.

The Reverend asked Ben why he was in Nigeria. Ben told him about his desire to find some answers and some solace in the Ifa religion concerning his mom. Reverend Timothy in turn shared the truth about Jesus Christ with Ben. He told him that he would not find peace in Ifa but in Christ alone. He told him that Jesus could and would heal his heart and give him back his life if Ben would give him his. Ben did just that. He was re-introduced to Jesus through Timothy Oyebisi. God, in his sovereignty, placed Ben in Timothy's path to bring him to faith in Jesus.

Ben shared with me that he would wake up in the morning during his time with Timothy to the sound of Timothy praying prayers of destiny and hope. He prayed that Ben would find a wife that would help fill the hole that was created by losing his mom. Ben was mentored by this wonderful African pastor in a very impacting way in his brief time in Nigeria. Ben is going back to school to learn how he can be used of God to make life better for others in Africa. I guess you could say he found his "Noblesse Oblige". Obviously, Reverend Oyebisi is living his "Noblesse Oblige" as well.

Very Humbled

2009-08-16T12:25:00.000-07:00

Today I received a beautiful gift (see picture) from a pastor in Nigeria. It is a hand made garment for men to wear. The reason I was given this gift from a man I have never met, from a place I have never been, is he read my book "Noblesse Oblige" and wanted to express his gratitude for my writing the book. It is very humbling that a man from Nigeria would be blessed by something a suburban white American had to say.

How did he get a hold of the book? Well, a couple in our church bought the book for their son who was graduating from college. He in turn took a school related trip to Nigeria and brought the book with him. He gave it to the pastor whom he happened to be staying with. The pastor so enjoyed it he wanted to give a blessing to me. So the couple and their son met me at church today and gave me the gift.

I hope and pray that one day I can go to Africa. I want to experience the beauty of the land and the beauty of the people. I want to witness the hand of God upon the humble church in Africa. Maybe I can even meet the pastor who read my book.

I remember when I was writing the book having the thought:"I wonder if someone from Africa read my thoughts would it connect with them?" I honestly thought that! Well, I guess my question was answered. It is very fulfilling and humbling at the same time. I did not write the book to be rich and famous, but to grow in Kingdom influence. My hope is that it will continue to challenge people to spend their lives on what matters most regardless of nationality or culture.

Revelation 7:9-10
"After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.And they cried out in a loud voice: "Salvation belongs to our God,
who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb." NIV

Change

2009-08-05T15:15:00.000-07:00

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
There is a time for everything,
a season for every activity under heaven.
A time to be born and a time to die.
A time to plant and a time to harvest.
A time to kill and a time to heal.
A time to tear down and a time to rebuild.
A time to cry and a time to laugh.
A time to grieve and a time to dance.
A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones.
A time to embrace and a time to turn away.
A time to search and a time to lose.
A time to keep and a time to throw away.
A time to tear and a time to mend.
A time to be quiet and a time to speak up.
A time to love and a time to hate.
A time for war and a time for peace. NLT

I am feeling a bit uneasy today. It is mind boggling how fast time goes. The summer is coming to an end (where did it go?). Kids are preparing to go back to school. Football season is on the way, and the leaves will be changing and falling before you know it. Like it or not seasons change. Seasons come and go.

I had the thought today that my oldest daughter only has 5 more summer breaks and she will be out of school! That puts things into perspective. I can remember the day she was born like yesterday. How fast time flies! Whether I like it or not my kids are growing older, I can do nothing to stop it.

Change is a paradoxical experience. Change is always experienced in a two-fold way by people. Depending upon the experience, change is experienced as loss by some and as exciting to others. The same thing that is experienced as exciting to some is embraced as loss to others.

I guess the best thing we can do is to embrace change as a reality of life. Embrace it as an adventure to live through and allow it to point us to the hope we have in an eternal God who thankfully never changes.

Expectations verses Expectancy

2009-07-08T16:20:00.000-07:00

I was at a leadership conference yesterday and heard one of those life changing "ha ha" nuggets of wisdom. The man who was emceeing the day said at the beginning of the talks that there was a difference between expectations and expectancy. He said that: "Expectations were the seeds of resentment." He went on to say that expectancy was different because expectancy is open minded. I began to process what he said and was blown away. Understanding this affects relationships, marriage, parenting, our jobs etc.
Expectations are self-centered and when they are not met we get angry and resentful. If my expectations are not met I feel cheated. Most often expectations are never explained or even talked about in relationships, they are just assumed. We all know what assuming does.
Expectancy is different because it is open, hopeful, trusting, and filled with faith in a God who is loving and sovereign. When I do not have expectations but rather walk in expectancy I am positioned for whatever God wants and however He would lead.
Where in your life do you have unwritten expectations of others that when not met you are becoming resentful?
How about from God? Where have you had expectations from God that were not met and if you were honest have become a little resentful towards Him?
Turn your expectations into expectancy and trust Him to be faithful do what is best in every situation.

Ephesians 3:20-21
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. NIV

Satan Worship?

2009-06-17T14:58:00.000-07:00

I have been preparing a message to preach at church tonight regarding the temptations Jesus went through in Luke 4. In re-reading the text I was blown away by something I had never seen before. It says:

Luke 4:1-13
Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry. The devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread." Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone.'" The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to him, "I will give you all their authority and splendor, for it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. So if you worship me, it will all be yours." Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.'" The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down from here. For it is written: "'He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'" Jesus answered, "It says: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'" When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time. (from New International Version)

There were a few things about each temptation that Jesus went through that stood out:
First of all, would he trust His Father to provide for Him or would He take matters into His own hands and misuse His abilities to serve His own purposes. None of us will be tempted to turn stones into bread because we do not have that ability, but we will be tempted where we are gifted. For example, if I have people skills I will be tempted to manipulate people to do what I want them to do with my ability. In other words I will be misusing my gift. Christ's maturity was being tested. Maturity is the ability to endure pain and delay pleasure. Jesus was tempted by both.
Secondly, Jesus was tempted to give His loyalty to Satan. We must always keep in mind that Jesus was fully human, just like us (Hebrews 2:14-18). So He was experiencing the same struggles we do.
Thirdly, He was tempted to take a short-cut to what God had called Him to. Satan was tempting Him to show off His power so He could gain everyone;s approval. Think of what Jesus was about to endure. He was going to be rejected, betrayed, and greatly misunderstood. Satan was tempting Him to take a short cut that would jeopardize His integrity.
I want to focus for a moment on the second temptation. Satan's temptation to worship Him. Why would that be a temptation for anyone, let alone Jesus? The answer is in the context. He told Jesus that He would give Him power, pleasure, and possessions if He would worship Him. True Satan worship is not death metal music, Ozzy Osborne biting off the head of a bat, or blood sacrifices, or any other pagan rituals. It is the worship of self. It is living for pleasure, power, and possessions as the chief end of your life. I once heard a leader in the church of Satan say that "real Satan worship begins by being your own boss and calling the shots for your life."
We are all tempted to worship Satan in the same sense that Jesus was. Will I live for self? Or will I live for the glory of God and the betterment of others. Jesus responded with "It is written: 'Worship the Lord your God and serve him only." Let that be our response as well when we are tempted to give our loyalty and worship to power, pleasure, possessions, and self.

Longing For Eden Part #1

2009-06-04T11:46:00.000-07:00

I believe that the reason a lot of people struggle in the Christian life is because they have a faulty view of what has been promised to us by Jesus. A lot of people think that following Jesus means a life that will be free from pain. We hear people preach and talk about "the victorious Christian life", but what does that mean? Does that mean we will be spared from struggles in life? What did Jesus promise? He promised that if we trust in Him as Savior we can have eternal life (John 3:16). He promised that He would give us His peace regardless of our circumstances (John 14:27). He also promised:

"...Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world." John 16:33 NLT

Notice He did not say "you might" have trials and sorrows, but "you will."

Yesterday I was reminded once again of how fragile life is. A very healthy lady I know had a severe stoke and as I write this is on her death bed. I went to the hospital and prayed with her husband and family as they struggled to cope with the pain of losing someone so dear to them. Thankfully, she is a strong believer in Christ and has the promise of eternal life waiting for her when she dies. The struggle is for those left behind that will miss her.

Heaven is heaven because there is no pain, sorrow, sickness, death, or sin. It is the place where we will perfectly know and experience God's presence and joy. There will be nothing in the way of fully knowing Him. Ironically, how I described heaven is how life was for Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Prior to the Fall (Genesis 3), there was no sickness & sorrow, because there was no sin. What we all long for is to go back to Eden. The difficulty is we cannot go back to Eden until we die and go to heaven. Where my friend who had the stroke is about to go, is the place we all are truly longing for.

I love the music of Mercy Me. They have a very powerful song about what I am trying to say. Here are the lyrics:

You're in a better place, I've heard a thousand times
And at least a thousand times I've rejoiced for you
But the reason why I'm broken, the reason why I cry
Is how long must I wait to be with you

I close my eyes and I see your face
If home's where my heart is then I'm out of place
Lord, won't you give me strength to make it through somehow
I've never been more homesick than now

Help me Lord cause I don't understand your ways
The reason why I wonder if I'll ever know
But, even if you showed me, the hurt would be the same
Cause I'm still here so far away from home

I close my eyes and I see your face
If home's where my heart is then I'm out of place
Lord, won't you give me strength to make it through somehow
I've never been more homesick than now

In Christ, there are no goodbye
And in Christ, there is no end
So I'll hold onto Jesus with all that I have
To see you again
To see you again

And I close my eyes and I see your face
If home's where my heart is then I'm out of place
Lord, won't you give me strength to make it through somehow
Won't you give me strength to make it through somehow
Won't you give me strength to make it through somehow

If you want to hear the song follow this link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvhrPMJe8LE

True Citizens

2009-05-08T14:26:00.000-07:00

After thinking about the National Day of Prayer yesterday I picked up a book I read a while back called "Finding God" by Larry Crabb. It is a heavy book that addresses some deep issues in our walks with God. It is not for the faint of heart or those looking for a "feel good" book. Rather it is an intense look at why we do some of the things we do. We need to understand that our hearts are on a search for a real, passionate, and deep relationship with God yet we often look in the wrong direction and wrong places.

I was moved by a portion of the book I read last night and the irony of what I had been thinking about yesterday and the Kingdom of God and our citizenship in heaven. Dr. Crabb writes:

"We are more committed to making life work now than we are to finding God and living for a later hope. We naturally turn to God only to use him to improve our present lives...All our troublesome passions spring from this core passion to make to make our present lives better: distorted appetites for food or sex, bizarre urges that overwhelm us at the least convenient times, consuming desires to like ourselves better, a frantic determination to succeed personally or professionally, an insistence that spiritual victory translate into a comfortable life that no tragedy or tension can disrupt, a lust for revenge against those who have hurt us. We are passionately determined to make our lives less painful, and we will do whatever it takes to reach this goal in a disappointing, sometimes pleasurable, and maddeningly uncertain world.
To feel a deep, throbbing passion about our well-being in this world is as natural as breathing. And nothing is wrong with that, unless we feel no deeper passion! God has told us to love him with a passion that exceeds all other passions. Until we are chasing after God like a thirsty deer after water, pursuing him with more passion than we pursue a new home, parental approval, or kids who make us proud, this world fits us well. We're conformed to its values. Our citizenship is here.
Citizens of this world live with two objectives: (1) to find some way to make their present lives happier, and (2) to influence the people and materials in their world to cooperate. Beneath their every act of altruism, benevolence, and sacrifice lies the motive of self-service that destroys its moral value.
Christians, however, are citizens of another world; in this one we are strangers, aliens, and pilgrims. Our distinguishing mark is our passion for God. We endure hardship to serve him because we love him and are confident of his promise to bless us. At least that's the plan. But our natural passions keep getting in the way. Although we claim citizenship in heaven, we live like locals."

May God help each of us to not feel so comfortable here on earth that we forget where our real home is. May He remind us of the place we are truly longing for, the place that Jesus promised he was preparing for us. May God help us to live in this world with passion for Him and compassion for others, not looking to this world for hope and ultimate satisfaction, but to enjoy it and serve it for His glory and purpose. Amen.

Citizenship

2009-05-07T15:11:00.000-07:00

Philippians 3:20-21
"...our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body." NIV

Today is the National Day of Prayer. It is a day set aside by our nation to pray for our government leaders, city officials,and many of the struggles our nation faces(1 Timothy 2:1-4). It is also a time to give thanks to God for His hand of blessing upon our land.

With blessing comes responsibility. God always blesses people and nations to be a blessing to others.

I love our country. I am thankful that I am an American. I believe that our country is still great and there is no place I would rather live or be from. However, we must always remember that America nor any nation is the Kingdom of God.
John 18:36
Jesus said, "My kingdom is not of this world. NIV

The Kingdom of God is first of all spiritual:
"Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again...no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit." (John 3:3,5 NIV)

Secondly, on one hand, the Kingdom of God is not a place per se, but rather wherever God rules and reigns:
"...Jesus replied, "The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say, 'Here it is,' or 'There it is,' because the kingdom of God is within you." (Luke 17:20-21 NIV)

Thirdly, on the other hand, the Kingdom of God is and will be a physical place (see Revelation 20-21). The earth is the Lord's already, but there is coming a day when Jesus will reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lord's. That is the Kingdom yet to come. Right now He reigns in the hearts of His people. One day He will reign over all.

So, when we pray for our nation we must keep in mind how our nation fits into the sovereign plan and will of God. Often we pray prayers that are based around "our interest and our way of life." We must always be mind of where our true citizenship is as followers of our King.

"Our Father Who art in heaven. Hallowed be Thy name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven..."

Hang in there

2009-04-30T14:44:00.000-07:00

Well, sometimes my life just don't make sense at all
When the mountains look so big
And my faith just seems so small

So hold me Jesus, 'cause I'm shaking like a leaf
You have been King of my glory
Won't You be my Prince of Peace

And I wake up in the night and feel the dark
It's so hot inside my soul
I swear there must be blisters on my heart

So hold me Jesus, 'cause I'm shaking like a leaf
You have been King of my glory
Won't You be my Prince of Peace

Surrender don't come natural to me
I'd rather fight You for something I don't really want
Than to take what You give that I need
And I've beat my head against so many walls
Now I'm falling down, I'm falling on my knees

And this Salvation Army band is playing this hymn
And Your grace rings out so deep
It makes my resistance seem so thin

I'm singing hold me Jesus, 'cause I'm shaking like a leaf
You have been King of my glory
Won't You be my Prince of Peace

You have been King of my glory
Won't You be my Prince of Peace

(Copy and paste and watch the video)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gBGGX3yvMo

Rich Mullins is one of my heroes.

Help

2009-04-17T13:21:00.000-07:00

It has been a wild couple of weeks in my life. Not necessarily for me personally but for many people I know and love. It seems like this is a season of turmoil and chaos. For many it's marital chaos. Some just family chaos. And others just seem to be hurting and not really finding answers.

Last weekend we celebrated Easter. We celebrated the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. It is the celebration of His triumph over sin, death, and Satan. After Jesus rose from the grave Scripture teaches that he appeared to Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James (Mark 16:1), Peter, the other disciples, and over 500 people (1 Corinthians 15:6). He reminded them of why He had to suffer and die. Jesus walked the earth in His resurrected body for 40 days after He was raised. He then ascended back to heaven. (Luke 24:50-53, Acts 1:8-11)

The ascension is a huge but often overlooked event in Christianity. Thankfully some in Christianity actually celebrate the ascension as a monumental holiday. The ascension was important to Jesus. He talks of it's importance in the Gospel of John: "But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you." John 16:7-8 NIV Ten days after Jesus ascended, on the day of Pentecost, Jesus poured out the Holy Spirit on the Church (Acts 2).

Billy Graham writes:
"Man has two great needs. One is forgiveness. The other is goodness. Consciously or unconsciously, his inner being longs for both. There are times when man actually cries for them, even though in his restlessness, confusion, loneliness, fear, and pressures he may not know what he is crying for. God heard that first cry for help, that cry for forgiveness, and answered it at Calvary. God sent His Son into the world to die for our sins...God also heard our second cry, that cry for goodness, and answered it at Pentecost. God does not, want us to come to Christ by faith, and then lead a life of defeat, discouragement, and dissension. Rather, He wants to "fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith with power; in order that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you" (2 Thess. 1:11-12). To the great gift of forgiveness God adds also the great gift of the Holy Spirit. He is the source of power who meets our need to escape from the miserable weakness that grips us. He gives us the power to be truly good...the work of the Son of God is for us...the work of the Spirit is in us." (Billy Graham "The Holy Spirit" 1978)

God, through Jesus, and the Holy Spirit has given us everything we need for the desperate cries of our heart. Jesus answers our need for forgiveness and the Holy Spirit answers our need for goodness. Both are gifts from God to be received by faith.

We need to daily think on these truths. When life gets chaotic and stressful we have the Holy Spirit living inside us to lead and guide our thoughts, decisions, and actions.

Galatians 5:16-25
"So I advise you to live according to your new life in the Holy Spirit. Then you won't be doing what your sinful nature craves. The old sinful nature loves to do evil, which is just opposite from what the Holy Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are opposite from what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, and your choices are never free from this conflict. But when you are directed by the Holy Spirit, you are no longer subject to the law.
When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, your lives will produce these evil results: sexual immorality, impure thoughts, eagerness for lustful pleasure, idolatry, participation in demonic activities, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, divisions, the feeling that everyone is wrong except those in your own little group, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other kinds of sin. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God. But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Here there is no conflict with the law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. If we are living now by the Holy Spirit, let us follow the Holy Spirit's leading in every part of our lives." NLT

May each of us live in the power of the Spirit and depend on Him as we follow Jesus together.

I'm back......

2009-03-26T10:12:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the long delay in this blogging thing. We have been adjusting to married life (it is great by the way!) and having a house filled with 5 people.

As Easter is rapidly approaching, I have been reading some very old books about the cross and the finished work of Christ on our behalf. So I am going to take the next few weeks and write about what I glean from these old books and authors. I am convinced that people who lose their passion for Christ and become apathetic in their walks do so because of a failure to keep the cross at the forefront of their thoughts. I could not agree more with following quotes:

“We never move on from the cross, only into a more profound understanding of it.” D. Prior

“The cross is the blazing fire at which the flame of our love is kindled, but we have to get near enough to it for its sparks to fall on us.” J. Stott

Scripture teaches:

“You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.” (Romans 5:6-11 NIV)

Christ died as the climax of the deliberate plan of God to demonstrate His love for us. The Romans passage teaches that Christ died for the ungodly and that He died for us. When one recognizes their ungodliness they realize that Christ died for them.

Often I talk with people who struggle with wondering if God loves them or not. Why does this happen? First of all, we tend to be very subjective in our understanding of the love of God. Sometimes God seems far away. Sometimes we do not "feel" God.When you find yourself doubting the love of God think of the cross.

Secondly, we tend to look at our circumstances as the measure of the love of God for us. When things do not go our way or turn out the way we had hoped we wonder and think: "If God really loved me, this would not have happened." However, we are told to "walk by faith, not by sight." Walking by sight is trusting in feelings or circumstances more than trusting in the objective truth and promises of scripture. Walking in faith is just that, hoping in, putting our confidence in, and trusting in what Jesus did for us at the cross. Jesus promised that we would have difficulty and deal with difficult people in this life, but to take courage He has overcome them all.

Take some time and meditate on what Jesus did for you:
Isa 53:1-12
Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
2 He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground.
He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. 3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 4 Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows,
yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. 6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. 7 He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. 8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away. And who can speak of his descendants? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was stricken. 9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth. 10 Yet it was the LORD's will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering,
he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand. 11 After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light [of life] and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many,
and he will bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore I will give him a portion among the great,and he will divide the spoils with the strong,because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many,
and made intercession for the transgressors. (from New International Version)

This passage was written over 500 years before Jesus died, yet it gives a detailed account of what Jesus went through for us.

I will be back soon with more thoughts on the cross.

Hope springs eternal

2009-02-05T15:22:00.000-08:00

Now that the Super bowl is over what is a baseball/football fan to do? Hockey? Boring. NBA basketball? Fair, but not great. I do have some Rockies games saved on the DVR...
So between now and March madness there is not much else to do for a Colorado Sports fan. Thankfully pitchers and catchers will report to spring training soon, which means God's favorite sport (baseball) will be starting again soon. With baseball season comes springtime. New life. The anticipation that summer is right around the corner! For me the start of baseball season has deep meaning. Every year is a fresh start for all major league teams. Who knew last year that the worst franchise in baseball would make it to the world series and have a banner year? Who knew the year before that our Rockies would put together a run for the ages and make it to the Series as well? The odds were not good to say the least. We all need the hope that spring brings with it.
So what should I do between now and baseball? Thankfully the hope of spring is springing a little soon this year... Yes, I am getting married to the most wonderful woman God could have brought me.
Romans 8:28
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.NIV
The sovereignty of God is the most profound doctrine in the Bible. Only God can be sovereign and still allow free-will. Humans can only be sovereign when free-will is taken away. God in His sovereignty allows humans free-will and still orchestrates things behind the scenes for our good and His glory. Only God can to take two people that were broken by life and circumstances and work things for good. He always has a plan. Our job is to keep our hearts right, obey Him and trust Him with the results. Thank God He is sovereign! No one likes pain when we are going through it, but if we can keep an eternal perspective we can cooperate with God as He works His sovereign plan through our submitted lives. He is a restorer, a redeemer, and an incredible Savior!
Jude 24
To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy- 25 to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen. NIV

See you after the honeymoon!

I don't belong here

2009-01-19T21:24:00.000-08:00

I was listening to Switchfoot while I was on a run the other day and I realized how much I related to the lyrics to the song "Beautiful Letdown." This song describes my conversion to becoming a Christ follower. I am thankful I was letdown as well.

Beautiful Letdown by Switchfoot

It was a beautiful let down
When I crashed and burned
When I found myself alone unknown and hurt
It was a beautiful let down
The day I knew
That all the riches this world had to offer me
Would never do

In a world full of bitter pain and bitter doubt
I was trying so hard to fit in, fit in,
Until I found out
I don't belong here
I don't belong here
I will carry a cross and a song where I don't belong
But I don't belong

It was a beautiful let down
When you found me here
Yeah for once in a rare blue moon I see everything clear
I'll be a beautiful let down
That's what I'll forever be
And though it may cost my soul
I'll sing for free
We're still chasing our tails and the rising sun
And our dark water planet's
Still spinning in a race
Where no one wins and no one's one

I don't belong here
I don't belong here
I'm gonna set sight and set sail for the kingdom come
I will carry a cross and a song where I don't belong
But i don't belong
I don't belong here
I don't belong here
Kingdom come
Your kingdom come

Won't you let me down yeah
Let my foolish pride
Forever let me down

Easy living, not much like your name
Easy dying, you look just about the same
Won't you please take me off your list
Easy living please come on and let me down

We are a beautiful let down,
Painfully uncool,
The church of the dropouts
The losers, the sinners, the failures and the fools
Oh what a beautiful let down
Are we salt in the wound
Let us sing one true tune

I don't belong here
I don't belong here
I don't belong here
Feels like I don't belong here
Let me down
Let me down
Feels like I'm let down
Let me down.
Cuz I don't belong here
Please
Won't you let me down?

If you have never heard this song you can listen on youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wlePWP7QvM

What are you going to do with your luggage?

2009-01-16T22:25:00.000-08:00

‘Maybe the reason life is so hard is because we think life should be easy.” Scott Peck

I was thinking recently about a trip my family I took to Hawaii when I was a kid. We were leaving on the last day of school. I was graduating from the third grade. As I was making my way home from school I ended up doing battle with a very large bumblebee. The bee made a couple of fly bys and then moved in for the kill. I remember tilting my head to the left trying to avoid the bee from going into my ear when I felt excruciating pain in my left ear lobe. Yes it happened, a bumblebee stung me on my ear lobe. I ran the rest of the way home screaming in agony as my worst nightmare had come true. My ear lobe swelled to the size of a golf ball. It hurt and I was traumatized as we were supposed to be going on vacation.

What is funny is that the biggest memory I have from that trip was not Hawaii or the bee sting but the family luggage set my parents had purchased for the trip. It was the Samsonite family collection. They were classic mid 1970’s. They were hard shell cases equipped with small carry on hard shell cases as well. They were amazing! The best part was the color. I can only describe the color as a hot pinkish, Pepto-Bismol, sort of wanna be red color. Can you imagine lugging those babies to the airport these days? It was the sort of luggage collection that people trying to get rid of at garage sales today after they clean out their attic.

The reality is we all have “baggage” in our lives that we carry around and want to get rid of. Some people’s baggage is obvious. It is as noticeable as the Pepto-Bismol colored Samsonite collection! They cannot help it. Their baggage follows them wherever they go. Somebody hurt them or some set of unfortunate circumstances set off a chain of “baggage” events that never seems to come to an end.

Yesterday, I was with a few friends at a Starbucks downtown. We ordered our drinks and I also ordered a muffin. There was a homeless man sitting in the Starbucks by himself trying to stay warm. He had a few backpacks and a few possessions with him, but that was it. My heart hurt for him. That is somebody’s son I thought to myself. There sat a lonely man who as a kid probably played little league. As a high school student he probably had dreams of what he wanted to do with his life when he got older. How did he get to be “the guy with the backpacks” who sits in Starbucks, but has no money to buy a coffee? How did he get to be the guy with the baggage that no one cared about? I gave him my muffin and he very politely said “thank you, that is kind of you.”

Recently, a good friend of mine made a comment about another friend of mine after the two of them met. He made the observation that my friend like all of us obviously had “life baggage” but did not seem to have “spiritual baggage.” I had never really thought of it that way that there was a difference between “life baggage” and “spiritual baggage.” Life baggage is the effect that difficult people and circumstances have on us. It is being disappointed with life and it handicaps us emotionally and relationally. However, spiritual baggage is different. Spiritual baggage is a feeling of disappointment with God. The notion that somehow He let you down, or the church let you down.

The healthy thing about life baggage is that it can and should point us to our need for Christ. The more I carry it around the more I realize I need to give it to Jesus. The more it shows up the more I depend upon him to help. The scary thing about spiritual baggage is that it causes people to refuse to turn to their only source of help.

Spiritual baggage seems to come from a false understanding of God. Spiritual baggage questions God and wonders if He loved us, we would never suffer. Spiritual baggage comes from thinking that God has promised something he didn’t. Jesus promised:

“…Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world." John 16:33 NLT

He also promised:

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:27 NIV

My hope is that each one of us could give our Samsonite collection to Christ and never let life baggage decay into spiritual baggage.

Don’t be afraid to let them see you limp

2009-01-03T18:22:00.000-08:00

Like most Denver Bronco fans I was shocked at the firing of Mike Shanahan as head coach of the team. He had been the head coach for 14 years. That is a long time! As a fan I almost feel like I know him because of the number of games and interviews I have seen over those years. That made it hard to hear that he was no longer going to be around.
I was able to watch most of his press conference the day after his dismissal as head coach. I was moved by the humility and transparency that Coach Shanahan displayed as he fielded difficult questions regarding his firing.
Shanahan always presented himself as a confident man and a sharp leader, but there was something different at this press conference. The Broncos are a very proud organization, but they have not had much success in the past several years. Coach Shanahan did not make excuses, he took responsibility for the team’s lack of success.
What stood out to me was how Shanahan kept referring to the owner of the Broncos, Pat Bowlen, as a great leader: “the best owner in football” he said several times. Shanahan and Bowlen have a unique employee employer relationship. They are best friends. How difficult would it be to be fired by your best friend? How difficult would it be to fire your best friend? However, Shanahan said several times: “Leaders have to make tough calls and decisions. They have to make choices that are best for the organization. And that is what Pat had to do in this situation.”
Shanahan took a lot of heat for not being able to win without the Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway. Most people consider Shanahan a failure because he could not win the big one with out his prized quarterback. Mike Shanahan will be a head coach in the NFL again, and who knows the success that might be ahead of him, but he will always have to walk with the limp of being fired. He will walk with the limp of failure. Can you imagine the pressure that being in the spot light has caused Coach Shanahan? It is easy to let failure become our identity and to let success become our identity. How much for those in the spot light?
Have you ever been fired from a job? In my teens and early twenties I bounced from odd job to odd job. I remember being fired from a job once; it was humiliating even though the job was not that big of a deal. It affected my self-worth negatively. It wasn’t until I became a Christian that I was released from a “failure mentality”. The problem is we tend to find our identity in our success or our failures. The reality is if you follow Jesus you should never find your identity in anything or anyone other than Christ:

"He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them. So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!" (2 Corinthians 5:15-17 NLT)

I have a limp. It is not a visible limp. It is inside of me. It is an emotional limp. Sometimes you have to look real close to see my limp, but I promise you its there. The limp is caused by scar tissue on my heart. There are scars on my heart that will always be there. These scars are self-inflicted by the many mistakes I have made. They are reminders of the many failures I have endured. Like everyone else life has dealt me some difficult blows. My life is filled with “coulda’s, shoulda’s, and woulda’s’. “I could have done this. I should have done that. If I had only known then it would have been different.”
My scars are not all self-inflicted. Like everyone else I have been on the receiving end of rejection and betrayal. In many ways those scars cause the biggest part of my limp. However, the blessing of walking with a limp is it is also a reminder of God’s grace. It reminds me that only he can take something meant for evil and turn it for good. Only he can take failures and work them for our good and his glory.
A couple of people close to my life have noticed my limp and I have to admit I am a little embarrassed by it. Who wants to be singled out as handicapped? These two men do not know each other but said the same thing to me. They said “the limp says we can trust you.” Hearing that statement was like a drink of cold water for my thirsty soul. It was like that good pain you feel when you massage a bruise.
I pray that my limp causes me to walk in empathy towards others. I pray that my limp will be used to help others through their pain.
I do not know if coach Shanahan will be a better coach because of his firing (his limp). But I do know because of it he has an opportunity to become a better man for it. On his next job he will be a better leader for it.
Lets limp together!

Black Eyed Peas and Bowl Games

2008-12-29T16:36:00.000-08:00

Romans 12:11 “Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord” NIV

I have been practicing the discipline of journaling for about 15 years. I have stacks of spiral notebooks that are filled with thoughts, prayers, and some pretty funny stuff from my past. One of the reasons I like to journal is it is good to look back and see where I was at spiritually and emotionally at different times of my life. This past year I started my journal every morning with the word “yesterday”. I learned this from Bill Hybels’ book on prayer. After I write the word “yesterday” I reflect over the day before. I would write every detail of the day. I would write what I was feeling, who I had conversations with, and what I did. The reason for this exercise is it helps me to think through why I do what I do. It makes me realize how much time I waste and how much time I waste worrying about things I shouldn’t be worrying about. It gives me some accountability for how I spend my days.

New Years Day is one of my favorite holidays…yes I love college football, and we traditionally eat black-eyed peas all day. But I also love how New Years brings with it a sense of having a fresh start. It naturally brings with it the need to reflect and seek God for new vision and passion for life. I am not one who is big on resolutions but one who likes setting goals. Some of the goals I achieve and some I don’t. Either way it causes me to unravel from the mundane.

I was looking through my goals that I set for 2008. I actually did pretty good achieving the personal goals I set last New Years Eve. Think about how fast this past year has flown by. Who knew the ups and the downs? Who knew the good and the bad that would be experienced? The reality is life happens. It happens whether we like what it brings or not.

Take a minute and read what Moses says in Psalm 90 about how quick life happens:

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=23&chapter=90&version=77

Have you ever noticed the word within the word LIFE? It is a big fat IF! None of us has any idea what this next year will bring. We really do not have much control over people and circumstances. We can control how we will respond to people and circumstances, but we do not control much else. James tells us “What you ought to say is, "If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that." Otherwise you will be boasting about your own plans, and all such boasting is evil.” (James 4:15-16 NIV) Do the goals I am setting include praying God’s will? Have I been putting off something that I know God wants me to do? Do I have the right attitude when look at this next year? Will I step out in faith and take risks only IF I know things are going to work out in my favor?

The reality is that this next year will have its challenges. The most important thing for this New Year is to keep our hearts fixed on Jesus. To look to him in prayer, listen to him in his word, and to live for him practically. I love this quote: “Challenges are what make life interesting, overcoming them makes life meaningful.”

What will be different in our lives and world this time next year because of the goals we set now? Lets prepare now for the future. Lets create the future by setting God sized goals and living out God ordained dreams. He loves us, and is passionate for each of us. May this be the best year of your life!

What does Jesus want for Christmas?

2008-12-24T12:27:00.000-08:00

Mark 10:45

“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” NIV

Matthew 25:40

"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” NIV

Giving and receiving gifts can be a good and bad experience. When you receive a gift that you know someone really put thought into it makes you feel appreciated and loved. When you receive that irrelevant gift it can make you feel unappreciated most definitely disappointed. You know the type of gifts I am talking about, socks, dishes, ornaments, ties, or picture frames.

Kids are the most honest of people. When they tear open a beautifully wrapped gift only to find underwear or socks you can see the disappointment on their faces. Why? They were hoping for some cool toy, something flashy, something that requires batteries! Not socks, not something practical and boring. They had dreams of something different for their Christmas morning.

My family has decided this year instead of giving gifts to each other we are going to give life to the less fortunate. We are giving to help people in Uganda and Burma through Global Refuge. Global Refuge is a ministry that meets the practical needs of malnourished, HIV infected, hurting people in places most of us will never see or even hear of. On a normal year my kids and their cousins receive great gifts from their Grandparents. However, this past Thanksgiving they decided that this year would be different. They asked if the money that would have been spent on their gifts to go directly to these remote places where the forgotten and less fortunate suffer greatly. This will be a Christmas they will never forget.

Most people who open presents on Christmas this year will not be thinking about the real reason for giving gifts. They will not be thinking about the real reason Christians give each other gifts, Jesus. He is the gift.

The other day I was thinking about Christmas and the thought hit me: “What does Jesus want for his birthday this year?” I wrote down a few of the gift ideas he told me he would like:

My heart…My faith… My loyalty… My future… My guilt… My worship…My relationships…My past…My anxiety…My goals & aspirations… My hands and feet to go wherever he would send me…

What would represent socks, ties and picture frames to Jesus this Christmas? Probably something like Religious behavior, dutiful worship, and a few bucks in the offering plate.

I don’t think he wants socks, ties, or even picture frames, he wants us.

As you think about what you are going to give Jesus for Christmas this year I leave you with what I think He wants from us this Christmas.

May God bless you with discomfort at easy answers, half truths, and superficial relationships, so that you may live deep within your heart. Amen.

May God bless you with anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people, so that you may work for justice, freedom and peace. Amen.

May God bless you with tears to shed for those who suffer from pain, rejection, starvation and war, so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and to turn their pain into joy. Amen.

May God bless you with enough foolishness to believe that you can make a difference in this world, so that you can do what others claim cannot be done. Amen.

And the Blessing of God, who Creates, Redeems and Sanctifies, be upon you and all you love an pray for this day, and forever more. Amen.

A Franciscan Blessing

What do I want for Christmas this year?

2008-12-19T09:05:00.000-08:00

Romans 7:17-25 (The Message)
“…I need something more! For if I know the law but still can't keep it, and if the power of sin within me keeps sabotaging my best intentions, I obviously need help! I realize that I don't have what it takes. I can will it, but I can't do it. I decide to do good, but I don't really do it; I decide not to do bad, but then I do it anyway. My decisions, such as they are, don't result in actions. Something has gone wrong deep within me and gets the better of me every time. It happens so regularly that it's predictable. The moment I decide to do good, sin is there to trip me up. I truly delight in God's commands, but it's pretty obvious that not all of me joins in that delight. Parts of me covertly rebel, and just when I least expect it, they take charge. I've tried everything and nothing helps. I'm at the end of my rope. Is there no one who can do anything for me? Isn't that the real question? The answer, thank God, is that Jesus Christ can and does. He acted to set things right in this life of contradictions where I want to serve God with all my heart and mind, but am pulled by the influence of sin to do something totally different.

For Christmas I want a Josh Hamilton jersey. Inside sources tell me it is on the way. I have been reading the story of Josh Hamilton, the phenom baseball player for the Texas Rangers who dazzled a New York crowd last July in the Home run derby by putting on quite the show. His story is gut wrenching. He went from a charmed life to complete despair in drug addiction to recovery in Jesus Christ then back into Major League baseball. Josh Hamilton is a real life “Roy Hobbs”. Roy Hobbs was the fictional character in the movie “The Natural” that starred Robert Redford back in the 80’s. Hobbs had a gift to play baseball at a level head and shoulders above everybody else. When he was asked how he wanted to be remembered he said: “When people see me walking down the street I want them to say there goes Roy Hobbs, the best there ever was.” In the story Hobbs’ career was side tracked when a crazy woman tragically shot him. The body of the story is his triumphant comeback into baseball.

When Josh Hamilton was 6 years old he was so good they had to make an exception to the little league rules of his hometown and allow him to play on his older brother’s 11-year-old team. Needless to say Josh was good. So good that out of High school he was the #1 pick in the 1999 draft and was given the largest signing bonus ever.

Josh was quickly making his way to the majors when a back injury sidelined him. To make a long story short Josh started down a path of addictive self-destruction and drugs. Josh paid a huge price for his drug addiction. His money was gone, his family was severed, and his career was down the toilet. In his book “Beyond Belief” he tells about how his Grandmother took him in when he had nothing left and no one to turn to and helped him down the road to recovery. While living with his Grandmother Josh gave his life over to Jesus and asked for Christ’s help not so he could play ball again, not even for the sake of his family, but to find real hope and lasting purpose.

Eventually Josh found his way back to the baseball diamond and ultimately on top of his profession. As his triumphal comeback continues, I assume that Josh has to battle his addictive nature everyday. I bet he realizes that he is one step or one choice away from falling prey to drugs all over again. We have all read stories about people who struggle with addiction. Many of them “get clean” for a while only to find themselves back in the struggle all over again. Yet here is the beauty of it all. God takes a messed up, shipwrecked man who threw away everything for drugs and gives him mercy and grace and a platform to help others find the road to recovery in the only One who can truly help, Jesus Christ.

2 Corinthians 1:3-4
All praise to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. He is the source of every mercy and the God who comforts us. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When others are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. NLT

I am glad God rescued Josh. I admire his humility and wince at his frailty. I am glad God rescued me for I am aware everyday of my own battles and frailty. Like Paul wrote: “I'm at the end of my rope. Is there no one who can do anything for me? Isn't that the real question? The answer, thank God, is that Jesus Christ can and does.’ Josh Hamilton understands this. I feel a kinship with his frailty and that his why I want his jersey for Christmas…

Romans 5:1-5
Therefore, since we have been made right in God's sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of highest privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God's glory. We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are good for us--they help us learn to endure. And endurance develops strength of character in us, and character strengthens our confident expectation of salvation. And this expectation will not disappoint us. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love. NLT

Incarnation, gifts, and Christian bookstores

2008-12-17T14:43:00.000-08:00

Last night I went out to do a little Christmas shopping at the "Christian" bookstore and maybe pick up a new bible. My Bible is pretty worn out. I ran into several people I knew. However, we were to busy looking for gifts that we did not have much time for long conversation. Folks were busy looking for that special gift for that special someone, or maybe that not so special obligatory someone! Anyhow, I had a good laugh at some of the things that are sold in "Christian" bookstores. There was the "Your best life now" board game. I wonder if Joel Osteen had that in mind when he wrote the book? Then there was the advertisement for the Christian version of "Guitar Hero" called "Guitar praise"! I am not sure what is wrong with a little "Smoke on the water" or "Barracuda", but sure enough there is now a Christian version of "Guitar hero". Why do we Christians do stuff like that? It made me think of another time I was in a Christian bookstore and I saw two Jewish teenagers walk in with very puckish looks on their faces. They had a camera and began to take pictures of themselves holding up little Christian trinkets like "Testamints" and choir robes, I am sure they would have held up the Joel Osteen board game if it had been out back then. They were having a blast making fun of the marketing of Jesus and to be honest I could not blame them. After they had their fun they walked out the door yelling "Happy Hanukkah". That gave away that they were Jewish as well as their yarmulkes in their pockets.
We Christians spend a lot of effort trying to "Christianize" the world we live in rather than serving and influencing the way Jesus himself did. When we do this we miss the point. Jesus did not come as a babe in the manger to make a Christian world, but to give himself for the world:
John 3:17
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. NIV
As Christmas day approaches enjoy the sights, the smells, and the sounds, but let it be a reminder of Christ's main purpose for coming in the first place. He did not come to make a Christian world but to create a new people group who by following him would prepare themselves for real life and for eternity.

Christmas verse to ponder:
Romans 5:17-19
For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ. Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous. NIV