mini ministry :: cultured

resolved to read God's Word

2011-12-31T08:00:00.000-06:00

Ah, those pesky "resolutions." How often we go by some day or event, especially that beloved January 1 date so many of us call the new year and by which so many of us live, stating that's the day we're going to "make that change." This can be a good thing, and it's typically thought of with great intentions. But frequently, and even annually just after a year begins, I hear people complaining they've fallen off whatever wagon they intended to ride. And that can be enough to make us give it all up fast.

For many people, reading the Bible can become one of those "resolutions." And since we do have that handy 365 days in our calendar year, the start of a year or the beginning of a month are not necessarily bad times to get such a thing started.

But where to begin?

In the beginning? Genesis is not a bad idea if you want to go cover to cover. But after the excitement of creation, the sadness of the fall and the action and adventure that follow, a lot of people get bogged down a few books in, frequently for a lack of understanding what they're reading and why it's important. Whether or not that includes you, this should help your study.

For the new believer, the book of John is often suggested as a good place to start. In any of the Gospels, including Matthew, Mark or Luke, you'll get a picture of who Jesus is, frequently by His own words, and how He lived, died and came back to life in an amazing display of perfection and love for His people, which is exactly what the entire collection of 66 books is about.

Another popular standby is to read through the Psalms and/or Proverbs each day.

But if you've already done or tried all that and would like a new approach, yet have no idea what that might look like, perhaps the following will help.

• BibleGateway.com Reading Plans
The page above includes two 61 day overview plans to get you started if a year feels intimidating. There's also a 121 day overview. All three put together would gradually build you up to having spent over half a year in God's Word. Any of these are great recommendations for learning or reviewing major Biblical themes and characters. If you want to go for it, use the year plan.

• Even More BibleGateway.com Plans
This list gives you 365 day options for Old/New Testament, Chronological, Genesis-Revelation, Historical and NT only, plus a 40 day reading if you're looking for something in the Lent season. There's also a Bible in 90 days plan for the particularly ambitious. They'll even e-mail reminders for convenience.

• ESV.org Reading Plans
This list offers a variety of daily reading plans of different intensities, and even a memorization plan with a new verse weekly. Check them all out to see which might work best for you. Most come in a variety of formats, including RSS, iCal, mobile, print and e-mail options.

No matter what you pick, as you embark on this journey here are some things to keep in mind:

Pray - Ask God what He wants to show you in the text. Pray the words back to Him as appropriate, or pray along to a Psalm that expresses how you feel right now. Be honest with God. He knows your heart better than you do. Ask Him to show you the truth, and to show you the love and forgiveness of Jesus throughout the Scripture and in your own life.

Look for Jesus - Remember, Jesus is who the Bible is all about. Really. He's in there everywhere, either literally or represented by something or someone. If you are wondering where He is and how to find Him, here's a quick and helpful summary. Seeing Jesus in ways you've never seen Him before will help you get to know Him better, and helps keep you motivated as you understand Who the Bible's really about.

Pick a time/place/plan/style best for you - Do this whenever and wherever you will be least distracted. Pick whatever works best in your current life situation, but pick something. If reading is not your thing, there are plenty of audio Bibles, and the ESV site allows you to listen online as well.

Find a friend - This isn't mandatory, but a reading plan is often easier to stick with if you have someone reading with you. That way you can ask each other how you're doing and discuss what you're learning. I once created a private blog to do my study with others, and just being able to comment each day in that way, much like journaling, really helped keep me going. (For 2 whole years even. Never thought I'd say that.) It also helped me think and learn differently.

Don't give up - So you missed a day. Life happens. Just pick it up again wherever you are.

Let it be known, daily time in God's Word isn't natural to me either. Now, by God's grace, since the start of 2010 I haven't gone a day without. (FYI, we traveled quite extensively during this time, so I made efforts to plan for reading time each day. Even at Disneyland.) I was studying along with The Daily Office Lectionary, a 2 year plan which was great for me as I read something from Psalms or Proverbs, Old Testament, New Testament and a Gospel every day. This has broadened my understanding of how The Bible is one story pointing to Jesus, the Savior who takes away the sins of His people from every race and era.

This has been an amazing journey, and one I most certainly don't regret. I pray this will help you on your own journey in God's amazing Word.

Christmas 2011: The Promise

2011-12-23T08:00:00.000-06:00

And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”
-Luke 2:10-12 (ESV)

In considering a Christmas theme for 2011, I eventually focused in on that word above, “promise.” As I draw near to the close of 2 years with time in Scripture daily, I realize I’ve been immersed in this concept throughout the entirety of the Bible. I also realize these are promises which, though amazing, are far beyond wishful fantasy.

Promises Made
We make promises all the time. Some we keep, some we forget, and some we outright break. But when God makes a promise, it will happen. And throughout the Bible, God continually makes promises to His people. Through covenants and prophets, recorded in songs and historical texts, promises just keep being made.

God even made a promise to the first two people who ever lived... after they decided to stop listening to or trusting Him. When one act destroyed their perfect world, deteriorating into the world full of disappointments we know today, God promised something unique. He promised help through her offspring. (See Genesis 3.)

Promise Fulfilled
When a baby is born, parents, relatives and friends often speak of all the promise contained in this tiny, new human who is a clean slate full of prospects. What will he do? What will she accomplish?

But no baby born was more full of promise than one named Jesus, delivered in an animal stall in Bethlehem. His mere birth fulfilled so many long awaited promises, such as that made through the prophet Isaiah, “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6)

This was a child born to grow into a man who lived like no other man had, perfectly, and who could therefore die to do what no other man could. He died to fulfill the promise of God to renew His relationship with His people who, like the first two, now refuse to listen to God and trust Him. Then, to fulfill those promises completely, He returned from the dead and, for now, to Heaven.

“Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant.” (Hebrews 9:15)

Promises to Come
Now, because of the promise that came through a baby, His people wait in hope for so much, including His renewal of all things and life forever with Him. “But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.”
(2 Peter 3:13) “And this is the promise that he made to us—eternal life.” (1 John 2:25)

This wait may often seem long, just as did the wait for His birth, but God has a purpose even in this. “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9)

Perhaps He’s even directing His patience toward you.

Believe the Promise
The promises in Jesus are given to those who trust Jesus. “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” (John 1:12-13)

If you never have, or need encouragement to do so again, start listening to God in His Word, the Bible. Trust Him and believe His promises.

For you who do believe Him, thank God for all He has given and will give His people. Remember where the promises of God are found and fulfilled, through Him who was once a baby and who remains the ultimate Promise.

All the Promises of God find their yes in Jesus. (2 Cor. 1:20)

Praying for you a Christmas & New Year full of Promise.

Scripture quotes: ESV

Art: creationswap.com

trick-or-treat! here's something really sweet

2011-10-31T00:00:00.000-05:00

Hey candy lovers, moms, dads and everyone else, thanks for visiting.

We like to have some serious fun on Halloween, which, if you ever stopped by our garage around October 31, you probably noticed. But we also like to remind you of something infinitely better than cool props, crazy performances and free candy. We want to tell you the best news we know, the Gospel.

What's the Gospel? Very simply, this:

God’s perfect, and He says we have to be perfect too. Problem: None of us are perfect. We think and say and do things God tells us not to, or neglect things He says we should, all the time. Our relationship with God is destroyed.
Jesus lived the perfect life we couldn’t, took on punishment by dying for imperfect people like us, and came to life again, proving He’s God. Only He could repair our relationship with Him.
God calls us to stop focusing on ourselves and all the things we want in this world, and to focus on Him, trusting Jesus as our Lord and the One who does everything we can’t.
For those who trust Jesus, He gives the greatest gift of all: Eternal life with Him forever.

That is incredible stuff and He's always worth taking time to tell you about. So take a minute to learn a little more about this incredibly good news. (<-- Go ahead and click.) To leave a message, question, whatever, just click "comments" below. No need to sign up or even leave an addy. And if there's any way we can pray for you, just let us know.

> > Another FREE treat: If you don't have one, we'll be glad to send you a complete Bible absolutely free. Just fill out this form. (Kids under 18, get your parent/guardian's permission first.)

>> New for 2011: Due to popular demand, we have a brand new blog displaying all the crazy stuff that happens in our garage every year about this time: All Hallow's Garage.

Also, if you visited the our excavation of the Pharaoh's tomb in '11, you'll read a little about the story of Jesus calling Lazarus out of the grave. You can find the complete story in John 11:1-46.

Have a great rest of the year. And enjoy the treats. ;-)

"How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!" -Psalm 119:103 (ESV)

how does saving faith really look?

2011-10-30T23:30:00.000-05:00

Do it Yourself Salvation?
As I share Christ with people, I come to see more and more just how "works-based" everyone really is. In my neck of the woods, if you ask the average person on the street about the afterlife, most are pretty sure there's a Heaven, or hope there is, and they are pretty sure they'll get there because they've generally been a "good person." Some list off a resumé of things they do, like go to church or pray or read their Bible or be kind to others. Or, as I did as a good moralist, they'll bring up all the things they don't do like smoke or chew or hang with anyone else who do... uh, does that kind of thing.

People really do want to do, or maybe avoid doing, something in order to please God, if we even believe there is such a Person. And we all want to save ourselves. Even Christians have no intention of letting ourselves truly realize, much less letting anyone else know, how sinful we really are. We have to be the masters of our fate. Somehow. Some way. There must be something we have to do.

We Really are Saved by Works
The truth is, Christians are saved by works, just not our own. Unfortunately, God says our own works are as good as "filthy rags" or a "polluted garment" (Isaiah 64:6). And we all start out as dead in our sins (Ephesians 2:5). We can't bring anything to this equation on our own.

But by God's grace, believers in Christ are saved by the work of Christ. Jesus lived the perfect life we couldn't, died in the place of His people, rose from the dead and is praying for us right now in Heaven.

And yet, while we are not saved by our own works, we are saved to good works. (Thanks to Mark Driscoll for that clarification.) There is something God will give each of His people to do here on Earth to further His Kingdom and His glory. Ephesians 2:10 says, "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." There we see that even the work God will have us do He already decided for us.

Examine Yourself
As God was powerfully calling me to Himself in my late 20s, I remember being confused about basically everything. I wasn't sure what was real, or what I really believed. In my quest for answers, I remember driving to my grandparent's house one night and hearing John MacArthur on the radio speak about examining one's self to see if we are truly in the faith (2 Corinthians 13:5).

One of the most helpful tools I have used to aid people in examining themselves and understand the difference between our own human works and God working through us can be found in the back of the MacArthur Study Bible, and now online here:

"The Character of Genuine Saving Faith"
(To best honor copyrights, I'll simply share the link. You can also print their PDF version.)

List I is often the type of material I hear people recite when we discuss God and Heaven. I'm behaved. I know about God or Jesus. I go to church/pray/read my Bible. I help people when I can. I don't do or like bad things (as I define them). I'm good with God. I walked an aisle or prayed a prayer.

These aren't all necessarily bad things. The problem is when they are all focused on "me" and what I've done rather than on Jesus and what He did and is doing. In Matthew 7:21-24, Jesus says such people will hear Him say, "Depart from me, I never knew you," which is a terrifying thought. And, on their own or collectively, none of List I really indicates that a person knows Christ at all.

List II, however, is a different story. These things ignore "what I did" and move to things only Christ can do through us and enable us to do. Our motivations are different. There is an intangible quality to some of these things, but they are often seen by others in ways people may have difficulty expressing.

I also appreciate that it mentions if list II is true, list I will be also. (FYI, even if you don't have a "date" regarding your conversion, you will see in hindsight where God was working to draw you to Him.) We are no longer trying to perform. We are motivated by the love and grace of Jesus.

Spend some time with that page and study the accompanying Scriptures. Examine yourself, asking God to show you the motivations of your heart in whatever you do, and asking Him to help you trust Him where you don't. And pray He clearly shows you the difference between your useless and frustrating trying and His perfect and saving doing.

Resurrection Day 2011: WHY? do bad things happen to good people?

2011-04-22T16:30:00.000-05:00

“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?”

The words above, taken from Psalm 22, are words of lament, concern and fear. This Psalm, as many, asks the question, “Why?” And for us, our “why” question often becomes, “Why do bad things happen to good people?”

We all know something’s wrong with the world, and especially with the way we often treat each other. At the simplest level we feel this truth every time we hurt somebody or somebody hurts us. So it’s rather amazing that we still try to qualify people as “good.”

Romans 3:23 says, “All have sinned (chosen our own way rather than God’s) and fall short of the glory of God.” And Proverbs 20:9 asks, “Who can say, ‘I have made my heart pure; I am clean from my sin’?”

The truth is, none of us have or even can. There are no good people. Except, that is, for one.

Ironically, horrible things happening to this good Person are exactly what Christians consider at Good Friday each year. Jesus Christ, the only Man who never sinned, willingly took on His people’s sin as He died. The only good Person to ever live was crucified and, on the cross forsaken by God so His people wouldn’t be, He quoted the first part of that Psalm above.

Yet, amazingly, the best possible thing happening to bad people is a great part of the promise of Resurrection Day. Consider this:

“For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God...” -1 Peter 3:18

“For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” -2 Corinthians 5:21

“For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.” -Romans 5:6-9

Jesus died, the good for the bad. But He didn’t stay in the grave. He returned to life 3 days later, ready to renew all who truly believe in Him and, with His help, trust Jesus over everything else. He answers Psalm 22 by doing the saving. Only He gives hope for new life, and for renewed relationships with Him, with each other and even with our world, as He says in Revelation, “Behold, I am making all things new.”

So perhaps the answer to that earlier question can be summed up in a quote from R.C. Sproul, Jr., “Why do bad things happen to good people? That only happened once, and He volunteered.”

Praying you see the beauty of Jesus in His salvation, hope and restoration. †

Scripture quotes from ESV
art @ creationswap.com

aftershock: Japan :: how you can help

2011-03-18T15:21:00.005-05:00

PRAY.

Please pray for the people of Japan following the devastation of one of the worst earthquakes in recorded history and subsequent tsunami, along with hundreds of powerful aftershocks and an ongoing nuclear crisis.

Click here for specific ways you can pray.

GIVE.

If the Lord leads you to help financially with relief efforts, we encourage you to give through Churches Helping Churches, a global partnership of church communities who seek to rebuild other churches in the wake of a catastrophic natural disaster.

CHC is currently assessing the situation in Japan and is working to support:

• CRASH (Christian Relief Assistance Support and Hope)
• Dale Little, president of JEMA (Japanese Evangelical Missionary Association)
• Setsu Kuroda, International Director of JCFN (Japanese Christian Fellowship Network)
• Michael Oh, President of CBI (Christ Bible Institute)

To help, please visit churcheshelpingchurches.com. You can donate via their giving page or by text. Send “chc” to 20222, confirm “yes,” to donate $10 per text.

We pray the greatest “aftershock” from this event is Jesus’ love through His people and His Gospel affecting this nation in amazing ways to God’s glory.

Cover Tune Grab Bag: "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da"

2011-03-15T19:56:00.001-05:00

You want some fun? Check out "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" as performed by MercyMe, Jars Of Clay, Matt Maher, Thousand Foot Krutch, The Afters and Lecrae in what may be the longest hallway in the world.

I knew I got into worship bands for some reason.

Christmas letter 2010: what Joy is this?

2010-12-24T22:20:00.000-06:00

"Joy, unspeakable joy,
An overflowing well,

no tongue can tell.
Joy, unspeakable joy,
Rises in my soul,

never lets me go."

-Chris Tomlin,

"Joy to the World

(Unspeakable Joy)"

Joy is a word often seen and heard during the Christmas season, and it's a topic I can't seem to get away from anymore. Yet if you've had years like my last few, suffering some significant pain and loss in this world (and I know many who have and are), you might understand it's not something I want to get away from.

But the joy of which I speak isn't found in the things of this world, and therefore can't be destroyed by the loss of them, or even increased by worldly gain. Grief and gratitude are both appropriate reactions in certain situations, but true joy is measured well beyond emotion and circumstance. It is joy that comes from and is found in God alone.

There is a significant gift I received this year in which I take great joy. By God's grace, I haven't missed a day in His Word since January 1. And one of the many threads this allowed me to see repeatedly in the Bible is that of joy in the Lord. In the English Standard Version the word "joy" is translated not quite 200 times, with even more instances of the word "rejoice," and countless other expressions of joy throughout.

At the birth of Jesus, angels came to some shepherds near Bethlehem saying, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord." (Luke 2:10-11, ESV)

A few years later, when men from the east saw the star which led them to Jesus, "...they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. And going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him." (Matthew 2:10-11, ESV)

All this joy from men and angels over one child—an amazing child who would grow into a Man, live as no man had, without breaking God's Law, and come back to life after a horrific public execution, all to fulfill the promise of God to save His rebellious people in their broken world. Joy is a gift of Jesus to those who, by His grace, stop living out of that brokenness and instead trust Him.

To know this Man, then, is to know a joy we can't find within ourselves or in anything around us. To be known by Him is unspeakable joy.

On this note, I want to share something from a man God has used to help me grasp this concept as the Lord took His joy beyond mere talk or intellect and continues to form it deep in my heart. Pastor John Piper's "Quest for Joy" draws out six Biblical truths on where true happiness and joy come from as found only in Jesus. Even if you happen to be familiar with this writing, I encourage you to dwell on this truth, asking God to use it to change you in ways yet unimaginable.

May the joy of the God Man Jesus Christ truly be yours this holiday season. Praying for you a blessed, happy and joyous Christmas in Christ. †

"Quest for Joy" by John Piper. ©Desiring God. Website: desiringGod.org.
Graphic used by Creative Commons license from creativemyk.com.

is the Bible mostly about you? or Who?

2010-08-26T20:41:00.001-05:00

We're often taught that the Bible is about us and what we need to do and how we can relate to various characters throughout. But is that really what it's all about?

Much of the audio in this video matches the text found in the previous post. These have been incredibly helpful to share with youth and adult alike in understanding the Truth of Who Scripture is all about.

Jesus is the true & better

2010-08-11T12:20:00.003-05:00

I heard this quoted in a sermon earlier this year and wanted to share. I've been involved with a lot of discussions on this very reality lately, and it is never a bad time to get a good reminder about the wonder of who the Lord is, Perfect God and Perfect Man.

This focuses on how various individuals and events highlighted in the Bible point to Him. They could not be completely perfect. They could not completely obey. They could not completely fulfill. They could not completely save. Neither can we. Only Jesus did, does and can. And it's only in Him that we find all that we need.

Read on...

"Jesus is the true and better Adam who passed the test in the garden and whose obedience is imputed to us.

"Jesus is the true and better Abel who, though innocently slain, has blood now that cries out, not for our condemnation, but for acquittal.

"Jesus is the true and better Abraham who answered the call of God to leave all the comfortable and familiar and go out into the void not knowing wither he went to create a new people of God.

"Jesus is the true and better Isaac who was not just offered up by his father on the mount but was truly sacrificed for us. And when God said to Abraham, 'Now I know you love me because you did not withhold your son, your only son, whom you love from me,' now we can look at God taking his son up the mountain and sacrificing him and say, 'Now we know that you love us because you did not withhold your son, your only son, whom you love from us.'

"Jesus is the true and better Jacob who wrestled and took the blow of justice we deserved, so we, like Jacob, only receive the wounds of grace to wake us up and discipline us.

"Jesus is the true and better Joseph who, at the right hand of the king, forgives those who betrayed and sold him and uses his new power to save them.

"Jesus is the true and better Moses who stands in the gap between the people and the Lord and who mediates a new covenant.

"Jesus is the true and better Rock of Moses who, struck with the rod of God’s justice, now gives us water in the desert.

"Jesus is the true and better Job, the truly innocent sufferer, who then intercedes for and saves his stupid friends.

"Jesus is the true and better David whose victory becomes his people’s victory, though they never lifted a stone to accomplish it themselves.

"Jesus is the true and better Esther who didn’t just risk leaving an earthly palace but lost the ultimate and heavenly one, who didn’t just risk his life, but gave his life to save his people.

"Jesus is the true and better Jonah who was cast out into the storm so that we could be brought in.

"Jesus is the real Rock of Moses, the real Passover Lamb, innocent, perfect, helpless, slain so the angel of death will pass over us.

"He’s the true temple, the true prophet, the true priest, the true king, the true sacrifice, the true lamb, the true light, the true bread.

"The whole Bible is about Him."

-anonymous

even in death we can have hope

2010-05-01T14:29:00.001-05:00

Last week was a painful one. I literally attended three funerals in 3 days, along with three visitations on the nights before. Between two friends from our church, one somewhat anticipated after a long bout with cancer, and one so sudden and impactful that well over 1,000 people attended the visitation alone, between those two, we buried my grandma. She had been diagnosed with cancer barely a month ago, and hardly fought at all.

Death is never a good thing. It's not good because it is not meant to be good. We sin, meaning we consistently want our own way instead of God's, which leads us into all kinds of awful thoughts, behaviors and actions. And for that, He says, we earn death. It's a reminder of this world as fallen, of our own mortality, of God's seriousness about our situation. It causes incredible pain for those left behind. Yet, even through all this, we can have hope.

In the midst of everything, I decided to write a eulogy about my grandma. That brought back some great memories of my life and hers, and ways God has blessed that I see now more clearly than ever. But I also wanted to explain how, why and by whom hope is still possible. Here's what I shared:

____________

Proverbs 17:6 reads, “Grandchildren are the crown of the aged, and the glory of children is their fathers.” I really appreciated a note I read on this verse, which states, “Both young and old should cherish their intergenerational relationships.” It is difficult to realize I stand here today to remember my last remaining grandparent, but there is so much to be said for cherishing the days God has given.

In recent weeks, of course, I’ve spent a lot of time reminiscing about days spent with my grandma. As one of the grandkids, along with my brother, I’ve had my whole life to build up these memories.

I’ve been remembering all sorts of random things, like going downtown with my grandparents around Christmas as a young child, taking in all the huge displays that back then you only saw in department stores and not on your neighbor’s front lawn.

I was thinking of the time my brother and I stayed with them for a week when our parents went on a mission trip, and all the fun we had going places or just staying at their house and playing, or sleeping on the fluffy white carpet in their front room and waking to the ticks and chimes of that old grandmother clock.

Of course there are all the holidays, and the sights and sounds and smells that went along with those each and every year. They just loved getting together on Christmas and Easter for lots of sharing and gifts and food, grandma putting together some great meals, and on Fourth of July we’d watch the fireworks at the nearby park, sometimes right from their backyard, as we did even just last year.

But throughout this flood of memories, I just keep coming back to one word: Generosity.

I love this, because generosity is such a huge attribute of God Himself. God created man in His image, and even though we currently live in a damaged world, we can still see that tarnished image of the Creator in His creation. And in my grandma, I remember generosity.

I know she was generous with her time volunteering in nursing homes. I remember going to one in particular several times with her as a child, and it was really nice these past few weeks, in spite of the circumstances, to meet some of the folks she was working with in Alton until even just a few short months ago.

Grandma often wanted to go do fun things, shopping and going out for lunch. I keep thinking of trips to malls, such as Northwest Plaza even back when it wasn't all enclosed, and frequent visits to, of all places, Burger King. The dining got a little more elaborate as I grew up, but she always insisted on paying. But more important to me, especially as I got older, was just spending time together.

I’ve personally seen God provide for me and for my family through my grandparents in an incredible variety of ways for so many years, even in ways I could never repay.

And that brings me back to God’s generosity. God loved the world He made so much, He gave too. But His giving was bigger than anything we could imagine, or ever dream of doing. He gave His Son, Jesus Christ, and it’s His generosity that creates our only Hope in this world or the next.

To quote God's Word, “The wages of sin is death, but the free GIFT of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

So to everyone who receives His generosity, turning from sin and to Jesus, He gives that gift, a gift not based on anything we can do or have or give back, which wouldn’t make it a gift at all, but based on everything Jesus Himself was willing to give—His own life. That is a generosity that’s simply amazing.

I’m so thankful to God for the years He gave me with my grandma, and grandpa as well, and for letting me see just a little of His overwhelmingly generous character in them. As much as I will miss, the example the Lord gave through them is something I will never forget.

Resurrection Day 2010: a King's story

2010-04-02T22:14:00.009-05:00

This is the text version of a "card" of sorts, my creation for Resurrection Day this year. Check it out in full color PDF form with graphics from creativemyk.com through the title link below (and if you want a printed copy, just ask):

"A King's Story"

“In the beginning...”

Seems like a fine place to begin a story.

So what happened?

Well, for a start, “God created.”

He created everything you see around you.

The heavens, Earth, plants, animals. And people.

And He called it “good.”

And it was. The people had everything.

Satisfying work, tame animals, abundant food, perfect relationships, direct access to God.

“It was very good.”

But they wanted more.

One day, “very good” suddenly wasn’t good enough. The people did the one thing God said not to. And when they understood they did something wrong, something against Him, they ran. They hid from God.

And God sought them out.

Their actions had direct and dire consequences. They hurt each other, and they hurt God. They were cursed. Death was new. Yet He sought them to cover them, to give them some protection from what was to come.

And, to make a Promise.

Someone was going to restore all this.

Generations passed. Languages developed. Nations formed. And people still wanted their way instead of God’s.

Eventually God chose one nation in particular to show Himself to the rest of the world. He gave them specific things to do so all the nations could see Him through them. And time and time again, wanting their way like everyone else, these people failed.

But God kept restating it.

The Promise was made.

“For to us a child is born...

and the government shall be upon his shoulder...”

-Isaiah 9:6

And through these people

a King was born.

“For unto you is born this day

... a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” -Luke 2:11

His Name Is Jesus.

He was there in the beginning, the Creator through whom all things exist (John 1:1-5). He came to His creation as an infant and grew to be a Man. He was tempted in all ways as we are, but always lived God’s way (Hebrews 4:15). He is the Way, the Truth and the Life, the only way to God (John 14:6). He was the Promised One who was in all things innocent, in all of life perfect, and in all ways God.

And they tortured Him & nailed Him to a cross.

“And when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour... And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, ‘Truly this man was the Son of God!’” -Mark 15:33, 37-39

Those were the darkest hours the Earth has ever seen.

Jesus died.

But this King’s story doesn’t end...

For three days, His tomb stood silent.
And then, the impossible happened.

As some women were going to visit the tomb, an angel surprised them, saying, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay.” -Matthew 28:5-6

“As (His disciples) were talking ... Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, ‘Peace to you!’ But they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit. And he said to them, ‘Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.’ And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet (the nail scars).” -Luke 24:36-40

Jesus is alive!

The Creator took the punishment for His creatures’ rebellion against Him. He had conquered death and the grave. To the people God called His own, He made a way for their relationship to be right again. He did everything they could not. He truly was the Way. He is the Resurrection and the Life (John 11:25).

The Promise is fulfilled.

And as God reveals Himself through His people today

the Creator prepares to create again

a new Kingdom in a renewed Earth.

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.’ And he who was seated on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new.’” -Revelation 21:1-5

The King tells His story...

As a couple of men went walking, “Jesus himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were kept from recognizing him.” He asked what they were discussing and they said, “‘Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened. Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning, and when they did not find his body, they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.’
“And he said to them, ‘O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?’ And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.” -Luke 24:15-27

And to His disciples, Jesus said, “‘These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.’ Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, ‘Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.’” -Luke 24:44-47

What’s Your Part in the Story?

Everyone who’s ever lived has had a part in the King’s story. All of the Bible and all of history are God’s story, and all creation is waiting for the restoration to come.

Jesus came to restore His people and bring them back to Him. God calls each of us to turn from our own way and to Him, trusting Jesus as the Restorer who died to take the punishment of all who believe in Him, bringing them eternal life in a renewed Earth and Heavens with Him forever.

If you know Jesus as Lord, praise Him for what He has done, is doing, and will do for eternity in making our relationships, our work and our world right again.

If you don’t know Him, ask Jesus to show Himself to you for who He really is. Trust Him. Believe in Him as Lord, Savior and God. And then look forward to His future.

The Story of
Jesus Christ
Creator,
Redeemer,
Restorer,
Promised
King of Kings.

Resurrection
Day Blessings

(All Scripture quoted from the English Standard Version.)

the missouri bird revival

2010-03-29T23:03:00.004-05:00

"It was a fight for survival
that broke out in revival"
-Ray Stevens

The Tweet that started the questions rolling:
"3.5 church staffers just freed 1 very live bird from a drain clogged with over a foot of debris, & a very dead squirrel. Bird WIN!"

Having been a church staff member lo these nearly 8 years, I have lots of stories to tell. Collecting those stories in written form is often suggested, and this is just one of those bizarre yet triumphant tales of God's sense of humor. So sit back and enjoy.

Last week, some uncomfortable situations and news of friends and family in crisis left me in a bit of spin on Tuesday, the first day of my work week. It also happened that on top of my regular work I had a newsletter due and a massive food drive to prep for (which, praise God, went incredibly smooth). I was swamped, literally and emotionally.

But Tuesday just happened to be a really beautiful day, the kind we usually tend to miss trapped in an office with windows you can't open. (Well, you could open them. But only once.) So that afternoon somebody, or everybody, got the bright idea to take the staff meeting outside. There's only four of us, so we grabbed some chairs and went off to the side of the building to take in some sun.

As we were sharing prayer requests, I noticed a sound coming from a gutter and went to investigate. Scratching. My stomach sank. There was a bird stuck in there. Maybe a squirrel. If there's one thing I can't stand, it's creatures trapped and terrified.

I walked back to the guys and didn't say anything, but immediately started praying we could get whatever it was out.

Soon they noticed the sound too, and we all went over to investigate. This was a gutter drain from a two story flat gym roof, and it was screwed on to a flexible plastic drain that ran under a bit of ground to open up a few feet later. But the really odd thing was that the movement and scratching were nowhere near the bottom of the metal gutter. It was a foot or more above that point, which could mean only one thing. Clogged gutter.

I told them from experience there were almost definitely dead things in there. I'd freed a sparrow from the side of a house once, only to find him in there with the bones of his brethren. This, I presumed, would not be pretty.

Waiting for tools, I held on to the pipe and tapped. And then... the creature tapped back! This communication took place more than once. If I was a crier, I woulda lost it right there. I've halted traffic to rescue dazed birds in the middle of Highway 67. Nothing would stop me now.

The youth pastor produced a screwdriver, and we started the task of removing metal from plastic. Sure enough, when we got it undone it was clogged full of debris. We tried using sticks, but with little success. So I stepped in to reluctantly reach up the pipe (with my right arm, not the recently fractured left one), and started digging, pulling out clods of dead leaves and who-knows-what, my arm up the pipe nearly to my elbow as I'm mumbling, "Dead things, dead things, dead things..." Not exactly how I planned to spend my afternoon.

Eventually the associate pastor found a crowbar which we managed to use to get some more clumps out. (We also noticed the scratching sound was going higher up the pipe as he pushed...) At one point, said pastor stopped and asked, "Do you guys smell that?" but shrugged, and we kept on working.

Shortly after, a large clump fell out... and a small bird flew out! Followed by something else unidentified plopping on the ground. For the bird I was elated, as it flew off to a distant tree to look back at us in some bewilderment, with the senior pastor, and the only one without mud on his hands, waving and yelling, "You're welcome!" (Yes, he was the ".5 staffer." The cheering squad.)

We all turned back to the unidentified gray thing. Someone poked it with a stick to reveal a very dead, large, adult squirrel, and we all let out a collective, disgusted groan. Fortunately a church member, who also happens to be a nurse, had shown up to watch the spectacle, and provided a rubber glove with which I could carry the poor thing off by the tail to some overgrowth.

Mission accomplished, three of us headed inside to detox. I haven't been that covered in mud in a while, and I still have a nice mark on my forearm from the job. But the satisfaction of freeing that little bird made it all worthwhile. And a day that started off not so great ended up in a classic rescue operation.

If that wasn't enough, after I got home and we were heading out for Ben & Jerry's free cone day, I opened the door to our garage to find a very live squirrel on the hood of my car! He scampered down the hood and out the door quick, but I could not believe it. (There has since been some speculation as to whether they just have a really good network, or if it rode home on the undercarriage to take revenge over a huge misunderstanding of the day's events. However, no brake lines were chewed.)

Honestly, I can't make this stuff up. (Well, except that last bit.) I say it often, I truly love the Lord's sense of humor, and I thank Him for setting all this up in the midst of everything to provide the relief of rescuing one of His birds and giving us a lot of laughs, even in the fairly hilarious social networking discussion that ensued.

The bird we saved to live another day, but a little revival happened in me. Thank you, Lord, for redirecting my focus once again. And for simply making me smile.

"A joyful heart is good medicine,
but a crushed spirit dries up the bones."
-Proverbs 17:22

well worth a listen: Stephen Miller

2010-03-11T12:47:00.005-06:00

I completely love accidentally discovering great music. Those who know me know I tend to get a little (ok, a lot) excited about bands that catch my ear. But let's just ramp that up a level.

I recently happened to catch Stephen Miller at The Journey in St. Louis. (No, not the "Fly Like an Eagle" guy. But I dig him as a classic.)

The first time was just a free Saturday night I stopped by for worship. I got in a little late dealing with bizarre traffic, so I missed the intro and wasn't sure who he was. But I knew he sounded extremely professional, had a great, clean sound, and I was hearing lyrics I recently came to realize I rarely do hear, such as,

"Sovereign King, I’m amazed even more
That You’d chosen me when you founded the world"

That alone said volumes. I wasn't able to get an album that night without cash, but I couldn't stop thinking about those words.

I saw him next at the latest Acts 29 Midwest Regional Quarterly. Again, no idea he'd be there, but I heard that song again, "Awaken My Heart." It's just incredible live in worship, and he added in portions of other songs such as "How Great Thou Art." This time, because it's a training conference, they actually gave the album away. I haven't stopped listening in my car since. Solid theologically and musically, and he's writing concepts I'm really camped out on lately.

"You can break my heart to bring me joy
You can take it all to make me more like You
Oooh, I trust in You, I trust in You
You are sovereign Here"

Given recent experience, I amen that every time. Just phenomenal stuff.

Thus I was very pleasantly surprised to learn he's now actually on staff at The Journey. Their music guys have been awesome about sharing their stuff with us to use with our church, so I think he's in with a pretty great bunch. Even got out at the eleventh hour to catch his first night leading worship in that capacity so my very musical husband could hear too.

So, since he was kind enough to provide a free album, and facilitate some fantastic worship times, I'd like to return the favor with a little promotion here. Right now you can download the "People of Redemption" album free with some promo of your own. Take advantage of that offer while it's available.

And here are the two songs I referenced above. This version of "Awaken My Heart" is more like the album version, and they were touring with a group called Aerial Experience, which explains the performance artist, but you'll get the idea.

I really do praise God for using music like this to cause me to praise Him more. Enjoy it for His glory.

Awaken My Heart

You Are Sovereign Here

what's your treasure?

2010-03-10T23:43:00.006-06:00

easily pleased

2010-02-08T20:32:00.008-06:00

Intro video for The Pastor, the People, and the Pursuit of Joy: The Apostolic Aim of Pastoral Ministry, the Desiring God Conference for Pastors, February 1-3, 2010.

Go directly to all conference audio & video.

the way of escape

2010-01-23T15:13:00.008-06:00

"...let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry." -1 Corinthians 10:12-14

A few Saturdays ago I was lurking on Twitter and noticed a post by Mark Driscoll that said, "Paul says God always provides a way of escape from temptation. Preaching on it tomorrow. Got any real life examples I might share of how God opened a door of escape from serious temptation?"

I was sure I had, but couldn't think of anything at that moment, so I went about my day not really thinking about it.

That night (on my way to a church service, no less) I stopped by our massive library HQ in search of a movie hubby hadn't yet seen. Finding it wasn't there, I headed over to the new releases hoping to make the trip productive.

There I saw the box for a film I intentionally avoided this summer due to a high likelihood of, let's just say, inappropriate thought. But because I'm so familiar with the storyline and waited years for the release, I really want to see it and have struggled with and prayed about this since even before it hit theaters. Without completely thinking it through I picked it up, reasoning that I just wanted to see how they developed a particular character, grabbed another film I'd already seen (also ironic in title, but I'll spare you) and went to check out.

When I got to the counter I was told two things:
1) My library card expired last month, which I thought was weird as I haven't had the new card very long.
2) I also had a fine for $1.05, of which I was completely unaware.

Easy enough problems to address... if you can actually pay. Unfortunately (no, very fortunately) I hadn't carried any cash on me for a week or more, and I never carry checks. I literally had a quarter that I was planning to put into a coin collection. So I couldn't renew or borrow anything at all.

Then I asked what the fine was all about. I'd turned in a book late.

The book?

"Jesus Among Other Gods."

I briefly reeled inside at the mention of my Lord's name as the clerk began to read. It was a book by Ravi Zacharias I had trouble accessing and then didn't get to finish several months ago. By now I'd all but forgotten about that and didn't realize it was turned in late. (Ha, and apparently was due on my birthday last year.) I just acknowledged to the clerk that I'd have to deal with all this later and headed out with no movies. Laughing. I couldn't have scripted this.

I laughed in the car on my way up the road. I laughed as I shared this story later with friends who were aware of the situation from summer.

But in the next few days I really started thinking about what God did there. He closed doors. He provided the way of escape. He protected me from what I imagine would have required some serious repentance, and quite possibly long term problems as it may have either encouraged old, inappropriate thought patterns or created new ones. (Never think your thoughts don't matter ... Matthew 5:21-28; 15:10-20.) I don't even want to think of potential consequences from that. And He answered prayer, as I have asked His help and guidance in protecting me from such things before, since it's only by Christ's power I can and will "flee from idolatry" (anything that takes focus off God, thus becoming more important than Him).

I've said it before, I truly love the Lord's sense of humor. But eventually I stopped laughing, got on my knees, repented for my lack of judgment and thanked my Deliverer for His love and mercy in stopping me.

My life doesn't hinge on whether or not I spend 2 hours in fantasy land watching new people enact old tales I already know. My life is all about God's glory. He wasn't going to be glorified through me watching that film that day. But by sharing this story of His protection and love, I sincerely pray He is.

I'd say that brief trip to the library was more than a little productive.

Thank you, Lord.

February 1 Follow Up:
Just paid my fine and renewed my card for 2 years. Before I went, I promised I wouldn't even pick the film up. So I went over to check out the new releases. Would you believe that particular movie was nowhere to be found anyway?

I love how this story just keeps on going, and the Lord shows His goodness and glory in His protection at every turn.

Help for Haiti

2010-01-16T14:36:00.004-06:00

The situation in Haiti continues to grow more dire following a 7.0 earthquake last Tuesday and over 40 aftershocks in the region since. Please consider helping with relief efforts via Samaritan's Purse.

Christmas letter '09: why a Baby?

2009-12-17T22:11:00.012-06:00

"In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. ... And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

"And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. And the angel said to them, 'Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.'" -Luke 2:1-11 (ESV), excerpted

"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."
-Isaiah 9:6 (ESV), roughly 700 years before Jesus' birth

____________________________
This year began with a lot of death. An inordinate amount in my experience. I was at four funerals in the first 2 weeks of 2009. I even sang at two, one of them for a friend. It had me thinking a lot about my own mortality.

But, in a turn of what I like to call "divine irony," the year is ending with a lot of new life. I know several people who are with child. I've been an aunt since I got married, but am now one to a blood relative for the first time thanks to my brother and his wife who are expecting next year.

I admit, I love the Lord's timing in all this since this time of year brings to mind an unusual and remarkable birth, that of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Honestly, it's hard for me to think of Jesus as a baby. To me, babies are small and frail and make me more than a little nervous (though some tell me they're a lot tougher than I think). But I envision Jesus as an adult—strong, mighty, glorious. Someone more wonderful than anything we can imagine. And even with years of Nativity scenes in my head, it's still hard for me to really wrap my brain around that image. The fullness of God as a human baby? And then I, in my boundless curiosity, have to ask, "Why?"

Then I consider what the Apostle Paul wrote, "Therefore, as one trespass (the sin of the first man, Adam) led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness (Jesus' perfect life, including his innocent death) leads to justification and life for all men. For as by the one man's (Adam's) disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's (Jesus') obedience the many will be made righteous." (Romans 5:18-19, ESV)

So a man made an error that a Man had to repair. Intriguing.

Some cards I sent out this year read:
"He came to pay a debt He didn't owe
because we owed a debt we couldn't pay."

And we do owe a debt we can't pay. Every one of us does, because every one of us sins. Whenever we make anything or anyone more important than God, that's sin. It's automatically in our nature, because every baby who's ever been born was born with sin. (If you don't believe it, watch a youngster who's not getting his way. As I like to say, the selfishness comes with the package. Or just ask my mom about me as a kid. Yeah...)

From Romans 5:12, "...sin came into the world through one man (Adam), and death through sin, and so death spread to all men..." (ESV)

So that's true of every person born. All, that is, except one.

This baby Jesus, fully God and fully human, was the only baby born without sin. He was born to live a sinless life none of the rest of us who were born ever could. And He was born to die, to pay that debt for sinners like us.

From Romans 6:23, "...the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (ESV)

All the death I experienced at the start of the year, that's what each of us earns for our sin. But, for those who turn from their sin and believe in Jesus as Lord, He gives eternal life through His own death. We don't earn it. We don't deserve it. But He gives it as a free gift to all who believe. And the greatest miracle was delivered in the smallest package. Praise God.

Imperfect man damaged.
The perfect Man restored.
To pay a debt we cannot pay.
That's why Jesus was born.

Have a blessed Christmas †

take no one's word for God's Word

2009-11-17T12:11:00.002-06:00

"The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived they went into the Jewish synagogue. Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. Many of them therefore believed, with not a few Greek women of high standing as well as men. But when the Jews from Thessalonica learned that the word of God was proclaimed by Paul at Berea also, they came there too, agitating and stirring up the crowds." -Acts 17:10-13 (ESV)

If last year was all about understanding the joy of the Lord, I’d have to say this year has been about doctrine and correct use of Scripture. I think I’ve grown a lot in my understanding of the Bible this year (with, of course, infinite room for growth) and how to listen when Scripture is used inappropriately or out of context.

This didn’t "just happen.” It came from plenty of study, some public but much private, and even visiting several churches. It’s on my mind so much and I'm learning so much that I’ve honestly had some trouble collecting my thoughts to write. I even had a dream recently about trying to correct someone and help them understand how to study the Bible. Because I constantly hear misquoted and misused Scripture, I'm genuinely concerned about things many of us are taught and believe without checking, then teach others wrongly so the error continues person to person on down the generations.

I also become very concerned when those who claim to be believers say things like, "Oh, well that's not exactly what it means, but God can use it." God is not the author of confusion, and we aren't allowed to excuse ourselves from confusing others. We are accountable to the Lord for presenting His message correctly. We need to repent and ask the Lord for His wisdom, correcting ourselves in humility.

I know sometimes when a person feels this way they can also fall into several errors, which I pray to avoid. I don’t want to be angry in correction or prideful in knowledge. Right or wrong, I don't want to "agitate." (Hold accountable, yes. Stir up trouble, no.) This isn't about "being right," it's about honoring God. And I know that I, too, have been guilty of Scriptural misunderstanding and explanation because I didn't do enough study myself. That simply has to stop.

Look at James 3:1-18. Proper teaching and use of words in all settings isn't just a suggestion.

My prayer is that I can glorify the Lord in helping others grow in Him and their understanding of His words, even as I grow in my understanding and ability to explain. My prayer is for His wisdom in understanding the text, not overlaying other ideas or ways I really wish God worked. I want to know Him for who He is as He is, and I want to know exactly what God is communicating, not trusting various interpretations of God's plan.

That said, here are some things to do during your own study which have helped tremendously as I move past simply being taught and dig into the Bible for myself.

1) Textual Context - We love to make fortune cookie sized quotes out of rich Bible passages and stick them on signs and t-shirts. Some of Proverbs is written in that style, but for most of the Bible, which is written as a flow of thought through an entire document or letter, it's possible miss the point of the passage altogether. Brief quotes come in handy for memorization, and, explained properly, help in sharing and teaching. But proper explanation is key, because hearing something out of context can cause it to take on an entirely different meaning in our minds (and this happens far too often with Scripture).

Be sure to always read the passages surrounding the portion of Scripture you're studying. If that means reading a whole book, do it. I really appreciate the clickable Scripture references on this site that allow you to go see what else is surrounding that portion of Scripture. Use them. And remember, the numbering system was created later to help you find things easier, not for isolation.

Try this with everyone's favorite, John 3:16. To get the context of that verse, you should read from John 3:1-21. Find out who is talking, who is being spoken too and what is being said. Even look for time references. (I'll give it away, it's "night.") Read quotes in their entirety.

2) Historical Context - While God's plan encompasses all of human history, past, present and future, the Bible was written by certain people to certain people at certain points in time. To fully understand the concepts presented, we need to know those facts as much as possible and how that audience was likely to understand what was being said.

Commentaries and study Bibles can be useful for historical information, but be careful when these become more opinion based than fact based. (We recommend the ESV Study Bible as one that tends toward a fairly balanced presentation.)

For instance, in John 3:1-21, Jesus is talking to Nicodemus who was a member of the Sanhedrin, one who is supposed to know Scripture (our Old Testament) well enough to teach. Therefore he has a different perspective than many people of that time, and Jesus speaks to Him differently. Obviously much more can be said on this verse, but this fact alone should improve our perspective of why Jesus says the things He says here.

3) Original Language - Alright, so you can't read Greek. Or Hebrew. Or any of the other languages of the Bible. Maybe you can barely make out some of the older translations. But remember, all of our modern versions are just that—translated. And our words, in any language, take on different meanings as time goes on and dialects change or die.

So what was being said in the original languages? Well, if I just described you, Biblos.com has a great resource to help you with that question. Their Bible Lexicon includes Greek and Hebrew so you can view passages to see what the words are in those languages.

To get you started, check out John 3:16 all broken down in Greek. You can click on the numbers in the Strong's column for definitions and other word options. I also have a note in my Bible stating that, "For God so loved the world," might be translated, "For this is how God loved the world."

And, hey, watch out getting all caught up on individual words in English or any translation. I've heard of all kinds of study methods that ask people to focus on individual words. Sometimes every little one. Not only does this cause you to lose sight of vital context, but sometimes because we have to use different styles of phraseology to communicate in translations, people get stuck on words that aren't in the original phrase. Definitions are important. Context is crucial.

4) Scripture vs. Scripture - Another question is, how does this Scripture align with other portions of Scripture? Remember, the Bible tells a single story. It's God's story of redemption. It's all pointing to Jesus Christ and His sacrifice on the cross for the sins of those who believe in Him. Don't forget this, regardless of what you're reading.

My biggest caution would be against overlaying ideas that aren't necessarily there onto the text, especially when your idea is contrary to other portions of Scripture. And definitely don't try to force other Scriptures to fit your conjecture. The steps above should help with a large part of that problem. But the tendency remains, and sometimes one has to retrain the brain to understand the proper meaning of a passage rather than what we've been told or even convinced ourselves is true.

Helpful in this pursuit can be cross references, provided in most larger Bibles. I looked at a few for John 3:16, and it pointed me to passages such as Romans 5:8 and Ephesians 2:4. (Tip: Don't forget context in looking at the cross references too!)

So all of this is basic and vital to having an informed, Biblical comprehension. Don't just sit back and wait for a preacher or anyone else to do this for you. Know the Bible yourself. A true believer should find an ever increasing desire to know what the Lord is saying, so studying the Bible should become natural in your life as you grow in Him. And pray each time you read, always asking the Lord to reveal His truth alone.

By the way, in my own study of John 3:16 and surrounding, this is what I am learning:

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." (ESV)

God's love for the world meant He took action and sent Jesus to die for the sins of not everyone, but those who believe in Him. This is clear in verse 15 as well. We see several places in Scripture that not everyone will be saved. If that were true, no one would be in hell or "perish." But having heard others claim this means Christ's death is "for all," I looked up the background of "world" and "whoever" (sometimes translated "whosoever.") Jesus is talking to Nicodemus, a Jew, and is making the point again, as do many other places in Scripture, that it is not only the Jews who can be saved, but Gentiles as well. The "whoever" emphasizes people from any nation that God calls who truly trust in Jesus and will be saved through His blood. This would have been a bit of a shock for the Jews, who claimed some exclusivity as God's chosen race. (Chosen to share who God was with the rest of the world, and even have the Messiah born through them as a Jew, but that's a further study.)

That's just a little of what I'm learning from this passage as I study using all the devices listed above. It's amazing, bringing out so much more of what God is doing in restoring His creation. In His perfect justice, He gets all the glory in both His wrath and love. Praise Him for His mercy extended through the blood of Christ to those who believe.

And that is where your study should always lead you in the end, the praise of God's glory. Worship Him.

glorifying God online

2009-07-11T14:26:00.004-05:00

We recently spent a month and a half with our youth group discussing technology. This included discussions about communicating to large groups, such as social networking and blogging, more personal communication like instant messaging, texting and cell phone use, and a variety of pitfalls one can get into using technology, covering time wasters, downloads and theft, and some more unfortunate uses of the internet and technology, especially regarding images we’re either barraged with or can easily find. Even covering all that we barely spoke to all that’s going on and all the things we need to keep in mind as we navigate this rapidly expanding world.

We wanted to be sure no one left our discussions feeling all technology is somehow “bad.” Technology is neutral, but we need to use it properly. So we made sure every session to ask the question each of us should ask about everything we do,

“How does this glorify God?”

Obviously in discussions about theft or lust, we could pointedly state that those things never bring God glory. But other uses of technology have potential to do things and reach people in ways never before available in history. What will we do with them?

I often discuss or am asked about doing evangelism online, and I tend to approach the topic with excitement and trepidation. I am excited that people are willing to start thinking about technology as an evangelistic tool. I’ve been honing my outreach for years, expanding and using new things as they become available and relevant to reach people, especially in long distance relationships, some of whom I’ve never met. And therein lies the trepidation, because I have also learned over time to take serious precautions as I roam the internet, and I always want to be sure anyone else considering online outreach does the same.

With that, I would like to share some online cautions. People are very willing to share everything about themselves (and everybody else) on the internet, partly because there’s a disconnect with the “real world” when one is sitting behind a screen and keyboard, and this has the potential to be extremely dangerous regardless of age. The internet has made a lot of crimes easier to commit, and scams and stalkers do abound, so sometimes a little prevention goes a long way.

You should never make the following public about yourself or on behalf of anyone else:

• Contact info., primarily phone number and address
• Inappropriate photos (Don’t take them in the first place. Better yet, do nothing inappropriate to photograph!)
• Extremely personal information for all to see (and be careful e-mailing, chatting, etc. as this can “leak”)
• Financial info. – PayPal, bank accounts, credit/debit cards, social security number, etc. (And no one from Africa offering to give you their dead spouse’s money is your friend.)

It’s also highly recommended against publicly sharing:

• Full real names (even my e-mails have aliases)
• Current schools
• Current places of employment
• Where you/they will be and when

Of course, you should also always use caution in becoming friends with anyone you don’t know. I have a policy of only “friending” those I’ve actually met on one social networking site, with the exception of perhaps a few I’ve had a reasonable number of years speaking too online. I am more open to friend requests on another, but less open with the information I provide.

And so, with cautions such as these built in, and remembering Who I represent even online, I try to utilize the internet to glorify the Lord by sharing who He is with other people I talk too. I do this in a number of ways, which can include any of the following:

• God honoring and/or Scriptural, not preachy or judgmental, status messages, quotes, etc.
• Keeping up with friends, local and long distance
• Responding to anxious status messages and posts with love, prayer and God’s Word. These are often more appropriate to address privately.
• Blogging about what God is doing in one’s life
• Legally posting music with solid Christian lyrics
• The message can vary per audience. Mix in life stuff as long as the message doesn’t go against Scriptural principles. Be consistent and real.

I have prayed for and counseled many people during chat sessions and discipled others online via e-mail, chat or Skype, which allows you to video chat for free computer to computer, allowing for deeper interaction in being able to see another’s body language while talking. This includes a friend I met through the game site Neopets and shared the Gospel with a few years ago.

I’ve helped a few people research and find good churches out of state, using the internet of course. And for many individuals, I’ve shipped books or Bibles and cards once trust was established.

This website, obviously, is extremely useful in sharing the Gospel, various resources, how the Lord called me and what God is doing in my life. This has been invaluable in quickly sharing things with others, as I can simply link them to a page of the site or blog to discuss the content or answer a question. I also use the site heavily around major holidays to link holiday letters or Halloween outreach content.

Pretty much everything I do is free, other than the cost of accessing the internet. I bought my domain name and mini ministry is now graciously hosted by a great friend in TN, but I used a free server for years. The real cost here is time and effort in reaching a culture where they are, online, and finding ways previously unavailable or considered unorthodox to tell the world the greatest story there is to tell, that salvation and joy are found in Jesus Christ alone.

As will always be the case with technology, there’s more I could say. If you have questions about reaching out online, leave a comment. I’m glad to discuss. Pray for me as God mercifully allows me to reach different people in many parts of the world for His glory without ever leaving home. This is my mission field.

"I Will Rise"

2009-04-05T15:24:00.011-05:00

"For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." -Paul the Apostle, Philippians 1:21 (NKJV)

I just got to see Chris Tomlin live for the first time last weekend near Chicago. We also got to go to a small worship leader's gathering before the show. Wasn't quite what I expected, and I don't agree with every lyric or story I heard (which is pretty much the case with everyone when I compare their words to Scripture). But I do love his style and still hold to the fact that this guy's got some great stuff, so I had a good time worshiping along to the solid tunes.

One of the songs off the new album "Hello Love" which caught my attention pretty quick is called "I Will Rise." Before I even knew why the song was written, it didn't take me long to say, "I want that played at my funeral."

That statement might freak some people out. But since we are all destined to die, have no idea when the Lord will call us out of the race here on Earth, and I dream often about being in His presence, I think this sort of thing merits some consideration. I echo what John Piper says, that I have a vested interest in making my Lord Jesus look really good in life and when I die. I only pray that whenever and however He takes me, He'll use it to glorify Himself.

Check out the lyrics...

I Will Rise
by Chris Tomlin, Louie Giglio, Jesse Reeves, Matt Maher

Song lyrics | I Will Rise lyrics

Tomlin played this one at the concert, along with the side note that his grandfather just passed away, recently requesting Chris play it at his funeral. That was last Tuesday, and I hope he got through it.

Here's what Chris Tomlin has to say about the song:

I love that bridge too, and I know what He's saying, about that future hope of Glory and being forever in God's presence praising Him. But it's important to note that hope only comes in looking back to what Christ did in His death on the cross, dying for the sin of those who accept Him and rising again. I think the song communicates that fact, but I never want to assume my entire audience truly gets this vital concept, or that any of us can ever hear it enough.

This is eternal perspective. It looks forward and backward simultaneously. It is why we worship, why we will worship eternally and the only hope we have in this life or the next.

I should share that I attended four funerals in the first 2 weeks of this year, two of which I sang at, and some carried more hope than others depending in part upon how loudly the reality of the Gospel could be proclaimed through the life of the deceased. So again, I pray by God's grace that reality will be spoken and sung loud and clear whenever my time comes, even as I enter into the joy of my Master, worshiping in the presence of His Glory.

Worthy is the Lamb, indeed.

"For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven, if indeed, having been clothed, we shall not be found naked. For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life. Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee. So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by sight. We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him." -2 Corinthians 5:1-9 (NKJV)

a crust or a Kingdom?

2009-02-25T10:37:00.005-06:00

"Jesus said to him, 'If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.' But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions." -Matthew 19:21 (NKJV)

During our 2 days in Chicago at Moody's Founders Week (see previous post for details), we had some down time and got to wander around the city. While one of those was just a dinner time walk to Ed Debevic's so I could throw a roll at the waiter, another was time in a shopping district at a very nice Borders and a very scary American Girl store. ((shudder))

Personally, I would have preferred to sit in on more sessions at Moody, but I stayed with the group for the most part. Eventually I decided to go back and catch a late session. The group was going for pizza anyway, and it's always best for me to take care of myself when it comes to food. (Cranky digestive system.) So I marched the several blocks back only to find the session was full and they didn't allow standing room.

Drat. Separated from my group in downtown Chicago with nothing to do for a few hours.

I made a call and decided to head back to where they were. Maybe I couldn't eat the stuff, but I didn't mind the company or the exercise to get there. "There" happened to be Giordano's Restaurant and Pizzeria, a finer Italian establishment.

As I made my turn onto Rush Street and was just about to enter the restaurant, a man walked up to me and asked if I had any spare change. While it is my policy to never stand on the sidewalk with an open wallet or encourage pan handling, I could honestly say I did not. However, trying to practice the love of Christ, I told the guy I was meeting a group and if he came in we'd feed him.

You could see his wheels turning. Was I serious?

"You'll feed me?" he asked.

"Yeah, come on," said I.

But no, no. He said he didn't want to interrupt. (Now the guy just stopped me on the sidewalk to ask for change. Was that not an interruption?) But I insisted I was serious, and told him to come in. So he came inside.

I told him to wait by the front door and I'd look for my group, who of course were clear at the back. I didn't know if he'd hang around, but I found him again, asked his name and said, "Come with me." He did, and I introduced him to the group as we got him a chair.

He nearly immediately launched into a story of how he recently lost his job as a forklift operator and was on hard times. But as soon as the youth pastor and I began discussing food, he got nervous again and said he didn't want to intrude (again). This time nothing we said would get him to stay. All we had on the table at this point was one small piece of bread which we gave him to take with. He shook my hand to thank me and walked out.

And that was that. We went on with a nice meal, and pizza left over. I managed a bowl of clam chowder (PTL, happy tummy) and gratefully enjoyed that. The leftover pizza went to a bus driver, who was ecstatic for the gift.

I later considered just what our friend at Giordano's gave up.

We were offering him a full meal, for free, and given the chance would have extended him an invitation into the Kingdom of God. Instead, he settled for a crust of bread and a handshake. He could have left satisfied physically and spiritually, dinner in his stomach and an heir of the One who owns everything. Instead, he walked out with nothing but a morsel to continue his brief life on Earth a mere street beggar.

While the harsh reality breaks my heart, it also makes me think. I think of all the times I see people so quickly willing to settle. I know I've done it myself. We settle for the immediate, for the here and now, for the thing we think will satisfy in the moment or the emotion we won't let go while completely ignoring an eternity to come. We settle for the tiny, insignificant things we think this world has to offer instead of the fullness of God's glory and the joy of knowing Him.

So these are my questions to you... (And don't stop reading here, Christian. This is for you too.)

Are you going to settle for a "crust of bread" today, that little thing that satisfies some perceived, immediate desire without any further commitment? Or are you ready to be full and rich in joy, completely satisfied by God Himself?

Certainly if you don't know Him, or have doubts to that end, I ask you to consider who He is and what He's done. Jesus died for you, for every wrong you ever did, and rose again so you can be an heir of God and spend eternity with Him, if you're willing to accept. He offers you infinitely more than all the little things this world has to offer combined. He's offering you Himself. Think about it.

If you do know Him, or think you do, then think about the statement above. Read it again. Remember what He did for you. Think about it. Really think! The God of the universe died for you and wants you to want Him with every fiber of your being. Do you? Or are you just willing to settle? Are you already an heir but still living as a beggar? Have you heard it all before and think, "That's great. I get to go to Heaven. Now, God, make me happy with Your stuff."? (No, you won't think those exact words. But you'll mean them.) Or are you ready to truly seek Him, trust Him, love Him, thank Him and give up everything else just to have Him?

So, what will it be? A crust or a Kingdom? Don't walk away begging for a morsel and miss out on the satisfaction of more than a meal. Wait and realize what God really has to offer—Himself. And He is everything.

"...the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it." -Matthew 13:44-45 (NKJV)

so i'm crazy in love with this Man

2009-02-14T20:24:00.028-06:00

"And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.' This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these." -Mark 12:30-31 (NKJV)

Last week I launched out on yet another trip. This time we took part of our youth group for 2 days of the 5 day long Founders Week at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago.

This was a new thing for me, but it's been an annual event for more than a few years. Every year they bring in some pretty big name speakers and artists for the free, week long conference. The theme for this year's conference was "Rooted in Truth, Abounding in Love." On the bill, two of my "heroes of the faith," Francis Chan and Franklin Graham.

Understand, I'm always reluctant to use the word "hero" for anyone but the One who saved me, Jesus Christ alone. But I understand the value of learning from others who have known Him longer or are in a stronger place in their relationship with Him and model Him well, though imperfectly, on this Earth. There are only a handful of people I know personally who I feel this way about (and, as is my custom, I won't name names online). But this was one of those rare times to go hear in person what the Lord would have these guys say—guys I don't know personally but feel a bond with in the body of Christ.

So why do these two get a special label? For two very different reasons.

I've followed Franklin Graham's ministry for years. He's the founder of Samaritan's Purse, a global disaster assistance organization that goes out primarily when natural disasters strike to help clean up and meet physical needs, sharing Christ with those they assist. I visited the ministry's table and learned they currently have teams not so far from us, down in southern Missouri helping clean up from the ice storms which still have so many in the dark.

They also run Operation Christmas Child, one of the simplest to take part in yet most brilliant ministries I know of in which you just pack a shoebox full of small items such as toys, candy, toiletries, etc. and Samaritan's Purse takes them to children around the world, primarily in impoverished areas. This gift helps share who Jesus is with these kids, many of whom have never received a gift in their lives. This also parallels to them the gift God gave us in giving His Son to die for sin.

Over years of participating in this project we have heard back from two children, a young boy from Burkina Faso, Africa and a teen girl from Tadjikistan. The boy was only 4 years old when we started correspondence, and we've written and traded gifts a few times a year ever since. This puts faces to the shoe box recipients for us. A reality that's "out there" is now in our hearts.

The Lord has been developing in me a philanthropist's heart, and though I don't at this point have the ability to go start something big like this, I love being involved with this organization when I can in the ways I can.

And Franklin Graham is the guy who started all that.

Unfortunately, I was about two people away from getting to tell him this when they had to leave. I was, admittedly, a bit disappointed, but I always consider the likelihood of getting to meet him and many others some day—and wonder what words we might share in the presence of the Lord.

He gave a brief talk, which started with a video about one of their projects in a country where they helped rebuild churches after intense persecution. Exhorting us to never back up, surrender, give in or dilute the Gospel, he used the letters "CEO" to make his points, those standing for:

Cost - (Luke 14:25-33) The cost of following Christ is giving up everyone and everything. We should spend ourselves for His glory.

Excuses - (Luke 9:57-62) Despite the cost, a true believer won't make excuses when it comes to following the Lord. What is God calling you to do and will you do it?

Obedience - (Luke 5:1-11) Because He says so, I will do it.

Again he asked if we will let God use our life and spend us 'til the ends of this Earth. Just let Him use you, and He will teach you to catch men for Christ.

I would have liked to hear more from him, but he insisted on being brief since this was the last talk of the week. However, we are thinking about seeing him again in our neck of the woods later this year for Rock the River.

Francis Chan wrote the book "Crazy Love," which I was introduced to a few months ago by our youth pastor when some of the students were going through it. The book compares the lukewarm with the obsessed. It discusses a person who does just the minimum (if that) of what they think is expected by God or the church or other people versus the person who is so completely and utterly in love with their Creator, the God of the universe, that it changes everything they do and say and think and how they relate with other people.

I was immediately hooked and asked to borrow a copy until I got my own. We are currently going through the book in Sunday school with the entire senior high, and using the supplement DVD (which I now own as well). So going to see Francis live at least once this year was really on my radar.

The cool thing was we got to hear him at three different sessions over the 2 days. Much of what he said reiterated points in the book, so I won't repeat all that. But the Q & A session to a completely packed room took us in some different directions.

I won't even try to type all the notes I took, but one thing that really struck me was when someone asked about instilling sincerity in the church. He quoted 1 Corinthians 11:1 and asked when was the last time someone asked you this or you asked someone else this, to follow you as you follow Christ? We don't need more teaching, we need more models. We need to be sincere in our own pursuit of God.

When asked about the most important lesson he ever learned, he launched into a lengthy and riveting story of some relationships he really messed up. The point was that through it all he experienced depression and because of that was finally able to relate to and sympathize with others who felt depressed. Though he loved God, the pain affected him and taught him about the weakness of his own faith. God wasn't his first love. Pain does pass, but it should strengthen you. It also shows you the brevity of this life and should focus you on the life to come. I was keyed in to all this because I realized how true it all was for me just 7 months ago.

In an answer to a man who seemed frustrated with the Church in dealing with a specific topic, Francis responded, "At the end of my life I'm going to be judged. I don't have time to be frustrated with the whole Church." The question is, how can we use our gifts now to build others up? Again he emphasized seeking God first. He stated, "I really, really believe in the sovereignty of God," and that we need to understand His control as reality. He did point out that it's easier to see these things in hindsight when we're not in pain. James 1:5 is usually taken out of the context of pain and trials. We need to seek God's wisdom in those times because we don't think straight when we're in pain.

So that's just a little of what I gleaned from what the Lord had him share. Great stuff.

I finally got brave enough to march most of my posse over to meet him, so it was cool we got to say hi and talk very briefly. I mentioned that this book came at an incredible time in my life, just as things were really starting to take off for me spiritually in new ways. He signed our books with 1 Timothy 3-4.

Not to be neglected, we heard from some other good speakers too, including Crawford Loritz, Gary Haugen (preach it lawyer!), Erwin Lutzer and Chuck Colson, though he basically gave a book report on his latest. Here are a few quotes I picked up:

"I don't go to church. I belong to Church." -Chuck Colson

"We don't do good theology by over correcting bad theology." -Crawford Loritz

"It is not before us, it is before the cross that the world trembles." -Dietrich Bonhoffer (as quoted by Erwin Lutzer who taught on characteristics of false teachers and the need to actually share the actual Gospel. This seemed to be a common statement from many.)

Additionally, the worship was phenomenal. Some 4,000 people gathered in this old church, the front side of which was a pipe organ, just singing praises to God. As cool as that setting was, you could close your eyes and imagine, or at least wish, we were all already standing before the Lord.

I also purchased a copy of the new ESV Study Bible and picked up another Chris Tomlin CD on sale, so I'm really excited about those too.

So, I've got to say, in case you're wondering, I really like Francis Chan. I continue to learn a lot from him about loving God and loving people. I really like Franklin Graham as an example of how to show Christ to a hurting world. And I really like all the other guys who help me learn more about knowing God and becoming more like Him.

But the Man I'm crazy in love with is my Lord and my God, Jesus Christ, for all He has done and will do for me. And that love is growing exponentially, with room for limitless increase. I praise Him for experiences like this when I can grow in Him, and times in which He causes this love to increase that much more.

"We love Him because He first loved us." -1 John 4:19 (NKJV)

drumming the pride right out of me

2009-01-17T17:34:00.027-06:00

"Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall." -Proverbs 16:18 (NKJV)

Music has always been a big thing in my life. If you look at some of my older posts, you'll see all kinds of lyrical references. I love singing, despite being traumatized as a small child by people who reckoned this little kid could sing and stuck me onstage, and at least once ran off when I noticed the audience.

So I've had my time behind the mic. Nothing big, just fun stuff mostly. But a few years ago I found myself becoming frustrated when I wasn't allowed to sing in our church praise band. It wasn't for malicious reasons. Leadership at the time said they didn't have space, and I didn't push too hard. But I eventually realized there was more to it than openings, especially since I had to question my own motives in the end. I noticed pride pushing it's way to the surface, and it wasn't until I really got past some things and desired to truly live to glorify the Lord that I was finally allowed to take part under a new regime. Now I sing, to God and for God, in the band about once a month, which is more than I even asked for. All His timing.

So, a lesson there was learned. But occasionally I realize class on this particular topic is still in session.

A few weeks ago we drove 12 hours to northern Wisconsin for a high school/college retreat. This was my third year, but this time hubby and I both went along as sponsors. Even nicer, we also asked a friend who helped us get a little praise band together. Hubby wails on electric guitar, and I can keep a rhythm on drums, so we got a few other people together and a band was born.

Like I said, I can keep a beat, but this was my first time ever playing with an actual band. I took drum lessons for a brief while back in high school, and sometimes we jam in the basement just goofing around. But to do this thing for real with intros and outros and all that, I was pretty nervous.

I prayed a lot. I wanted to play skillfully for the Lord and do this thing up right for Him. I even found myself practicing rhythms to the ceiling fan in my cabin. My buddy helped cue me a lot, which was pretty much invaluable since I do everything by feel. He also recorded some sessions, so I got to hear myself and found I was really doing much better than I thought (partly because I didn't have a monitor back there).

So by the end of the week, I was pretty comfortable and getting braver. We were starting to seriously nail everything on "Indescribable," which got me really excited since I love that song so much. I thought the times of worship were great and things were looking good.

Then, on the last session of the last day, I looked out and noticed someone had a camera. They were videoing the band. They were recording me. So I got it in my head to do some nice little riff for the vid.

Not kidding, no sooner did I think that and go to do it than the drumstick not so much fell as flew out of my hand and landed in the absolute weirdest spot. Thinking fast, I switched my remaining stick to the other hand and and kept the rhythm while trying to reach down and grab the flyaway.

And then I just started laughing. Quietly, but I had to laugh at my own stupidity and pride and the whole situation and say, "Yes, Lord, I get it. It's all for you."

Thank God for His sense of humor and His gentleness in leading us to see our sin when we're actually paying attention. And I thank Him for His mercy, because I realize getting a drumstick knocked out of your hand is pretty generous compared to what I truly deserve and would get without His grace.

"Indescribable"

2009-01-01T17:34:00.008-06:00

Believe it or not, praise music, especially of the modern variety, is something I'm really just discovering (with lots of help from Pandora), and Chris Tomlin is suddenly one of my favorite artists.

I absolutely love this song (written by Laura story and performed by Tomlin) because it is so utterly true. There are many homemade vids for it out there, but this is by far the best I've seen. Take it all in.

Christmas Letter '08: JOY

2008-12-20T17:24:00.000-06:00

“You make known to me the path of life;
in your presence there is fullness of joy;
at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”
-Psalm 16:11 (ESV)

“Joy to the world,
the Lord is come;
Let Earth receive her King!”

What’s got you down? (Is that a weird way to start a Christmas letter about joy?) We might try to mask it around the friends and family, but in reality most people are going through something right now. Job stuff, financial stuff, relationship stuff. Crazy, messed up planet stuff. Regardless of what it is or why, almost everyone I talk to is going through something. And if we’re not now, we certainly will at some point. Welcome to a sinful, fallen world.

To be honest, for me this year kind of started where last year left off. I struggled to maintain the eternal perspective I long for, but couldn’t seem to get past some circumstances I wasn’t thrilled with. It bothered me more than I can express to realize at one point I was just going through the motions spiritually. I was seriously going through some stuff.

But in late summer, while half-heartedly viewing a video series, something finally clicked for me. Joy. Not the short-lived, temporary “happiness” we often seek in people and position and stuff, but a real and lasting joy that goes infinitely beyond all that, even in the face of trouble. We cannot find true joy or lasting happiness anywhere but in the Lord alone, and I was focused in the wrong direction.

How I missed this before I don’t know (how many times have I said that?), but things really began to change for me once I acknowledged God in this. He began working in me in all kinds of ways, and I truly started trusting Him in every situation, even the frustrating ones that didn’t change at all. I learned more of what it it means to see Him as Provider and Sustainer (especially given that hubby’s job situation suddenly changed this year), the source of every blessing and all good gifts, and what it means to give thanks in all things.

Of course, all this was contingent upon truly knowing the Lord. Not just knowing about Him. Not just giving a nod to God a few times a year, maybe showing up at church or mumbling a prayer when things get scary, but really knowing Him.

Consider this—what we actually celebrate at Christmas isn’t presents and food and family time, though all those can be wonderful gifts of God. What we actually celebrate is God coming to Earth. He lived among us and understands our struggles. He taught a radical message of love in what it means to “love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength” and then “love your neighbor as yourself.” And He died for anyone who will believe and trust Him for it, all to restore our relationship with Him that was severed by our own willful disobedience, then returned to life proving again He truly is God.

Jesus did all that. That’s Who we celebrate and why we celebrate, because of the Joy only He could bring through a life only He can offer us.

If you know Him, never forget this. Dwell on Him as the heart of your holiday, and trust Him completely as you find your Joy in Him alone.

If you don’t know Him and you feel He’s calling you, accept the call. Receive your King. Make this Christmas one worth remembering, one worth celebrating and one full of the only true and lasting joy mankind can ever know—the Joy of the Lord.

Merry Christmas †

think outside the gift box

2008-12-03T15:42:00.014-06:00

It's time to do something with your Christmas.

Watch the vid. Get inspired. Visit the sites. Get even more inspired.
Then do something.

The sites:

• Advent Conspiracy

• Rethinking Christmas

• Living Water International

More suggestions (shop their Christmas catalogs):

• Samaritan's Purse

• World Vision

• Gospel For Asia

"thanks" will never be enough

2008-11-25T14:30:00.014-06:00

We recently had our annual Thanksgiving Celebration at our church. It's a fun time to gather with the church family for food (lots of) and then settle down in the Worship Center to thank God for His unending generosity.

This year I was asked to give a testimony of just what I'm thankful for from the past year and perform a song to go along with. Not sure how much of this will end up in this year's Christmas letter, but here's what came out...

__________________________________

When I was asked to give a testimony of what I’m thankful the Lord is doing in my life, I knew I needed to do this but wouldn’t possibly have enough time to provide the full picture.

The past few months have been an incredible time of spiritual growth for me as I’ve never experienced. But interestingly, and certainly not accidentally, I just went through over a year of one of the longest valleys I ever walked. This was an extremely rough time on me emotionally for many reasons.

I’m not sure anyone knew that I woke up every day for months with a dull ache. I’d pray about it, but it wouldn’t go away. Last May that oppressive feeling mysteriously vanished just as I was called into a series of intense spiritual battles. But even without that horrible feeling, once the intensity died I found the unsettled emotions remained, and I was still handling things poorly.

All this piqued in July, and I knew then I was just going through the motions spiritually. I was purely frustrated with circumstance, but just kept pushing on, knowing my attitude wasn’t right and wondering how things might change.

In August, the change began, and God allowed some of (my church family) to play a part. I was in the Sunday school class viewing John Piper’s “Blazing Center” DVD, and by the second session he struck a chord. I began to see that my joy was gone because I was looking in the wrong direction. We cannot find true joy or lasting happiness anywhere but in the Lord alone.

Once I acknowledged this, and acknowledge Him, God began to work in me in all kinds of ways.

My worship, encouraged in part by being in praise band and visiting some other worship services, is developing into a genuine “anytime, any style, anywhere” with anything scriptural.

My prayer life is changing dramatically, further encouraged by (our) “God-Centered Praying” class and recent “Fresh Encounters” weekend.

My study time has seriously increased. I’m spending a lot of time in Psalms and currently being impacted by Francis Chan’s book “Crazy Love,” which discusses all the Creator of the universe, who actually died for sin, has done to show us His amazing love and how we should be so humbled and excited and awestruck that we can’t help but unconditionally love Him back.

My excitement to follow God’s lead has me going all kinds of directions. I even found myself in Chicago with the youth last weekend learning about creative ways to glorify Him by helping others.

As I said, I don’t have time to paint the entire picture of what’s taking place. This has barely scratched the surface. My circumstances didn’t change, but my focus did. I’m excited, and I am incredibly thankful to the Lord Jesus Christ for bringing me back to life.

This brand new song called “Heartbeat” by the band Remedy Drive tells a similar story.

Heartbeat - Remedy Drive

This is a draught
Living without
The one thing that I require
What a mess
Passionless
Somewhere I lost the fire
Oh my my
Where has it gone
Can anybody turn this beat back on?
My heart is fast asleep
Dreaming it could bleed
For something that's real
My desperate appeal
God, I'm getting tired of the way I feel
When I would rather be alive

I want to wake up
I want to restart
Put the drumbeat back in my heart
I need to be revived
Bring me back to life

Coming on slow
Head to toe
The pulse is back again
Grace in my veins
Replacing the pain
Bringing me back from the dead
Oh my my
Now I can see
You heard me cry emergency
Screaming out for help
You saved me from myself
The fire's returned
I'm letting it burn
There's nothing better in the whole wide world
It feels so good to be alive

I want to wake up
I want to restart
Put the drumbeat back in my heart
I need to be revived

I want to wake up
I want to restart
Put the drumbeat back in my heart / It feels so good to be alive
It feels so good
Bring me back to life

Related (back story):
• long distance runaround
• the summer of our discontent

the Advance: a look at "real-igion" in action

2008-11-16T23:30:00.022-06:00

"Standing in line marking time
Waiting for the welfare dime
'Cause they can't buy a job
The man in the silk suit hurries by
As he catches the poor old ladies' eyes
Just for fun he says, "Get a job."

That's just the way it is
Some things will never change
That's just the way it is.
Ah, but don't you believe them."
-Bruce Hornsby, "The Way it Is"

Last weekend the youth pastor, my husband, myself and two van loads of senior highers headed north to do something a bit different. Rather than our usual "Fall Getaway" retreat, we decided to Advance. The idea was to "see the extraordinary things that God is doing with ordinary people."

That we did. Here's how it went...

"Some want to live within the sound of church or chapel bell; I want to run a rescue shop within a yard of hell" - C.T. Studd

SATURDAY 11/8
Family Health Partnership Clinic
("Providing quality health care to residents of McHenry County, IL. Operating with a committed group of volunteer physicians who work alongside a dedicated staff, we serve the uninsured and underinsured population of the county. The majority of the patients work, or are in working families, and almost half are children. Many have delayed care because they were uninsured and could not afford to get the treatment they needed.")

Our youth pastor's mom is office manager at this clinic. After graciously allowing all of us to spend the night in their home in Rockford on Friday night, we took a trip over to the clinic in Woodstock, IL and heard some great stories of what they do. I think this was a wake up call to some as to just how expensive health care really is in the U.S., especially to our Swedish exchange student who expects health care will be provided.

I picked up this fantastic quote posted in several spots throughout the rehabbed medical building, "When I give food to the poor, they call me a saint. When I ask why the poor have no food, they call me a Communist." -Dom Hélder Pessoa Câmara

(As a fun bonus afterward, we drove around the square where "Groundhog Day" was filmed. I admit, some of us watch that movie way too much. Thankfully, our lives don't reflect it.)

__________________________________

"Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. Then there will be equality, as it is written: 'He who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little.'"
-2 Corinthians 8:13-15

Jesus People USA (JPUSA)
("A Christian community in Chicago, we operate both as an intentional Christian community and as a worshiping church. We began as an independent ministry in 1972, and in 1989 joined the Chicago-based Evangelical Covenant Church. We number about 500 people who live together at a single address on Chicago's North Side. We hold our goods and property in a common fund, looking to the model of Christian community depicted in New Testament [Acts 2:44-47, 4:32-35]. Living communally and pooling our resources in this way enables us to minister to one another and those outside the community in ways that might not have been otherwise possible.")

Once we tracked down our gracious tour guide (thanks again!), we had a lot of fun here. I think this introduced most of us to a style of living we never really thought was actually possible. These folks manage at poverty levels, yet are still able to help those in need. They also have a drama group, art studio, record label and plenty of other ways to plug in and serve the Lord, each other and the community.

I got to thinking I could live that way, at least for a while. Maybe it's the hippie in me. I always love allowing people to stay in our rather spacious (and kidless) home, but it seems rare and far between. Leave it to American individualism for us to take up way more space than we really need. Our tour guide's main apartment room was probably half the size of my kitchen alone.

Outside on the way back to the van, hubby and I separately noticed two guys apparently doing cocaine in a stairwell across the street. It was cold enough to snow that day. It's hard out there. This is reality. People need people, but most of all people need Jesus to get them out of the pit.

__________________________________

"When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous."
-Luke 14:12-14

Pacific Garden Mission
("Since 1877, Pacific Garden Mission has been a refuge. Millions weary of struggling through life's storms have come to the 'Old Lighthouse' seeking food, shelter, clothing, medical and dental care. They also came seeking the answer to life’s struggles. They are offered the answer: life through faith in Jesus Christ.")

Wow, we walked in under that classic neon "Jesus Saves" cross, and I had no idea what was coming. When they announced they were about to record episode 3033 of "Unshackled!", I was like, "No way. They're still doing this?" I haven't actually heard the show in ages. But sure enough, we got to watch live radio right before our eyes, complete with organ, real slamming doors for sound effects, and a lot of "CUT!" called for coughing and random outside bus noises.

In case you don't know, "Unshackled!" is an old style radio show that dramatizes true and amazing stories of people who have come to know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. The whole time listening, I was thinking, "This is really true? Nooo, they made that up." But when it was over, they brought out the lady who actually lived the story. Very cool. After all she went through, the Lord, in His mercy, called her out to be one of His own.

After the recording, we got to eat with some other groups and homeless or otherwise needy people. They did a full on chicken and mashed potato dinner for everyone free. (And by "free," I mean funded by those who can afford it. It later struck me as ironic that we were practically around the corner from a Whole Foods Market, a largely organic grocer I shop at least once a month, usually managing a bill around $100.) All were well fed that night.

Then it was back to the auditorium for a good praise and worship service. Our quiet, suburban whiteness was shook up for good by at least three different styles of enthusiastic and interactive praise, and I absolutely loved it. I wish all churches would let it be known they love the Lord like this.

But after some testimonies, you knew these guys had reason to really thank Him for pulling them out of that pit I mentioned. Off the streets, off drugs, out of their hopelessness, Jesus saved them and they knew it. And they wanted everyone else to know it too. (I noticed a similar response at the recent building dedication of a local church called Have Bible Will Travel, which started in biker bars and tattoo parlors.)

The preacher, who spoke on inviting Jesus into every "house" we inhabit, public and private, spent some time on the islands where one of our students lived for a year or so of his life. God does not work in coincidence, and it was great for them to talk for a few minutes.

After all this excitement, we headed to Rosemont to stay in a rather comfy Hyatt (youth pastor got a sweet Hotwire deal) and discussed the day. I don't suppose the irony was lost on everyone. Some began to question their own comfort, and why the Lord gave them such a nice life. We tried to remind them to praise Him for the grace they have been given, and point out that God gives some to be rich and some to be poor. How then will we who have glorify Him by helping those who have not?

We did have a good time handing food to a few of the guys hanging out at some of the highway exits. (Most of my food bars disappeared that way.) Helping, rather than shying away and ignoring. It's a start.

__________________________________

"They say hey little boy you can't go
Where the others go
'Cause you don't look like they do
Said hey old man how can you stand
To think that way?
And did you really think about it
Before you made the rules?
He said, son

That's just the way it is
Some things will never change
That's just the way it is.
Ah, but don't you believe them."
-Bruce Hornsby, "The Way it Is"

"I have a dream that one day ... little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

"I have a dream today.

"I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together." -Martin Luther King, Jr.

SUNDAY 11/9
Lawndale Community Church
("A nondenominational Christian Church seeking to provide a place to worship Jesus Christ. We place importance on a personal relationship with God through His Son Jesus Christ and growth in Him through meeting both the spiritual and physical needs of the community through involvement in people's lives. Individual purposes of LCC:  To reach the unchurched people of the community. To proclaim and live out Biblical Christianity.  To raise up new generations of Christian leadership.  To creatively meet the needs of people striving to empower them along the way.")

We showed up just in time to attend another lively praise service at this predominately black church, and I began to wonder how I'll react now to the music back home. (Though I am getting to a point where I'm so caught up in truly worshiping God that I'm less distracted by the style of what's happening around me.)

This was an especially interesting service because it was the Sunday after the election. They went through a good timeline, from slavery to the civil rights movement to MLK and on to the death of the pastor's own father due to hospital negligence, the second person to die in a week after a hospital refused timely treatment. (Concerns of prejudice and racial mistreatment have long been on my heart, and admittedly this all got to me.)

The pastor then launched into how much he loved his daddy, and how betrayed he felt by this country after his death. He couldn't pledge allegiance. He didn't feel at home. No matter where he went, he'd get comfortable and then someone would remind him, "You ain't home, boy." But after this week, and the election of Barack Obama, he finally felt like he was home. He and several others piled suitcases onstage to illustrate their point.

But he didn't leave it there. The sermon was titled "Historic Sunday, but Above All Else, Guard Your Heart." He went on to say that no one should suddenly become proud. Everyone must guard their heart and mouth and so on. He said Barack Obama may be President, but don't put your trust in Earthly princes. Jesus is King. And he finally got the point I hoped—no matter how "at home" you feel here, we await our true home with the Lord in the heavenly Kingdom.

Frankly, it was a fantastic talk that showed us another side to the story we may not hear in our largely white, suburban, predominately conservative world. And I loved it.

For lunch, we crossed the street to visit Lou Malnati's Pizzeria. While Malnati's is a chain, this particular franchise was given to Lawndale Community Church with the stipulation that the profits help the community. They also provide job preparation primarily for men coming out of their Hope House ministry.

"In the fall of 1995 the Malnati's opened a restaurant on the West side of Chicago in an effort to help rejuvenate a neighborhood that has not had much success in recovering from the riots of 1967 that ravaged the area. Lou Malnati's Lawndale Pizzeria is unique in that all profits will be given back to the community to benefit children's educational and recreational programs."

So while we sat around sharing Chicago style deep dish pizza, and a salad for me, all the proceeds were going to help others. Pretty cool.

__________________________________

The Sum Up
I think, at least personally, this was a productive trip on many levels. I've always had a heart for these concerns, but what excited me here was being able to see God's incredible creativity working through all these people to reach out to others for Him in so many different ways. I don't know how He'll use this in the lives of any of us, adult or student, but you can kind of see the wheels turning for some of us. If you know the Lord, pray for that fire to be well lit.

(All descriptive quotes taken from organization websites.)

a peace that passes understanding

2008-10-22T22:50:00.010-05:00

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” -2 Timothy 1:7

In this year of political paranoia and financial failure, I've heard a lot of fear mongering from all kinds of people. I even met a conspiracy theorist in the freezer aisle at Trader Joe's a few weeks ago who was very concerned about the year 2012 and the Queen of England, among other things. And I've met more than a few people calling themselves Christians who are just beside themselves over all that's happening around them.

Granted, this is a difficult election on many levels, and I admit that I'm struggling to feel I can vote for either of the primary presidential candidates in good conscience before my Lord for a variety of reasons.

I'm also married to a man who just a few months ago had to end a job of 20+ years. We're currently trying to work out a situation with health insurance, and took at least one hit from the stock market ourselves.

But all that said, I'm not afraid of the future.

Maybe you've seen this e-mail, which has been going around for a while now:

10 Predictions No Matter Who Wins the Election
1. The Bible will still have all the answers.
2. Prayer (to the One, True, Living God) will still work.
3. The Holy Spirit will still move.
4. God will still inhabit the praises of His people.
5. There will still be God-anointed preaching.
6. There will still be singing of praises to God.
7. God will still pour out blessings upon His people.
8. There will still be room at the Cross for you.
9. Jesus will still love you.
10. Jesus will still save the lost if they turn to Him.

Isn’t it great to know Who's still in control?

Now, want a prediction on who's going to win? It will be the man God chooses. But that doesn't negate our responsibility to vote, for the president or any other candidate or issue. What's incredible is that in the U.S. we get to vote and be part of the process of His choosing. So we need to do our research, vote as the Lord leads and leave the results to Him.

"The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord, Like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes." -Proverbs 21:1

Also, regardless of who wins, believers need to follow the Lord's leading in how we can most glorify Him in whatever situations arise. Anything can happen, no matter who is in the Oval Office. (Remember The Civil War? WWI? WWII? Black Friday? Vietnam? Desert Storm? 9/11? Hurricane Katrina? Need I go on?) And God will be (has been, always is) in control of it all. He will always remain on His throne.

Christian, be ready to see how He will call you to serve in His historical framework rather than advising Him on your opinion of how things should be.

If you're one who doesn't know Him, get too.

"The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; Blessed be the name of the Lord." -Job 1:21

As for the financial fallout, my husband was surprised when I wasn't nervous given his work situation. But I was (still am) trusting the Lord the whole time. I still had a job. Seeing what was coming, he was smart enough to take a bridge job even before leaving. This summer, the multi-talented guy could barely keep up with all the side jobs he was offered. I even got in on some of that action, which was fun. And now he has a job very close to home, thus saving gasoline, and could not be any more in his element.

The Lord clearly provided, past and present, in ways no one would have imagined. And as I watched and waited to see what would happen next, I saw (continue to see) His extraordinary control at every turn, and I give Him all the glory.

Will we ignore the Lord Jesus Christ who tells us not to worry about our basic needs? What does He say?

"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." -Matthew 6:33-34

Seek Him first. Trust Him. He'll take care of you.

"...whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." -1 Corinthians 10:31

If you are a believer in Christ, you should be completely secure, no matter what the circumstance. Continue to watch what He does. Really watch! You will find ways to glorify Him. Don't get caught up in all the noise and distractions of whatever you think are horrible circumstances (even if they truly are). This is not the eternity we are looking for. Things will be bad here. He even told us so.

"...In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." -John 16:33

We trust Him. We look to Him for peace. We wait for His return.

The Bible spends a lot of time telling us things will, in fact, get worse before they get better—and by better, I mean the return of our King to set things right once and for all. Why, then, are we surprised when seemingly bad things happen, or if things appear "worse" than in the past? (Which is, in many instances, blown out of proportion or highly questionable.) We live in a world that's been sinful and fallen for a few thousand years. But now, we can broadcast our wretchedness to everyone. I often wonder if things are really worse or just more obvious.

Either way, God would be just to judge every nation at any given time. But in His patience He is waiting for the fullness of time and sparing us all. Praise Him for His mercy in allowing all who are called to come into His Kingdom.

"He who testifies to these things (in the Book of Revelation) says, 'Surely I am coming quickly.' Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!" -Revelation 22:20

Pray for His coming. Look for His works. Glorify Him in all you see Him do. Trust Him for His ultimate decisions and control. Find your comfort in Him alone. And share who He is with others as you go, so those who are called by Him will eventually answer, glorify His Name and find peace in Him as well.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths." -Proverbs 3:5-6

free download

2008-08-24T14:34:00.007-05:00

The Listener's Bible is currently offering a free download of Jonathan Edward's "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God."

As described on the website:
"'Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God' is considered the most famous sermon ever preached in American history. Jonathan Edwards delivered this message on July 8, 1741 in Enfield, Connecticut. Many who heard it trembled and cried out for mercy. Others fainted. Five hundred people were converted that day."

While the free version is a 25 minute edit of the original manuscript (the full 45 minute version is available for purchase), it is still powerful enough to make one consider how and where they will spend eternity, and remind those of us who know the Lord to share Him openly with friends who may not.

Take advantage of this free resource while it's available.

heeding the call in His time

2008-07-29T11:37:00.004-05:00

"I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing." -Jesus, John 15:5

So, I was going to mention some things that went on earlier this year. A lot has happened since, but a certain situation keeps popping into mind that I'd like to discuss.

As mentioned previously, last year was a rough one for me. I managed to move on fairly easily from most of it, but there was one particular circumstance, which actually started last June, that I just couldn't shake. Even as I worked through daily life, I kept waking up with this dull ache every day. I tried to ignore it. I'd pray about it. But, for whatever reason, it just wouldn't let go.

Then there was a change in our schedule and I started to have a lot more free time. Time to myself and by myself, especially on Saturdays. I suppose this helped in part, because one Saturday around May of this year, I woke up and that feeling was just gone. I thought this was strange, and I kept waiting for it to come back. But it didn't. And, frankly, I didn't miss it.

Little did I expect what was coming next.

Almost immediately, and for several weeks after, I was confronted with many opportunities to share Christ's love and who Jesus is with a variety of people, some of whom had been completely resistant in the past. But opportunities kept arising as I'd never seen. I had one contact out of nowhere who was seeking help with some very dark spiritual issues, things I won't even mention here. I felt compelled to get an entire prayer team behind me on that one. It was just amazing, and practically overwhelming, the people God was putting in my path.

One thing I began to see very clearly in all this was God's timing and enabling. Truly, he enables us to do everything, and apart from Him we can do nothing. But it was so clear to see that He took that pain from me just before all this started. Suddenly, before I had time to really think, it was, "Get your boots on. You're going out." So I hit the front lines running. But, in this case, it would have been extremely dangerous to try tackling the heaviest parts of all this while dealing with my own issues. Spiritually, I was very vulnerable. I needed my defenses up and all my armor on.

I've seen patterns like this in my life repeatedly in the last several years. As God enables, he gives opportunity to do some unexpected things. As He takes me through the valley, my contacts often seem to disappear for a time. Sometimes He asks me to help someone even as I'm struggling too, but sometimes it's the very struggle, the fact that I can somehow relate to their pain and point them to the Lord, that ends up helping them anyway.

I won't pretend here that this great mountain top lasted. I admit that I even had a serious spiritual crash just recently. But this was such a great and obvious example of the Lord's enabling I didn't want to pass up sharing.

Christian, as you go through life, continue to look for the ways God is teaching you in all things. Learn from good times and bad so you can help others in their times of need. Look for those obvious times when God is opening doors for you to do something big for Him, like sharing who He is with others—even those you may have given up on.

It's a spiritual battle. Pray. Keep your eyes open. And get ready for a fight.

"Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

"Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints-" -Ephesians 6:10-18

30 DoW: Day 30!

2008-06-30T21:27:00.008-05:00

Wow, it's the last day of 30 Days of Worship. But it doesn't have to end here.

If you're just tuning in, scroll down to June 1/Day 1 and start your own 30 days, focusing on the various attributes of God.

If you're playing along at home, keep going! As I said, you've only got 150 psalms to choose from. Try using other portions of the Bible. See how many attributes you can come up with. I'm fairly sure this effort is inexhaustible.

Hope you enjoyed/enjoy this as much as I did. I ebbed and flowed as I went, sure. Schedules happen. If you miss a day, just catch back up. Trust me, it's definitely worth it.

Now, for my final post...

I chose Psalm 150
1 Praise the Lord! Praise God in His sanctuary;
Praise Him in His mighty firmament!

2 Praise Him for His mighty acts;
Praise Him according to His excellent greatness!

3 Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet;
Praise Him with the lute and harp!

4 Praise Him with the timbrel and dance;
Praise Him with stringed instruments and flutes!

5 Praise Him with loud cymbals;
Praise Him with clashing cymbals!

6 Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord!

attribute & reaction:
Great. Last day. Last psalm. Makes sense. Actually, I almost did this one the other day but chose to wait.

But check it out. Look at all the celebrating. I can practically hear the music, all those instruments, and see the dancing. Strings and flutes and percussion. And voices for sure. This isn't the reserved, stone-still, lackluster "worship" many of us are used to in this era. It's not a wild and pointless display either. This is an expression of excitement and rejoicing and, most of all, praise because of the greatness of God. If that's not something to get excited about, what really is?

People get all worked up about everything else—sports, rock bands, television, the internet, etc. ad nauseum—but can't move in many church settings without motives being judged? That is a ridiculous problem.

I say we get serious and lighten up. Praise Him! Don't hold back. Don't act stupid. And, whatever you do, don't judge the motives of anyone else. This is your Creator you're worshiping here, the One who gave us life and every good thing. If you know Him, He asks for your worship. So be humbled and give Him what He asks.

He is Great. He is worthy. Praise Him!

30 DoW: Day 29

2008-06-29T18:32:00.014-05:00

I chose Psalm 51

1 To the Chief Musician.
A Psalm of David when Nathan the prophet went to him,
after he had gone in to Bathsheba.

Have mercy upon me, O God,
According to Your lovingkindness;
According to the multitude of Your tender mercies,
Blot out my transgressions.

2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
And cleanse me from my sin.

3 For I acknowledge my transgressions,
And my sin is always before me.

4 Against You, You only, have I sinned,
And done this evil in Your sight--
That You may be found just when You speak,
And blameless when You judge.

5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
And in sin my mother conceived me.

6 Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts,
And in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom.

7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

8 Make me hear joy and gladness,
That the bones You have broken may rejoice.

9 Hide Your face from my sins,
And blot out all my iniquities.

10 Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me.

11 Do not cast me away from Your presence,
And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.

12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.

13 Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,
And sinners shall be converted to You.

14 Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God,
The God of my salvation,
And my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness.

15 O Lord, open my lips,
And my mouth shall show forth Your praise.

16 For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it;
You do not delight in burnt offering.

17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,
A broken and a contrite heart-- These, O God, You will not despise.

18 Do good in Your good pleasure to Zion;
Build the walls of Jerusalem.

19 Then You shall be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness,
With burnt offering and whole burnt offering;
Then they shall offer bulls on Your altar.

attribute & response:
Cleanser. I chose this psalm because this morning's sermon was built around it, with a focus on sin. We talked about this a bit throughout the week too. It's amazing how much we cover up, ignore, deny, laugh off all the evil we do—and anything less than God's perfection is evil. It's sin.

Without this realization, we can see no need for a savior. We don't think we need, or think we don't need, a savior at all.

But with this realization, we begin to see how horrible we really our in everything we do. We see that all our so-called righteousness is nothing more than "filthy rags." This angers God. And there truly is nothing we can do to help ourselves out of our dilemma.

When I finally realized this, I knew I was in trouble. I knew I needed to be saved from or bear the wrath of God. And I soon realized that nothing and no one but Jesus Christ alone could help me. Certainly I couldn't. But what He did in His death and resurrection could.

Thank God that He is the one who can cleanse us from all sinfulness, unrighteousness, evil, impurity and all the very things that otherwise make Him angry and would bring down His wrath. I thank Him for doing so for me when, by virtue of His own Law and judgment, He had every right to take me out.

30 DoW: Day 28

2008-06-28T16:18:00.010-05:00

I chose Psalm 65
1 To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. A Song.

Praise is awaiting You, O God, in Zion;
And to You the vow shall be performed.

2 O You who hear prayer,
To You all flesh will come.

3 Iniquities prevail against me; As for our transgressions,
You will provide atonement for them.

4 Blessed is the man You choose,
And cause to approach You,
That he may dwell in Your courts.
We shall be satisfied with the goodness of Your house,
Of Your holy temple.

5 By awesome deeds in righteousness You will answer us,
O God of our salvation,
You who are the confidence of all the ends of the earth,
And of the far-off seas;

6 Who established the mountains by His strength,
Being clothed with power;

7 You who still the noise of the seas,
The noise of their waves,
And the tumult of the peoples.

8 They also who dwell in the farthest parts are afraid of Your signs;
You make the outgoings of the morning and evening rejoice.

9 You visit the earth and water it,
You greatly enrich it;
The river of God is full of water;
You provide their grain,
For so You have prepared it.

10 You water its ridges abundantly,
You settle its furrows;
You make it soft with showers,
You bless its growth.

11 You crown the year with Your goodness,
And Your paths drip with abundance.

12 They drop on the pastures of the wilderness,
And the little hills rejoice on every side.

13 The pastures are clothed with flocks;
The valleys also are covered with grain;
They shout for joy, they also sing.

attribute & response:
Enabler. I was drawn here to the statement about "the man you choose, and cause to approach you." There are many other things God enables to happen listed here too, throughout all creation. But to choose and enable His people to come to Him, that's something many don't even want to consider as they wish a full autonomy that can never have been, or we could all choose when/where/to whom we were born and so on.

Personally, I'm thankful we're enabled by Him and not our own will. He lets us do enough damage on this earth as is, all of it yielding an allowed consequence along with a lesson each time, whether or not we're willing to learn.

30 DoW: Day 27

2008-06-27T23:30:00.015-05:00

I chose Psalm 134
1 A Song of Ascents.
Behold, bless the Lord,
All you servants of the Lord,
Who by night stand in the house of the Lord!

2 Lift up your hands in the sanctuary,
And bless the Lord.

3 The Lord who made heaven and earth
Bless you from Zion!

attribute & reaction:
Blessed. This psalm stood out because it’s so brief, but it also brought to mind a question I've had in the past: How can we bless the LORD? I mean, He's God. He's the Creator of the universe. He's the Blesser. So to say "bless God" seems so utterly impossible. But some of that is due to a wrong understanding of blessing.

We usually think of blessing as some kind of physical gain, and often it is. But it's a lot of other things as well, and the big question is not so much "how has the LORD blessed you" as "what are you doing with the blessing?"

When we bless God, we're not necessarily "giving Him something" in the physical sense, though we can give our time, talent, treasure and physical self to serve Him. We're not giving Him something that can actually help Him, because He has everything and enables everything. But this is more to do with giving thanks, praise or worship in all their forms. That is a blessing to God.

I like some of what John Piper wrote on this. "If God is the primal and inexhaustible 'blesser,' then he must be above all others in a 'blessed' state—the fullness and source of all 'blessing.'" Truly, He is blessed above all.

Personally, based on poor interpretations of "blessing" from the past, I'm still having a hard time wrapping my head around this, but I'm trying to clearly understand. And as I do, it further humbles me that God wants my blessing, praise, thanks, service or anything else from me.

30 DoW: Day 26

2008-06-26T23:17:00.004-05:00

I chose Psalm 47
1 To the Chief Musician.
A Psalm of the sons of Korah.

Oh, clap your hands, all you peoples!
Shout to God with the voice of triumph!

2 For the Lord Most High is awesome;
He is a great King over all the earth.

3 He will subdue the peoples under us,
And the nations under our feet.

4 He will choose our inheritance for us,
The excellence of Jacob whom He loves. Selah

5 God has gone up with a shout,
The Lord with the sound of a trumpet.

6 Sing praises to God, sing praises!
Sing praises to our King, sing praises!

7 For God is the King of all the earth;
Sing praises with understanding.

8 God reigns over the nations;
God sits on His holy throne.

9 The princes of the people have gathered together,
The people of the God of Abraham.
For the shields of the earth belong to God;
He is greatly exalted.

attribute & response:
Awesome. In our Sunday morning Bible study we're watching a video on The Greatness & Glory of God. While I haven't agreed with some of the teaching, I'm excited it enhances the 30 Days of Worship in it's focus on the LORD. Similar to this, they pick and concentrate on an attribute of God each session. Last Sunday, it was this word, "awesome."

The presenter went so far as to say He doesn't even like to use this word to describe anything other than God, because the true meaning of the word refers to a reverent fear. I felt that's a bit extreme because a) the secular meaning isn't anywhere close to that, and b) you could never use words like "good" or "great" or "excellent" to describe anything else, because truly only God is those as well.

But I do appreciate the reverent fear the original text has in mind. He is the all-powerful, all-knowing King of the universe. He can choose to take any or all of us out whenever He likes. He could destroy this planet and create it again with a thought. There is something to be said for a true understanding of who He is in this way, and the fear and reverence that should logically follow.

30 DoW: Day 25

2008-06-25T22:36:00.005-05:00

I chose Psalm 20
1 To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David

May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble;
May the name of the God of Jacob defend you;

2 May He send you help from the sanctuary,
And strengthen you out of Zion;

3 May He remember all your offerings,
And accept your burnt sacrifice. Selah

4 May He grant you according to your heart's desire,
And fulfill all your purpose.

5 We will rejoice in your salvation,
And in the name of our God we will set up our banners!
May the Lord fulfill all your petitions.

6 Now I know that the Lord saves His anointed;
He will answer him from His holy heaven
With the saving strength of His right hand.

7 Some trust in chariots, and some in horses;
But we will remember the name of the Lord our God.

8 They have bowed down and fallen;
But we have risen and stand upright.

9 Save, Lord!
May the King answer us when we call.

attribute & response:
Strength. A friend recommended this psalm today because of recent circumstances in our lives. It's rather militant, but he especially cited the first portion, where God is seen as defender, and one who helps us in the day of trouble, sending us help from "the sanctuary." The historic references here refer to the ark of the covenant, but the personal application is that while the world may actively try to work against us, there is a place we can go for help that they know nothing of. What we see as an end, for the Christian, is not the end. It's a new beginning in our lives as God provides.

I chose strength because God is our strength to get us through the difficult times, whatever they may be. The world may trust in many other things, but we can trust in the strength of the LORD. Again, he proves Himself only worthy of our complete trust and loyalty.

30 DoW: Day 24

2008-06-24T22:27:00.006-05:00

I chose Psalm 8
1 To the Chief Musician. On the instrument of Gath.
A Psalm of David.

O Lord, our Lord,
How excellent is Your name in all the earth,
Who have set Your glory above the heavens!

2 Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants
You have ordained strength,
Because of Your enemies,
That You may silence the enemy and the avenger.

3 When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,
The moon and the stars, which You have ordained,

4 What is man that You are mindful of him,
And the son of man that You visit him?

5 For You have made him a little lower than the angels,
And You have crowned him with glory and honor.

6 You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands;
You have put all things under his feet,

7 All sheep and oxen--
Even the beasts of the field,

8 The birds of the air, And the fish of the sea
That pass through the paths of the seas.

9 O Lord, our Lord, How excellent is
Your name in all the earth!

attribute & response:
Excellent. "Birds" drew me right to this one. Of course, I hear this psalm a lot, usually with a particular focus. But I notice again that it talks about His creation, those birds and other creatures, and man's dominion (stewardship and care, not destruction) over them. It talks about an almighty God caring enough to care about the mankind He made. It talks about the simple confounding the strong.

The excellencies of God are upside down and backward compared to the way the world thinks. Thank God He doesn't let any of us run the universe, but that He controls it all beyond our understanding.

30 DoW: Day 23

2008-06-23T21:41:00.006-05:00

I chose Psalm 29
1 A Psalm of David. Give unto the Lord, O you mighty ones,
Give unto the Lord glory and strength.

2 Give unto the Lord the glory due to His name;
Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.

3 The voice of the Lord is over the waters;
The God of glory thunders;
The Lord is over many waters.

4 The voice of the Lord is powerful;
The voice of the Lord is full of majesty.

5 The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars,
Yes, the Lord splinters the cedars of Lebanon.

6 He makes them also skip like a calf,
Lebanon and Sirion like a young wild ox.

7 The voice of the Lord divides the flames of fire.

8 The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness;
The Lord shakes the Wilderness of Kadesh.

9 The voice of the Lord makes the deer give birth,
And strips the forests bare;
And in His temple everyone says, "Glory!"

10 The Lord sat enthroned at the Flood,
And the Lord sits as King forever.

11 The Lord will give strength to His people;
The Lord will bless His people with peace.

attribute & response:
Majestic. This is another psalm showing the LORD's awesome power over all His creation. It really stands out to me at the moment, because so many people are talking about crazy weather and earthquakes and things going on with the planet, but instead of giving God the credit, they talk about "man made climate change" or "mother nature" or today a guy even said "old man river." I replied, "I'm pretty sure God had something to do with it."

The LORD sat enthroned at the Flood. He was in control of that global disaster. He's in control of a deer giving birth. Death and life. He is in control now. Yet everyone in His temple says, "Glory!" The angels around His throne say, "Holy! Holy! Holy!"

Stop denying God and give Him the credit due. He is in control of it all. Everything. Worship Him in His majesty.

30 DoW: Day 22

2008-06-22T21:23:00.005-05:00

I chose Psalm 131
1 A Song of Ascents. Of David.
Lord, my heart is not haughty,
Nor my eyes lofty.
Neither do I concern myself with
great matters,
Nor with things too profound for me.

2 Surely I have calmed and quieted my soul,
Like a weaned child with his mother;
Like a weaned child is my soul within me.

3 O Israel, hope in the Lord
From this time forth and forever.

attribute & response:
Hope. I was drawn to this psalm because it talks about not being concerned with great things and being calmed and quiet. But that is because his hope was in the LORD. He trusted Him. I know many Christians who continue to express fear. But God says He has given us a spirit of power, love and a sound mind. We don't overcome fear on our own. We get these things as we hope in the LORD. Thank you, LORD, for being our only Hope.

30 DoW: Day 21

2008-06-21T20:43:00.004-05:00

For days 21-30 of 30 Days of Worship, pick your own psalm and choose an attribute of God to ponder. There are only 150 psalms to choose from, and since we only did portions of many you could also look at different sections of some already covered.

Remember, all this should help you get closer to God and know Him better. If you're taking part, with friends, it can also help you become closer to them and learn from their points of view as you share.

I chose Psalm 40
1 To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.
I waited patiently for the Lord;
And He inclined to me, And heard my cry.

2 He also brought me up out of a horrible pit,
Out of the miry clay,
And set my feet upon a rock,
And established my steps.

3 He has put a new song in my mouth--
Praise to our God;
Many will see it and fear,
And will trust in the Lord.

4 Blessed is that man who makes the Lord his trust,
And does not respect the proud,
nor such as turn aside to lies.

5 Many, O Lord my God, are Your wonderful works
Which You have done;
And Your thoughts toward us
Cannot be recounted to You in order;
If I would declare and speak of them,
They are more than can be numbered.

attribute & response:
Rescuer. I initially picked this psalm because of the U2 song "40." It's one of the few psalms I know partially from music. (I'm also using New King James now. Previously, we used NIV.)

I love the imagery of being pulled out of a pit, establishing footing and putting a new song into the mouth of the individual. I love it because I feel I was pulled out of that pit (my old sinful lifestyle), He changed my direction and planted me firmly in God (new faith, new life, new behaviors) and even changed what I care about, what I praise and what I sing about—now primarily Him. I thank Him for saving me from my sin in such a dramatic and clear way.

Many have seen this in me. It has caused conviction for some. I pray that many more people do see and fear and truly come to know the LORD.

30 DoW: Psalm 23

2008-06-20T22:01:00.005-05:00

Psalm 23
1 The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.

2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,

3 he restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness
for his name's sake.

4 Even though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.

6 Surely goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

attribute & response:
Shepherd. God as Shepherd is a picture we see often throughout Scripture. One to Guide and comfort us, even when we, like sheep, have no real idea what we're doing or the way to go.

I thank Him as I see in hindsight ways he steered the course of my life, even before I knew Him, protecting me from my own desires, things I wanted to do, which would have yielded serious if not deadly consequences.

As I read this, it also struck me how in the past I missed His actual purpose behind all this—to do so "for His name's sake." To glorify Him. That is the ultimate purpose of existence to which I was blind for so many years. Thank you, LORD, for opening my eyes, heart, mind and soul to your Truth and Wisdom.

30 DoW: Psalm 139

2008-06-19T07:00:00.004-05:00

Psalm 139
11 If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,"

12 even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.

13 For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb.

14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.

15 My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,

16 your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be.

17 How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!

18 Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand.
When I awake,
I am still with you.

attribute & response:
Maker. The God who made the very universe, every star, planet, nebula, also made me, a tiny, finite creature, even sinful and rebellious to Him. I am thankful and ponder "why" all at the same time. But He is not finite. He is infinite, and He knew the plans He had for me even before my body was formed—plans to call me out of rebellion and to Himself in order that my life would be used for His glory. I know how unworthy of this I am, and I thank Him for His mercy.

30 DoW: Psalm 13

2008-06-18T22:48:00.003-05:00

Psalm 13
1 How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?

2 How long must I wrestle with my thoughts
and every day have sorrow in my heart?
How long will my enemy triumph over me?

3 Look on me and answer, O Lord my God.
Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death;

4 my enemy will say, "I have overcome him,"
and my foes will rejoice when I fall.

5 But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart
rejoices in your salvation.

6 I will sing to the Lord,
for he has been good to me.

attribute & response:
Good. Even in the midst of doubt, sorrow or attack, we can trust in God's goodness. I'm thankful for the many ways He shows that goodness every day, even beyond circumstance, but in His grace, mercy and unfailing love.

30 DoW: Psalm 16

2008-06-17T21:48:00.006-05:00

Psalm 16
7 I will praise the Lord, who counsels me;
even at night my heart instructs me.

8 I have set the Lord always before me.
Because he is at my right hand,
I will not be shaken.

9 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
my body also will rest secure,

10 because you will not abandon me to the grave,
nor will you let your Holy One see decay.

11 You have made known to me the path of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence,
with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

attribute & response:
Counselor. God's counsel gives wisdom. It's only from His wisdom that we learn any true thing. It's only from an understanding of His Word that we understand Him and His ways. We see "Counselor" in Isaiah 9:6 as one of the names of the then coming Immanuel—and a Wonderful one at that.

Praise the LORD for His graciousness in listening to the prayers of His people, and the ways He reveals His wise counsel to us.

30 DoW: Psalm 31

2008-06-16T12:12:00.004-05:00

Psalm 31
1 In you, O Lord, I have taken refuge;
let me never be put to shame;
deliver me in your righteousness.

2 Turn your ear to me,
come quickly to my rescue;
be my rock of refuge,
a strong fortress to save me.

3 Since you are my rock and my fortress,
for the sake of your name lead and guide me.

4 Free me from the trap that is set for me,
for you are my refuge.

5 Into your hands I commit my spirit;
redeem me, O Lord, the God of truth.

6 I hate those who cling to worthless idols;
I trust in the Lord.

7 I will be glad and rejoice in your love,
for you saw my affliction
and knew the anguish of my soul.

8 You have not handed me over to the enemy
but have set my feet in a spacious place.

attribute & response:
Trustworthy. If we are to take refuge in something, it needs to be something we can count on or the effort is useless. The LORD is worthy of our trust as protector, leader, guide, redeemer. I think often we go through things in order to be able to build up that trust and really see it for all He's worth. We can trust Him with our very lives and spirits—even when He decides to pull us out of the race here.

A human companion one can fully trust is rare indeed, and even then comes up lacking by their own sin nature. I thank you, LORD, that where all else and all others fail, I can trust you without doubt.

30 DoW: Psalm 27

2008-06-15T11:50:00.001-05:00

Psalm 27
1 The Lord is my light and my salvation--
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life--
of whom shall I be afraid?

2 When evil men advance against me
to devour my flesh,
when my enemies and my foes attack me,
they will stumble and fall.

3 Though an army besiege me,
my heart will not fear;
though war break out against me,
even then will I be confident.

4 One thing I ask of the Lord,
this is what I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord
and to seek him in his temple.

5 For in the day of trouble
he will keep me safe in his dwelling;
he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle
and set me high upon a rock.

6 Then my head will be exalted
above the enemies who surround me;
at his tabernacle will I sacrifice with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make music to the Lord.

7 Hear my voice when I call, O Lord;
be merciful to me and answer me.

8 My heart says of you, "Seek his face!"
Your face, Lord, I will seek.

9 Do not hide your face from me,
do not turn your servant away in anger;
you have been my helper.
Do not reject me or forsake me,
O God my Savior.

10 Though my father and mother forsake me,
the Lord will receive me.

attribute & response:
Savior. This speaks so strongly to the protection of the LORD and the fact that we who know Him have no one to fear, man or spirit, except Him alone.

It makes me think of all those who are experiencing their own "day of trouble" as we see natural disasters, financial crises, food shortages, various wars and many other difficulties arising around the world. Yet we who know God see Him protect and provide in ways we could not imagine.

Since this was written before Christ's coming, it is a slightly different flavor than the way we tend to use Savior for Him now—as the Savior who is the sacrifice for our sin. But He is Savior from all these things, and for all this He is to be praised.

30 DoW: Psalm 103

2008-06-14T11:45:00.004-05:00

Psalm 103
1 Praise the Lord, O my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.

2 Praise the Lord, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits--

3 who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,

4 who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,

5 who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

6 The Lord works righteousness
and justice for all the oppressed.

7 He made known his ways to Moses,
his deeds to the people of Israel:

8 The Lord is compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger, abounding in love.

attribute & response:
Benefactor. Look at the benefits to truly knowing the LORD: sin forgiven, physical healing, life redeemed, uplifted, desires satisfied rightly, youth restored, righteousness and justice for the oppressed... and this isn't even close to a complete list. He truly is generous. We may have to wait to see some of this, but I praise Him for all I see right now, at this very moment. What wonders are to come?

30 DoW: Psalm 138

2008-06-13T11:10:00.004-05:00

Psalm 138
1 I will praise you, O Lord, with all my heart;
before the "gods" I will sing your praise.

2 I will bow down toward your holy temple
and will praise your name
for your love and your faithfulness,
for you have exalted above all things
your name and your word.

3 When I called, you answered me;
you made me bold and stouthearted.

4 May all the kings of the earth praise you, O Lord,
when they hear the words of your mouth.

5 May they sing of the ways of the Lord,
for the glory of the Lord is great.

6 Though the Lord is on high, he looks upon the lowly,
but the proud he knows from afar.

7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
you preserve my life;
you stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes,
with your right hand you save me.

8 The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me;
your love, O Lord, endures forever—
do not abandon the works of your hands.

attribute & response:
Praiseworthy. He is the only God who is, the only Being worthy of praise. He alone can cause us to be bold and save us from trouble. He looks upon those of us who bow before Him, and He is the one who fulfills the purposes for which He created us. That is amazing. We desire so much autonomy, yet the only true and living God enables our every move. For this and so much more we sing to Him, we praise Him, we bow down before Him.

I love the fact that He loves music, and I love to sing to Him. I'm amazed and humbled by the fact that He even cares about my worship, cares to draw me to Him, wants to use me in any way for His service. My only logical response is to praise Him for it all.

30 DoW: Psalm 19

2008-06-12T18:14:00.008-05:00

Psalm 19

1 The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

2 Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they display knowledge.

3 There is no speech or language
where their voice is not heard.

4 Their voice goes out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world.
In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun,

5 which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion,
like a champion rejoicing to run his course.

6 It rises at one end of the heavens
and makes its circuit to the other;
nothing is hidden from its heat.

7 The law of the Lord is perfect,
reviving the soul.
The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy,
making wise the simple.

8 The precepts of the Lord are right,
giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are radiant,
giving light to the eyes.

9 The fear of the Lord is pure,
enduring forever.
The ordinances of the Lord are sure
and altogether righteous.

10 They are more precious than gold,
than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey,
than honey from the comb.

attribute & response:
There are so many to choose here, but I picked "Glorious," primarily because of the sheer glory shown in creation as described in so much of this psalm. It ties right back to the first attribute we looked at, "Creator." The beauty of the earth and sky and sun declare His glory, and even non tangible things such as His Law are listed. Creation shows us His glory externally, and our reaction to His Law in fear and reverence—the Law written on every heart—that can show us His glory internally. Both leave everyone without excuse in calling out to Him.

He is glorious, and our purpose in life is to glorify Him, which everyone will one way or another. I pray I can do His will to glorify Him for the rest of my life, choosing to serve and respond to Him now.

30 DoW: Psalm 84

2008-06-11T23:32:00.005-05:00

Today begins days 11-20 of 30 Days of Worship. We are now to read a particular psalm each day, and highlight an attribute of God based on the language of each. Again I invite you to follow along with your own responses.

Psalm 84
1 How lovely is your dwelling place,
O Lord Almighty!

2 My soul yearns, even faints,
for the courts of the Lord;
my heart and my flesh cry out
for the living God.

3 Even the sparrow has found a home,
and the swallow a nest for herself,
where she may have her young--
a place near your altar,
O Lord Almighty, my King and my God.

4 Blessed are those who dwell in your house;
they are ever praising you.
Selah

5 Blessed are those whose strength is in you,
who have set their hearts on pilgrimage.

attribute & response:
I chose "Almighty" for today's attribute. I love how this shows both the heart yearning for the living God, and the gentle image of birds finding rest near Him. Thank you, LORD, that we can seek refuge near you who are nothing short of almighty and trust in the safety of your immeasurable strength.

30 DoW: Psalm 97 - Unrivaled

2008-06-10T22:15:00.005-05:00

Psalm 97
1 The Lord reigns, let the earth be glad;
let the distant shores rejoice.

2 Clouds and thick darkness surround him;
righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.

3 Fire goes before him
and consumes his foes on every side.

4 His lightning lights up the world;
the earth sees and trembles.

5 The mountains melt like wax before the Lord,
before the Lord of all the earth.

6 The heavens proclaim his righteousness,
and all the peoples see his glory.

7 All who worship images are put to shame,
those who boast in idols--
worship him, all you gods!

Response:
I know so many people who worship idols, other gods, even themselves. Some think they are gods.

But what have they created? Did they even make their own bodies, or their own souls? Did they choose where and to whom they would be born? Do they or their gods or their idols have any control over the growth of even a single seed? Obviously no, much less the sheer and absolute power described here.

The idea is so ludicrous that only they are blind to their own foolishness, and shame truly is soon upon them if their eyes remain closed.

Praise God the He opened my own eyes, and I see nothing and no one else worthy of worship except Him alone.

30 DoW: Psalm 111 - Dependable

2008-06-09T16:10:00.002-05:00

Psalm 111
7 The works of his hands are faithful and just;
all his precepts are trustworthy.

8 They are steadfast for ever and ever,
done in faithfulness and uprightness.

9 He provided redemption for his people;
he ordained his covenant forever--
holy and awesome is his name.

10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;
all who follow his precepts have good understanding.
To him belongs eternal praise.

Response:
It strikes very close to home that we can really trust nothing in this world. There is an extreme lack of justice. Our own faithfulness is often met with slaps in the face. It is especially close to home right now because my husband, who has worked with skill and care for his customers at the same job for 20+ years, is currently being ousted by that employer because of their own greed and concern for their bottom line.

Thank God that He is dependable in all things and at all times, even when the world is not. As I deal with my own anger at the injustices I see, personally and globally, I keep coming back to this reality.

I love the acknowledgment here that "holy and awesome is his name," as also addressed yesterday. To Him truly does belong eternal praise

And, of course, as we've seen so often throughout these clips of Psalms, "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom." This is the only kind of fear worth having.

30 DoW: Psalm 61 - Shelter

2008-06-08T16:39:00.007-05:00

Psalm 61
1 Hear my cry, O God;
listen to my prayer.

2 From the ends of the earth I call to you,
I call as my heart grows faint;
lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

3 For you have been my refuge,
a strong tower against the foe.

4 I long to dwell in your tent forever
and take refuge in the shelter of your wings.
Selah

5 For you have heard my vows, O God;
you have given me the heritage of those who
fear your name.

Response:
Interesting, I had a twinge of an old, familiar and unwelcome pain today that came on unexpectedly. I'm not even sure why it struck, because it seemed so unrelated to current circumstances. But reading this was comforting. It's good to know that we can take shelter in the LORD and that He listens when our heart grows faint, for whatever reason. Being with Him is what I long for most whenever these thoughts arise.

It is good to be in the heritage of those who fear His name, and to give praise to that Holy and exalted name, regardless of emotion, thought, circumstance or consequence.

30 DoW: Psalm 3 - Defender

2008-06-07T23:13:00.004-05:00

Psalm 3
1 O Lord, how many are my foes!
How many rise up against me!

2 Many are saying of me,
"God will not deliver him."
Selah

3 But you are a shield around me, O Lord;
you bestow glory on me and lift up my head.

4 To the Lord I cry aloud,
and he answers me from his holy hill.
Selah

5 I lie down and sleep;
I wake again, because the Lord sustains me.

6 I will not fear the tens of thousands
drawn up against me on every side.

7 Arise, O Lord!
Deliver me, O my God!
Strike all my enemies on the jaw;
break the teeth of the wicked.

8 From the Lord comes deliverance.
May your blessing be on your people.
Selah

Response:
I have, in fact, felt this recently, not against men, but against the "principalities, powers, and rulers of the darkness of this age, and the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places."

I prayed, and asked others to pray, for His protection and defense in difficult times. I do not fear them because I fear Him. And He continued to deliver me through it all.

Praise the LORD for His sustaining power, in waking and in sleeping.

30 DoW: Psalm 100 - Faithful

2008-06-06T22:16:00.005-05:00

Psalm 100
1 Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.

2 Worship the Lord with gladness;
come before him with joyful songs.

3 Know that the Lord is God.
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.

5 For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;
his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Response:
This is such a celebration.
It is exciting to know the LORD,
to know the LORD is God.
And we who know Him know
He made us, and
we belong to Him.

I love that all this is addressed, but it continues by stating that the LORD never stops being faithful throughout all human history.
He is faithful to us even in the times when we are less than faithful to Him.
Again, it is good to praise Him for His patience.

30 DoW: Psalm 145 - Generous

2008-06-05T22:47:00.007-05:00

Psalm 145
13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and your dominion endures through all
generations. The Lord is faithful to all his
promises and loving toward all he has made.

14 The Lord upholds all those who fall
and lifts up all who are bowed down.

15 The eyes of all look to you,
and you give them their food at the proper time.

16 You open your hand
and satisfy the desires of every living thing.

17 The Lord is righteous in all his ways
and loving toward all he has made.

18 The Lord is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.

response:
I can't stop thinking about this because of current circumstances which might affect income. But I'm not really concerned about money, because I've always seen God provide for me and my family in all kinds of ways, and I've seen Him provide for friends in times of need in ways no one could have imagined, always "at the proper time."

To paraphrase something I heard recently...
If Satan threatened to take everything you have away, the Christian could simply reply, "It's not mine. My Father owns it all. I'm simply taking care of His property." And if Satan offered you the world, the believer could simply respond, "It's already mine. My Father owns it all. This is my inheritance."

The Lord has created everything, owns everything, distributes as He sees fit.
Thank you, LORD, for your true generosity in all you've made, in creating a planet that sustains our very lives.
If all our "things" were taken today, we can still praise you for your provision, past, present and future—even forever.

Thank you, Jesus, for the ultimate generous act of giving your very life
for all who call on you in Truth.
And thank you for your presence in my life.

30 DoW: Psalm 96 - Supreme

2008-06-04T21:56:00.005-05:00

Psalm 96

1 Sing to the Lord a new song;
sing to the Lord, all the earth.

2 Sing to the Lord, praise his name;
proclaim his salvation day after day.

3 Declare his glory among the nations,
his marvelous deeds among all peoples.

4 For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise;
he is to be feared above all gods.

5 For all the gods of the nations are idols,
but the Lord made the heavens.

6 Splendor and majesty are before him;
strength and glory are in his sanctuary.

response:

There is no other god

There are no other gods

There is no one else to worship

no one else to praise

no one else to glorify

The LORD is to be feared

for who He is

the One and Only

Supreme

LORD of the universe

30 DoW: Psalm 130 - Forgiving

2008-06-03T18:18:00.007-05:00

Psalm 130

1 Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord;

2 O Lord, hear my voice.
Let your ears be attentive
to my cry for mercy.

3 If you, O Lord, kept a record of sins,
O Lord, who could stand?

4 But with you there is forgiveness;
therefore you are feared.

5 I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,
and in his word I put my hope.

6 My soul waits for the Lord
more than watchmen wait for the morning,
more than watchmen wait for the morning.

7 O Israel, put your hope in the Lord,
for with the Lord is unfailing love
and with him is full redemption.

8 He himself will redeem Israel
from all their sins.

response:
Day 3, and I continue to notice the fear of the LORD coming out in these each day.

Thank God for His forgiveness.
How else could we stand?
Unfailing love
Full redemption from sin
Totally undeserved.
And we who have received this forgiveness
keep watch for Him to come take us home
and ask, "How long?"

Praise the Lord for His mercy
and His patience
and His Love.

30 DoW: Psalm 34 - Refuge

2008-06-02T18:45:00.003-05:00

Psalm 34 - Refuge
1 I will extol the Lord at all times;
his praise will always be on my lips.

2 My soul will boast in the Lord;
let the afflicted hear and rejoice.

3 Glorify the Lord with me;
let us exalt his name together.

4 I sought the Lord, and he answered me;
he delivered me from all my fears.

5 Those who look to him are radiant;
their faces are never covered with shame.

6 This poor man called, and the Lord heard him;
he saved him out of all his troubles.

7 The angel of the Lord encamps around those who
fear him, and he delivers them.

8 Taste and see that the Lord is good;
blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.

response:
LORD, You are our Deliverer
in times of doubt, fear, sadness, loneliness

We look to you
seek you
call you
fear you alone

We hide in you and you bless us
protect us
save us from trouble

You alone are good
You alone are to be
extolled
praised
glorified
exalted

Thank you, my LORD, for your deliverance

30 Days of Worship: Psalm 33 - Creator

2008-06-01T18:00:00.009-05:00

And now for something completely different. A lot has happened during my recent silence which I hope to address later. But for the next 30 days I should post daily.

Our youth group (of which I am a sponsor) just began "30 Days of Worship," during which we study a Psalm each day, highlighting words within to focus on an attribute of God, praising Him for what that attribute means to us in some way (such as writing a prayer, poem, song or even drawing a picture) and worshiping Him for that characteristic throughout the day.

Since this is a great place to share thoughts and reactions, here we go...

Follow along with your own responses. You can start any time.

Psalm 33 - Creator
1 Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous;
it is fitting for the upright to praise him.

2 Praise the Lord with the harp;
make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre.

3 Sing to him a new song;
play skillfully, and shout for joy.

4 For the word of the Lord is right and true;
he is faithful in all he does.

5 The Lord loves righteousness and justice;
the earth is full of his unfailing love.

6 By the word of the Lord were the heavens made,
their starry host by the breath of his mouth.

7 He gathers the waters of the sea into jars;
he puts the deep into storehouses.

8 Let all the earth fear the Lord;
let all the people of the world revere him.

9 For he spoke, and it came to be;
he commanded, and it stood firm.

response:
Lord, you created us and all we
see in nature
You created us to be creative like You
in some small way
music, building (carpenter), food, art, drama, writing

Thank you that we can know you are
in control of every
drop of water, lighting strike, thunder clap,
wind gust, cloud formation, earthquake,
volcano, flood, drought, hurricane,
fire, ice storm, snowflake, tornado

You have given us no spirit of fear
Yet the fear of you is the beginning of wisdom
That is power, love and soundness of mind

Resurrection day '08: behold, the Lamb

2008-03-21T23:20:00.005-05:00

One card I sent out for Resurrection Day this year states that God cares about your life down to the last detail. The literal translation of the paraphrased James passage quoted on back states, "...the Lord is very compassionate and merciful." Both are so true. I've seen in my life and the lives of friends time and again how God shows His compassion, and how even minor events which seemed completely unrelated have tied together in the most extraordinary ways, showing how God was working in them all along.

Nowhere do we see God's mercy and compassion more than in the event we celebrate this time of year—Jesus' death and resurrection. It may not sound merciful or compassionate at first glance. I mean, a horrific death is involved. But what is Resurrection Day about but just that—resurrection and life? And not just Jesus' life, but the life we can have eternally through Him.

I truly wish Resurrection Day was always set to coincide with the Jewish Passover. The reasons for the timing, and even the name, of the holiday most call "Easter" are rather complicated, so I'll spare you that history lesson. But knowing the story of Passover gives this celebration even more meaning.

When the Jewish people were enslaved to the Egyptians and not allowed to leave, God did many things to get the attention of Egypt, but they refused to yield. His final message was to be the death of every first born male in any family that didn't follow a very detailed prescription.

The Israelites were to sacrifice a spotless male lamb at a specific time. They were to apply the blood to the door frame of the house and break none of the lamb's bones. Then the first born in that household would be spared as the lamb died in their place. Death would "pass over" that house.

Did you catch all that?

• A male lamb — Jesus is "the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29)

• With no defect — "...He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us..." (2 Corinthians 5:21)

• The bones were not to be broken — In Roman crucifixion, if a victim did not die in a certain period, their legs were broken to speed the process, as they could no longer push up to take a breath. Because Jesus was already dead, his legs remained unbroken. (John 19:33... That one always gets me.)

• The lamb had to die and it's blood had to be applied — Just as we must trust in Jesus' sacrifice on the cross. If we believe Christ died in our place for our sin, God's judgment of sin passes over us. (Romans 3:23-26)

• Oh, and the "specific time?" Jesus was crucified during Passover and died about the ninth hour. That's 3 p.m., the time of the evening sacrifice. Pretty specific. (Mark 15:34-37)

Even the Passover Seder dinner celebrated by the Jews to this day is laden with references to Jesus, the Messiah.

I love the fact that all this is just one of the many parallels and predictions pointing toward Jesus. He fulfilled over 300 Biblical prophecies, and the odds of one person doing so have been calculated to some astronomical multi-trillions number I can't begin to type.

In all this, we see His mercy and compassion, and we remember that He didn't forget the most important detail—His triumph over death.

The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying. Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead; and behold, He is going ahead of you into Galilee, there you will see Him; behold, I have told you." And they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy and ran to report it to His disciples. And behold, Jesus met them and greeted them. And they came up and took hold of His feet and worshiped Him. Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid; go and take word to My brethren to leave for Galilee, and there they will see Me."
-Matthew 28:5-10

Details really are important to God. And every detail of your life really does matter to Him. After all, He did all this for you if you truly believe.

Resurrection Day blessings! :)

3:16

2008-03-10T15:40:00.003-05:00

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."

You've probably heard or read those words before. But hopefully, rather than glossing over, you're engaging your brain to think about what this really says.

If this is totally unfamiliar to you, pay attention. This is important.

Some thoughts from Max Lucado...

the gospel journey

2008-02-23T17:27:00.002-06:00

Just attended the Dare 2 Share conference again a few weekends ago. I've written on it before. This was my fifth year, and I always like seeing what's new with them.

One of their new things is this video at GospelJourney.com about what it means to have a relationship with Jesus Christ. Whether you've never heard you can actually know God, or you do know Him but have never shared your faith, I dare you to watch this and start your own journey.

free stuff to help your faith

hospitality sweet?

2008-02-15T14:50:00.001-06:00

"Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common. And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all. Nor was there anyone among them who lacked; for all who were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold, and laid them at the apostles' feet; and they distributed to each as anyone had need." -Acts 4:32-37 (NKJV)

I enjoy attending a few small groups at my church. I love the fellowship and friendship I experience there—both of which are on a completely different level than any I've ever had outside Christian circles. In two groups, we recently spent time on the topic of "hospitality," and what that should look like in the life of a follower of Jesus Christ.

I could go on and on about what we discussed. We spent months in both groups on the subject, never running out of things to ponder and discuss. But on a basic level, I will say that Christian hospitality is more than just having people over for dinner or a movie. A lot more. It's about sharing what you have with others who need it, whether it's your home or your time or your posessions or whatever. (See Scripture above.) If you can help someone else, do it.

That said, I think the study helped me notice some serious irony among the brethren. As an example, I once spoke to someone who felt led to go on a mission trip. Money was a bit of an object, but they said they were going to trust the Lord.

Now in my church, if you put it out there that you're going on a mission trip, people will jump on the opportunity to help, financially and otherwise. And rightly should they be allowed to do so. Yet so many feel embarrased to even bring up the fact that they might need help, independent Americans that we are. But the truth is, you're not demanding anything by letting people know your plans. You are, in fact, allowing others to help as the Lord leads. You get to see God work in amazing ways through other people. And that's one way He allows hospitality to work itself out.

So I was really glad to hear this would not be an obstacle to this person's trip. But when something else came up with which I offered to help, what did I hear but, "Well I'm gonna trust the Lord with that too."

Ever heard the old joke about the guy in the flood? A car, a boat and a helicopter come to rescue him, but he refuses all three, stating, "The Lord will protect me!" He finally drowns, and in Heaven ponders why he wasn't protected, to which he is told, "I sent you a car, a boat and a helicopter. What more did you want?"

I was offering a potential "boat" for this person, and in seeking to "trust the Lord," they completely missed out on a way God might have helped immediately. But this isn't an isolated incident. I see this sort of thing happen all the time, always recalling that joke.

In reality, it's not funny when people miss the boat because they are looking for some sort of extraordinary answer to prayer. I hate to break it to everyone, but God is probably not going to send a murder of crows to drop 100 dollar bills at your feet, or whatever other unbelievable means people are expecting. Can He? Obviously He can do whatever He likes. But the Lord most often works by more, shall we say, conventional means. Still, we have keep our eyes open and be ready and willing to accept.

It’s also no fun when no one wants to accept your offers to provide hospitality, by whatever means.

Another side to all this is that I offer to help or entertain people in all sorts of ways all the time, and am so frequently refused it makes my head spin. Thankfully, sometimes I do hold out a hand and have someone grab it, and lately that’s been more the case. When they don't, it sort of hurts to know I have the resources or friendship or time, but many don't want to accept what I have to offer. But I wonder if this doesn't provide just the tiniest glimpse of how God might feel as He so freely offers grace to His creation and they continually refuse.

Next time someone offers to extend you a bit of hospitality, why not take it? Get over that free world I-live-by-myself-I-can-do-it-myself mentality and bless someone else by allowing them to be a blessing in your life. You never know how the Lord will combine your humbleness with their hospitality. But if you give Him a chance, He’ll show you.

what is love?

2008-02-01T18:21:00.000-06:00

[Just a little comparison I did—what the world thinks vs. what God says about love. Doesn't look quite as cool as it did in my newsletter layout, but you'll get the idea.]

“What is love anyway? Does anybody love anybody anyway?” -Howard Jones

(( Everyone talks about it. Everybody seems to want it.
People sure like to sing about it. But what is it? ))

“The power of love is a curious thing.” -Huey Lewis

“All you need is love.” -The Beatles

“How do I know when it's love?
I can't tell you but it lasts forever.” -Van Halen

“Love hurts.” -Nazareth

The Bible says,
“Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.”
-1 Corinthians 13:4-8

(( Where does it come from? ))

“All you ever wanted was love, but you never looked hard enough, it’s never gonna give itself up.” -Coldplay

“Money can’t buy me love.” -also The Beatles

The Bible says,
“He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” -1 John 4:8-10

(( What do we do with it? ))

“Wherever you go, whatever you do, whatever you say,
...say it with love.” -The Moody Blues

“All I want you to know; I love you.
All I need is the time to show you.” -a-ha

“Shower the people you love with love,
Show them the way you feel,
Things are gonna be much better
if you only will.” -James Taylor

Jesus said,
“...‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’ ” -Luke 10:27

Jesus also said,
“Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends.” -John 15:13
And He did...

(( Now, what will you do with it? ))

eyes on the prize

2008-01-08T11:35:00.000-06:00

What you are about to read is one of the most inspiring things I came across in all of 2007. It is a Christmas letter which I asked permission to share a portion of with you. This is a letter from a "retired" missionary currently living in West Virginia, a lady who recently lost her husband and is making sure that her days aren't wasted as she spends them serving the Lord.

This is such a fantastic example of the eternal perspective to which I cling and have attempted to share with others, that I will let the end of her letter speak for itself.

"My days are busy. I am studying the book of Matthew with Bible Study Fellowship and meeting a lot of lovely people. A few ladies from our church had lunch at my house last week. My neighbors are a joy to know. I feel the urgency of going through boxes of mementos and putting in albums that which our children, grandchildren and their children might someday enjoy and be challenged by. Our children have a great heritage. I wish there were more saved memories from my family. I do want to write something of what knowing God has meant in our lives and I want to be a better prayer warrior. I anticipate in the near future studying church history books and browsing through art books I have collected. My days are busy, peaceful and happy. Grief is not a disease to overcome but a process to live through, and I want to grow in that process. Thank you for the way you have so wonderfully encouraged me by your love, your letters and your prayers.

"I had fun decorating the house yesterday for Christmas. (My husband) is often in my thoughts but not in my prayers. I could not pray anything better for him than what he is experiencing now in the presence of Jesus. In reality, Christmas has a special significance for me this year, because the meaning of Christmas, the birth, life, death and resurrection of Christ, assures me that (my husband) and I will be together again, and for eternity! Without Christmas, I would not have this hope. Even through tears I am learning the incomparable blessings and joys we have as believers in the Lord Jesus. Thank God for Christmas. May yours be a blessed one."

Christmas letter '07: to see with new eyes

2007-12-11T00:00:00.003-06:00

"Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth." -Colossians 3:2

"One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see." -A blind man healed by Jesus, John 9:25a

Since I very much enjoyed writing special letters for Resurrection Day this year, I've been looking forward to the idea of writing something for Christmas. But what to write? I spent months thinking of all the possibilities, but decided to wait and see how the Lord would lead as the year went on.

Looking back, I've had plenty to consider. For some reason, I'd been looking forward to this year. And what a crazy year it's been! From the excitement of celebrating a decade as a Christian, and sharing that with many of you, to the near depression which has come with a number of close friends moving away, and all points in between. It's been a series of peaks and valleys. And in reviewing all this and considering what I might write, I just kept coming back to one word: Perspective.

Perhaps one could sum up every year with that word, but I truly don't believe this would have been my first choice in years past. This is a perspective which has developed and grown as I've navigated the mountains and trenches of the last ten years. It's the same perspective that brought me through those valleys this summer. It's seeing the world with a new set of eyes—that is, seeing life from an eternal perspective.

I want now, more than ever, to see life's events from God's point of view, knowing that there is no such thing as "coincidence," but that He controls it all. I want to see people from God's point of view, realizing that no one is an "inconvenience," but that each person is a sensitive being created in His image. I want to keep my focus on the Lord, to see how He works in my life each day even in the "little" things, to look out for what He has next for me, to glorify Him and to be able to say in the end, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." (2 Timothy 4:7)

The celebration of Christmas ought to be all about eternal perspective. Unfortunately, that tends to get lost for us in the Western world, buried in all our gadgets, busyness and even "political correctness." But if we glance past the twinkling lights, perhaps we can still envision a brightly lit star. If we look past the retailers, we can still see a baby in a manger. But so much more than just a baby. The very One who created the entire universe. The One sent to die for the sins of all who believe in Him, to give them eternal life as God's Word states in John 3:16. Someone so small is Someone so Tremendous. Keeping that reality in focus in spite of everything else, that too is eternal perspective—God's perspective.

I pray this Christmas season brings all this into focus for you more clearly than ever. The world looks so very different through new eyes, especially when one can see that there is hope—a hope found only in Christ Jesus.

Merry Christmas!

the summer of our discontent

2007-09-29T16:13:00.002-05:00

"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."
-1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Let me just be honest right up front—this has not been a fun year. I’ve gone through a lot of hurt, heartache and just utter annoyance these past few months. Little things that probably wouldn’t normally bother me have been compounded and piling up right beside the big life changes I’ve had to deal with.

Along with the departures of so many friends (as mentioned in the previous post) have come a number of smaller issues, including an unexpected and costly car repair, a simultaneous credit card crisis and even a sudden case of hives. I started to become gun shy, nervously asking, “What’s next?” and the ever-popular, “Did I do something wrong?”

I definitely don’t ever want to fall into the “inconvenienced American who has everything” ungratefulness trap. At this point in my life, I realize I have far more than I could ever need materially, and for that I am most certainly grateful to God. But at the same time, the constant barrage, primarily with the loss of companionship, made me feel I could relate a little bit more to Job and David and a few other "heroes of the faith" who asked the question, "Why?"

Back when I got the official word my closest friends were leaving too, well, a lot of things happened as I tried to cope. So many thoughts ran through my head. I knew life was about to change dramatically, and painfully. But, strangely, the thing that initially kept crossing my mind was Jesus in Gethsemane before His execution. He knew what was coming, He knew it was going to hurt severely and He knew He didn't want to hurt. I also thought of His weeping at the death of Lazarus.

I just kept thinking, my Lord knows pain. He knows loss. Despite His infinitely superior eternal perspective, life in this fallen world (because of His love for this fallen race) still hurt even Him. Why should I expect any less?

I did have opportunity this summer to spend time with several friends in their various situations, in the throes of their own changes and fears. Clearly I wasn't the only one going through unpleasant circumstances, which didn't help matters at all from my perspective. And right in the midst of everything, at a point when things were feeling most bleak, I heard one remark in a way reminiscent of Deuteronomy 1:27, "Maybe God hates us."

That got my attention.

First of all, I did not want my friend to hurt too. Bad enough what I was going through. But, more importantly, I knew it wasn't true.

We believe in God because God called us to do so. He saved us from His own wrath with His own blood. And if He loves us enough to do that, to die for all the things we've done to offend Him, only incomprehensible love can be the explanation.

True, God does hate our pride and pettiness and lack of desire for Him. But for those of us He has called, I'm beginning to see that He often brings about circumstances not out of hate, but in order to break us of those things, to change us and mold us into who He wants us to be—even in circumstances that make us hate this life so we long even more to be with Him.

In his sermon “What On Earth Am I Here For?," Dr. David Jeremiah speaks to this idea, stating, “While (Christians) know that the ultimate and most important answers have come from Christ, we also have this ache, because we can’t find total satisfaction while we’re here. Did you know that God has created us in such a way so as to keep us from becoming too attached to the Earth? He allows us to feel a significant amount of discontent, even as believers, so that these longings can never be fulfilled until we’re in eternity.”

C.S. Lewis makes the point this way, “Our Heavenly Father has provided many delightful ends for us along life’s journey, but he takes great care to see that we do not mistake any of them for home.”

Just as Job didn't know why his world was crumbling around him, often neither can we. Sometimes maybe we did, in fact, "do something wrong." After all, every one of us has sinned. But that's not always the reason. We live in a fallen world, and in that way are still separated from God's presence. Things here will continue to go wrong for each of us until we see Him face to face. And, in the meantime, those things should make us long for that moment all the more.

At the same time, there are often further purposes for our suffering—one of which is to be a blessing to others.

I had the great blessing and humbling privilege to learn after the fact that my toil this summer in assisting some of my friends helped one to later realize God was showing them His love through me. Hearing this immediately helped me to see how the Lord had worked and prompted my actions in every painful circumstance during those weeks, and even in things that seemed unrelated through the years. Sharing portions of this story has, in turn, helped several others, Christian and non-Christian, in different circumstances of their own, showing them that God is, in fact, in control. And all of it has brought me even closer to my Lord and to some of the people I love most in this world.

All this has also prompted me to wonder in just what other circumstances and ways I have affected others and never even known. It has allowed me to see that everything we do, everything we go through, happens for a reason, whether we know it immediately or not. There are no coincidences. Life isn't about our "happiness" in the world, it's about God's glory and, for the believer, our increasing holiness in becoming more like Christ and finding our joy and happiness in Him.

Another quote from the aforementioned sermon by Dr. Jeremiah states, “…life isn’t about using God for our purposes, it’s about God using us for His purposes. It’s about God showing us how we fit into His plan …if you don’t want to be in God’s plan, you’re gonna miss the purpose for which you were born because almighty God created you for Himself, not for you. The Bible is very clear about that, God created us for Himself.”

It is an honor and a privilege to get just a glimpse of how the Lord has used me for His glory, especially when being used in that way is a position I definitely don't deserve.

I pray now, for myself, my friends and every believer, that we learn to see things from an eternal perspective, even as we and our loved ones go through things we cannot now comprehend, and through all of it that we continue to long for our true home with our Lord.

"For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ..." -Philippians 3:20

Related:
• long distance runaround

long distance runaround

2007-06-30T00:05:00.000-05:00

"So far away. Doesn't anybody stay in one place anymore?"
-Carole King

"Nobody said it was easy. It's such a shame for us to part.
Nobody said it was easy. No one ever said it would be this hard." -Coldplay, "The Scientist"

"...God has said, 'Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.'" -Hebrews 13:5 (b)

I feel I'm in a strange place in life. Seems many of my closest companions have already left or are discussing plans to leave the area in the next few years. These aren't just acquaintances, but people with whom I've preferred to spend my time. And it's not just a few individuals but a large chunk of friends.

Some go for jobs. Some for seminaries. Some for wanderlust. But it's kind of like my hometown, the place I grew up and never really had plans to leave, is just a crossroads for everyone else on the way to the rest of their lives.

Now I always try to rely on the Lord for whatever plan He has for me and everyone else, but I must admit this is starting to weigh on me lately in many ways. I saw some of it coming, but not all, and I guess I'm just considering what this means for my future as well.

I spent a lot of time when younger, especially college days, distancing myself from others. I wasn't a Christian then, and became quite good at maintaining a self-fashioned "wall" to protect myself from rejection. Ironically, I actually faced a lot of rejection upon becoming a Christian, when friends and family had no idea what to make of the new me.

In the past ten years, I'm thankful to say the wall has come down, and I've founded some pretty solid friendships. All the harder, then, now I'm finding many of those disabled by distance.

Another irony lies in the fact that a lot of my friends now have kids. I have no desire for my own at the moment, but have sort of "adopted" friend's kids, and in back of my mind hoped to watch them grow up. So when they go, it's particularly difficult, especially with younger ones who aren't as likely to remember me.

I've also been part of this ongoing social experiment we like to call "the internet" for many years, and I find it both a help and a detriment. It can be helpful for keeping contact with old friends, and in meeting new people from all over the world. The detrimental part is, well, now I know all these people who I either can never meet or only get to see every few years. "Knowing" someone via the web, no matter how close you feel, can never replace in-person contact.

(Top all of this off by the fact I just learned that someone I was just getting to know online, my age and mother of a not-quite-2-month-old, recently died in an auto accident. At least in this instance I actually found out what happened. Not always the case.)

Interestingly enough, sometimes I think it actually makes things more difficult meeting long-distance friends in person. I have good friends in England we only see once every few years, and I just met with a group from several states who pretty much only visit every year or two, money permitting. It's always just so weird to say goodbye after spending time with people for a few days.

So a lot of us have the internet and snail mail, but once you meet in person the whole dynamic changes. A new bond forms. And suddenly it stinks you can't just pop over to hang out or watch a movie (which I wish everyone in general would just do more anyway).

Now humanly speaking, all this may be incredibly upsetting at the moment. But in analyzing all this from a Biblical perspective, hope actually abounds.

First off, that verse at the top—God will not leave us. That's number 1. We can be completely cut off from the human race, but He's always there and knows our need, which first and foremost is Him alone. And if my focus remains on Him at all times, I'm going to find things a lot less difficult to deal with in the end.

My second consideration is something I think we Christians really need to get hold of. When we say "goodbye" to our brothers and sisters in Christ, it's not forever. Even if I never see them again in this life, we can know we will meet again. I notice a clearly stronger bond with my close Christian friends. How much impossibly stronger will that bond be in eternity, in the presence of our Lord?

Granted, this does raise concerns for non-Christian friends, of whom I have many. But I realize all I can do is try to share who Jesus is, pray for them and trust the Lord in His decision to draw whomever He will to Himself. Even in this, our hope lies only with Him.

So I'm glad to see just some of what He's teaching me in all this. Who knows? Maybe the Lord is clearing my social calendar for new horizons. And I know the things we go through here in this life are defining moments through which we can study what the Lord is teaching and learn to trust Him more.

Praise Him for always being there, even if no one else is. Praise Him for allowing believers to remain with Him forever.

"And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, 'Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.'"
-Revelation 21:3-4

Related:
• the summer of our discontent

last place... on earth

2007-06-17T17:10:00.001-05:00

"And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many." -Jesus, Matthew 20:27-28

I have a friend who frequently comes around to help out at church. He never complains about any task. Instead, most of the time he's coming up with all sorts of projects and ideas and things to be done around the facility. He's humorous and loves to talk about scientific things, especially the mechanics of weather. He's just a very friendly and energetic guy.

Did I mention this friend of mine has what one might call a "mental disability?"

No kidding. And he's not entirely certain just what that disability is. It might be autism. It might be something else. He's apparently never been given an official diagnosis. Either way, it's something he has to deal with.

Now some might feel sorry for this friend of mine, having such a condition to contend with. But as I, with my 4.5+ years of college and "above average" I.Q., work with this young man, it's become quite clear to me that he's not the one we need to feel sorry for.

See, nothing is too base for him. There's no job he'll turn down. Pick up garbage in the parking lot? No problem. Put away the letters for the sign out front—the job nobody wants? He's on it. "It's good to stay busy," he says, and happily carries on with his task.

A few months back we decided to spruce up the place for Good Friday and Resurrection Day. As we were organizing the worship center, he decided the balcony glass needed to be cleaned. I told him he didn't have to do that, but he wouldn't hear of it. He said that glass needed to be cleaned, and he was gonna do it up right.

At one point, as I decided to cut him loose and get back to some things I needed to finish, he turned to me and said, "This is good. We're cleaning for God!" (1 Corinthians 10:31 anyone?)

Yeah. He's got it right. All I can say is this guy is way ahead of me when it comes to having a servant's heart. And as I still have a lot to learn, he apparently has plenty to teach—whether he realizes it or not.

Praise the Lord for lessons from the "least likely" sources.

"For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence."
-1 Corinthians 1:26-28

all creation groans

2007-06-15T23:11:00.001-05:00

"Created, then drilled and invaded.
If somebody made it, someone will mess it up."
-Coldplay, "Twisted Logic"

"For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now." -Romans 8:18-22

In reading the above verse, it's clear that it's not just us waiting for things to improve. All of creation is waiting to be delivered. But it also seems, in recent times, that the groaning is getting louder.

As I've stated previously, it's taken us just at 100 years to pollute the entire planet in order to have things "we can't live without." But as discussions of "global warming" and "climate change" arise, I frequently like to remind people, there are two very important things everyone needs to remember:

1) In general, we have very little control over this planet.

Yes, a lot of our behavior is affecting environmental changes in various ways. Take for example the heat island effect in larger cities, the fact that destruction of swamp land below New Orleans allowed Hurricane Katrina to hit with much more force than if plant protection had been in place, or the destruction of rain forest which lends itself to, among other things, further extinction of plants and animals exclusive to the region.

However, many of the "climate changes" we see also come with standard weather patterns and the way the planet is designed to work in general, and we can't forget all that just because local temperatures aren't reading the way we're used too for a week, or even a month. Honestly, it wasn't so long ago that we were talking about global cooling and the possibility of having to forcibly melt the polar ice caps. (See Newsweek magazine, April 28, 1975.)

So, as a very fine local weather man recently put it, the question is how much of climate change is due to what humans are doing, and how much is just the planet doing what the planet was designed to do?

Now, for some, the theological question is how much of the wild weather and natural disasters we're seeing might be due to God's wrath? We currently have no answer to that question, but we're also not hearing loud claims of responsibility for events such as tsunami causing earthquakes and other such phenomena.

No matter what your take on that, consider this:

"For I know that the Lord is great, And our Lord is above all gods. Whatever the Lord pleases He does, In heaven and in earth, In the seas and in all deep places. He causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth; He makes lightning for the rain; He brings the wind out of His treasuries." -Psalm 135:5-7

Bottom line? God is in control of all that's happening, one way or another.

2) Most people don't realize how much effect each individual has on their immediate environment.

Industrialized nations produce tons of waste and byproducts per person each year. It has gotten to the point that we are actually paying people to dig recyclable products out of our landfills for reuse.

It would certainly make a lot more sense to save that money by taking the time up front to recycle the maximum amount of product possible, and limiting use of anything we are unable to recycle. And a lot of people are making attempts to do just that.

That's just one example of something you can do. And we all know many other ways to do what's best for everyone by doing what's best for the planet. Remember, we've been placed in a specific and orderly framework with specific and real consequences for every action. Clearly, pollution and disease are unquestionable consequences, but folks have a tendency to conveniently forget that when their convenience is threatened.

It doesn't take a genius, or a theologian, to figure out that everything is suffering more and more on account of mankind's demands to have things easy, especially in an age where we can clearly see the damage we've caused. Once again, I call for that fine balance between acting upon what we care about and realizing the Lord is in control. And I pray more Christians become willing to step up and help in the right ways and for the right reason—the glory of the Creator—as we await for that Day when we, and all creation, are delivered from this mess.

• Read all related posts.

no such thing as a little thing

2007-06-14T11:15:00.000-05:00

"Oh, give thanks to the Lord! Call upon His name; Make known His deeds among the peoples!" -Psalm 105:1

I'm just back from a weekend road trip to Atlanta. I've driven road trips before, but this was definitely the longest distance I've ever conquered. When it was all said and done, I'd chalked up over 1,300 miles. (It's also the longest my car has ever done, poor thing. But it seemed to enjoy the drive.)

This trip, and events in the days before and after, have given me some pretty clear opportunities to see the Lord's provision and timing. Since it's always good to thank Him for everything, I wanted to share some of those things with you.

• I somehow managed to stay active and alert during everything, from the drive to all our scheduled events, except for a little road time between Atlanta and Nashville when I just needed a nap. This is kind of a big deal since I'm not a morning person, but wasn't late for anything the whole weekend.

• On the way down we ran into a torrential, can't-see-the-vehicle-in-front-of-you rain storm in a construction zone. Even had a concrete wall just a foot or two away for part of that time. Nearby lighting strikes and slight hydroplaning were frequent, and given the flat terrain I wondered about the potential for flash flooding. But I was incredibly calm the whole time. I asked the Lord for protection, and that was that. I knew who was in control of that storm, and it wasn't me.

• We didn't realize it's recommended to purchase tickets in advance for the Georgia Aquarium. We got online at the hotel to find there were some left for the next day and we needed to print them out. The hotel staff went out of their way to get those tickets printed for us, and someone a staff member knew even let them borrow their printer to do so.

• On the way back we needed gasoline. I knew this as I pulled out, but didn't bother to think about it again until the light was on. In the middle of nowhere, with few exits or towns, I asked the Lord for a petrol station. We found one shortly thereafter, with no delays or construction in between. (FYI, we currently don't carry a cell phone.)

• I have some food sensitivities, but never had a problem feeling ill on the road. The Hard Rock Cafe in Nashville went out of their way to prep me a plate I could eat with no problems. (And it was sooo good.)

• Even the day after we got back, when I had a crazy morning and forgot to bring my lunch to work, He provided again with food left over from a wedding which was something I can safely eat and just enough to curb my hunger.

I could definitely go on. I know none of these were Earth-shattering events. It doesn't affect anybody but me and some of my friends. But so often people get caught up looking for God to do some huge bread-from-Heaven event that we miss out on the little ways He provides for us every day.

And I hesitate to use the word "little." Nothing the Lord and Creator of the universe does is truly small. But a lot of us in the free world seem to feel some sense of entitlement for every good thing that goes our way, and absolute outrage at any minor hindrance to our lifestyle - or even our particular moment - forgetting to thank Him at all for giving us all He has provided.

Happily I can say that I thank God not only for all the stuff I listed (and a hundred other things I didn't), but even for the fact that He pointed those things out to me. Even for the fact that I can see reliance on Him is the only way to go. Even for the fact that I can share this with you now. I'm thankful for all that.

Look around. Give thanks for all He does for you. You might just see His greatness even in the things you now consider small.

christian environmentalism

2007-04-22T10:10:00.005-05:00

If you were surprised by this header, I'd consider it upsetting. But don't be. I'm not alone.

(Watch the surprisingly good documentary "Is God Green?"
Also, take a moment to read a commentary by Greg Koukl.)

That's becoming quite clear of late as we hear increased talk of "global warming" and "climate change," but even more as we see environmental damage affect us personally. All of a sudden, many who have, for whatever reason, been silent in the past are now sitting up and taking notice that something is wrong.

When I was a kid, we heard a lot about acid rain, turning off the water tap and light switch, and always cutting your six pack plastics before throwing them out so ducks wouldn't get stuck in them. But environmentalism was often considered a movement of the fringe–those who were just trying to make life difficult for the rest of us. It became a political struggle, just like everything else, between those battling for the planet and those fighting for industry.

Now I realize, as with anything, some folks take things too far. And, usually, those are the ones who get the media attention. But that's not everyone. There are a lot of people who genuinely care that we are doing serious damage to the only planet we've got (despite the ideals of individuals like Stephen Hawking, who would have us "boldly go" elsewhere). And many of those who care are also followers of Jesus Christ.

In reality, this is only fitting, as our Lord is the One who created it all.

"All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made." -John 1:3

So for the Christian, environmentalism has nothing to do with worshipping the creation, and everything to do with worshipping our Creator by respecting all that He made.

I often ask, what type of future do we expect for the generations who follow us? For those who believe in the sanctity of human life, this should be an especially important question. Is our life of ease more important than clean air and water, safe places to spend time in creation and healthy food? Or do the conveniences of our "now" overshadow any consequence for tomorrow—for everyone including ourselves?

When I think of this, I consider Jesus' answer to the greatest commandment in Matthew 22:35-40:

"Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?" Jesus said to him, "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets."

Everything we do that knowingly and willfully harms the environment also disrespects the Creator. (And we can no longer say "we didn't know.") Therefore, for the Christian, caring for the planet should be as much about "loving the Lord our God" as anything else we do.

Everything we do that affects the environment also affects everyone else around us. Therefore, for the Christian, doing our part to care for the planet should be as much about "loving our neighbor" as anything else we do.

Christian, don't get hung up in all the "love your mother" (as in "mother earth") statements. Love your Heavenly Father and your brother and sister in Christ instead.

• Read all related posts.

look at the stars...

2007-03-23T23:13:00.000-05:00

"The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork."
-Psalm 19:1(b)

"Look up, I look up at night,
Planets are moving at the speed of light."
-Coldplay, "Speed of Sound"

I'm not sure where some people got this idea, but God never said it was okay to destroy the planet He made. And, no, "subdue" and "have dominion over" (found in Genesis 1:28) do not mean "destroy."

All of creation was designed to show God's glory and creativity. Destruction of that creation decreases our ability to see His glory clearly.

Where I live, in a heavily lit suburb, I look up on a clear night, see the stars, moon and planets and think, "Wow, that's incredible. Beautiful."

But when I drive a few hours out of town and set my eyes on the sky, I suddenly realize how few stars I can actually see back home. Even something so useful as electric light has diminished my ability to fully see God's glory in creation on a regular basis.

This alone makes me think twice about the things we do to "make life easier." But think about the destruction of fields and forests, oceans and streams, all in the name of progress. I'm not so sure we're progressing in the direction we'd hoped. And if this "progress" continues to drag us further from seeing the glory of our Creator, how is that a good thing?

Convenience is coming at a heavy cost. I pray we are not so blinded by our own desires that we eventually cease to see the beauty of creation, the splendor of God's glory, which surrounds us every day.

• Read all related posts.

Review: "Amazing Grace," How Sweet the Film

2007-02-26T15:12:00.000-06:00

I've anticipated this movie for a while, and jumped on the opportunity to see it opening weekend, just one day short of the 200-year anniversary of Parliament's passage of the Slave Trade Act. Thankfully, my enthusiasm was rewarded.

"Amazing Grace" is far more than a story of the well-known hymn. It is the story of William Wilberforce (Ioan Gruffudd), a man willing to stand up for the truth regarding the trans-Atlantic slave trade in the 18th century.

A man of compassion to both men and animals, Wilberforce, elected to the House of Commons at age 21, struggles with his future. He finds he'd rather sit in the wet grass praying and studying "bloody spider's webs" than playing politics.

As he considers whether to pursue his faith or continue down the political road, those realizing his potential as a proponent for the abolition of slavery take the opportunity to confront him, stating, "We humbly suggest that you can do both."

In times of spiritual doubt, Wilberforce visits his old preacher, John Newton (Albert Finney), former slave trader-turned-Christian and author of the hymn "Amazing Grace," who still struggles with his "20,000 ghosts," the slaves he helped transport overseas. Newton encourages Wilbeforce to continue with his calling, to "blow their filthy ships out of the water."

Wilberforce becomes a force to be reckoned with on his mission to stop the injustice he sees. He is slowed, both by aggravation at being unable to sway his opponents for their fear of money loss, and by health issues as he struggles with colitis. But he finds his voice again upon meeting a young lady, Barbara Spooner (Romola Garai), who would become his wife.

His 20-year battle culminates in a victory in March of 1807, when the parliament finally votes to abolish the trade.

"Amazing Grace" is well-acted, well-scripted and beautifully set. However, given the subject matter, some may fear a tearful storyline. Part of the beauty in the scripting is how nicely woven were both Christian hope and classic British humor, without losing any poignancy of the story itself or the harsh realities of slave trading.

Take time to see, and to soak in, this incredible and important film, rated PG for thematic material involving slavery, and some mild language.

Please click the banner below for more on the movie, enjoy the words of the song and scroll down to see how Wilberforce's legacy is being carried on today...

Amazing Grace
by John Newton, former slave ship captain

Amazing Grace (How sweet the sound)
That sav'd a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.

'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears reliev'd;
How precious did that grace appear,
The hour I first believ'd!

Thro' many dangers, toils and snares,
I have already come;
'Tis grace has brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.

The Lord has promised good to me.
His word my hope secures;
He will my shield and portion be,
As long as life endures.

Yes, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease;
I shall profess, within the vail,
A life of joy and peace.

The earth shall soon dissolve like snow,
The sun forbear to shine;
But God, who call'd me here below,
Will be for ever mine.

In conjunction with the release of this film is the The Amazing Change campaign. This is an effort to bring awareness to and the end of modern day slavery across the globe. It is estimated that there are at least 27 million slaves in the world at present. Click the following banner to learn more about this vital campaign—and to be a force for change in our world today.

KNOW this: come as you are—don't stay as you are

2007-02-25T22:09:00.010-06:00

Yesterday, I attended a conference at which I gave the following little "sermonette" (since tweaked). It was the type of thing I normally wouldn't even attend, but I realized how important this event could be to others. The fact that a few people planned to share personal stories caught my attention right up front. But the title of the conference, “Knowing God,” really drew me in to the significance of this weekend.

On mini ministry, I often refer to the now abbreviated tagline, “Don’t believe because you’re told. Believe because you KNOW.” You’ll now see the last half of that phrase, “Believe because you KNOW” on the site’s home page.

See, I know what it’s like to be on both sides of the fence when it comes to knowing God.

I know what it’s like to believe what you’re told, whatever that may be, because your friend or relative or somebody you think knows more than you said so.

I know what it’s like to think you know God, to think you’re seeking after Him, when I really had no idea who He was or what I was talking about.

And I now know that after I depart from this world, I want to hear my Lord say something akin to “well done good and faithful servant” rather than “depart from me, I never knew you.”

It will be 10 years this year since I became a Christian. To me, it’s an interesting spiritual milestone. And in some ways, I think it’s emboldening me to share my rather unique story more. If you have never read my story, which I believe really shows the difference between just knowing about God and truly knowing Him, please take a moment to do so now by clicking here.

For me, the difference between knowing about God and actually knowing Him personally became very clear, inside and out. And understanding that difference is vitally important for every individual.

Biblically, we have many examples of those who are convinced they know God and know what He wants them to do. One of the more disturbing of these stories is found in Matthew 7:21-23, to which I briefly alluded earlier. There Jesus says, “Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'”

Clearly, these people truly believe they know Him. They tell how they did great things, things I can’t even imagine doing, “in His Name.” But, you may notice, they are concentrating only on their own works, saying “Look what we did!” There is no mention of anything Jesus did for them or through them.

Before I knew Christ, I had a tendency to focus on the things I didn't do. I thought I was pretty impressive because I was around others who smoked and drank and did drugs and lived promiscuously, but I didn’t do any of those things. I even remember others commenting on my moralism, which simply increased my trust in my self. Nevermind the sins I did do, the sins I desired to do (but was too scared to take part in) or the sins I later ended up doing anyway. But, by way of comparison to others I knew, I was cool. I guess if God was grading on a curve, I would have been “in.”

I think there’s some promotion of the “I’m okay” mentality in all it’s various forms today because we live in a “come as you are” society. I hear that a lot. “Come as you are to church. Come as you are to God. He will accept you.” Unfortunately, if we leave it there, that really leaves people hanging. It is true that the Lord calls people to Himself as they are, sinful human beings with nothing to offer, and only the shed blood of Jesus Christ will save them from that sin. But if “coming as you are” as we tend to present and understand it is the end (often to the exclusion of what Jesus did), it’s easy for people to think they’re “okay,” just like I did. Maybe they even prayed a prayer or walked an aisle. And some who’ve been around churches a little longer may take this a step further and excuse themselves by claiming “freedom in Christ,” abusing that phrase to do as they desire.

But even though Christ reached out to people as they were and where they were, he never said “stay as you are.”

To a crippled man, Jesus said, "See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you."

To a rich young ruler, Jesus addressed the sin of greed saying, “Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.” And we know that man went away sad because he didn’t want to change.

To all of us, Jesus says something key in John 14:15, "If you love Me, keep My commandments.”

Keeping His commandments, doing His will, is one way we show that we truly know God—to ourselves and to the world. If we know Him, there will be change. Not legalistic rules-following, or working to impress God, but a genuine, God-enabled desire from a heart of praise to do what God commands in His Word.

Those of us who know God should be eager to do so anyway, especially in light of Matthew 11:29-30, in which Jesus says “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Before I knew God, I took everything upon myself. I thought I had to do it all. After all, I didn’t know there was anyone to ask for help, or that there was someone I could “cast my cares upon.” I had a couple of minor nervous breakdowns and at least one serious bout of depression trying to handle life on my own.

Now that I do know the Lord, and have for some time, I understand life in a completely different way. But I still see a serious difference between the times when I’m focused on Him and when I’m not. I haven’t dealt with any breakdowns or serious depression since then, but I naturally have times of feeling down or sad or angry. And when I stop concentrating on poor me, I suddenly realize that my focus is completely in the wrong place, like Peter looking at the wind and the waves. But when my head is where it ought to be, I love the realization that God is in control, and if I am simply doing His will as He enables and don't fight His control, I begin to see life as the direction He is taking me for His glory, not as a maze for me to struggle through or one hurdle after another to overcome.

Jesus does tell us we don’t need to worry, God will take care of us. We don’t have to worry about what we’ll eat or drink or wear. We don’t have to worry about tomorrow, we can just concentrate on today. But He is speaking these things to those who truly know Him. And at the beginning of my walk with the Lord, one thing that concerned me greatly was whether I, in fact, truly did know Him.

In 2 Corinthians 13:5, the Apostle Paul tells those in the Corinthian church, "Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified."

He tells them to be certain their faith is genuine, to be sure they actually have been approved by God.

A resource which I like to refer to from time to time in order to examine myself can be found in the back of John MacArthur’s study Bible. It is a list highlighting “The Character of Genuine Saving Faith.”

He first highlights seven things that don’t prove or disprove whether a person truly knows God. These are:

• Visible Morality
• Intellectual Knowledge
• Religious Involvement
• Active Ministry
• Conviction of Sin (or guilty feelings)
• Assurance (That would be simply believing you know God, or feeling you’re Heaven bound.)
• Time of Decision

None of those on their own say anything one way or another about whether we know God. But MacArthur then lists eleven proofs that will come as a result of authentic Christianity. He has multiple Scripture references beside each which I won’t record here, but this list reads:

• Love for God (After all, this is the greatest commandment, “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.”)
• Repentance from Sin
• Genuine Humility (Note the word “genuine.”)
• Devotion to God’s Glory
• Continual Prayer
• Selfless Love (And that fits the second greatest commandment, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”)
• Separation from the World (Remember, this is not total retreat from the world, but not becoming involved with sin in the world.)
• Spiritual Growth
• Obedient Living (Which would be following His commands out of a thankful heart desiring to please and serve the Lord.)
• Hunger for God's Word
• Transformation of Life

I personally fit some of the first list before I knew the Lord, but none of the second until I grew in my understanding of Him and relationship with Him. Now I’m thankful to say I’ve seen all of these things in my own life, again thanks only to the changes the Lord brought about in me, as Jesus is “the author and finisher” of my faith.

As I watch Him work in me, watching the changes He continues to make, I think one of the more enjoyable realities of that change is in knowing where I will spend eternity.

I’ve recently enjoyed talking to others about what Heaven might be like. I look at the things we know of this reality and this creation, and realize that we can barely fathom that ball of fire that sits in the sky warming our planet, or how a tiny spider knows to spin such elaborate patterns. What possible wonders await us there in glory, and in the new Heavens and on the new Earth? What will it be like to be able to worship the Lord unimpeded, face-to-face, with no veil between us and no disruption from sin?

One of the greatest verses about “knowing God” that I came upon is John 17:3, in which Jesus says to the Father “And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.”

Eternal life. Not the eternal death I deserved and He saved me from, but life that began the day I received Christ as Savior. Not separation from God, but knowing the one true God and knowing Jesus, the One sent as our atonement for sin.

Now I will have all of eternity to continue learning about God, praising Him, serving Him and getting to know Him, perhaps never fully comprehending the grace I’ve been given, or his mercy that endures forever.

In the words of the psalmist:
“You have turned for me my mourning into dancing;
You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness,
To the end that my glory may sing praise to You and not be silent.
O LORD my God, I will give thanks to You forever.” (Psalm 30:11-12)

Praise the Lord that we have a God whom we can know, now and forever.

Related:
• believe because you know... what?

suddenly, a stranger

2007-02-03T20:35:00.000-06:00

"My mother told me never to do this." -Jim Holsey, "The Hitcher"

A recent film release has reminded me of the changes the Lord has brought about in my life in the past 10 years, and made me ponder a few "what if" questions for myself...

The horror remake of "The Hitcher," based on the 1986 film release, has recently hit theatres. As you might imagine, the new version is considerably gorier than it’s predecessor. I don’t plan to see it, but I read some reviews out of curiosity. You see, I loved the original version of this film. It played frequently as a television edit for many years, and I once had a copy on VHS.

Shortly after becoming a Christian, I rediscovered the tape and thought, “Oh yeah, I really like this film.” So I watched it. To my absolute shock and surprise, I was utterly disgusted by the entire thing. I felt like I was watching a completely different movie. But, in reality, I was a completely different person.

This, for me, is an amazing personal example of God's power to change. Nobody told me to hate a movie I once loved. Nobody was standing over my shoulder with any threats or religious rhetoric. Things were just suddenly different in a way I could not explain—and many who knew me couldn't understand.

Romans 12:2 reads, "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."

That renewing comes from Him. Those changes come by the Holy Spirit, not by us. I’d still be the same as I was, and probably much worse, if He hadn’t stopped me.

I shudder to think what I would be like now if I didn’t truly know God. I am incredibly thankful to the Lord for all He’s protected me from over the years, even during the times when I, like Jim Holsey, chose to play the fool and ignore the warnings of others.

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction." -Proverbs 1:7

5 to midnight

2007-02-01T15:12:00.006-06:00

"But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only,"
-Jesus, Matthew 24:36 (and Mark 13:32)

"It's the end of the world as we know it,
I feel fine."
-REM

On January 17, 2007, the Doomsday Clock ticked forward. According to the experts, we're now "5 minutes to midnight," or the end of the world.

Doomsday Clock... ever heard of it? It makes the press from time to time. The symbolic time piece was created in 1947, set at "7 minutes" from the end, and has been ticking forward and back ever since, depending on the current state of the world and who held what nukes. Now, 18 changes later, we're still holding at 5 minutes. And this recent tick, say these "experts," is due to global climate change.

Now, as much as I would like to ask them who exactly is going to be there to set this thing to midnight (...), I would much rather like to ask what is the point of this clock? I can only assume that they assume it's sounding an alarm. If we continue on this path, we will destroy ourselves. So, if we make some noise about it, we can get the world's attention and stop it before it's too late.

Make the majority care to change their ways? This I have every reason to doubt.

It has taken just roughly 100 years for industrialization to pollute the entire planet. That time frame is a droplet in the expanse of human history, regardless of how long you imagine we've been around. And in that time, our Creator has allowed for some incredible leaps and bounds in technology, science, medicine and our basic understanding of the planet in general.

Leave it to us to botch that up by creating unnatural things out of natural (as that was all the source material we had to work with in the first place).

Leave it to us to destroy the beauty of His creation, and desire more and more "luxeries" that all but a handful of visionaries just four generations ago probably never even dreamed possible.

And leave it to us to desire to maintain the ease of a life filled with money, manufactured things and processed meals more than we desire to care for the planet designed to sustain our lives in the first place.

I know some have been misguided into thinking they were doing something good for humanity which ended up backfiring on all of us. But, primarily, we are in this mess as people do evil things, caring only for themselves and how to further their own goals. That's the epitome of sin. And anyone who still reckons mankind is going to "improve" in the future, like sci-fi always promised, isn't paying attention.

Still, nothing is happening that should really be catching us off guard, if you are a Christian anyway. Actually, I guess I should say none of this is a surprise to our Lord. The Bible does speak to things appearing out of control as the Day of the Lord (a.k.a. Second Coming) approaches (Matthew 24:1-51). And for all we don't know about the end of the world, we can be very clear on a few things, such as:

1) Jesus will return before we get to destroy ourselves completely. There will definitely be at least some of us still around during the final events of planet Earth. (Check Revelation.)

2) When Jesus returns things will happen fast, and no one will be able to stop the events that unfold. (2 Peter 3:10 for example.)

3) No one knows when this will happen. (See Matthew 24:36 again.)

4) God is in control of all of the events of now and then. Not us. (Read James 4:13-16 for just a taste of that.)

Now I happen to be a pretty hardcore environmentalist. I do believe that, alarms or no alarms, each individual is called to take care of their portion of the planet, especially if you're a Christian (more on that in blogs future... if I get to write them). But I also take to heart the fact that we are not in control of this planet, or of other people. We need to find the true balance between doing what we've been called to do and realizing He really is in control.

We may be a literal 5 minutes from the end as you read this. Or maybe it's 5 years, or 5 millenia. We just don't know. Whatever time we as individuals, and human history in general, have left, that's time to get to know your Creator. Allow me to introduce you.

And Christian, remember, we have no spirit of fear. Look ahead to the day of your redemption and live now for the glory of God—even if it is only for the next 5 minutes.

• Read all related posts.

the small, still whisper

2006-11-16T16:58:00.014-06:00

"Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world." -1 John 4:1

It's very clear to me that my particular salvation story might confuse some, which is why I tried to make it clear that this sort of thing doesn't happen this way on a daily basis for most people. (Read it if you've not. You'll see what I mean.) I've heard plenty of stories, especially from countries in which the Gospel is barely preached, of people who heard a voice or had a vision and came to know the Lord Jesus. But it's not something everyone experienced. And, consequently, it's not something everyone believes can even happen in these days.

I know that people say they "hear voices" from time to time—and frequently that's not looked upon as a good thing. Certainly many are imagined. Some are just made up. Sometimes individuals use this as a basis to do something evil. Trust me, I've thought over all of this quite a lot, and had to come to some conclusions of my own.

I think the main question here is how do I know what I experienced was of God and not imagined? To that I will say two things.

First of all, the thoughts I was thinking at the time, and the life I was leading at the time, did not lend themselves to any particular moral change. I was quite enjoying my sin, thank you. As I recall, I was actually making some pathetic motion to thank God for the sin I was enjoying. And what a horrific and evil thing. A sinful and unrepentant creature attempting to thank a Holy and sinless God for allowing me to wallow in my own sin—the very sin for which He died in agony? Why He didn't strike me down right there, or on a few thousand other occasions, only the God of Grace can answer. So I had no real interest in changing anything. Why would I? I didn't really know Him at the time, but the world I knew.

Second, there was nothing said in those brief seconds that was contrary to God's word in the Bible. What was this really but a call to repentance? There was an incredible, gulfing rift between us because of my sin, and He introduced me to really seeing it in no uncertain terms. "Clean yourself up..." So the call was to repent and follow Him. Period. There was no debating. Oh, and how I tried. I actually started trying to think up the same lame excuses and justifications I used on myself and everyone else—even twisting the Bible to my own purposes. Obviously He'd have none of it. "You know what to do" was the answer to that nonsense. And so, by His enabling, I did.

Now, that said, I don't expect anyone to expect this to happen to them. As a matter of fact, I'd say you really don't want this type of experience. It wasn't exciting. It was scary. Deadly scary in an eternal way. I was faced with more than my own immorality and mortality—I was faced with the reality of a Holy God who has every right to leave me in my sin to experience an eternity in hell and out of His presence.

There are so many ways to be introduced to the living God. Truly, this was not my introduction, just my wake up call. I was introduced to tidbits of truth in many ways here and there, but He didn't prepare my heart to understand until after this time. To paraphrase Andy Stanley, Christianity isn't just something you come up with while meditating under a tree. It's based on historical recorded fact, and while God does the calling, He asks His servants to deliver the message. So I wasn't just sitting in my room and suddenly realized, "Oh! JESUS is my Savior! Got it!" No, the basic information of that reality was shared with me surrounding this event.

In the book "Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ," John Piper says, "...I do not ask you too pray for a special whisper from God to decide if Jesus is real. Rather I ask you to look at the Jesus of the Bible. Look at Him. Don't close your eyes and hope for a word of confirmation. Keep your eyes open and fill them with the full portrait of Jesus provided in the Bible. If you come to trust Jesus Christ as Lord and God, it will be because you see in Him a divine glory and excellence that simply is what it is—true."

It wasn't a "whisper" that has made my Lord real to me. No, it has been all I have learned of Him in the Bible and all He has taught me in life. It has been times of prayer in which I simply and fully rely on Him. And it has only been as He has revealed Himself to me. Those words were simply a call to the beginning of a life lived for Him.

Christianity, really knowing the Lord Jesus Christ, cannot be found in some esoteric experience of one kind or another. We grow as we learn about Him and rely on Him and ask Him to reveal Himself to us more fully. It is apparent that I will have all of eternity to continue learning about Him and serving Him, never fully comprehending the grace that has been given to me.

A recent prayer of mine is that He continue to amaze me. In this He will never fail, and I will never miss it as long as my focus remains consistently upon Him. I hope you too will see Jesus for who He really is and as He really is in whatever way He chooses to reveal Himself to you.

"My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand." -Jesus, John 10:27-28

Addendum, February 28, 2010:
I literally just came across a quote by C.S. Lewis I never read before tonight. I want to see it in context, but I have it cited as from "Cross-Examination," God in the Dock, 261. In speaking of his conversion, Lewis says, "I was the object, rather than the subject of this affair. I was decided upon. I was glad afterwards at the way it came out, but at the moment what I heard was God saying, 'Put down your gun and we'll talk.'"

I was really struck by this in ways I can't yet express. I have been known to agree with the assessment I've heard attributed to Lewis in the feeling that I, too, was "dragged into the Kingdom kicking and screaming," but I had no idea of this.

While we find the truth of anything only as it aligns with Scripture, it is most certainly intriguing to hear what God does in the lives of others, especially as we see their stories parallel to ours. I thought you might also be intrigued about this particular similarity as I was.

Praise God for His persistent pursuit of His own.

divinely appointed: getting the job

2006-11-13T16:10:00.000-06:00

This is just a fun story, so I'd like to share how the Lord directed me to my current occupation. No question I'm where I'm supposed to be. None...

I'd worked in some print shops and other jobs over the years, and in '02 was at a shop where I'd quickly grown uncomfortable. I was tired of working simply to make others rich. I wanted to work where I could feel I was making a difference and more effectively serve God. I was really praying as to whether I should look elsewhere, but wasn't sure where to go.

One Saturday while I was very busy attending an avian convention (that's a "birdy con" for those playing along at home), I was told to return a phone call from the pastor of the church we'd recently begun attending. I tried during a break but couldn't get in touch with him. So that night around 9:15, as I was thinking it was too late to call and wondering what I possibly could have done to get in trouble already (kidding), the phone rang again.

T'was indeed the pastor calling back. He said there was an immediate opening at the church for admin. Was I interested? I practically had to pick myself up off the floor before responding, "Well, actually, I've been praying about this a lot lately."

I learned that no one else on his list of suspects could take the position. Because we were so new to the congregation, I was the last person on that list based on a single conversation at a church picnic in which I must have mentioned, ever so briefly, what I was doing at the time.

I interviewed a few days later and basically had the job. I was even able to train with the person I was replacing during my two weeks notice before she took a job elsewhere.

But all that's not even the kicker. I soon found I'd basically been training my whole life for this gig. Almost every skill I ever learned I use here—phone and people skills, writing and editing, layout, organization, promotions... The job I'd only held for 6 months prior even trained me, an avid Mac fan, in daily use of a PC. Much of what I did on a volunteer basis at our last church I was now getting paid to do.

Even volunteer ministries hearken back to days past, such as when we do door-to-door invitations—my very first company job was door-to-door promo. I used to substitute teach, primarily in high school and jr. high, and I now work with the youth group. Ever since I was young, I've had involvement with song and stage, and have been able to do both here. I could go on.

Other benefits? I have more friends than I've ever had in my life—some even my very best. I work with some really great guys on staff, not to mention the elders, deacons and everybody else who puts in time. Again, could go on. And on.

So, is it perfect? Of course not. Every job everywhere has it's ups and downs. We're still in a sinful world, and stuff still happens. But here I am, in this environment which I suppose I was designed for, and I get to serve my God in ways I never imagined.

I sometimes have to sit down and remind myself how I got here. And that's why I wrote this thing. After all, I started out in college studying to go into broadcasting and ended up a journalism major with an emphasis in advertising. But here I am, in an incredible position with access to countless ways to glorify my Lord.

Stuff like this doesn't just happen by accident. Praise the Lord for Divine appointments. :)

"And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him." -Colossians 3:17

believe because you know... what?

2006-10-21T17:11:00.000-05:00

The tagline for mini ministry is "believe because you KNOW." I suppose for some, the question is, "know what?" Therefore, I've been thinking of creating some posts to answer that question.

In reality, the most important things we can know are who God is, what Jesus has done and the truth of God's Word in the Holy Bible. But it's not just about knowing about God, it's about knowing Him personally. Yeah, that blows a lot of people away. It still gets me on a regular basis. Actually knowing the One who created everything? But it is possible. And it's incredible.

I hope to flesh all this out more in time. For now, I leave you with this...

"And this is eternal life, that they may KNOW You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent." -John 17:3 (NKJV)

Related:
• KNOW this: come as you are-don't stay as you are

why it's wrong - the embryonic debate

2006-10-07T14:43:00.000-05:00

Since this is such a big deal, especially in Missouri of late, I figured I'd address it too. I've heard people, even those who claim to know Christ, say that things like embryonic stem cell research and abortion are not wrong for reasons such as "it's just political" or "the Bible doesn't talk about it" or "it will help people." Trust me, if I thought this was merely political, I wouldn't care much. Of course I vote and know the issues, but politics is just not fun, and I try not to waste my time on silly debates.

But to say the Bible doesn't talk about it, well that's a bit of overlooking on their part. The Bible doesn't include the words "embryonic stem cell" or "abortion" because they didn't use language like that at the time. But does it say anything about hurting babies, and even the unborn? Definitely yes.

Now as a basic, most people know the command, "Do not murder." This is repeated over and over again throughout. That should speak for itself, but somehow we are in a society so twisted that it actually takes time to redefine things like "murder" and "person" and so on.

If you still have questions, there are many times that murdering children is spoken against. And this gets a bit graphic.

In Leviticus 18:21 for instance, God says, "'Do not give any of your children to be sacrificed to Molech, for you must not profane the name of your God. I am the Lord." Molech was a man-made god of the Ammonites. They had fashioned a horrific metal statue with cupped hands which was heated by fire. They would then throw live babies into the hands of this "god" and sacrifice them in hopes of receiving some "blessing" or another.

The LORD said, "NO." And more than once. He threatened to withdraw from the people who were doing this on more than one occassion, as His people were being sucked into the culture around them.

Still not convinced?

God never takes kindly to oppression of the helpless, no matter how young or old. He states this repeatedly in the book of Amos. In chapter 1:13, God says, "Thus says the Lord: 'For three transgressions of the people of Ammon, and for four, I will not turn away its punishment, Because they ripped open the women with child in Gilead, That they might enlarge their territory.'"

Did you catch that? Read it again. I'm not going to repeat it.

There's plenty more you can research on your own. And if you are not one to be convinced by Scripture, that's fine. There's nothing I can do about that. But I will say this... I agree 100% that we should continue to do research and search for cures, and use of adult stem cells is fine—not to mention that only the adult stem cells have proven effective for cures. Most of my family is diabetic. I had a great college prof. who died rather quickly of a muscular disorder. I have lots of friends with lots of problems, myself included. However, there is never a reason to improve a life by taking a life.

This may come as a shock to some, but I'm also not saying that I agree that those embryos should have been created and abandoned in the first place, and I realize there are much deeper roots to this issue that no one wants to address. But clearly with everyone trying to "play god" all these many year, we have now come to this.

Just because we can do something doesn't mean we should. I simply pray that we do not make our mess even messier.