"Merry Christmas"

Christmas Day is quickly approaching! I love the Christmas holidays…cold weather, snow (sometimes), lights, music, trees, and yes, presents. Who doesn’t like presents? I have gotten some really great gifts for Christmas in the years past. I can remember my first bike. It was a blue frame Huffy bike with yellow rims. I can even remember my first stereo. It was a Sony with a double tape deck, and it had detachable speakers. As we are all swamped with gifts, shopping, family, and friends, I want us to remember the real reason that we celebrate Christmas.

Micah 5:2-5a
2 But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, are only a small village in Judah. Yet a ruler of Israel will come from you, one whose origins are from the distant past. 3 The people of Israel will be abandoned to their enemies until the time when the woman in labor gives birth to her son. Then at last his fellow countrymen will return from exile to their own land. 4 And he will stand to lead his flock with the LORD's strength, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God. Then his people will live there undisturbed, for he will be highly honored all around the world. 5 And he will be the source of our peace.
(New Living Translation)

Micah was a prophet whose prophesies promised both judgment and deliverance for Israel. In earlier chapters he tells Israel that God will bring punishment upon them because they do not honor God in their heart or with their life. God does not even accept their sacrifices anymore! Then, you have this passage. Here, when things seem so dark and hopeless, Micah gives the nation of Israel a little ray of hope to hold on to. God’s kingdom will not completely pass away, but will actually reach newer and greater heights through the coming Messiah. This Messiah will be born in a small town called Bethlehem. We see the fulfillment of this prophecy in Matthew 1 and Luke 2. The birth of Christ renewed the hope of Israel and restored life and vitality to the people of God. Through Jesus Christ, we too live with an unfailing hope in our eternal future with our Lord God.

Jesus truly is the greatest gift that we have ever received. My mom used to always tell me that Christmas is more about giving than receiving. I never understood why moms and dads would torture kids with that great little one-liner. Until now! Now, I have my own kids and I find myself saying the same thing. But today, on this blog, it is about what you have received. I want to hear from you. Take a moment and share with me (aside from Christ), “What is one of the greatest gifts you have ever received?” I’ll start…

Even though it was December 28th, one of the greatest gifts I have ever received was my wife. We will be married eleven years this year, and she truly is my best friend. I have never met anyone with such a patient, caring, and self-sacrificing attitude. She has put up with so much due to my little “quirks” and “inconsistencies.” Why she continues to put up with me I will never know. But I am, and will be, forever grateful that she said, “Yes,” and that she continues to help me grow into the husband and father that I long to be. (I can write all of this about her because she doesn’t read this blog!)

Your turn! “What is one of the greatest gifts you have ever received?” Blessings…

Spill the Beans

Confession. Boy, has that word begun to hold some negative connotations. The accused, a lawyer, a couple of police officers, a legal pad, and a pen all sitting in a room around a little bitty table trying to uncover the truth. Here confession is the admission of guilt and the beginning of indictment. In this context we understand confession to mean that one realizes he or she is left with no other alternative. They have been caught “with their hand in the cookie jar” and all of the evidence is stacked against them. At this point, the best thing for them to do is admit their guilt and beg for mercy.

“He confessed!” When you hear words like that you begin to think that some ugly, guilty, despicable person has finally been caught and will soon get what they have coming to them (justice). When you put it that way, no wonder we think so negatively about confession. But that is what the world, and worldly values, tend to do to some very healthy and beautiful components of Christianity.

Confession was actually meant to be a good thing; one broken sinner, standing before a forgiving Father, pouring out his heart begging for mercy. Here confession is the admission of imperfection and the beginning of absolution. In this context, we understand confession to mean that one realizes he or she is only human. We are not perfect! No matter how hard we try, we are going to find ourselves in those moments when we fail. At this point, the best thing for us to do is acknowledge our imperfections and beg for mercy.

Think about these two very different views. Christians have even been guilty of leaning on the more negative view. There are so many people in our churches today that are hurting, deeply hurting, but no one is going to know it because they are not going to tell. They will not “confess” because they are afraid of judgment and embarrassment. We do not usually know that anyone has a drinking problem until they have hurt themselves or someone else. We do not usually know that someone has financial problems until they file for bankruptcy. We do not usually know that someone has marriage problems until they file for divorce. How did we come to the point that people feel so guilty about their “issues” that they feel too ashamed and embarrassed to ask for help? I wish we could all just come right out and say that struggling with temptation is normal…struggling with finances is normal…struggling with marriage is normal…there is no shame in that!

I wonder if it is possible for us to restore the beautiful, positive connotation of “confession?” I like the way that Webster defines confession. Confession is ‘a disclosure of one’s sins in the sacrament of reconciliation.’ Confession is the beginning of reconciliation. We cannot be truly restored until we “spill the beans.” Disclosure is a scary word for some. I looked that up too! The first definition I found listed was, ‘to open up.’ Just open yourself up to God and watch the healing begin.

Take a look at these words from David in Psalm 32, “When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord’ – and you forgave the guilt of my sin.” Do you hear that? When we keep silent about sin, struggle, in our lives it eats us away from the inside out. Our silence saps our energy. I cannot tell you how many times I have heard people struggling with sin say, “I just can’t go on. I am just too tired.” Huh, I wonder why? When we bare our soul before the Lord (when we hide ‘nothing’), David says that is when we find forgiveness. I want you to notice though that David points out something really interesting here! We are not only forgiven of our sin, but we are also forgiven the guilt of our sin. Whew! Not only can I let go of that ugly thing in my past, but I do not have to carry around the worry that goes along with it.

May we all find the courage to practice “confession” and practice it regularly. We need to admit that we are human, fallible, and imperfect. We need to quit pretending, in our moments of absolute weakness, that we are strong enough to conquer sin and its guilt on our own. Find comfort and inspiration in David’s very real experience. Whatever it is that is eating you away from the inside, let it go. Give it over to the Lord! I said earlier that Christian confession is a broken sinner, standing before a forgiving Father, pouring out his heart and begging for mercy. The cool part is we beg for mercy, but the forgiving Father grants us GRACE! Experience true relief, true grace, and true forgiveness; “SPILL THE BEANS.” Blessings…

"Four Weddings and a Funeral"...A Look Back

Wow! What a year! I really don’t know what else to say. It hasn’t been terrible. It hasn’t been burdensome. It has just been wild. I have actually grown a lot throughout the last year. When someone goes through a whole lot of change in a short amount of time, I have heard it said that they have been “baptized by fire.” Let me tell ya, it has been hot! Good!...but HOT! I have learned so much about myself this year. As I look back, I am and will be eternally grateful for the challenges that the Lord has presented me with over this last year. Within this last year, I have seen a lot, experienced a lot, and taken a lot. I like to call this last year in review, “four weddings and a funeral.”

Within this last year, I have taken on a massive amount of preaching responsibilities. You know that old saying, “Be careful what you pray for…you just might get it!?” Well, I have been itching to preach, and buddy, have I had ample opportunity. It has been fun, too! Our last preacher has accepted the call to plant a church in a growing community just to the north. While our church began the search for our next pulpit minister, I opened my mouth and told my elders I would like a crack at this preaching thing. I have certainly enjoyed the time in study, reflection, and prayer as I prepared for each sermon. I have preached more in the last 12 months than I have in my last eight years of ministry. Exciting, huh! I feel that God and I have developed a much closer relationship in these last 12 months.

To add to the excitement, I have actually done “four weddings and a funeral.” I have had the privilege of performing the first wedding ceremony of one of the kids that grew up in my youth ministry. Let me just tell you, it is one thing to watch them grow up for six years in your ministry; but, it is something else entirely when one of them calls one day and tells you they would be honored if you would perform their wedding. They would be honored?! Man, it was so cool to be able to perform their wedding and participate in such a special day. I was able to cap the year with three more weddings for some who were members of our church, and some who just had past ties to our church. For one, I actually got the honors of performing a wedding for one of my past youth ministry interns.

The funeral was very humbling. Have you ever wondered why God places you in certain situations when he does? Well, this funeral was one of those moments. When this family called and asked for me, I kept asking myself, “Why me?” I really didn’t know them. They really didn’t “know” me. They had seen me upfront regularly because I work for the church, but we did not have a deep relationship with one another. After I had the opportunity of meeting this family, God began to reveal to me why he was asking me to do this funeral. As I began to visit more and more with the family, I began to realize that this man was so much like my granddaddy. As I said before, I really didn’t know this family all that well. However, the more and more I listened to them talk about him, share stories about him, and remember him, the more I saw my granddaddy sitting beside me in the room. When I began to put my thoughts down on paper for the funeral, it became very apparent to me what I was going to say. And going into this experience I was terrified because it was my first funeral. I believe the Lord knew what he was doing.

So there it is…my year in review. It may not be very exciting to you, but it was a ride for me. There is so much more I could tell you, but these are the most exciting highlights. What has the Lord done for you this year? What were some of your most exciting moments? What were some of your most terrifying? Somebody be brave and start the sharing! Blessings…

"Confidence in Solitude"

Greetings! I trust that all of you had a wonderful thanksgiving holiday. It was sure wonderful spending time with my family.

Well…I have been involved in a very fulfilling study with my HomeTeam. We have been studying through Richard Foster’s, Celebration of Discipline. Each week we are taking a look at another one of the spiritual disciplines in the life of a disciple of Christ. This last week we studied about the discipline of “solitude.” While in this study, Foster led us to an interesting verse in Isaiah the 30th chapter, and then he followed that with an interesting question. I wanted to share the verse and question with you, as well as some of my insights as I have struggled to answer this question.

Here is the verse from Isaiah 30:15 (New Living Translation)…

“The Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel says, ‘Only in returning to me and waiting for me will you be saved. In quietness and confidence is your strength.’”

Foster asks the question, “How does solitude produce confidence?” I have really wrestled with my answer to this question. This morning as I was having some solitude, I believe the Lord began to reveal to me an answer (Ironic? I think not!) Solitude is what I like to call “God Time.” There are no other distractions. For 30, 45, or 60 minutes (you choose), it is just you and your heavenly Father…Sovereign Lord…the Holy One of Israel. Solitude doesn’t mean silence! Solitude simply means that you are controlling the environment around you to maximize your time with your heavenly Father. For you, worship music in the background may help you make the most of your time with God. For you, singing some worship songs may help you maximize your time alone with God. For you, maybe complete silence and solitude go hand in hand. Maybe, just maybe, the quieter it is, the more fulfilled you become in your time alone with God.

At any rate, as we practice the discipline of solitude, we pause to feel the presence of the Holy Spirit and hear the voice of God. It is here in this solitude that our relationship with God is deepened, and the deeper we go, the more confident we become. Why? Well, I liken it to the confidence of a young boy around his Father. I consider my son a brave young lad for sure, but it is amazing to see just how brave he becomes when dad is standing by his side watching. All of a sudden, that ball is not so hard to kick…that ball is not so hard to hit…that height is not so high after all…and that water isn’t so deep after all. For him, it is almost as if he is saying, “With my dad here, I can do anything?”

For me, that is how I see solitude building confidence in the believer. As we spend more time in solitude, as our relationship with our Father grows deeper, as we feel him getting closer, we become amazingly more confident in our faith and life. All of a sudden, that darkness isn’t so dark after all…that mountain isn’t so hard to climb…that gift isn’t so hard to give…that enemy isn’t so hard to love…and that gospel is all of a sudden so much easier to share.

My encouragement for you this week, friends, is to discipline yourself to make time in your day for the discipline of solitude. Go off somewhere! Sit in a chair in your backyard. Take a walk in your local park. Drive out to the lake. Whatever you need to do, just spend about thirty minutes to an hour in solitude with the Sovereign Lord. Listen for his voice. Drink in the presence of the Holy Spirit. Get to know the Holy One of Israel for Jesus himself has said…

“Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.”
- John 17:3 (NIV)

As you grow deeper and deeper in your relationship with Almighty God, may he inspire you with the confidence that moves mountains. Blessings…

"In Spirit and In Truth"

Jesus meets a Samaritan, tells her everything that she ever did, and offers her living water; water that will become in her a spring of water welling up to eternal life.

Now she wants to change the subject. “I can see you are a prophet,” she replies. She realizes that Jesus knows entirely too much about her life and her choices to be anything else. Since you are so smart, Jesus, let us talk about an “issue” that has been plaguing the Jews and Samaritans for quite some time. She asks, “Are we supposed to worship in the temple, or are we supposed to worship on this mountain?” Is she genuinely interested in getting the answer to this question, or is she trying to avoid any more unpleasant talk about her sin and poor choices.

Either way, Jesus obliges and continues to have a very meaningful conversation with her. He replies, “A time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews.” Okay, let me say something here…both the Jews and the Samaritans are at fault in their worship. The Samaritans have missed the mark because they worship God, but they do not truly understand God. They accepted only the Pentatuch (Genesis through Deuteronomy), therefore, leaving out much of his revelation in the prophets, they really knew little of him (i.e. his character, his nature). The Jews truly knew God, and the Messiah was even to come from Jewish lineage; but, they missed the mark because their religious experience up to this point was confined to a building (one that was soon to be destroyed and what then?). Both groups had a thing or two to learn about worship!

Jesus defines it for her, and certainly later defines it for all of John’s readers (that includes you and me, by the way). Jesus says, “A time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.” Think about that for a second! Jesus just said that there is such a thing as a “true worshiper,” which also implies that there are people out there who do not truly worship. You mean, there are people out there who get together, they know God, but there is the chance that God does not accept their worship? Apparently so!! Why? Well, they are not truly worshiping God because they are not worshiping him in spirit and in truth.

God is spirit. Do you realize what that means? That means that God is everywhere. He is not a physical body that is tied down to any type of physical structure (mountain or building). God is spirit, therefore, he cannot be contained. He is everywhere and can be worshiped anywhere. Jesus has just redefined the location of worship. We cannot put ourselves in a position to dictate “how” or “where” we worship. We must only come in the way the spirit of God opens for us. God is to be worshiped in the place he is present. I once heard a man say, “God is not nearly as concerned with the ‘tune’ of worship, as he is with the ‘tude’ of worship (attitude/heart).” I truly believe that there is much truth in that.

This “truth” Jesus speaks of, what is it? I believe that he is speaking of worship that is done in a true way, worship that is genuine. A people who worship in truth are ones that recognize God, his character, and his nature. They also equally recognize their need for him. These people worship “in truth” because they worship what is true (Jesus, John 14). They approach God with an attitude like this, “Thank you for understanding where I am; I can hardly wait to be where you are!”

All of these thoughts bring me to ask a question, “Do we worship with instruments or without?” Does it really matter? But then again, thinking along the lines of this story, why do we get so wrapped up in asking such a question? Sometimes I wonder if we are not a lot like the Samaritan woman in this story. She, I believe, changed the subject to worship because she was tired of being confronted with the unpleasantness of her sin. I wonder if we like to focus so much on “issues” because we are afraid of confronting the real issues in our lives…pride, passion, arrogance, prejudice, hate, lust. It is so much easier to focus on some other “issue” that will soon be a matter of little consequence. I mean really, when Jesus comes back is he going to care whether we are worshiping with a piano, band, or a cappella? Or, is he just going to be ecstatic that he finds his church worshiping in spirit and truth upon his return? I mean, after all, he is coming with trumpets, right?

In closing, I want to leave you all with a passage of Scripture that I hope encourages some serious reflection from all of us. It comes from 2 Corinthians 3:17 and reads, “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” What if we spent less time disputing the issues and more time swimming in the springs of water welling up to eternal life? Life in Christ. Let’s LIVE!

"A Crippling Fear"

Well, it has been a while since my last post, but I have really been struggling with how to say what it is I have to say. As you read the following, I pray that you read it in the spirit which it was written.

I am well aware that the Bible tells us that we should have a healthy fear of our Lord God. The question I guess that has been plaguing me is, “Is it possible to be so afraid of God that it actually keeps you from experiencing God in the greatest possible ways?”

For years, the two passages I have most often heard recited to me to support the view of a cappella worship only have been the following:

19 Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Eph 5:19-20 (NIV)

16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.
Col 3:16 (NIV)

I have really tried to wrap these two passages around my heart and mind for some time, but the more I read them and think on them, the more I come to believe that they are the furthest thing from proof texts for the a cappella only view. Let me make something very, very clear. I love a cappella worship, and some of my fondest and most meaningful worship experiences have come while worshipping without instruments. However, at the same time, I do not at all believe that a cappella is the only form of worship that is acceptable to God, nor do I approve of any who condemn others for worshiping with instruments.

I do not believe that either of the passages above is dealing with how a church should or should not conduct themselves in their praise and worship. So, to say that these verses support a cappella worship, and at the same time, condemn instrumental worship is a complete and irresponsible misuse of the text. Both are in the context of relationship. Paul is not instructing us on how or how not to sing to God, he is instructing us on how we should speak to one another, teach one another, and live with one another!

I am still looking, but I have not yet been able to find a Scripture that very explicitly condemns the use of instrumental praise and worship. I am also aware that there is not a Scripture in the New Testament that explicitly states that you can worship the Lord with instrumental music. But I have been able to find many passages in the Old Testament that inform us that God’s people worshipped him the instrumental music.

This now brings me to some thoughts and a question. My thoughts: God did accept worship with instruments in the Old Testament. Many of the psalms were written to the tune of instruments. Then when we get to the New Testament there never really is a clear position on worship with our without instruments. My question: If God accepted it in the Old Testament, but then decided after Christ that it was irreverent and unacceptable, why did he not provide some clear, concise instruction on how we should worship him (whether in the teachings of Jesus or the inspire writings of others)? Maybe someone can help me with this.

I understand the desire to avoid instrumental worship because the Scriptures never openly say that you “can” use instruments in worship. What I do not understand is how and why the use of instruments in worship has become a salvation issue. Many have said, quite harshly and confidently, that if you use instruments in worship you will lose your salvation. How does anyone get that from the Scriptures? Maybe someone can help me with this one too.

Do we lean so heavily on the view that God is this Almighty Judge that we are afraid to “experiment” with the grey areas for fear that God will crush us with his hands of justice? There were times that God’s justice and God’s wrath were necessary, but in all of those cases, God’s children had turned their backs on him and had begun worshipping idols and others gods. Should any of us be judging the hearts of those worshipping with instruments? What if this is their way to connect with God and use the talents he has given them to his glory? I said before that it is healthy to fear God in many respects. Is it possible to fear God to the extent that your fear is crippling you from experiencing God in new and powerful ways? I do not believe that God is going to dismiss sincere men and women of the faith on judgment day because they used instruments in their worship.

I prefer to see God as the All-Forgiving Father. That is the picture of God I believe Scripture paints clearly for us. I do not believe his forgiveness is a license to sin, but I do believe there is “grace” in areas where there is not much clarity given in Scripture. Just notice how many times God forgave his people for their selfishness. I have worshipped in churches that are instrumental. I have watched the lead singers, members of the band, and the other members of the church, and I have been impressed with the conviction and heart with which they praise God. I understand there is a risk when using instruments of becoming more concerned about the “show” than you are about the worship. But I truly believe similar risks are involved even in a cappella worship.

Please understand that I worship in a church that practices a cappella worship, and I enjoy the worship. I am not, however, willing to jump on the band wagon that condemns other brothers and sisters in the faith for worshipping with instruments. I just don’t understand how some have come to make this an issue of ones salvation when I see no evidence in the Scriptures that supports such a claim. I pray that one day we can all move past this “issue” and focus on those around us that still have not yet met the risen Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

"Childish or Child-like"

Which church is the "right" church? What makes "that" church the right church? Has Jesus left us with any indication about what kind of person makes the "right" kind of disciple? Take a little bit and wrestle with these questions before moving on.

Mark 9:30-37
As Jesus and his disciples are traveling, Jesus attempts to inform them of his coming suffering and resurrection. But they do not understand. This is Jesus’ attempt to connect the dots for his disciples. This king that they serve and follow is not a military king, but a suffering servant. He was sent to the cross for their sins, our sins, the world’s sins. They miss the point.

We know they miss the point because the very next paragraph shows an interesting teaching of Jesus to his disciples. It starts with Jesus sitting his disciples down and asking a very interesting question, “So tell me, what were you arguing about on the road?” And the next verse reveals to us the answer to that question. They had been arguing about who was going to be the greatest when Jesus re-established the kingdom of God. There is something heartbreaking in the thought of Jesus going towards a cross and his disciples arguing about who would be greatest!

Instead of seeking a place of service, they were seeking positions of advantage. Jesus used a child to help his self-centered disciples get the point. They were to have servant attitudes, being not "childish" (arguing over petty issues), but "childlike," with humble and sincere hearts. Seeking honor, respect, and the attention of others runs contrary to Jesus' requirements for his servants. An attitude of service brings true greatness in God's kingdom.

Notice what happens next! John still doesn't get it...he misses the point big time!
Mark 9:38-41

For John, it is still about place, position, power. Can you hear him, "But Jesus we saw a man driving out demons, using your name, and he is not one of us, the Twelve, the chosen ones." I love Jesus' response..."Do not stop him! For anyone who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, for whoever is not against us is for us." (emphasis added) Wow, I love this!

Friends, how many times have we pulled this? How many times have we excluded, slandered, and confronted a brother, sister, another denomination, etc. because they don't "do church" the same way that we do? You know, they don't worship like us, they don't "partake" of communion the same way we do, and they don't share the same slant on women's role. We cry out to God and to one another, "We confronted them and told them to stop, because they were not one of us!" For years many in my fellowship have refused to participate in community activities all because another denomination that they don't agree with is involved. They have refused to because the people involved were people they just didn't feel "comfortable" with. What would Jesus say to that? I have a pretty good idea! I don't believe one's theology should get in the way of them helping those in need. Have we forgotten the "Parable of the Good Samaritan?"

This passage from Mark 9 has forced me to ask myself a very important question...Who is my 'real' enemy? Friends, I am arriving at a different place in my ministry than many of the ancestors in my fellowship. My enemy is not the Baptists, the Assembly of God, the Methodists, the non-denominationals, no sir!! My enemy is "Satan!" I would imagine Satan himself is reveling in the fact that churches are fighting against each other. I would imagine he smiles as brothers and sisters from the same congregations argue and fight over "petty" differences...most of which have "absolutely nothing" to do with salvation.

Correct me if I am wrong, but aren't these men and women from these other denominations, or non-denominations, fighting the same evil I am, you are, we are? Their enemy is my enemy, Satan! Don't they preach Jesus as the Son of God, hung on the cross for my sins, and resurrected on the third day? I believe they teach this same Jesus as they door to salvation. According to Jesus himself in Mark 9, that makes them my "ally."

I know this is gettin' preachy, but let me share a couple of passages with you before I close.

The first Scripture is…
12 The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. 13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body — whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free — and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.
- 1 Cor 12:12-13 (NIV)

The second Scripture is…
4:1 As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit— just as you were called to one hope when you were called— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
- Eph 4:1-6 (NIV)

Jesus' followers did not and will not all look the same and belong to the same groups. However, Jesus' followers do all have the responsibility of building up the kingdom of God. We should and must cooperate. I am done fighting over petty differences. Let us unite together, in one Spirit, through the bond of peace. Let us band together to fight for the lost and hurting of this world, rather than fighting with each other. It is time for us to stop being so "childish" and start being more "child-like."

I close with the words of Paul...

2 For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified…
- 1 Cor 2:2-5 (NIV)

May God grant us the wisdom to see what is most important in this world. May he open our eyes to the real enemy. And may he bless us with the compassion and patience to work with one another in the struggle to share Jesus with those in need.

"Is the Church Missing the Point?"

Okay, friends, back to the book! Today’s thoughts are taken once again from Reggie McNeal’s book, The Present Future. Remember, I am sharing thoughts from the book that struck a chord with me, personally. I am interested in hearing what some of you might think about these issues as well.

Reggie makes a very interesting observation in his book. He says, “Church leaders seem unable to grasp this simple implication of the new world – people outside the church think church is for church people, not for them” (pg.10). Later he would make this comment, "In North America the invitation to become a Christian has become largely an invitation to convert to the church” (pg.11). Have we as a church missed the point? I wonder at times if we have become so over-focused on doing church right, that we have missed out on being the right kind of church.

Let me explain. All of my life I have grown up in the same church. The whole time I have watched many churches in my fellowship squabble over the “right” way to do church. Some of these discussions have become so intense, that men and women who claim to love and serve God have become some of the most unlovable people and said some of the most ungodly things. Wasn’t it Jesus who said, “By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (Jn. 13:35)? I mean seriously, what message are we sending the un-churched around us when we fight like this amongst ourselves? I will tell you what I have been hearing. “Come and join our church because we are the ones that do church right?” But again, I come back to a strong point that I believe, as my grandma used to say, gets stuck in our craw every time we try to swallow. I believe Jesus gave us a mission to be the church, not do church!

Sometimes I believe we are so busy “doing” church that we miss out on the golden opportunities to be the church. What if, instead of fighting about how to do church, we were in the community fixing houses, fixing cars, mowing lawns, raking leaves, painting fences, helping people move in or out, picking up trash, supporting our local schools, etc.? What if, instead of fighting over our church service that we expect people to come to, we were taking church services to the people of our community? I wonder what would happen if a small group of people just started to host an evening worship service in their back yard on Sunday evenings. Does that make somebody’s blood boil? See, I know of some men that I have served with that would be so put out that I wasn’t worshipping in “the building” that they wouldn’t think twice about the people we could possibly reach. Why? Because we must worship the Lord in a church, at least that is what they would say.

Okay, forgive me for taking the bait on this one. If that is true, then let us examine the New Testament church in Acts for a moment. Yes, they did meet together in the temple courts to fulfill the Jewish custom of praying three times a day. I am sure that while they were there, they even praised God. However, the Scriptures also tell us that they meet in each other’s homes enjoying fellowship and praising God. So, if worship has to be in “the temple,” does that mean God did not accept the worship they lifted up in their home’s in the evening? I have served with some that I truly believe would answer “yes” to that question!

Reggie made me think! I wonder if he is making you think. Have you ever considered the number of people that won’t come to worship on a given Sunday; not because they don’t believe in or worship the same God that you and I do, but because they are working? You know the convenient store workers, restaurant workers, grocery store workers, utility crews, and public servants that work so that you and I can selfishly enjoy our Sunday’s. We show up to church and expect the lights and air conditioners to be working. We expect the gas stations to be open so that we can fill up and make it to church. We expect the restaurants to be open so that we can go out and eat rather than cook on Sunday afternoon. “Who is going to be the church to them?”

I know that I have gotten on my soap box about this, but I believe the North American church is missing the point of Jesus’ call to “Go” and make disciples of all nations. Enough from me, for now. What are some of your thoughts? I do want to know, whether you agree or disagree. Are we way off base? How do we fix it? What are we going to do?

"My Dream vs. His Call"

Dreams. Do you still have those? We all have hopes and visions of what we want our life to look like. As children, we all dream of what we will be, where we will live, and what we will be doing. Some of us dream about being presidents, doctors, lawyers, managers, etc. “Are you just where you believed you would be?”

When I was a senior in high school, my preacher asked all us to write down some information. He wanted to know where we saw ourselves in five years; where will you be, what will you be doing, will you be married, and how many children will you have/do you plan to have? He informed us that he planned to file them away and mail them to us in five years. Naturally, I filled it out but never believed that I would ever see it again. Here were my answers…in five years, I believed that I would be graduated from college and coaching junior high basketball in a smaller West Texas town. I believed that I would be married and even said that I planned to have at least two kids some day.

When I got this envelope in the mail, I opened it up and read it, and wondered how I came to be where I was in life. You see, I was just about to walk across the stage and receive my bachelor’s degree. I wasn’t even thinking about coaching anymore. I had felt called into the ministry and was currently serving as the youth minister in a small West Texas town. I was married, and my wife was pregnant with our first child. Some of the things had gone my way, but why not the career. I had loved sports all of my life. Just ask my dad! My whole life I had always said that I was going to teach physical education and coach basketball. I had it all planned out, too. I was going to coach junior high.

So, what happened?! Why didn’t I end up where I just knew I was going to be? I have to admit, there have been times that I wondered what kind of coach I would have made. I have to admit, there have been times that I wondered if I was really in the right place. I, like many of you, have looked toward the heavens and asked God, “Why me? Why here?” The greatest answer I have ever received from the Lord came when I was on a journey through the book of Proverbs. I ran across this verse, underlined it, and it has become a part of me ever since. Proverbs 19:21:

“Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.”

Even now I am writing it without looking it up because it has become such a part of who I am. Coaching was my plan! Living in West Texas was my plan! But, I wound up in youth ministry right out of college. I wasn’t coaching basketball with junior high kids, but I was teaching (coaching, if you don’t mind) teenagers how to grow and mature as disciples of Christ. The Lord’s purpose prevailed over mine. I was still working with kids, but in God’s way, not mine!

Ever since that day, I have faithfully, joyfully, and willingly answered God’s call to serve others. Why? Because I took a good look at what I wanted…Contemplated where I actually was…And finally realized that this is definitely where God wanted me to be. I don’t know for sure if you ever question where you are in life, but I want to encourage you to ask yourself a couple of questions: (1) Are you still living for yourself, focusing on your plans within your heart? (2) Or, have you surrendered to the “purpose” of God, submitting faithfully, joyfully, and willingly to his lordship in your life. It is in true surrender to the Lord that you will find true peace and never ending joy. Share: In what ways has God empowered you in your profession to share the gospel and his grace with others?

"Expecting Forgiveness"

I have to share a story with you today about my son. This incident occured this last week, and it reminded me of how we have come to approach God so many times in our lives. It made me laugh, and I hope it makes you laugh too!

Last week, my kids were up here with me at work while I was finishing up a couple of things. A co-worker, and friend, asked if it would be okay for her to give the kids a few keys that she believed didn't go to anything important anymore. Before agreeing, knowing my two kids very well, I sat them both down and we had a talk. I said, "You may have those keys to play with as long as we understand that we don't put those keys in any doors around the office, or any doors around our house." They smiled and quickly agreed (should the smiles have given anything away?). She gave them the keys and we went home.

The next morning my son comes into the room and says, "Hey dad! Guess what? (He's very excited!)" I said, "What?!" He replies, "You know those keys that we got yesterday? Well, two of those keys, fit my door. And dad, one of those keys...it even locks my door (he says as he is shaking his head and smiling with total pride and confidence)." I just stared at him for a moment. Then I calmly asked, "So, are you telling me that you took those keys I specifically asked you not to put in any door in the house, and then you put them into a door in the house?" (My son tells on himself all of the time.) He dropped his shoulders, stuck out his bottom lip, and quietly bowed his head. Then he mumbled, "I'm sorry daddy."

I was trying so hard not to laugh at this point. "Go get me those keys," I told him. "Why? Are you going to take them away?", he asked. "Absolutely," I replied. "I specifically asked you not to put them into any doors and you disobeyed me. So, now those keys are mine." He slowly, and very reluctantly, retreived and passed over the keys. He began to walk away sad and defeated. Then, all of a sudden he turned to me and said, "Dad, could you please come unlock my door?" I lost it! I could not help but laugh. I tried so hard (unsuccessfully) to keep a straight face, but it was too funny.

As I thought about it over the weekend, we are so much like this with our heavenly father. There are so many things in life we know we are not supposed to do, but we do it anyway. I believe Paul says it best in Romans 7:18-20 (NLT):

"No matter which way I turn, I can't make myself do right. I want to, but I can't. When I want to do good, I don't. And when I try not to do wrong, I do it anyway. But if I am doing what I don't want to do, I am not really the one doing it; the sin within me is doing it."

The things we know we should do (being obedient), we don't. The things we know we shouldn't do (being disobedient), we do. And every time we do what we shouldn't, we hear that little voice within us (as if it were God) saying, "So, you did just what I asked you not to do?" And just like my son, we turn to God and ask, "Can you forgive me anyway? Can you come unlock this door that I seemed to be trapped behind? Can you let me into the room filled with your love, grace, and mercy?" My son knew that he had done the wrong thing, but he still expected to be forgiven and set free anyway. How many times do I, do we, approach God with the same kind of attitude? I know I have done the wrong thing, but I expect he will forgive me anyway.

Interestingly enough...he does! We serve an amazing, loving God don't we. By the way, after I stopped laughing, I unlocked the door. God bless you guys and have a great week!

"Driftwood"

I have been reading through Hebrews lately. I have read through it many times before, but it hasn't ever caught my attention the way that it has this time. You understand how that happens, right?! Anyway, I read this passage from chapter 2, and I have been going back to it about every other day; pulled back to it. I keep asking what God is trying to tell me, and today I began to see it a bit differently.

"So we must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it. The message God delivered through angels has always proved true, and the people were punished for every violation of the law and every act of disobedience. What makes us think that we can escape if we are indifferent to this great salvation that was announced by the Lord Jesus himself? It was passed on to us by those who heard him speak, and God verified the message by signs and wonders and various miracles and by giving gifts of the Holy Spirit whenever he chose to do so." (Hebrews 2:1-4 NLT)

So, I have been thinking alot about what it means to drift away from the "truth." Have you ever thrown a piece of wood into a stream of water and watched it "drift" downstream? The current "pushes" the wood in whatever direction, and at whatever speed, it so chooses. Provided it doesn't get caught up in the dead stuff, or rocks (which is a whole other metaphor), it doesn't stop until the water is done pushing it. If we don't hold on to the truth (the gospel: death, burial, and resurrection of Christ), the current of popular culture is going to push us around until it is tired of pushing. Or, we get caught up in the "dead stuff" hanging out in the water. That can't be good either because it isn't moving at all.

This passage tells us that the law, given by God, has held true to its word since it was given. Those who violated it were punished accordingly. It seems as though the writer is telling us that this "great salvation" that we have now is so much greater than the law of the Old Tesatement. So, if people received due punishment for violating that law, how much worse will it be for us that ingore the truth of this great salvation and just drift around in the current of popular culture? The writer says that the apostles were messengers who verified this truth from Christ because they saw it first hand! We are also told that God further verified his truth with signs, wonders, miracles, and the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Have you ever noticed that 99 percent of the time, driftwood is "dead" wood? So this brings me to my real question for this devotional thought today. Are you just dead wood drifting downstream, pushed every which way by the current of popular culture? Or, are you alive and well, determined to swim upstream and fight the current to avoid just being pushed around? As I read this passage, I was forced to ask myself a question. I challenge you to do the same! What "signs" is God using today to verify his message to me?

God bless you all and have a great weekend!!

A GREAT READ!

As you may have learned from my profile, I am a minister. But what does that mean anyway? All of us who have accepted the lordship of Jesus on the throne of our hearts are ministers, right?! I guess, really, all that title means is that I get paid for the work I do in expanding God's kingdom. Which is funny, when you think about it. I mean, don't get me wrong, I am very grateful, proud of the calling, but it is the Lord that is doing all the work anyway. Praise Him that he allows me the opportunity to reap the financial benefits of making such a job my career.

Moving on...I recently read a book, The Present Future: Six Tough Questions for the Church by Reggie McNeal. If you are in ministry, leadership, or you are just a layman interested in chewing on the miserable failings of institutionalized church and its struggle to survive, you should pick up a copy and read. Very challenging! Very pointed! Watch your toes!!!

What I would like to do over the next few days, weeks, maybe months is share thoughts from the book that have struck a chord with me and see what some of you may think. It will be interested to see what others of us have to think about the observations of Mr. McNeal. If you have read the book let me know; I am curious to see who all may have participated in this engaging material.

Let's get started...In the opening chapter, Reggie shares results from several different surveys and studies to show that church attendance, and members claims on their church attendacne, are not all they are cracked up to be. He makes the observation that all is not well with the North American church, in its institutionalized form. He says, "A growing number of people are leaving the institutional church for a new reason. They are not leaving because they have lost their faith. They are leaving the church to preserve their faith. They contend that the church no longer contributes to their spiritual development. In fact, they say, quite the opposite is true." (p.4)

So, here we go! What do you think? Do you agree, disagree, or does his comment just plain irritate you? Why, please explain. I'll wait to hear from some of you, then I will share some of my own thoughts.