Changing Lives for Good

A faith proclaimed in all the world

First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed in all the world.
Romans 1:8 (ESV)

I can not count the number of times I have read through Romans in my Christian life. It is one of my favorite books in the Bible and I turn to it often to be reminded of the greatness of the Gospel, the graciousness of God, and how that should work its way in my day to day life. So imagine my surprise this morning when I could not escape this one verse, "First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed in all the world."(Romans 1:8 ESV)

Yeah, yeah God that's cool and all but let me get on to the good stuff.

"Because your faith is proclaimed in all the world"

Yeah I read that yesterday. It just so happens to be at the top of the page.

"I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being proclaimed in all the world"

What God? ... I get it. God was using their faith to impact the world. Now let me move ahead. I'm thinking of a sermon series here and need to get going.

"Because your faith is proclaimed in all the world."

OUCH. ... ouch. I get it. And God I ask you to work this into my life.

What followed was some sweet time of prayer and soul searching. All too often I get so busy with the things of God that I forget God's primary concern isn't the "success" of the church He's called me to pastor... His primary concern is His work on me. And this morning this one verse cut me to the core.

Rome was the center of life at the time Paul's letter to the Romans was penned. The phrase "all roads lead to Rome" wasn't just a nice saying, it was the literal truth. And here, in the center of a city that worshiped the Caesar and proliferated evil and excess were a group of Christians whose faith was proclaimed in all the world.

They didn't lead lives of veiled spirituality. Their faith was so central to their being that it naturally carried influence. Influence because their faith defined them as a church and as individuals. Influence because the people who encountered this church didn't only meet nice people, likable people, socially concerned people, or even spiritual people. Those who encountered the church in Rome encountered God.

I want that life. I want people to know God because of the way I live my life. All too often I feel I'm making an apology with my life rather than a statement. The reason for who I am is Jesus Christ and Him alone but its almost as if I want people to discover that without me having to say it. Sure I want to be a nice guy, a likable guy, a socially concerned guy, and even a spiritual guy, but if that's all people get from their encounter with me then I'm leaving the most important aspect of who I am hidden from sight. I want people whom I encounter to know the glories of Jesus Christ, the grace of Jesus Christ, and the gift of Jesus Christ. But how will they hear unless I proclaim Him to them? (Romans 10:14)

I'm not talking about standing on the street corner and preaching through a megaphone. I'm talking about people seeing Jesus and not me. I'm talking about my faith being proclaimed in all the world because of whose I am and not who I am. I'm talking about Matthew 5:16, "Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven."

These Romans Christians lived in a city that stood against nearly everything they stood for. They were surrounded by evil and temptation and idolatry and sin every day. But those who knew them, knew of their faithfulness to God and not their capitulation to culture. And because of their commitment to Jesus Christ their faith is proclaimed in all the world. 

You and I may not live at the center of society as the Romans did, but we have a world around us as well. It's the sphere of influence we inhabit. Our neighborhoods, our work relationships, our travels, our friends and families, our kids, and the area where we encounter people on a regular basis. Is your faith proclaimed in these areas? Not just by you, but by those who inhabit your world? 

Might you and I live the type of faithful lives that elicit others to say that our faith is proclaimed in all the office, all the neighborhood, or even all the world.

Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day He visits us.
1 Peter 2:12 (NIV)

My wife ROCKS

There are times in life when God uses your spouse to slap you in the face (figuratively of course) and this morning was one of those times.

I returned from a good but abbreviated Pastoral Assist Team meeting to find myself confronted with a to do list that is simply not doable in a week but has to be done this week (you know the drill right??). I got busy working, stress mounted upon stress as I discovered still other things which needed to be added to my to do list.

Then my wife, Jennifer, let me know that she'd just posted a blog. She didn't ask me to read it (knowing my frantic week all too well), but I wanted to read it. She is honestly one of the people I enjoy reading. I anticipate the day when God gives her the inspiration and opportunity to write what is sure to be a great book but until that time I'll enjoy the morsels of her talent in her blog Whispers of Grace.

Her post today, A Broken Resolution... and a Faithful God, slapped me in the face and I can't encourage you enough to read it ... now ... go ahead, I'll wait.

...

...

...

I had run quickly into the urgent before focusing on the important. Her post was a gentle reminder for me to stop... busy myself with God ... and then busy myself for God. Thank you God for using my helpmeet to help me focus once again on You!

Here I Raise Mine Ebenezer

I love the line "Here I raise mine Ebenezer" in the great hymn Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing. Every time I sing it there's a profound feeling of God's faithfulness that wells up within me. And yes, I realize that you're probably wondering why raising an Ebenezer would inspire me. It's a fair question because the only Ebenezer many of us are familiar with is from Dickens classic A Christmas Carol that is about to be played by Jim Carrey in the soon to be released A Christmas Carol by Disney. Ebenezer Scrooge, with all his "Bah Humbug," just doesn't seem to fit a song of praise. So what gives? Well consider this:

Then Samuel took a stone and set it between Mizpah and Shen, and named it Ebenezer, saying, "Thus far the Lord has helped us." (1 Samuel 7:12 NASB)

See, whenever God did something great in the life of the Israelites they would erect a stone to serve as a reminder of what God had done. This stone which Samuel erected was called Ebenezer or The Lord our Help and served as a testimony to the Israelites that God had helped them that far and that He would continue to help them. Here's what Weirsbe comments on this verse:

The setting up of stones to commemorate significant events has been a part of the Hebrew culture since Jacob set up a memorial at Bethel (Gen. 28:20-22; 35:14). Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of the Jordan (Josh. 4:9) and twelve more on the western bank at Gilgal to mark the place where the waters opened and Israel crossed into the Promised Land (vv. 4:1-8, 19-21). A great heap of stones in the Achor Valley reminded the Jews of Achan's disobedience (vv. 7:24-26), and another heap marked the burial place of the king of Ai (8:29). Another heap stood at a cave at Makkedah to mark where five kings had been defeated and slain (10:25-27). Before his death, Joshua set up a "witness stone" to remind the Israelites of their vow to serve the Lord alone and obey Him (24:26-28).

"Ebenezer" means "stone of help" because the monument was a reminder to the Jews that God had helped them that far and would continue to help them if they would trust Him and keep His covenant. The founder of the China Inland Mission, J. Hudson Taylor, had a plaque displayed in each of his residences that read "Ebenezer—Jehovah Jireh," Together, these Hebrew words say, "The Lord has helped us to this point, and He will see to it from now on." What an encouragement to our faith! Bible Exposition Commentary by Warren Weirsbe

We all need Ebenezers in our life. Those rocks we can cling to when our worlds seem to be folding in against us. Those reminders of God's faithfulness in the past and the assurance that who He was then He still is today. Those bedrock truths or passages of Scripture that He has impressed upon us which encourage, inspire, comfort, and even challenge us.

Tonight, God took me back to an Ebenezer in my life. The section of Scripture from which He called me to ministry came alive for me again this evening and a promise within it reassured me deeply. I needed it! This week has been fabulous on many fronts. I've had great conversations with people in our church, celebrated the arrival of a little 9 lb 1 oz bundle of joy with a couple I led to Christ, been encouraged and challenged by our children's curriculum, and been inspired by the excitement of one of our newest members. Nearly everything I love about being a pastor I've experienced this week. And yet it has also been a very hard week. And though Satan would like to distract me with the challenges of the week, the Ebenezers around me won't allow me to mire myself in the muck. They remind me of the awesome, faithful, loving, gracious, forgiving, and holy God who has proven Himself in my life over and over and over again. So...

Come Thou Fount of ev'ry blessing
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace
Streams of mercy never ceasing
Call for songs of loudest praise
Teach me some melodious sonnet
Sung by flaming tongues above
Praise the mount I'm fixed upon it
Mount of God's redeeming love

Here I raise my Ebenezer
Hither to Thy help I'm come
And I hope by Thy good pleasure
Safely to arrive at home
Jesus sought me when a stranger
Wand'ring from the fold of God
He to rescue me from danger
Interposed His precious blood

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

What are the Ebenezers in your life? Remember God's work in your past and know that He hasn't changed or gone anywhere. He is the same God today that He was then. Lean into what you know of Him and find His help there. I praise God for all my Ebenezers for we truly serve the GREAT God!

What Easter means to me

After a completely awesome day at The Church at Sendera Ranch I wanted to put down a few things that Easter means to me. To me Easter means...

It's washed away... all my sin... all my shame
HOPE - paid for, demonstrated, delivered, guaranteed, eternal
Heel bruised on Friday... Head crushed on Sunday (see Gen 3:15)
Sacrifice accepted once for all
Sin has lost its power... death has lost its sting
Proof of His power and deity
Everything changes
New life
Freedom -  the shackles are gone
Jesus is risen... He is Savior and Lord of all

And that's just a few... what would you add?

The Depth of Forgiveness

I am never ceased to be amazed by God. Yesterday I taught from Luke 7:36-50 where Jesus tells Simon the Pharisee the following story even as the city prostitute is anointing Jesus' feet with expensive ointment.

(Luke 7:41-47ESV)
⁴¹ "A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty.
⁴² When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?"
⁴³ Simon answered, "The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt." And he said to him, "You have judged rightly."
⁴⁴ Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair.
⁴⁵ You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet.
⁴⁶ You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment.
⁴⁷ Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little."

My concluding point was that our love for God is based on our perspective. Not simply our perspective of how deeply we've sinned, but more importantly our understanding of how deep and complete Christ's forgiveness of us runs.

Do you realize that as someone who has trusted Jesus to forgive your sins that you are welcomed in to the presence of God and told to come boldly before His throne?

Do you realize that God promises that once our sins are cleansed by Christ, He will remember them no more?

Do you realize that our sin is separated from us and cast as far away from us as the east is from the west?

I can not fathom the depth of God's forgiveness of me. Everyday I get more and more of a peek and I am simply blown away.

Thinking about Small Groups

One thing that's EXTREMLY important to the health of a church it's relationships. And a Sunday service isn't enough to truly develop deep, meaningful relationships. The best vehicle for these relationships to develop are small groups. Up to this point in the life of The Church at Sendera Ranch we have not started small groups. Why? Because we were one. But I believe the time is coming for us to slowly and intentionally develop a small group system that's focus is on furthering our vision to change lives for good by helping people discover Jesus Christ and develp as fully functional followers of Him.

This February I will begin meeting with people in our church as a first small group to train facilitators for small groups and we will likely launch groups after Easter and possibly again in the fall. Initially our groups will meet to discuss the most recent Sunday's message and how it applies and relates to life. This will keep it simple for everyone involved while reinforcing the Biblical teaching from Sunday helping us all to be shaped by God's word.

As I've prayed and thought and prayed some more about this whole process I'm convinced that it's time to prepare for the launching of our small group system. If you'd like to be part of a small group once they're started then please let me know.

Movie: Vantage Point and what it got me thinking

I watched Vantage Point last night and found it pretty cool. At first the way the story is told, by showing the same event over and over from different perspectives, was monotonous. But after the second or third vantage point it became intensely interesting because of the interconnectedness of everyone involved.

And it got me thinking about preaching and church. (Don't worry I'm not going to go part way into a message and start it over again). How can we best connect the word of God to everything that is going on in the lives of those who come? What are they getting out of each message? And if each Sunday the sermon was the connecting point for so many vantage points what would the lead in and the result look like?

It's definitely something for me to consider as I prepare to preach. And it's also entering my thinking toward small group devlopment. To let the sermon be the common event/instruction that we grow from as a community. That might be because of my thinking and praying about small groups alot the past few months and how to best implement them here at The Church at Sendera Ranch.

The Bible in an Hour

I'm wading through 14 pages of selected Scriptures and getting extremely excited about Sunday at The Church at Sendera Ranch. It's amazing how much more understandable the Scriptures are once you see the big picture of the Bible. The Bible becomes less of a daunting, hard-to-decipher book because you get the idea of what's happening in God's revelation history. I'm interested to see how our church reacts tomorrow. If all this seems old hat or if it ignites a hunger to read and study God's word. Obviously the latter is my desire... primarily because it's God's desire and will bring Him glory and those who pursue HIm joy.

I hope you'll join us at 10:30 in the morning. But if coming to church in Haslet, TX is a little off your map then the audio and notes should be posted early next week. I'll make sure I post links here when that happens.

The Gospel ... a clarification from John Piper

"Until the gospel events of Good Friday and Easter and the gospel promises of justification and eternal life lead you to behold and embrace God himself as your highest joy, you have not embraced the gospel of God. You have embraced some of his gifts. You have rejoiced over some of his rewards. You have marveled at some of his miracles. But you have not yet been awakened to why the gifts, the rewards, and the miracles have come."  -- John Piper, God is the Gospel, pp 37-38.

John Piper is one of my all time favorite authors because he challenges me not merely to think but to find my highest joy in God. I've just started reading God is the Gospel but it is promising after only 40 pages. I'm not expecting Desiring God or God's Passion for His Glory but I'm finding Piper's familiar ring in this book and had to share the challenge above. I will definitely review it when finished but beware... I am savoring this book and not merely reading it. Thus it has to fit in to time when I am neither working or reading through Hoehner's exegetical commentary on Ephesians as I prepare for a series in January.

Whispers of Grace

My wife, Jennifer, has posted a couple of blogs here in the past but she has now stepped in to writing her own blog, Whispers of Grace. I hope you'll head over there and be an avid reader. She's a great woman and a phenomenal writer... and I don't think I being biased in saying that either.

She'll also have a column in the upcoming Haslet Style magazine. I am very excited and very proud for her. I'm sure it will only take a few reads for you to understand that I definitely married above my head... God is SO good!

The Captivating Power of Extended Prayer

My prayer life just took a big step forward by reclaiming a practice I had left uncultivated. Years ago in college it was a common practice of mine to spend focused, concentrated time in prayer and some of my most powerful encounters with God came from those times.

Then I began to practice prayer more as the "without ceasing" practice that Paul talks about 1 Thessalonians. I would pray for people and things as they came to my mind. It was a necessary development in my life because it helped me to understand that the Christian life was to be lived second by second and not just as planned periods of extended time. Practicing prayer in this manner helped me immensely and increased both my awareness and practice of prayer. And slowly this practice replaced my former extended periods of prayer. My time in prayer was now broken into minute, 3o second, and even 10 second intervals.

Last week God, through C.H. Spurgeon, called me back to the closet of prayer for those extended times, not as a replacement for the "without ceasing" practice but as the fuel and supply for it. I am now purposed to spend 30 minutes in prayer for at least 30 days.

It hasn't been easy to reclaim the practice of extended prayer. I have a lot more to do than when I was in college. The demands of a new church plant and a family of five are a little greater than a 15 hour college schedule and part time job. There is always something that needs to be done and needs to be done now. But what I've found is that 30 minutes sets the tone for my day and makes me more aware of God and His direction for me. It gives depth and passion to even my 10 second times of prayer for others. It infuses me with faith knowing that my Father in heaven has heard my prayer and is answering according to His will. And it has helped me connect more deeply with God.

As for answers to prayer... I am already beginning to see them. There's no doubt that God wants to show His power to those whose heart is completely His (2 Chronicles 16:9). And I have to admit that I longingly look forward to the extended time I am spending with God in prayer.  

So let me encourage you to set aside time for extended prayer. If 30 minutes seems like a long time then start with 10 or 15 minutes. If 30 minutes seems too short then go for an hour or two. It's not how much time you spend as much as it is the time you spend in focused, concentrated, uninterrupted prayer.

And with that... I'm off to my closet to pray because with two preschoolers running around the house trying to scare one another by yelling at the top of their lungs and then laughing incessantly at each other... it's the quietest place in the house.

How Does a Christian Respond to the Financial Crisis? Part 3

In the past two blogs we explored how a Christian should respond to the financial crisis with faith and with good stewardship and a lot of people will probably stop there. But I want to go a step further because it's entirely Biblical and not only a way to help one another but also a way to cultivate Christian community. First let's look at Acts 2:44-47:

And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved. (Acts 2:44-47 ESV)

A Christian should respond to the financial crisis in community. As Christians we should respond with a commitment to one another. We should help those in our churches even if it means giving them things, selling stuff to help them, or even welcoming them into our homes.

This past month I've been preaching on community through the book of Acts. It's been a great study but little did I know I'd have to experience it as well.

Our AC went out last week. (Now if you're reading this from a place where it's not still in the 90's then you're probably thinking it's no big deal. But I'm in Texas and it's still in the 90's during the days and often into the evenings. Air conditioning is a fact of life here usually until late October and even November.) Back to our broken air conditioner... the good news was that the part that broke was under warranty. The bad news was that it would take 2 weeks to get here. All of a sudden that rainy day fund was looking like a great reason to upgrade the whole system on Monday rather than waiting a week and then paying for the labor and puron. ... Enter the community.

How Does a Christian Respond to the Financial Crisis? Part 2

A second way a Christian should respond to the financial crisis is with good stewardship.

We covered tithing in part one so I'm not going to touch it other than to say that tithing is an important part of good stewardship because its a constant reminder that everything we have has been given to us by God. We're stewards not owners. Everything we have, God has given to us. He is the owner, we're not.

But outside of that what is good stewardship? Good stewardship means that you bring no offense against the owner of the resources you are managing and that you manage those resources well.

Essentially good stewardship means bring glory to God as you tithe, plan, save, live within your means, and pay your bills on time. It also means that you understand debt and avoid it when possible. As mentioned tithing was already covered so let's look at these other elements.

How Does a Christian Respond to the Financial Crisis? Part 1

All the talk about the financial crisis that we are in seems to be pervaded with a sense of hopelessness which feeds the stress and uncertainty of the situation. As a pastor, it got me thinking about the individuals in my church and in my community and the pressures of paying the mortgage and the car loan and the HOA dues and the grocery bill and everything else that accompanies life these days. And while most all of us are cutting back on expenses as much as possible, it got me thinking about how we can avoid the hopelessness and the stress of the situation. How is a Christian to respond to the financial crisis?

First of all a Christian must respond with faith. Not a faith in government or politicians or plans, but a firm trust in God who tells us in Matthew 6:25-33:

"Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. (ESV)

And He also tells us in 2 Corinthians 9:8: And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others.(NLT)

Now this verse follows a series of verses talking about giving generously and not reluctantly or under pressure. As a Christian begins looking at their finances and the areas to cut back let me say that the last thing they need to look at is their tithe.

I know what you're thinking... that 10% is a lot and could go a long way to helping you maintain a certain level of comfort. But it's not about the amount, it's about your faith and who you are trusting. If you want to declare to God, "You know God, I think I can do a better job providing for my family with the resources I have than what You can do with the resources You have." Then go ahead and cut the tithe. Forget about the fact that the tithe is "Holy to the Lord" (Lev 27:30). Miss out on God's power to provide for your family through the wealth of resources He has at His disposal. Tithing isn't an issue of amount or what you can afford. Tithing is an issue of trust.

Trust God. Don't stop, suspend, or cut your tithe. Consider the story of Luke 21:1-4

Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the offering box, and he saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. And he said, "Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on." (ESV)

It's easy to give out of abundance. Sure there are other things you could do with the money, but giving out of your abundance doesn't require large amounts of faith to trust God either. But to give out of your poverty... whoa... now that requires faith.

And I can tell you from personal experience that God rewards that kind of faith. Don't expect a new BMW in the driveway, a million dollar check in your mailbox, or the rich uncle to finally be discovered and decide you're his favorite nephew or niece. But you can know that God will take care of you.

So respond to this financial crisis with faith. Trust God to provide and obey Him by giving at least 10% of your income to your local church to enable your church to effectively reach your community with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

In the next blog we'll look at the second way a Christian should respond to the financial crisis.

The Local Church

On June 4th I posted a blog about the church and mentioned that I'd get back to talking about the local church at some time... I tried unsuccessfully before we left on vacation and a user error or device malfunction lost my post forever... oh the frustration. But here we are (and yes I just saved this as a draft) so let's jump in with both feet...

The thoughts forthcoming really grow out of my thinking about the C.S. Lewis reading I mention in my June 4th blog. Basically, one of Satan's strategies seems to be to focused on having Christians look for a suitable church and as a result they become church consumers and critics rather and contributors. This in turn cripples the church and God's kingdom because Christians are looking for what is best for them and will help them the most. And scripturally, as followers of Jesus Christ, we should primarily be concerned with what is best for God's kingdom and where we can be the most help to our local church.

It sounds almost foreign to our current American mindset where "You deserve it", "We make it your way", and everyone seems to be "Looking out for #1." But the honest truth is that churches do not exist to simply make people feel better, have better relationships, and improve their self-esteem. And none of these can be the purpose of the church. Now, a lot of that does happen when Jesus Christ changes lives for good as the direct result of the church chasing the mission God has given it. Somehow, Christians have to take that selfish attitude fostered by a godless culture where it's all about me and see Christ transform it into selfless action in our lives. And when that happens, there are churches, communities, cities, families, and people whose lives will be forever transformed by the power of Jesus Christ.

One of my good friends was going to a church in Chicago that didn't seem to fit his theological framework as nicely as others might have. The puzzled look on my face when he told me where they were going to church asked my question for me. He responded by telling me that a seminary prof had encouraged them to attend the closest church to them and help that church accomplish God's mission. Sure there might be minor differences in theology but if they were a doctrinally solid church then minor disagreements over debatable passages and practices should be overlooked. At the time I thought it was neat. I admired him for it and the fact that he was truly doing what he could to help that church by serving. But something else from that brief conversation has stuck with me.

My friend talked about reaching his community. He lived on a college campus as a grad student and many people did not have cars. They walked or took the train to get around Chicago. He chose the church because he could invite people to church and honestly expect them to 1) be able to find the church) and 2) legitimately consider the invitation because of proximity. He had made the decision on his church primarily because he wanted to be as effective as possible at helping people discover life in Christ and develop as followers of Him.

And this is where the local church fits in... I said in my previous post that church shopping was legit when you had moved to a new area, your church was drifting from sound Biblical doctrine, or even if a church was started nearer to your area. The first two seem to make sense but why the third?

Well... because it makes it more likely that you will be able to be contribute the time and talents God has given you to serve Him in ministry. It makes it more likely that the friends and neighbors God has placed you among will actually come with you to church and be able to see themselves coming again because its not far. Basically, it brings your personal mission field home to your community and gives your faith roots in your own community.

Think about it... God has given you everything you have... including the friends and neighbors you currently have. Do you think He might want you to help them discover Jesus Christ and develop as followers of Him? I wouldn't bet against it! Do you think He might want to use your spiritual gifts and talents to build a church that will focus on reaching your friends and neighbors? I wouldn't bet against it!

My Father

Happy Father’s Day!

One of my biggest joys in life is in being a child to the greatest Father imaginable. A Father who loves me in spite of myself, who forgives me, and who always has time for me when I come to Him. A Father who deserves my every day and not simply one of my days. A Father who inspires me to work hard, believe that the impossible is possible, and to keep going forward when I feel like falling back. He’s a Father who always helps me see the value I have as a person and to embrace the hope He has for my future. He has always provided what I needed and has consistently blessed me beyond what I could imagine. Be sure that He has disciplined me out of love, told me “no” many times, and made me be content with what He has already given me on more than one occasion.

But what He has given is immense! When I take a moment to realize all He has done and all He has given it blows me away. He has literally given His one and only Son for me.

Thank you Father. Thank you Jesus. Thank you Holy Spirit.

Thoughts on church and Satan's strategy

Jen and I have the book A Year with C.S. Lewis which features daily readings from his classic works. I don't read it everyday but the other day I read an excerpt from The Screwtape Letters that seemed to echo a thought I've had about American Christians propensity for church shopping/hopping. Now, I've yet to read the book but I do know that The Screwtape Letters are a collection of letters from a demon to his higher up...it's obviously a work of fiction but it's compelling because in the excerpts I've read it seems to hit the nail on the head more times than not. It is written as a scheme against Christianity and the "Enemy" is seen as Jesus... that's important to know for the excerpt. Here's what I read the other day on page 161 under the title "A Suitable Church":

Screwtape expands on developing church participation for evil ends:
     Surely you know that if a man can't be cured of churchgoing, the next best thing is to send him all over the neighbourhood looking for the church that "suits" him until he becomes a taster or connoisseur of churches.
     The reasons are obvious. In the first place the parochial organisation should always be attacked, because, being a unity of place and not of likings, it brings people of different classes and psychology together in the kind of unity the Enemy desires. The congregational principle on the other hand, makes each church into a kind of club, and finally, if all goes well, into a coterie or faction. In the second place, the search for a suitable church makes the man a critic where the Enemy wants him to be a pupil. What He wants of the laymen in the church is an attitude which may, indeed, be critical in the sense or rejecting what is false or unhelpful, but which is wholly uncritical in the sense that it does not appraise--does not waste time in thinking about what it rejects, but lays itself open in uncommenting, humble receptivity to any nourishment that is going. (You see how grovelling, how unspiritual, how irredeemably vulgar He is!) This attitude, especially during sermons, creates the condition (most hostile to our whole policy) in which platitudes can become really audible to a human soul. There is hardly any sermon, or any book, which may not be dangerous to us if it is received in this temper.

I believe that if this is an active plan of Satan then the average American Christian has fallen prey.

Now don't get me wrong... there are legitimate times to church shop. When you move to a new area it makes sense to look for a church that's more local (more on this in a later blog). When the doctrinal direction of your local church is straying from the Bible then it's time to look for another church. Or when a church moves into your area then it's legitimate to check it out if you truly want to reach your friends and neighbors for Christ (more in that later blog).

But so much of the church shopping and hopping I've seen as a pastor is rooted more in the consumeristic pull of society than in Biblical foundations or family moves and that in itself is alarming. In fact, I'm afraid the american church is creating a Christian consumer rather than a Christ-following contributor. As people look for the "suitable" church they are bound to be disappointed at every turn. One church doesn't do worship in a preferred style, another the preacher just doesn't teach the Bible the way we like, another needs to flesh out it's community ministries, another needs help in the children's or youth areas, and another has a different "problem" that renders it unsuitable too. We're creating better critics than Christians. There's little to no commitment to a body of Christ in our country (or maybe it's just in the Dallas/Fort Worth and Austin areas). People float toward a preacher they like or a bigger youth ministry or an entertaining children's ministry or worship service or whatever seems to scratch the itch they have at the moment. It seems to be about what they can consume as a partaker of the services than what they can contribute as a member of the community. People want to do church but Christ's call to each of us is to be the church.

Being the church means being part of the life and breath of the body and bride of Christ. It means committing to the community of believers and experiencing the ups and downs of life together and of life-together. Being the church means shouldering responsibility for the church alongside everyone else in the body and exercising the spiritual gifts that God has given you alongside others as well. Being the church means exactly what Screwtape feared... a unity of place that brings all kinds of different people together in unity and holy desire to carry out God's desires.

Satan would rather have you seek to fulfill your own desires and search for a suitable church knowing once you're there it won't be long until he will help you find something unsuitable there as well.

What do you do when...

What do you do when your sick kid wants you to watch a movie with her. You're busy trying to get a little work done but she just wants you to hang out with her. After all she's missing her aunt's birthday party and is stuck at home with you. But haven't you done enough already... I mean you've cooked her exactly what she wanted for dinner, drawn her a surprise bubble bath, made out the hide-a-bed and gotten it ready just for her. You even have a movie she hasn't seen primed and ready in the DVD player. And besides its close to her bedtime anyway... you're being nice to even let her watch a movie, not to mention getting her something to drink and popping her popcorn.

Hmmm.... I wonder what God thinks some times. Think about it... the Creator, Lord of the Universe... the God who has given you everything you have in life... the roof over your head, the means of transportation you have, the food you just ate and what you're about to eat. He's surrounded you with people who care about you whether you take it as caring or not. He's giving you every opportunity to have a good day even when the circumstances make you want to have a bad one. He does all these things for us. Not because He wants to be noticed or fawned over, but simply because He loves us. We could choose to simply go about life and not "bother" Him. After all... there a lot more pressing things in the world for Him to worry about than spending time with us right? No... not really. He's an infinite God so handling a finite world doesn't exactly tap His resources out. I think He rather appreciates the times when we appreciate Him for who He is and what He means to us.

So what did I do when my daughter came and asked me to watch the movie with her? I relished in the fact that she wanted to spend a little time with me. I put the keyboard down, closed my Bible, and I went and I appreciated the time we got to spend together. And then I thanked God for all He'd done for me and I spent a little time enjoying the company of my Father.

There's nothing quite like it

This past Monday I ventured out to get one of my Christmas presents. Yes, I realize that December 25th has come and gone already, but I had a gift card to one of my favorite stores and it was high time I used it. So I packed up my 4 year old and my 18 month old and I headed out to Mardel.

Unfortunately, "packed up" and "headed out" are quite literal since the three closest Mardel stores are roughly 30-45 minutes away. But, being the adventurous dad I am, I was not going to faint from the challenge.

I headed to the Fort Worth store since I am fairly certain that I hadn't visited it since seminary. I already knew the clearance section (my favorite section) at Lewisville was great and Denton's was lacking (from my only visit shortly after they opened... perhaps they have more stuff to "clearance" now). So I wanted to see what the bargains could be discovered in Fort Worth... I was disappointed. But alas I wasn't merely there to unearth literary raw diamonds. I was there to get my Christmas present.

As we entered the store I was careful to usher my four year old's eyes away from the kids section... we'd get there soon enough but I knew if she saw it first my hopes of finding my Christmas present and Jennifer's valentine's gift would face serious challenges. Success!

I went straight for the Bibles section. My Christmas present was waiting for me on those shelves. I was there to get a Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB). Why? Well, I like to try a new version out for size every once in a while and what I had read of the HCSB on my Bible software had intrigued me. It seemed more literal than the New International Version and more readable than the New American Standard Bible. I picked the one I wanted, got Jen's valentine's gift, and spent a lot of time in the kids section before checking out and going to pick up my Kindergartner from school.

As I was waiting for dismissal I opened my Christmas present up, looked it over, and started reading. There's nothing quite like reading a new Bible for the first time. The notes you've written in aren't there, the verses aren't all underlined, circled, and boxed, and the language with a new version is fresh enough to help you engage with the text again. I love new Bibles. They hearken me back to the freshness of my faith when I had first trusted Christ and remind me of so many times when God has used His word to speak into my present circumstance. New Bibles compel me to read them and to underline, circle, box, and comment.

And this time I'm compelled once again to read through the Bible in a year. I'm off to a good start in a slightly different approach. When I was in college I read the Bible from Genesis to Revelation in about 8 months and it was extremely rewarding. Recently I read through the Bible over the course of three years. This time I'm looking to read it in a year again but I'm going to read the Old Testament and the New Testament side by side. I've started with Genesis and Hebrews reading five chapters OT and two chapters NT. I thought it would be neat to read Hebrews before I get into Exodus and Leviticus because Hebrews uses so much of Israels history and Jewish religious practice to show God's plan of Jesus and how He fulfills the law. It's very refreshing thus far. I'm thoroughly enjoying it.

A Power of Clothes

Our kindergartner was very excited about school today because she got to dress up in a costume from a fairy tale. Now last night we were scrambling to find something that would actually fit her and we finally stumbled on a Belle princess dress (Beauty and the Beast) that would work.

Brittany was so excited about being Belle. Jennifer spent time this morning putting her hair up "just like Belle's" and even topped it off with a small tiara. Brittany looked like a princess. And more than that, she felt like a princess. You could see it on her face and in her eyes. Dressing like a princess helped her see herself as a beautiful princess as she embarked on another day of school. Today was a very special day for her!

As i picked her up this afternoon I couldn't help but notice that her face and eyes still glowed over the fact that she was a princess. Her hair had become a little disheveled. Her dress looked a little worn and dirty. But her face and eyes exuded the pride and exhilaration of being a princess. And that's when it hit me.

Driving home from Brittany's school, I was reminded that we who belong to Jesus Christ have also been clothed with Christ. (Gal 3:27) And just as Brittany's whole countenance changed over dressing up as a princess, how much more should my countenance change having been clothed with Christ.

All too often I fail to realize the truly amazing grace that surrounds me daily. I get busy or distracted or both. In a reversal of The Emperor's New Clothes I forget the glory of Christ that clothes me. And having forgotten, I fail to truly allow others the opportunity to see the difference being clothed with Christ really makes in life.

Might both you and I remember as we step into our clothes for the coming days that we have been clothed with Christ. And might our actions and attitudes reflect those of Jesus Christ Himself.

Flu shots, the hurts of life, and sin

This past week my whole family loaded the van for the ever exciting excursion to get our flu shots and the experience got me thinking on a lot of levels about flu shots and how they relate to life and spirituality.

Level one - The whole concept seems a little odd in itself. You inject a little of something dead into me so I can build up resistance to it and not get sick in the future. Odd... but it triggers level two.

Level two - Wow our bodies are cool. God did an amazing job didn't He? The whole immune system blows me away. The fact that I can get a shot today so I don't get sick tomorrow is pretty amazing.

Level three - Have you ever noticed how we can take little hurts and blow them out of proportion? My kids had varying reactions before and after their respective shots.
     One of them cried when the needle went in and a little after it but was pretty ok afterward... cuddly but ok.
     One of them cried all the way back to the room, wailed when they got the shot, and then cried more after the shot and then in various intervals for the next couple of hours after the shot.
     And one of them began resisting even walking back to the room, began crying in the room and had to be held tightly and coaxed to actually not fight (about 5 minutes of coaxing), wailed for the shot, and cried a little after the shot but was only slightly puny for the next couple of hours.

When the drama died down a little in the car I asked the girls if the shot hurt and, more importantly, how long the shot hurt. They both said it hurt but for a very little about of time. Then I asked what hurt more; the shot or all the crying and fighting they did. They both realized that they had gotten very worked up over something that was just a little hurt.

We all do the same thing don't we? I know I do... a little hurt in life get blown out of proportion and my reaction to it causes me more pain, anguish, and energy than the hurt could've ever caused on its own. We'd be better off if we could just deal with each hurt for what it is, react appropriately to it, and move on with life.

Level four - Man I wish sin had a vaccine that would cause my body prevent it harming me or those around me.
When we come to Christ we are to die to sin... meaning our desire toward sin dies and is replaced by a desire toward God. Unfortunately sin doesn't understand this all too well. Sin is always alive for us. It competes for our attention and coaxes us away from God with alarming success.
Fortunately however, there is coming a day when not only will we be dead to sin but when sin will be dead to us. This body of death will be done away with and the full righteousness of Jesus Christ will engulf us. I can't wait for that day.
But we aren't there yet. We walk in this world where sin surrounds us and entices us to its table. And how often our eyes are diverted from the feast of righteousness which Jesus offers only to settle for the rotting fare of sin. To echo C.S.Lewis in The Weight of Glory (as reported by John Piper in Desiring God and in his Passion 97 address found here), we settle for maggoty meat found in dumpsters because we don't understand the offer of a steak dinner at a fine restaurant.

And that is what will help us find the resistance our body, soul, and mind needs against sin. A compelling vision of the glory of God in Jesus Christ. Shot taken.