I like the way God designed time. We have new beginnings regularly. Every morning, we have the beginning of a new day. Every Sunday, we have the beginning of a new week. We are getting ready to celebrate another new beginning, the beginning of a new year. And new beginnings allow us to adjust our ways into greater harmony with God and the people around us.
If you abbreviate the numbers of the year that is before us, the beginning of this year is 1/1/11. That's got a real ring to it. And so may I encourage all my friends to take on four new life advancements, one for each number one in our new year. Take some time and think and pray about four adjustments you can make to your life that will enrich your life and the lives of others.
Now these advancements might be something you want to give up. I want to give up about 25 pounds this year. I want to believe that my desire is not vain but for simple reasons of health and strength. If your advancement is something to give up, tell as many people as you possibly can. Take out an add in the news paper if you can afford it and announce what you're giving up. This will add some accountability to what you want to accomplish.
There are "givin' up goals" and then there are "goin' up goals". Goin' up goals are things like reading a few more books this year, setting up a date night with your spouse, spending some quality time with your kids, learning a new skill or giving Jesus more time in devotion. For those kinds of advancements, the goin' up kind, pick out a few very close and trusted friends and invite them to ask you periodically through the year how you are doing with that goal.
May I suggest a "goin' up goal". Go to www.gatewaybible.com and sign up for a daily reading of the Bible. This simple system will allow you to read your Bible in one year. I am surprised by how many Christians have never read the Bible from cover to cover. It is a wonderful experience. Once you go to their website and sign up, Gateway Bible will send you free of charge an email with the reading of the day. You can select from a number of different approaches but typically, you will read from the Old Testament, the Psalms and the New Testament. If you are married, my wife and I have found it is a wonderful way to start the day together. The reading will take about 30 minutes and by December 31, 2011, you will have the blessing and satisfaction of having read your Bible from cover to cover.
I am praying God's great love to fall each and every day on your life as you seek to advance your life and the lives of others into a closer and closer relationship with the Author of life.
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Monday, December 20, 2010
Sinking Deeper into God's Love
Some one has said that life is cyclical. We are either in a challenging season of life and in the midst of a dilemma, we are coming out of a challenging season or we are getting ready to go back into a challenging season in life. That sounds a bit fatalistic but it seems there is some truth in that basic life concept.
In this present life, there is no perfection. The world we live in is broken. And though heaven awaits those who have placed their faith in Jesus, God's Kingdom and Rule has not yet been fully established. Therefore, we will be regularly tested with dilemmas, crises and potential loss.
I have noticed that there are three issues in life that seem to gather my attention more than anything. I call them the "Big 3". Relationship breakdowns, financial stress and physical / emotional sickness. In my nearly 59 years of life, I have faced all three and every time I do, I find myself responding the same way. I am, at first, disoriented. I sometimes reel in pain. I then take some time to worry, fret and lose some sleep. Finally, I find myself deepening my life of prayer.
Most of us don't feel that confident in prayer. That may be why so many opt for worry over prayer. I am still, after 38 years as a Christian, a novice when it comes to prayer. But nothing teaches us more about prayer than to simply pray. And nothing, it seems, motivates us to pray than when we are facing a painful situation. I have read countless book on prayer and all of them have been helpful. But I have learned more about prayer by just praying. And when I am face to face with one of the "Big 3", my prayers are more intense, they are less wordy and religious and they seem to sink deeper into God's love.
I don't believe there is anything you can do to more effectively create an environment of peace, joy and contentment for yourself and those living around you than to diligently develop a life of prayer. As the great pastor James said, "the fervent effectual prayers of a righteous man avails much".
In this present life, there is no perfection. The world we live in is broken. And though heaven awaits those who have placed their faith in Jesus, God's Kingdom and Rule has not yet been fully established. Therefore, we will be regularly tested with dilemmas, crises and potential loss.
I have noticed that there are three issues in life that seem to gather my attention more than anything. I call them the "Big 3". Relationship breakdowns, financial stress and physical / emotional sickness. In my nearly 59 years of life, I have faced all three and every time I do, I find myself responding the same way. I am, at first, disoriented. I sometimes reel in pain. I then take some time to worry, fret and lose some sleep. Finally, I find myself deepening my life of prayer.
Most of us don't feel that confident in prayer. That may be why so many opt for worry over prayer. I am still, after 38 years as a Christian, a novice when it comes to prayer. But nothing teaches us more about prayer than to simply pray. And nothing, it seems, motivates us to pray than when we are facing a painful situation. I have read countless book on prayer and all of them have been helpful. But I have learned more about prayer by just praying. And when I am face to face with one of the "Big 3", my prayers are more intense, they are less wordy and religious and they seem to sink deeper into God's love.
I don't believe there is anything you can do to more effectively create an environment of peace, joy and contentment for yourself and those living around you than to diligently develop a life of prayer. As the great pastor James said, "the fervent effectual prayers of a righteous man avails much".
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Examination
Who am I?
Deep question right? Do you really know yourself? All of us have a public life. That's the part of life that not only we know but everyone around us sees and knows. We also have a private life. This is the part of our lives that few people know, only the ones we have allowed to enter into our confidence and trust. My wife, for instance, knows things about me that no one else knows. We also have secret lives, the part of our lives that only we know.
Since becoming a Christian, I have wanted to be authentic and transparent. What you see is what you get! My public life is not that much different than my private life. What people see when I'm down town or at church is pretty much the same as what you would see behind the closed doors of my home. I've wanted my secret life to be pretty small and becoming smaller as I grow in my trust of other believers who desire the best for my life. I think we all want a life free from hypocrisy. None of us want a huge gap between our public and private life and a long list of secrets we work to keep hidden. That's why it's so important to be in a Small Group and have people surrounding us that we can truly be accountable to, people we trust will love us no matter what and to tell us, not what we want to hear but what we need to hear. I think that is a major part of Christian community.
But there is another part of our life that really interests me. I would call it the inner life. It's that part of life that people don't see and is hidden even from us. It is the part of our life that only God knows, the thoughts and intentions of the heart. It is that part of life that David spoke of in Psalms 139 when he asked the Lord to search him and see if there was any wicked ways in him and to lead him in the everlasting way.
Would you like to know more about your inner life? Let me give you a practical way of discovering a bit more of what makes you tick.
Carve out 30 days after the Christmas season and take 15 minutes at the end of each of those days and journal two things. First, jot down the part of your day that gave you the most fulfillment and created the most joy and offered you the most strength. Don't be too haste in what you write. Give the Holy Spirit time to review with you your day. This might be as significant as getting a salary increase or as small as receiving a word of affirmation from a friend.
Second, partner with the Holy Spirit in determining the place in your day that was the most disappointing, the most life draining, that brought you the greatest sense of grief, fear, anxiety or discouragement.
Then, before your finished, ask the question "Why"? Why did this event in my day create joy and why did this particular event create anxiety and fear. Give this little exercise 30 days and I believe you will see a pattern. And for the things that strengthen you, be thankful and aware of the Father's delight in filling your life with joy. And for the things that drain you, let God touch those areas of your life, allowing Him to bring His healing and love and to strengthen you in that area of life.
If anyone takes me up on this little exercise, I'd love to hear from you.
I pray that Jesus will fill your Christmas and lead you through the coming new year.
Deep question right? Do you really know yourself? All of us have a public life. That's the part of life that not only we know but everyone around us sees and knows. We also have a private life. This is the part of our lives that few people know, only the ones we have allowed to enter into our confidence and trust. My wife, for instance, knows things about me that no one else knows. We also have secret lives, the part of our lives that only we know.
Since becoming a Christian, I have wanted to be authentic and transparent. What you see is what you get! My public life is not that much different than my private life. What people see when I'm down town or at church is pretty much the same as what you would see behind the closed doors of my home. I've wanted my secret life to be pretty small and becoming smaller as I grow in my trust of other believers who desire the best for my life. I think we all want a life free from hypocrisy. None of us want a huge gap between our public and private life and a long list of secrets we work to keep hidden. That's why it's so important to be in a Small Group and have people surrounding us that we can truly be accountable to, people we trust will love us no matter what and to tell us, not what we want to hear but what we need to hear. I think that is a major part of Christian community.
But there is another part of our life that really interests me. I would call it the inner life. It's that part of life that people don't see and is hidden even from us. It is the part of our life that only God knows, the thoughts and intentions of the heart. It is that part of life that David spoke of in Psalms 139 when he asked the Lord to search him and see if there was any wicked ways in him and to lead him in the everlasting way.
Would you like to know more about your inner life? Let me give you a practical way of discovering a bit more of what makes you tick.
Carve out 30 days after the Christmas season and take 15 minutes at the end of each of those days and journal two things. First, jot down the part of your day that gave you the most fulfillment and created the most joy and offered you the most strength. Don't be too haste in what you write. Give the Holy Spirit time to review with you your day. This might be as significant as getting a salary increase or as small as receiving a word of affirmation from a friend.
Second, partner with the Holy Spirit in determining the place in your day that was the most disappointing, the most life draining, that brought you the greatest sense of grief, fear, anxiety or discouragement.
Then, before your finished, ask the question "Why"? Why did this event in my day create joy and why did this particular event create anxiety and fear. Give this little exercise 30 days and I believe you will see a pattern. And for the things that strengthen you, be thankful and aware of the Father's delight in filling your life with joy. And for the things that drain you, let God touch those areas of your life, allowing Him to bring His healing and love and to strengthen you in that area of life.
If anyone takes me up on this little exercise, I'd love to hear from you.
I pray that Jesus will fill your Christmas and lead you through the coming new year.
Saturday, November 27, 2010
I Love Thanksgiving
I am writing this blog a day after Thanksgiving. I love this holiday and what it stands for. It's so much more than a day off with family eating turkey and watching an NFL football game. Thanksgiving is a time to look intently into God's face and say "thank you".
It seems like yesterday that we loaded our Rider Truck and moved our family 1,200 miles from New Mexico to Cedar Falls, Iowa. We felt we were coming to the Cedar Valley because God had spoken to us. We were, as far as we knew, to start a church from the ground up. It's been 22 years since that trip to Iowa and so much has happened.
But in summary, just as God sustained and blessed the pilgrims hundreds of years ago, He sustained and blessed us as a family. As I sat at our dining room table abundantly filled with food, watching our three natural born children lovingly relate to their spouses, all of whom they met at the church we planted, I couldn't help but feel a deep sense of gratitude. And then to observe these three families raising their children, our grandchildren, to love and revere God, I almost broke into tears. And to have our adopted son sitting at out table, laughing and talking to his brother and sisters and playing with his nephews and nieces brought me nothing but sheer joy.
The church we had come to plant has been planted. And the church we planted has sent out leaders to help establish 6 other churches. We have seen hundreds of people come to Christ in these past two decades and the work is not yet over. And yet is this was the end of His provision, God truly does exceedingly and abundantly more than we could ever ask, think or imagine.
To Him I say, "Thank you!"
It seems like yesterday that we loaded our Rider Truck and moved our family 1,200 miles from New Mexico to Cedar Falls, Iowa. We felt we were coming to the Cedar Valley because God had spoken to us. We were, as far as we knew, to start a church from the ground up. It's been 22 years since that trip to Iowa and so much has happened.
But in summary, just as God sustained and blessed the pilgrims hundreds of years ago, He sustained and blessed us as a family. As I sat at our dining room table abundantly filled with food, watching our three natural born children lovingly relate to their spouses, all of whom they met at the church we planted, I couldn't help but feel a deep sense of gratitude. And then to observe these three families raising their children, our grandchildren, to love and revere God, I almost broke into tears. And to have our adopted son sitting at out table, laughing and talking to his brother and sisters and playing with his nephews and nieces brought me nothing but sheer joy.
The church we had come to plant has been planted. And the church we planted has sent out leaders to help establish 6 other churches. We have seen hundreds of people come to Christ in these past two decades and the work is not yet over. And yet is this was the end of His provision, God truly does exceedingly and abundantly more than we could ever ask, think or imagine.
To Him I say, "Thank you!"
Monday, November 1, 2010
A KNOWN CONDITION
Have you noticed that whatever you are aware of and you set your thoughts on, the importance of that and the intensity of it increases in strength and effect? That's why worry has so much power. The more you think on things that bring you fear and anxiety, the intensity grows.
Case in point.
Many of you know that I have been on a leave of absence from my duties as one of the pastors of our church. The reason is I am suffering from an unknown physical condition that makes me feel like I have the flu each and every day. I have been aware of this condition for nearly a year. I have been tested for arterial blockage, heart abnormality, lung malfunction, Lyme disease, thyroid condition, sleep disorder and on and on the list goes. So far, there is no diagnosis. But each morning I wake up, I am very aware of this sick feeling. And as time goes on, the intensity of this condition seems to have grown.
Naturally, someone might say, the condition is worsening. But I believe that the symptoms are no worse than they were six month ago. What has changed is that I am more aware of the symptoms and have had more time to think about them. I have not only thought about them, I have gone on the internet and researched them, discussed these strange symptoms with my wife, my kids, my friends, my doctors. I have spent an inordinate amount of time trying to figure this thing out. My point is this. The more I think about this crazy condition I have, the more intense these symptoms become.
OK, enough medical stuff. Let me shift gears and visit with you about how this works in another dimension of life. How aware are you of the presence of the Holy Spirit within you? If you are a Christian, God the Holy Spirit lives inside of you and God's Spirit is one with your spirit. He, the Holy Spirit, is your friend, your guide, your strength, your guarantee that you are right with God. He is your comforter, your counselor and your peace. He not only convicts you of sin but he convicts you that you are God's dearly loved child. He cries within your heart, "Abba Father". He prays for you, gifts you with spiritual gifts and encourages you during difficult times. How often during your day do you take pause and think, "I am the temple of the Holy Spirit"?
Listen, the Spirit of the Lord Jesus is within you. The same Spirit that had the power to raise Jesus dead body to life lives within you. Wouldn't you agree that this is a condition that is worth thinking about now and then? Why not say right now "I am full of the Holy Spirit".
You see, the more aware you are of His presence, the more intensely He works within you. The more your mind acknowledges your known condition of being a host for the Holy Spirit, the more importance and strength He has in your life. The more you practice His presence, musing on the mystery of His life with you, the more you find yourself living more freely from anger, anxiety, fear, lust, jealousy and other besetting negative emotions and actions.
I am learning that as I swing my legs out of bed and wonder if I still have this unknown medical condition that makes me feel sick, I am more quickly taking that thought captive as I direct my thoughts to my known condition. I am a Holy Spirit filled man.
Case in point.
Many of you know that I have been on a leave of absence from my duties as one of the pastors of our church. The reason is I am suffering from an unknown physical condition that makes me feel like I have the flu each and every day. I have been aware of this condition for nearly a year. I have been tested for arterial blockage, heart abnormality, lung malfunction, Lyme disease, thyroid condition, sleep disorder and on and on the list goes. So far, there is no diagnosis. But each morning I wake up, I am very aware of this sick feeling. And as time goes on, the intensity of this condition seems to have grown.
Naturally, someone might say, the condition is worsening. But I believe that the symptoms are no worse than they were six month ago. What has changed is that I am more aware of the symptoms and have had more time to think about them. I have not only thought about them, I have gone on the internet and researched them, discussed these strange symptoms with my wife, my kids, my friends, my doctors. I have spent an inordinate amount of time trying to figure this thing out. My point is this. The more I think about this crazy condition I have, the more intense these symptoms become.
OK, enough medical stuff. Let me shift gears and visit with you about how this works in another dimension of life. How aware are you of the presence of the Holy Spirit within you? If you are a Christian, God the Holy Spirit lives inside of you and God's Spirit is one with your spirit. He, the Holy Spirit, is your friend, your guide, your strength, your guarantee that you are right with God. He is your comforter, your counselor and your peace. He not only convicts you of sin but he convicts you that you are God's dearly loved child. He cries within your heart, "Abba Father". He prays for you, gifts you with spiritual gifts and encourages you during difficult times. How often during your day do you take pause and think, "I am the temple of the Holy Spirit"?
Listen, the Spirit of the Lord Jesus is within you. The same Spirit that had the power to raise Jesus dead body to life lives within you. Wouldn't you agree that this is a condition that is worth thinking about now and then? Why not say right now "I am full of the Holy Spirit".
You see, the more aware you are of His presence, the more intensely He works within you. The more your mind acknowledges your known condition of being a host for the Holy Spirit, the more importance and strength He has in your life. The more you practice His presence, musing on the mystery of His life with you, the more you find yourself living more freely from anger, anxiety, fear, lust, jealousy and other besetting negative emotions and actions.
I am learning that as I swing my legs out of bed and wonder if I still have this unknown medical condition that makes me feel sick, I am more quickly taking that thought captive as I direct my thoughts to my known condition. I am a Holy Spirit filled man.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Political Complacency?
I know I'm about to get into hot water but here it goes.
While listening to the radio today, I heard that 100 pastors in our country have signed off to lose the tax exempt status for their church by directing their church members to vote for particular political candidates. This practice violates federal laws governing non-profit organizations. Since this issue has, however never been tested in a court of law, these pastors believe they are not in danger. Their belief is that the IRS would not want to litigate against a church.
Recently, I received a news article from World Net Daily. In the article entitled, Pastors Taken to Task for Political Apathy, Rick Scarborough, a former Southern Baptist pastor and now the president of a group called Vision America said this, "What we have in America is a preacher problem." Mr. Scarborough castigated pastors and especially large church pastors for political complacency. He said, "The problem with us Christians today is that we're so afraid of offending our little ears that we've dug holes and buried our heads in them," he said. "The holes that the 'gays' came out of, the church went in, and it's not going to change until the church comes out." Mr. Scarborough finished his speech by saying, "If the church doesn't awaken now, if the tea party and everybody involved doesn't understand that God is at the heart of it all, then we lose".
Now understand that what I am about to write is my opinion. I believe that we definitely have a preacher problem in America. I am one of them. But the problem is not in political complacency but in prayer complacency. It is my opinion that we don't need a church that is politically active as much as we need a church that is active in prayer. But in our intellectual, Western mind ruled by rational, scientific logic, we fail to understand the role Satan and his demons are playing in this drama. We fail to realize that angels are at our disposal to assist in this conflict. But we would rather attend a political rally than a prayer meeting because that makes more sense to us. We would think nothing of spending hours soliciting votes for a candidate or arguing the merit of one form of government over another but to think of spending two hours in prayer boggles our minds.
We need a move of God in America. To hell with the tax exempt status. We need the Holy Spirit to awaken us, to rekindle the flame not for national patriotism but for our allegiance to Christ and the Kingdom of God. I love my country of birth. I am blessed to be an American. I honor and pray for those who defend our freedom. But the nation that will be sustained until the coming of Christ is the Holy Nation, the church. And it is that nation that must do business with God on bended knee. If only pastors, (me included) would take seriously 2 Chronicles 7:14 and equip the priesthood of believers to invest serious time and energy in their closet of prayer.
OK, I've ranted enough. I know there are those that will take me to task on what I've said but believe me, it won't be the first time and hopefully not the last. "Iron does sharpen iron".
The last three words that Mr. Scarborough uses I disagree with adamantly. "...then we lose."
Mr. Scarborough, I have read the book many times and each time, I close the book with a certainty in my heart. "We win!" Praise be to our King.
While listening to the radio today, I heard that 100 pastors in our country have signed off to lose the tax exempt status for their church by directing their church members to vote for particular political candidates. This practice violates federal laws governing non-profit organizations. Since this issue has, however never been tested in a court of law, these pastors believe they are not in danger. Their belief is that the IRS would not want to litigate against a church.
Recently, I received a news article from World Net Daily. In the article entitled, Pastors Taken to Task for Political Apathy, Rick Scarborough, a former Southern Baptist pastor and now the president of a group called Vision America said this, "What we have in America is a preacher problem." Mr. Scarborough castigated pastors and especially large church pastors for political complacency. He said, "The problem with us Christians today is that we're so afraid of offending our little ears that we've dug holes and buried our heads in them," he said. "The holes that the 'gays' came out of, the church went in, and it's not going to change until the church comes out." Mr. Scarborough finished his speech by saying, "If the church doesn't awaken now, if the tea party and everybody involved doesn't understand that God is at the heart of it all, then we lose".
Now understand that what I am about to write is my opinion. I believe that we definitely have a preacher problem in America. I am one of them. But the problem is not in political complacency but in prayer complacency. It is my opinion that we don't need a church that is politically active as much as we need a church that is active in prayer. But in our intellectual, Western mind ruled by rational, scientific logic, we fail to understand the role Satan and his demons are playing in this drama. We fail to realize that angels are at our disposal to assist in this conflict. But we would rather attend a political rally than a prayer meeting because that makes more sense to us. We would think nothing of spending hours soliciting votes for a candidate or arguing the merit of one form of government over another but to think of spending two hours in prayer boggles our minds.
We need a move of God in America. To hell with the tax exempt status. We need the Holy Spirit to awaken us, to rekindle the flame not for national patriotism but for our allegiance to Christ and the Kingdom of God. I love my country of birth. I am blessed to be an American. I honor and pray for those who defend our freedom. But the nation that will be sustained until the coming of Christ is the Holy Nation, the church. And it is that nation that must do business with God on bended knee. If only pastors, (me included) would take seriously 2 Chronicles 7:14 and equip the priesthood of believers to invest serious time and energy in their closet of prayer.
OK, I've ranted enough. I know there are those that will take me to task on what I've said but believe me, it won't be the first time and hopefully not the last. "Iron does sharpen iron".
The last three words that Mr. Scarborough uses I disagree with adamantly. "...then we lose."
Mr. Scarborough, I have read the book many times and each time, I close the book with a certainty in my heart. "We win!" Praise be to our King.
Friday, August 27, 2010
24
A few years ago, my brother asked me if I watched the TV show "24". I'm one of those guys who refuses to pay for TV so I surf on three channels, those I get with my roof antenna. I said, "No". My brother was aghast. He told me I was the most out of touch person on God's green earth. My life went on as I blew him off.
This summer, a friend of mine asked me the same question but rather than mock my cheap, no cable TV policy, he asked me if we would like to watch season one of "24" on DVD. I accepted his offer to loan me the series not knowing what I was getting myself into. After two episodes, we were addicted. During our vacation this summer one rainy day, we started watching "24" at 10 a.m. and watched one episode after another about counter terrorism until 3 a.m. the next morning. I crawled out of my man cave looking like I had been in a "Sleep Deprivation Study".
I will spare you detail but "24" but it is about the life of a government agent, Jack Baur who works for CTU (Counter Terrorist Unit). Each season is composed of 24 episodes, each episode is an hour in real time of Jack's life. In my opinion, the show is absolutely captivating. Anyhow, I'm not trying to sell you on the show as much as I've realized that the main theme of the show is trust or the lack thereof. There is not a character on the show that trusts anyone. And every time someone decides to trust, they pay dearly. Everyone is looking over their shoulder and can't give up their hand. And yet countless times you hear statements like, "You have to trust me." "Don't you trust me?" "I wish you would trust me".
Anne Jackson asked on her blog, “What is one thing you feel you can’t say in church?” She was overwhelmed by hundreds of repressed responses, like, “I’m not sure I believe in hell;” or, “I’m addicted to porn and I can’t tell anyone, not even my pastor—I’m afraid he would ask me to leave the church;” or, “My marriage isn’t working, but I am a pastor—who can I turn to?” or, “After my divorce, nobody called me; it broke my heart … again;” or, “My brother is gay and a Christian. I don’t feel I can talk about it in church.” Those anonymous admissions were the inspiration for Jackson’s just-released book, “Permission to Speak Freely".
Who do we trust with the secrets hidden in the deep inner recesses of our lives? How many of us have people that we could spill our guts and they would stand with us? Could the neurotic nature of our society stem from not being able to trust? Maybe the most direct way I can ask this question would be, "Who do you trust?"
I'd love to hear from you.
This summer, a friend of mine asked me the same question but rather than mock my cheap, no cable TV policy, he asked me if we would like to watch season one of "24" on DVD. I accepted his offer to loan me the series not knowing what I was getting myself into. After two episodes, we were addicted. During our vacation this summer one rainy day, we started watching "24" at 10 a.m. and watched one episode after another about counter terrorism until 3 a.m. the next morning. I crawled out of my man cave looking like I had been in a "Sleep Deprivation Study".
I will spare you detail but "24" but it is about the life of a government agent, Jack Baur who works for CTU (Counter Terrorist Unit). Each season is composed of 24 episodes, each episode is an hour in real time of Jack's life. In my opinion, the show is absolutely captivating. Anyhow, I'm not trying to sell you on the show as much as I've realized that the main theme of the show is trust or the lack thereof. There is not a character on the show that trusts anyone. And every time someone decides to trust, they pay dearly. Everyone is looking over their shoulder and can't give up their hand. And yet countless times you hear statements like, "You have to trust me." "Don't you trust me?" "I wish you would trust me".
Anne Jackson asked on her blog, “What is one thing you feel you can’t say in church?” She was overwhelmed by hundreds of repressed responses, like, “I’m not sure I believe in hell;” or, “I’m addicted to porn and I can’t tell anyone, not even my pastor—I’m afraid he would ask me to leave the church;” or, “My marriage isn’t working, but I am a pastor—who can I turn to?” or, “After my divorce, nobody called me; it broke my heart … again;” or, “My brother is gay and a Christian. I don’t feel I can talk about it in church.” Those anonymous admissions were the inspiration for Jackson’s just-released book, “Permission to Speak Freely".
Who do we trust with the secrets hidden in the deep inner recesses of our lives? How many of us have people that we could spill our guts and they would stand with us? Could the neurotic nature of our society stem from not being able to trust? Maybe the most direct way I can ask this question would be, "Who do you trust?"
I'd love to hear from you.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Ragbrai: A Taste of God's Kingdom
In February of this year, a friend called and invited me to join him in attending the Super Bowl in Miami, Florida. This was one of those "once in a life time" experiences and even though the wrong team won (in my opinion), the fact that I was there in Shark Stadium watching the Colts play the Saints was mind blowing.
Last Friday, I had another one of those surreal experiences.... sort of. My son, Josh has been after me to join him in Ragbrai. He and his father-in-law (one of my dearest friends) have been riding across Iowa on a bicycle for the past five years. Josh and Scott have continued to hound me and I finally broke. However, I didn't fully dive in. I agreed to ride one "leg", from Waterloo to Manchester.
In June, I got out my blue Diamond Back cross-trainer bike and logged about 50 miles on the beautiful Cedar Valley bike trails in preparation for the 62 mile ride to Manchester. Not enough prep but I was pumped. Our ride began at 8 a.m. My youngest son, Arnold, agreed to go with us and baby sit me along the way.
Our ride started in a torrential downpour of rain. As lightening flashed and the thunder roared, we began our journey toward our first stop in Gilbertville. By the time we arrived, we were soaked and forced to stop and wait out the rain. Of course, we had to knock down some biscuits and gravy, breakfast burritos and home made pie.
The rain began to let up a bit and so we forged on. We got to Brandon and though the rain had stopped, I was pulling on my biking shorts, you know, the ones with the stitched padding in the backside. Scott, my close friend took one look at me and asked, "Are you wearing underwear under your biking shorts?" "Ya", I said, "Aren't you suppose to?" Scott handed me a tube of cream that read "Butt-butter" and pointed toward the cornfield. I walked, head hanging down, into the cornfield, took one article of no longer needed apparel off and I hung it on a corn stalk, I then smeared about a half cup of butter on my behind, put my bike shorts back on and came back a bit more ready for the last 40 miles of our trip. By that time, Arnold had spotted pork chops roasting on the open fire so we ate again, washing it all down with a couple of bottles of Gatorade.
Back on the road to Quasqueton, the "lunch stop town". We pulled in to Quaskey at about 4 p.m. ready to eat lunch. We had Blue Sky ice cream (to die for) and another couple bottles of Gatorade.
Now understand, there is a certain etiquette when riding Ragbrai. All along the way, Josh had been teaching me the Ragbrai lingo. "Biker off" was what you were to yell when you were going to pull over and stop. "Biker on" was yelled as you pulled back onto the road. "Car up" was the call when a vehicle was coming toward you. "Car back" was called when a vehicle was coming up behind you. My favorite was "rumble" announcing to riders there were rumble strips on the highway that could potentially throw a rider off his bike. Every bit of lingo was somehow connected with care for the other riders. Everyone was looking out for everyone else. You could hear people calling out to each other all along the way.
We fought a head wind the last 40 miles and by the time we got to Manchester, it was 8 p.m. We stuck together the entire way. I was exhausted and yet felt fulfilled. Not so much that I had ridden 62 miles on a bike but that I had experienced something very similar the Kingdom of God. People intently watching out for their "brothers and sisters" on the same journey.
It made me think of this Bible verse; Galatians 6:1-2 Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.
I can say I had fun and will do it again. But the thing that is etched in my mind is how dangerously safe I felt on my journey. Not that I was competent as a rider but that my fellow Ragbrai'ers were watching out for me.
Last Friday, I had another one of those surreal experiences.... sort of. My son, Josh has been after me to join him in Ragbrai. He and his father-in-law (one of my dearest friends) have been riding across Iowa on a bicycle for the past five years. Josh and Scott have continued to hound me and I finally broke. However, I didn't fully dive in. I agreed to ride one "leg", from Waterloo to Manchester.
In June, I got out my blue Diamond Back cross-trainer bike and logged about 50 miles on the beautiful Cedar Valley bike trails in preparation for the 62 mile ride to Manchester. Not enough prep but I was pumped. Our ride began at 8 a.m. My youngest son, Arnold, agreed to go with us and baby sit me along the way.
Our ride started in a torrential downpour of rain. As lightening flashed and the thunder roared, we began our journey toward our first stop in Gilbertville. By the time we arrived, we were soaked and forced to stop and wait out the rain. Of course, we had to knock down some biscuits and gravy, breakfast burritos and home made pie.
The rain began to let up a bit and so we forged on. We got to Brandon and though the rain had stopped, I was pulling on my biking shorts, you know, the ones with the stitched padding in the backside. Scott, my close friend took one look at me and asked, "Are you wearing underwear under your biking shorts?" "Ya", I said, "Aren't you suppose to?" Scott handed me a tube of cream that read "Butt-butter" and pointed toward the cornfield. I walked, head hanging down, into the cornfield, took one article of no longer needed apparel off and I hung it on a corn stalk, I then smeared about a half cup of butter on my behind, put my bike shorts back on and came back a bit more ready for the last 40 miles of our trip. By that time, Arnold had spotted pork chops roasting on the open fire so we ate again, washing it all down with a couple of bottles of Gatorade.
Back on the road to Quasqueton, the "lunch stop town". We pulled in to Quaskey at about 4 p.m. ready to eat lunch. We had Blue Sky ice cream (to die for) and another couple bottles of Gatorade.
Now understand, there is a certain etiquette when riding Ragbrai. All along the way, Josh had been teaching me the Ragbrai lingo. "Biker off" was what you were to yell when you were going to pull over and stop. "Biker on" was yelled as you pulled back onto the road. "Car up" was the call when a vehicle was coming toward you. "Car back" was called when a vehicle was coming up behind you. My favorite was "rumble" announcing to riders there were rumble strips on the highway that could potentially throw a rider off his bike. Every bit of lingo was somehow connected with care for the other riders. Everyone was looking out for everyone else. You could hear people calling out to each other all along the way.
We fought a head wind the last 40 miles and by the time we got to Manchester, it was 8 p.m. We stuck together the entire way. I was exhausted and yet felt fulfilled. Not so much that I had ridden 62 miles on a bike but that I had experienced something very similar the Kingdom of God. People intently watching out for their "brothers and sisters" on the same journey.
It made me think of this Bible verse; Galatians 6:1-2 Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.
I can say I had fun and will do it again. But the thing that is etched in my mind is how dangerously safe I felt on my journey. Not that I was competent as a rider but that my fellow Ragbrai'ers were watching out for me.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
What is the church for?
I'm going to try to stir the pot a bit by asking a question. What is the church of Jesus for?
The latest study shows that 94% of all church goers believe the church is for them. They expect service. Good preaching and teaching, good music, good facilities, good care for them and their children. Nine in every 10 people believe the church is another institution to help meet their own personal and family needs.
But what does Jesus say in Matthew 16:18. I'll let you look that one up. If I'm reading this verse correctly, as far as Jesus Christ, the King of the church is concerned, He created the church to attack the gates of hell.
Why then do the vast majority of church-goers in America attend church like Olympic Ice Skating or Gymnastic judges with scorecards in hand, scoring everything from quality and quantity of preaching, to music volume, style to the bathroom conditions.
John Wimber, the founding pastor of the Vineyard Church Movement once asked a provocative question. He mused, "When does God get what He wants?"
Thoughts? I look forward to hearing from you.
Dan
The latest study shows that 94% of all church goers believe the church is for them. They expect service. Good preaching and teaching, good music, good facilities, good care for them and their children. Nine in every 10 people believe the church is another institution to help meet their own personal and family needs.
But what does Jesus say in Matthew 16:18. I'll let you look that one up. If I'm reading this verse correctly, as far as Jesus Christ, the King of the church is concerned, He created the church to attack the gates of hell.
Why then do the vast majority of church-goers in America attend church like Olympic Ice Skating or Gymnastic judges with scorecards in hand, scoring everything from quality and quantity of preaching, to music volume, style to the bathroom conditions.
John Wimber, the founding pastor of the Vineyard Church Movement once asked a provocative question. He mused, "When does God get what He wants?"
Thoughts? I look forward to hearing from you.
Dan
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Oh How He Loves Us
Sorry for being in hibernation for too many weeks on my blog.
However, as a result of an experience I had last night, I wanted to visit with you about GRACE.
Theologians define grace in different ways. "Unmerited favor" is the classic definition. Others have proposed the acrostic, God's Resources At Christ's Expense. Some say grace is getting what you do not deserve and mercy is not getting what you do deserve.
All these definitions have merit and value but the definition I have always held to, the one I have used to teach grace and seems truest to the scripture is as follows: "The empowering presence of the Holy Spirit, enabling the believer to become all that God wants him to become and to do all that God calls him to do".
Last night we sat in an Iowa City hospital with Dave and Steph Ricketts as they said good bye to their son Ben. Twenty-two months old Ben had gotten tangled in curtain chord at home, some of the chord had gotten wrapped around his neck and Ben ended up on a ventilator in the Iowa City Hospitals. It was a tragic accident and a parent's worst nightmare. Please continue to pray for Dave, Steph and their family.
In the early evening yesterday, Ben was taken off the ventilator. Due to fluids on his lungs, Ben struggled to breath on his own. And this is where the grace comes in.
Dave, Ben's dad lifted Ben out of his hospital bed and held him in his lap, draped his little body with a green blanket and caressed this precious boy, carrying on a sweet conversation. I didn't hear everything because it was a private conversation between father and son. But what I could hear, Dave assured Ben of his and his mom's love for him and the loss they felt. As he stroked Ben's forehead, he talked to Ben about God's great love for him and that unless Father decided otherwise, that Ben would be face to face with Jesus soon.
And then Dave asked for his computer. I thought he was going to drop someone an email or get on Facebook and write another wonderful entry in his log. But instead, he went to I-tunes and selected a few key songs and he began to worship. The first song he played was one he said he and Ben had both worshiped to.
Oh How He Loves Us
He is jealous for me,
Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree,
Bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy.
When all of a sudden,
I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory,
And I realize just how beautiful You are,
And how great Your affections are for me.
And oh, how He loves us so,
Oh how He loves us,
How He loves us so
Yeah, He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves.
We are His portion and He is our prize,
Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes,
If grace is an ocean, we’re all sinking.
So Heaven meets earth like a sloppy wet kiss,
And the heart turns violently inside of my chest,
I don’t have time to maintain these regrets,
When I think about, the way…
He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves.
Yeah, He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves.
John Mark Mcmillan
Here is a Dad and Mom, sitting in a hospital room, watching their beautiful son breath his last and they are worshiping. What enables people to do such a things? GRACE!
The powerful presence of the Holy Spirit who enables we as followers of Jesus to become all God wants us to become and to do all God has called us to do. Oh how He loves us.
However, as a result of an experience I had last night, I wanted to visit with you about GRACE.
Theologians define grace in different ways. "Unmerited favor" is the classic definition. Others have proposed the acrostic, God's Resources At Christ's Expense. Some say grace is getting what you do not deserve and mercy is not getting what you do deserve.
All these definitions have merit and value but the definition I have always held to, the one I have used to teach grace and seems truest to the scripture is as follows: "The empowering presence of the Holy Spirit, enabling the believer to become all that God wants him to become and to do all that God calls him to do".
Last night we sat in an Iowa City hospital with Dave and Steph Ricketts as they said good bye to their son Ben. Twenty-two months old Ben had gotten tangled in curtain chord at home, some of the chord had gotten wrapped around his neck and Ben ended up on a ventilator in the Iowa City Hospitals. It was a tragic accident and a parent's worst nightmare. Please continue to pray for Dave, Steph and their family.
In the early evening yesterday, Ben was taken off the ventilator. Due to fluids on his lungs, Ben struggled to breath on his own. And this is where the grace comes in.
Dave, Ben's dad lifted Ben out of his hospital bed and held him in his lap, draped his little body with a green blanket and caressed this precious boy, carrying on a sweet conversation. I didn't hear everything because it was a private conversation between father and son. But what I could hear, Dave assured Ben of his and his mom's love for him and the loss they felt. As he stroked Ben's forehead, he talked to Ben about God's great love for him and that unless Father decided otherwise, that Ben would be face to face with Jesus soon.
And then Dave asked for his computer. I thought he was going to drop someone an email or get on Facebook and write another wonderful entry in his log. But instead, he went to I-tunes and selected a few key songs and he began to worship. The first song he played was one he said he and Ben had both worshiped to.
Oh How He Loves Us
He is jealous for me,
Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree,
Bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy.
When all of a sudden,
I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory,
And I realize just how beautiful You are,
And how great Your affections are for me.
And oh, how He loves us so,
Oh how He loves us,
How He loves us so
Yeah, He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves.
We are His portion and He is our prize,
Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes,
If grace is an ocean, we’re all sinking.
So Heaven meets earth like a sloppy wet kiss,
And the heart turns violently inside of my chest,
I don’t have time to maintain these regrets,
When I think about, the way…
He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves.
Yeah, He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves.
John Mark Mcmillan
Here is a Dad and Mom, sitting in a hospital room, watching their beautiful son breath his last and they are worshiping. What enables people to do such a things? GRACE!
The powerful presence of the Holy Spirit who enables we as followers of Jesus to become all God wants us to become and to do all God has called us to do. Oh how He loves us.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Prophetic Worship
Our oldest son Josh, a creative and thoughtful graphic designer has a real, honest and contagious love for God. Not only is he artistically gifted, he plays the "heck" out of a guitar and loves to break into new expressions of worship. I think leading worship might be his most powerful gift.
This past weekend, while teaching through Paul's letter to the Galatians, I used a quote by Don Williams about the nature of true Christianity. Don says, it's all about "Unzipping (your heart), God jumps in and you zip back up". In simple terms, Don is describing the Holy Spirit entering into a person through faith and making His home in the life of a new believer.
On Saturday morning, hours before I was g0ing to teach this message, Josh sent me the lyrics of a new song he is learning. Here are the words to that song.
This past weekend, while teaching through Paul's letter to the Galatians, I used a quote by Don Williams about the nature of true Christianity. Don says, it's all about "Unzipping (your heart), God jumps in and you zip back up". In simple terms, Don is describing the Holy Spirit entering into a person through faith and making His home in the life of a new believer.
On Saturday morning, hours before I was g0ing to teach this message, Josh sent me the lyrics of a new song he is learning. Here are the words to that song.
Peel back our ribs again and stand inside of our chest
We just wanna' love you, We just wanna' love you
Peel back the veil of time
And let us see You with our naked eyes
We just wanna' love you, We just wanna' love you, Yeah
Skeleton bones stand at the sound
Of eternity on the lips of the found
And gravestones roll to the rhythm of the sound of You
Skeleton bones stand at the sound
Of eternity on the lips of the found
So separate those doors and let the son of resurrection in
Oh let us adore the Son of Glory drenched in love
Open up your gates before him, Crown Him, stand Him up
We want your blood to flow inside our body
We want your wind inside our lungs
We just wanna' love you, We just wanna' love you
Growing up in a traditional church, we sang songs with lyrics,
"I serve a risen Savior, He's in the world today..."
When my wife and I first came into the fullness of the Holy Spirit
in the late '70's, the songs we were singing were songs like,
"More love, more power, more of You in our lives".
The Holy Spirit is breathing into this young generation of
Jesus followers a much more raw, aggressive and desperate
language as they appeal to God for new life.
They don't just want "more",they want God to
"Peel back their ribs".
I believe this kind of gut wrenching cry is prophetic
and God's response will be powerful.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Action in Waiting
My wife and I are reading a book together. It is entitled Action in Waiting by Christoph Blumhardt (1842-1919). A friend of mine told me years ago that if I wanted to be challenged to live a life for Christ, he advised me to "read the dead guys". The forward of this book is challenging enough. It begins by saying:
A prominent pastor of our day concludes one of his books with these words: "I'm enjoying God these days. He answers my prayers, He empowers me. He gives me insights from his Word. He guides my life. He gives me loving relationships. He has wonderful things in store for me." "I", "my", "me", "me", "me". Is this what the kingdom of God which has come in Christ is about? God catering to and pampering individual Christians? Is God's rule centered on "me" and "mine"?
This challenges and stirs my thinking as does the entire book. It makes me wonder if I'm reading my Bible with the correct set of lenses. Man do I love God. He never quits challenging my heart. Oh that I can come to love him with all my heart, soul, mind and strength.
A prominent pastor of our day concludes one of his books with these words: "I'm enjoying God these days. He answers my prayers, He empowers me. He gives me insights from his Word. He guides my life. He gives me loving relationships. He has wonderful things in store for me." "I", "my", "me", "me", "me". Is this what the kingdom of God which has come in Christ is about? God catering to and pampering individual Christians? Is God's rule centered on "me" and "mine"?
This challenges and stirs my thinking as does the entire book. It makes me wonder if I'm reading my Bible with the correct set of lenses. Man do I love God. He never quits challenging my heart. Oh that I can come to love him with all my heart, soul, mind and strength.
Monday, February 22, 2010
With God, Simple is Better
Years ago, I memorized 2 Corinthians 11:2-3. The reason I put this to memory was that I wanted to always remember that the Christian life, though it is made out by some to be a very complex way of life, is really very simple.
2 Corinthians 11:2-3 NASV For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy; for I betrothed you to one husband, so that to Christ I might present you as a pure virgin. But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.
Our devotion to Jesus is the one great essential to the Christian life. That devotion flows from a constant, conscious awareness of His great love for us. It is that simple. The moment we take our eyes off of Jesus love, our "minds" can be led astray, confusion sets in, fear and anxiety begin to prevail and we are robbed of the abundance of life Jesus promised was ours.
The old acrostic KISS - Keep it Simple, Stupid. There is truth to this and I thank God that the Christian life it is that simple. Christianity is Christ!
2 Corinthians 11:2-3 NASV For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy; for I betrothed you to one husband, so that to Christ I might present you as a pure virgin. But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.
Our devotion to Jesus is the one great essential to the Christian life. That devotion flows from a constant, conscious awareness of His great love for us. It is that simple. The moment we take our eyes off of Jesus love, our "minds" can be led astray, confusion sets in, fear and anxiety begin to prevail and we are robbed of the abundance of life Jesus promised was ours.
The old acrostic KISS - Keep it Simple, Stupid. There is truth to this and I thank God that the Christian life it is that simple. Christianity is Christ!
Monday, January 25, 2010
Shopping for the Gospel
What's the classic questions being asked by consumers these days? Probably top on the list are the questions, "How good is the product?" and "What's the benefit for me?"
As Christians swimming in a highly consumerist culture, we have had to modify our approach when sharing the gospel. Our response has become, "What's the benefit? Well, going to heaven, of course?" That's the American gospel. Receive Jesus by faith so you will go to heaven. The leading edge question of evangelism has become, "When you die, where will you go?" Put another way, "Friend, are you going to heaven?"
Is that really the gospel? Did Jesus die on a cross, receive life back by the power of God three days later so that people would go to heaven when they die? Or were there other reasons for Jesus death and resurrection?
I praise God that because I know Christ personally, my future does not include hell! I'm also glad that according to John 11:26, I will live forever. But is the gospel only relevant at the point of death?
Take a look at the first few verses in John 17 and notice how Jesus defines eternal life. Eternal life seems to be more than just a life-insurance policy. Eternal life is receiving the capacity to enjoy in-depth relationship with God NOW. Eternal life seems to be an ability to intimately walk with God so that we are able to take on the mind of Christ, the attitudes of Christ, the motivations of Christ, even the power of Christ and live in His presence NOW while ushering in His Kingdom on this earth.
I'm thinking that is the gospel.
As Christians swimming in a highly consumerist culture, we have had to modify our approach when sharing the gospel. Our response has become, "What's the benefit? Well, going to heaven, of course?" That's the American gospel. Receive Jesus by faith so you will go to heaven. The leading edge question of evangelism has become, "When you die, where will you go?" Put another way, "Friend, are you going to heaven?"
Is that really the gospel? Did Jesus die on a cross, receive life back by the power of God three days later so that people would go to heaven when they die? Or were there other reasons for Jesus death and resurrection?
I praise God that because I know Christ personally, my future does not include hell! I'm also glad that according to John 11:26, I will live forever. But is the gospel only relevant at the point of death?
Take a look at the first few verses in John 17 and notice how Jesus defines eternal life. Eternal life seems to be more than just a life-insurance policy. Eternal life is receiving the capacity to enjoy in-depth relationship with God NOW. Eternal life seems to be an ability to intimately walk with God so that we are able to take on the mind of Christ, the attitudes of Christ, the motivations of Christ, even the power of Christ and live in His presence NOW while ushering in His Kingdom on this earth.
I'm thinking that is the gospel.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Following Jesus for the Sake of Others
An article in the news caught my eye. It was titled "9 Signs of America in Decline". Here are the opening lines.
The sky isn't falling, exactly. America isn't on a fast track to irrelevance. Even in a state of total neglect, we could probably shamble along as a disheveled superpower for a few more decades.
But all empires end, and the warning signs of American decline seem to be blinking more consistently. In the latest annual "prosperity index" published by the Legatum Institute, a London-based research firm, the United States ranks as the ninth most prosperous country in the world. That's five notches lower than last year, when America ranked No. 4.
The article went on to say that the United States is among only 5 countries in the world where the "life satisfaction" index is in decline. I'm not sure how this Institute measures happiness but their finding was this: Happiness in America is in decline.
I don't have any inside track on all the reasons why happiness in America might be in decline if in fact this study is accurate. But if there is a decline in "life satisfaction" in America, could part of it be that we have become so consumed with ourselves in America, so protective of our own, so focused and fearful of losing what is ours that we have lost sight of the simple joy of assisting others through life.
If that's part of the equation, I think we who are followers of Jesus, growing in our desire to follow Him for the sake of others will experience more and more the abundance of life Jesus offers. Not to mention the fact that we will shine brighter and brighter as the world around us seems to be getting darker and darker. I remember John Wimber once said, "Things are going to get better and better and worse and worse at the same time.
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