November 16, 2010

Remembering A Man of God

I went to a funeral last night.  He was a Man of God.  The father of my friend.  The friend of my father.  My friend.  And he was fearless.

Last night I heard story after story of a man who was not afraid to do anything God asked him to do.  He wanted to do everything he could to take as many people to heaven with him.  From quieting a restaurant with a heartfelt prayer.  To striking up a conversation while standing at the urinal.  To finish interviewing for a job and asking the interviewer, "How's your relationship with the Lord?"  He was fearless.

I want to live a fearless life.  I don't want to make decisions based upon how I think people will perceive my actions.  Whether they will look at me with scorn.  Whether they will think of me as foolish.  I don't want to live my life fearful of man.  I want to live my life concerned only with God's thoughts of me.  Whether I am obeying him with no concern for the foolish thoughts of man.

When the judgment day comes and we each stand before our Father God, I want to hear the words "Well done!"  I know that's what Jack will hear...
"...and He who wins souls is wise."
Proverbs 11:30

October 28, 2010

The Right Way to Get Promoted

There are few people who are satisfied with the job that they have and don't want to be promoted.  Most of us want to keep moving to the next level.  To take on more responsibility and make more money.  And we'll do our utmost to make sure that any time there's a new position open, everyone in the company from the CEO to the janitor know that WE are the best person for the promotion.  But if a large portion of time on your job is spent on self-promotion, you may not be as ready for that next step as you think you are... 

After college I was living in Tulsa and working as a shuttle bus driver at Fine Airport Parking.  It actually was a much better job than it sounds.  Most of the employees were attending or had attended the ministry training school I was attending.  The pay was minimum wage plus tips, and you usually got around $40 in tips a shift.  You could work almost as much overtime as you could handle.  After a year at the job one of the shift leaders was moving so his job was open.  Shift leaders had a little more pay and responsibility and I wanted the job.  So I told my boss.  My boss knew I had the potential to be a good shift leader.  But he also wasn't sure if I was ready to be a shift leader.  So he took a risk while taking steps to minimize the damage.  He promoted me to shift leader but only for a couple of shifts.  Then he split up the other shifts between other "part-time" shift leaders.

"And he spake a parable unto those that were bidden, when he marked how they chose out the chief seats; saying unto them, when thou art bidden of any man to a marriage feast, sit not down in the chief seat; lest haply a more honorable man than thou be bidden of him, and he that bade thee and him shall come and say to thee, Give this man place; and then thou shalt begin with shame to take the lowest place. But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest place; that when he that hath bidden thee comes, he may say to thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have glory in the presence of all that sit at meat with thee. 
For everyone that exalts himself shall be humbled; and he that humbles himself shall be exalted."
Luke 14:7-11

I'd like to say that I lived up to my potential.  That every shift ran like a well-oiled machine and every person I was leading respected me and the job I was doing.  Nope...  I wasn't a good shift leader.  I knew the job, but I didn't know people.  I was full of pride.  I could never be wrong.  I couldn't take correction from anyone that wasn't "my equal," a shift leader.  I wasn't ready to be promoted.  Lucky for me I didn't stay at the parking lot long enough to be humbled.  I was only there for another year before I moved back to Indy.

You may think it is in your best interest to promote yourself at work.  Otherwise how will your bosses know that you want something more out of your career?  But while you may excel at the work you are currently doing you likely have no idea how well you perform at the next level.  It would be something completely different.  You don't know how your co-workers will react, especially if you become their boss.  And will the increase in pay be worth the extra stress and time spent at work?
Are your truly ready for a promotion?  You are not the best person to evaluate whether you are ready to be promoted.  Your boss is.  Think about it if God was your boss.  Do you think that God would promote you to a position that you wouldn't be able to handle?  A good boss will have the same consideration.  They will want you to succeed.  A promotion when you're not ready will be more harmful to your career than helpful.

Just be patient.  Know that God will take care of your career.  It's easy to say, but a difficult thing to accept.  But by waiting on God's timing you know that you will be in the best position to succeed.  Even if that position is the one that you're in right now.

October 26, 2010

Small Decisions

"So since Christ suffered in the flesh for us, for you, arm ourselves with the same thought and purpose, patiently to suffer rather than fail to please God.  For whoever has suffered in the flesh, having the mind of Christ, is done with intentional sin, has stopped pleasing himself and the world, and pleases God.  So that he can no longer spend the rest of his natural life living by his human appetites and desires, but he lives for what God wills."
1 Peter 4:1-2
I know I have made choices that don't please God.  And why do I do that?  Because it pleases my flesh.  It make me feel good.  Do I need to stop for coffee and doughnuts on my way to work?  No.  I need to lose weight.  But the doughnuts taste so good.  If I don't get up early to study God's Word before work I can get 30-45 extra minutes of sleep.  Saying the sarcastic comment that's on the tip of my tongue will sure make me feel good.  But will it help my Christian witness with my unsaved co-worker?  No matter how great or small the choice we come to a point where we have to decide between our will and God's will, and your flesh battles against what God is asking you to do.

It always seems easier in the big questions.  When I finished my degree I could have started the job hunt, but I felt like God was calling me to got to Rhema Bible Training Center.  So I moved to Tulsa and lived as a poor student for a couple more years rather than finding a job and "getting started with my life."  It was hard, but I know that I pleased God with that decision.  It's the daily small decisions that I constantly find myself choosing to please my flesh instead of pleasing God.

Getting up early to study God's Word is the perfect example.  I already get up early for work.  During the week I'm rarely in bed at 5:00 AM.  The sleep I lose by getting up 30 minutes early is valuable.  But how valuable?  Is it worth failing to please God?  To be honest, I've been valuing sleep more than pleasing God.  I've used the argument that I could study later in the day, at work, or before bed.  But that never happens.  It's too easy to get distracted at work.  And when I get home I need to spend time with family.  Then it's time to eat.  Then I need to relax with my wife.  Then it's time for bed.  At some point I must sacrifice.  And I won't sacrifice necessary time with my wife and kids.  But I will sacrifice 30 minutes of  sleep because I want to please God.  But that is just one of the many small choices.  I need to start making more decision like getting out of bed early this morning.

So today I start with a question for myself, "Will you please yourself or please God?"  And today I make this commitment and confession.  "I will patiently suffer rather than fail to please God.  I will stop pleasing myself.  I will please God." 

September 3, 2010

Light vs. Darkeness

Most of us have probably heard our pastor talk about how when light and darkness meet, light always wins.  You’ll never go into a dark room, light a match and have the light of that small flame overwhelmed by the darkness of the room.  The natural transition from this is that the Light of God’s Word can never be overwhelmed by the darkness of the World.  Then how can a Christian hear God’s direction for their life and not understand it?  Or why can a non-Christian hear the Gospel and not recognize the truth of it?

What happens when you’re in a dark room and someone turns on the lights?  You shut your eyes because the light hurts.  You keep opening and closing your eyes until they get used to the light.  Eventually you can keep them open.  How long that takes depends upon how sensitive your eyes are to light and how bright the light is.  God’s light affects us the same way.  It doesn’t matter if you are a Christian or not.   It can hurt when God’s light shines on our lives.

For the Christian it depends upon how sensitive you are.  Christians are not immune from sin.  We all have sin in our lives.  And when God speaks to us about that sin we tend to immediately “shut our eyes” because it hurts.  It depends upon the maturity of the Christian as to how long it will take for them peek out of one eye, then both and eventually keep them open.  It’s painful.  You want to get rid of the sin in your life in order to get closer to God.  And just when you’ve taken care of one area of sin he lets you know about something else you need to take care of.  And when you take care of that area of sin He tells you about another area of sin, or maybe an old area that you’ve started to struggle with again.  What can you do?  Open your eyes quickly.  Keep them open.  The sooner you open your eyes and the more you keep your eyes open the more you get used to being in the light.  You have to be ready to look at the sin in your life that God is revealing to you.  And you have to be ready to get rid of it.  You have to learn to grow up.

We started giving my three year old showers last month.  And she liked them.  If you asked her if she liked showers she told you that she cries at first, but she liked them.  Why did she cry at first?  We washed her hair and she got wet.  Then she was cold while we washed the rest of her.  She didn’t like to be cold so she cried.  We rinsed her off and she stopped crying.  She wasn’t cold anymore.  How often as Christians do we act like that?  We have to be careful about getting too comfortable with our Christianity.  Every once in a while God is going to stop the rinse and start scrubbing again.  We’re going to get cold and some of us will cry.  Then once God’s done with the soap he’ll rinse us off and we start to get comfortable again.

When you’re talking about non-Christians a lot of it depends upon how bright the light is.  If someone is in a pitch black room and you shine a floodlight in their eyes it doesn’t matter how long you wait.  They’re going to keep their eyes shut until you turn the light off.  But lighting a match on the other side of a cluttered room is not going to give them enough light to navigate by.  You have to be able to cater your method of communication to the person.  Communication depends not just upon you speaking clearly, but the other person being able to understand you.  It may be nice that you know sign language, but that doesn’t help you talk to someone who is blind.  And shouting doesn’t help a person who doesn’t speak English to understand you.

When my brother was in high school he didn’t like going to church.  We had started to attend a spirit-filled church and it made him uncomfortable.  He’d go every once in a while to make my parents happy.  Once after the service he was ambushed by two of the “evangelists” in the church.  It wasn’t pretty.  Let’s just say his eyes were shut tight against a couple of floodlights.  After that experience he told my parents that he was never going back to that church.  And I didn’t blame him in the least.  He was already uncomfortable going to that church before a couple of overbearing fools made him feel even more so.  When Christ sent his disciples out in Matthew 10 he told them to be “... wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.”  Those two were neither.  They weren’t wise enough to recognize his discomfort and they were about as harmless as a couple of sledgehammers.

Think back about the times you’ve shared the Gospel with others.  How many times have you shined a floodlight in someone’s eyes?  And then when you realize it you start to use matches and then they can’t see past the clutter in their life.  How can we know how much light to use?  We can’t.  Only God does.  He knows how much light to use with us to get us to open our eyes to see the sin in our lives.  He knows how much light to use to bring someone to trust and believe in Him for the first time.  And He has put the flashlight in our hands.  

Witnessing can be one of the scariest things that we are called to do as a Christian.  Just as with everything else it either comes naturally or not.  If not, every word you speak as you share your faith can be excruciating.  And when you have to consider how your words will be received it makes you even more self-conscious.  But, as with everything else in our lives we have to trust Him and let Him lead us.  He won't lead you wrong.  And even when you think you've made a fool, just know that God will use your words and the love that you showed in ways you can't know.  Just trust Him.  Because whether you ended up using the match or the floodlight, you're still driving away darkness.

August 17, 2010

A Purpose

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not  to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Jeremiah 29:11

 

On the way to work this morning I started thinking about a car accident I almost had in college.  I got distracted when I thought I saw someone I knew.  After staring for several seconds to convince myself that it was them I looked back to the road.  There was a car stopped directly in front of me turning left.  I didn’t even have time to brake.  I spun the wheel to the right, then the left and around the car I went, barely missing a mailbox in the process.

 

My hands gripped the steering wheel.  I should have hit that car.  It seemed like my car had moved contrary to the laws of physics to shoot around a car that I should have rear-ended at full speed.  How had I not hit that car?  The only explanation was God.  To this day I fully believe that an angel pushed my car around the other car.

 

As I was thinking about this I suddenly heard these words in my spirit, “I saved you for a purpose.”  I was stunned.  I didn’t know what to say or think.  I turned off the radio and tried to collect my thoughts.  I was afraid to say anything for fear of saying something wrong.  God saved me for a purpose?

 

Some perspective…  I believe that God orders your steps and will lead you in life.  And there have been times that I’ve felt that God was leading me in certain directions.  I would know in my heart what decision or action I should make in a situation.  But in those times I just had a feeling or an inclination.  Even when I moved from Indianapolis to St Louis it was just a feeling.  I knew it was something that God wanted me to do.  This was different.  I felt words spoken into my heart.  For the first time that I can remember I feel like God truly spoke to me.

 

Even now I feel the impact of those words.  I know that for some time now I’ve been lax in my spiritual walk.  I haven’t been studying God’s Word as I should.  I haven’t been praying as I should.  I haven’t been growing in my walk with God.  I’ve been floating and adrift.  I’ve felt useless.  And despite all of this, God still has a purpose for me.

 

I have changes to make in my life.  I will pray and study God Word with fervor.  I will let go of the cynicism and sarcasm in my heart and replace it with God’s Love.  I will do everything in my power to truly reflect God’s Love in my daily walk.  I will prepare my mind and heart to fulfill the purpose God has for me.

 

When I am ready God will direct my steps in a new direction.  It may or may not be soon.  It may or may not be a direction I expect.  But I will be ready.

August 2, 2010

Use Worms!

In my last post I mentioned a family fishing trip I took in June.  I had so much fun fishing in the pond at the cabin we rented.  It seemed like every time I dropped my hook in the water fish were biting at the worm in seconds.  But I didn't start out fishing with worms.

Our first night at the cabin all of the guys went down to the pond to fish.  We pulled out the fancy lures and tossed them.  These fish didn't know what was going to hit them!  About 30 to 45 minutes later we all gave up and headed back to the cabin with one guy having caught an eight inch bluegill.  Not a tremendous accomplishment for the "skilled" fishermen that we were.

The next morning we headed to the streams to fish for trout.  But as I was standing in the water watching fish after fish swim by my lures with no interest I started thinking about that pond.  Why not just try worms?  So I headed to WalMart and bought some worms.  I went back to the pond, baited a hook and dropped it in.  Thirty seconds later I was tossing my first fish back in the water.  I spent a couple of hour catching fish.  They weren't big fish, but I caught a lot of them.  So much for the fancy lures, huh!

How often when we go fishing for men do we use lures and forget about the simple truth of Jesus?  Man is a sinner.  God sent Jesus to die for our sins.  Accept the truth of that sacrifice and you'll spent eternity in heaven.  What do we do instead?  We try to avoid controversy.  Or we try to be controversial.  We try to debate with the person.  Or instead of talking about the Gospel we talk about the person's sin.

How do we avoid controversy?  We start a "discussion."  We use general terms in order to not scare them off.  We avoid using the name of Jesus.   We try to meet people on their terms.  We try to make them feel comfortable.  How effective can this be?  Why would someone who feels comfortable with their life turn to Jesus?

How do we try to be controversial?  We go out of our way to bring up a subject that incites peoples anger.  I saw a video online of a person "witnessing" on a college campus.  He was standing on the campus lawn preaching fire and brimstone to a crown of students.  And then he brought up his "biblical" view that a woman's only place was in the home.  You can imagine how quickly the crown turned against him.  The campus security guard had to intervene to keep him safe.  What did he accomplish with his preaching?  He hardened the hearts of the students.  How did his controversial statements show God's Love, Mercy or Grace?  He portrayed God as unloving and harsh.

If we're trying to win someone to Christ, why do we start debates?  How many times have you seen someone, anyone, truly win a political or religious debate?  The end result of two people arguing religion or politics is almost always two people who are more firmly entrenched in their beliefs than they were before.  I heard something on a Ravi Zacharias podcast that stuck with me.  "The Goal is not to win arguments.  The Goal is to Win Souls."  So why are we starting debates?  When someones spiritual life is in the balance does it really matter whether it's okay for Christians to drink alcohol or get tattoos?

Why do we talk to people about their sin?  Almost anyone would say that they are just trying to do the best they can.  They know they aren't perfect.  What can we accomplish by talking to them about something they already know?  The beginning of every religion is that man isn't good enough.  The end of every religion is eternity in heaven.  The differences between religions are the different methods that man has created to save himself. 

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."
John 3:16
How do we convince someone that Christianity is different?  How should we start out talking to people about our Christian Faith?  God sent Jesus to die for our sins!  The death of Jesus on the Cross is the focus of our Christianity.  Without His sacrifice Christianity is just another meaningless religion.  Another attempt of man trying to save himself.  But we can't save ourselves!  No matter how "good" we are, we can't lift ourselves any higher than we already are.  Try it.  Grab your belt and try to lift yourself up.  Can't happen.  By dying on the cross for our sins Jesus has already lifted us up.  We don't have to save ourselves.  He's already done it!

So quit trying to use fancy lures and equipment.  Go back to the basics.  Worms have always been the best bait for catching fish.  And the name of Jesus is the best bait for catching men.

July 29, 2010

Go Fish

Every June the guys in my family go on what we call "The In-Law/Outlaw Fishing Trip.Attendance varies every year, but usually it consists of myself, my brother, my father, my brother-in-law, my father-in-law and my brother's father-in-law.  We spend a couple of days in Southern Missouri fishing for trout and enjoying each other's company.  Half of the guys are are excellent fishermen.  Half of us are not.  I'm including myself in the "Not" half.  Usually I only catch a fish or two.  At least on the last trip we stayed in a cabin with a stocked pond. I spent most of my time catching bluegill and a couple of bass in the pond rather than in the stream with the trout.  It was easy fishing, my favorite kind.
So this weekend we leave on a big family trip to Gatlinburg where I will for the first time try some difficult fishing, fly fishing.  I was thrilled that for my birthday this year I got everything I need to start fly fishing.  Totally different kind of fishing.  The skill it takes to whip your line back and forth and drop a near-weightless piece of fuzz exactly where you think the fish is waiting for it is impressive.  The fishing that I've done has always been throwing the hook out into the water and hope a fish takes the bait.  I'm not saying there isn't some skill involved, but it's not nearly as impressive as fly fishing.
      "And Jesus said to them, Come after Me and be My disciples, and I will make you to become fishers of men."
Mark 1:17

July 19, 2010

It will only take a little while...

Last weekend I decided to change the oil on the minivan.  I had never changed the oil on the minivan before, but I'd changed the oil on 3 or 4 of my other cars before.  The oil pan is on the bottom of the car and I could see the oil filter.  No problem.  I had already purchased the oil and the filter.  So I told my wife it should only take 30 to 45 minutes and I was ready to go.  I got the car on the ramps.  I drained the oil.  Everything is right on schedule.  

Then I put the oil filter wrench on and twisted.  It slipped.  Tried again.  Slipped again.  It didn't fit.  I pulled the new oil filter out of the box and slipped it into wrench.  It fit.  Tried on the old filter again.  Too loose.  Aaaagggh!!!  To make a long story short I spent at least an hour and a half on a job that should have taken just 30 minutes.  

Why do things never seem to go according to plan?

July 9, 2010

All Things Through Christ

We want to have control of our lives.  We want to make the decisions.  Whenever there is a problem we want to fix it.  But there are situations in our lives that we cannot fix.  When we are faced with those times we run to God.  But why do we only run to God in those times?  Why does it take a time of helplessness to remind us of all that God can do in our lives?

July 5, 2010

How Cleaning the Garage Taught Me Stewardship

I had a goal on Saturday - to park the minivan in the garage.  Spent a couple of hours cleaning and organizing.  The garden tools are hanging on the wall (most of them).  The workbenches are in a more accessible locations.  And the goal of finally being able to park the minivan inside the garage was attained.  One problem, the clickers stopped working.

July 3, 2010

The Brick Testament

The Brick Testament  calls itself "The world's largest, most comprehensive illustrated Bible."  I'll stick with The Lego Bible.
 
I haven't had the chance to go through the whole site, but for those of you that enjoyed legos as a kid...  you MUST take a look at this site.  

www.thebricktestament.com

June 26, 2010

Losing Your Impatience

"And let patience have its perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, lacking in nothing."
James 1:4 
We can all struggle with losing our patience.  You're out with your kids and they just won't listen.  Theyre screaming and running around everywhere.  Your tension is rising and you feel like you're about to lose it.  Or you're waiting on a co-worker for help with a project or piece of information.  They just don't understand how important what you need is and how much of your time they are wasting by not giving you the help you need.
What can you do?
Earlier this week I took my daughter to the mall for a special treat, a Carousel Ride!  As we were walking down the mall to the Carousel she could not contain her excitement.  She was hopping up and down.  She letting go of my hand and running off to look at the fountains or look in the store windows.  I was getting tense and impatient.
And then it hit me. Why was I getting tense?  She is two years old.  And what are little two year-old girls supposed to do?  Play!  Why was I getting upset?  All the tension left and I got to spend a fun afternoon with my little girl.
We get impatient when the world around us is not behaving the way we think it is supposed to behave.  I was envisioning my daughter being "the perfect little girl."  She should hold my hand and walk next to me (always keeping up with me).  She shouldn't jump and hop or talk loudly.  In other words she should behave like an adult.  That's the little girl I was expecting to take to the mall.  But that's not the way a normal little girl acts.  Normal little girls jump and hop and scream and PLAY every minute of the day.  Once I realized that I wasn't expecting reality, I lost my impatience.  And we had a great time!
Now I know this doesn't apply to every situation.  Your co-worker may not be doing their job.  Or maybe you're expecting too much from them too quickly.  Before you lose your patience, take a step back from the situation to get a new perspective.  You may find out that your boss has asked them to work on something else that takes priority.  Or they may be waiting for something from another co-worker to finish the task for you.
"The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but he who listens to counsel is wise."  

Proverbs 12:15
Find out the way the world is supposed to acting before you react to it.  Get counsel.  I'm not saying gossip about the situation with a friend.  Ask someone whose opinion you trust about the situation and find out what they think.  It may not even be someone you like.  As long as you trust that them to tell you their honest opinion.  It can be the difference between losing your patience and losing your impatience.  Believe me, losing your impatience is much more satisfying!

June 23, 2010

Christians Arrested for Handing out Bibles

I've seen emails talking about Dearborn, MI and always just blew them off.  Not anymore...

Saw this on Power Line Blog Three men are standing outside an Arab/Muslim festival.  They are just handing out booklets.  They are not even attempting to talk to people exiting the festival.  In three minutes eight policeman converge on them from two different directions.  You have to see it to believe it.



I don't know what editing may have been done, but it didn't look to me like they were doing anything but standing on a public sidewalk and expressing their freedom of speech. 

Gateway Pundit has picked up the story as well.

June 21, 2010

June 20, 2010

Happy Father's Day!

I've been a father for almost three years. And it has been worth all of the work, effort and lack of sleep that comes with it. The joy you experience when you get home from work, open the door, and hear footsteps pounding down the hallway and cries of "Daddy! Daddy!" You can't know how that melts your heart.
My daughter will be three in August. I know I've changed in those three years. You can't be a parent and not change. Just seeing your first child makes a change in your heart. Especially when it's a girl. Most men are protective of the women in their lives as a general rule. But that protective nature increases by unmeasurable amounts when you have a little girl. There is nothing that you will not do to protect her. I tell my friends that when my daughter starts dating that I will greet her dates at the door pleasantly, but when I turn around to lead them in they will see my .45 in a holster in the small of my back. They laugh. But I'm not kidding.
My son is only eight months old. He is a joy. A truly happy baby. Crawling to you and climbing up your legs. Ducking his head into your shoulder when you pick him up. Smiling at you with such a sparkle in his eyes. Fatherhood is AWESOME!! And as I look ahead to the times of teaching him to play baseball and soccer chills run down my spine.
Today being Father's Day got me thinking about Fatherhood. A bunch of questions have been popping into my head all morning. Practical questions like how to get my two year old to keep working on her grandfathers' Father Day cards and not get distracted. And more serious questions too. Such as: Am I a good Father? How well do I reflect the Love of our Heavenly Father to my children?
I'm a man and a sinner. I get frustrated and lose my temper.   I make choices that hindsight will keep me from making again.  I know that I'm not a perfect father.  But I know that God is helping me.  I also know that God chose me to be the father of these two children. It wasn't chance. I was his choice. God will daily give me the grace and wisdom to parent my children. So with God's help. I can be the perfect father.
That's what I would like to leave with every father today. You were God's choice! Your children weren't placed in your life by random chance. Every gift that God gave you the day you were born was designed to help you be the father of your children. With God leading you, you ARE the perfect father.
HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!!

June 1, 2010

The Daily Call


We are called to take the Gospel to the world.  Most people hear these words and think that this means becoming full-time missionaries. You would travel the world and take God’s light to the darkest corners.   Or maybe you only need to go on short term mission trips.  Spend a week or two sharing Christ with those who haven't heard the gospel. But these types of situations are not everyday situations. You go into these situation knowing that you will leave them and go back to you normal life.

There is a freedom in going to another city or country to preach knowing that you will be interacting with people that you will in all likelihood never see again.  You don’t have to face the consequences of their opinions.  It doesn’t matter what they think of you.  To them you may be nuts, but why should you care?  You fulfilled your call and shared the gospel with them.  Now you get to go back to your life and they aren’t a part of it.

But what about sharing the gospel with your family, friends, or co-workers?  Your words could strike a chord in their heart. They might see the consequences of their sin. They might turn to Christ as their Savior.  Or not...  
Sharing the gospel with the people that are a part of your life is frightening.  The things that could result from you telling people you know about your relationship with Jesus Christ can scare you into being silent.  If you start to constantly preach at work or with your friends you will have to deal with the consequences. Those consequences could be as simple as jokes at your expense or elevate to all out ridicule. Someone might even accuse you of religious harassment. 

If you are constantly preaching to your unsaved friends or co-workers, in a short period of time you won’t have either.  Your friends and employer will get sick of you and you won’t be spending much time with either.  But sharing Christ with someone does not always involve talking to them about his sacrifice.

How often do we recognize that we are always sharing the Gospel even when we aren't “witnessing” to anyone? When the people around us know that we are a Christian they watch us. They see how we react to the events and happenings around us.  They want to see how we are different. Do we stub our toes and start cursing like a sailor or take a deep breath and move on? Do we take shortcuts with our work because “no one will notice” or do we put forth full effort into every detail? Through our words and deeds, or lack of word or deed, we speak.  We preach the message of Christ crucified every second of every minute of every day. There is no down time.

I have a friend, we'll call him 'George', who has been overseas on the mission field for several years now. He recently related a story about a new Christian. A friend of his, ‘Fred’, who had become a Christian 2 years ago, asked him to talk to a classmate, 'Bill'. Bill had seen the change in Fred's life over the past two years and wanted to know what had caused the change. They all got together and George and Fred talked with Bill about the sacrifice Jesus had made for him and the change that could occur in his life. They asked Bill if he would like to receive Jesus as his Savior. And he said “Yes, I do.” They prayed and Bill became a Christian.
Then Bill told George that they had met before. Surprised, George asked where. It turns out that Bill had been to a Christmas party that George had held two years before. He had heard the Gospel at that party, but wasn't ready to receive Jesus as his Savior at that time. “It was only after seeing Fred live the Gospel for two years that he was ready to receive Christ now.”

I don't know if Fred talked to Bill about his relationship with Christ. Maybe he just lived his life in front of him. Whether or not words were exchanged it is obvious that Bill watched him grow and develop as a Christian. He saw Fred change. He saw what Christ was doing in Fred's life. And that is what drew him to Christ.

You can't decide to take a break from Christianity. The calling to take the Gospel to the world doesn’t have a “when you feel like it” option.  God will use you to change people’s lives in many ways. All you have to do is act and speak on the truth of God’s love. 

Can the people you interact with on a daily basis see that you’re different?
Does your life speak to others of the Goodness of God?
How much does your life draw people to Christ?

May 25, 2010

If you don't work, you don't eat

I didn’t intend to mix politics and religion on this blog.  But who am I kidding?  It was probably inevitable.  So here goes...

Since when has it become Christian to let our government take care of our call to help the widows and orphans?

I heard stories in the news about a “Christian Leader”, someone I've never heard of, saying it is our obligation as Christians to support government programs such as unemployment benefits and welfare.  They said that opposing these government programs is un-Christian.  As Christians we should help anyone and everyone in any way that we can.  If that means paying more in taxes to support these government programs then so be it.  We are helping the poor.  That is what Christ told us to do.  Or is it?

I don't have any issues with helping out a person who is down on their luck.  People fall on hard times and just need some help to weather the storm, get their feet back on the ground and move forward.  But who should be responsible for that help?  Should this aspect of charity be the responsibility of our government?  I don't think so.   Yet, recently Congress passed a law extending unemployment benefits.  If you lose your job, you can receive a check for doing nothing other than “looking for work” for almost two years.  TWO YEARS!  Should it really take two years to find a job?
 

Maybe it can take two years to find a job.  What are some excuses reasons that it would take 2 years to find a job?  “I can't find a job that pays enough.”  “I can't find the right job.”  “I need time to focus.”  “No one will hire me.”  I’m sorry but I don’t buy it.  I may be a little cynical but I think the main reason is “The government is giving me money for doing nothing.”  That money doesn't magically appear in the government's back account to supply your family food, shelter, cell phones, cable TV and Internet while you take your time looking for the perfect job.  It’s coming from the taxes we pay.  That I pay.  Especially if you have a family you better be willing to man up and bring some food to the table.  I don't care if the job pays minimum wage.  Minimum wage is still more than no wage.

But I’m not being loving enough.  As a Christian I'm supposed to love my neighbor.  If I'm not willing to support you while you take your time to find the right job I am not walking in Christ’s love.  Let's be blunt.  WHAT A LOAD OF CRAP!  What does scripture say?  2 Thessalonians 3:10 “For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat.”  If you haven't figured it out from the title of this post, this is how I interpret this scripture:  If you don't work, you don't eat.  Yes, that sounds harsh.  But if you're willing to work at something, anything, you will have work to do.  It may be picking up handyman jobs.  It could be flipping burgers at McDonald's.  It could be volunteering at your church or local soup kitchen.  If you are willing to work there is something out there for you to do.  And if you are working at something, anything, God will provide for you.

Last year while my wife was pregnant she had to go on modified bed rest.  Suddenly our income was not going to be enough and I had to find another job to make ends meet.  And it had to be a job that would work around my full-time job.  In about a month I was working at a retail auto parts store.  To put this in perspective, the most complicated thing I had done to any car at that point was change the oil.  I did not know cars.  So in a working environment where almost 10% of the country is out of work, I was able to find a 2nd job selling something that I knew almost nothing about.  And to top it off I was part of the management team.  There is work out there to be had.  You just have to be willing to do something you don't want to do for less money than you want to get paid.

But wait!  Jesus fed the hungry, right?  He took the loaves and fishes and fed the multitudes!  So why don't you want to help someone who needs it?  Yep, Jesus fed the hungry.  HE fed them!  He didn’t pass the buck to the government, HE FED THEM!  If you know someone in need you fill that need.  You don’t direct them to the nearest welfare office to pick up your charity check.  And it is not always their immediate need that you should be focusing on.  They may be hungry and want food.  But they need a way to make sure that they don’t become hungry again.  Remember the old proverb.  If you give a man a fish you feed him for a day.  If you teach a man to fish you feed him for a lifetime.  So if you’re hungry and I truly want what is best for you am I going to give you a fish and walk away because my obligation as a Christian is satisfied?  Or am I going teach you to fish?  Am I going to take care of the need the you have right now or am I going to teach you to take care of that need for the rest of you life?

Now that I’ve finished ranting I have some challenges for you:

If you don’t agree with me: Tell me why!  Give me scripture and verse and show me I’m wrong.

If you have a job:  Help someone who doesn’t.  Take them to dinner.  Give them money for their bills.  If they’re a single parent, watch their kids while they go on job interviews.  Instead of passing the buck to the welfare system, get involved and help someone.  This isn't about not helping people.  This is giving people the help they need.

If you don’t have a job:  Do Something!  Anything!  Don’t sit around and don’t feel sorry for yourself.  Man up!  If all you can find is part time work and you need full time work, get two part time jobs.  If you need $15 an hour and all you can find is $10 an hour work for $10 an hour until you find a job for $15 an hour.  If the only work you can find is to volunteer at church cleaning the toilets then humble yourself and clean the toilets.  Put your hand to something.  One place you can volunteer right now is in Nashville.  Go to  serviceinternational.org to find out about flood relief trips.

May 22, 2010

Numbness & Worship

So I was late to church on Sunday.  This isn't an unusual occurrence when you have a toddler and a baby.  And every time I think to myself “I'm just missing worship.”  But this past Sunday I realized it was something else to which I've become numb.  I'm not just missing worship.  I'm missing a chance to connect with God and to prepare myself for Him to speak to me.

Have you ever noticed how much worship prepares your heart to receive?  As I began to think about it I realized that the church services where I was able to truly worship I learned a tremendous amount from the sermon.  I felt like God was speaking directly to me through our pastor's words when I had the chance to prepare my heart to hear from God.  But recently, more times than not, I'm late or distracted during worship and end up struggling to stay awake, let alone hear from God.

Have you ever been to a service where the worship time felt lifeless?  It's unbearable.  During my freshman year of college my parents had started going to a different church while I was away at school.  But the youth group was a strong connection.  I stayed at our old church and helped out with the youth group.  And then one night during the youth service worship everything felt wrong. I was standing in the crowd singing and I could tell that there was no life in the room.  It felt cold and oppressive.  It wasn't worship.  It was a group of kids hanging out.  I had to get out.  I went to the bathroom to get away from the feeling of emptiness that was in the room, regrouped and went back to the service.

I was able to feel the difference because whenever I visited my parent’s new church that there was a joy in praising God that I couldn't feel that night.  The members of that church were truly praising God.  They weren’t there to socialize or make an appearance.  They loved God and were truly worshiping Him.

Worship is not just a time to allow the late-comers a chance to sit down without having everyone look at them funny.  Corporate worship in a church service ushers in the anointing of God on that time.  When the congregation joyfully praises God he is able to do so much more.  Hearts will be touched.  Lives will be changed.  Worship is vital to our time with God.  Without true worship bringing God to the service, despite any attempt of the pastor, preaching becomes lecturing.

God is always trying to speak to us.  But any type of communication is two-way.  Not only do you have to be clear in the message you are trying to convey, they have to understand the message.  You may be an eloquent speaker in all situations, but if the other person is not listening you aren’t communicating.  If they can’t hear you because of noise, you aren’t communicating.

When you’re hardly trying or not trying at all, you’ve become numb to God’s message.  In that youth service, the kids weren’t trying to listen for God.  No matter what God would have tried to say to them, they were not going to hear it.  Last Sunday, I was partly trying to hear from God.  I was letting too much of the “noise” in my life get in the way of God talking to me.

No one is immune from the noise of life getting in the way from hearing from God.  Satan will do everything he can to distract you from God’s voice.  It takes an effort to make certain you are listening to God even, sometimes especially, in church.  Take advantage of the worship time in church to help to wipe away the noise in your life.  Stop singing loudly to show off your voice to the people sitting around you.  Stop singing softly because you’re self-conscious about your voice.  Don’t think about anything other than singing to God.  Praising Him for all He has done for you.  Worshiping Him for Who He Is!  The more your focus leaves the noise in your life and locks in on God, the greater the volume that still small voice take on.

It may only be for a short while, but in that time God will speak volumes.

May 8, 2010

Self-Forgiveness

They’ve forgiven you.  Now you can move on.  Or can you?  Have you forgiven yourself?
No!  You can’t forgive yourself yet!  You haven’t suffered enough.  You haven’t wallowed in self-misery long enough.  You need to keep feeling guilty about what you did.  You can’t forgive yourself until you’ve fully punished yourself…
Why?
Too many times we hold on to the sins of the past.  We continue to feel guilty about what we’ve done.  Regardless of the fact that the person we wronged has forgiven us, we can’t let go.  Regardless of the fact that this particular sin was a minuscule part of the sins of Humanity that Christ upon himself when he died on the Cross
By not forgiving yourself you are rejecting God’s forgiveness. Can you claim that your opinion of sin is of more value that God’s?  If God forgives you, why can’t you forgive yourself?  If he deems that you are worthy of forgiveness then you are worthy of forgiveness.
You must ask forgiveness of God as soon as you repent of your sin.  If you ask for forgiveness you will be forgiven.  1 John 1:9 says “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins…”  There is no sin that will not be forgiven if you ask for forgiveness.  
Maybe you are too ashamed to bring it to him?  Is what you did so horrible that you should never be forgiven?  How does your sin compare to the sins of the most evil people in history?  Nero, Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, Charles Manson, Jeffrey Dahmer.  These are people whose sins defy description.  Each name evokes a thought of horror.  But Christ took all of their sins upon him when he died upon the cross.  All it would have taken for each of these men to be forgiven of all their sins would have been to repent and ask forgiveness.  In fact, there are stories that Jeffrey Dahmer did just that and became a Christian before he died.  When Christ died it was for all of your sins, past, present and future.  There is no sin that you or anyone has committed or will be commit that cannot be covered by the death of Jesus Christ 2,000 years ago.
The crux of the issue is the sorrow that you feel for the wrong you committed.  By allowing yourself to feel guilty you think you are somehow atoning for your sin.  But the atonement for your sin was accomplished with Christ’s death on the cross.  There is nothing left to atone for.  And God’s forgiveness for your sin means that you are no longer guilty.  Do not let your sorrow anchor your spiritual life to that sin.  Let yourself move past that point and progress forward.
But remain sorrowful.  Remind yourself of the hurt you caused the one you loved.  Remind yourself of that sorrow any time you are tempted to commit that sin again.  Use that sorrow as your means of escape from temptation (1 Corinthians 10:13).  Learn from that sorrow and make certain that you do not commit that sin again.  Yes, God will forgive you if you commit that sin again.  But the one you love is human.  And they may not forgive you if there is a next time.  And even if they do forgive you a next time, they may need to remove that sin from their life…

May 4, 2010

Numbness & Forgiveness

Most of us have heard the story about how to boil a frog. If you take a frog and put him in a pot of boiling water he’ll jump out pretty quick. But if you put a frog in a pot of room temperature water and slowly turn the temperature up to boiling, pretty soon you will have a boiled frog.
Call me a frog.
I’ve been a Christian all my life. I cannot remember a time where Jesus was not a part of my life. I was raised going to church every Sunday morning, Sunday night and Wednesday night. I remember making the decision to be baptized when I was 12. But I cannot remember a specific moment of accepting Jesus as my Savior. He just always was. But recently I realized that constantly being in church had made me numb to some aspects of Christianity. One aspect in particular that I took for granted was the value of forgiveness.
I am a sinner. I’ve never believed I’m perfect because I am a Christian. Being a Christian just means that I’ve accepted the sacrifice that Jesus Christ made for my sins. I’ve accepted the forgiveness that he has offered. Yet it took an act of human forgiveness for me to truly understand the value of that forgiveness.
Looking through your tears at the tears in the eyes of someone you have wronged impacts you. It hits you deep in the gut, in a place that paralyzes your emotions. I’m not saying you can’t feel anything. Your emotions are frozen in a wretched, helpless mess. You are at the mercy of someone that you have wronged. Nothing can change what you’ve done. It’s their turn to respond.
Human nature tells them to make you squirm. To scream and yell. To make you feel every bit as horrible as they feel. You know that is what you would want to do as you wait for their response But that's not what they do.
They forgive you. And you realize the gift they have given you. And you remember how precious the gift of God's forgiveness is. And you start to wonder what other things in your faith you have become numb to.