Resolutions

Copied from Dan Jenkins' Article at
 http://churchofchristarticles.com

Here it is a new year - time to reflect on the accomplishments of last year or lack thereof.

Did I accomplish everything I hoped to last year, no.  In fact in a recent review of family resolutions (a tradition we started a few years ago) I scored about 2.5 out of 7 not a good statistic in any sport, let alone personal life ambitions.

So what to do?  Start again, wipe the slate clean. Choose new/better resolutions for the new year.  I bet my average will improve!  I'll make time, I'll lose the weight, I'll invite more people to church.

Wait, what did I just say?  Invite more people to church?  Why in the world did I resolve to do that?  Oh right, because like me, they need Jesus.  They need to hear the message of God's love expressed in his son Jesus Christ revealed by His Holy Spirit through His Church.  After all, God is the master at helping people to start over.  Our slates have been wiped clean by the blood of HIS SON.  This is a resolution worth sharing and hopefully, this will be one New Year's Resolution I keep.

Pardons for Turkeys

It is that most wonderful time of year again -- the best holiday of the year as far as I am concerned -- yes it's Thanksgiving.  Turkey Day as I (and I'm sure many others) like to call it is a great time to celebrate the four Fs that make my life merely complete: Faith, Family, Food, and of course, Football (NFL-style that is).

I have no doubt that I will spend much time with each of these during this wonderful civic holiday which fits so nicely into my calendar year.  Yet as I think about what it means to be thankful, I realize just how much ingratitude I show my Lord and Savior throughout the year and this thought bothers me a bit.

I don't always live out my faith the way I should.  My Gospel proclamations get compromised for the sake of social acceptance.  My Christ-like nature is quickly replaced with petty anger or self-righteousness.  As a Christian, I find myself walking the ground like a turkey rather than soaring on wings like eagles.

Fortunately however, I do have a saving grace.  Just like the lucky official presidential turkeys, I have been pardoned.  I have been set free and can start each new day with a fresh start, a clean slate if you will.  The purchase price of this Pardon was high - Christ's death on the cross, but as the song goes, "because He lives, I can face tomorrow."

Remembering this pardon causes me to be all the more thankful for the opportunity I have to share the Good News and it is a pardon I hope all of you will get to experience.  Happy Thanksgiving to all you Turkeys like me out there.

God Loves You!

Sitting down at my computer tonight, I realized that I have an tendency to over-analyze things.  I often try to make spiritual connections between the daily happenings of life and my faith even when/if those connections aren't there.

I somehow believe if I can just somehow "spiritualize" the matter at hand, it must have come from God and must be written about and shared with the masses.  Rather than continue my folly (at least for this evening) and write about an experience from the day, I have decided to share an important message from the heart instead.

Are you ready?  Here it is:

GOD LOVES YOU!  Yes that's right; the all-powerful, all-knowing, always-present, creator of the universe and all that it entails fancies you!  He even says so in his very own words.  Look it up, I dare you!  It's there in more ways than you might imagine.

"God loves me, so what?" you might say. "How is this relevant in the day-to-day world in which I live?"

Here's my response, If I know that I am already loved and accepted beyond the measure by God, I don't have to live in fear of rejection or failure. I can be free to work hard, take risks, and serve others, not for my own benefit or glory, but for God's.  God's love for me produces a freedom to live life to its full - not in sinful disobedience, but in a worship-filled walk where everything I do is to please Him and Him alone. God's love gives my daily activities a greater purpose.

Knowing God loves me, allows me to work on my relationship with others.  Again, I don't have to fear rejection, because even if man does not love me, God does.  As I serve others, I have provided a path of understanding.  My mantra becomes, "Can I become lens to reflect God's love toward others?"  If so, I proceed.  If not, I stop and change course.  (At least most of the time.)

No fancy theological analogies here, just simple honest truth.  God loves you.  He sent Jesus to die for you.  Jesus was victorious over sin and death so that you could build a love relationship with Him.  He is with you through the Holy Spirit today.

Now that you've heard it, enjoy it and pass it on.

5K Faith When Pigs Fly

Yesterday I ran my first 5k race ever.  The decision to run in the event (affectionately known as the Flying Pig 5k for all you familiar with The Greater Cincinnati area) was made in part to support my teenage daughter's efforts in the event.   It was quite enjoyable, I might add.

While running, I was struck by a number of observations that are as applicable to our spiritual journeys as they are to the running circuit.  I have decided to post a few here.

Ancient Greek Olympic Stadium Where Foot Races Were Commonly Held  

1. It is far easier to run the race when we have support.  Just as I encouraged my daughter, and as we were encouraged by the spectators, let's us try to encourage one another in our walks with The Lord.
2. The better shape we are in to run the race, the better the results.  Just like a runner who uses physical training to discipline the body so it can perform at its peak, Christians need to use spiritual disciplines to train.
3. Distance races require athletes to pace themselves in order to do well.  So to do Christians.  We must follow the pace set for us by The Lord.  If we get out in front, or fall too far back we run the risk of not finishing well.
4. Proper hydration and nourishment is important for the runner.  This is also true for the Christian.  We must hydrate in the Living Water daily and feed upon God's Word.
5. Finally, the race becomes easier to finish when the finish line is in sight.  "Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the Throne of God. - Hebrews 12:1-2

Good Friday

Now, who can call "Good Friday" good?, A term too oft misunderstood, You who were bought by the blood of His cross You can call "Good Friday" good.

I wish I had been the one to come up with this great quote, but the credit must go to one whose witness shined through his God-given talent of comic strip art.  I remember reading Gary Hart's work in the morning papers and was deeply impressed by the faith broadcast to the reading public without reservation.   More intriguing was the idea that a professional could use his craft to communicate the basic truths of the Gospel message.  What a great example of how we need not all be trained ministers to proclaim the Message, but rather willing vessels, to be used by Our Lord to get the job done!

So, as we draw near this glorious season of the resurrection, let your heart and hands be ready and willing in whatever field you find yourself.   He will equip you with all you need to accomplish His will; His good, pleasing, and perfect will.

And if you find yourself struggling at this time in your life, keep up the faith.  Remember, it may be Friday now, but Sunday's coming!

Grace and Peace to all who may read,

Head vs. Heart: A Wonderful Example of God's Grace

As I sit typing what might actually be my first blog on my I-device, I am saddened with the realization that one small letter can hold great implications.  Because there is a tendency within the heart of this blogger to focus on the I am instead upon the great I AM, much of the advice I write seems to fall silently upon my own ears.

You see, if you are like me you know what you should do in terms of sharing the Gospel.  You know its truth and power -- that is to say intellectually speaking you know it -- you know that it is the true hope for the world, but for some reason or another that head knowledge has not fully found its way down to the heart.  It has yet to become true heart knowledge.

Within this in mind, I am left with but few options.

1.  I can choose to remain where I am and never fully reach the place the great I AM wants me to be.   The position of hypocrite, lunatic, or liar . . .

OR

2.  I can throw myself at the feet of the cross, seek forgiveness, and allow HIS great mercy and love to pick me up! dust me off! and send me on my way with a renewed passion for HIS glory!

Seems like a no-brainer. . .

Lost Connections

  Recently I had an opportunity to "slow-down" and reconnect with some friends and family who I hadn't talked with for some time.  It did my heart good to hear familiar voices and exchange pleasantries. Unfortunately these quick reconnects did little to sustain my emotional high.  I quickly realized there were aspects about my life as a whole that were out of whack and may need adjustment.

  First of all, I realized how shallow some of my conversations really were.  Did I really care about these people?  Would someone listening in get an understanding of the depth of our relationships?  Could someone tell that my calls were fueled, in part, from a sense of guilt and obligation rather than true desire to hear about that person's day, week, or month?  Although I do care about the people I talked to today, the answer to the previous question, if I am being honest, would not be entirely favorable.  My lack of genuine, deep conversations must be attributed to a few key factors which I am not proud of recognizing: 1) extreme busyness - a life lived by the clock cannot develop meaningful relationships; 2) lack of intimacy - you cannot care about someone if you don't spend sufficient time in intimate settings with them (I am not talking about romantic intimacy here, but the genuine bond that forms between people who spend a lot of time in close proximity); and 3) fear - meaningful conversations require a give-and-take between participants, there is great vulnerability in having to share with someone about things that are personal to me.

  As I pondered these connections, grateful that my friends and family accept my weaknesses and still like to hear from me, I pondered my connection with God.  This is why I write today.  I encourage each of you to ask yourself how your communication with the Heavenly Father is going today.  Are you letting busyness, a lack of intimacy, or fear disrupt your connection?  If so, let me encourage you to reconnect right now.  The Father is waiting with an open line and and open in-box just to hear from you.  Be ready to open your heart to Him, but also be ready to receive his reply.  Remember He has Good News for you share.

Happy Connecting!

Wisdom and Words from Piper

Many times I include my own reflections for this site, however I recently read a passage in John Piper's classic work on missions: Let the Nations Be Glad: The Supremacy of God in Missions which stopped my in my tracks.  In the following passage, Piper elaborates on his main thesis and gave me quite a bit to think about recently.  I figured that I would do the same by passing it along to all of you.

Piper writes:  "Missions exists because worship doesn't. . . This is the ultimate problem in the world. . .

The glory of God is not honored.
The holiness of God is not reverenced.
The greatness of God is not admired.
The power of God is not praised.
The truth of God is not sought.
The wisdom of God is not esteemed.
The beauty of God is not treasured.
The goodness of God is not savored.
The faithfulness of God is not trusted.
The commandments of God are not obeyed.
The justice of God is not respected.
The wrath of God is not feared.
The grace of God is not cherished.
The presence of God is not prized [or practiced].
The person of God is not loved.

. . . That is the ultimate reason for missions.

[Missions seeks to make worshipers of people from all tongues, tribes, and nations so that God is valued.]

a valuing of God above all else that is valuable
a loving of God above all else that is lovely
a savoring of God above all else that is sweet
an admiring of God above all else that is admirable
a fearing of God above all else that is fearful
a respecting of God above all else that is respectable
a prizing of God above all else that is precious . . . .  (Piper 230-1)

Living the Dream

I recently ran into a former student of mine who was working for a well-known retail chain store. When I made the inquiry into how she was doing, she replied, "You know, I'm living the dream. . . Working here at *******." The pain and remorse, while not directly stated, was apparent upon her face. This young lady realized, perhaps too late, the opportunities she had lost. Regret was tangible at that moment. I wish I could say that I took the time to share the fact that God is the God of fresh starts and no regrets -- "a dream come true." -- sadly I failed this time and only offered a small word of condolence. I left my former student and moved on to my family heading for the car. This experience however, allowed me to see the importance of relying on God and following Him all the more. As I type this I can feel the Father forgiving me once more and urging me forward to "live the dream" He has for me. As you read this I hope you too will live out the Father's dreams for you in Christ Jesus. The following verse captures the essence of this notion. Psalm 37:4. Delight first in the LORD then the desires of your heart will be fulfilled. As God changes our hearts, His dreams for us become our dreams as well.

Eating Caterpillars

"An emptied pan of caterpillars is more convincing than all the empty metaphors of love which missionaries are prone to expend . . ." -- William D. Reyburn

I recently ran across the quote mentioned above while re-taking the Perspectives on the World Christian Movement course.  It caused me to pause and shudder for a moment.  I began to think about the nature of culture and the tendency within most of us who claim to care about global evangelization, to fail to examine our own hearts and cultural bias before we engage the lost.  I had to ask myself how many times I had such a great presentation of the Gospel to share, that I failed to meet people where they were so that they could truly identify with the message.

I am not suggesting that we as Christians go into the world unprepared to share the message of Christ, that would go against Scripture where we are exhorted to "always be prepared to give an account of the hope we have in Christ Jesus," (paraphrase) but rather that in our preparation of the Gospel, we don't become so foreign to those with whom we wish to share, that it becomes an irrelevant message because the bearer of the message has become irrelevant.

As someone wiser than I once said, "Sometimes, in order to share the Gospel effectively, people need to know what you are for, rather than what you are against."  Again the idea is the same, if people can't relate to you as the messenger, they will never accept the message you bring.  If all they they see is someone who is condemning, then the message of grace, mercy, and love is lost.

The Gospel can penetrate any culture, but sometimes it does not because its messengers are unwilling to penetrate the culture and identify with it.  I am not talking about doing those things which may run contradictory to Scripture, but I am talking about following the example of Christ; it is an example of ONE who renounced and sacrificed all, to become all, that in all, HE might save all who would believe.

So may my prayer today be yours as well.  "Lord, help me eat more caterpillars!"  

Ordinary but Extraordinary

The picture at right is of a stone manger, literally a feeding/watering trough used for livestock.  There is nothing terribly important about this particular manger.  In fact, many like this appear all around the world, this one just happens to be in Israel. 

By this point most of you reading this probably know where I am headed.  The combination of mangers and the Holy Land can mean nothing less than a post about the Nativity; an event celebrated worldwide by a common phrase "Merry Christmas!"

The fact that the Savior of the world should come to an ordinary family on an ordinary night and be placed in an ordinary manger is, to this blogger, nothing short of extraordinary!  God's Son could have come as a conquering hero, and political champion, a famous celebrity or athlete, but he didn't.  He came as an ordinary guy.  Just one more Joshua, Hosea, Hoshea, or Jesus to add to the list.  The son of a carpenter and his faithful young bride-to-be.  He came as an ordinary man so that he could relate to all of us.  Someone who could experience everything we experience, and therefore be qualified to represent all of us and redeem us all. 

Perhaps we need to take another lesson from the Savior this Christmas.  In the hustle and bustle of Christmas it is easy to get distracted by extraordinary nature of the season.  Lights, crowded shopping malls, decorations galore (including my neighbors 2 story blow-up Santa on a motorcycle) all vie for our attention.  In this time of extraordinary stress, activity, and distraction, please take some time to find joy in the ordinary -- the simple, but profound nature of God's gift.  "The Word became flesh and dwelt among us." 

Light in the Darkness

  When Howard Carter first discovered King Tutankhamun's tomb, he was in the burial chamber with very limited light.  His partner called down and asked if he had found anything.  Carter, realizing he had stumbled upon something special, called for more light.  To his astonishment he had unearthed one of archaeology's greatest finds. 

  The discovery of King Tut's tomb, apart from astounding archaeologist, encouraging treasure seekers, and inspiring a hit song by Steve Martin serves as a reminder of the importance of light.  Too much light, or light misapplied can be harmful or unproductive, but light when properly used can be a source of great good.  We need to remember the lesson of King Tut's tomb as we let our lights shine.  Like Carter's electric torch, we too reflect light on a burial chamber, however unlike Carter, the burial chamber we reflect is empty; not because someone stole the body or because it rotted away, but rather because, "He is not [there].  He is risen!" 

Mountains and Valleys

These last couple of weeks have been the kind that really test one's spiritual mettle. Two weeks ago I was returning from a awesome mission trip to Haiti.  I preached (through an interpreter) and someone accepted Christ's salvation.  My team and I worked on a school and medical clinic, it was a mountaintop experience.  Then came the post-trip emotional let-down, followed by long hours at work.  A plateau, but certainly not a valley.  Then came the valley.  My grandmother passed away.  My joy had been turned to sadness, but still even in the shadow of the valley of death, there was hope.  Christ was there.  He was willing and able to lift me up and sustain me.  He is currently preparing me for my next mountain, plateau, or valley.  He will sustain you too.

Time to Eat and Drink

I love to eat. Sometimes I eat a little too much, but that really isn't the point of this message. I compose this short note as I prepare to sit down and eat. I happened to think that Christ used everyday expressions of food and drink to reveal the nature of His person to his followers. "I am the Bread of Life," "I give Living Water." If we want to know Christ, then we need to feast on this bread and drink from this water. It is an all-you-can-eat buffet leading to eternal life, and we don't even have to watch for an expanding waist line! This also got me thinking of how we share the message of Christ with others. Clearly food and drink provide great opportunities for fellowship. My Italian missionary friend reminds me that every worship service is preceded or immediately followed with meals. They say that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach, so why not use physical food as a bridge to go from the stomach to the spiritual heart. Likewise the mealtime doesn't have to formal and/or overly spiritualized. Merely extending an invitation of fellowship, and then allowing others to see you and your family at mealtimes may be enough to encourage seekers to find out more about the Christ you follow. Just a a little food for thought.

Relational God

Recently, our missions team was reminded of some awesome truths about God. These truths were revealed in the context of a workshop entitled "Practical Ways to Share Christ with Your Neighbors." Out of the these truths, perhaps the biggest was a reminder that the God we serve is a God of Relationships. God is in relationship with Himself in the form of the Trinity. God desired relationship with his people, the Children of Israel, Christ became Immanuel, God With Us, and the Holy Spirit dwells within us. Is there any wonder then that the key to reaching others with the gospel begins with relationships? Here are few suggestions from a friend of mine who led the workshop. When sharing Christ with your neighbors remember to:

1) Make sure that your actions are consistent with your beliefs.
2) Figure out the climate where your neighbors are.
3) Remember the acronym F.R.O.M. Family, Recreations, Occupations, commit to Memory.
4) Become comfortable in your own skin. Be real when your around your neighbors.
5) Be creative.
6) Learn to celebrate and mourn. Allow others to celebrate and mourn for with/for you as well.
7) Remember everyone is an expert at something.
8) Remember the Holy Spirit is at work and His wisdom surpasses your own.
9) Practice the 5.3 Theory. Don't try to do everything yourself.
10) Don't place too much upon your neighhbors at one time. Treat them like a bridge with a spiritual weight limit until the relationship is stronger.

MISSED OPPORTUNITIES

Well, I would like to report that since my last blog post that I have been setting the world on fire with the Gospel message. Sadly, as the Spirit convicts, I have not. It is for this reason that I have greater admiration and respect for those who daily risk their lives for the sake of the Gospel. My life reads as a series of missed opportunities. I don't know how many times I've had the chance to tell someone the good news of Christ, and for whatever reason, have held back. Fear, embarassment, general dislike of the person, (hopefully not the latter) all perhaps have played a part, or perhaps more worrisome is the thought that, maybe I don't really believe what I claim to believe. If it was really true, wouldn't I be compelled to share? As I write this, my spirit is downcast. All I can do is cry out to HIM who is merciful and say, "I'm sorry." I trust that God's grace, which is sufficient to cover a multitude of sin, will once again cover my transgression, and I pray that the next time the opportunity presents itself, I won't miss it. It is my hope that this will encourage you to do the same should you find yourself passing on opportunities as well.

God's Megaphone

“God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks to us in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: It is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world” -- C.S. Lewis


Have you ever had one of "those" weeks. Recently our church family experienced a tremendous tragedy. A young life was taken from us. I don't claim to know why and can say nothing that will really provide any comfort to those who are mourning, apart from the fact that through Christ we have hope for reunion in Heaven. It's times like these that make ministering to and with others a great burden, but it is also times like these when God's presence can be most actively experienced.

I don't know if it was just the jolt of the tragedy or a culmination of factors, but God chose, once again to reveal his heart to me. Through my sadness and frustration, I was able to catch a glimpse of God's heart for the nations.

I can't imagine the pain of losing a child, but God can. He gave up his child on our behalf. And he invites all children of the earth to be reunited to him through this sacrifice. Unfortunately, some of his children chose to reject him, others never receive the opportunity because not enough of his "accepted" children share their joy and Good News with others. This thought hit me like a hammer. I felt the raw pain in my heart and then tried to imagine what God must go through when I realized just how many of his earthly children are needlessly suffering a spiritual death. It was overwhelming.

To borrow an idea, God had used his megaphone, and for now, it's got my attention. How about you?

Where Does the Time Go?

Once again I sit at my blog wondering the age old question, where does the time go? My children have gone through another round of birthdays (well almost), my school year finished and is now getting ready to restart, and I never even managed to post once since mid-May. It wasn't that I didn't want to, it just wasn't a priority. In the world of blogging this might not be so important, but in the world of global evangelism time is critical. Avoiding a long-winded commentary about time in other places around the world, all I will say is there is no wonder why we are instructed to be ready in and out of season to proclaim the Gospel. We don't know when Christ will return, but we do know that it could be any day. The Bible says the day of the coming of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. We should plan accordingly. We don't want to be waiting for the bridal party and find that we have run out of oil at the wrong time. Also as I think about the potential shortness of time before Christ's return I have to remind myself of the urgency. How many of my friends, family, or other loved ones will not get to experience the benefit of Christ's redemption b/c I couldn't find the time? How many souls around the world will miss out on the great eternal party with the Father b/c the time wasn't right? I guess I'd better take my own advise and make the most of the time I am given.

Little People

Today I was inspired to spend a little more time with my children. So we brought out the Little People. I was amazed at the depths of imagination that little plastic horses, unicorns, farms, dinosaurs, planes, and zoo trains could unravel. It caused me to marvel at the creativity of our heavenly father a little more as well.

The thing that really got me though was the amount of joy on my children's faces as I, their earthly father spent a little time with them telling stories, putting cities together, and acting out their favorite scenes. I realized just how important it was that we spend time with our heavenly father. HE is always there, ready to share in our victories, our sorrows, and the day-to-day of life.

Our heavenly father is also at work constructing a heavenly city for us. One we will be called to through faith in Christ Jesus. How much joy this thought brings to my face. I hope that it will do the same for you.

On Jesus and Bin Laden

I found a picture of Jesus washing the feet of various world leaders, including Bin Laden. This made me stop and ponder a few things. Namely about justice, heavenly grace, and my need for the latter.

The death of Osama Bin Laden caused me to think a bit today on the notion of justice. I believe a bit of justice was served with Bin Laden's death. Perhaps, (as I believe) the role of temporal government is to insure that justice is granted to those who have been victimized under legal statutes. The wrongdoer punished as they say.

But what about the role of heavenly justice? For me, I have chosen to believe in a faith that offers both absolute mercy and absolute justice. For me, this "contradictory" fulfilment is found in a relationship with Jesus Christ. Those who do wrong including myself can be forgiven because Christ has paid the penalty for our transgression. If this is true then hopefully the way I relate to others reflects this belief without hypocrisy, malice, or falsehood.

This led me to another thought. What would my reaction to this news have been if I had learned that Bin Laden had converted to Christianity before his death? Would I have looked forward to seeing him in heaven as the heavenly father would have? Would I rejoice over his conversion as the angels certainly would have? The fact that I cannot answer definitively "yes" on these questions reminds me that I am still in need of God's grace and mercy.