All Done

My wife has taught each of our three children sign language early in their lives as a way for them to communicate with us. It has made things a lot easier and less frustrating for all parties involved. My youngest son's favorite sign right now is "all done". He will tell us when he is all done playing, all done sitting, all done eating, and on and on. It is funny to see him give the sign that he is all done, but it is a necessary step as we all need to learn how to say "all done" at some point in our lives.

As a Christian and as a pastor, I am convinced that one of the hardest things for us to do as humans is to be "all done".

So many people call themselves Christian because they have decided to allow Jesus into their lives, they have established a habit of attending church, praying, and even reading the Scriptures. But, Jesus called Christians to so much more than that.

"When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”   John 8:12

You see, if we accept the first part of Jesus statement, that He is the light of the world, than we will desire the last part of His statement, the light of life. But, in order to have this "light of life" we need to follow Jesus, who is the light of life. And, when we follow Jesus, we will not walk in darkness because Jesus will never lead us into darkness.

"This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth."   1 John 1:5-6

So, the key is following Jesus, and that is walking in Him, walking in His light. But, in order for us to follow Him, Jesus demands that we say "all done" to everything that is not pure, Jesus demands that we say "all done" to everything that is not holy. 

Jesus is the light of the world, but it makes no real difference to you unless He becomes the light of your world.  

Sin of Sodom

Have you heard the story of the city of Sodom?

In Genesis 18, God speaks to Abraham and tells him about His plan to destroy the city. Abraham begs God not to do it for the sake of his nephew Lot. So, in Genesis 19, God sends two angels down to the city gate of Sodom. The angels, two men, meet Lot at the city gate and proceed to the city square where Lot secures them in his house and then must defend them to the crowd of men standing outside that want to have sex with them. Yeah, you read that right!

So, in an effort to keep these men from accosting these angels inside his home, Lot offers up his two virgin daughters to the crowd of men to "do with what they want". They refuse Lot's offer and try to break down the door to get to the men inside. So, the angels pull Lot in the door, strike the evil men with blindness and proceed to lay out God's plan of destruction. The angels send Lot to a nearby town and God rained down burning sulfur on Sodom.  

So, here is a question; why was the city of Sodom destroyed?

You see, many people use the city of Sodom as an example that God despises same-gender relations and that He punishes this sin. While this is true, that is not the primary reason that the city of Sodom was destroyed! Read Ezekiel 16:49-50 and you find out something different.

"Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy. They were haughty and did detestable things before me. Therefore I did away with them as you have seen."

That sounds a lot like America. Moreover, that sounds like a lot of Christians living in America!

ARROGANT ~ OVERFED ~ UNCONCERNED

It's odd that we look at the city of Sodom as an example that God will punish sin until we find that we are guilty of the very sin by which God was punishing.

The Jesus Perspective

I found an article I wrote for the newspaper some time back and thought I would post it on here.

This past week I was reading Mark 5:1-20, an account of Jesus meeting a demon possessed man on the shores of Gadara. He delivers this man and sends the demons into a nearby heard of pigs. Take five minutes to read it yourself. As I read through this I considered the people of the region, Mark calls them the Gerasenes.

Jesus meets this demon possessed man, a human being and delivers him from bondage. Hallelujah, it is time to celebrate! But instead, the men that were tending the pigs, ran off to tell others about this tragedy. But, if they missed the miracle of the moment when Christ took those demons out of the man, they will get another chance to rejoice.

Up to this point many of the people of this region only knew him as ‘the possessed guy,’ ‘the crazy guy,’ ‘the screamer’ or ‘the cutter.’ Now, they get the chance to see him whole again, “dressed and inhis right mind.” Now they can show pity on him and be glad that he has been delivered. But it reads “they wereafraid.” To be clear, minutes ago he was hanging out in the tombs, he was cutting himself and screaming out in pain day and night and he was breaking chains with superhuman strength and now they are afraid?

The people begin to tell others the whole account. They share what has happened with the man who was possessed for such a long time, of thousands of demons came out of him and into the pigs that ran off the cliff and of Jesus, His power and control.

Jesus’ supremacy can no longer be doubted. Scripture reads that the people pleaded with Jesus to leave their region. They wanted Him out of there. The truth is that they would have rather had the pigs then Jesus.

Later, as the man begins to give a first-hand account of his deliverance in the ten-city region, we read people were amazed. Translated, it meant that the people marveled, they admired Jesus, His power and of the miracle.

People were always one step behind, afraid after the man had been delivered and marveled after Jesus left town.

It is my prayer that we do not emulate the Gerasenes, that we are not one step behind, running away when we should rejoice, fearing what we should embrace and dismissing the One we should welcome.

Maybe you feel a bit like the man at the beginning of the passage, you are facing the pressures of life, the loneliness of culture and the shame of the past. You are one step away from being free. And just as the man in the passage did, you need to run and fall on your knees in front of Jesus. Maybe you feel like the Gerasenes or you know someone who is struggling, you see someone hurting and know that something needs to be done.

Are you going to pass on by or stop and see what Jesus sees? It is all about the perspective that we take, the moment we pause and consider what a person is going through and how some of the simplest actions we take can change a person’s life forever.

Blessed with Provisions

Yesterday I was speaking with a friend about wealth in America and poverty around the world. He seemed to be of the school of thought that we do enough for the needs of those outside our country and that we need to care more for our own before we concern ourselves with the needs of those living over seas.

I asked Him what he felt our response as Christians should be. I asked him where Scripture states that we should care for our own before we care for the needs of others. After some discussion, he pointed me to Genesis and the account of Joseph, how God blessed Joseph with a gift to bless Egypt during a time of famine.

I read this account and I thought that my friend might have had a good point. But then I kept reading.

Genesis 42:1-2 reads:

When Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, “Why do you just keep looking at each other?” He continued, “I have heard that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy some for us, so that we may live and not die.”

When the top 4% of the world are living on 75 times more wealth than the bottom 96% of the world is, don't you think their statements echo that of Jacob's?

I imagine they say something like:

I have heard that there is wealth in America. Let us go there and get some for ourselves, so that we may live and not die. 

As Christians, we must believe that God is in control of all things at all times in all ways. As Christians, we must believe that God loves all people at all times in all ways. Which brings us to the question, why does God allow famine, droughts, and plagues that lead to poverty?

The answer is that God provided us a Joseph!

God has provided us with a man (or a woman), or several, to see visions, to dream dreams, and to plan ahead. And, God has provided them with the means to do so.

The issue, then, is not that God allows these things to happen and that He fails to provide. The issue is that when God provides for the needs of His people, those of us who receive His provisions sit on them, we waste His blessings or we absorb His blessings for ourselves.

You see, God has blessed the nation of America, He has poured His favor upon us. And, as Christians living in America, we have made the wrong assumption that God intends for us to sit on, to waste, or to absorb His blessings. God does not intend for us to do this, but rather, He intends for us to share His blessings and to bless others.

Perhaps this is the test. And, if it is, we are failing terribly!

With this in mind, read the parable of the talents, Matthew 25:14-30. Pay attention to what happens to the lazy servant.



Go And Do Likewise

Last week I wrote about the issue of immigration titled WWJD: Immigration. Since writing this I have been troubled by the issue of immigration but also by the issues going on around the world that we, as Christians living in America, seem to care less about.  

I am still looking to answer questions on what Scriptures say about Christians protecting and providing for their own before we concern ourselves with what is going on with those that are not "our own".  From what I have found thus far, we are not to draw boarders and look out for "our own", but rather we are to love and care for everyone.

This morning I was reading from Luke chapter 10 and I was struck by an account that I have read countless times, the parable of the good Samaritan. The question at the center of this parable; "Who is my neighbor?" Now, the reason this question was asked was that the experts in the law were looking for a way to restrict those they are called to love and to care for. Isn't that what we, as Americans, try to do daily?

You see, the problem is that we have become Americans, yet we have failed to become Christians!

Many Christians in America today need to ask this question; "who is my neighbor". When we ask this question, when we wrestle with this question, when we take this question to Jesus, we would find that His answer would be much the same as it was in Luke 10. The answer to the question of who our neighbor is, then, is anyone we become aware of that has a need, anyone we access to helping with their need, and anyone we have the ability to have mercy on.

But, and I believe this is the biggest issue, the real reason we don't ask the question, "who is my neighbor", is because we already know the answer and we already know that Jesus would call us to "go and do likewise" (Luke 10:37).

“Go and do likewise.”

Go, and see the world as Jesus saw the world. Go, and see other people as Jesus saw other people. Go, and love as Jesus loved. Go, and have compassion as Jesus had compassion. Go, and have mercy as Jesus had mercy. Go, and be a neighbor. Go, and do likewise.  

WWJD: Immigration

I read the news everyday and find that more and more of it focuses on gay rights (with same-sex marriage rights being passed in several states and California passing a law to include prominent gay rights issues in their public school textbooks) and immigration (with much of the nations funds directed at protecting our boarders and deporting illegal immigrants). Perhaps you've read some of the same articles.

Just today I wrote a blog relating to my stance on the homosexual lifestyle, I know where I stand on this. But, I am not so sure where I stand on the issue of immigration. You see, as a follower of Jesus Christ, I think it best to find out what He thought, what He said, and determine how He would have acted if He had lived in the United States today. I've been searching the scripture for an answer on this and I have yet to find it.

So, I'm asking for some help here; tell me, what do the Scriptures have to say about immigration, about boarders between countries, and about protecting our own and taking care of other people and other lands AFTER we have covered our own desires first? Let me know through Email, Twitter or Facebook. I hope to hear from you!

Where I Stand on the Homosexual Lifestyle

I know where I stand on homosexuality. I know what the Scriptures say about the homosexual lifestyle. I understand what the Scripture has to say about homosexuality, that it is a sin and that, like all sin, it is wrong and those that continue to practice this lifestyle will be judged for their sin.

Yet, as I have said in the past, I don't understand why so many followers of Christ have decided to paint homosexuals as the worst of the worst, the most sinful of the sinners. As I said to a man almost a month ago, we all face a struggle with sin and although you may not struggle with the sin of homosexuality, you should not condemn others who do. You see, just as I do with people that struggle with greed, lust, deceit, and so many other sinful lifestyles, I feel sorry for those dealing in the homosexual lifestyle. Why? Because they are caught in a bondage with sin that they are being told is not sin, is not bondage, is not wrong at all.

There is a lot of ignorance in our country today, on one side is the ignorance of the homosexual community; ignorant to the fact that it is wrong and demands correction, on the other side is the ignorance of the judgemental Christian community; ignorant to the fact that we are not to judge but to live a life of love and light, portraying Jesus Christ. So many tend to point to this lifestyle as that which is ruining our culture and our children when the truth of the matter is that there are many things ruining our future, and much of it has already been accepted into our churches and our homes.

Running to meet your goal

As a general rule, I don't run. I don't particularly enjoy running, whether it is running for exercise or running as a competition, I don't enjoy it. Running can fall into two categories; speed and endurance.

• Speed: When I was in grade school we had to run through a series of chairs in gym class twice a week and by weeks end we would have run an entire mile. Near the end of our second grade year they announced that I was the fasted kid in second grade. My dad still credits me with the title and claims that I could beat all those second grade kids with my speed today.
• Endurance: When I was in college my wife (at the time she was only my girlfriend) asked me if I would train for a mini-marathon with her. I didn't particularly like the idea of running in a mini-marathon, 13.1 miles of winding roads and climbing hills, and I didn't like the rigorous training that came with getting myself into shape for it. But, while I didn't enjoy it, I did like the company that came with preparing and training, and because the love of my life wanted me to do it, I did it.

Hebrews chapter 12 has some to say about running, perseverance, and endurance (verses 1-2);

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith" 

 Max Lucado had the following to say about this passage in his book "Just Like Jesus":

"The word race is from the Greek agon, from which we get the word agony. The Christian's race is not a jog but rather a demanding and grueling, sometimes agonizing race. It takes a massive effort to finish strong. Likely you've noticed that many don't? Surely you've observed there are many on the side of the trail? They used to be running. There was a time when they kept the pace. But then weariness set in. They didn't think the run would be this tough..."

What about you:

• Do you find that the "Christian race" is tough or even agonizing at times?

"let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. ² Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith" 

We each have a race to run, each of us have goals by which we need to reach and goals we set out to reach. Yet there are often things that keep us from reaching these goals because we fail to recognize that they are weighing us down and keeping us from fixing our eyes on the end goal and the prize before us.
Here are some questions for you to consider:

• What are your goals?
• Primary goals?
• Secondary goals?
• What steps need to be taken (by you) in order to achieve these goals?
• What will (you) need to stop?
• What are the costs of these goals?
• What are the benefits of these goals?

Read through Hebrews 12:1-11, considering this, thinking of the subject of your struggle with sin, your hardships, and God's discipline in your life. Stay focused on the goal and run your race with perseverance.

Do What Jesus Did

Jesus said: "I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father." John 14:12

If you have faith in Jesus Christ you must do what Jesus did.

To do what Jesus did you must know what Jesus did.

If you want to know what Jesus did and do what Jesus did, you are following the path that Jesus led.

If you follow the path that Jesus led, you are following Him to God the Father and meeting Him there.

Jesus said: "And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father." John 16:13

That is, He will do whatever you ask in accordance with His will.

But, you must remain in Him and you must follow His will and His way.

Jesus said: "If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you." John 15:7

Because, God the Father desires to be glorified through His disciples.

Jesus said: "This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples." John 15:8

 Do what Jesus s desires and He will do what you desire in Him and through Him!

Jesus said it: trouble, grief, and joy

Have you ever felt like you just don't fit in? As a follower of Christ, this is a common occurrence for me. And it is often tough, when you see so many enjoying themselves, doing what they please, seeming to have such a wonderful time and a wonderful life outside of a relationship with Christ.

And it seems like this is Satan's biggest attack and his best trick for drawing followers of Jesus Christ away from Him and toward the world. Many come to Christ thinking that they are going to enjoy a better life here on earth and that it is going to be easier for them after they accept Christ's call to a new way and a new life. But that is not what Jesus promised, that is not what He offers, and that is not what He brings to us.

Instead, in John 16:33, Jesus promised us trouble; "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” You see, trouble while we are living our days here on earth, but also peace, knowing that Christ has overcome this world and all of the "trouble" that it has to offer.

Jesus had another promise for His followers concerning our days on this earth in John 16:22; "Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy." Not only trouble, but grief too, is this the life that Jesus calls us to? Yes! Because, after we have endured this minute time of trouble and grief, if we have stayed the course and remained faithful to Christ, we will see Him and we will rejoice at His sight.

At another place, Jesus promised grief now and joy later; "I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy." So, while the world is rejoicing around us, we may be going through trouble, grieving, or even weeping and mourning, all while those around us are rejoicing and celebrating. But, soon, very soon, we will see the face of Jesus and it will all be worth it.

This is why we, as followers of Jesus Christ, don't fit it! It all makes sense now, we don't fit in because we aren't suppose to, we don't fit in because we don't belong here. Again, Jesus said; "If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you."

So, when you feel out of place, take heart, when you feel like you don't fit in, go in peace, and when you feel like you can't go on any longer, keep the faith. Soon, when you see the face of Jesus, all the joy in your heart and the rejoicing in your spirit will take away all the sorrow that this world is laying on you now.

Trikes, Bikes, and Jesus

Years ago I remember the joy (and frustration) of taking our oldest daughter out to teach her to ride a tricycle. Until these early moments of training with my daughter, I never realized just how much strength and skill went into riding a trike. First comes the strength to push the pedals to keep the trike moving forward, then comes the strength to take off from a dead stop, then comes the strength and ability to steer the trike, and finally, the coordination to take off from a dead stop, propel the trike forward, keep the trike moving forward consistently, steer the trike and keep it on a smooth path, and watch for dangers around you.   

Well, our daughter has learned how to ride the tricycle, she has moved on to a bike with training wheels and very soon we will be removing the training wheels from her bike. It has been great to watch her grow in strength, coordination, and balance as she has mastered the skills of bike riding

Robert Tuttle wrote that the "Christian walk is much like riding a bicycle; we are either moving forward or falling off". There is a great deal of truth to this statement. God calls us to so much more than simply sitting still and getting by.

What if we, as Christians were happy with sitting still and just getting by? Well, it would be much like a person that learned how to ride a trike and decided to stay on the trike for the rest of their lives, relying on this small, three-wheeled vehicle for all of their transportation needs. Can you imagine a bunch of grown men and women riding tricycles to and from work on a daily basis? Quite a comical sight, you must admit.

And, if you have ever taught someone to ride a tricycle or a bicycle, or if you have ever tried to teach yourself, you understand how much time, patience, training, and concentration it requires. Likewise, you understand that it comes with its share of bumps, bruises, and scrapes and that it requires some level of risk taking and discomfort.

It is the same with the Christian journey. Many come to Jesus Christ, accepting His call to repentance and the love, joy, and hope that He brings to their lives. But, Christ call His followers to continue to  "strict training" in His ways (1 Corinthians 9). Likewise, Christ calls His followers to be disciplined (Hebrews 12) and to endure the bumps, bruises, and scrapes that come with following Him. Then, many of Christ's followers are called to a level of risk and discomfort, called to follow the will of Jesus and give up everything for Him (Acts 15).

You see, standing still is not an option, you are either moving forward or your falling down. You will not get anywhere by simply getting on the bike if you are not willing to ride it. And riding takes training, patience, and endurance. But the destination is well worth the training and the ride.

Where Are Your Habits Leading You

Habits. We start hearing about habits from such an early age, usually associating habits with the phrase "bad habits" such as biting your finger nails, picking your nose, smoking, spitting, or belching. But habits can be a good thing as well.

As a youth pastor I began speaking to students and young children about the importance of establishing good habits such as the habit attending church and youth group, the habit of daily Scripture reading and daily prayer. It is important that these habits are started early so that these young adults will carry them on throughout their entire lives. As Proverbs 22:6 says: "Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it."

Now as a Pastor of a church I find myself making these same statements and presenting the same case to grown adults. For many adults, this is the first time they have ever heard of the importance of Christian habits, but for some individuals, this is something that has been taught to them from a very early age. One Scripture that pastor's everywhere love to quote is Hebrews 10:25: "Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching."

But I don't want to talk about the habit of attending church, attending church doesn't get us the "prize" that Paul writes of in Philippians 3. I want to talk about the rest of the habits found in Hebrews 10:25 and the surrounding verses.

"And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God." (Hebrews 10:24-27)

I understand how hard and how harsh these words sound, but they are straight from God's Word and so they are for us and they are for now. So, what are the "habits" we are called to in just these four verses?

• The habit of spurring one another on to love and good deeds - this is outreach and service
• The habit of meeting together regularly - this is worship and fellowship
• The habit of encouraging one another - this is teaching and training
• The habit of turning our back on sin - this is commitment

You see, we often look to the "habit" of loving God and loving others, the "habit" of doing good deeds for others, the habit of attending church and enjoying the fellowship of our brothers and sisters in Christ, and the "habit" of encouraging one another to stay the course as our duty as God's children, and rightly so. But, it's important that we realize that without making it a "habit" to turn our back to sin, to  no longer deliberately sin against God and His creation, we lose the sacrifice for sin that has been made for us, that is Jesus Christ. Without making it a "habit" to turn our back  to sin, we trade our eternal reward for judgement that leads to raging fire and separation from God.

Take a look at your habits, the good habits, the bad habits, and all those in between, and ask yourself where those habits are leading you.

Rest Assured

I was reading Psalm 121 the other day;

"I lift up my eyes to the hills— where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip— he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. (Psalm 121:1-4)

Our youngest son is having some major issues sleeping right now, we are not sure if it is all because of his new teeth, because he feels bad, because he has established this as his schedule, or a mix of all three. Either way, my wife bears most of the burden of sitting with him and caring for him in the middle of the night. A couple nights ago, realizing how exhausted (and stressed) she was, I decided to sit up with him beginning at 2:00 a.m. Throughout the night I made various attempts to get him back to sleep and tried multiple "tricks" to make him happy and keep him quiet. Hours later, when the sun rose and the house began to stir, we were still awake, he was happy, I was not.

In the nights to come I have tried to talk my wife into allowing our son to "cry through it", hoping he will learn to put himself back to sleep and hoping that we can achieve a full night of sleep. Needless to say, his mother won't bite on my wonderful idea. She feels that when her son is awake, whether he is in pain, angry, or grumpy, she too needs to be awake and watching over him.

Thinking of Psalm 121, I find great comfort in knowing that God too won't sleep or slumber through our restless nights of pain, anger, or sorrow. The Psalmist continues;

"The Lord watches over you— the Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all harm— he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore." (Psalm 121:5-8)

 God never sleeps or slumbers, you can rest on that. God always watches and cares for you, you can be assured of that.