Penelope Stokes in Words In Season wrote, “The trouble with turning over a new leaf is that once you’ve done it twice, you’re right back where you started.”
I recently read that more bad habits are broken in the month of January than during any other month. And yet that same article pointed out that only a small percentage of New Year’s resolutions are realized long-term.
I’d like to encourage you. Change in your life is not only possible, it is necessary. When Christians stop growing, they stagnate. You know those grumpy, never-do-anything pessimistic Christians? Somewhere along the line, they stopped growing. People stop growing when they refuse to change.
This happens for a number of reasons. Sometimes it happens because of self-righteousness – “I’m good enough!” Sometimes it happens because of apathy – “What does it matter if I get victory over this?” Sometimes it happens because of defeatism – “I’ll never be able to change.”
We have a little saying at The Bridge: “No one is expected to be perfect, but everyone is expected to be growing.” And that growth demands positive change – gradual, yes, but continual progressive change. The Bible refers to this constant pattern of growth as “sanctification.” And all of us need to be involved in the process.
So what do you need to change? (If you have trouble answering, just ask your spouse!) For some of us this may mean replacing an old bad habit with something good. For others it may mean readjusting a pessimistic attitude, or refocusing on a relationship. Perhaps it has something to do with our spending habits or time management. For all of us, I trust it means a renewed commitment to God – our daily personal time with Him and the weekly service we give to Him.
Don Shelby proclaimed in his sermon, Never Say ‘Never,’ “When we tell ourselves ‘I can never change,’ or ‘That will never happen,’ we presume too much and believe too little. In Jesus Christ, God renders all of our final conclusions premature and all of our talk of determinism as simply bad faith. In Christ, God opens closed doors, brings resurrection, reveals possibilities, reclaims the lost, liberates the cursed and possessed, and changes the unchangeable.”
You can change! Isn’t it about time?
“And as the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like Him and reflect His glory even more.” – 2 Cor. 3:18
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Who Cares if the Boys Will Be Home?
Being part of a family where everyone involved themselves in each other’s projects, Katherine excitedly hurried to the editor of the local newspaper and showed him the message. He glanced at it and said, “How nice. The boys will be home for Christmas.” He totally missed the big news of the century––MAN HAD FLOWN!
We are in danger of doing that this week. The story of Joseph and Mary, their love for one another, and Joseph’s kindness to Mary and trust in God after the angel’s appearance, is all very beautiful. The birth in a stable and infant bedding in a feeding trough are fascinating details. Angels appearing to shepherds to announce the baby’s birth, and even the wise men coming from the east to seek out this important child, are wonderful additions to a beautiful story. But all of those components are a bit like Orville and Wilbur making it home for Christmas. Nice pieces of what is being communicated. But the big story should totally eclipse everything else being said! The big news in Luke 2––GOD BECAME A MAN!
That is big news! Bigger than the Santa Claus fable! Even bigger than the real story of Saint Nicholas. Bigger than the holiday lights in downtown Chicago. Bigger than the crowd of shoppers at Woodfield Mall, or anything else you can think of that gets our attention this time of year. Don’t miss the big deal for the incidentals! God came to the earth to identify with you, to absorb your sin, to die for you, to forgive you, to give you a new life! God became a man on your behalf! That’s the big news of every Christmas.
What difference does that make to you?
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Family First?
If you know me, you know I love the family, and you know my family knows that I love them. But is the family supposed to first? What about second?
You often hear of a hierarchy of priorities where people list what is supposed to be most important and it often goes something like: 1) God, 2) Marriage, 3) Children, 4) Church or Friends or Work (this is where the order gets switched around depending on who is speaking).
As with a lot of things, people hear this and shake their heads in agreement because it sounds good, but don’t give a lot of thought to its truthfulness or whether or not it is Biblical. Actually, there is nothing in the Bible that says anything like this, only that we are to love God first and love others second. By having a list like this, anything in the upper levels could or would supersede the lower and if a husband demands of his wife that children be neglected, a wife would or should comply because he is before them. I know a man who lost his job because his wife kept begging him to stay home saying, "Aren't I more important than your job?" He kept saying "yes" and stayed home one too many times and got fired. I think God wanted him instead to fulfill responsibilities both as a husband and employee, and doing so would have been more loving in the end to both his wife and his employer.
Instead, of the above man-made priority list, we should go with the Biblical formula: 1) God first, 2) others second, and understand that we have responsibility in every area God has entrusted us with, not neglecting one God-given responsibility for another. No one area should get in the way of our responsibilities in the other, if those responsibilities have been given to us by God. Duties never conflict. Church should not come before family, but family should also not come before church.
In the common man-made formula, family is always placed before church. But bear in mind, nowhere in the Bible is family described as “precious to God” as the church is. In fact, family relationships on earth, which are temporary, are only a picture of God’s greater reality, his relationship with us and ours with one another in Christ, which will last eternally. My relationship with my kids, as dear to me as they are, will only last a short time unless we are united together in the Body of Christ! I think I can say Biblically that the family is not placed before the church in the Bible. Therefore, I think we have to be careful not to do so as well. Obviously, we have greater responsibility for children when they are little, but that should not be an excuse to neglect church or work altogether. That's why I refer to the “Family First” movement as "worshipping the family" because those in it elevate the family higher than God does, making it an end in and of itself, instead of an instrument to bring us to the greater ends: loving God and loving other people. Grasping this will cause us to involve our families in ways to honor God and serve others and thereby, get us out into the world and to the church, not completely shielding them from the world and guarding them from too much time at church (though there needs to be an element of both protection and time management).
When my kids were little, we all did ministry together, and we still do often. I never felt that church got in the way of our family, and I don't think they felt that way either, though we spent far more time at church and serving, etc., than anyone I know. But it was never in the way of our family. I also don't know of any other family closer than ours, or young adult kids who love the church more than my kids do.
On the other hand, I knew many families who's kids are adults today, who's parents turned down ministry and were very guarded about church involvement because they would say, "Family First." Most of those kids are not even going to church today. Instead of "Family First," the Bible teaches that we should lead our families to put God first and others second. That will give us the most valuable family time we could have.
So the family was given us to help us in loving God and loving others. The family does not exist as an end in and of itself, but the greater end of honoring God and serving others. When we see the family that way, it gives it purpose, and it keeps God in first place and the rest of life in balance.
You often hear of a hierarchy of priorities where people list what is supposed to be most important and it often goes something like: 1) God, 2) Marriage, 3) Children, 4) Church or Friends or Work (this is where the order gets switched around depending on who is speaking).
As with a lot of things, people hear this and shake their heads in agreement because it sounds good, but don’t give a lot of thought to its truthfulness or whether or not it is Biblical. Actually, there is nothing in the Bible that says anything like this, only that we are to love God first and love others second. By having a list like this, anything in the upper levels could or would supersede the lower and if a husband demands of his wife that children be neglected, a wife would or should comply because he is before them. I know a man who lost his job because his wife kept begging him to stay home saying, "Aren't I more important than your job?" He kept saying "yes" and stayed home one too many times and got fired. I think God wanted him instead to fulfill responsibilities both as a husband and employee, and doing so would have been more loving in the end to both his wife and his employer.
Instead, of the above man-made priority list, we should go with the Biblical formula: 1) God first, 2) others second, and understand that we have responsibility in every area God has entrusted us with, not neglecting one God-given responsibility for another. No one area should get in the way of our responsibilities in the other, if those responsibilities have been given to us by God. Duties never conflict. Church should not come before family, but family should also not come before church.
In the common man-made formula, family is always placed before church. But bear in mind, nowhere in the Bible is family described as “precious to God” as the church is. In fact, family relationships on earth, which are temporary, are only a picture of God’s greater reality, his relationship with us and ours with one another in Christ, which will last eternally. My relationship with my kids, as dear to me as they are, will only last a short time unless we are united together in the Body of Christ! I think I can say Biblically that the family is not placed before the church in the Bible. Therefore, I think we have to be careful not to do so as well. Obviously, we have greater responsibility for children when they are little, but that should not be an excuse to neglect church or work altogether. That's why I refer to the “Family First” movement as "worshipping the family" because those in it elevate the family higher than God does, making it an end in and of itself, instead of an instrument to bring us to the greater ends: loving God and loving other people. Grasping this will cause us to involve our families in ways to honor God and serve others and thereby, get us out into the world and to the church, not completely shielding them from the world and guarding them from too much time at church (though there needs to be an element of both protection and time management).
When my kids were little, we all did ministry together, and we still do often. I never felt that church got in the way of our family, and I don't think they felt that way either, though we spent far more time at church and serving, etc., than anyone I know. But it was never in the way of our family. I also don't know of any other family closer than ours, or young adult kids who love the church more than my kids do.
On the other hand, I knew many families who's kids are adults today, who's parents turned down ministry and were very guarded about church involvement because they would say, "Family First." Most of those kids are not even going to church today. Instead of "Family First," the Bible teaches that we should lead our families to put God first and others second. That will give us the most valuable family time we could have.
So the family was given us to help us in loving God and loving others. The family does not exist as an end in and of itself, but the greater end of honoring God and serving others. When we see the family that way, it gives it purpose, and it keeps God in first place and the rest of life in balance.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
What's Good About Winter?
Winter: it’s long, cold and dark. I know, we are still in the fun part with Christmas lights and all, but January is around the corner. The temptation is to just endure the season and long for April and May (though we had snow last April!).
But it doesn’t have to be that way. Thinking back, some of my most memorable times in life took place during the winter. Linda and I were engaged in the winter. I built our first house in the winter. Our youngest child was born in the winter. I first came into contact with the search committee of The Bridge (then Des Plaines Bible Church) in the winter.
Wouldn’t it be better to make the best of the season? Well, how?
A journalist recently hit the streets and asked people what they enjoyed most about the season. Here are some of the answers:
“Football playoffs and bowl games.”
“Reading by the fireplace on our living room couch.”
“Skiiing!”
“Shoveling snow.” (You might think that was a joke, but he was serious!)
“Putting on warm clothes.”
“Hot cocoa or apple cider.”
“Ice fishing.”
“I love the excitement of a blizzard or snow storm.”
“Going to the beach in South Florida.” (My favorite)
“Snow days off school!”
“Crisp, clean, fresh air and crunchy snow.”
“Museums––we never go when it’s warm out.”
“I don’t.” (HA!–he wouldn’t budge from his answer.)
If you thought about it long enough, you could come up with your own list. There are a lot of good things about winter, including many of the above for me. It’s all part of God’s beautiful plan for the change of seasons. The air is cleansed, the soil is reconditioned, and life is reset to get ready for the coming spring. So rather than enduring the season, make the best of it. Here are some suggestions:
1) Set some goals for this winter and build a task list of projects you want to get accomplished before the weather turns warm again.
2) Plan right now (and put on your calendar) some fun things to do that you wouldn’t normally enjoy in the summer. It might be driving to Wisconsin to do a little skiing, or maybe even to take snowboarding lessons (one of our fondest family memories when we did this together). How long has it been since you went to the Chicago museums? Rent skates and give ice skating a shot.
3) When it snows, get out there in it! Build a snow man or snow fort with the kids, or if you don’t have any, join the neighbor kids! Enjoy a good snow-ball fight with your spouse. If you can't beat the weather, join it! Sure you’ll get a little cold. But that makes coming inside and heating up the tea kettle all the more pleasurable.
4) Finally, winter can be a great time for rejuvenation. Find a couple of books you’ve been meaning to read and get started on them. Sleep more than you usually do. Try some writing; start a journal. Use the winter to defragment your hard drive, so to speak, and to gear up for coming spring.
If you do the above things, you might wind up saying that winter is your favorite time of the year!
Well….let’s not get carried away. ☺
But it doesn’t have to be that way. Thinking back, some of my most memorable times in life took place during the winter. Linda and I were engaged in the winter. I built our first house in the winter. Our youngest child was born in the winter. I first came into contact with the search committee of The Bridge (then Des Plaines Bible Church) in the winter.
Wouldn’t it be better to make the best of the season? Well, how?
A journalist recently hit the streets and asked people what they enjoyed most about the season. Here are some of the answers:
“Football playoffs and bowl games.”
“Reading by the fireplace on our living room couch.”
“Skiiing!”
“Shoveling snow.” (You might think that was a joke, but he was serious!)
“Putting on warm clothes.”
“Hot cocoa or apple cider.”
“Ice fishing.”
“I love the excitement of a blizzard or snow storm.”
“Going to the beach in South Florida.” (My favorite)
“Snow days off school!”
“Crisp, clean, fresh air and crunchy snow.”
“Museums––we never go when it’s warm out.”
“I don’t.” (HA!–he wouldn’t budge from his answer.)
If you thought about it long enough, you could come up with your own list. There are a lot of good things about winter, including many of the above for me. It’s all part of God’s beautiful plan for the change of seasons. The air is cleansed, the soil is reconditioned, and life is reset to get ready for the coming spring. So rather than enduring the season, make the best of it. Here are some suggestions:
1) Set some goals for this winter and build a task list of projects you want to get accomplished before the weather turns warm again.
2) Plan right now (and put on your calendar) some fun things to do that you wouldn’t normally enjoy in the summer. It might be driving to Wisconsin to do a little skiing, or maybe even to take snowboarding lessons (one of our fondest family memories when we did this together). How long has it been since you went to the Chicago museums? Rent skates and give ice skating a shot.
3) When it snows, get out there in it! Build a snow man or snow fort with the kids, or if you don’t have any, join the neighbor kids! Enjoy a good snow-ball fight with your spouse. If you can't beat the weather, join it! Sure you’ll get a little cold. But that makes coming inside and heating up the tea kettle all the more pleasurable.
4) Finally, winter can be a great time for rejuvenation. Find a couple of books you’ve been meaning to read and get started on them. Sleep more than you usually do. Try some writing; start a journal. Use the winter to defragment your hard drive, so to speak, and to gear up for coming spring.
If you do the above things, you might wind up saying that winter is your favorite time of the year!
Well….let’s not get carried away. ☺
Thursday, December 2, 2010
What Are You Doing for Christmas?
Here it is….Christmas season! Are you ready? Decorations up? Gift list completed? Shopping started? Plans for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day settled? Let’s talk about that.
While most everyone talks about Christ being left out of Christmas, I find that Christians are as guilty of that as anyone. While we say Christmas is about Jesus’ birth, we get our kids more excited about the myth of Santa than we do about the truth of Jesus (and in doing so causing a lot of later doubts–see my blog dated November 29, 2009). We cook a big meal, have extended family in, and then claim to not have enough time to honor Jesus’s birth and worship with our Christian family on Christmas Eve. We overextend ourselves with plastic credit, buying things that no one really needs for people who don’t really have needs, but give virtually nothing tangible to Him for His work at that time of the year. Yet, we still claim our celebration is all about Jesus. Is it really? Does He think it is?
So if we are going to keep Christ in Christmas, what is that going to look like?
First, find a way a to be Jesus to those who need Him. Look for creative ideas to be a blessing to some who are struggling. It might mean calling a couple of nursing homes to find a few people who rarely if ever have visitors. It might be volunteering for the Salvation Army or at the children’s hospital. We have a hats, mittens & scarves give-away for the homeless planned on the 17th. Join us! Maybe there are some at your workplace, neighborhood, or our church who have no family in the area and could be blessed by an invitation to join you and your family on Christmas Eve (for church as well as whatever else you have planned).
And I do hope you are making plans to worship on either Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. It’s hard for us to say that we are celebrating Christ’s birth when we are spending all this energy, time and resources on a celebration and can’t find the time (or perhaps unwilling to make it a priority) to gather with His family to worship and remember the meaning of his birth. We have two fantastic Christmas Eve services planned here at The Bridge (4 p.m. & 6 p.m.).
Here are a couple of other practical suggestions:
It is a wonderful time of the year! Enjoy it!
While most everyone talks about Christ being left out of Christmas, I find that Christians are as guilty of that as anyone. While we say Christmas is about Jesus’ birth, we get our kids more excited about the myth of Santa than we do about the truth of Jesus (and in doing so causing a lot of later doubts–see my blog dated November 29, 2009). We cook a big meal, have extended family in, and then claim to not have enough time to honor Jesus’s birth and worship with our Christian family on Christmas Eve. We overextend ourselves with plastic credit, buying things that no one really needs for people who don’t really have needs, but give virtually nothing tangible to Him for His work at that time of the year. Yet, we still claim our celebration is all about Jesus. Is it really? Does He think it is?
So if we are going to keep Christ in Christmas, what is that going to look like?
First, find a way a to be Jesus to those who need Him. Look for creative ideas to be a blessing to some who are struggling. It might mean calling a couple of nursing homes to find a few people who rarely if ever have visitors. It might be volunteering for the Salvation Army or at the children’s hospital. We have a hats, mittens & scarves give-away for the homeless planned on the 17th. Join us! Maybe there are some at your workplace, neighborhood, or our church who have no family in the area and could be blessed by an invitation to join you and your family on Christmas Eve (for church as well as whatever else you have planned).
And I do hope you are making plans to worship on either Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. It’s hard for us to say that we are celebrating Christ’s birth when we are spending all this energy, time and resources on a celebration and can’t find the time (or perhaps unwilling to make it a priority) to gather with His family to worship and remember the meaning of his birth. We have two fantastic Christmas Eve services planned here at The Bridge (4 p.m. & 6 p.m.).
Here are a couple of other practical suggestions:
- Sit down as a family and write out your Christmas season priorities
- Decorate early and together….make it fun!
- Talk about the meaning and value of gift-giving (establish some guidelines)
- Research and tell the real story of Saint Nicholas (much better than the make-believe)
- Find a Christmas program at an area church and attend it
- Schedule time in the evenings leading up to and on Christmas Day to read portions of the prophecies of the Messiah and the story of His birth.
It is a wonderful time of the year! Enjoy it!
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Are Things as They Seem?
It’s not only that way in television. I’ve known people on a professional level and became quite disillusioned as I got to know them personally. There have been some whom I respected in ministry leadership: pastors, parachurch heads, well known preachers, where I have felt completely let down once I got into their homes or got to know their close family members and found out what the person was really like. Early in ministry, and even while I was in college and seminary, I found that too often high profile people, even those in ministry, were more focused on their public persona and reputation than on who they really were.
Who are you, really?
Honestly, there is a little bit of hypocrisy in all of us. I think we all at times put on as though we are someone or something that we are not. But God cares about who you REALLY are. That is, who you are when no one is looking. What kind of life would you lead and what decisions would you make if you cold get away with doing whatever you wanted to do and people only found out about what you chose to reveal? Answering that question will tell you more about your character and the real you than anything else. And that’s the you that God sees and knows.
Still, he loves the real you!
But he doesn’t want you to stay that way. He wants to help you grow. He wants your inside, your heart, to be truly submissive to Him and focused on caring for others. He doesn’t want it to just look that way, but for it to be that way, even if no one found out about it. And that’s the you that He will reveal to the world some day.
So who are you, really? Is your life like a television studio, arranged a certain way to show others what you want them to see? Or are you submitting your heart to God and allowing Him to mold and shape the real you? When others see who you really are, are they attracted to the Life of God in you, because it is obviously much more than a pretentious display?
Are things as they seem?
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Pardon Me
In 1830, a man named George Wilson killed a government employee who caught him in the act of robbing the mail. He was tried and sentenced to be hanged. However, then President of the United States, Andrew Jackson, sent him a pardon. But Wilson did a strange thing. He refused to accept the pardon and no one seemed to know what to do. So the case was carried to the Supreme Court. The great Chief Justice John Marshall wrote the opinion. In it, he said, “A pardon is a slip of paper, the value of which is determined by the acceptance of the person to be pardoned. If it is refused, it is no pardon. George Wilson must be hanged.”
And he was.
Pretty sad. To have been given such a gift of forgiveness and to refuse it. It doesn’t make sense, does it?
In light of our current series, “HEREAFTER,” this refusal to be pardoned becomes all the more tragic. We are all hurtling towards the end of our lives. Because we have turned away from God to live for and please ourselves, we have cut ourselves off from the only life-giving source and stand condemned for eternity. But God has intervened and through the gift of His Son, Jesus Christ, we can receive a full pardon by merely receiving his forgiveness, based on Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection. All you have to do is accept it!
George Wilson was foolish. But when you think about it, had he not been hanged in 1830, he still would have died a long time ago. Death was inevitable for him as for us. Even more important for him than accepting President Jackson’s pardon, was whether or not he accepted God’s. His existence since that time and for all eternity was and is based on how he responded to God’s offer of forgiveness.
You also need a pardon. God is offering it to you. But as Chief Justice Marshall commented on George Wilson’s situation, the value of it is realized only in its acceptance. Will you receive God’s gift of forgiveness? It’s not just your life that is at stake. It’s your eternal destiny!
“This is what God has testified: He has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. So whoever has God’s Son has life; whoever does not have his Son does not have life.” – 1 John 5: 11, 12
And he was.
Pretty sad. To have been given such a gift of forgiveness and to refuse it. It doesn’t make sense, does it?
In light of our current series, “HEREAFTER,” this refusal to be pardoned becomes all the more tragic. We are all hurtling towards the end of our lives. Because we have turned away from God to live for and please ourselves, we have cut ourselves off from the only life-giving source and stand condemned for eternity. But God has intervened and through the gift of His Son, Jesus Christ, we can receive a full pardon by merely receiving his forgiveness, based on Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection. All you have to do is accept it!
George Wilson was foolish. But when you think about it, had he not been hanged in 1830, he still would have died a long time ago. Death was inevitable for him as for us. Even more important for him than accepting President Jackson’s pardon, was whether or not he accepted God’s. His existence since that time and for all eternity was and is based on how he responded to God’s offer of forgiveness.
You also need a pardon. God is offering it to you. But as Chief Justice Marshall commented on George Wilson’s situation, the value of it is realized only in its acceptance. Will you receive God’s gift of forgiveness? It’s not just your life that is at stake. It’s your eternal destiny!
“This is what God has testified: He has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. So whoever has God’s Son has life; whoever does not have his Son does not have life.” – 1 John 5: 11, 12
Thursday, November 4, 2010
What's a Dead Church Like?
A paramedic was asked on a local TV talk-show program: "What was your most unusual and challenging 911 call?"
"Recently we got a call from that big white church at 11th and Walnut," the paramedic said. "A frantic usher was very concerned that during the sermon an elderly man passed out in a pew and appeared to be dead. The usher could find no pulse and there was no noticeable breathing."
"What was so unusual and demanding about this particular call?" the interviewer asked.
"Well," the paramedic said, "we carried out four guys before we found the one who was dead."
Sadly, that is the state of many churches. I fear that a lot of people attend church out of obligation, habit, or because they think they are earning religious brownie points with God. All around this area, people will be starting to dread this Sunday morning on Saturday and will be thinking up reasons to skip. Others became tired of the boredom and wasted time and energy it took to go to church and gave up attending a long time ago, except on Christmas and Easter, of course.
Honestly, too many churches aren’t worth going to. That may serve as a shocker coming from a pastor who often declares, “The local church is the hope of the world!” Yes, I do believe that. Jesus himself established the local church to manifest Him in a broken world and to give people hope and fulfillment through the Gospel. But, sadly, not very many churches are actually doing that. Too many strayed from their purpose generations ago and exist now only to perpetuate their own continued existence. The influence and power of God’s Spirit having long departed, lives are no longer changed, people are rarely challenged, and the church accomplishes little. It is the tragic result of drifting from the truth of God’s Word and the power and life given by the Holy Spirit.
And that cold happen here at The Bridge, as well.
Here at The Bridge, we are enjoying the work of the Holy Spirit in people’s lives at the Bible is being applied every week, every day, among us. We are seeing people’s lives changed as they receive Christ. People are growing daily in their relationship with God. All of this is exciting, and refreshing if you have ever been part of a church described above.
But it is up to us to not only keep it that way, but to pursue growth in every aspect of our church’s life, as well as our individual walk with God. Things are wonderful at church now, because God is at work and active in our midst. But the moment we lose our awe of Him and appreciation for what He is doing, as well as dependence on Him for this ministry and our spiritual sustenance, is the moment we will begin to decline.
We’ve had the paramedics here. But thankfully, they haven’t had to take the pulse of several people to find out who was alive or dead! Here at The Bridge, we are alive and well! And I don’t think anyone would describe our services, ministries, or people as being lifeless. So let’s enjoy it, and trust God to keep us moving forward for generations to come!
"Recently we got a call from that big white church at 11th and Walnut," the paramedic said. "A frantic usher was very concerned that during the sermon an elderly man passed out in a pew and appeared to be dead. The usher could find no pulse and there was no noticeable breathing."
"What was so unusual and demanding about this particular call?" the interviewer asked.
"Well," the paramedic said, "we carried out four guys before we found the one who was dead."
Sadly, that is the state of many churches. I fear that a lot of people attend church out of obligation, habit, or because they think they are earning religious brownie points with God. All around this area, people will be starting to dread this Sunday morning on Saturday and will be thinking up reasons to skip. Others became tired of the boredom and wasted time and energy it took to go to church and gave up attending a long time ago, except on Christmas and Easter, of course.
Honestly, too many churches aren’t worth going to. That may serve as a shocker coming from a pastor who often declares, “The local church is the hope of the world!” Yes, I do believe that. Jesus himself established the local church to manifest Him in a broken world and to give people hope and fulfillment through the Gospel. But, sadly, not very many churches are actually doing that. Too many strayed from their purpose generations ago and exist now only to perpetuate their own continued existence. The influence and power of God’s Spirit having long departed, lives are no longer changed, people are rarely challenged, and the church accomplishes little. It is the tragic result of drifting from the truth of God’s Word and the power and life given by the Holy Spirit.
And that cold happen here at The Bridge, as well.
Here at The Bridge, we are enjoying the work of the Holy Spirit in people’s lives at the Bible is being applied every week, every day, among us. We are seeing people’s lives changed as they receive Christ. People are growing daily in their relationship with God. All of this is exciting, and refreshing if you have ever been part of a church described above.
But it is up to us to not only keep it that way, but to pursue growth in every aspect of our church’s life, as well as our individual walk with God. Things are wonderful at church now, because God is at work and active in our midst. But the moment we lose our awe of Him and appreciation for what He is doing, as well as dependence on Him for this ministry and our spiritual sustenance, is the moment we will begin to decline.
We’ve had the paramedics here. But thankfully, they haven’t had to take the pulse of several people to find out who was alive or dead! Here at The Bridge, we are alive and well! And I don’t think anyone would describe our services, ministries, or people as being lifeless. So let’s enjoy it, and trust God to keep us moving forward for generations to come!
Sunday, October 31, 2010
What Stage Are You In?
I was standing in line registering for a college class when two life-changing events occurred. First, my wife Linda and I had our first extended conversation (we were in line together). Second, I saw my first personal computer.
Don’t get me wrong. Meeting Linda and getting to know her was a big deal. But that would be a different blog. This one is about computer that computer.
So while standing in line waiting to enter the Academic Dean’s office to get permission to take more credits than what was normally allowed, I saw his secretary typing on what looked to me like a typewriter with a TV screen where the paper usually went through the rollers. Before this time, a keyboard to me was a piano and a monitor was the guy who enforced the rules in the hallway at high school. I looked intently at this newfangled device and said, “What is that?” The dean was just coming out of his office and he said matter-of-factly, as though I should have known, “A computer! You’ve never seen one before?”
A lot of things have changed since then. That little PC at my college had only 16 kilobytes of internal memory. It didn’t have a hard drive but wrote all its information to a tape drive that took forever to retrieve.
Today, I have a phone that sends megabits of information to space and back in a matter of seconds and transmits and receives images that the best digital cameras, ten years ago, couldn’t even take. I recently read that any cell phone with internet capability has more computing power and internal memory than the massive network of room-sized computers that engineered Apollo 11’s landing on the moon!
How did all of this happen?
It seems like it was near instantaneous, doesn’t it? From PCs to computer cell phones? But it wasn’t.
Personal computers came on the scene for the general public in the early 80s. By the end of the decade, many households had one, but they were a far cry from what we have today. Most of them didn’t have hard drives until near the end of the decade, and those that did held only 20 megabytes or so. In the 80s, you had to memorize codes to make the computer do anything. With my first computer, I had to buy a book of codes and authored my own programs to create simple databases and calendars. Apple introduced the mouse and menus, but most didn’t use it until Microsoft came out with Windows 3.1, a dinosaur by today’s standards.
And printers. Printing from a computer used to be awful! We had a choice between daisy wheel (a glorified typewriter head) and dot matrix (slower than molasses and very poor quality). Laser printers weren’t introduced to the public until the late 80s and ink jets didn’t come out until the 90s.
For many years, being “on line” meant that your computer was plugged into the wall. Most of us didn’t know what the internet was until the mid 90s and even then, few people had email. It was too slow to be all that useful. You had to use your phone line to get on the web and it took forever for simple pictures to load. Residential “high speed” is less than ten years old!
So all that we have didn’t happen over night. It developed. Each technology was built on something before it. And when some of the most useful devices that we depend on today were at one time impractical. Technology (knowledge) is cumulative.
And so it is with spiritual growth. Peter said this, “For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.” (2 Peter 1:5-7).
Becoming like Christ will not happen overnight. But God wants you to continually develop, always ready to take the next step of faith, each stage in your spiritual life building on the last.
Where are you in this journey? What is the next “development” that God has for you? Take that step. It will lead you to bigger and better things!
Don’t get me wrong. Meeting Linda and getting to know her was a big deal. But that would be a different blog. This one is about computer that computer.
So while standing in line waiting to enter the Academic Dean’s office to get permission to take more credits than what was normally allowed, I saw his secretary typing on what looked to me like a typewriter with a TV screen where the paper usually went through the rollers. Before this time, a keyboard to me was a piano and a monitor was the guy who enforced the rules in the hallway at high school. I looked intently at this newfangled device and said, “What is that?” The dean was just coming out of his office and he said matter-of-factly, as though I should have known, “A computer! You’ve never seen one before?”
A lot of things have changed since then. That little PC at my college had only 16 kilobytes of internal memory. It didn’t have a hard drive but wrote all its information to a tape drive that took forever to retrieve.
Today, I have a phone that sends megabits of information to space and back in a matter of seconds and transmits and receives images that the best digital cameras, ten years ago, couldn’t even take. I recently read that any cell phone with internet capability has more computing power and internal memory than the massive network of room-sized computers that engineered Apollo 11’s landing on the moon!
How did all of this happen?
It seems like it was near instantaneous, doesn’t it? From PCs to computer cell phones? But it wasn’t.
Personal computers came on the scene for the general public in the early 80s. By the end of the decade, many households had one, but they were a far cry from what we have today. Most of them didn’t have hard drives until near the end of the decade, and those that did held only 20 megabytes or so. In the 80s, you had to memorize codes to make the computer do anything. With my first computer, I had to buy a book of codes and authored my own programs to create simple databases and calendars. Apple introduced the mouse and menus, but most didn’t use it until Microsoft came out with Windows 3.1, a dinosaur by today’s standards.
And printers. Printing from a computer used to be awful! We had a choice between daisy wheel (a glorified typewriter head) and dot matrix (slower than molasses and very poor quality). Laser printers weren’t introduced to the public until the late 80s and ink jets didn’t come out until the 90s.
For many years, being “on line” meant that your computer was plugged into the wall. Most of us didn’t know what the internet was until the mid 90s and even then, few people had email. It was too slow to be all that useful. You had to use your phone line to get on the web and it took forever for simple pictures to load. Residential “high speed” is less than ten years old!
So all that we have didn’t happen over night. It developed. Each technology was built on something before it. And when some of the most useful devices that we depend on today were at one time impractical. Technology (knowledge) is cumulative.
And so it is with spiritual growth. Peter said this, “For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.” (2 Peter 1:5-7).
Becoming like Christ will not happen overnight. But God wants you to continually develop, always ready to take the next step of faith, each stage in your spiritual life building on the last.
Where are you in this journey? What is the next “development” that God has for you? Take that step. It will lead you to bigger and better things!
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Are You Leaving Anything Behind?
Last week, a man in Gallatin, Tennessee, walked into a Wal-Mart dressing room with a new pair of designer jeans. (They have designer jeans at Wal-Mart?). Anyway, he took off his old tattered jeans and put on the new ones from off the rack. They fit good! So, he ripped off the tags and walked out…..all they way out of the store. Thinking he got away with it, he met up with his girlfriend in the parking lot and the two of them headed to the nearby Longhorn Steakhouse. After a good dinner, they slipped out of the restaurant without paying the bill. “What a great night!” he thought. A brand new pair of jeans and a free steak dinner!
But there was a problem. When he took his old jeans off, he left his wallet, with lots of money (more than the value of the jeans and the steak dinner) and all of his ID inside. A suspicious clerk had seen him leave the dressing room without carrying anything, and checking the room, she found his old pants. The police came, got his ID, ran his license plate, and getting a call from the Longhorn nearby of a “walk-out” customer, spotted his license plate as he was attempting to drive out of the parking lot!
Where did that new pair of jeans get him? In reality, he left a lot more behind than he took out of the store. He left his money. But worse, he left his identity.
We do that every time we give into temptation. While sin promises to give us something, we always leave behind more than the short-termed pleasure we get from doing wrong. We leave behind a portion of our net-worth. And we leave behind our identity!
When you are rude to a coworker, you might feel good for a few moments for “speaking your mind.” But you leave behind things that are more valuable, an opportunity to express graciousness, the fulfillment that comes from forgiving someone, and your reputation. Worse yet, you leave behind your identity in Christ (Ephesians 4:1). Every sin is this way. We leave behind more than what we gain!
That was Paul’s point in the book of Ephesians. He reminded the readers of all the riches that they have in Christ, and how they are living a new and eternal life that they have in Christ. He then says in 4:1, that with all you have received, live like it! That’s what the author of Hebrews was talking about in Hebrews 2:3 when he speaks of what we lose when we neglect the salvation we have been given in Christ!
Hang on to your identity! Protect those things that are most valuable! Let people see who you are and what you have in Christ by the way you talk and live!
The dressing room thief is sitting in a jail cell today, without his new or old pair of jeans, and his identity bagged away in an evidence locker. I don’t think it was worth it. Do you?
But there was a problem. When he took his old jeans off, he left his wallet, with lots of money (more than the value of the jeans and the steak dinner) and all of his ID inside. A suspicious clerk had seen him leave the dressing room without carrying anything, and checking the room, she found his old pants. The police came, got his ID, ran his license plate, and getting a call from the Longhorn nearby of a “walk-out” customer, spotted his license plate as he was attempting to drive out of the parking lot!
Where did that new pair of jeans get him? In reality, he left a lot more behind than he took out of the store. He left his money. But worse, he left his identity.
We do that every time we give into temptation. While sin promises to give us something, we always leave behind more than the short-termed pleasure we get from doing wrong. We leave behind a portion of our net-worth. And we leave behind our identity!
When you are rude to a coworker, you might feel good for a few moments for “speaking your mind.” But you leave behind things that are more valuable, an opportunity to express graciousness, the fulfillment that comes from forgiving someone, and your reputation. Worse yet, you leave behind your identity in Christ (Ephesians 4:1). Every sin is this way. We leave behind more than what we gain!
That was Paul’s point in the book of Ephesians. He reminded the readers of all the riches that they have in Christ, and how they are living a new and eternal life that they have in Christ. He then says in 4:1, that with all you have received, live like it! That’s what the author of Hebrews was talking about in Hebrews 2:3 when he speaks of what we lose when we neglect the salvation we have been given in Christ!
Hang on to your identity! Protect those things that are most valuable! Let people see who you are and what you have in Christ by the way you talk and live!
The dressing room thief is sitting in a jail cell today, without his new or old pair of jeans, and his identity bagged away in an evidence locker. I don’t think it was worth it. Do you?
Thursday, September 30, 2010
The Zeus Trojan?
Have you heard of the Zeus Trojan internet virus? The story this week about the international internet based identity theft ring is the makings of a pretty good movie. The FBI, in cooperation with Scotland Yard in Britain and Europe’s Interpol, made multiple arrests this week breaking up an international organization of at least sixty cyberthieves, who have already emptied the bank accounts of thousands of unsuspecting victims.
Using the Zeus Trojan virus (name that comes from Homer’s account of the Trojan Horse), they infected bank computers and received enough account information to empty a person’s bank account at multiple ATM locations. Pretty interesting how they did it….unless it’s your bank account!
Like all predators, they attempted to hit as many computers as they could, looking for the weakest parties to victimize. For them, it was a numbers game. If they could infect a certain number of computers, they knew a percentage of them would divulge the information they needed.
That’s not a bad word for these guys: predators. There are a lot of them in this world. The apostle Peter referred to the devil as a predator: “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8).
He is and he does! Sadly, I too often think of the Queen song, “Another One Bites the Dust,” as I see those around me whom I had thought were strong, fall prey to Satan’s attack. He is on the prowl looking for the most vulnerable (who are often those that try to act the strongest) to bring down. He is not your friend. He does not have your best interest in mind. He wants your life. He wants your soul!
So Peter tells us to, “Be sober.” The word means, “in control of self, or self-disciplined.” He seems to indicate that spiritual disciplines and self-control are necessary in order utilize God’s help in resisting the devil (why James said, “Draw near to God….resist the devil and he will run from you.”).
Peter goes on to say, “Be watchful….” which means to “stay alert.” Peter is telling us to never relax, when it comes to Satan’s attack. Never feel as though you have arrived. Never forget that you have an enemy who hates you and wants nothing more than to destroy you! And he’ll be trying to do it with lies and attractive lures.
If you learned of a friend who kept his money in the same bank as you, but was cleaned out by these internet bandits, you’d probably pay close attention to what’s happening in our own account, or you’d draw your money out and put it somewhere else.
I’ve had it happen to those close to me. I’ve seen far too many look away and drift away long enough to be attacked and devoured. Don’t let it happen to you! Stand firm in your faith, grow closer to God, and run from Satan’s temptation.
When you get a taste for sin, you get taken, hook, line and sinker! (James 1:14-15).
Using the Zeus Trojan virus (name that comes from Homer’s account of the Trojan Horse), they infected bank computers and received enough account information to empty a person’s bank account at multiple ATM locations. Pretty interesting how they did it….unless it’s your bank account!
Like all predators, they attempted to hit as many computers as they could, looking for the weakest parties to victimize. For them, it was a numbers game. If they could infect a certain number of computers, they knew a percentage of them would divulge the information they needed.
That’s not a bad word for these guys: predators. There are a lot of them in this world. The apostle Peter referred to the devil as a predator: “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8).
He is and he does! Sadly, I too often think of the Queen song, “Another One Bites the Dust,” as I see those around me whom I had thought were strong, fall prey to Satan’s attack. He is on the prowl looking for the most vulnerable (who are often those that try to act the strongest) to bring down. He is not your friend. He does not have your best interest in mind. He wants your life. He wants your soul!
So Peter tells us to, “Be sober.” The word means, “in control of self, or self-disciplined.” He seems to indicate that spiritual disciplines and self-control are necessary in order utilize God’s help in resisting the devil (why James said, “Draw near to God….resist the devil and he will run from you.”).
Peter goes on to say, “Be watchful….” which means to “stay alert.” Peter is telling us to never relax, when it comes to Satan’s attack. Never feel as though you have arrived. Never forget that you have an enemy who hates you and wants nothing more than to destroy you! And he’ll be trying to do it with lies and attractive lures.
If you learned of a friend who kept his money in the same bank as you, but was cleaned out by these internet bandits, you’d probably pay close attention to what’s happening in our own account, or you’d draw your money out and put it somewhere else.
I’ve had it happen to those close to me. I’ve seen far too many look away and drift away long enough to be attacked and devoured. Don’t let it happen to you! Stand firm in your faith, grow closer to God, and run from Satan’s temptation.
When you get a taste for sin, you get taken, hook, line and sinker! (James 1:14-15).
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Will You Join Me?
There are a lot of reasons I am excited about the Greg Laurie Chicago Harvest at the Allstate Arena this weekend. I am looking forward to the music. Some of the finest Christian musicians will be displaying their gifts in worship and we will be privileged to join them in singing.
I’m looking forward to the excitement of having that many people together with a common goal of reaching the lost and worshiping our God.
I am certainly excited about the way Pastor Greg will be boldly proclaiming the Gospel to probably thousands who do not yet know Jesus Christ in a personal way. As a pastor and preacher, I love to hear those who are specially gifted, particularly in evangelism. I can’t wait to see and participate in counseling and praying with those who respond to the invitation to receive Christ.
But beyond all those wonderful things, I am so looking forward to this event because it is a gathering of over 200 evangelical churches in Chicagoland, unified for the sake of the Gospel! Over the past 17 months I have had the pleasure of meeting dozens of like-minded pastors in gearing up for this event. And those who have been in Chicago for decades have told me that they do not ever remember a time when the Christian community had been so unified behind a common goal. This is the Body of Christ in action for the world to see! And I have no doubt that we will joyously reap the fruit of the God's working though His unified people.
I’m praying for 2,000 conversations this weekend. Will you join me in praying for the same? Better yet, will you join me in being active and graciously aggressive in making invitations with those you work with and live among? We have the privilege this weekend of joint participation with the Holy Spirit in reaping a great Chicago harvest!
I’m looking forward to the excitement of having that many people together with a common goal of reaching the lost and worshiping our God.
I am certainly excited about the way Pastor Greg will be boldly proclaiming the Gospel to probably thousands who do not yet know Jesus Christ in a personal way. As a pastor and preacher, I love to hear those who are specially gifted, particularly in evangelism. I can’t wait to see and participate in counseling and praying with those who respond to the invitation to receive Christ.
But beyond all those wonderful things, I am so looking forward to this event because it is a gathering of over 200 evangelical churches in Chicagoland, unified for the sake of the Gospel! Over the past 17 months I have had the pleasure of meeting dozens of like-minded pastors in gearing up for this event. And those who have been in Chicago for decades have told me that they do not ever remember a time when the Christian community had been so unified behind a common goal. This is the Body of Christ in action for the world to see! And I have no doubt that we will joyously reap the fruit of the God's working though His unified people.
I’m praying for 2,000 conversations this weekend. Will you join me in praying for the same? Better yet, will you join me in being active and graciously aggressive in making invitations with those you work with and live among? We have the privilege this weekend of joint participation with the Holy Spirit in reaping a great Chicago harvest!
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Little Things
The first attempt to dig the Panama Canal across the Isthmus of Panama was made by a French company. Thousands of men and tons of machinery tackled the remote mountains and thick jungles. After millions of dollars had been spent, however, the project was abandoned, not because of the mountains but because of the mosquitoes. Yellow fever from mosquitoes killed thousands. It was not until American doctors found ways of protecting people against mosquitoes that the project was resumed, this time by Americans. When the mosquitoes were taken care of the mountains soon succumbed. There is a huge difference between the size of mountains and the size of mosquitoes, yet it was the mosquitoes, not the mountains, that kept the canal project from succeeding. Many more men perished from the bite of little mosquitoes than from the many dangers lurking in the mountains.
While so many of us are on guard against the “big things,” many ignore the areas that are most destructive to their lives or testimonies. Most of you are not struggling with adultery, grand theft, or murderous crimes. But how many of us are daily doing battle with spiritual mosquitoes – gossiping, griping, temper tantrums, snap judgments, or impure thoughts. It is only when we begin to enjoy victory in these little areas that we will know what it is to make meaningful spiritual progress.
Perhaps this is why Jesus spent so much time addressing the “little things” of the heart. His followers: Peter, John, Paul and James seemed to get the message as well and they passed it on. So much of the New Testament addresses the battle we need to wage over the little enemies, which quietly and quickly burrow under our skin. Those little attitudes of pessimism or ingratitude can quickly destroy an outlook. And once the festering begins, these invaders spread to others. Let’s be on guard!
Jesus said, “He who is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much, and he who is dishonest in a very little is dishonest also in much.” (Luke 16:10)
So what little enemy have you been battling with lately? Victory is available if you are willing to depend on God’s strength and live obediently to His Word.
While so many of us are on guard against the “big things,” many ignore the areas that are most destructive to their lives or testimonies. Most of you are not struggling with adultery, grand theft, or murderous crimes. But how many of us are daily doing battle with spiritual mosquitoes – gossiping, griping, temper tantrums, snap judgments, or impure thoughts. It is only when we begin to enjoy victory in these little areas that we will know what it is to make meaningful spiritual progress.
Perhaps this is why Jesus spent so much time addressing the “little things” of the heart. His followers: Peter, John, Paul and James seemed to get the message as well and they passed it on. So much of the New Testament addresses the battle we need to wage over the little enemies, which quietly and quickly burrow under our skin. Those little attitudes of pessimism or ingratitude can quickly destroy an outlook. And once the festering begins, these invaders spread to others. Let’s be on guard!
Jesus said, “He who is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much, and he who is dishonest in a very little is dishonest also in much.” (Luke 16:10)
So what little enemy have you been battling with lately? Victory is available if you are willing to depend on God’s strength and live obediently to His Word.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
I'm Rich!
My youngest son, Brock, is studying American History. It’s the one subject I can help him with, and I enjoy it. I love history! He is currently learning about the incidents that led to the Revolutionary War, and while helping him study, I became fascinated with how much of an influence Patrick Henry was on the thinking of the early colonial patriots. It’s hard to imagine the revolution without him.
Long before the revolution, Henry was a prominent figure in the colonies, serving as governor of Virginia (before and after independence). He was certainly known for his persuasive eloquence, but had become highly respected because of his success in business and reputation for integrity. Before the Declaration of Independence, he was very wealthy. But he laid it all on the line for the American cause and risked losing everything he owned. He sacrificed most of it for his country and while he did not die in poverty, because so much of his personal wealth was given to “The Cause,” he left only a fraction of what he once had to his descendants. But he left something far more valuable: a legacy of character and faith. In his will, he penned these words:
“I have now disposed of all my property to my family. There is one thing more I wish I could give them and that is faith in Jesus Christ. If they had that and I had not given them a single shilling, they would have been rich; and if they had not that, and I had given them all the world, they would be poor indeed.”
How true that is! Think about it. Patrick Henry has now been dead for 210 years. He only lived 63 years. If he had been fabulously wealthy in his lifetime but only in his lifetime, he would have enjoyed it for perhaps, 30-40 years, and then lost it all in death. But in Christ, he received untold riches that he has been enjoying ever since and will continue to delight in for eternity!
The Apostle Paul, a one time wealthy man, used to love talking about the riches we have in knowing Christ, and the inheritance waiting for us in heaven. In Ephesians he spoke of, “The riches of his grace,” “The riches of his mercy,” and said, “The riches of Christ are unsearchable.” In Romans 10:12 he rejoiced because he and other believers are…. “abounding in riches.”
Do you believe that? Do you? Do you believe that the riches of Christ are abounding, unsearchable, and already there, ready for our claiming upon arrival in heaven? If so, what are we so uptight about the piddly little materialistic stuff here in this very temporary life? So much more is awaiting us!
“Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.” – Jesus (Matthew 6:20)
Long before the revolution, Henry was a prominent figure in the colonies, serving as governor of Virginia (before and after independence). He was certainly known for his persuasive eloquence, but had become highly respected because of his success in business and reputation for integrity. Before the Declaration of Independence, he was very wealthy. But he laid it all on the line for the American cause and risked losing everything he owned. He sacrificed most of it for his country and while he did not die in poverty, because so much of his personal wealth was given to “The Cause,” he left only a fraction of what he once had to his descendants. But he left something far more valuable: a legacy of character and faith. In his will, he penned these words:
“I have now disposed of all my property to my family. There is one thing more I wish I could give them and that is faith in Jesus Christ. If they had that and I had not given them a single shilling, they would have been rich; and if they had not that, and I had given them all the world, they would be poor indeed.”
How true that is! Think about it. Patrick Henry has now been dead for 210 years. He only lived 63 years. If he had been fabulously wealthy in his lifetime but only in his lifetime, he would have enjoyed it for perhaps, 30-40 years, and then lost it all in death. But in Christ, he received untold riches that he has been enjoying ever since and will continue to delight in for eternity!
The Apostle Paul, a one time wealthy man, used to love talking about the riches we have in knowing Christ, and the inheritance waiting for us in heaven. In Ephesians he spoke of, “The riches of his grace,” “The riches of his mercy,” and said, “The riches of Christ are unsearchable.” In Romans 10:12 he rejoiced because he and other believers are…. “abounding in riches.”
Do you believe that? Do you? Do you believe that the riches of Christ are abounding, unsearchable, and already there, ready for our claiming upon arrival in heaven? If so, what are we so uptight about the piddly little materialistic stuff here in this very temporary life? So much more is awaiting us!
“Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.” – Jesus (Matthew 6:20)
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Identity Theft
Bill was buying a car. It was used car and he had the money to buy it outright, but the dealership was offering an unbelievable rate, so he elected to finance the car and invest the cash. He now says it was the worst decision he ever made.
The finance assistant gave him the forms he was to fill out, and unbeknownst to the dealership, she gave him an extra form. Without thinking it through clearly enough, he put all of his information on that sheet: Social security number, driver’s license, bank account information, even a credit card number. Six months later, and long after the fun of having a newer used car had worn off, his bank account had been emptied, fraudulent charges appeared on his credit card, and several notices came in the mail of loans that had been taken out in his name.
After several months of investigation, and several thousand dollars of costs going to a private investigator, the information leak was tracked to a girl who had worked for a short time at the dealership where he bought his last car. Yup, the assistant, who also pilfered several hundred thousand dollars from many other unsuspecting victims. As I understand the story, the money was never recovered and the dealership eventually filed for bankruptcy due to the number of lawsuits brought against it. The girl was part of a ring that either fled the country or somehow melded into the population, never to be found (at least up until now).
Identity theft: It’s very real. Many of us have had our credit card number lifted at some point. My card was suspended when I supposedly bought a membership to a health club in Mozambique. Some of you have stories, however, of ruined credit and serious fraud. It’s a very real problem.
You wouldn’t think it was in Jesus’ day, would you? After all, they didn’t even have credit cards! But Jesus said to His friend, Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! …. You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.”
What? Jesus called the same man that He, Himself had named, Peter (meaning “Rock”) and referred to him as being a cornerstone of the church; He called him, “Satan” in Mark 8? Wow! Now that’s identity theft!
It is a horrible thing when we allow Satan to take our Christian identity and use to blaspheme our God! But every time a Christian man uses God’s name in vain at work, and every time a Christian woman compromises Biblical morality, when Christian couples turn their backs on their marriages or on their kids, they turn their identity over to Satan, and do his bidding.
This is also why Jesus warned Peter, “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to have you, to sift you like wheat” (Luke 22:31). And Peter understood this full well, which is why he later wrote, “Be careful! Watch out for attacks from the Devil, your great enemy. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for some victim to devour” (1 Peter 5:8).
There is a real God. And if you have repented of your sin and put your faith in Jesus Christ for salvation, you are His child. You belong to Him.
But there is also a real devil. And like Peter, he would love to steal your identity and make it look to everyone else that you belong to him. Be watchful! Don’t let him do it!
Let this world see who you really are and live like the child of God that He has called you to be! “Conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.” – Philippians 1:27
The finance assistant gave him the forms he was to fill out, and unbeknownst to the dealership, she gave him an extra form. Without thinking it through clearly enough, he put all of his information on that sheet: Social security number, driver’s license, bank account information, even a credit card number. Six months later, and long after the fun of having a newer used car had worn off, his bank account had been emptied, fraudulent charges appeared on his credit card, and several notices came in the mail of loans that had been taken out in his name.
After several months of investigation, and several thousand dollars of costs going to a private investigator, the information leak was tracked to a girl who had worked for a short time at the dealership where he bought his last car. Yup, the assistant, who also pilfered several hundred thousand dollars from many other unsuspecting victims. As I understand the story, the money was never recovered and the dealership eventually filed for bankruptcy due to the number of lawsuits brought against it. The girl was part of a ring that either fled the country or somehow melded into the population, never to be found (at least up until now).
Identity theft: It’s very real. Many of us have had our credit card number lifted at some point. My card was suspended when I supposedly bought a membership to a health club in Mozambique. Some of you have stories, however, of ruined credit and serious fraud. It’s a very real problem.
You wouldn’t think it was in Jesus’ day, would you? After all, they didn’t even have credit cards! But Jesus said to His friend, Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! …. You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.”
What? Jesus called the same man that He, Himself had named, Peter (meaning “Rock”) and referred to him as being a cornerstone of the church; He called him, “Satan” in Mark 8? Wow! Now that’s identity theft!
It is a horrible thing when we allow Satan to take our Christian identity and use to blaspheme our God! But every time a Christian man uses God’s name in vain at work, and every time a Christian woman compromises Biblical morality, when Christian couples turn their backs on their marriages or on their kids, they turn their identity over to Satan, and do his bidding.
This is also why Jesus warned Peter, “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to have you, to sift you like wheat” (Luke 22:31). And Peter understood this full well, which is why he later wrote, “Be careful! Watch out for attacks from the Devil, your great enemy. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for some victim to devour” (1 Peter 5:8).
There is a real God. And if you have repented of your sin and put your faith in Jesus Christ for salvation, you are His child. You belong to Him.
But there is also a real devil. And like Peter, he would love to steal your identity and make it look to everyone else that you belong to him. Be watchful! Don’t let him do it!
Let this world see who you really are and live like the child of God that He has called you to be! “Conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.” – Philippians 1:27
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Give It a Rest!
The screen on my phone is cracked so I took it in to get it replaced while it is still covered under its extended warranty. So I have a loaner phone. I’m kind of a techy, but since I only have the loaner for a couple of weeks, I am not bothering to learn how to use it too well. I wasn’t even able to answer it the first day. I now know the basics, but I think I’m even missing voice mails.
But I’ve discovered something. The break has been nice. My other phone can pretty much do anything, from surfing the web, to giving me voice turn-by-turn directions to a specified address, taking high quality pictures and video, checking the news, weather & traffic, listen to music, and on and on I could go. But now while I am sitting and waiting at the dentist’s office, or forced into some other kind of idle time, it’s just that….idle. At first, I didn’t know what to do with myself; nothing electronic to play with. Then I learned that just sitting and waiting was actually enjoyable (been a while since I’ve done that!)
Now, I just read an article in The New York Times about a series of studies conducted on the human brain. It seems that those of us who carry these high tech devices are becoming “learning disabled” so to speak, because we don’t give our brains enough down time to process all the info we are taking in. Well, it’s not just those with smart phones. It includes those who have to have their iPod playing while exercising and who need to turn the TV on when they have a chance to sit down at home. The problem these researches are finding is that the brain does not store information during high input time. It needs rest in order to process that information as it reorganizes the data and sends important items into long term memory. These scientists are telling us that being bored, at least for a short time, is good for our ability to remember things and reason through complex thought processes. A lot of us who think we are aging prematurely and becoming forgetful are just needing to give our brains more of a break.
God told His people from the very beginning that we are designed to take breaks. That’s why He created the system of day and night, and told us to take a day off every week. Jesus was a pretty good example here. While He was the model of strength, He scheduled in his days, weeks and months, time away from the crowds and his ministry, to get away and alone. I’ve been trying to do that. The trouble is….I’ve been bringing my phone and my laptop!
I think I’m learning a valuable lesson. I’m going to try to give my brain a rest so that I have it to use effectively when it is on. And I’m going to try to get away from all these electronic devices periodically (I did speak on addiction last week, remember?).
How about you? Are you giving your brain the rest it needs? I’ve learned that the best rest for me is time away and alone with God! (I learned that from Jesus’ example.) Give it a try. You might find that in the end, you get more done. And when you need to be on, you really will be!
But I’ve discovered something. The break has been nice. My other phone can pretty much do anything, from surfing the web, to giving me voice turn-by-turn directions to a specified address, taking high quality pictures and video, checking the news, weather & traffic, listen to music, and on and on I could go. But now while I am sitting and waiting at the dentist’s office, or forced into some other kind of idle time, it’s just that….idle. At first, I didn’t know what to do with myself; nothing electronic to play with. Then I learned that just sitting and waiting was actually enjoyable (been a while since I’ve done that!)
Now, I just read an article in The New York Times about a series of studies conducted on the human brain. It seems that those of us who carry these high tech devices are becoming “learning disabled” so to speak, because we don’t give our brains enough down time to process all the info we are taking in. Well, it’s not just those with smart phones. It includes those who have to have their iPod playing while exercising and who need to turn the TV on when they have a chance to sit down at home. The problem these researches are finding is that the brain does not store information during high input time. It needs rest in order to process that information as it reorganizes the data and sends important items into long term memory. These scientists are telling us that being bored, at least for a short time, is good for our ability to remember things and reason through complex thought processes. A lot of us who think we are aging prematurely and becoming forgetful are just needing to give our brains more of a break.
God told His people from the very beginning that we are designed to take breaks. That’s why He created the system of day and night, and told us to take a day off every week. Jesus was a pretty good example here. While He was the model of strength, He scheduled in his days, weeks and months, time away from the crowds and his ministry, to get away and alone. I’ve been trying to do that. The trouble is….I’ve been bringing my phone and my laptop!
I think I’m learning a valuable lesson. I’m going to try to give my brain a rest so that I have it to use effectively when it is on. And I’m going to try to get away from all these electronic devices periodically (I did speak on addiction last week, remember?).
How about you? Are you giving your brain the rest it needs? I’ve learned that the best rest for me is time away and alone with God! (I learned that from Jesus’ example.) Give it a try. You might find that in the end, you get more done. And when you need to be on, you really will be!
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Why Does a Baby Smile?
My wife, youngest son and I were on vacation last week. I have a funny way of relaxing on weekends when I am not preaching. I go to as many churches as I can. Believe it or not, my wife enjoys it as well (not sure that the kids saw it the same way growing up). So this last weekend, we visited three different churches between Saturday night and Sunday morning. We enjoyed great corporate worship with fellow believers of other congregations, learned about some different ways of going about ministry, and heard some really good messages from the Bible.
But I have to tell you about one of the most profound illustrations I witnessed. Jesus used to love using children as object lessons in his teaching, and He did that for me last Sunday. I was sitting in a service behind a young family with an infant. I couldn’t help but notice the interaction between Dad and little boy. This baby was just old enough to begin smiling, and you could tell he was new at it. He stared at his father’s face just waiting to make eye contact and every time his father looked down, the corners of the infant’s mouth curved upward. Over and over I saw that baby go from smiling to staring to smiling and staring again. When his father was looking at the pastor, the baby just stared at Daddy’s face, waiting for him to make eye contact. When Dad looked down at his child, the baby grinned. He seemed to crave a connection with the man and he knew he would get it by smiling.
Babies learn this very early in life. They get added affection and attention when they smile. (I know, they get it when the cry, too, which is all the more reason to give more attention for smiling than for crying!) Anyway, children have an innate desire to connect with other people. It’s something God created us all a craving for. We were created to be social beings and God takes joy in our bonding with one another.
That’s one of the reasons He founded the church. God did not send His Son only to save you, He sent Jesus to procure a family! He wants you to be part of His family, which is what the Church is, God’s family. The Bridge exists to connect people with God AND to connect people with people.
That’s why we keep saying that church is not a spectator event. Going to church is a weekly family activity to honor The Father together! That’s why we keep saying, “Everyone in the church should be committed to a small group!” It’s in the context of small groups where relationships are formed and family bonds are fortified. That’s why we also say that every Christian should have place of service in the church. Being part of the family means serving others and sharing in the family chores, so to speak.
Like that little boy seeking to connect with his daddy, you’ve been created with an inborn need to relate with other people. Jesus established His church to fulfill that need. So come on, be part of the family. Be faithful in attending every Sunday. Join a small group. And get involved in a ministry where you can love and serve others. That’s what the church is all about!
But I have to tell you about one of the most profound illustrations I witnessed. Jesus used to love using children as object lessons in his teaching, and He did that for me last Sunday. I was sitting in a service behind a young family with an infant. I couldn’t help but notice the interaction between Dad and little boy. This baby was just old enough to begin smiling, and you could tell he was new at it. He stared at his father’s face just waiting to make eye contact and every time his father looked down, the corners of the infant’s mouth curved upward. Over and over I saw that baby go from smiling to staring to smiling and staring again. When his father was looking at the pastor, the baby just stared at Daddy’s face, waiting for him to make eye contact. When Dad looked down at his child, the baby grinned. He seemed to crave a connection with the man and he knew he would get it by smiling.
Babies learn this very early in life. They get added affection and attention when they smile. (I know, they get it when the cry, too, which is all the more reason to give more attention for smiling than for crying!) Anyway, children have an innate desire to connect with other people. It’s something God created us all a craving for. We were created to be social beings and God takes joy in our bonding with one another.
That’s one of the reasons He founded the church. God did not send His Son only to save you, He sent Jesus to procure a family! He wants you to be part of His family, which is what the Church is, God’s family. The Bridge exists to connect people with God AND to connect people with people.
That’s why we keep saying that church is not a spectator event. Going to church is a weekly family activity to honor The Father together! That’s why we keep saying, “Everyone in the church should be committed to a small group!” It’s in the context of small groups where relationships are formed and family bonds are fortified. That’s why we also say that every Christian should have place of service in the church. Being part of the family means serving others and sharing in the family chores, so to speak.
Like that little boy seeking to connect with his daddy, you’ve been created with an inborn need to relate with other people. Jesus established His church to fulfill that need. So come on, be part of the family. Be faithful in attending every Sunday. Join a small group. And get involved in a ministry where you can love and serve others. That’s what the church is all about!
Friday, July 30, 2010
The Path to Success
Self-denial. Delayed gratification.
I know, not exactly the best thoughts to draw readers in.
How’s this, then….
Success! The way to prosperity!
Trouble is, most people think the two concepts are diametrically opposed to one another….that is self-denial and success. And that’s why success is a fleeting prospect for so many people. In reality, the two are inseparable. There is no way to prosperity without self-denial. There is no success without sacrifice….in any aspect of life! It just is how it is. You can’t succeed at anything without first making sacrifices, and many people never truly succeed in life because they are unwilling to make the necessary sacrifices.
But self-denial is not easy….hence the word, “denial.” It doesn’t seem to to make sense that the only way to get things is by denying yourself things, but it is.
For example…. Four years ago I looked at a picture of myself and saw the embarrassing aftermath of gaining about two pounds a year over the previous fifteen years. Granted, I was pretty thin when the weight gain started, but I was obviously 25 pounds over, and something needed to be done. I decided to lose weight. The first month––nothing. The second month––nothing. Then I realized that this was really going to take some work. I had to stop eating at lunch and dinner while I was still hungry. I had to stop snacking all-to-gather (which was a KILLER!). I quit ice cream and sweets in general. I had to start working out. Believe me, as simple as it sounds, there were twenty years of habit to overcome and it felt like some pretty serious denial for a couple months. But then the pounds started dropping off and it actually became fun. In about six month, I lost the 25 pounds I needed to lose, and I kept if off for the next year. Now in the last two years, I put ten back on, and now back to some self-denial again, I am half-way back to where I need to be.
But like everything important in life, getting our bodies in shape takes self-denial (I’ve been saying “no” to ice cream the last few weeks and its killing me!). Becoming a skilled musician takes self-denial (if you practice only when you feel like it, you’ll never be good). Becoming an athlete who excels on the field takes self-denial. Achieving excellence at work takes self denial (denying yourself the office gossip around the water cooler, denying the urge to procrastinate, denying the snooze button to get in early, etc.). If you want financial independence, you’re going to have to say “no” to a lot of things (like cars, toys, too much house, the latest of whatever, etc.). Success in any endeavor takes sacrifice.
I realize that we live in a day when instant gratification is at our disposal. You don’t have to wait to get new furniture, you can just put it on your Visa. You don’t have to wait to get married for sex, its now ok to just do it with your girlfriend. You don’t have to save for a nice car, if you know how to breathe, you can get a car loan. But in those cases, as in all, that instant gratification lasts a short time, but the unwillingness to deny yourself will last with spoiled relationships or years of debt and thousands of dollars of interest.
What do you want to succeed at? Where do you need to start sacrificing?
In fact, Jesus taught us that the ultimate success in our existence depends on our willingness to make the ultimate sacrifice––our lives! He said, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” (Mark 8:34, NIV). He also said, “If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for me, you will find true life” (Mark 16:25, NLT). In other words, Jesus taught us that if we want to achieve the ultimate in life, spiritual maturity or intimacy with God, it’s going to take some serious self-denial.
Maybe that’s why Paul used the analogy of an athlete working out in the gym to prepare for competition with spiritual growth. He said, “Exercise yourself toward godliness….” and then explained, “Physical exercise has some value, but spiritual exercise is much more important, for it promises a reward in both this life and the next” (1 Timothy 4:7, 8).
It takes sacrifice to develop your relationship with God. Yep. Lots of it. But Paul was right, the results are eternally worth it!
I know, not exactly the best thoughts to draw readers in.
How’s this, then….
Success! The way to prosperity!
Trouble is, most people think the two concepts are diametrically opposed to one another….that is self-denial and success. And that’s why success is a fleeting prospect for so many people. In reality, the two are inseparable. There is no way to prosperity without self-denial. There is no success without sacrifice….in any aspect of life! It just is how it is. You can’t succeed at anything without first making sacrifices, and many people never truly succeed in life because they are unwilling to make the necessary sacrifices.
But self-denial is not easy….hence the word, “denial.” It doesn’t seem to to make sense that the only way to get things is by denying yourself things, but it is.
For example…. Four years ago I looked at a picture of myself and saw the embarrassing aftermath of gaining about two pounds a year over the previous fifteen years. Granted, I was pretty thin when the weight gain started, but I was obviously 25 pounds over, and something needed to be done. I decided to lose weight. The first month––nothing. The second month––nothing. Then I realized that this was really going to take some work. I had to stop eating at lunch and dinner while I was still hungry. I had to stop snacking all-to-gather (which was a KILLER!). I quit ice cream and sweets in general. I had to start working out. Believe me, as simple as it sounds, there were twenty years of habit to overcome and it felt like some pretty serious denial for a couple months. But then the pounds started dropping off and it actually became fun. In about six month, I lost the 25 pounds I needed to lose, and I kept if off for the next year. Now in the last two years, I put ten back on, and now back to some self-denial again, I am half-way back to where I need to be.
But like everything important in life, getting our bodies in shape takes self-denial (I’ve been saying “no” to ice cream the last few weeks and its killing me!). Becoming a skilled musician takes self-denial (if you practice only when you feel like it, you’ll never be good). Becoming an athlete who excels on the field takes self-denial. Achieving excellence at work takes self denial (denying yourself the office gossip around the water cooler, denying the urge to procrastinate, denying the snooze button to get in early, etc.). If you want financial independence, you’re going to have to say “no” to a lot of things (like cars, toys, too much house, the latest of whatever, etc.). Success in any endeavor takes sacrifice.
I realize that we live in a day when instant gratification is at our disposal. You don’t have to wait to get new furniture, you can just put it on your Visa. You don’t have to wait to get married for sex, its now ok to just do it with your girlfriend. You don’t have to save for a nice car, if you know how to breathe, you can get a car loan. But in those cases, as in all, that instant gratification lasts a short time, but the unwillingness to deny yourself will last with spoiled relationships or years of debt and thousands of dollars of interest.
What do you want to succeed at? Where do you need to start sacrificing?
In fact, Jesus taught us that the ultimate success in our existence depends on our willingness to make the ultimate sacrifice––our lives! He said, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” (Mark 8:34, NIV). He also said, “If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for me, you will find true life” (Mark 16:25, NLT). In other words, Jesus taught us that if we want to achieve the ultimate in life, spiritual maturity or intimacy with God, it’s going to take some serious self-denial.
Maybe that’s why Paul used the analogy of an athlete working out in the gym to prepare for competition with spiritual growth. He said, “Exercise yourself toward godliness….” and then explained, “Physical exercise has some value, but spiritual exercise is much more important, for it promises a reward in both this life and the next” (1 Timothy 4:7, 8).
It takes sacrifice to develop your relationship with God. Yep. Lots of it. But Paul was right, the results are eternally worth it!
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Thanks, Mrs. Raabe! (My Kindergarten Teacher)
Robert Fulghum used to write his musings down and would share them with a few family members and friends. Some of it was pretty good. So good, in fact, that those family members and friends would photocopy his typewritten notes (often included in Christmas cards) and pass them on to coworkers and friends (before the days of those dreadful mass email forwards, people did that with photocopy machines :-). A little girl brought home in her school bag one multi-copied piece entitled, “All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten.” When her mom, a publishing professional, read it, she knew it was a gem. Contacting Fulghum, she convinced him to have it, and other articles he had written, published into a book that became a New York Times Best Seller, titled after the original article that so impressed her.
I’m sure you’ve read the list, but let me repeat it here:
“Share everything.
“Play fair.
“Don't hit people.
“Put things back where you found them.
“Clean up your own mess.
“Don't take things that aren't yours.
“Say you're sorry when you hurt somebody.
“Wash your hands before you eat.
“Flush.
“Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you.
“Live a balanced life - learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some.
“Take a nap every afternoon.
“When you go out into the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands, and stick together.
“Be aware of wonder.
“Remember the little seed in the styrofoam cup:
“The roots go down and the plant goes up and nobody really knows how or why, but we are all like that.
“Goldfish and hamsters and white mice and even the little seed in the Styrofoam cup––they all die. So do we.
“And then remember the Dick-and-Jane books and the first word you learned - the biggest word of all––LOOK.”
Pretty good isn’t it. But it’s not just a cute list to make us smile. All of us have what it takes to succeed at work, at home…. in life. We’ve been taught what to do. We create chaos in our lives because we don’t do the obvious things.
If some of you were to just start sharing, it would transform your lives. If some of you would start playing fair, it would change your marriages. Just think what would happen if everyone would stop taking things that aren’t theirs and at the same time stop hitting people. The plight of our cities would virtually disappear! So would international crises!
Do you clean up your own messes….right away? Do you say you’re sorry when you hurt others….sincerely?
Here’s a big one. Do you live your life, conscious that it’s going to be over….sooner than later?
I have often said, “Most Christians are overfed and under-exercised. Our problem is not that we don’t really know enough of what the Bible says. Our real problem is that we tend not to practice what we do know. Kind of Fulghum’s point in his “Kindergarten” essay.
So as we talk about Biblical solutions to our problems this summer, let’s think, “ACTION.” What does God want you to do with what you are learning. I don’t know the specifics for you, but I can guarantee you this, He wants you to put His principles into practice. TODAY!
And that’s something you can do.
I’m sure you’ve read the list, but let me repeat it here:
“Share everything.
“Play fair.
“Don't hit people.
“Put things back where you found them.
“Clean up your own mess.
“Don't take things that aren't yours.
“Say you're sorry when you hurt somebody.
“Wash your hands before you eat.
“Flush.
“Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you.
“Live a balanced life - learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some.
“Take a nap every afternoon.
“When you go out into the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands, and stick together.
“Be aware of wonder.
“Remember the little seed in the styrofoam cup:
“The roots go down and the plant goes up and nobody really knows how or why, but we are all like that.
“Goldfish and hamsters and white mice and even the little seed in the Styrofoam cup––they all die. So do we.
“And then remember the Dick-and-Jane books and the first word you learned - the biggest word of all––LOOK.”
Pretty good isn’t it. But it’s not just a cute list to make us smile. All of us have what it takes to succeed at work, at home…. in life. We’ve been taught what to do. We create chaos in our lives because we don’t do the obvious things.
If some of you were to just start sharing, it would transform your lives. If some of you would start playing fair, it would change your marriages. Just think what would happen if everyone would stop taking things that aren’t theirs and at the same time stop hitting people. The plight of our cities would virtually disappear! So would international crises!
Do you clean up your own messes….right away? Do you say you’re sorry when you hurt others….sincerely?
Here’s a big one. Do you live your life, conscious that it’s going to be over….sooner than later?
I have often said, “Most Christians are overfed and under-exercised. Our problem is not that we don’t really know enough of what the Bible says. Our real problem is that we tend not to practice what we do know. Kind of Fulghum’s point in his “Kindergarten” essay.
So as we talk about Biblical solutions to our problems this summer, let’s think, “ACTION.” What does God want you to do with what you are learning. I don’t know the specifics for you, but I can guarantee you this, He wants you to put His principles into practice. TODAY!
And that’s something you can do.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Are You a Follower or JUST a Leader?
The twelve disciples of Jesus are a fascinating group of guys. We’ll do a study some day on the character and accomplishments of this rag-tag group of diverse men who were chosen by Jesus to turn the world up-side down. But in my Bible reading this morning, there is one thing that stood out to me about these guys. While they are quite the assortment of personalities and backgrounds, there appears to be one characteristic that brought them all together.
When Jesus called, they immediately responded.
“Follow me,” Jesus said to each of them, and immediately they left their places, their livelihood, pretty much everything, and followed him. It didn’t end there. I briefly went through the Gospels this morning and did not find a single instance where Jesus gave them instructions when they did not follow Him immediately, and almost without question (they wondered why a few times but rarely second guessed Him). So while they didn’t always “get it” with His parables and some of his hyperboles and similes, they followed through on whatever they were told to do, and they were willing to obey Him, even when his instructions didn’t make sense to them. So when Jesus gave them the ultimate command, “Go into all the world and make disciples,” they didn’t think twice about it. They had obeyed Him every time before this and it always worked out. So why not with the Great Commission?
Is that how you are? Do you follow Him with unquestioned abandonment? Are you willing to leave all for the sake of following Him?
I don’t think that most people who call themselves Christians really are willing to follow Him like that. They find ways to explain away why “God will understand” their disobedience, or they will claim they “prayed about it” and “have peace.” But mostly, I don’t think many Christians think much about what Jesus would have them do in the vast majority of decisions they make every day. Do we give a thought as to whether or not Jesus would want us to criticize someone, ignore another person with needs we could help alleviate, speak harshly to a spouse or child? Do we sincerely go to God and ask Him for guidance with movies we watch, places we go, things we do, people we hang out with? When struggling with issues in life (relationships, finances), while we may pray for God to intervene, do we ask Him for what He wants us to do about it, and do we listen to what He says?
In reality, that’s what it means to follow Jesus, doesn’t it? Isn’t being a Christian supposed to be about following him?
In his book “None of These Diseases,” S. I. McMillen tells a story of a young woman who wanted to go to college, but her heart sank when she read the question on the application blank that asked, "Are you a leader?" Being both honest and conscientious, she wrote, "No," and returned the application, expecting the worst. To her surprise, she received this letter from the college: "Dear Applicant: A study of the application forms reveals that this year our college will have 1,452 new leaders. We are accepting you because we feel it is imperative that they have at least one follower."
When it comes to living the Christian life, being a leader is fine, if you are first a good follower of Jesus Christ. You may or may not have been give leadership ability (few people are truly gifted leaders). But that is neither here nor there. What really matters is that all of us have been give “followship” ability. We all follow someone or something. For too many, they follow their own cravings and desires. But being a Christians means following Jesus….in everything!
So….are you a follower of Jesus?
When Jesus called, they immediately responded.
“Follow me,” Jesus said to each of them, and immediately they left their places, their livelihood, pretty much everything, and followed him. It didn’t end there. I briefly went through the Gospels this morning and did not find a single instance where Jesus gave them instructions when they did not follow Him immediately, and almost without question (they wondered why a few times but rarely second guessed Him). So while they didn’t always “get it” with His parables and some of his hyperboles and similes, they followed through on whatever they were told to do, and they were willing to obey Him, even when his instructions didn’t make sense to them. So when Jesus gave them the ultimate command, “Go into all the world and make disciples,” they didn’t think twice about it. They had obeyed Him every time before this and it always worked out. So why not with the Great Commission?
Is that how you are? Do you follow Him with unquestioned abandonment? Are you willing to leave all for the sake of following Him?
I don’t think that most people who call themselves Christians really are willing to follow Him like that. They find ways to explain away why “God will understand” their disobedience, or they will claim they “prayed about it” and “have peace.” But mostly, I don’t think many Christians think much about what Jesus would have them do in the vast majority of decisions they make every day. Do we give a thought as to whether or not Jesus would want us to criticize someone, ignore another person with needs we could help alleviate, speak harshly to a spouse or child? Do we sincerely go to God and ask Him for guidance with movies we watch, places we go, things we do, people we hang out with? When struggling with issues in life (relationships, finances), while we may pray for God to intervene, do we ask Him for what He wants us to do about it, and do we listen to what He says?
In reality, that’s what it means to follow Jesus, doesn’t it? Isn’t being a Christian supposed to be about following him?
In his book “None of These Diseases,” S. I. McMillen tells a story of a young woman who wanted to go to college, but her heart sank when she read the question on the application blank that asked, "Are you a leader?" Being both honest and conscientious, she wrote, "No," and returned the application, expecting the worst. To her surprise, she received this letter from the college: "Dear Applicant: A study of the application forms reveals that this year our college will have 1,452 new leaders. We are accepting you because we feel it is imperative that they have at least one follower."
When it comes to living the Christian life, being a leader is fine, if you are first a good follower of Jesus Christ. You may or may not have been give leadership ability (few people are truly gifted leaders). But that is neither here nor there. What really matters is that all of us have been give “followship” ability. We all follow someone or something. For too many, they follow their own cravings and desires. But being a Christians means following Jesus….in everything!
So….are you a follower of Jesus?
Friday, July 2, 2010
I Pledge Allegiance
I was totally blown away by a news story out of Massachusetts this last week. Boston, of course, was at the center of our nation’s birth and many of our most outspoken founders came from there. The old city still has many of its early buildings where so many decisions were made that led to the founding of this country and the American system that we tend to take for granted. If you visit downtown Boston, it’s like visiting a city-wide museum.
That is why I was even more appalled that this story came out of the Boston area.
Arlington High School in Arlington, Massachusetts, does not allow the public reciting of the Pledge of Allegiance. I did not say that the school does not “require” students and teachers to recite it, they won’t ALLOW it!
Their reasoning? They say they can’t find enough teachers or administrators in the school who are willing to recite it themselves!
So, here is a publicly funded school, located at the very birthplace of America, led by teachers who do not believe enough in their own loyalty to The United States and the system that was founded right there in their own local area, that they are unwilling to publicly recite any commitment to that loyalty. Can you imagine what the young impressionable students in that high school are being taught?
For those in my generation and older, school was a place where we were taught respect for our nation’s founders and deep pride was instilled in us for being Americans. I grew up with a high appreciation of the blessing of living in this country and have always been thankful that I was privileged to be born here. In school I was taught that all that we have as Americans had been given to us through the sacrifices of those who believed so much in the American system that they were willing to sacrifice their lives to create and preserve it. Not a student in any of my classes would have even thought it to be an acceptable thing to not join the rest of the class, and in doing so the rest of the country, in standing to recite The Pledge of Allegiance. I would have thought, “Why would any American not?”
But in Massachusetts, ungrateful adults, being paid with taxpayer money, are not only unwilling to pass those values on to the next generation, they are unwilling to commit their own loyalty to this country.
I don’t get it! Have they ever been to another country? I’ve often wondered where “America haters” would prefer to live. And why don’t they move to a place that indeed reflects their values?
In truth, we do not need to agree on everything to be united as a country. Healthy debate in the political arena is a good thing, and has been an important freedom since our founding. But some today are not simply exercising their dissent, they communicate disdain for our constitutional system. In previous generations, they would have been considered treasonous.
I am more than anything a follower of Jesus Christ and a citizen of heaven. But I am so grateful for God’s grace in giving to us a nation and system of government that has birthed freedom that had previously never been known to man (since Adam, anyway). And even today, a place like no other around the world.
Happy Independence Day, America. Americans, appreciate it!
That is why I was even more appalled that this story came out of the Boston area.
Arlington High School in Arlington, Massachusetts, does not allow the public reciting of the Pledge of Allegiance. I did not say that the school does not “require” students and teachers to recite it, they won’t ALLOW it!
Their reasoning? They say they can’t find enough teachers or administrators in the school who are willing to recite it themselves!
So, here is a publicly funded school, located at the very birthplace of America, led by teachers who do not believe enough in their own loyalty to The United States and the system that was founded right there in their own local area, that they are unwilling to publicly recite any commitment to that loyalty. Can you imagine what the young impressionable students in that high school are being taught?
For those in my generation and older, school was a place where we were taught respect for our nation’s founders and deep pride was instilled in us for being Americans. I grew up with a high appreciation of the blessing of living in this country and have always been thankful that I was privileged to be born here. In school I was taught that all that we have as Americans had been given to us through the sacrifices of those who believed so much in the American system that they were willing to sacrifice their lives to create and preserve it. Not a student in any of my classes would have even thought it to be an acceptable thing to not join the rest of the class, and in doing so the rest of the country, in standing to recite The Pledge of Allegiance. I would have thought, “Why would any American not?”
But in Massachusetts, ungrateful adults, being paid with taxpayer money, are not only unwilling to pass those values on to the next generation, they are unwilling to commit their own loyalty to this country.
I don’t get it! Have they ever been to another country? I’ve often wondered where “America haters” would prefer to live. And why don’t they move to a place that indeed reflects their values?
In truth, we do not need to agree on everything to be united as a country. Healthy debate in the political arena is a good thing, and has been an important freedom since our founding. But some today are not simply exercising their dissent, they communicate disdain for our constitutional system. In previous generations, they would have been considered treasonous.
I am more than anything a follower of Jesus Christ and a citizen of heaven. But I am so grateful for God’s grace in giving to us a nation and system of government that has birthed freedom that had previously never been known to man (since Adam, anyway). And even today, a place like no other around the world.
Happy Independence Day, America. Americans, appreciate it!
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Do You Want Help?
“Do you want help? Do you really want help?” I often ask those two questions in counseling.
I will sometimes follow with something like this, “Or do you just want someone to fix your current crisis? Because real help is going to require changes in your life and the choices you are making that have led to this crisis.”
When a couple is looking for marriage help, they want their husband or wife fixed. Parents want their kids fixed. People who are feeling guilty because of their sin, want their feelings fixed. But it is a rare occasion when people look to a counselor with a willingness to make personal sacrifices and long-term lifestyle changes on their part.
Yet I hear things like, “I’m willing to do whatever it takes.” But sadly, that is not often true. Had they been willing to do whatever it takes to fix their problem, more often than not, they wouldn’t be in their current predicament. Again, that is often said in order to alleviate a current crisis, but it is rarely meant for the long term thinking patterns and behavior choices that have brought them to their current predicament.
If you are paying attention to the oil spill crisis in the Gulf, you know what I mean. While our government keeps claiming that everything that can be done is being done, it doesn’t take a lot of investigation to find that is just not the case. Thirteen governments with expertise and equipment capable of dealing with off shore disasters such as this offered to help, all within two weeks of the explosion that led to this devastating spill. Canada, Croatia, France, Germany, Ireland, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, Romania, The Republic of Korea, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United Nations as a whole were all turned down by our administration, despite the claim that everything that can be done is being done. The help they are offering is not merely a matter of courtesy. A few of these countries have technology and equipment for this kind of clean-up that far exceeds what the US government or British Petroleum possess. “We’re doing everything we can,” is simply not a sincere statement.
So as we are spending the summer at The Bridge talking about problems and their solutions, ask yourself if you really want help. Not, Do do want to talk about your problems, have other people feel bad for you because of your problems, or even admit that you have any problems. The real question you have to ask yourself is, “Do I really want help?” Because if you do, that will mean applying Biblical principles to making difficult changes in your lifestyle and the choices you are making. If you really want help, you’ll be looking to the Bible for the things God wants to change in you! And you will be actively making those changes!
I will sometimes follow with something like this, “Or do you just want someone to fix your current crisis? Because real help is going to require changes in your life and the choices you are making that have led to this crisis.”
When a couple is looking for marriage help, they want their husband or wife fixed. Parents want their kids fixed. People who are feeling guilty because of their sin, want their feelings fixed. But it is a rare occasion when people look to a counselor with a willingness to make personal sacrifices and long-term lifestyle changes on their part.
Yet I hear things like, “I’m willing to do whatever it takes.” But sadly, that is not often true. Had they been willing to do whatever it takes to fix their problem, more often than not, they wouldn’t be in their current predicament. Again, that is often said in order to alleviate a current crisis, but it is rarely meant for the long term thinking patterns and behavior choices that have brought them to their current predicament.
If you are paying attention to the oil spill crisis in the Gulf, you know what I mean. While our government keeps claiming that everything that can be done is being done, it doesn’t take a lot of investigation to find that is just not the case. Thirteen governments with expertise and equipment capable of dealing with off shore disasters such as this offered to help, all within two weeks of the explosion that led to this devastating spill. Canada, Croatia, France, Germany, Ireland, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, Romania, The Republic of Korea, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United Nations as a whole were all turned down by our administration, despite the claim that everything that can be done is being done. The help they are offering is not merely a matter of courtesy. A few of these countries have technology and equipment for this kind of clean-up that far exceeds what the US government or British Petroleum possess. “We’re doing everything we can,” is simply not a sincere statement.
So as we are spending the summer at The Bridge talking about problems and their solutions, ask yourself if you really want help. Not, Do do want to talk about your problems, have other people feel bad for you because of your problems, or even admit that you have any problems. The real question you have to ask yourself is, “Do I really want help?” Because if you do, that will mean applying Biblical principles to making difficult changes in your lifestyle and the choices you are making. If you really want help, you’ll be looking to the Bible for the things God wants to change in you! And you will be actively making those changes!
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Open Exposure!
I had a meeting downtown today, which took me into the thrilling Chicago traffic. At one intersection, both an automobile and a bicycle attempted to sneak through a red light at the end of a yellow. The bike was going straight and the car was turning left, and they collided. The car was barely moving and fortunately, the woman on the bike was not hurt….but she was mad! She jumped up off the ground and picked her bike up, ripped her helmet off, and with bike in tow, ran after the car screaming at the driver. Junior was sitting beside me in the car and we both saw the whole thing. I asked Junior, “What is she so mad about? She ran the red light, too! You’d think someone on a bike would know better then to ride out into oncoming traffic on a red light.” Junior responded, “Ya, but that’s how people are; they are always sure they are in the right, even when they are obviously not.”
True. And in fact, I’m no exception. Studies show that when people are interviewed to share their observations of just about any experience or event, the person being interviewed will slant the story just a bit to put themselves in the best light. It’s human nature to want others to think better of us than what we know to be true, down deep inside. But that’s also a major barrier in our overcoming some of the most difficult problems we face. You can’t defeat a problem you do not acknowledge.
That was the point of my last week’s message, “Exposure, what it means to walk in the light.” Once we are willing to open ourselves up to God, and a few other trusted people, revealing a genuine openness for truth with a mindset for change, we are able to act on the steps necessary for change in overcoming that problem. But without that desire for truth, or willingness to have our weaknesses exposed, no real or substantive change can ever take place.
Some years ago, a friend said to me, “Scott, you are so negative, I need to stop hanging around with you. You are rubbing off on me and I get critical when we’re together.”
Now, that made me mad! How dare he! Within the next few minutes, I had all the best responses in my mind for him, accusing him of being more negative than me and why I had been right in the critical things I had been saying about others. It wasn’t until later that evening when I got my Bible out to read that the truth of his stinging words struck home. Once I was willing to stop defending myself, I began to see my heart and my attitude the way God saw it. And it wasn’t pretty. That led me on a journey to change my outlook and disposition….one that I am still on today. I have my friend, Bob, to thank for that.
Are you still in denial about your sinful anger, selfishness, immorality, resentment, addictions, worry or laziness? The first step to overcoming is by opening yourself up to God and what He wants to teach you, and to let Him use those closest to you to identify those areas that can be and should be changed.
We are real people. We have real problems. The Bible offers solutions. It always starts with an openness to truth.
True. And in fact, I’m no exception. Studies show that when people are interviewed to share their observations of just about any experience or event, the person being interviewed will slant the story just a bit to put themselves in the best light. It’s human nature to want others to think better of us than what we know to be true, down deep inside. But that’s also a major barrier in our overcoming some of the most difficult problems we face. You can’t defeat a problem you do not acknowledge.
That was the point of my last week’s message, “Exposure, what it means to walk in the light.” Once we are willing to open ourselves up to God, and a few other trusted people, revealing a genuine openness for truth with a mindset for change, we are able to act on the steps necessary for change in overcoming that problem. But without that desire for truth, or willingness to have our weaknesses exposed, no real or substantive change can ever take place.
Some years ago, a friend said to me, “Scott, you are so negative, I need to stop hanging around with you. You are rubbing off on me and I get critical when we’re together.”
Now, that made me mad! How dare he! Within the next few minutes, I had all the best responses in my mind for him, accusing him of being more negative than me and why I had been right in the critical things I had been saying about others. It wasn’t until later that evening when I got my Bible out to read that the truth of his stinging words struck home. Once I was willing to stop defending myself, I began to see my heart and my attitude the way God saw it. And it wasn’t pretty. That led me on a journey to change my outlook and disposition….one that I am still on today. I have my friend, Bob, to thank for that.
Are you still in denial about your sinful anger, selfishness, immorality, resentment, addictions, worry or laziness? The first step to overcoming is by opening yourself up to God and what He wants to teach you, and to let Him use those closest to you to identify those areas that can be and should be changed.
We are real people. We have real problems. The Bible offers solutions. It always starts with an openness to truth.
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Pillars in Place
My son is getting married and the Wisconsin bridal shower for my future daughter-in-law is going on right now. Since the rain was coming down hard when my wife was to start out on the two hour drive to the “shower” this morning, I volunteered to drive her. So here I am, sitting at a McDonald’s in the town where we raised our kids, a McDonald’s where Junior played many times in the kids crawling gym as a little boy, waiting for my wife to finish. Back when the kids were little and rushing through their happy meals to get into the sea of plastic balls, we knew this day was coming (older people kept telling us it was), we just didn’t know how soon it would be here. I’m really grateful for how it appears our kids are turning out. I sure hope and pray we gave them a strong foundation for life.
An hour ago, since I was in town anyway, I drove to the church building of the congregation Linda and I established a little over twenty years ago. It feels good to drive by the building and know that all that work paid off….that there is still a strong and growing congregation here.
As I pulled out of the parking lot, I looked back and for some reason, the pillars holding up the carport caught my eye. I remember putting them in. I did it almost by myself. The white pillars that are visible are just aluminum wraps around steel posts. I remember wrapping them. And I remember holding the steel posts in place with a plumb level on the side while the welder attached them to the beam above and the steel plate below that emerged from the concrete footing. I also remember pouring the concrete footing. The footing actually extends nine feet below fill dirt to 4 foot square slabs I had poured on the undisturbed ground two weeks before. To extend the foundation the additional nine feet to reach ground level where the steel posts could be attached, I used twelve inch circular forms I found at Menard’s. One of our members brought out a small concrete mixer to the site and I even mixed the concrete before filling the forms that would hold up the steel posts that held up the carport. So from the slab at the bottom to the carport itself, I did just about everything. When it was all finished, I even shingled the roof on top. It was pretty cool to look back and see all four pillars still standing firm, no sag, and the roof held up strong and level.
But it all went down to the four foundation slabs beneath those pillars. Thinking about my kids, I wondered, what were the important foundation slabs we hopefully undergirded the lives of our children. And four immediately came to mind.
1) Unconditional love. I know all parents say they love their children. Who would ever say anything other? But the proof in the pudding is in the eating. Real love is demonstrated by affection, words of affirmation, sacrificial care, and from a child’s perspective, time.
2) Consistent discipline. I don’t believe this is taught nearly enough to young parents today. We have the failed results of some schools of thought in modern psychology to thank for that. But children cannot learn from those they do not accept as their authority. We believed that teaching our children that we were the parents and they were the kids very early would determine whether or not they would learn anything else from us.
3) Consistent lifestyle. Kids learn more about the way we live than the things we tell them. It was important to Linda and I that we be the same people all the time, at home, at church, alone, or with our friends. Kids see through phoniness quicker than anyone.
4) Constant teaching. We believed it was important to tell our kids on a daily basis why we lived the way we lived, why we valued the things and principles we valued, and how they could live in such a way that God would be honored.
These four principles are absolutely necessary for parents to effectively pass their values on to their children….what we call effective parenting. I hope they stand as firm in our kids lives as the four pillars in front of my former church.
An hour ago, since I was in town anyway, I drove to the church building of the congregation Linda and I established a little over twenty years ago. It feels good to drive by the building and know that all that work paid off….that there is still a strong and growing congregation here.
But it all went down to the four foundation slabs beneath those pillars. Thinking about my kids, I wondered, what were the important foundation slabs we hopefully undergirded the lives of our children. And four immediately came to mind.
1) Unconditional love. I know all parents say they love their children. Who would ever say anything other? But the proof in the pudding is in the eating. Real love is demonstrated by affection, words of affirmation, sacrificial care, and from a child’s perspective, time.
2) Consistent discipline. I don’t believe this is taught nearly enough to young parents today. We have the failed results of some schools of thought in modern psychology to thank for that. But children cannot learn from those they do not accept as their authority. We believed that teaching our children that we were the parents and they were the kids very early would determine whether or not they would learn anything else from us.
3) Consistent lifestyle. Kids learn more about the way we live than the things we tell them. It was important to Linda and I that we be the same people all the time, at home, at church, alone, or with our friends. Kids see through phoniness quicker than anyone.
4) Constant teaching. We believed it was important to tell our kids on a daily basis why we lived the way we lived, why we valued the things and principles we valued, and how they could live in such a way that God would be honored.
These four principles are absolutely necessary for parents to effectively pass their values on to their children….what we call effective parenting. I hope they stand as firm in our kids lives as the four pillars in front of my former church.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
The Destination DOES Matter!
A thief in Orem, Utah, discovered an important principle: Know where you are going before you commit the crime.
When John White flagged down a policeman to ask for directions, the officer noted that the man matched the description of someone accused of stealing two phones from a nearby convenience store, and the address White wanted turned out to be the same one the officer was checking.
The address had been left on a slip of paper the thief left at a gas station, according to a March 26, 2010, AP story. The man was arrested when the officer found he had both phones, along with a small amount of marijuana.
I’m assuming you are not planning on committing any crimes in the near future, but it is pretty important to know where you are going with whatever your plans are.
Sometimes you may even think you know where you are going but because you were relying on the wrong source of information, you ended up in the wrong place. That happened to me twice in the last couple of months. Did you know that Google maps is not ALWAYS accurate? Two months ago, Google sent me to the wrong city! I later checked to see what address I had typed in and I entered all the information correctly. Yet I was sent to a completely different street in a town some fifteen miles away from where I was trying to go. In another incident, I was sent to the wrong address on the wrong street.
Where are you going and do you know how you are going to get there? Are you sure? Can you trust the directions you are following?
I’ve spoken to too many apparently successful men who have confided in me that while they had reached the top of their corporate ladder, once they got there they began to believe they had it leaning against the wrong building.
Just moving along and making progress in life may keep you occupied and perhaps even mesmerized for a while. But ending up where you want to go depends on whether or not you started with the right goal and then trusted in reliable directions to get there.
The right goal? Is there such a thing? When you consider that God made every one of us for a purpose, anything that we pour our lives into outside of that purpose will eventually leave us feeling lost, a long way from where we want to be.
God made you for Him. And while we have all been separated from enjoying His presence through the problem of sin, He has clearly mapped out for us the way back. Living for anything outside of that, will only broaden the gap between us and while it may provide a bit of fun and diversion for a while, it will eventually lead us to emptiness and despair. And there are a lot of false promises of fulfillment through self-help techniques, they can be a bit like google maps when their information is a bit off. But I can promise you this, God’s Word will not let you down!
Do you know where you are going? Do you know how to get there? Jesus said this, “I am the way, the truth, and the light. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).
When John White flagged down a policeman to ask for directions, the officer noted that the man matched the description of someone accused of stealing two phones from a nearby convenience store, and the address White wanted turned out to be the same one the officer was checking.
The address had been left on a slip of paper the thief left at a gas station, according to a March 26, 2010, AP story. The man was arrested when the officer found he had both phones, along with a small amount of marijuana.
I’m assuming you are not planning on committing any crimes in the near future, but it is pretty important to know where you are going with whatever your plans are.
Sometimes you may even think you know where you are going but because you were relying on the wrong source of information, you ended up in the wrong place. That happened to me twice in the last couple of months. Did you know that Google maps is not ALWAYS accurate? Two months ago, Google sent me to the wrong city! I later checked to see what address I had typed in and I entered all the information correctly. Yet I was sent to a completely different street in a town some fifteen miles away from where I was trying to go. In another incident, I was sent to the wrong address on the wrong street.
Where are you going and do you know how you are going to get there? Are you sure? Can you trust the directions you are following?
I’ve spoken to too many apparently successful men who have confided in me that while they had reached the top of their corporate ladder, once they got there they began to believe they had it leaning against the wrong building.
Just moving along and making progress in life may keep you occupied and perhaps even mesmerized for a while. But ending up where you want to go depends on whether or not you started with the right goal and then trusted in reliable directions to get there.
The right goal? Is there such a thing? When you consider that God made every one of us for a purpose, anything that we pour our lives into outside of that purpose will eventually leave us feeling lost, a long way from where we want to be.
God made you for Him. And while we have all been separated from enjoying His presence through the problem of sin, He has clearly mapped out for us the way back. Living for anything outside of that, will only broaden the gap between us and while it may provide a bit of fun and diversion for a while, it will eventually lead us to emptiness and despair. And there are a lot of false promises of fulfillment through self-help techniques, they can be a bit like google maps when their information is a bit off. But I can promise you this, God’s Word will not let you down!
Do you know where you are going? Do you know how to get there? Jesus said this, “I am the way, the truth, and the light. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Who Are You Listening To?
The heat is on! Well, it was anyway.
We were a little warm in church last week. The auditorium was fine, but the lobby? Something was definitely wrong. It was bad enough that we had no air on a 90° day, a day we had planned extra fellowship in the new lobby after our 4:00 PM annual celebration. The lobby was so hot we had to move the food into the auditorium where it was cool. But you wouldn’t believe Monday morning. It was 96° in there when I arrived and the heat was ON! Yes….THE FURNACE WAS RUNNING! Since both lobby thermostats were set to A/C, and since the furnace was running when the air clearly should have been, we kind of thought there might be a problem (smart people that we are). Even after completely shutting down the system from both thermostats, the heat kept running. The lobby became as hot as 98 degrees by the time we were able to cut the power to all units.
The HVAC people finally came on Tuesday to solve the problem. Come to find out, the technician had programmed the thermostats wrong when he installed them last fall. They worked fine for winter heat, but the programming for summer cool sent the wrong message to the units and while the thermostat was telling us that it was asking for A/C, the message was being sent to the heating units running the furnaces. I’m still confused as to why the heat kept running even after we turned the system off.
Just about everything mechanical or electrical today is run by computers: cars, cameras, HVAC units. If the computer is incorrectly programmed, whatever unit it is sending signals to will operate incorrectly. Data in, data out.
Both Solomon and Paul talked about that. They lived too long ago to be familiar with computer programming, but they understood human nature. If we take in faulty programming, our thinking gets messed up, which then is reflected in our choices/behavior.
Where does that input come from? Well, we get it from the people and influences we surround ourselves with: friends, teachers, co-workers, television and other entertainment sources, even churches. Its pretty important that we pay attention to who and what we are listening to because invariable, without a pretty good filter (God’s Word), the influences we surround ourselves with impact in a major way the decisions we make and the lifestyles we choose. Solomon said this, “He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm” (Proverbs 13:20). The Apostle Paul put it this way, “Bad company corrupts good character” (1 Corinthians 15:33).
Who are you hanging out with? Who are you listening to?
We were a little warm in church last week. The auditorium was fine, but the lobby? Something was definitely wrong. It was bad enough that we had no air on a 90° day, a day we had planned extra fellowship in the new lobby after our 4:00 PM annual celebration. The lobby was so hot we had to move the food into the auditorium where it was cool. But you wouldn’t believe Monday morning. It was 96° in there when I arrived and the heat was ON! Yes….THE FURNACE WAS RUNNING! Since both lobby thermostats were set to A/C, and since the furnace was running when the air clearly should have been, we kind of thought there might be a problem (smart people that we are). Even after completely shutting down the system from both thermostats, the heat kept running. The lobby became as hot as 98 degrees by the time we were able to cut the power to all units.
The HVAC people finally came on Tuesday to solve the problem. Come to find out, the technician had programmed the thermostats wrong when he installed them last fall. They worked fine for winter heat, but the programming for summer cool sent the wrong message to the units and while the thermostat was telling us that it was asking for A/C, the message was being sent to the heating units running the furnaces. I’m still confused as to why the heat kept running even after we turned the system off.
Just about everything mechanical or electrical today is run by computers: cars, cameras, HVAC units. If the computer is incorrectly programmed, whatever unit it is sending signals to will operate incorrectly. Data in, data out.
Both Solomon and Paul talked about that. They lived too long ago to be familiar with computer programming, but they understood human nature. If we take in faulty programming, our thinking gets messed up, which then is reflected in our choices/behavior.
Where does that input come from? Well, we get it from the people and influences we surround ourselves with: friends, teachers, co-workers, television and other entertainment sources, even churches. Its pretty important that we pay attention to who and what we are listening to because invariable, without a pretty good filter (God’s Word), the influences we surround ourselves with impact in a major way the decisions we make and the lifestyles we choose. Solomon said this, “He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm” (Proverbs 13:20). The Apostle Paul put it this way, “Bad company corrupts good character” (1 Corinthians 15:33).
Who are you hanging out with? Who are you listening to?
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Find a Place
We are a camping family. I’m sure for all of you who were born and raised in the city, that is your stereotype for those of us from Wisconsin. I will have to admit that I grew up enjoying the outdoors: hunting, fishing, camping, hiking and biking. Most of my happiest childhood memories were in the woods, hiking the bluffs along the Mississippi, on the Mississippi fishing, or sleeping in a tent in a campground. But believe it or not, most people in Wisconsin are no more familiar with the outdoors than those who grew up in Des Plaines!
But for me, I’ve always loved it. Today, the outdoors is my escape. After living in Illinois for the last three years (almost), I couldn’t hold myself back any longer. I found a $1,000 pop-up camper on craigslist and the Zieglers are camping again! When we inaugurated the camper a month ago, we were entertained by wild turkeys in the state park for a good portion of the time we were there.
One of my favorite aspects of camping, is the time I get alone with God. There is something about being in the middle of His creation, without the distraction of traffic, TV, or even the voices of other people, that helps me focus. I can relate to Jesus when in the height of his busyness, he would often leave the crowd, needs and all, and go into the wilderness to spend time with His Father. It appears that His favorite place near Jerusalem was the Garden of Gethsemane––sort of like a state park, I think. ☺
Do you have a place? A couple of weeks ago, I spoke on the need for all of us to have a daily quiet time with God. I hope you are doing well with your own personal time each day with God. But there is also something special about being able to go to a place away from all the hustle and bustle, periodically, where you can spend an extended time just communing with your Creator. For me, that happens best in a state park or a wildlife refuge. Do you have a place like that? Luke 5:16 says, “Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.”
What a great habit for you to start this week!
But for me, I’ve always loved it. Today, the outdoors is my escape. After living in Illinois for the last three years (almost), I couldn’t hold myself back any longer. I found a $1,000 pop-up camper on craigslist and the Zieglers are camping again! When we inaugurated the camper a month ago, we were entertained by wild turkeys in the state park for a good portion of the time we were there.One of my favorite aspects of camping, is the time I get alone with God. There is something about being in the middle of His creation, without the distraction of traffic, TV, or even the voices of other people, that helps me focus. I can relate to Jesus when in the height of his busyness, he would often leave the crowd, needs and all, and go into the wilderness to spend time with His Father. It appears that His favorite place near Jerusalem was the Garden of Gethsemane––sort of like a state park, I think. ☺
Do you have a place? A couple of weeks ago, I spoke on the need for all of us to have a daily quiet time with God. I hope you are doing well with your own personal time each day with God. But there is also something special about being able to go to a place away from all the hustle and bustle, periodically, where you can spend an extended time just communing with your Creator. For me, that happens best in a state park or a wildlife refuge. Do you have a place like that? Luke 5:16 says, “Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.”
What a great habit for you to start this week!
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Junior
That moment changed everything for me. I saw the world through a different lens. The words, “love” and “respon-sibility” took on completely different meanings. It was one thing to go from “single” to “husband.” That was actually pretty easy (for me––not for Linda!). But going from “man” to “father” changed me forever.
Junior wasn’t always “Junior.” He actually has a different middle name than me and we originally planned on calling him “Daniel,” for his middle name. But everyone called him Scottie, so that’s what stuck. As a little guy, he would shoot across the floor before he learned to crawl, so we started calling him “Scoot.” Then came, “Scoot the toot.” I won’t mention where the “toot” came from ☺.
He has always been a lot of fun. Junior loves to laugh and tease, and in our family, that’s a primary love language. I’ll never forget when he was a teenager and he started losing his hair. He was really worried about it. Linda told him one day that mayonnaise is good for hair and that it cures baldness, if you use it early and often enough. I knew she was making it up and left the room to keep from laughing. A few days later, the mayonnaise was scraped clean from the jar!
In junior high and high school, he was a pleasure to be around. We never had to endure the rebellious teenage years that so many parents struggle through. He was a good athlete, decent student, looked out for the kids who got picked on (actually got into a few fights defending them), and outside of a few TP pranks on church and school people, never got into trouble. Between all that and his 6’1” frame, I’ve often wondered if we accidentally brought the wrong kid home from the hospital!
But what I have appreciated most about my oldest son, is his heart. He truly seeks to live for Christ and loves to serve. Here at The Bridge, there are not many people who are more active in ministry.
Today, he graduated from college. Wow! Some of you have been through this before so it may be no big deal to you. But it is to Linda and I. We couldn’t be more proud. I have often told my kids, “It doesn’t matter what vocation you choose in life, so long as you are passionate about serving God and other people.” Even through his college years, while maintaining a job, full time school, and now a fiancee, serving in ministry has been a priority.
Thanks for being the son you are, Junior. And thanks for your example. Mom and I love you and are very proud of you!
Junior wasn’t always “Junior.” He actually has a different middle name than me and we originally planned on calling him “Daniel,” for his middle name. But everyone called him Scottie, so that’s what stuck. As a little guy, he would shoot across the floor before he learned to crawl, so we started calling him “Scoot.” Then came, “Scoot the toot.” I won’t mention where the “toot” came from ☺.
He has always been a lot of fun. Junior loves to laugh and tease, and in our family, that’s a primary love language. I’ll never forget when he was a teenager and he started losing his hair. He was really worried about it. Linda told him one day that mayonnaise is good for hair and that it cures baldness, if you use it early and often enough. I knew she was making it up and left the room to keep from laughing. A few days later, the mayonnaise was scraped clean from the jar!
In junior high and high school, he was a pleasure to be around. We never had to endure the rebellious teenage years that so many parents struggle through. He was a good athlete, decent student, looked out for the kids who got picked on (actually got into a few fights defending them), and outside of a few TP pranks on church and school people, never got into trouble. Between all that and his 6’1” frame, I’ve often wondered if we accidentally brought the wrong kid home from the hospital!
But what I have appreciated most about my oldest son, is his heart. He truly seeks to live for Christ and loves to serve. Here at The Bridge, there are not many people who are more active in ministry.
Today, he graduated from college. Wow! Some of you have been through this before so it may be no big deal to you. But it is to Linda and I. We couldn’t be more proud. I have often told my kids, “It doesn’t matter what vocation you choose in life, so long as you are passionate about serving God and other people.” Even through his college years, while maintaining a job, full time school, and now a fiancee, serving in ministry has been a priority.
Thanks for being the son you are, Junior. And thanks for your example. Mom and I love you and are very proud of you!
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Oil Slick
But don’t be too quick to judge!
How’s the maintenance in your life going? Are you open to oversight? Or are some of the early signs of a massive disaster in the making?
I see some very sad parallels between what is unfolding off the shores of Louisiana and the imploded lives of those who wreaked havoc in their world by letting sin get the upper hand. It starts when a person is distracted from needed daily spiritual maintenance and nobody is around to notice without active accountability in their lives. When the sin does become noticeable, the offending party minimizes the real danger and friends tend to back off, as though the same person who created the disaster is likely to fix it on his own. It doesn’t happen.
People are shocked when the family, work, or church explosion occurs, but the cracks had been forming as deterioration had been occurring deep below the surface for a long time. Sadly, it's not just the individuals who are responsible who pay the price. Everyone around them is affected. As a pastor, I have had to help clean up the rubble in the lives of kids who are usually the most devastated by the aftermath of a spiritual explosion created by poor maintenance and deficient accountability.
How’s your daily maintenance? Are you consistently in the Word and spending time in prayer with a daily quiet time with God?
Do you have good accountability in your life with close friends or family members who are there to help you stay the course? Are you open to their help or do you recoil at any hint of correction?
The oil slick in the Gulf is growing every day. Fishing is shut down, ports are closed, sea life is dying. And it all could have been avoided. Sometimes the thing that keeps me most on track is a reminder of what could be if I’m not. There’s too much at stake in my life. And there is in yours as well. If you don’t have a regular maintenance program in place, establish a daily quiet time today. And surround yourself with a few godly people who will help hold you to it!
Thursday, April 15, 2010
No Refunds and No Returns
Unbelievable. I was dumbstruck. You’ve heard all about it as well and probably became as disgusted as I was when I read the story. A Tennessee woman was so eager to be a mom that she spent a lot of money and went through years of preparation to adopt a child from Russia. But when he turned out to be more of a challenge then she bargained for, she thought she could just return him, like you would a coffee pot at Wal-Mart because it lacked the features you expected to be standard. Evidently, she had some fantasy idea that bringing into her home a seven-year old orphan from Russia would be instant joy and the child would be free from challenges. And when reality shattered her dream of what being a mom would be like, without any thought given to the well-being or even safety of the child, she shipped him off on an airliner headed back to Moscow, by himself, and a note pinned to his shirt, like it was written for the Kindergarten teacher.
Rightly so, Russian officials were infuriated. And now prospective parents who are willing to make the commitment to do whatever it takes for the best interest of their adopted children, are placed in limbo, though some of these parents were only hours from taking custody of their children. I’m not sure I’d want to be this woman trying to shop nonchalantly at the neighborhood grocery store. Not too many people sympathize with her.
But this story only stands out because the circumstances are unusual. A lot of parents are pretty nasty about running away from the responsibility they took on with their children when they made the choices that led either to conception or adoption. Once that child is in our care, God will hold us responsible for their well-being. I can guarantee that God is not happy about what this mother did to that little boy, but He is equally angry (yes…. ANGRY) with parents who physically or emotionally abuse their children, run out on them to pursue their own selfish desires, argue and scream at the child’s mom or dad in front of them (or within earshot), slander the child’s other parent or grandparents, drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs with them in the automobile, etc. Jesus made it quite clear that those who would harm a child will be judged by God (Luke 17:2). Some of these more “acceptable” behaviors are just as harmful to children than if they were shipped off to another country. Running off on your kids is no different then sending them away. God holds these harmful behaviors in equal disdain. If you are one who yells at your spouse in front of your kids, drives under the influence with them in the car-seat, or care more about your passionate “affair,” than you do your spouse or your children, pay attention to this! God does not look on these things lightly!
Parents, you have an enormous responsibility before God to care for and properly train your children. Dissatisfaction at work, difficulty in getting along with your spouse, or even frustration in getting your children to mind, will never be excuses for mistreating those whom God has placed in your care. He is not happy with the woman who pinned the note on her son, shipping him back to Russia. But He takes your actions with and in front of your kids just as seriously. They are learning from your example. And the atmosphere you create in your home, good or bad, will stay with them the rest of their lives.
Take your parenting responsibility seriously and be the mom or dad God calls you to be!
Rightly so, Russian officials were infuriated. And now prospective parents who are willing to make the commitment to do whatever it takes for the best interest of their adopted children, are placed in limbo, though some of these parents were only hours from taking custody of their children. I’m not sure I’d want to be this woman trying to shop nonchalantly at the neighborhood grocery store. Not too many people sympathize with her.
But this story only stands out because the circumstances are unusual. A lot of parents are pretty nasty about running away from the responsibility they took on with their children when they made the choices that led either to conception or adoption. Once that child is in our care, God will hold us responsible for their well-being. I can guarantee that God is not happy about what this mother did to that little boy, but He is equally angry (yes…. ANGRY) with parents who physically or emotionally abuse their children, run out on them to pursue their own selfish desires, argue and scream at the child’s mom or dad in front of them (or within earshot), slander the child’s other parent or grandparents, drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs with them in the automobile, etc. Jesus made it quite clear that those who would harm a child will be judged by God (Luke 17:2). Some of these more “acceptable” behaviors are just as harmful to children than if they were shipped off to another country. Running off on your kids is no different then sending them away. God holds these harmful behaviors in equal disdain. If you are one who yells at your spouse in front of your kids, drives under the influence with them in the car-seat, or care more about your passionate “affair,” than you do your spouse or your children, pay attention to this! God does not look on these things lightly!
Parents, you have an enormous responsibility before God to care for and properly train your children. Dissatisfaction at work, difficulty in getting along with your spouse, or even frustration in getting your children to mind, will never be excuses for mistreating those whom God has placed in your care. He is not happy with the woman who pinned the note on her son, shipping him back to Russia. But He takes your actions with and in front of your kids just as seriously. They are learning from your example. And the atmosphere you create in your home, good or bad, will stay with them the rest of their lives.
Take your parenting responsibility seriously and be the mom or dad God calls you to be!
Thursday, April 8, 2010
"Little Annie" Locked in a Dungeon
A number of years ago, in a mental institution just outside Boston, Mass., a young girl known as “Little Annie” was locked in the dungeon. This institution was one of the more enlightened ones for the treatment of the mentally disturbed. However, the doctors felt that a dungeon was the only place for those who were “hopelessly” insane. In Little Annie’s case, they saw no hope for her, so she was confined to a living death in that small cage which received little light and even less hope.
About that time, an elderly nurse in the institution was nearing retirement. She felt there was hope for all of God’s creatures, so she started taking her lunch into the dungeon and eating outside Little Annie’s cage. She felt perhaps she could communicate some love and hope to the little girl.
In many ways, Little Annie was like an animal. On occasions, she would violently attack the person who came into her cage. At other times, she would completely ignore them.
When the elderly nurse started visiting her, Little Annie gave no indication that she was even aware of her presence. One day, the elderly nurse brought some brownies to the dungeon and left them outside the cage. Little Annie gave no hint she knew they were there, but when the nurse returned the next day, the brownies were gone. From that time on, the nurse would bring brownies when she made her Thursday visit. Soon, the doctors in the institution noticed a change was taking place. After a period of time, they decided to move Little Annie upstairs. Finally, the day came when this “hopeless case” was told she could return home. But Little Annie did not wish to leave. The place had meant so much to her she felt she could make a contribution if she stayed and worked with the other patients. The elderly nurse had seen and brought out so much in her life that Little Annie felt she could see and help develop something in others.
Many years later, Queen Victoria of England, while pinning England’s highest award on a foreigner, asked Helen Keller, “How do you account for your remarkable accomplishments in life? How do you explain the fact that even though you were both blind and deaf, you were able to accomplish so much?” Without a moment’s hesitation, Helen Keller said that had it not been for Anne Sullivan (Little Annie), the name of Helen Keller would have remained unknown.
It’s not too well known, but Helen Keller was a normal, healthy baby before some mysterious disease left her almost helpless and hopeless. Anne Sullivan saw Helen Keller as one of God’s very special people – treated her as she saw her – loved her – disciplined her – played, prayed, pushed and worked with her until the flickering candle that was her life became a beacon that helped light the pathways and lighten the burdens of people all over the world. Yes, Helen Keller influenced millions after her own life was touched by “Little Annie!”
Dark times make our circumstances very difficult to decipher; and sometimes its best not to even try to understand the “why’s” of our difficulties. But God’s Word promises that good will come from our trials if we truly love Him and are living according to His purposes (Romans 8:28). Give that trial to the Lord. As tough as it may seem, it probably does not compare to the suffering of little Anne Sullivan – and look how God impacted the world through her victory! You can endure. And when it is all said and done, it will make sense.
“No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.” – 1 Corinthians 10:13
About that time, an elderly nurse in the institution was nearing retirement. She felt there was hope for all of God’s creatures, so she started taking her lunch into the dungeon and eating outside Little Annie’s cage. She felt perhaps she could communicate some love and hope to the little girl.
In many ways, Little Annie was like an animal. On occasions, she would violently attack the person who came into her cage. At other times, she would completely ignore them.
When the elderly nurse started visiting her, Little Annie gave no indication that she was even aware of her presence. One day, the elderly nurse brought some brownies to the dungeon and left them outside the cage. Little Annie gave no hint she knew they were there, but when the nurse returned the next day, the brownies were gone. From that time on, the nurse would bring brownies when she made her Thursday visit. Soon, the doctors in the institution noticed a change was taking place. After a period of time, they decided to move Little Annie upstairs. Finally, the day came when this “hopeless case” was told she could return home. But Little Annie did not wish to leave. The place had meant so much to her she felt she could make a contribution if she stayed and worked with the other patients. The elderly nurse had seen and brought out so much in her life that Little Annie felt she could see and help develop something in others.
Many years later, Queen Victoria of England, while pinning England’s highest award on a foreigner, asked Helen Keller, “How do you account for your remarkable accomplishments in life? How do you explain the fact that even though you were both blind and deaf, you were able to accomplish so much?” Without a moment’s hesitation, Helen Keller said that had it not been for Anne Sullivan (Little Annie), the name of Helen Keller would have remained unknown.
It’s not too well known, but Helen Keller was a normal, healthy baby before some mysterious disease left her almost helpless and hopeless. Anne Sullivan saw Helen Keller as one of God’s very special people – treated her as she saw her – loved her – disciplined her – played, prayed, pushed and worked with her until the flickering candle that was her life became a beacon that helped light the pathways and lighten the burdens of people all over the world. Yes, Helen Keller influenced millions after her own life was touched by “Little Annie!”
Dark times make our circumstances very difficult to decipher; and sometimes its best not to even try to understand the “why’s” of our difficulties. But God’s Word promises that good will come from our trials if we truly love Him and are living according to His purposes (Romans 8:28). Give that trial to the Lord. As tough as it may seem, it probably does not compare to the suffering of little Anne Sullivan – and look how God impacted the world through her victory! You can endure. And when it is all said and done, it will make sense.
“No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.” – 1 Corinthians 10:13
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