Big and Small : The heart of music ministry leaders

The past decade of local church ministry has taught me that big and small churches face similar problems, but for entirely different reasons. One example of this is the failure to address vocalists or musicians who have great talent, but a terrible heart condition (or even worse, theological beliefs as structured as a bowl of pudding).

Small churches have difficulty with this because they consider themselves to be a "small gene pool" and are nervous that if certain heart issues are addressed, that the volunteer may leave, which will lead to the overall disintegration of the music ministry. I have known destructive people that have held a vice-like grip on a church ministry simply because the leadership didn't address the issue for fear that the ministry would be destroyed.

Larger churches have this difficulty because they are under enormous pressure to perform and thus the need to recruit top talent to perform for the large group often overrides the value placed on the heart condition of a single individual. I have known megachurches that have put non-christians on their platform, to lead the congregation in worship, simply because they are talented individuals. Talk about a total failure of the heart! How can someone lead the people of God, to offer their praise to God, as an enemy of God? That would be equivalent to a member of a terrorist organization leading American troops into battle against their own terrorist organization!

The most important characteristic of any musician, of any Christian, is his/her heart toward God. Human beings usually see and hear the external only, which is usually very polished. However, the Bible is clear that God looks at the heart.

It is my prayer that every church, both big and small, will not position leaders based on talent, but rather on a heart for God and a dedication to the truth of God's Word.

But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart."
~1 Samuel 16:7

Pretty, Superficial Preachers

As I prepare to preach my third sermon at Calvary Baptist Church tomorrow, this excerpt from John Wesley continues resonating in my mind.

It is a letter that Wesley wrote to a young minister, who was a poor preacher. Wesley argued that the daily reading of Scripture is the most necessary condition for improved preaching.

"What has exceedingly hurt you in time past, nay, and I fear, to this day, is lack of reading. I scarce ever knew a preacher who read so little. And perhaps, by neglecting it, you have lost the taste for it.

Hence your talent in preaching does not increase. It is just the same as it was seven years ago. It is lively, but not deep; there is little variety; there is no compass of thought.

Reading only can supply this, with meditation and daily prayer. You wrong yourself greatly by omitting this. You can never be a deep preacher without it, any more than a thorough Christian.

Oh begin! Fix some part of every day for private exercise. You may acquire the taste which you have not; what is tedious at first will afterward be pleasant.

Whether you like it or not, read and pray daily. It is for your life; there is no other way; else you will be a trifler all your days, and a pretty, superficial preacher.

Do justice to your own soul; give it time and means to grow. Do not starve yourself any longer. Take up the cross and be a Christian altogether.

Then will all the children of God rejoice (not grieve) over you, and in particular yours."

"Letter to a Friend," The Works of the Rev. John Wesley (London, 1813), 49.

Killer Dams

In 2011, the largest dam removal in U.S. history began on the Elwha River in Washington State.

This is incredibly surprising, especially since both of the dams were hydroelectric power stations, which provided much needed natural energy to surrounding communities. It took over 3 years to complete the project, and was deemed a success by local citizens and conservationists. This dam existed for nearly 100 years but ended up doing much more harm than good.

It is amazing to me how a well-meaning dam can destroy so much life. Although the water was able to be controlled, the net effect of killing almost every type of fish species, nearly destroyed the region's ecosystem.

These "Control Dams" are often constructed in churches; unfortunately with great intent, cost, and purpose. Yet these tools, systems, or rules put in place to HELP, as time passes, become obstacles that HURT. Life is snuffed out, generations of fish (Jesus would use this analogy too) are often lost to concrete structures that will endure long after those who created them have passed on.

Many dams are incredibly helpful and necessary. Distinguishing between a life-giving structure and life-taking structure is not by reviewing their intended purposes, because every dam is built for a noble cause. Rather, we should probably stop staring at the impressive colossal formations we built 20 years ago and analyze the effects of these structures. In other words... let's get downstream and see how the fish are doing.

Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.
Isaiah 43:18-19

God Always Has a 2nd Tow Truck

As I was driving to MC3 this morning, I noticed a most unusual sight: A police car, being towed by a tow truck, that was being towed by a tow truck.  As confusing as it sounds, it was even more confusing to witness.  I turned the corner, and then realized that this opportunity was too good to pass up, so I made a quick u-turn and snapped this photo:

As comical as this may look, it reminded me of two things:

1.  Those who help others will, at times, need help themselves.  The longer I work in ministry, the more I realize the value of tending my own spiritual health.  This happens with scheduled times of rest and by allowing others to speak words of encouragement, affirmation, and reproof into my life.  May I never be too proud to utter the phrase, "I'm in over my head!", "I need help!", or "I don't know what to do!"

2.  No matter how bad things may be, there is always a rescue.  When your life falls apart and you can't give anymore (police car) and your go-to-solution fails (1st tow truck), it is easy to forget that the God we serve is the same God who rescued the Israelites by splitting a SEA in half when they were surrounded by Pharaoh's army.   God always has a 2nd tow truck waiting in the wings.  God is always at work around us.

You have an enemy that wants you dead; but take heart, believer, for our God is greater!

And He said to them, "Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while."  For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat.
~Mark 6:31

"Even to your old age and grey hairs, I am He; I am He who will sustain you.  I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you."
~Isaiah 46:4

Wind Changes Everything

Wind can change a lot of things.  This past weekend high winds created whiteout conditions which resulted in many changed plans.  My family had to scrap our arrangements to attend a children's concert in St. Joe.  Our church cancelled weekend services.  Cars in the ditch, emergency teams and road crews in turmoil, travel bans across all five counties, and to top it off, my wife and I had to call off our Valentine's Day reservations and hunker down in our home.

All of this from a 45 mph wind.

After this weekend, you would be hard pressed to find someone in Michiana who would say "Nah, the wind doesn't affect my life."

Would we be as hard pressed to find members in the church who excitedly proclaim, "The Spirit of God has transformed my life and affects everything I do!"

In light of this, here is my prayer:

God, I want your Holy Spirit to move across GCC, to move through your church, in a mighty way.  I desire that your name be lifted high across Michiana; so that it is unmistakable, undeniable, the power of your glory.  I ask God, that you would change all of my plans to obediently follow the moving of your Spirit.  Let every part of my life be directed by the eternally strong breeze of your still, small voice.  Bring us to know your power.  We wait expectantly for the blizzard of our souls.  In Jesus' name, Amen.

The wind blows wherever it pleases.  You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going.  So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.

~John 3:8

Volcanic Eruptions and Kidney Transplants

Our friends, Noah and Abby Nehls, were headed to Guatemala to complete their final stage of application with Students International in order to become missionaries to the people of Guatemala.  Noah is planning to use his experience with carpentry and construction, while Abby will use her skills as a nurse.

Everything changed the day they were scheduled to fly out of Chicago when a volcano erupted in Guatemala.

Flights cancelled, planes diverted, expectations suddenly in question.

Then the deep, soul-filled questions begin to arise:
"Was this the right thing to do?"
"Is God shutting this door on us?"
"What if He says no?"

I had the chance to talk with Noah as he was waiting in the Houston airport.  This is a summary of what I shared with him (Praise God for bringing this illustration to mind):

Imagine if I needed a kidney transplant and you were one of my close friends that offered me your kidney.  You went through the blood work, the pre operation tests, insurance claims, and even scheduled a day for surgery.  What if, in the end, I decided to accept someone else's kidney, rather than yours?  Would that diminish your self-sacrificing offer?  Absolutely not!  Rather, it would bring me to realize that you would selflessly offer anything of yours to help me.  If I knew that you were willing to give me a kidney, how assuredly I would count on you if I needed anything else. (what beats being given a kidney?!)

The same is true with God.

You have gone through the tests, counted the cost, and decided to give up all of your earthly possessions to follow God.  He has your heart and can now use you for anything.  If He sovereignly chooses to close the door on this mission field, it doesn't diminish your offer!  Rather, it brings Him great joy that you are willing to give up everything to advance the work of His kingdom on earth.

After many cancelled and tentative departures, Noah and Abby finally arrived in Guatemala.

Please continue to pray for clarity as God reveals His will for their lives.

You might also pray that, like the Nehls, God would develop a heart in you that He can use for any purpose that He desires.

And now Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in obedience to him, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
Deuteronomy 10:12

Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.
1 Corinthians 15:58

Rarity Creates Value

The Amur Leopard is considered "critically endangered" by IUCN.  A 2007 census counted only 14-20 adults and 5-6 cubs.  I'm not certain my son will graduate high school before this creature disappears forever.

There are many rare books in the world, but most experts agree that the Gutenberg Bible is the rarest of them all.  A first edition printing from 1456 is worth $25-$35 million.

A single page from this rare Bible sells for an astonishing $25,000 each.

The signature of William Shakespeare, the famous playwright, has only been found on six items, namely, legal documents that the bard had to sign.  Shakespeare was considered illiterate, which makes these documents "priceless".

The value of each of these 6 documents is estimated somewhere around $3 million, totaling $18 million for all of his signed documents.






So here's the question:  What do you think is the most valuable and rare item in the universe?


In his book, Brothers We Are Not Professionals, John Piper says this:

"When we describe God as holy, we mean that He is one of a kind.

There is none like Him.

He is in a class by Himself.

God is holy in His absolute uniqueness.

All else is creation; He alone creates.

All else begins; He alone always was.

All else depends; He alone is self-sufficient.

And therefore, the holiness of God is synonymous with His infinite value.

Diamonds are valuable because they are rare and hard to make.

God is infinitely valuable because He is the rarest of all beings

and cannot be made at all, nor was He ever made."

God is the rarest being in the universe.

Are you treasuring God?  Is joy in Him your highest aim?  Does all else seem like trash compared to Him?  Let the pursuit of this incredible God be your anthem today.  He is the treasure in a field and the pearl of great price.

"The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field.  When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.  Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls.  When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it."
Matthew 13:44-46

Pastor's Conference :: Day Zero

As I stand in the foyer of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, I can't help but think of the great work God has done through the ministry and life of John Piper.  The question I ask myself is, "Why did God choose to use him in such a powerful way?"

As I speak with people about the effect Piper has had on the world, I hear a lot of reactions from people; almost as if their internal lawyer is drafting a defense against their own Christian apathy:

"Piper just got the luck of the draw.  If he were in my town, he would struggle too."
"He has people on his staff who are fully behind him.  I can't get consensus."
"He started from scratch, I'm working through years of tradition."
"Passion for Christ alone can't get us results; we need methodology as well."

These excuses don't hold any water.

The truth, it seems, is much simpler than some would have us believe.  I am tired of reading books about how to structure a church staff, how to program a youth ministry, or how to get people to fall in love with God.  Piper was able to accomplish all of these things by passionately pursuing God with everything he had.

This is the type of man I'd like to be.

Today...

Saturday, January 24

Today we had the food drop.  My 80 year old neighbor came.

Today I had a snowball fight with teenagers.

Today I filmed a commercial for the GSM Super Bowl Film Fest.

Today I met with a student I am mentoring, and encouraged him to get into the Bible.

Today I helped at tables for people coming off the bridge at GCC.

Today I held a lady in my arms while she wept from the breast cancer diagnosis she received two weeks ago.

Today, as I was driving home, I saw a wreck happen in front of me.  Everyone was fine, but it startled everybody.

Life is short.  God is good.  My prayer is that you would dig into His Word today.

Fear Affects Our Actions

If you developed a fear of God, how would it change your life?

For me, when I take a moment to remember the all powerful God that I serve, it changes everything I do.  It changes the words I speak; it changes my daily schedule; it even changes the way I spend money.

I have had a new perspective on missions trips and the purpose behind why I choose to help the poor. Previously, I would always go on missions trips because I'm commanded to go.  I had never considered the fear of God being the driving force behind my reason to go on mission trips.  That is, until I read the book of Nehemiah.

This clip discusses this concept in further detail.

Again... if you developed a fear of God, how would it change your life?

100 Years From Now...

"It will not make much difference, friend, a hundred years from now,

If you live in a stately mansion or on a river scow;

If the clothes you wear are tailor-made or pierced together somehow,

If you eat big steaks or beans and cake ... a hundred years from now.

It won't matter your bank account or the make of car you drive,

For the grave will claim all riches and fame and the things for which you strive.

There's a deadline that we all must meet and no one will be late,

It won't matter then all the places you've been, Each one will keep that date.

We will only have in eternity - what we gave away on earth,

When we go the grave, we can only save the things of eternal worth.

What matters, friend, the earthly gain for which some men always bow?

For your destiny will be sealed, you see ... a hundred years from now."

Leonard Ravenhill (1907-1994)

Questions for reflection:
1.  What do you want others to say at your funeral?
2.  What do you want to be known for 100 years from now?
3.  Do you ever think about Heaven and what it will be like to meet God?
4.  When you die and meet God, what is one thing you wish you'll have done more?  What about less?
5.  What's the next step you feel you need to take?  Who will you tell?

Spark + Christ = Huge Flame

You were made for great things.  God is ready and willing to act in your life.  Are you ready?  Do you have "God-sized" vision and dreams?

Or let me ask it this way:

Is there anything in your life
that you would be unable to
accomplish without God's help?

Many times, I fall into the trap of trying to do everything on my own.  Big mistake.  Let God use your spark, your love for Him and His mission, to launch a great adventure in your life!

Happy trails.

Playing Marco Polo in a "Combat Zone"

When I was deployed to Iraq, I had to spend a few weeks in Kuwait; a small country along the Persian Gulf.  It has always perplexed me that Kuwait is still categorized as a “combat zone” even though it doesn’t have any combat.  Soldiers don’t wear body armor, don’t travel in armored vehicles, and sip cool beverages while lounging in olympic sized swimming pools.  While simultaneously, soldiers in Iraq or Afghanistan are in the fight for their lives, working in hot, sand environments, and constantly remaining on edge from an imminent attack.  Despite this drastic difference, Kuwait continues to be classified under the same dangerous title that these true combat zones receive. 

So why is Kuwait categorized as a combat zone?  The answer may surprise you.  It's not because it currently has combat, but because it used to have combat. 

On to the point.  I increasingly sense that the church in America considers itself to be a hostile combat zone, when in reality it is just a former combat zone.

We tell ourselves that we’re in the fight, but then strut around with weapon in hand and not an enemy in sight. 

We tell each other that we are willing to give up everything for our faith, but even this selfless offer is a thin veneer of piety, for the threat of losing everything is not even a possibility.

We sit, relaxing in a cold pool playing Marco Polo, while our brothers and sisters stand alert on the front lines in 120 degree heat and not a cool drop in sight.

We consider ourselves a Soldier, while never fulfilling the mission we have been trained to accomplish.

A few thoughts from Blaise Pascal (1623-1662):

“Men only entered then into the Church after great labors and long desires; they find their way into it now without any trouble, without any care, and without labor.”

“It was necessary formerly to forsake the world in order to be received into the Church; whilst men enter now into the Church at the same time as into the world.”

“As men have been made Christians without having been instructed, they believe that they can remain Christians without seeking instruction…”

And so it hit me this New Year's, that even though I may think I am in the fight, I may actually be sitting comfortably in a former combat zone carrying around a weapon that's not loaded, leaving my body armor under my bunk, and not expecting to see the enemy at any moment.

It's time to get into the battle Christian.  It's time to put on the full armor of God and fight our enemy, who seeks to destroy us every day.  It's time to join our brothers and sisters on the front lines and unite under the banner of Christ: one team, one enemy, one mission.  

"Be alert and of sober mind.  Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour."

1 Peter 5:8

A plan for 2015

I hope this cartoon doesn't summarize the depth of your resolutions!  Some of my resolutions have lasted years!  I haven't done 100% perfect on them, but Paul refers to life as a race, one that only the winner gets a prize.  This post is intended to share with you my prayer for 2015, a few resolutions/continuations of previous resolutions, and some practical tools I use to accomplish these goals.

Continue reading the One Year Bible

I began reading the OYB nearly 12 years ago, and it has been one of the greatest journey's of my life. There are great places to purchase an OYB, if you are interested in the challenge.  When I purchase these for others, I never spend more than $5.  Less than the price of a Happy Meal to begin reading the eternal Word every day.

Increase my Biblical understanding and depth

About 2 months ago, I began using BibleArc software to increase my knowledge of the Scriptures.  I intend to continue using this fantastic resource as I dig deeper into the Word of God.

Complete various YouVersion challenges
If you have a Bible app, it's most likely developed by YouVersion, or LifeTV.  I would encourage you to sign up for a free account, and then pursue one of the available challenges.  Some are 5 days, 21 days, or 365 days!  It's a great way to develop healthy habits, let friends hold you accountable, and become a solid Christian.  

Continue reading books
Sounds simple, right?  It is!  By reading a chapter every day, it is surprising how many books I can get through in a year.  Currently in my queue is "Think Biblically! Recovering a Christian Worldview" by John MacArthur.  If you're interested in reading this book, you can purchase it for $1.

Prioritize exercising
I have a membership to Planet Fitness and have been working out 3x a week.  I also began running with a friend 3x a week in the wee hours of the morning.  It has been fantastic for my energy level and watching my weight.  I mean, come on!  How else am I going to keep up with a 1 year old and a bunch of middle and high school students?!

Choose a 2015 prayer
My prayer for 2014 was Psalm 86:11-13.  That I might worship, rely, fear, praise, and glorify God; all with a teachable and undivided heart.
My prayer for 2015 is Psalm 17:1-15.  A couple of key thoughts from this passage:
"You have tested my thoughts and examined my heart in the night."
"I am determined not to sin."
"I am praying to you because I know you will answer, O God."
"Guard me as you would guard you own eyes."
"When I awake, I will see you face to face and be satisfied."

Continue listening to encouraging podcasts
John Piper has a great app and so does Ravi Zacharias.  These men have been influential in my life and I listen to both of them every day.  In fact, I will be attending John Piper's Pastor's Conference this February which will dive deep into the topic of original sin and its effects on mankind.


Don't you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize?  So run to win!  All athletes are disciplined in their training.  They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize.  So I run with purpose in every step.  I am not just shadowboxing.  I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should.  Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.

1 Corinthians 9:24-27

Job vs. Calling

job ¹ |jäb|

noun

1 a paid position of regular employment.

Throughout my life, I have had a plethora of jobs...
Waiter,
Soldier,
Newspaper delivery specialist,
Linguist,
Janitor,
Working with the mentally challenged,
Armored truck driver,
Youth pastor,
... and the list goes on and on.

Each of these jobs have given me many different tasks...
Greet guests within 30 seconds of them sitting down,
Work with local governments to rebuild war torn countries,
Don't throw the newspaper on the sidewalk, put it between the screen door and the front door,
Tell a woman that her son was killed by a grenade,
Clean the urine off the walls because little boys miss the toilet,
Watch this person closely because he hits people,
Deliver $250,000 to a downtown bank,
Talk to parents about their child using drugs,
...and again, the list goes on and on.

And yet, throughout my life, I have had very few callings.  What am I on earth to do?  If I had to look back in 50 years, would I be content with the impact I have made?  Am I giving my all to the One who gave His all for me?

Francis Chan recently wrote an article about his marriage in the light of eternity.  While he only talks about marriage, it seems logical to apply the truths he shares to every aspect of my life.  I wrote a blog post a while back called Priorities in Ministry, which I outlined many things that Francis had said.  I received positive and negative feedback from that post.  It's amazing to me that some people continue to frantically grasp at this "American Dream" and refuse to think long-term, eternal thoughts.

I want to say, at the end of my life, that I accomplished the purposes of God.

Elf on the Shelf vs. Jesus

We are beginning a new series this week in Middle School called: Christmas Kombat!  It is designed to compare cultural Christmas personas against the true Christmas personage of Jesus Christ.  As I was researching Elf on the Shelf, I was surprised at how many doctrinal discoveries were uncovered in researching the differences between the two.

Here are just a few of the differences that have had an impact on me this week:


1.  The Elf is impatient while Jesus is filled with patience.



The Elf says,

"I'll watch and report on all that you do!

My job's an assignment from Santa himself. 

I am his helper, a friendly scout elf."

The Elf is not patient with disobedient children! Jesus, on the other hand, is incredibly patient with us!

When the time was coming near for Jesus to depart, He was determined to go to Jerusalem.  He sent some messengers ahead of Him, who went into a town in Samaria to make everything ready for Him.  But the people there would not welcome Him, because He was set on going to Jerusalem.  When James and John, followers of Jesus, saw this, they said, "Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven and destroy those people?"  But Jesus turned and scolded them and said, "You don't know what kind of spirit you belong to.  The Son of Man did not come to destroy the souls of people but to save them."  Then they went to another town. 

(Luke 9:51-56)

2.  You can call the Elf any name you like, but Jesus is the only name under heaven whereby you must be saved.


The Elf says,

"The first time I come to the place you call home, you must quickly give me a name of my own.  Will it be Foddle, Criddle, or Clyde?  Fisbee's cute, too, 

but you must decide.

You will never regret what you choose to call your Elf, but you may regret not calling Jesus by the name He deserves:

That at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth. 

(Philippians 2:10)

It is written: "'As surely as I live,' says the Lord, 

'every knee will bow before me; 

every tongue will acknowledge God.'"

(Romans 14:11)

3.  The Elf hides from you every morning while Jesus is always searching for you.

The Elf says,

"You must find the new spot I will take; I can hide on a plant, a shelf, or a frame. Where will I be? Let's make it a game!"


Jesus does not hide from you. He stands at the door and knocks, waiting for you to let Him in!

"Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me." 

(Revelation 3:20)

In order to find Jesus, the Bible is clear that all a person needs to do is proclaim Him with their mouth and believe in Him with their heart. He is near to you if you search for Him!

If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord 

and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 

For with the heart one believes and is justified, 

and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. 

(Romans 10:9-10)

4.  The Elf reports your wrongs, while Jesus takes the place for your wrongs.

 The Elf says,

"In the car, at the park, or even at school;

the word will get out if you broke a rule.

I tell him if you have been good or been bad,

The news of the day makes him happy or sad.

A push or a shove I'll report to the Boss,

but small acts of kindness will not be a loss."

Do you think the Elf would ever take your bad decisions on himself?  Would he tell Santa to not give you the piece of coal and instead give it to him (the Elf)?  Of course not!  The Elf is simply a tattletale reporter!  

Jesus is nothing like this!  He is your Advocate with God the Father in Heaven.  Once you have accepted Him as Lord and Savior, He constantly intercedes on your behalf.  Jesus prays to God and says, "Don't look at their wrong doings, look at them through me, the perfect God-Man."  

"He himself bore our sins" in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; "by his wounds you have been healed."

(1 Peter 2:24)

But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. 

And in him is no sin.

(1 John 3:5)

5.  The Elf is done after Christmas while Jesus' work never ends.

The Elf says,

"The night before Christmas 
my job's at an end,

the rest of the year with Santa I'll spend.

Blow me a kiss and bid me farewell,

I'll fly away when I hear Santa's bell.

Of course I will miss you,

But wait 'til next year.

When the holidays come I'll again reappear!"

Did Jesus' job end after the Resurrection?  No!  He is still active and alive in our lives.  He is interceding for us (Hebrews 7:25), preparing a place for us (John 14:1-3), and working in our lives through the Holy Spirit (John 15:26, Romans 8:9-10).

The question then comes: Have you made Jesus into an Elf on the Shelf?  Do you view Jesus as impatient, moldable to your image, a hidden tattletale who only appears around Christmas and Easter?

What will you do with Jesus?  I pray that you won't put Him back in a box just to pull Him out again the day after Black Friday.  He wants a relationship with you and wants to know you intimately.

Poverty and Joy Collide

I was able to visit the dump today with students and other leaders of the Nicaraguan church.  The Gospel of Jesus Christ was preached, food was distributed to grateful hands, and I was humbled to witness absolute poverty and joy collide.

It's interesting that Deuteronomy refers to the poor as "your needy and poor", not "the needy and poor".

For the poor will never cease to be in the land; therefore I command you, saying, "You will freely open your hand to your brother, to your needy and poor in your land."
Deuteronomy 15:11

"Accordion Owls" in the American Church

Laughing during a funeral doesn't seem natural, does it?  The same seems true of those who cry during the Super Bowl.  And yet, there is something eternally strange about being a Christian that calls for sorrow while others around us seem to be happy.

I'm not talking about the moping kind of sorrow.  This isn't the response of a 5 year old when he can't stay up an extra hour past curfew.

The type of sorrow I'm referring to is an eternal sorrow that accompanies sobering truth.  Paul demonstrated this most when he said, "always sorrowful, yet always rejoicing" (2 Corinthians 6:10).

The first sorrow that I feel is the knowledge that most people around me may die and go to Hell.  This thought is especially prevalent working in a mega church.  Attending a church with thousands of people brings me to think that many people around me, sitting in the seats every week, may not be wheat, but weeds; with destruction looming in their future (Matthew 13:24-30).

The second sorrow comes from an overwhelming sense of apathy I feel within the church for our current situation.  Sometimes it seems as though I am living in Wonderland; with Christians who think that talking rabbits, tea pot orchestras, accordion owls, and disappearing cats are all perfectly normal.  I'm not talking about mega church anymore.  There are strange things happening in the church of America.

Examples of "Accordion Owls":

• I can't find a prayer partner in the church.  I have asked many people, but the lack of conviction that prayer is important is startling to me.
• We do not challenge believers to read the Bible every day.  "That's too hard", we say.  Instead, we give them a book to read and tell them to have chapter five done by next week.  Then we call these book clubs "bible studies".
• It seems we idolize the worship experience rather than heart transformation through Biblical discovery.  Young people are especially guilty of this.  "I can't worship God if the music doesn't bring me to that place of emotional ecstasy."  I love worshipping God through song, but I don't discover who He is by singing man's words about Him.  I find God by reading the words He wrote about Himself!  Without the Bible and the life of Christ, what would we know about God?  Nothing.

There are more, but these three stick out to me the most.  What are we doing church?  Where is our passion for the Creator of Heaven and Earth?  What will you do today that will make an impact in eternity?

Mathematically Fulfilled Prophecy for Christ.

This is an excerpt from a talk I gave to GSM this past week about the mathematically fulfilled prophecy surrounding the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Christ.

The edge of the cliff

My God is my rock, in whom I find protection.  He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety.  He is my refuge, my Savior, the one who saves me from violence.

~2 Samuel 22:3

The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my Savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection.  He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety.

~Psalm 18:2

He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will never be shaken.

~Psalm 62:2

When I read these verses, I realize that the smartest thing I could do is to fix myself as close as possible to the mountain of God.  And yet, there are times when I am just plain dumb.  One of the biggest struggles I have is not that I am throwing myself off of God's protective summit, but that I come so close to "the edge" of the cliff that I can be pulled off by the enemy with the littlest of tugs.  

How much can I be angry without it being labeled "sin"?  How closely can I come to gossip before it's actually called that?  When is the exact moment my relaxation becomes laziness?

Watch this video of a golden eagle pulling a goat off a mountain and you'll see just how dangerous it can be to hang out at life's cliff edge.

O God, I pray that I will remain as close to your life-giving mountain as possible.  Please keep me alert, sober-minded, and always on guard for those little nudges in my life that are capable of throwing me into a deathly free fall.  Thank you for your mercy and grace which sustains me.  I pray that I can use this day to honor you and bring myself closer to your calling for my life.