One Little Girl

The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” (Luke 1:28)


      I think we overlook Mary's role in the Christmas story. Yes, we know an angel came to tell her she would bring the Son of God into the world, and we know of her trip to Bethlehem and how she was forced to give birth in a stable, but do we really put any thought into what all of this meant to her?

     Yes, she had found favor with God, but what about with the people that knew her? She was a young, unmarried teenager and now she would be pregnant. This was a culture that could still stone girls for this kind of thing. The best she could hope for was basically exile from all of her loved ones. This young girl would be signing up for a very difficult journey, not just physically, but emotionally and spiritually as well. Knowing the dangers that lay ahead of her, she responded, "I am the Lord's servant, may your word to me be fulfilled." (Luke 1:38) 

     This teenage girl may not have understood all that was being asked of her, but she knew that it was God asking it of her, and that was enough for her. Yes, she knew the road ahead of her would be tough, but she knew it was ordained by God. If it was ordained by God, it would be worth the journey.

     I think we need to remember the courage of that young woman. When God asked her to do something, she didn't stop to count the cost. No, she simply said, "Okay, I am yours." As you celebrate the birth of the Savior, remember the faith of a young girl that made it all possible.

This video is "Be Born in Me" by Francesca Battistelli

Come Thou Long Expected Jesus

     400 years is a long time. 400 years ago this country was still part of England and was largely uninhabited. 400 years ago the pilgrims had yet to set sail for a new start. 400 years had been how long it had been since Israel had heard from God. That was all going to change in a big way in a little, backwater town just outside of Jerusalem. God was going to speak in a way He never had before. His Word would walk this planet in the form of His son. All that had happened before was in preparation for that one moment when Jesus would arrive and set this world free from its bondage.

     This time of year can be hectic and stressful. Take a few moments every day to reflect on what it is we are really celebrating this Christmas season. We celebrate the long expected arrival of a much needed Savior. Take a few minutes to watch this video and just rest in the knowledge that God's perfect Word has come to meet you in the exact spot of your need.

"The World is Broken."

     "The world is broken." One of my former students posted this quote Friday. I don't know if it had anything to do with the events that unfolded in Connecticut earlier in the day, but it certainly fits. What other response could you have to the senseless spilling of so much innocent blood?

     We do, in fact, live in a world that is broken. Here is something to remember, it has been broken for a long, long time. It has been broken since the Garden of Eden, when man decided he knew better than God. A perfect world was ruined by man's disobedience. Because of that act of defiance, we live in a world where despicable, evil things happen and we are left to wonder why.

     This is nothing new. Go back to the Old Testament, in the book of Habakkuk. Things were bad then too. Habakkuk was wondering why God was seemingly unconcerned with the state of the world. Here is Habakkuk's plea:

 "God, how long do I have to cry out for help

    before you listen?

How many times do I have to yell, “Help! Murder! Police!”

    before you come to the rescue?

Why do you force me to look at evil,

    stare trouble in the face day after day?

Anarchy and violence break out,

    quarrels and fights all over the place.

Law and order fall to pieces.

    Justice is a joke.

The wicked have the righteous hamstrung

    and stand justice on its head." (Habakkuk 1:1-4)

     God's response was two-fold. He told Habakkuk that things would get worse before they would get better, but they would get better. In chapter 2, verses 2-3 we find,

"And then God answered: “Write this.

    Write what you see.

Write it out in big block letters

    so that it can be read on the run.

This vision-message is a witness

    pointing to what’s coming.

It aches for the coming—it can hardly wait!

    And it doesn’t lie.

If it seems slow in coming, wait.

    It’s on its way. It will come right on time."

Even when things seem at their worst and that God is nowhere to be found, take comfort in those words. Help is on the way and it will come right on time. In fact we celebrate the coming of God's answer this month. God's response to this broken world was to send His Son to provide meaning to a confused and lost world.

My Favorite Christmas Song

"O come, O come Emmanuel

And ransom captive Israel"

     I love Christmas music. From Thanksgiving until New Year's, sometimes longer, it is all I listen to. "O come, O come Emmanuel" is probably my favorite Christmas song. I really like the way it sounds. In my opinion, it is one of the most beautiful pieces of music ever written. 

     As I was trying to think of something to write for this blog, the words to this song kept running through my head and it started me thinking. What kind of Christmas song talks about ransoms? Ransoms are usually associated with crimes, how is that Christmasy? To ransom means to redeem from captivity or bondage by paying a demanded price. Amidst all of the decorations and parties and gifts, we forget why Christmas really happened. We forget why Jesus, Emmanuel, God with us, was sent to this Earth. We were being held captive by this world and a price was demanded for our release. That price was God's own Son. Jesus was sent to this world to purchase our release from the bondage of sin and death. He paid that price by laying His life down for ours. We can never forget that without Good Friday, Christmas is meaningless.

     So enjoy all of the things that come with the Christmas season, but don't lose sight of the real reason for it all. We were held captive by sin and Jesus willingly paid the ultimate price to purchase our release.

O come, O come, Emmanuel,

And ransom captive Israel,

That mourns in lonely exile here

Until the Son of God appear.

Rejoice! Rejoice!

Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Wisdom from on high,

Who orderest all things mightily;

To us the path of knowledge show,

And teach us in her ways to go.

O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free

Thine own from Satan’s tyranny;

From depths of hell Thy people save,

And give them victory over the grave.

O come, Thou Day-spring, come and cheer

Our spirits by Thine advent here;

Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,

And death’s dark shadows put to flight.

O come, Thou Key of David, come,

And open wide our heavenly home;

Make safe the way that leads on high,

And close the path to misery.

O come, O come, great Lord of might,

Who to Thy tribes on Sinai’s height

In ancient times once gave the law

In cloud and majesty and awe.

O come, Thou Root of Jesse’s tree,

An ensign of Thy people be;

Before Thee rulers silent fall;

All peoples on Thy mercy call.

O come, Desire of nations, bind

In one the hearts of all mankind;

Bid Thou our sad divisions cease,

And be Thyself our King of Peace.

This is an instrumental version of the song, but it is my favorite. The artist is Casting Crowns and the video is from the movie "The Nativity Story".

   

In vs. For

     With the explosion of social media it has become common for people to give a daily report of what they are thankful for during the month of November. People are thankful for family, friends, jobs, pets, and a whole list of other things. I think this is a great idea and it is always good to reflect on the blessings you have, but I think as Christians we are called to more.

     It is easy to be thankful for things like family and friends and the things in our life. The Bible urges us to go deeper than being thankful for things, we are to "give thanks IN all things" not just FOR things. Giving thanks in things isn't always easy to do. Life has a way of putting us in circumstances where we probably don't feel very thankful. Paul, the author of this admonition, spent a lot of his life in jail and in fear for his life, and yet he tells us to give thanks in all things. In one instance he found himself in chains in front of King Agrippa pleading for  his life. Rather than bemoaning his situation he boldly proclaims the gospel of Jesus Christ and tells the king that he wished everyone could be in the position he was in minus the chains. Here he was in jail and on trial for his very life and he was thankful. He was thankful, not for the chains, but in his God. When your focus is on God all other things pale in comparison. Our little problems are insignificant when seen in the glory of God.

     There are a lot of things I am thankful for and some I am not, but I am thankful in all things.


Have a Happy Thanksgiving.

For Sarah, et al

     I will admit up front that I don't know if this story is true or not. I do know that parts of it are based in fact.

     It was the turn of the last century. A man owned a plot of land in rural Arkansas. (That's kind of redundant, all of Arkansas was rural in 1900.) The farmer tried to scratch out a living from the fields, but they proved to be too rocky. After a few years of just barely getting by, he decided to sell the farm. This proved to be equally difficult. Oh, plenty of people were interested until they saw the rocky fields. No one in their right mind would try to farm on that. Then one day a geologist from back east stopped by. He took one look at the rock covered fields and made an offer, a very generous offer, on the spot. You see, those rocks were actually diamonds. It simply took someone with the proper perspective to see what was always there.

     Many people live their lives like those rocks. They spend all of their time being kicked around and trampled under other's feet. They are seen as dirty, ugly nuisances. Not only not good for anything but actually in the way of anything productive. Unfortunately many never learn the truth about themselves. All it takes is the one with the proper perspective. All it takes is for Jesus to pick them up and clean off the stuff of the world that has accumulated on them to expose the diamond that is underneath.

     When we look at ourselves, we need to see what Jesus sees. We need to see the diamonds, not the rocks. All of us are made in the image of God. We are fearfully and wonderfully made. We are God's workmanship. All of the rest of creation was spoken into existence but we were handcrafted. Each of us was designed and crafted for a purpose and it is God's desire for us to live out that purpose. All of us are beautiful diamonds, it only takes the hand of God to expose them. 

But If Not

     "If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.
      But if not, be it known unto thee, o king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up." (Daniel 3:17-18 KJV)


     "But if not..." This may be the most powerful statement of faith in the Bible. It is easy to be strong in your faith when God delivers you from something, but to stand firm in your devotion when He doesn't says something. These three young men were confident in God and His ability to deliver them, but their faith wasn't going to hinge on whether He did deliver them or not. They said, "...he will deliver us out of thy hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods..." They were so confident in their faith that noting could shake them, not even a fiery furnace. That kind of faith brings a peace that can't be explained, it has to be experienced. This story took on a deeper meaning for me during a mission trip to Costa Rica.

     We had just completed a 9 day trip to Costa Rica and were on the flight home. Somewhere over the Gulf of Mexico it felt and sounded like our plane hit something. There was a loud bang and the plane shuddered like it had hit something. The plane immediately pitched up and down and then rolled to both sides. The cabin crew began scurrying around the cabin with anxious faces looking out the windows. The pilot announced that they had felt that too and they were investigating it. They asked if anyone on the right side of the plane had seen anything odd to report it to the crew. Everyone on the plane had the same thought running through their mind, "We are going to crash!" That was the first time that the possibility of really dying stared me in the face. I will tell you that is a sobering thing. I also discovered what the three men in the furnace meant. I knew that God could deliver us from this, but even if He didn't, I knew He was still God and I was good with that. That brings a peace that can't be described.

     Obviously everything worked out. We had experienced what they termed a "catastrophic failure" of one of the engines. It basically ripped itself apart. We were able to land in Ft Lauderdale and continue on to Atlanta on other flights. It was a trip I will never forget for many reason but mainly because my understanding of faith was changed. I discovered the power of real faith. I learned it is one thing to talk about faith and an entirely different thing to have to rely on it. When you come to the point where you can say, "but if not" you will discover a peace that passes all understanding.

Drops In the Desert

I know I said this last time, I am sorry for the delay between posts. My schedule is keeping me busier than I thought so I haven't had time to write for this blog much in the last month. I am not going to make any promises about when the next post will come. It is my intention to be more regular, but who knows?

I don't know if this post will mean anything to anyone but me, but it has been on my heart for a few days now and I need to get it out. Please bear with me, it is a little different that what I normally write.


     Drip... drip... drip.

     They all come flooding back to me at once. It is as if I am reliving every single one of them; every one of my sins, in a line that seems to stretch on forever.

     Drip... drip... drip.

     I can't bear up under their weight. It is more than this body can stand. I am being dragged under by the weight of them all.

     Drip... drip... drip.

     My guilt is more than I can bear. I try to bury my face in the dirt to escape the eyes of the world. I just want to hide, to disappear so no one can see my guilt.

     Drip... drip... drip.

     What was that? Something just dripped on my hand. There it is again. With great effort I force my eyes up from the dirt.

     Drip... drip... drip.

     It splashes on my face now. There is a figure above me, I try to focus on it. It is a man, but he hardly looks human anymore; except for his eyes. His eyes penetrate deep into my soul. I know in an instant he knows all of my deepest secrets. He knows how dirty my soul really is, my guilt doubles for I know those eyes see all of my sins.

     Drip... drip... drip.

     I realize it is his blood that is dripping on me. With great effort, the man behind those eyes says, "This blood is for you." The blood starts to fall more freely now. It begins to wash over my whole body and as it does, I feel the weight of my sins easing. it has completely covered me now and my burden is gone; like it was never there.

     I get up and start to walk away and almost instantly I feel the weight of my sin start to settle back on my shoulders when I hear...

     Drip... drip... drip.

    and I am once again free of the burden.

    The blood of the only truly innocent man was poured out on a dusty hill outside of Jerusalem so that all of us could be cleansed of our sins. Do you hear it dripping in the dirt? Do you feel it splashing on your hands? Will you let it wash away your sins?

How Much Are You Worth?

    Sorry for the long time between posts, I have been really busy with the start of school and volleyball. I will try to be a little more regular in my posts now that things are settling into a routine.

   
     I have a basketball card that is supposedly worth a little over $300. I have tried on several occasions to sell it and have been unsuccessful, nobody has been willing to pay what it is "worth". You see the problem is, something's worth is determined by what the buyer is willing to pay for it. If no one will pay $300 for my card, it isn't really worth $300.

     Because of my job, I spend a lot of time around teenagers. As the girl's volleyball coach, much of that time is with teenage girls. I have come to see how little a lot of girls think they are worth. (I do see this in the boys too, but not to the same extent.) It pains me whenever I hear a girl talking about how worthless she is or how ugly she is. It makes me want to ask them, "Do you know how much you are really worth? You are worth what someone is willing to pay for you and you have already been bought. You were purchased by God and He paid the ultimate price. He paid His Son's life for you." We have all been purchased by God at the ultimate price. God thought that each one of us was worth the life of His only begotten Son. That means God thinks we have great value. We need to start viewing ourselves and others as God does, as people of ultimate worth.

Beggar's Invitation

     I have been thinking about how  we Christians react to the "sinners" that live among us. All too often we react in very negative ways. We really aren't any different than the Pharisees that drug the woman out into the streets to stone because she was caught in the act of adultery. I have been thinking about how we should treat them. I figured we should take our cues from Jesus.

     So let's look at how Jesus reacted to the sinners he came in contact with. Consider the woman I mentioned above. The Pharisees, and much of the crowd, already had the stones in their hands, when they asked what Jesus thought they should do. His answer? "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone." His point? We are all guilty of sin. If we are going to accuse one person of sinning, we have to hold everyone accountable for their sins.

     You see, Jesus came to change the way we think about sin and righteousness. Without Jesus there is only the law. The law can point out your guilt, but it can do nothing to save you from it. Jesus came, not to condemn, but to save. Unlike the law, He can redeem us from our sins. Our job is to be His ambassadors not to enforce the law.  Enforcing the law is God's job, so let's let Him worry about that. Our job is to lead the sinner to Jesus and that is much easier to do in love than with stones in our hands. If the church doesn't have room for sinners where should they go? Does that mean we should lower our standards? No. Jesus led a blameless life and He did tell the woman to, "...go and sin no more." but his first reaction was always to love first. If we are to truly be Christians, literally little Christs, we must act like Him. Our first reaction should always be to love first.

     I have been writing this blog for several months now and felt it was time to expound on the name, Beggar's Invitation. We are all sinners. We have have fallen short of the glory of God. We as Christians are no more than beggars who have been shown where to find bread and our job is to tell the other beggars where to go to find the bread. Our job isn't to point out the faults of others, remember we are all in the same boat. We are all beggars, we just know where the bread is. So go out and find other beggars and invite them to join us in the feast at Jesus' table. Go extend a Beggar's Invitation.

Audience of One

     My favorite part of a worship service is the music. It really doesn't matter what kind. It can be classical or contemporary, instrumental or vocal, fast or slow. I am able to lose myself in the music and fully focus on God.

     We are called to worship God in spirit and in truth. I think that means we need to find what it is that allows us to fully focus on God, be it music, prayer, scripture. For some reason we tend to have trouble completely letting ourselves go and fully worshiping God. I think part of the problem lies in the way we perceive a church service. The way most churches are laid out causes us to view those in the front on stage as performers and the congregation as the audience. This couldn't be farther from the truth. There is an audience but we aren't it. The audience consists of a sole being, God. Every person has an audience of One. The musicians, preachers, and congregation are all performing solely for Him. We may be joined in corporate worship, but each person has the full attention of an audience of One. Find out what it is that allows you to focus on the Almighty and forget about those around you and play to your audience of One.


I came across this video a while ago and it speaks to some of the problems people have with worship. It is definitely done in fun but also contains a lot of truth. I also have to say that the seed that this grew out of was planted by my Pastor, John Pinson.

United States Post Office

     "Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds." Most of you probably recognize this as the motto of the U.S. Post Office. It technically isn't, it was just on one of the New York Post Office buildings and it kind of stuck, but that is beside the point. I have been thinking about the Post office lately because of the death of a friend of mine.

     Dan Wood was born in 1915. He served in the Pacific during World War II and then came home to a career as a rural mail carrier. A job he held until he retired. If anyone ever lived up to the "motto" of the U.S. Post Office it was Mr Dan. Now, I didn't meet Mr Dan until he was already retired so I don't know what kind of letter carrier he was, but I can guess. He lived to serve others. In his retirement he devoted himself to the many mission programs of our church. He could frequently be found in the community helping build wheelchair ramps for those who couldn't afford them or helping replace roofs or other need repairs that people couldn't afford on their own. He also became a faithful member of our foreign mission teams, travelling to most of the Central American countries. He was always the first one up and the first one to head to the job site. We celebrated his 80th birthday in Venezuela. If he knew of people in need, he would be there to offer his help. He took seriously Jesus' call to help those among us in need and he didn't let anything stay him from the swift completion of his appointed tasks.

     We can learn a lot from a man like that. How easy is it to find reasons not to do what God has called us to do? When those obstacles do arise we need to take our cue from the Post Office and not let the snow, rain, heat, age, or whatever keep us from completing the tasks God has given us.

In memory of Danial P. Wood 

Born November 18, 1915---Died July 7 2012

How Do You View God? (part 5)

     The last view of God from Curt Cloninger's film Godviews is called "God in a Box." Church members tend to put constraints on what God can do and where He can go. They keep Him in a box to show to others from time to time. They don't let Him out of the box often for fear He will scare off potential church members. The omnipotent God, the one who created the universe, is too powerful and frightening for the "sophisticated" people of the 21st century.

     This view of God in a box gives us the illusion that we are more in control than we really are. We like to be able to pull God out every now and then to show Him off, but for the most part we don't want His interference. We think we are perfectly capable of handling things right up to the point when we realize we can't.

     God's will will be done, whether we like it or not. My advice is to take God out of the box that you have placed Him in and let Him have total control of your life.

How Do You View God? (part 4)

     The next view of God Curt Cloninger gives in his film Godviews is "God the Old Timer." In this view God is the old man with the long gray beard. He used to be really active in His creation, but now He just sits on the porch and watches. God wound up the universe like a watch and now is just sitting back watching it unwind. He is retired and He neither wants much from us nor offers much to us. This view was popular with the philosophers. It is also known as Deism. It states that God exists but isn't directly involved in the world. Deists look at creation and see the need for a creator, but don't see Him active in its day to day activities.


     The Bible is in complete opposition to this view of God. In fact the Bible is an account of God interfering in His creation. On almost every page of the Bible you will read of God being actively involved in the happenings of this world. We may not understand what God is doing, but that shouldn't cause us to doubt His existence. Whether we see it or not, God is orchestrating all that goes on in creation.

How Do You View God? (part 3)

     As I continue through Curt Cloninger's Godviews we come to "God the Cosmic Mechanic." This is the view that sees God's primary role as keeping the universe running as smoothly as possible. This job keeps Him so busy there is no time for Him to worry about the little things like your test tomorrow, your petty relationship problems, or your hurt feelings. God is just too busy with the universe to devote any time to these "minor" things. With the whole of the universe in His hands, how can we expect God to be bothered with our daily lives?

     This is the opposite of the last view, "God the Butler." In this view instead of being on call for your every little need, God is too busy to be bothered. This view is equally flawed. It assumes that God is somehow not up to the task of running the universe and being active in our day to day lives. God is omnipotent. That is all-powerful. In Jeremiah 32:17 we read this, "Ah, Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you."

     Yes, God is busy running the universe but He is also busy in the smallest details of our lives. When we think God is too busy to care about our little life, we place God in a box. Don't make the mistake of putting human limitations on the omnipotent God.


    

How Do You View God? (Part 2)

     In my last post I looked at God the "Cosmic Sheriff" but not everyone sees God in this manner. A second common view of God is "God the Butler." This is the God you pray to only when you are in trouble or want something. Otherwise He is left on the shelf until you need something else. This turns God into simply a tool, only to be used when you need something.

     If you are honest with yourself you will probably recognize a lot of this viewpoint in your own life. How often are our prayers simply a litany of requests whether for healing, guidance, blessings, or any number of other things. The problem with this view of God is it outs God into the position of existing only to serve us, not the other way around. It also relegates God to the background only to be pulled out when we need or want something. Keeping Him on call like a butler, ready to serve us when needed.

     God desires to be active in every aspect of our lives. By all means seek Him when needs arise, but don't leave Him on the shelf the rest of the time. God isn't a tool to be pulled out every now and then. He isn't your butler, He is your God.




This is still from the work of Curt Cloninger and his film "Godviews".

How Do You View God? (part 1)

     How do you view God? Everyone has some concept of what God is like but they can be wildly different from person to person. Over the course of the next few posts I will be exploring some of the ways we view God. These are based on the work of Curt Cloninger and his film "God Views".

     The first view of God is the "Cosmic Sheriff". This is where you view God as riding on His horse "Guilt" looking for anyone who has broken one of His many rules. When He finds a violator, He gleefully delivers the required punishment. This God does forgive, but only grudgingly because it is required by the law. This is the common view of God held by children. It is also held by those who have grown up in the church but drifted away as they grew up. They never learn the true nature of God.

     God isn't some hard to please task master looking to rebuke us at the least little infraction. I think Christians can be guilty of fostering this view of God. We tend to focus on the image of God on His judgment throne instead of on the cross. It is true that God calls us to lead a righteous life, but He isn't waiting for us to fail so He can mete out punishment. No, God is our biggest fan. He wants us to succeed. His plans are for our success. Jeremiah 29:11 says that He has plans for us, "plans to prosper us and not to harm us...". We need to focus more on this aspect of God not the "Cosmic Sheriff".

What is Love?

     Sorry for the long time between posts, I have been a little busy the last few weeks. I hope to be a little more regular in my updates over the next few weeks.
     


     Love. We hear a lot of talk about love these days. People love their new shoes, love their favorite tv show, love a certain song or singer, they love a certain type of food. the word love gets thrown around a lot between people too. Often it really means little more than a warm, fuzzy feeling for someone. I think it is time to ask, "What does it really mean to love?"

     The Bible says that God is love, so that seems the logical place to start looking. How did God love? God exhibited His love by sending His only begotten Son to die for us when we were yet sinners. We can take our example from that. To love is to desire someone else's long-term well being and to be willing to engage in acts of self-sacrifice to bring that about. John's Gospel puts it this way, "No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends." (John 15:13)

     The next time you say you love someone, take a moment to consider. Are you willing to make sacrifices to ensure their well being? If not, you should probably find another word. Now, we are called to love one another. That takes on a whole new meaning in today's me first society. If we are to truly love one another, we are to put the well being of others ahead of our own wants. Steve Chalke put it this way, "The Christian life is all about winning by living in ways that look like you are losing."




     This is based on a passage from "Christians and the Common Good" by Charles Gutenson. I am currently reading this and will probably be sharing thoughts from it over the next few days. Please indulge me while I play theologian for a few days. If you are interested in theology and the Christian's role in society, this is a good book to start with. I don't agree with all of the author's conclusions, but it is good food for thought.

Chest Deep

     Everyone knows the story of Moses parting the Red Sea and leading the Hebrews to safety, but how many know that there is another instance of God parting the waters to allow His chosen people to cross? It can be found in Joshua chapter 3.

     Moses has died and Joshua is now in charge. All that stands between the Hebrews and the Promised Land is the Jordan River. To complicate things, the river is at flood stage. God instructs Joshua to choose 12 priests to carry the Ark of the Covenant across the river. God promises that when the soles of the priest's feet touch the water, they will part. Joshua follows God's instructions and they cross into the Promised Land on dry ground.

     Great story right? Well let's look a little more closely at this story. The way you carried the Ark was this. You stuck two long poles through rings on the bottom of the Ark and carry it easily. (Remember the Ark was largely made of gold and gold is really heavy.) To accommodate six men, each pole needs to be pretty long. I am guessing around twelve feet.

     Now that you have a picture of how the Ark is carried, let's return to the story. These twelve men approach the raging Jordan River, remember it is at flood stage. They now obediently begin wading into the river. Now God promised that when the soles of their feet touched the water, the river would stop. Based on the way God worked in other situations, I think that means that all 24 feet had to be in the river. That means the guys in front have to wade 12 feet out into a raging river. If you are the last guy in line your feet will barely get wet, but what about the ones in front?

     A lot of times you will find yourself the guy in front. You are following God's leading, but you find yourself chest deep in a raging river. You have faith that God will part the waters,but that doesn't make taking those first steps any easier. When God calls you to do something, He is calling you to go as far as you can, not just stick your toes in.

Some Gave All

"We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of Heaven. We have been preserved, these many years, in peace and prosperity. We have grown in numbers, wealth and power, as no other nation has ever grown. But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace, and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us; and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us!"

--  Abraham Lincoln      Abraham Lincoln spoke these words 150 years ago but they still ring true today. This country has been blessed beyond measure. We enjoy a level of freedom unknown in the rest of the world. Yet in the face of these blessings we remain ungrateful. We feel like we are owed this lifestyle. On this Memorial Day I suggest you take a minute to reflect on how this country came to be in the position it is in.      We owe our unprecedented levels of freedom to God's blessings and the selfless sacrifice of the American Soldier.Throughout the history of this country, young men and women have willingly paid with their time, blood, and lives to preserve this great country. The freedom that we too often take for granted was bought with a great price. From the streets of Boston to shores of France to the jungles of southeast Asia to the deserts of the Middle East, the American military have paid in blood to purchase our freedom. They ask for nothing in return other than our respect and gratitude.      This Memorial Day, amidst the barbecue and games, take some time to remember the nameless men and women that paid the ultimate price for our freedom. If you see or know any veterans or active duty military tell them how thankful you are for their service. To any of you that either have served or are still serving, thank you and may God's blessing be ever on you.

Shhh, They're Singing.

     Sorry it has been a while since my last post. It is the end of the school year and things get pretty busy.

     Have you ever been to an elementary school chorus concert? How about a middle school band performance? If you have and you were honest, you would have to say that the "music" you heard was, shall we say, less than quality. Yet, invariably, after it is over the parents will all be praising their little one's virtuosity. Why is this? They had to have heard the same music, why do they think it was so good? The answer is simple, they weren't listen to some band or chorus, they were listening to their child. Nothing sounds better to a parent than the sound of their child performing.

     The Bible tells us to, "make a joyful noise unto the Lord." It doesn't say to sing beautifully or even decently. In fact, it doesn't even say anything about music. It says to make noise. When we sing to God, that is what it really is, noise. God is surrounded by heavenly beings with angelic voices, we can't compare with that. Yet, when we raise our voices in praise to Him, He silences the heavens to listen. Why? Because His children are singing. God doesn't require polished performances, all He wants is true, heartfelt worship. When we do that, we can be assured that He will stop and point and say, "Do you hear that? My children are singing."

Did It Hurt?

     Travel with me beyond this mortal existence as we follow a man on his trip to heaven. When he first arrives he is awed by all of the sights he sees. In the course of looking around  he finds his way to the very throne room of God. There he finds himself standing in front of the risen Lord. In awe he falls to his knees, overwhelmed to be in the presence of Jesus. From his knees he notices something a little out of place on the ground just behind Jesus. There, on the ground, is a bloodied robe and a twisted crown of thorns.

     Instantly images of all Jesus went through on His way to the cross flash through his mind. He sees Jesus beaten, mocked, and whipped. He sees Jesus trudging toward Calvary under the weight of the cross. He sees the nails driven through flesh, bone, and wood. Lastly, he sees Jesus die.

     The words escape his lips before he can stop them, "Did it hurt?" As soon as they are out he wishes he could call them back. How do you ask Jesus a question like that? Then he feels Jesus gently lifting him to his feet. He feels the arms of the risen Lord wrap around him and he sees a look of love with no conditions on the face of his Lord. Then he hears Jesus whisper, "It was worth it."

     "It was worth it." An Answer that isn't really an answer, but one that speaks volumes. The price Jesus paid; the humiliation, the pain, even death on a cross was worth it because it provided a way for us to join Him in eternity. More than that, the Lord of all creation thought you were worth that price. He was willing to pay that price because He thought you were worth it. If He was willing to do that for you, what are you willing to do for Him?

Who's Really Blind?

     He had been blind all of his life. This day, like every other day, he was sitting by the street enjoying the warmth of the sun on his face and trying to collect a little money to eat. He heard a crowd approaching. One of the men asked a question, something about someone's parents. Than a voice with an authority like he had never heard before said, "He was born like this so God could be glorified." Then the man who had spoken these words spit on the ground, rubbed the mud on his eyes and told him to go wash the mud off. When he did, he discovered that he could now see. He was understandably overjoyed and the crowd joined him in celebrating.

     Well, most of them rejoiced with him. There were some who were incensed. The pharisees questioned the formerly blind man about what happened. He answered simply, "I don't know what happened. He spit, put mud on my eyes. I washed them and now I can see." They tried to get his parents to say that their son was never really blind, but they wouldn't. At every turn the pharisees heard the same thing, "I don't know what happened, but I can tell you this. Yesterday he was blind and today he can see.

     Why all the fuss over a man receiving his sight? Well, if it really happened then Jesus was really who He said He was and the pharisees couldn't accept that. So once more they questioned the newly sighted man, "What really happened?" He replied, "Look, all I know is before I met Jesus I was blind and now I see."

     What was true those 2000 years ago is still true today. When we meet Jesus our blindness is turned to sight.   Will you come and receive your sight?

Even in the Darkness

     We took our students to the William Breman Jewish Heritage & Holocaust Museum this week. The museum presents the unvarnished truth of the worst of what men are capable of. The story is hard to listen to, and the images are even harder to look at. It is impossible to go through the tour without being moved. We ended our visit with a talk by Ben Walker.

     Mr Walker was a young Jewish boy living in Romania when World War II broke out. He witnessed first hand the atrocities of the Nazis. He was fortunate to survive, but much of his family didn't. I was struck by something he said in his talk, something that echoes what I have heard from the other two Holocaust survivors I have heard speak. Even in the midst of this great suffering, he found hope. It was this glimmer of hope that maintained him throughout that great darkness.

     How we can learn from that kind of faith. We can be so easily discouraged and lose our faith at the smallest of difficulties. How weak is our faith? I think I understand why Jesus said if we only had the faith the size of a mustard seed, we could move mountains. Just the glimmer of hope was enough to maintain people through man's darkest hours, what more could we do with a seed of faith? We need to take heed of the words of one who has been in the darkest of times.

"Even when it is dark, there is still a glimmer of hope." 

Ben Walker, Holocaust survivor.

He Loved Him

     A man approached Jesus and asked, "What must I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus replied, "You know the commandments. Do not murder, do not steal..." "Teacher," he replied, "I have done all that since I was young." Jesus looked at him and loved him and said, "One thing you lack, go, sell all you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come and follow me." (Mark 10:17-22)

     We all know this story and have probably heard several sermons on it, but there is something I've overlooked til now in this story. Jesus "looked at him and loved him." Jesus was about to tell this man to do something harder than had ever been asked of him before but first He loved him. I believe this is also true in our lives. The times when God requests much of us remember, He is looking at us and loving us.

More Than These

     A few weeks had passed since Jesus had last appeared to the disciples and shown Thomas His wounds. The inactivity and the fear of the unknown weighed heavily on Peter's shoulders. Finally he had had enough and he announced to the gathered disciples that he was going fishing. For lack of something better to do, the rest of the disciples went too. After a night of fruitless effort a man appeared on the shore and told them to try the other side. Of course the nets were full to overflowing and they realized that it was Jesus on the shore.

     After feeding them, Jesus called Peter aside and asked him this question, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love me more than these?" More than what? More than the disciples---maybe, but I think Jesus had something else in mind. I think Jesus was referring to the boats and nets and fish scattered on the beach. You see Peter's faith had begun to waver and when faced with difficulties and his response was to return to what he was before he met Jesus. This is a common response, when we are suddenly faced with trials we revert to our old ways. We go back to where we are comfortable.

     Will Jesus have to wave you in from a fishing boat or maybe off the corporate jet and ask you, "Simon (or whomever) do you love me more than these?"

First Things First

     Not long after Jesus' death Peter and the disciples went fishing. This was the first time they had gone fishing since the day Jesus called them out of their boats and away from their nets to become fishers of men. Just like that day, they weren't catching a thing. To add to the irony, a man called out to them from the shore, "Catch anything? No, huh? Try lowering the nets on the other side." They did and pulled in more fish than the boat could hold. As they pulled the boat ashore they saw Jesus tending a fire. Before doing anything else Jesus made breakfast for His hungry disciples.

    He knew before He could fill them up with His spiritual message, He had to take care of their physical needs. Just like you have to repair a hole in the tire before you can fill it up, you need to repair the body before you can fill it with any spiritual message. When you see a person suffering from hunger, you can talk to him all day about God but until you feed him, he will never really respond to the message you are trying to deliver. We as Christians need to be careful not to look beyond the physical needs  as we deliver a message of hope.

The Lap of Luxury

     When it left England it was the largest moving object on the planet. Over 3 city blocks long and carrying over 2000 people, its decks were filled with lavish appointments. Its passengers were pampered in every way. This ship was the pinnacle of man's ingenuity. Making her way across the Atlantic, if such a thing as heaven on Earth existed, this was it.

     The passengers became so comfortable in this luxury that when the alarms were raised many ignored them thinking they were safe. Surrounded by the false security of luxury, many people went to watery graves as Titanic sank.

     Many people today live their lives much like those on Titanic. Living comfortably in the lap of luxury unaware that an icy death lurks just outside. The alarms have been sounded. The call to go to the lifeboats has been issued. God has provided guides to lead you to the safety of the lifeboats, all you need do is recognize the danger and heed the warnings.

     Do not be lulled to sleep by the comforts of luxury, heed the warnings flee to the safety Jesus provides. The icy waters of death are waiting to claim more victims.

Seven Days

     Has it really only been a week? Only seven days since the streets were jammed with people shouting, "Hosanna, glory to God in the highest!"? It has only been seven days, but it seems like a lifetime ago.

     The crowds that worshiped Jesus on that triumphant Sunday were calling for His death by Friday. Those that traveled with Him fled in fear, convinced they had lost all  hope. That was Friday, how things can change in only two days.

     Those who fled in fear are now talking of seeing Him alive. Jesus has risen from the dead. All that He said about being the Son of God is true. Yet the streets are now empty. Seven days ago Jesus was followed by the multitudes who were convinced He would free them from Rome. Now He comes offering freedom from death and only a few come and follow. It is only seven days from Palm Sunday to Easter, but there is an eternity of difference between them. Only those willing to go to the cross with Jesus will rise with Him on Easter.

Death to Life

     It was the cruelest form of punishment known in that day. It was reserved for only the worst of criminals. It was more than simply a punishment, it made a statement. Simply put, the cross was the very symbol of death.

     By dying this most cruel and painful death, Jesus performed His last earthly miracle. He changed the cross from a symbol of death to the promise of eternal life. No more is the cross a thing of fear, it now holds the promise of life with Jesus.

     The miracle of Jesus' life, death, and resurrection was to exchange death for life. By dying the cruelest of deaths, Jesus guaranteed life for those who would follow Him. We must simply take up our cross, now a symbol of life, and follow Him.

Torn Curtain

     ” ⁵⁰ And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit.

⁵¹ And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split." Matthew 27:50-51

     The curtain in the temple separated the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place. Only the High Priest was allowed, once a year, to venture into the Most Holy Place to make a sacrifice for the people. If anyone else went in, they would die. It was there that the High Priest would plead to God on behalf of the people. No one else could survive in the presence of God.

     When Jesus died and the curtain tore, a way was made into the Most Holy Place. It no longer meant death to approach the presence of God. The path had been cleared, all obstacles were removed. Anyone could now approach God and plead on their own behalf.

     Notice that the curtain was torn all the way, top to bottom. It wasn't torn halfway so you could peer in, but all the way so you can enter in. If you are still outside peering in then Jesus' death was meaningless. He died so we could re-establish our relationship with God without any barriers.

...But Thine

     It is easy to be a Christian on Palm Sunday, to be one of the multitude waving palms and shouting hosannas. It is easier still a week later. Look around the church on Easter, the crowds are always larger for Easter. It is easy to be a Christian on the day Jesus rose from the dead, the day He claimed victory over death. Those days it is easy,but there are other days.

     As easy as it is to be a Christian on Easter, it is difficult to be one on Good Friday. Good Friday crowds are small. Good Friday points out our weaknesses. Good Friday is when we find out what God desires from us. Good Friday is the day we find ourselves once again joining the crowd yelling to Jesus, only this time yelling for His blood. Good Friday is the day we learn that all God wants is to hear us say, "Not my will but Thine."

     As you are joining the crowd on Palm Sunday, remember what the crowd will be doing on Friday. As you rejoice with the disciples on Easter morning, remember that God wants us to lay aside our will for His. Our churches are full of Christians when it is easy, but God is looking for those who will stand up when it is hard and say, "... yet not my will but Thine be done."

Ride on to Die

     Palm Sunday has always been a strange day for me. There are two very disparate images in it. One is the cheering crowd. They are pressing in to see Jesus pass through the city. They are shouting hosanna and laying coats and palm fronds in the road to make a carpet for the Messiah to enter on.

     The other image is the man at the center of the crowd's admiration. What must Jesus have been thinking? He alone knew what awaited Him later in the week. He knew these very same people would be calling for His death in a few short days. It is bad enough that Jesus knew He was riding to His death, how much more painful to have crowds cheering Him on His way.

     So as you were waving your palms this morning. I hope you were also thinking of what was going through Jesus' mind. These were the first steps on His way to the cross. Knowing this, He still faced it head-on, trusting His heavenly father. Often we are called to do things we may not be real thrilled about. We need to take courage from Jesus on that young colt amid the cheering crowd. He knew His path would end on the cross and yet He still continued along the path laid out for Him.

     If you find yourself walking through a crowd cheering your downfall, take courage in knowing Jesus has already walked this road.



Once again the inspiration for this comes from Michael Card. He is one of the most anointed performers I have ever heard. Take some time out to listen to some of his work. The song that inspired this is "Ride on to Die". 

In Love, Christ Came Among Us

    These are the lyrics to one of the songs our choir is working on for Good Friday. I really like them and thought I would share them. The song is "In Love, Christ Came Among Us". Words by Bill F. Leach and music by Joseph M. Martin.

     In love, Christ came among us,

coming not as king, but as a tiny baby born in Bethlehem;

and we knew Him not, and we knew Him not, and we knew Him not.

With grace, He walked among us, 

showed us how to live;

giving, teaching, healing,

calling us to God;

and we followed not, and we followed not, and we followed not.

Ah, holy Jesus, who brought this upon thee?

Alas, my treason, Jesus, hath undone Thee!

'Twas I, Lord Jesus, I it was denied Thee,

I crucified Thee.

In love, Christ came among us and went to Calvary.

The perfect lamb of God died to set us free,

and still we loved Him not, still we loved Him not,

and we followed not, and we followed not,

and we knew Him not, and we knew Him not.

Kyrie, kyrie, kyrie eleison.

Drawing In the Dirt

     The story is a familiar one. Even those with little other Bible knowledge know it. A woman caught in obvious sin, an angry mob---stones at the ready, a compassionate savior saying, "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone." Pretty straightforward, but let's look a little closer. There is something that keeps catching my attention.

     She was caught in the very act. The crowd dragged her into the street, her shame there for all to see. As she stood naked before her accusers she could already feel the stones that were waiting for her. Jesus was passing by and the pharisees thought they could use this event to trap Him. They called Him over and asked what they should do with the woman. Her sin was obvious, her punishment clear. Jesus pondered the question and while He did He began drawing in the dirt before answering.

     That's the part that catches my attention. Jesus drew in the dirt. The one who created the universe was drawing in the dirt. Why? Picture yourself as one of the people in that crowd. Think, where would your attention be focused at that moment? On the dirt trying to figure out what it is Jesus is drawing, but more importantly not on the woman. You see, even while dealing with a hostile crowd, Jesus was thinking of the woman and trying to cover her shame. That is the kind of savior Jesus is, one who can minister to us in the midst of a great tempest. Even while facing a hostile crowd and pharisees looking for the least little mistake, Jesus was thinking of the woman and her feelings.

      Michael Card is one of my favorite Christian artists and he has a song that somewhat inspired this. That song is called Forgiving Eyes, here it is.

Puzzles

     Have you ever felt overlooked or unimportant? Have you ever thought to yourself, "God doesn't need me. I have no talents that God could possibly ever use."? If you have, I want you to consider a puzzle piece.

     I am sure you are familiar with puzzles. A lot of the pieces have easily recognizable images on them, maybe an ear or a nose, a chimney or a sea gull. A lot of the other pieces, however, have basically nothing on them, they may only have grass, or sky, or water. If you only have one piece of a puzzle and all it has on it is blue sky, you will have no way of knowing what the whole picture is. You may even think, "This piece has nothing on it. I don't need it." If you put the puzzle together without that piece though, it will be obvious to all who see it that something is missing. That piece, you thought unimportant, is now vital. Without it, all you notice is its absence.

     Your part in God's plan may be like that puzzle piece. On the surface it may look unimportant, but without it you can't complete the puzzle. No person is unimportant to God. Your piece is the most important because it is the one that completes the picture.

Whiter Than Snow

     "You are the man." The words echoed in the stunned silence. Surely Nathan wasn't pointing the finger of blame at King David. Surely David wouldn't stand for this, not in his own court, not David who had stood up to Goliath. The crowd looked expectantly to the throne, awaiting the wrath of this powerful king; only to see...tears. Tears? Yes, those were tears on the cheeks of the king. David's words were not full of wrath and accusations but of repentance. They can be found in Psalm 51.

 ¹ Have mercy on me, O God, 

   according to your unfailing love; 

according to your great compassion 

   blot out my transgressions. 

² Wash away all my iniquity 

   and cleanse me from my sin.

 ³ For I know my transgressions, 

   and my sin is always before me. 

⁴ Against you, you only, have I sinned 

   and done what is evil in your sight; 

so you are right in your verdict 

   and justified when you judge. 

⁵ Surely I was sinful at birth, 

   sinful from the time my mother conceived me. 

⁶ Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb; 

   you taught me wisdom in that secret place.

 ⁷ Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; 

   wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. 

⁸ Let me hear joy and gladness; 

   let the bones you have crushed rejoice. 

⁹ Hide your face from my sins 

   and blot out all my iniquity.

 ¹⁰ Create in me a pure heart, O God, 

   and renew a steadfast spirit within me. 

¹¹ Do not cast me from your presence 

   or take your Holy Spirit from me. 

¹² Restore to me the joy of your salvation 

   and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

 ¹³ Then I will teach transgressors your ways, 

   so that sinners will turn back to you. 

¹⁴ Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God, 

   you who are God my Savior, 

   and my tongue will sing of your righteousness. 

¹⁵ Open my lips, Lord, 

   and my mouth will declare your praise. 

¹⁶ You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; 

   you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. 

¹⁷ My sacrifice, O God, is^[b] a broken spirit; 

   a broken and contrite heart 

   you, God, will not despise.

 ¹⁸ May it please you to prosper Zion, 

   to build up the walls of Jerusalem. 

¹⁹ Then you will delight in the sacrifices of the righteous, 

   in burnt offerings offered whole; 

   then bulls will be offered on your altar.

     A lot can be learned from David's repentance. He doesn't make excuses and he doesn't try to lessen his guilt. He simply lays his guilty body before the Lord and begs for the Lord to wash him whiter than snow.

     When your Nathans come saying, "You are the man." and they will come, don't get defensive and don't strike out at your accusers. Instead read Psalm 51 and make it your prayer and God will hear. For just as God still had plans for David, god still has plans for you. God merely needs your repentance.

The Magic Doorway

   In an effort at full disclosure, this post had its genesis in the mind of one of my students. He may not recognize it, as it is his thoughts filtered through my brain. Thank you to Pierce Benefield for his challenge to the high school today in chapel that we live 24/7 for God.

         There exists in our world the most amazing thing. This thing can completely change the behavior and language of most human beings in an instant. It can make even the foulest mouthed person into the most polite person you have ever met. The wildest person is no match for its powers. what is this ingenious device? It is the door of a church.

     Merely passing through the door of a church completely changes a person. Language cleans up and behavior becomes exemplary. Why is this? What magic lies in the threshold of a church? How can 6 inches of door frame hold such power over human beings. More importantly, why do we let it wield such power? 

     We seem to operate under the assumption that the rules are different inside the walls of the church. What is acceptable outside the doors isn't necessarily accepted inside. I think we believe that God only cares about what we do in the church; that once we are out the door we are beyond His sight. This should not be so. If anything, we should be better outside the walls of the church, for it is outside the walls that we encounter the people who need to see God in us the most. 

     If we are to be true Christians, literally 'little Christs', we need to live like it all of the time. We should be as much of a Christian Saturday night out with our friends as we are Sunday morning in church. If we truly claim Jesus as our model, we need to live as He did. Jesus was consistent in His behavior. He was the same in all situations, he didn't live one way outside the temple and another inside.

     There is no magic in the door of the church. God is the same on either side of the door and we should be also. We should live our lives as if every door we pass through is the door to the sanctuary of the living God.

Servant Savior

     The disciple's conversation stopped as they saw Jesus get up from the table and grab a towel and a basin. As  Jesus began washing their feet, their minds raced, "How can this man, the Son of God, be lowering Himself to wash our dirty, stinky feet?" They were all thinking it, but Peter was the only one with enough guts, or lack of self-control, to say it, "You will never wash my feet!" Jesus responded, "You do not now realize what I am doing, but later you will understand." (John 13: 1-7)

     I think a lot of us would be right there with Peter. The image of Jesus on His knees washing our feet is not how we usually envision Him. We see Him in sparkling white robes, riding a magnificent stallion, or sitting high upon His throne; not on a dusty floor washing dirty feet.

     Yes, Jesus was there at the creation. Yes, He is the all-powerful Son of God, but I think this is the best picture of Jesus. For He came, not to be the king high up on his throne, but to meet people at the point of their need. If Jesus came to serve His people, how much more should we be serving His people? We should be ready with our towel and basin to wash our brother's feet when they come in from a long journey. service should be something we do as a daily thing, not as a special event.


This was partly inspired by a song by Michael Card. It may not be your kind of music, but listen to the lyrics.

Abundance or Lack?

     An old song was running through my head the other day and something in it started me thinking. It was a really familiar song, but I realized I had never really thought about what it was truly saying. Here is the line that started me on this journey, "We bring the sacrifice of praise into the house of the Lord..."

     Nothing out of the ordinary there. Look a little closer. "The sacrifice of praise..." To be a sacrifice it most cost you something to lose it. Are we really bringing a sacrifice of praise? Is it costing us something to praise Him? I think we are really bringing our gifts of praise. We praise god when things are good and praise flows easily and freely. Now God honors all praise, but He desires our sacrifice of praise. When praise costs us something. When we praise God even when we don't feel like it or when everything is going wrong, that is when we are truly bringing a sacrifice of praise and it is a delight to the Lord. Paul said it this way, "Rejoice in all things..." A gift is given from our abundance, a sacrifice is given at our loss. Are our praises simply gifts or are they truly sacrifices?