As I write this post I know some of you will become pretty defensive, and that's fine. This is an important enough topic that ruffling a few feathers is the least of my concerns. What does concern me is standing before a Holy God and having to give an account for the way I've treated the individuals He has placed in my path. This post is something the Lord has laid on my heart and as you read please know that I'm probably the most guilty in this area. I write because I'm convicted, and I hope you'll search your heart and reach out to people in a whole new way.
Our churches are filled with individuals who've had a relationship with Jesus since they were kids. Unfortunately in far too many churches those are the only people who attend!
Here's what I mean and this is why I feel it's such an important topic. I teach a Sunday morning class of college age students and young adults. This week I asked them a very simple question. "How many of you grew up going to church"? Out of 75 people in the class, ranging in age from 18-33, 72 of them grew up in the church. Now I know I'm not some theological superstar who's bringing all these people to Jesus and I've only been teaching for 3 years but I've been around long enough to know that's a problem. If that stat carries over to the entire church that means 96% of the people in my church have been in the "church" since they were kids, and only 4% came to Christ later in life. Obviously the numbers may be a little skewed but I guarantee you it's not that far off. Still doubting? Then ask the people you go to church with or the people in your small group and see for yourself. It may not be 96% but even 85% should make us question how we reach out to those around us. Not the message were preaching, but the way in which we're reaching.
So how are we reaching people? I don’t enjoy admitting this but somewhere along the way I developed this tunnel vision gospel mindset. Here’s how it works…God gave me a group of old friends and coworkers and so I plug away looking for any opportunity to tell them how He has changed my life. Of course, I’m nice to other people but if I’m honest with myself, the extent of my efforts to reach out are basically relegated to a select group of people God has placed in my life. I inadvertently shrunk my mission field down to a handful of people. Guess what? That leaves a lot of people out of the picture, and if God is always at work drawing people to Himself, then I am in constant contact with people that need Christ.
Where are all these people? There everywhere. While I’m shopping with my “ministry project” from work there is a lady on the same aisle with tears running down her face shuffling through coupons trying to scrape enough change together to buy some food for her kids. Do I see her? No. While I’m at breakfast for the 20th time talking to an old friend who makes $150,000 a year and doesn’t see a need for a Savior, my waitress is working her third shift in a row to pay for medical expenses that keep piling up. Do I talk to her? No. When I’m sitting in church with all my friends and arguing theology, there is a guy pretty close to my age at the end of my pew that is going through a crisis and finally built up enough courage to step inside a church for the very first time. Do I talk to him? Kind of…I smiled and shook his hand during the meet and greet.
I believe God is continuously drawing people to Himself and bringing them in the doors of our churches every single week. But at the end of the day most of us are too caught up in our church routine to take notice of the unsaved, hurting people all around us.
I want you to think about the people you know who either started their relationship with Jesus or came back to Jesus later in life. I’m talking about people who finally realized there had to be more to this life then what they were experiencing. Without fail they all seem to share one thing in common, a crisis. Sure their stories are different; some are a little more outrageous then others, but in some way shape or form they almost always use the words "rock-bottom" and go something like this...
I was walking along the road of life, minding my own business, doing my own thing when out of nowhere I got a boulder dropped on my life. Everything was fine and then all of a sudden I got blasted with a crisis.
Now the crisis is different for everyone. For some it was a huge life altering crisis like a death in the family. For others it was a much smaller internal crisis like never having true peace or continually chasing empty dreams. But every person I have ever known and every testimony I have ever heard, a crisis was involved in some way.
I know that is a strong statement but I believe it with all my heart. Hurting people are sitting in your sanctuary, listening to your pastor and searching for an answer to their crisis. Think about it. People who don't know Jesus search for Him during a crisis, but when they step into our churches we greet them with a smile and move on with our lives. Unfortunately since they don’t know much about the church they're not coming to your Small Groups and they're not coming to your Bible Fellowship classes. We can be the nicest people in the world but unless we go out of our way to build relationships with those who are hurting chances are they won't be with us for long.
Put yourself in their shoes...it probably looks like a freak show. Everybody smiling and shaking your hand, but nobody taking the time to truly find out what is going on in your life. I know this because I'm the freak. I'm great at smiling and shaking hands, but my group of friends hasn't changed a whole lot in FIVE years. Has yours?
Are there any new believers in your group of friends?
Do you have any deep relationships with new believers?
Do you go out of your way to connect with visitors?
How much of your time at church is spent talking to new people?
So if we don't spend any quality time with new believers or visitors should it be any surprise why membership in our churches is on the decline. If we’re not letting new believers or people who are searching into our groups of friends then who are they hanging out with. Are we just assuming that other people in the church are taking the time to minister to them? Please don’t assume that everybody in your church knows somebody. Times are changing. Small country churches are fewer and farther between. What used to be a place where even the visitors were familiar has become a place where no one even knows who’s visiting, and that creates a problem. People who didn’t grow up in the church, even if they visit, probably won’t stay very long unless someone makes an effort to build a relationship with them.
The foundations of the Christian faith are built around relationships. When Jesus was here on earth He discipled and trained through everyday relationships. Read John 17, (for real...take out your Bible and read it) probably the holiest prayer in the Bible and count how many times Jesus refers to His disciples. Count the number of times He uses them, they, those, and listen to the context in which He talks about the disciples. It's all about training and teaching. Jesus built relationships with a group of men who were headed in the wrong direction, He turned their lives around and then He trained them to go and do the same. Unfortunately, most of our relationships have nothing to do with training or teaching, and to make matters worse most of our conversations don’t even have anything to do with Christ.
Here’s the bottom line. God is constantly at work, orchestrating circumstances to draw people into a relationship with Jesus Christ. Through divine intervention people who are hurting or in a crisis are coming into our churches like never before and unfortunately we don't seem to understand the necessity of building deep meaningful relationships. We're kind and friendly, but kind and friendly doesn't help a person get to Heaven. Next time your sitting at church look around you, talk to people, invite them to lunch. They are there for a reason and it is our responsibility to embrace them while they're in crisis. Not sure if they've gone to your church for years? Who cares, what’s the worst that could happen? You might make a new friend.
Rescue those who are being taken away to death;
hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter.
- Proverbs 24:11
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Mankind is No Island...
Helping those in need is such a vital aspect of Christianity and unfortunately it's often ignored. This is a great video. The eyes of the gentleman at the end move me every time; they remind me of paintings I've seen of the Apostle Paul...
If you live in the Tampa area and would like to help feed those in need feel free to join us on Thursday nights. You can read more about the ministry by following this link...
http://www.reachingtampa.org/homeless_ministry.html
If you live in the Tampa area and would like to help feed those in need feel free to join us on Thursday nights. You can read more about the ministry by following this link...
http://www.reachingtampa.org/homeless_ministry.html
The Thorns Among the Soil
Why do we always assume we are good soil?
I've probably read the parable of the sower and the soils 100 times and for some reason I always glaze over the first three examples and just assume I'm the fourth; the good soil.
The parable is about this guy that’s planting crops in his field. Back in those days there was a couple of different ways to plant seed but one was to walk through your field scattering seed as you went. Obviously if this was your preferred method there would be seed in a number of different places. Jesus tells us that some of the seed falls beside the road and onto a path, some hits rocky places, some fell in among the thorns and some fell on good soil. After Jesus got done telling the parable his disciples were confused and needed an explanation as to what Jesus was talking about so He breaks it down for them.
Matthew 13:19-23
19"When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is the one on whom seed was sown beside the road.
20"The one on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, this is the man who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; 21yet he has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary, and when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he falls away.
22"And the one on whom seed was sown among the thorns, this is the man who hears the word, and the worry of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.
23"And the one on whom seed was sown on the good soil, this is the man who hears the word and understands it; who indeed bears fruit and brings forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty."
What Jesus is describing is 4 different types people and please don't think these people are prehistoric old Jewish people. These are people that you and I come into contact with every day.
The first guy is the person that hears the gospel but doesn't really want anything to do with it. Not because Jesus is necessarily bad, but probably because he doesn't have the time or he thinks the way is too narrow minded. The text says the seed has been sown in his heart but the evil one or the devil comes and snatches it away.
The second guy is the person that hears about Jesus for the first time and is blown away. He's the one that comes to church, gets saved, and he gets involved in everything the church offers. But for some reason he slowly fades back into his old lifestyle. The text says when persecution comes he immediately falls away. The Word of God never quite takes a hold of him and before long he’s back hanging out with his friends and doing his old thing.
The third and forth guys are really the ones I want to focus on because unfortunately I find myself constantly battling between the two. Both of them have the word, but one gets choked by wealth and worry and is unfruitful. What scares me is that if I'm honest with myself it is a constant struggle to fight wealth and worry. Think about it. From the time we are teenagers we are constantly pushed to go to the best schools so we can get the best jobs and live in the nicest houses and travel in luxury when we retire. It's unfortunate but for most people, Christian or not, that is their life.
The sad part is when you really think about the parable Jesus is telling you can picture exactly what He is referring to. You've got two guys that probably go to the same church as well as attend the same Bible studies. They work the same jobs and their families fellowship together. The difference is that one is so caught up in "providing" for his family that he ignores the fact that the Christian life is about so much more than a service once a week.
From the outside looking in the unfruitful guy is just like any other normal guy. He probably has 2.5 kids, lives in a 4 bedroom 3 bath house and drives a nice car. His wife stays home and watches the kids and they vacation 2 weeks out of the year. At the end of the day they are good people. They take care of their kids and they donate a portion of their money to the local church. But the key is that they are too busy with THEIR lives to see the hurts and needs of the people around them. Christianity is so unique in it's love for other people. If we spend our entire lives seeking after our own pleasure and our own well being then we have missed the very essence of what Jesus has given us.
I came across this video the other day and it really help put things in perspective. I saw so much of myself in the video and I realized that if live my life seeking my own desires and ignore the pain and hurt of others then I have become the person Jesus was referring to. The Bible talks over and over and over about living a fruitful life and loving other people. I'm afraid that somewhere along the line the deceitfulness of wealth has clouded my vision for what it means to live a fruitful life.
I've probably read the parable of the sower and the soils 100 times and for some reason I always glaze over the first three examples and just assume I'm the fourth; the good soil.
The parable is about this guy that’s planting crops in his field. Back in those days there was a couple of different ways to plant seed but one was to walk through your field scattering seed as you went. Obviously if this was your preferred method there would be seed in a number of different places. Jesus tells us that some of the seed falls beside the road and onto a path, some hits rocky places, some fell in among the thorns and some fell on good soil. After Jesus got done telling the parable his disciples were confused and needed an explanation as to what Jesus was talking about so He breaks it down for them.
Matthew 13:19-23
19"When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is the one on whom seed was sown beside the road.
20"The one on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, this is the man who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; 21yet he has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary, and when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he falls away.
22"And the one on whom seed was sown among the thorns, this is the man who hears the word, and the worry of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.
23"And the one on whom seed was sown on the good soil, this is the man who hears the word and understands it; who indeed bears fruit and brings forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty."
What Jesus is describing is 4 different types people and please don't think these people are prehistoric old Jewish people. These are people that you and I come into contact with every day.
The first guy is the person that hears the gospel but doesn't really want anything to do with it. Not because Jesus is necessarily bad, but probably because he doesn't have the time or he thinks the way is too narrow minded. The text says the seed has been sown in his heart but the evil one or the devil comes and snatches it away.
The second guy is the person that hears about Jesus for the first time and is blown away. He's the one that comes to church, gets saved, and he gets involved in everything the church offers. But for some reason he slowly fades back into his old lifestyle. The text says when persecution comes he immediately falls away. The Word of God never quite takes a hold of him and before long he’s back hanging out with his friends and doing his old thing.
The third and forth guys are really the ones I want to focus on because unfortunately I find myself constantly battling between the two. Both of them have the word, but one gets choked by wealth and worry and is unfruitful. What scares me is that if I'm honest with myself it is a constant struggle to fight wealth and worry. Think about it. From the time we are teenagers we are constantly pushed to go to the best schools so we can get the best jobs and live in the nicest houses and travel in luxury when we retire. It's unfortunate but for most people, Christian or not, that is their life.
The sad part is when you really think about the parable Jesus is telling you can picture exactly what He is referring to. You've got two guys that probably go to the same church as well as attend the same Bible studies. They work the same jobs and their families fellowship together. The difference is that one is so caught up in "providing" for his family that he ignores the fact that the Christian life is about so much more than a service once a week.
From the outside looking in the unfruitful guy is just like any other normal guy. He probably has 2.5 kids, lives in a 4 bedroom 3 bath house and drives a nice car. His wife stays home and watches the kids and they vacation 2 weeks out of the year. At the end of the day they are good people. They take care of their kids and they donate a portion of their money to the local church. But the key is that they are too busy with THEIR lives to see the hurts and needs of the people around them. Christianity is so unique in it's love for other people. If we spend our entire lives seeking after our own pleasure and our own well being then we have missed the very essence of what Jesus has given us.
I came across this video the other day and it really help put things in perspective. I saw so much of myself in the video and I realized that if live my life seeking my own desires and ignore the pain and hurt of others then I have become the person Jesus was referring to. The Bible talks over and over and over about living a fruitful life and loving other people. I'm afraid that somewhere along the line the deceitfulness of wealth has clouded my vision for what it means to live a fruitful life.
India...
I came across this chart the other day and thought it was really interesting. It was published by the International Mission Board (IMB) and it shows the remaining people groups in the world, with a population over 100,000, that are considered to be unreached and unengaged. (You can click on the map to make it bigger) Basically saying that not only have they not heard about Jesus, they don't even have a missionary in their city. Obviously there are other areas that have not heard but these are groups with a population over 100,000.Below is a ministry that helps get kids off the street in India's largest city. The name of the ministry is Vision Rescue...
What the World Eats...
Really interesting! From the book "What the World Eats"
Germany: The Melander family of Bargteheide
Food expenditure for one week: 375.39 Euros or $500.07
United States: The Revis family of North Carolina
Food expenditure for one week: $341.98
Japan: The Ukita family of Kodaira City
Food expenditure for one week: 37,699 Yen or $317.25
Italy: The Manzo family of Sicily
Food expenditure for one week: 214.36 Euros or $260.11
Great Britain: The Bainton family of Cllingbourne Ducis
Food expenditure for one week: 155.54 British Pounds or $253.15
Kuwait: The Al Haggan family of Kuwait City
Food expenditure for one week: 63.63 dinar or $221.45
Mexico: The Casales family of Cuernavaca
Food expenditure for one week: 1,862.78 Mexican Pesos or $189.09
China: The Dong family of Beijing
Food expenditure for one week: 1,233.76 Yuan or $155.06
Poland: The Sobczynscy family of Konstancin-Jeziorna
Food expenditure for one week: 582.48 Zlotys or $151.27
Egypt: The Ahmed family of Cairo
Food expenditure for one week: 387.85 Egyptian Pounds or $68.53
Mongolia: The Batsuuri family of Ulaanbaatar
Food expenditure for one week: 41,985.85 togrogs or $40.02
Ecuador: The Ayme family of Tingo
Food expenditure for one week: $31.55
Bhutan: The Namgay family of Shingkhey Village
Food expenditure for one week: 224.93 ngultrum or $5.03
Chad: The Aboubakar family of Breidjing Camp
Food expenditure for one week: 685 CFA Francs or $1.23
Germany: The Melander family of BargteheideFood expenditure for one week: 375.39 Euros or $500.07
United States: The Revis family of North CarolinaFood expenditure for one week: $341.98
Japan: The Ukita family of Kodaira CityFood expenditure for one week: 37,699 Yen or $317.25
Italy: The Manzo family of SicilyFood expenditure for one week: 214.36 Euros or $260.11
Great Britain: The Bainton family of Cllingbourne DucisFood expenditure for one week: 155.54 British Pounds or $253.15
Kuwait: The Al Haggan family of Kuwait CityFood expenditure for one week: 63.63 dinar or $221.45
Mexico: The Casales family of CuernavacaFood expenditure for one week: 1,862.78 Mexican Pesos or $189.09
China: The Dong family of BeijingFood expenditure for one week: 1,233.76 Yuan or $155.06
Poland: The Sobczynscy family of Konstancin-JeziornaFood expenditure for one week: 582.48 Zlotys or $151.27
Egypt: The Ahmed family of CairoFood expenditure for one week: 387.85 Egyptian Pounds or $68.53
Mongolia: The Batsuuri family of UlaanbaatarFood expenditure for one week: 41,985.85 togrogs or $40.02
Ecuador: The Ayme family of TingoFood expenditure for one week: $31.55
Bhutan: The Namgay family of Shingkhey VillageFood expenditure for one week: 224.93 ngultrum or $5.03
Chad: The Aboubakar family of Breidjing CampFood expenditure for one week: 685 CFA Francs or $1.23
Faith by Works?
I was reading the other day about groups of people who believe that one day they will stand before God and their entrance into heaven will be based on their good works versus their bad. Basically, there will be one big scale and all the good they have done in their lives will be measured against all of the bad they have done. If the good is greater then the bad they go to heaven, and if the bad is greater they go to hell. To start off, I want to make it clear that I do not believe your good works will get you to heaven. The Bible makes it very clear in Ephesians that it is by grace we are saved and not by works.
Ephesians 2:8-9
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.
But the whole idea of a completely works based heavenly entrance did get me thinking. If I were to die today, and this were true, would I go to heaven or hell? It is sad to think but so many Christians, myself included, seem to just go through the motions of life. We get up in the morning, and if we are lucky we have our daily devotional, we say our prayers, and by the time we are done working we come home, crash and then start all over again the next day. As Christians, we are supposed to show our faith through our works. As I thought about my life and made a mental list of my good works over the last week, I have to admit there were only a couple of things on that list. I guess I had never stopped to think about what it was to have faith by works. I just always figured that by not doing bad, I was doing good, but that is not the case at all. How often do I really go out of my way to show kindness or to do something out of my comfort zone that helps demonstrate my faith? When was the last time I volunteered to help shape the life of a young person, or when was the last time I discipled someone new in their faith?
In the Bible, the book of James is pretty clear about what we should do with our faith and how we should live. James 2 starting in verse 14 says.
14 What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? 17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. 18 But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! 20 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?
Even though I do not believe that your good works will get you to heaven, I do believe that once you accept Jesus as your Savior, one of the easiest ways to show your faith is by your works. Over the last week I have changed my routine a little and made a conscious effort to show my faith through my works. It is amazing all of the new opportunities the Lord has shown me and all of the new ways I now have to honor Him. As Christians, there is always something we can be doing to further the Lord’s Kingdom and we just don’t realize all we can do or what we can handle until we try. Let’s face it, if the Bible says …faith without works is dead… and my good works don’t outweigh my bad, then how much faith do I really have?
James 3:13
Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom.
Ephesians 2:8-9
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.
But the whole idea of a completely works based heavenly entrance did get me thinking. If I were to die today, and this were true, would I go to heaven or hell? It is sad to think but so many Christians, myself included, seem to just go through the motions of life. We get up in the morning, and if we are lucky we have our daily devotional, we say our prayers, and by the time we are done working we come home, crash and then start all over again the next day. As Christians, we are supposed to show our faith through our works. As I thought about my life and made a mental list of my good works over the last week, I have to admit there were only a couple of things on that list. I guess I had never stopped to think about what it was to have faith by works. I just always figured that by not doing bad, I was doing good, but that is not the case at all. How often do I really go out of my way to show kindness or to do something out of my comfort zone that helps demonstrate my faith? When was the last time I volunteered to help shape the life of a young person, or when was the last time I discipled someone new in their faith?
In the Bible, the book of James is pretty clear about what we should do with our faith and how we should live. James 2 starting in verse 14 says.
14 What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? 17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. 18 But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! 20 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?
Even though I do not believe that your good works will get you to heaven, I do believe that once you accept Jesus as your Savior, one of the easiest ways to show your faith is by your works. Over the last week I have changed my routine a little and made a conscious effort to show my faith through my works. It is amazing all of the new opportunities the Lord has shown me and all of the new ways I now have to honor Him. As Christians, there is always something we can be doing to further the Lord’s Kingdom and we just don’t realize all we can do or what we can handle until we try. Let’s face it, if the Bible says …faith without works is dead… and my good works don’t outweigh my bad, then how much faith do I really have?
James 3:13
Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom.
New Scientology Ad
Great commercial, clearly highlighting the struggles of the human race, but it's so sad that they don't believe in Jesus. It blows my mind that they are referring to the exact same issues the Bible has shown us for thousands of years, but a science fiction writer in the 1950's decided to answer them in a completely different direction.
Church Bulletins?
I am reading a book right now by the President of World Vision, Richard Stearns called The Hole In Our Gospel. It's a very interesting book about how most Americans who profess to be Christians still miss the sacrificial living and giving aspect of their faith. He emphasizes the fact that there is a hurting world around us and for some reason we tend to ignore it and focus on our own problems.
I copied an excerpt of the book and put it below. Before you read it know that I'm not calling out any churches in particular I just thought it was a very interesting point.
If church leaders do not have an outward vision to become salt and light in our world, to promote social and spiritual transformation, pursue justice, and proclaim the whole gospel, then the church will fail to realize its potential as an agent for change. It will become inwardly focused on meeting the needs of its members, to the exclusion of its nonmembers. It will be a spiritual cocoon, where Christians can retreat from a hostile world, rather than a “transformation station” whose primary objective is to change the world.
We need only to read our church bulletin to see where our priorities have been placed. How many of the announcements involve programs that focus more on meeting our needs than the needs of those outside the church? I’ve been in churches whose bulletins read like the table of contents for Psychology Today, listing programs and support groups for depression, anxiety, divorce recovery, bipolar disorder, sexual dysfunction, eating disorders, and dieting, not to mention aerobics, Pilates, cooking classes, and Tae Kwon Do. It’s not that churches shouldn’t minister to their own members, but there should be a balance between internal and external ministry. When our churches become spiritual spas in which we retreat from the world, our salt loses its saltiness and we are no longer able to impact the culture.
Morgan Chilulu, an African pastor of a small and humble church in the midst of the Aids pandemic, once told me, “A church that lives within its four walls is no church at all”
I copied an excerpt of the book and put it below. Before you read it know that I'm not calling out any churches in particular I just thought it was a very interesting point.
If church leaders do not have an outward vision to become salt and light in our world, to promote social and spiritual transformation, pursue justice, and proclaim the whole gospel, then the church will fail to realize its potential as an agent for change. It will become inwardly focused on meeting the needs of its members, to the exclusion of its nonmembers. It will be a spiritual cocoon, where Christians can retreat from a hostile world, rather than a “transformation station” whose primary objective is to change the world.
We need only to read our church bulletin to see where our priorities have been placed. How many of the announcements involve programs that focus more on meeting our needs than the needs of those outside the church? I’ve been in churches whose bulletins read like the table of contents for Psychology Today, listing programs and support groups for depression, anxiety, divorce recovery, bipolar disorder, sexual dysfunction, eating disorders, and dieting, not to mention aerobics, Pilates, cooking classes, and Tae Kwon Do. It’s not that churches shouldn’t minister to their own members, but there should be a balance between internal and external ministry. When our churches become spiritual spas in which we retreat from the world, our salt loses its saltiness and we are no longer able to impact the culture.
Morgan Chilulu, an African pastor of a small and humble church in the midst of the Aids pandemic, once told me, “A church that lives within its four walls is no church at all”
Monday, November 23, 2009
Graduating Single and Leaving the Church?
Did you know that for the first time in history there are more single adults in America then people who are married? That’s right; 51% of the United States is now single. Let me ask you a question…what percentage of your church is single? Chances are if you look through your small groups or Bible fellowship classes the percentage of single adults that are actually involved is a lot less then 51%. So where are all the single adults? And I would take that a step further and ask where are all the YOUNG single adults? We know they're out there but for some reason they aren’t coming to church.
The majority of Christian young people will never attend a singles ministry regardless of whether or not it affects their spiritual growth.
For starters, I am extremely confused as to why churches segregate singles to begin with. I grew up assuming that singles ministries were a completely normal part of the church. I guess if I put my brain on overdrive I can maybe see why someone in their late 30s would like a ministry separate from families and kids. But fresh out of college still confuses me. What makes it more difficult is I've had a really hard time explaining to the people I work with that as Christians when we meet in smaller groups to deepen our relationship with Jesus Christ it matters whether or not you’re single. I work with 35 professionals in an investment consulting firm and 18 of them are single. I cringe at the prospect of them coming to church, which some have, and then directing them to a singles ministry which hasn’t changed a whole lot since the 50s. Sure we divide our small groups based upon age, but I still feel like I have to apologize and give them a list of reasons why we are going to a class for single people. I usually tell them the same thing I've always been told which is the whole "different stage of life" story. But let's be serious and admit that separating people because they are single is weird and if you're honest with yourself I think you'd agree. What's sad is that I've actually heard married couples say they're not comfortable with single people in their small group because their classes are focused more on marriage and family. I completely understand the need for bible studies based around marriage and family but 50 years of those lessons is a little extreme. At some point we need to quit dissecting our marriages and our love languages and realize that the closer we get to Christ the more our families will reap the benefits.
My church has an amazing singles pastor who I would consider to be a really good friend He has a huge heart and I love the fact that he is honestly doing everything he can to change the stereotype that singles ministries are made up of weird socially awkward people that enjoy hanging out with other weird socially awkward people. Unfortunately he has a long road ahead of him and until it changes most churches will have a hard time reaching young adults. You're probably thinking it's ridiculous to assume that the reason young single adults are not attending church or getting involved is because their only option is a singles ministry, but I honestly believe it plays a much bigger role then we think. And I believe it plays an even bigger role in why they're leaving as well.
Times are changing. Young men and women are waiting a lot longer to get married and most churches still assume the youth is getting married at 18. In reality most young adults are focusing on their careers and marriage comes second. That’s probably an issue in and of itself but it’s a fact. Al Mohler recently dedicated an entire radio broadcast to it and also wrote about it in his blog (excerpt below).
American evangelicals are not "becoming slow and lax about marriage." To the contrary, this is now a settled pattern across the evangelical landscape. Regnerus gets the facts straight, reporting that the median age at first marriage is now 26 for women and 28 for men -- an increase of five years since 1970.
Keep in mind this is the median age. For every young man getting married for the first time at 22 there is another one getting married for the first time at 34. It's pretty safe to say that almost every young adult is getting married after college. That means when a student graduates, gets a job and then settles in and begins looking for that special someone, 9 out of 10 churches direct them to a singles ministry filled with people from 18 years old to 80. People that are nothing like them and are literally at a completely different stage of life. Even if churches do have some separation by age in their singles ministry it still carries the same ugly stereotype. Unfortunately most of these young adults will graduate single, quite a few will drop out of their small group and eventually the majority will fade away from the church.
If you're having a hard time with this ask a few students in your college ministry what they plan on doing for a small group if they are still single when they graduate. I work with college kids on a regular basis and contrary to how I advise them a good majority have told me they will drop out of their small group and only attend the main service when they graduate. In their words a singles ministry indirectly emphasizes the fact that everyone is single and your focus tends to be removed from growing in your faith.
I know there isn't one solution to an issue this widespread, but I believe it’s time for churches to tweak things a bit. If what Al Mohler says is true and being single into your late 20s is the norm I would suggest that young adults under the age of 35 married or not can and should enjoy fellowship together. When a student leaves your college ministry, single or married, they should still be a part of the same class. If you're a large church then maybe you'll have 4 or 5 of these larger, joined classes, but the key is that everyone is together for certain aspects of the class. As it stands now most of your Bible fellowship classes probably have a social time before class begins so combine the groups for this time and THEN break off into classes. Some classes will be focused on marriage and family and quite a few of your small groups won't change at all. The main difference is that young single adults and dating couples (who generally don't go to singles classes) are still apart of the fellowship that exists in a big class. They can participate in class gatherings, cookouts, community outreach but still walk through the issues of life in their breakout groups.
I also think it’s very important to have a few groups that are based around certain topics; such as Theology courses. These would be set up so married couples and singles can go to them together. Have a small group for dating couples so they can start asking the compatibility questions way earlier then when they take the "engaged couples" class. At some point it's fine to have a singles ministry and it might be different for every church, but fresh out of college is not the time to start.
My point in all this is simply to emphasize the fact that young adults under the age of 35 should not be herded into a "special" class simply because they're not married and I'm pretty sure if you do they won't come back.
The majority of Christian young people will never attend a singles ministry regardless of whether or not it affects their spiritual growth.
For starters, I am extremely confused as to why churches segregate singles to begin with. I grew up assuming that singles ministries were a completely normal part of the church. I guess if I put my brain on overdrive I can maybe see why someone in their late 30s would like a ministry separate from families and kids. But fresh out of college still confuses me. What makes it more difficult is I've had a really hard time explaining to the people I work with that as Christians when we meet in smaller groups to deepen our relationship with Jesus Christ it matters whether or not you’re single. I work with 35 professionals in an investment consulting firm and 18 of them are single. I cringe at the prospect of them coming to church, which some have, and then directing them to a singles ministry which hasn’t changed a whole lot since the 50s. Sure we divide our small groups based upon age, but I still feel like I have to apologize and give them a list of reasons why we are going to a class for single people. I usually tell them the same thing I've always been told which is the whole "different stage of life" story. But let's be serious and admit that separating people because they are single is weird and if you're honest with yourself I think you'd agree. What's sad is that I've actually heard married couples say they're not comfortable with single people in their small group because their classes are focused more on marriage and family. I completely understand the need for bible studies based around marriage and family but 50 years of those lessons is a little extreme. At some point we need to quit dissecting our marriages and our love languages and realize that the closer we get to Christ the more our families will reap the benefits.
My church has an amazing singles pastor who I would consider to be a really good friend He has a huge heart and I love the fact that he is honestly doing everything he can to change the stereotype that singles ministries are made up of weird socially awkward people that enjoy hanging out with other weird socially awkward people. Unfortunately he has a long road ahead of him and until it changes most churches will have a hard time reaching young adults. You're probably thinking it's ridiculous to assume that the reason young single adults are not attending church or getting involved is because their only option is a singles ministry, but I honestly believe it plays a much bigger role then we think. And I believe it plays an even bigger role in why they're leaving as well.
Times are changing. Young men and women are waiting a lot longer to get married and most churches still assume the youth is getting married at 18. In reality most young adults are focusing on their careers and marriage comes second. That’s probably an issue in and of itself but it’s a fact. Al Mohler recently dedicated an entire radio broadcast to it and also wrote about it in his blog (excerpt below).
American evangelicals are not "becoming slow and lax about marriage." To the contrary, this is now a settled pattern across the evangelical landscape. Regnerus gets the facts straight, reporting that the median age at first marriage is now 26 for women and 28 for men -- an increase of five years since 1970.
Keep in mind this is the median age. For every young man getting married for the first time at 22 there is another one getting married for the first time at 34. It's pretty safe to say that almost every young adult is getting married after college. That means when a student graduates, gets a job and then settles in and begins looking for that special someone, 9 out of 10 churches direct them to a singles ministry filled with people from 18 years old to 80. People that are nothing like them and are literally at a completely different stage of life. Even if churches do have some separation by age in their singles ministry it still carries the same ugly stereotype. Unfortunately most of these young adults will graduate single, quite a few will drop out of their small group and eventually the majority will fade away from the church.
If you're having a hard time with this ask a few students in your college ministry what they plan on doing for a small group if they are still single when they graduate. I work with college kids on a regular basis and contrary to how I advise them a good majority have told me they will drop out of their small group and only attend the main service when they graduate. In their words a singles ministry indirectly emphasizes the fact that everyone is single and your focus tends to be removed from growing in your faith.
I know there isn't one solution to an issue this widespread, but I believe it’s time for churches to tweak things a bit. If what Al Mohler says is true and being single into your late 20s is the norm I would suggest that young adults under the age of 35 married or not can and should enjoy fellowship together. When a student leaves your college ministry, single or married, they should still be a part of the same class. If you're a large church then maybe you'll have 4 or 5 of these larger, joined classes, but the key is that everyone is together for certain aspects of the class. As it stands now most of your Bible fellowship classes probably have a social time before class begins so combine the groups for this time and THEN break off into classes. Some classes will be focused on marriage and family and quite a few of your small groups won't change at all. The main difference is that young single adults and dating couples (who generally don't go to singles classes) are still apart of the fellowship that exists in a big class. They can participate in class gatherings, cookouts, community outreach but still walk through the issues of life in their breakout groups.
I also think it’s very important to have a few groups that are based around certain topics; such as Theology courses. These would be set up so married couples and singles can go to them together. Have a small group for dating couples so they can start asking the compatibility questions way earlier then when they take the "engaged couples" class. At some point it's fine to have a singles ministry and it might be different for every church, but fresh out of college is not the time to start.
My point in all this is simply to emphasize the fact that young adults under the age of 35 should not be herded into a "special" class simply because they're not married and I'm pretty sure if you do they won't come back.
Monday, November 16, 2009
The Miniature Earth
We've all heard these statistics, but if you've never seen the video it's worth watching...
Monday, November 9, 2009
The Christian Life?
I have always had a hard time with what the Bible tells me my life should look like and the reality of what my life actually looks like. The Bible is very clear about what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ but for some reason I still move forward the majority of the time seeking my own desires. I was reading a book the other day and the writer asked a very interesting question.
"If you were to renounce your faith, would your life really change that much?"
At first, I just breezed right through it and didn't think twice but later that night the Holy Spirit brought it back to mind and it's all I could think about. Now theologically I know it may be a tough question but I want you to think outside the box for a second. What if today right after you got done reading this blog you decided to renounce your faith and quit living for Jesus. Be honest with yourself and ask yourself the same question. Would your life really change that much?
Instinctively I think every one of us would emphatically say our lives would be totally different. But would they really? I have to admit that in any given week my life can be pretty similar to the people that tell me there is no God. Sad, but true. I get up, I go to work, after work I run or work out, I come home, cook dinner, maybe turn on the TV to catch a game or favorite show and then it’s off to bed. The very next day in some way shape or form my life repeats itself. Now granted I have some variation from time to time and the same is probably true for you as well. You might have kids, or a husband or wife, you might travel more then most or have some time consuming hobbies. You might belong to the country club or participate in sport’s leagues. We all have friends and relatives that shake things up a bit, there are holidays to prepare for and business trips to go on. All these things in and of themselves aren’t bad but here’s the point; could you look at the previous week of your life, the last seven days and make the statement “If I didn’t believe in Jesus Christ my life would be totally different.” Unfortunately if I were to renounce my faith most weeks the biggest change that would take place would be on Sunday morning when for the first time in a long time I’d sleep in.
I've been thinking a lot lately about what it means to be a Christian. I guess it's pretty simple...if the last 7 days of my life don't scream bearing fruit and loving others then maybe I need to take a step back and pray about what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ.
John 15:16
" You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you.
"If you were to renounce your faith, would your life really change that much?"
At first, I just breezed right through it and didn't think twice but later that night the Holy Spirit brought it back to mind and it's all I could think about. Now theologically I know it may be a tough question but I want you to think outside the box for a second. What if today right after you got done reading this blog you decided to renounce your faith and quit living for Jesus. Be honest with yourself and ask yourself the same question. Would your life really change that much?
Instinctively I think every one of us would emphatically say our lives would be totally different. But would they really? I have to admit that in any given week my life can be pretty similar to the people that tell me there is no God. Sad, but true. I get up, I go to work, after work I run or work out, I come home, cook dinner, maybe turn on the TV to catch a game or favorite show and then it’s off to bed. The very next day in some way shape or form my life repeats itself. Now granted I have some variation from time to time and the same is probably true for you as well. You might have kids, or a husband or wife, you might travel more then most or have some time consuming hobbies. You might belong to the country club or participate in sport’s leagues. We all have friends and relatives that shake things up a bit, there are holidays to prepare for and business trips to go on. All these things in and of themselves aren’t bad but here’s the point; could you look at the previous week of your life, the last seven days and make the statement “If I didn’t believe in Jesus Christ my life would be totally different.” Unfortunately if I were to renounce my faith most weeks the biggest change that would take place would be on Sunday morning when for the first time in a long time I’d sleep in.
I've been thinking a lot lately about what it means to be a Christian. I guess it's pretty simple...if the last 7 days of my life don't scream bearing fruit and loving others then maybe I need to take a step back and pray about what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ.
John 15:16
" You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Friday, October 16, 2009
The Power of Prayer...
Great story about the power of prayer from a book called If You Want to Walk on Water, You’ve Got to Get Out of The Boat, by John Ortberg.
" One of my favorite adventure in prayer involves Doug Coe, who has a ministry in Washington, D.C., that mostly involves people in politics's and statecraft. Doug became acquainted with Bob, an insurance salesman who was completely unconnected with any government circles. Bob became a Christian and began to meet with Doug to learn about his new faith.
One day, Bob came in all excited about a statement in the Bible where Jesus says, "Ask whatever you will in my name, and you shall receive it."
"Is that really True?" Bob demanded?
Doug explained, " Well, it's not a blank check. You have to take it in context of the teaching of the whole Scripture on prayer. But yes- it really is true. Jesus really does answer prayer."
"Great!", Bob said. "Then I gotta start praying for something. I think I'll pray for Africa."
"That's kind of a broad target. Why don't you narrow it down to one country," Doug advised.
"All right. I'll pray for Kenya."
"Do you know anyone in Kenya?" Doug asked.
"No”
"Ever been to Kenya? Doug asked
"No". Bob just wanted to pray for Kenya.
So Doug made an unusual arrangement. He challenged Bob to pray every day for six months for Kenya. If Bob would do that and nothing extraordinary happened, Doug would pay him 500 dollars. But if something remarkable did happen, Bob would pay Doug 500 dollars. And if Bob did not pray every day, the whole deal was off. It was a pretty unusual prayer program, but then Doug is a creative guy.
Bob began to pray, and for a long while nothing happened. Then one night he was at a dinner in Washington. The people around the table explained what they did for a living. One woman said she helped run an orphanage in Kenya- the largest of its kind.
Bob saw 500 dollars suddenly sprout wings and begin to fly away. But he could not keep quiet. Bob roared to life. He had not said much up to this point, and now he pounded her relentlessly question after question.
"You're obviously very interested in my country," the woman said to Bob, overwhelmed by his sudden barrage of question. "You've been to Kenya before?"
"No."
"You know someone in Kenya?"
"No".
"Then how do you happen to be so curious?"
"Well, someone is kind of paying me 500 dollars to pray...."
She asked Bob if he would like to come visit Kenya and tour the orphanage. Bob was so eager to go, he would have left that very night if he could.
When Bob arrived in Kenya, he was appalled by the poverty and the lack of basic health care. Upon returning to Washington, he couldn't get this place out of his mind. He began to write to large pharmaceutical companies, describing to them the vast need he had seen. He reminded them that every year they would throw away large amounts of medical supplies that went unsold. "Why not send them to this place in Kenya?" he asked.
And some of them did. This orphanage received more than a million dollars' worth of medical supplies.
The woman called Bob and said, "Bob, this is amazing! We've had the most phenomenal gifts because of the letters you wrote. We would like to fly you back over and have a big party. Will you come?"
So Bob flew back to Kenya. While he was there, the president of Kenya came to the celebration, because it was the largest orphanage in the country, and offered to take Bob on a tour of Nairobi, the capital city. In the course of the tour they saw a prison. Bob asked about a group of prisoners there.
"They're political prisoners," he was told.
"That's a bad idea," Bob said brightly. "You should let them out."
Bob finished the tour and flew back home. Sometime later, Bob received a phone call from the State Department of the United States government.:
"Is this Bob?"
"Yes."
"Were you recently in Kenya?"
"Yes."
"Did you make any statements to the president about political prisoners?"
"Yes."
"What did you say?"
"I told him he should let them out."
The State Department official explained that the department had been working for years to get the release of these prisoners, to no avail. Normal diplomatic channels and political maneuverings had led to a dead end. But now the prisoners had been released, and the State Department was calling to say thanks.
Several months later, the prisident of Kenya made a phone call to Bob. He was going to rearrange his government and select a new cabinet. Would Bob be willing to fly over and pray for him for three days while he worked on this very important task?
So Bob-who was not politically connected at all-boarded a plane once more and flew back to Kenya, where he prayed and asked God to give wisdom for the leader of the nation as he selected his government. All this happened because one man got out of the boat."
Now I ask you, What's Impossible for God? Doesn't He deserve our best effort?
" One of my favorite adventure in prayer involves Doug Coe, who has a ministry in Washington, D.C., that mostly involves people in politics's and statecraft. Doug became acquainted with Bob, an insurance salesman who was completely unconnected with any government circles. Bob became a Christian and began to meet with Doug to learn about his new faith.
One day, Bob came in all excited about a statement in the Bible where Jesus says, "Ask whatever you will in my name, and you shall receive it."
"Is that really True?" Bob demanded?
Doug explained, " Well, it's not a blank check. You have to take it in context of the teaching of the whole Scripture on prayer. But yes- it really is true. Jesus really does answer prayer."
"Great!", Bob said. "Then I gotta start praying for something. I think I'll pray for Africa."
"That's kind of a broad target. Why don't you narrow it down to one country," Doug advised.
"All right. I'll pray for Kenya."
"Do you know anyone in Kenya?" Doug asked.
"No”
"Ever been to Kenya? Doug asked
"No". Bob just wanted to pray for Kenya.
So Doug made an unusual arrangement. He challenged Bob to pray every day for six months for Kenya. If Bob would do that and nothing extraordinary happened, Doug would pay him 500 dollars. But if something remarkable did happen, Bob would pay Doug 500 dollars. And if Bob did not pray every day, the whole deal was off. It was a pretty unusual prayer program, but then Doug is a creative guy.
Bob began to pray, and for a long while nothing happened. Then one night he was at a dinner in Washington. The people around the table explained what they did for a living. One woman said she helped run an orphanage in Kenya- the largest of its kind.
Bob saw 500 dollars suddenly sprout wings and begin to fly away. But he could not keep quiet. Bob roared to life. He had not said much up to this point, and now he pounded her relentlessly question after question.
"You're obviously very interested in my country," the woman said to Bob, overwhelmed by his sudden barrage of question. "You've been to Kenya before?"
"No."
"You know someone in Kenya?"
"No".
"Then how do you happen to be so curious?"
"Well, someone is kind of paying me 500 dollars to pray...."
She asked Bob if he would like to come visit Kenya and tour the orphanage. Bob was so eager to go, he would have left that very night if he could.
When Bob arrived in Kenya, he was appalled by the poverty and the lack of basic health care. Upon returning to Washington, he couldn't get this place out of his mind. He began to write to large pharmaceutical companies, describing to them the vast need he had seen. He reminded them that every year they would throw away large amounts of medical supplies that went unsold. "Why not send them to this place in Kenya?" he asked.
And some of them did. This orphanage received more than a million dollars' worth of medical supplies.
The woman called Bob and said, "Bob, this is amazing! We've had the most phenomenal gifts because of the letters you wrote. We would like to fly you back over and have a big party. Will you come?"
So Bob flew back to Kenya. While he was there, the president of Kenya came to the celebration, because it was the largest orphanage in the country, and offered to take Bob on a tour of Nairobi, the capital city. In the course of the tour they saw a prison. Bob asked about a group of prisoners there.
"They're political prisoners," he was told.
"That's a bad idea," Bob said brightly. "You should let them out."
Bob finished the tour and flew back home. Sometime later, Bob received a phone call from the State Department of the United States government.:
"Is this Bob?"
"Yes."
"Were you recently in Kenya?"
"Yes."
"Did you make any statements to the president about political prisoners?"
"Yes."
"What did you say?"
"I told him he should let them out."
The State Department official explained that the department had been working for years to get the release of these prisoners, to no avail. Normal diplomatic channels and political maneuverings had led to a dead end. But now the prisoners had been released, and the State Department was calling to say thanks.
Several months later, the prisident of Kenya made a phone call to Bob. He was going to rearrange his government and select a new cabinet. Would Bob be willing to fly over and pray for him for three days while he worked on this very important task?
So Bob-who was not politically connected at all-boarded a plane once more and flew back to Kenya, where he prayed and asked God to give wisdom for the leader of the nation as he selected his government. All this happened because one man got out of the boat."
Now I ask you, What's Impossible for God? Doesn't He deserve our best effort?
Friday, October 9, 2009
Obama or Satan?
I follow a guy on twitter named Dr. Russell Moore. He is a huge adoption advocate as well as the Dean of the School of Theology at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. I have a lot of respect for him so I usually pay attention when he talks. Earlier this week in the midst of the whole Obama healthcare debate he posted the following on his twitter account:
Question: What consistently and consciously makes you more upset: that Barack Obama is president or that Satan is the god of this age?
When I read the post I have to admit it was a little hard to swallow. Now let me make it clear by saying this is not a political blog and my reaction had nothing to do with Obama. However, it was an instantaneous realization that I spend way too much of my time aggravated about politics. It's an interesting question and one that we should all probably ask ourselves. On an intellectual level the right answer is obvious, but how do our lives and our conversations answer the question for us? Take a look at your life and think about what consistently and consciously makes you more upset, Obama or Satan?
If I answer the question honestly I’d have to say I can get pretty fired up when people talk politics. There’s not a day that goes by that someone in my office doesn’t bring up Obama and his latest agenda and I have no problem chiming in with my views on this and that. Start talking to me about taxes or healthcare reform and I can give you an earful. When the president is speaking to children in elementary school while they’re in class, trust me I have an opinion. Even today everyone is talking about the Representative from South Carolina that told the president “You lie!” The St Petersburg Times said “People talked about it and blogged about it all day Thursday. It was the top story on Google News. It was the top topic on Twitter.” Our culture is saturated with politics, and unfortunately these types of conversations consume way more of my time then they should.
But Satan? When was the last time I honestly got angry over him leading college students astray. When was the last time I spent some time discussing how to reach out to people that Satan clearly has under his control? When was the last time I prayed that the Lord would bind Satan from working against the unsaved people that walk in the doors of our church every single week? To be honest I’ve become pretty accustomed to hearing how he works. Do I yawn and think of other things when my pastor talks about Satan prowling around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour? I have to admit that over the last few weeks the political landscape of the US has consistently and consciously made me more upset then Satan being the god of this age.
During any given week most of us, myself included, can get pretty caught up in things that will mean absolutely nothing in eternity. I love my church and this audio clip is in no way a reflection of the people I worship with. However, when I was writing this I couldn't help but think of a Sunday earlier this year when our head pastor recited an Adrian Roger's quote. His point was to demonstrate how caught up we can get in needless conversations that ultimately pull us away from a kingdom focus. There is no doubt in my mind this quote could have been read in any church in America and received the same response, and I believe it shows where most people stand on the question of what gets them fired up.
I can probably count on one hand the number of times in the last five years that I’ve heard the entire congregation clap during a message. Not that they don’t get excited and shout amen because they do, and not that Pastor Ken’s sermons aren’t Spirit filled and passionate because they are; people just don’t clap during messages. I can’t explain why, we just tend to listen and nod our heads. But when a group of 3,500 people get excited it means something, and when they get excited about a political quote in church that means something too.
I was in service that day and I remember clapping right along with everyone else. I smiled, kind of puffed up my chest and started justifying my disdain for high taxes. I mean the nerve of the government for trying to take my hard earned money and give it to someone who clearly didn't try as hard in school or someone who is simply satisfied with a low paying job. It's sad, but I often try and justify that mindset before a Holy God that has given me every penny I have ever earned.
I think my pastor summed it up the best at the end of the clip when he said “Is that the kind of conversation that God wants us to have with each other?” Probably not! And in the same breath Satan being the god of this age should consistently and consciously make me more upset than Barack Obama being president.
Ephesians 6:12-13
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.
Question: What consistently and consciously makes you more upset: that Barack Obama is president or that Satan is the god of this age?
When I read the post I have to admit it was a little hard to swallow. Now let me make it clear by saying this is not a political blog and my reaction had nothing to do with Obama. However, it was an instantaneous realization that I spend way too much of my time aggravated about politics. It's an interesting question and one that we should all probably ask ourselves. On an intellectual level the right answer is obvious, but how do our lives and our conversations answer the question for us? Take a look at your life and think about what consistently and consciously makes you more upset, Obama or Satan?
If I answer the question honestly I’d have to say I can get pretty fired up when people talk politics. There’s not a day that goes by that someone in my office doesn’t bring up Obama and his latest agenda and I have no problem chiming in with my views on this and that. Start talking to me about taxes or healthcare reform and I can give you an earful. When the president is speaking to children in elementary school while they’re in class, trust me I have an opinion. Even today everyone is talking about the Representative from South Carolina that told the president “You lie!” The St Petersburg Times said “People talked about it and blogged about it all day Thursday. It was the top story on Google News. It was the top topic on Twitter.” Our culture is saturated with politics, and unfortunately these types of conversations consume way more of my time then they should.
But Satan? When was the last time I honestly got angry over him leading college students astray. When was the last time I spent some time discussing how to reach out to people that Satan clearly has under his control? When was the last time I prayed that the Lord would bind Satan from working against the unsaved people that walk in the doors of our church every single week? To be honest I’ve become pretty accustomed to hearing how he works. Do I yawn and think of other things when my pastor talks about Satan prowling around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour? I have to admit that over the last few weeks the political landscape of the US has consistently and consciously made me more upset then Satan being the god of this age.
During any given week most of us, myself included, can get pretty caught up in things that will mean absolutely nothing in eternity. I love my church and this audio clip is in no way a reflection of the people I worship with. However, when I was writing this I couldn't help but think of a Sunday earlier this year when our head pastor recited an Adrian Roger's quote. His point was to demonstrate how caught up we can get in needless conversations that ultimately pull us away from a kingdom focus. There is no doubt in my mind this quote could have been read in any church in America and received the same response, and I believe it shows where most people stand on the question of what gets them fired up.
I can probably count on one hand the number of times in the last five years that I’ve heard the entire congregation clap during a message. Not that they don’t get excited and shout amen because they do, and not that Pastor Ken’s sermons aren’t Spirit filled and passionate because they are; people just don’t clap during messages. I can’t explain why, we just tend to listen and nod our heads. But when a group of 3,500 people get excited it means something, and when they get excited about a political quote in church that means something too.
I was in service that day and I remember clapping right along with everyone else. I smiled, kind of puffed up my chest and started justifying my disdain for high taxes. I mean the nerve of the government for trying to take my hard earned money and give it to someone who clearly didn't try as hard in school or someone who is simply satisfied with a low paying job. It's sad, but I often try and justify that mindset before a Holy God that has given me every penny I have ever earned.
I think my pastor summed it up the best at the end of the clip when he said “Is that the kind of conversation that God wants us to have with each other?” Probably not! And in the same breath Satan being the god of this age should consistently and consciously make me more upset than Barack Obama being president.
Ephesians 6:12-13
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Friday, October 2, 2009
Actions and Truth
I've spent the majority of my life TALKING about things I need to do for the Lord. I sit around with friends and family and we talk. We talk about the homeless in America or we talk about kids in foster care or we talk about the AIDS epidemic in Africa. But at the end of the day that's all it is...it's talk. There is a verse in I John chapter 3 that says:
(18) Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.
When I first read those verses it sparked flashbacks of hundreds of conversations I'd had about helping people and reaching out to those around me. Unfortunately most of them never progressed beyond a conversataion. My fear is when I'm at the end of my life I will look back and regret the fact that all I ever did was talk about helping people and talk about the power of prayer and talk about the power of the Holy Spirit. Don't get me wrong, conversations about helping those in need aren't all bad. I honestly believe the Lord uses those conversations in our lives to develop passion, but at the same time the devil uses that same passion for conversation to make us think our word is action.
Obviously a blog is nothing but word and tongue, but my prayer is that by posting my conversations the conviction of the Holy Spirit will lead to action regarding the truth in God's word. In the end I hope to be challenged to live the life I preach. At the same time I hope the few of you that actually read this will do the same.
(18) Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.
When I first read those verses it sparked flashbacks of hundreds of conversations I'd had about helping people and reaching out to those around me. Unfortunately most of them never progressed beyond a conversataion. My fear is when I'm at the end of my life I will look back and regret the fact that all I ever did was talk about helping people and talk about the power of prayer and talk about the power of the Holy Spirit. Don't get me wrong, conversations about helping those in need aren't all bad. I honestly believe the Lord uses those conversations in our lives to develop passion, but at the same time the devil uses that same passion for conversation to make us think our word is action.
Obviously a blog is nothing but word and tongue, but my prayer is that by posting my conversations the conviction of the Holy Spirit will lead to action regarding the truth in God's word. In the end I hope to be challenged to live the life I preach. At the same time I hope the few of you that actually read this will do the same.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Do People Actually Read Blogs?
So I've decided to start a blog and I truly hope you find it beneficial in some way. I know blogs are weird and I'm okay with that. My desire is that the posts I write will be filled with random off the wall questions and more importantly answers that some of you are searching for. More than anything I really want to reach out to old friends and share my life with them. Not that I lead the most interesting life in the world, but I've changed over the last 10 years and I want people to know why. If you’re coming to this blog for the first time it’s broken up into two sections and the reasons behind them will probably become clear as you read the different areas.
If we haven’t spoken in a while and you have no idea where I’ve been for the last 5 years, or if you stumbled on this blog and are a little skeptical about this whole Christianity thing then do me a favor and click the link below. It will take you to some posts in the month of September that will explain in more detail the process I went through and what has changed in my life...
http://actionsandtruth.blogspot.com/2009_09_01_archive.html
And if we hang out all the time and you know what's going on in my life or if you grew up in the church and already follow Jesus Christ then read whatever you'd like. My prayer is that the posts will challenge your walk with the Lord but encourage you at the same time...
If we haven’t spoken in a while and you have no idea where I’ve been for the last 5 years, or if you stumbled on this blog and are a little skeptical about this whole Christianity thing then do me a favor and click the link below. It will take you to some posts in the month of September that will explain in more detail the process I went through and what has changed in my life...
http://actionsandtruth.blogspot.com/2009_09_01_archive.html
And if we hang out all the time and you know what's going on in my life or if you grew up in the church and already follow Jesus Christ then read whatever you'd like. My prayer is that the posts will challenge your walk with the Lord but encourage you at the same time...
Word Is You're a Preacher
I’ve known a lot of people in my life and unfortunately I’ve lost contact with quite a few of them. One of the reasons I started this blog was to reconnect with people from my past and let them know what’s going on in my life. So if that’s you then do me a favor and read this post. For those of you who knew me growing up or in college the paragraphs that follow will probably seem a little weird or out of line with the person you used to know. It definitely won’t sound like the guy you partied with back in the day but that’s why I’m writing this post. I ran into some old friends the other day and they told me that word on the street, as they put it, is that I found Jesus and “became a preacher.” Well that’s not exactly true, so let me clarify.
I guess the easiest way to put it is that I finally came to a place in my life where deep down I was struggling to find true peace. Don’t get me wrong I was just like any other typical 20 something, I partied every chance I got and loved every minute of it. But I knew that it didn’t matter how much fun I had or how successful I became, these things would only give me temporary satisfaction. At the end of the day, when I was laying in my bed and it was just me and my thoughts, I was constantly struggling for true joy in my life. I fought it for a long time and finally decided I needed to do something about it.
Now before you start thinking I really have gone off the deep end and fallen into some kind of depression, hear me out. Most people, if they’re honest with themselves, know what I’m talking about. Some will try and mask it by going out on the weekends or traveling to amazing places or even working every chance they get. Some will consume themselves with their kids or with sports or even with the television, but when all of those things are gone it’s tough.
Here’s how it played out in my life. On the outside I was definitely happy, fun job, good friends, a nice place to live, what else did I need? But I still felt like I was missing something. I kept wondering if I truly happy or was I was covering up my emptiness with partying? Was I truly happy or was I hiding my loneliness by dating? Was I truly happy or was I buying nice clothes and fun toys to make myself feel good. I began to notice a pattern in my life of living for the moment because in reality I had nothing else to live for. Eventually, I had to ask myself a simple question…If I lost all of my worldly possessions could I still be happy, could I still have hope?
Try it for yourself. For one week don’t watch any TV, don’t text people, don’t get on your computer, don’t listen to your iPod or any music for that matter. Spend one week away from the multimedia laced world we live in. Spend a week with just your thoughts and see what happens. I tried it and let’s just say it wasn’t pretty; in fact it was downright depressing. I know it sounds cliché to say I was searching for something more meaningful or I was looking for the meaning of life, but I was. I finally came to the place where I knew I needed more. I needed to figure out for myself the purpose of my life. How did we get here or why are we here or what happens when we die? Is there a heaven and is there a hell? And the ultimate question…do I believe in God?
As a child I was raised to believe in God. The problem for me was the God I was raised to worship made life boring and if I ever committed to Him I'd have to say goodbye to my fun. As a result I spent most of my childhood and college years finding my own answers and seeking my own desires. I still believed in God but I only did what I thought was enough to get me to heaven and keep me out of hell. Unfortunately, Jesus isn't satisfied with a half-hearted commitment and the peace I was searching for was nonexistent in my life; I needed to find it.
So I ignored what the media told me, I ignored what Hollywood told me, I ignored my friends, my family and made the decision to figure out for myself what I believed about God. The sad part is when I finally did begin to think about God and my reason for existence I became one of the skeptics. I never completely stopped believing in God I just found it all a little far fetched. It was too difficult for me to actually believe that all of this could have actually happened exactly the way the Bible says it does. So I prayed and did quite a bit of soul searching. The bible says in Hebrews that “..it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” and that verse haunted me. I knew that if there was even the slightest chance that the verse was true, then I owed it to myself to at least make an educated, researched, thought out decision and decide where I stood. What I didn’t realize was that the constant questioning and uneasiness in my heart was actually God actively pursuing a relationship with me.
There is a verse in the bible in the book of Matthew that says…
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30
Guess what, that was me. I was weary and burdened from the blur that was my life. Always on the move, always busy, and never having even a second to sit and think about life or the existence of God. The Bible makes it very clear that one day we will all stand before God and be judged. It doesn’t matter how many bad things we’ve done or how many good things we’ve done, all our works mean nothing in the presence of a Holy God. The bottom line is that there isn’t some heavenly scale that weighs our good works against our bad and there also isn’t some mountain with a million different paths. The Bible is clear when it says that Jesus Christ is the only way to get to heaven.
Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6
It's really pretty simple; Jesus is actively seeking a relationship with all people. Some will reject Him and some will accept Him. Don’t misunderstand this message of salvation. God is not just waiting around and excited about sending people to Hell, it is our rejection of His Son Jesus that makes our choice for us. God has made a way for all of us to spend eternity in Heaven. All we have to do is believe that he sent His Son Jesus to this earth to pay for the penalty of our sins, confess the fact that we're sinners and surrender ourselves to Him.
Take this from someone who spent way too many years living to please himself. When I finally did commit my life to the Lord it was an interesting process. My peace has definitely not happened overnight and the reason for that is my commitment didn’t happen overnight either. But when I finally completely commit myself to Jesus and His way, I began to discover a whole new kind of fun. I’ve never been as satisfied as I am right now and I would encourage anyone who is reading this to let God run your life. It may not be an instantaneous overwhelming calm for you either, but it will mark the beginning of your commitment to the things of the Lord. Trust me when I say that the older you get the harder it becomes and also know that the devil is actively playing with your mind to convince you this is all a bunch of nonsense and there is no way it could be true. One of my favorite quotes is from a movie called the Usual Suspects…
“The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist”
I guess the easiest way to put it is that I finally came to a place in my life where deep down I was struggling to find true peace. Don’t get me wrong I was just like any other typical 20 something, I partied every chance I got and loved every minute of it. But I knew that it didn’t matter how much fun I had or how successful I became, these things would only give me temporary satisfaction. At the end of the day, when I was laying in my bed and it was just me and my thoughts, I was constantly struggling for true joy in my life. I fought it for a long time and finally decided I needed to do something about it.
Now before you start thinking I really have gone off the deep end and fallen into some kind of depression, hear me out. Most people, if they’re honest with themselves, know what I’m talking about. Some will try and mask it by going out on the weekends or traveling to amazing places or even working every chance they get. Some will consume themselves with their kids or with sports or even with the television, but when all of those things are gone it’s tough.
Here’s how it played out in my life. On the outside I was definitely happy, fun job, good friends, a nice place to live, what else did I need? But I still felt like I was missing something. I kept wondering if I truly happy or was I was covering up my emptiness with partying? Was I truly happy or was I hiding my loneliness by dating? Was I truly happy or was I buying nice clothes and fun toys to make myself feel good. I began to notice a pattern in my life of living for the moment because in reality I had nothing else to live for. Eventually, I had to ask myself a simple question…If I lost all of my worldly possessions could I still be happy, could I still have hope?
Try it for yourself. For one week don’t watch any TV, don’t text people, don’t get on your computer, don’t listen to your iPod or any music for that matter. Spend one week away from the multimedia laced world we live in. Spend a week with just your thoughts and see what happens. I tried it and let’s just say it wasn’t pretty; in fact it was downright depressing. I know it sounds cliché to say I was searching for something more meaningful or I was looking for the meaning of life, but I was. I finally came to the place where I knew I needed more. I needed to figure out for myself the purpose of my life. How did we get here or why are we here or what happens when we die? Is there a heaven and is there a hell? And the ultimate question…do I believe in God?
As a child I was raised to believe in God. The problem for me was the God I was raised to worship made life boring and if I ever committed to Him I'd have to say goodbye to my fun. As a result I spent most of my childhood and college years finding my own answers and seeking my own desires. I still believed in God but I only did what I thought was enough to get me to heaven and keep me out of hell. Unfortunately, Jesus isn't satisfied with a half-hearted commitment and the peace I was searching for was nonexistent in my life; I needed to find it.
So I ignored what the media told me, I ignored what Hollywood told me, I ignored my friends, my family and made the decision to figure out for myself what I believed about God. The sad part is when I finally did begin to think about God and my reason for existence I became one of the skeptics. I never completely stopped believing in God I just found it all a little far fetched. It was too difficult for me to actually believe that all of this could have actually happened exactly the way the Bible says it does. So I prayed and did quite a bit of soul searching. The bible says in Hebrews that “..it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” and that verse haunted me. I knew that if there was even the slightest chance that the verse was true, then I owed it to myself to at least make an educated, researched, thought out decision and decide where I stood. What I didn’t realize was that the constant questioning and uneasiness in my heart was actually God actively pursuing a relationship with me.
There is a verse in the bible in the book of Matthew that says…
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30
Guess what, that was me. I was weary and burdened from the blur that was my life. Always on the move, always busy, and never having even a second to sit and think about life or the existence of God. The Bible makes it very clear that one day we will all stand before God and be judged. It doesn’t matter how many bad things we’ve done or how many good things we’ve done, all our works mean nothing in the presence of a Holy God. The bottom line is that there isn’t some heavenly scale that weighs our good works against our bad and there also isn’t some mountain with a million different paths. The Bible is clear when it says that Jesus Christ is the only way to get to heaven.
Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6
It's really pretty simple; Jesus is actively seeking a relationship with all people. Some will reject Him and some will accept Him. Don’t misunderstand this message of salvation. God is not just waiting around and excited about sending people to Hell, it is our rejection of His Son Jesus that makes our choice for us. God has made a way for all of us to spend eternity in Heaven. All we have to do is believe that he sent His Son Jesus to this earth to pay for the penalty of our sins, confess the fact that we're sinners and surrender ourselves to Him.
Take this from someone who spent way too many years living to please himself. When I finally did commit my life to the Lord it was an interesting process. My peace has definitely not happened overnight and the reason for that is my commitment didn’t happen overnight either. But when I finally completely commit myself to Jesus and His way, I began to discover a whole new kind of fun. I’ve never been as satisfied as I am right now and I would encourage anyone who is reading this to let God run your life. It may not be an instantaneous overwhelming calm for you either, but it will mark the beginning of your commitment to the things of the Lord. Trust me when I say that the older you get the harder it becomes and also know that the devil is actively playing with your mind to convince you this is all a bunch of nonsense and there is no way it could be true. One of my favorite quotes is from a movie called the Usual Suspects…
“The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist”
Peace...
We live our lives searching for peace and contentment. Unfortunately most of us are looking in all the wrong places.
I spent a portion of this past Sunday at a juvenile detention center talking to two young men. Both were 15 years old and they’d been arrested for numerous offenses including multiple counts of burglary, possession of drugs and the list goes on and on. Neither one seemed to be too concerned with the fact that they’d been arrested and they spent most of our time together cracking jokes. Probably the most interesting part of our conversation was something one of them said as I was leaving. To be honest I haven’t been able to get it off of my mind. A portion of our conversation is below; to protect his identity we'll call him James.
Me: Just so I can understand your situation a little better tell me why you and your buddy were breaking into cars?
James: To get stuff.
Me: Why did you need stuff?
James: So we could sell it.
Me: Why?
James: To get money.
Me: For what?
James: Drugs.
Me: Why do you need drugs?
James: It’s the only time in my life I’m at peace.
Pretty profound statement for a 15 year old…
“It’s the only time in my life I’m at peace.”
This kid put into words at the age of 15 what most people spend a lifetime trying to figure out. What makes it even more interesting is every time I’m at the detention center I hear the same story. Sure the details may be a little different, but in some way shape or form every kid I talk to just wants a smile on their face and peace in their heart. They honestly have no clue how to get it, but it’s ultimately what they’re searching for.
So let me ask you a question…are we really any different? Now most of us aren’t breaking into cars looking for money so we can buy cocaine, but we do live our lives searching for those split seconds in time when we’re filled with contentment and peace. We probably don’t even realize we’re looking for it but our lives are filled with activities intended to put a smile on our face and peace in our heart.
Maybe it’s a favorite TV show, or a favorite movie, maybe we read or we work. Some of us try to marry for it and some of us travel the world looking for it. We go on vacations to try and get it and we buy big houses and hope it’s in there. We stuff ourselves at nice restaurants thinking we can eat it and then we exercise hoping to regain it. We buy iPods trusting we can listen to it and iPhones wondering if we download it. When the new car smell fades and the excitement is over we move on searching for something else. At the end of the day when we leave the TV on so we can doze off to sleep our lives are consumed with passing the time searching for peace.
I say all this because I’ve been there. I’ve tried to drink it, I’ve tried to smoke it, I’ve tried to buy it and I’ve tried to date it. But at the end of the day true peace in my life was always just a little bit out of my reach. My grandfather once told me that someone asked John D. Rockefeller, America’s first billionaire, how much money it took to make a man happy and content. Rockefeller's reply was, "just a little more than what he has."
Jesus came to this earth to pay the penalty of our sins and to offer us true eternal peace. If we believe in Him and live in harmony with His word we can experience the contentment we so desire. It may sound weird and trust me when I say that 5 years ago I never would have believed it, but the peace I found in my relationship with Jesus was exactly what I was searching for my entire life. I traveled many different roads looking for it, but at the end of the day it was right in front of me the entire time.
These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.
- John 16:33
I spent a portion of this past Sunday at a juvenile detention center talking to two young men. Both were 15 years old and they’d been arrested for numerous offenses including multiple counts of burglary, possession of drugs and the list goes on and on. Neither one seemed to be too concerned with the fact that they’d been arrested and they spent most of our time together cracking jokes. Probably the most interesting part of our conversation was something one of them said as I was leaving. To be honest I haven’t been able to get it off of my mind. A portion of our conversation is below; to protect his identity we'll call him James.
Me: Just so I can understand your situation a little better tell me why you and your buddy were breaking into cars?
James: To get stuff.
Me: Why did you need stuff?
James: So we could sell it.
Me: Why?
James: To get money.
Me: For what?
James: Drugs.
Me: Why do you need drugs?
James: It’s the only time in my life I’m at peace.
Pretty profound statement for a 15 year old…
“It’s the only time in my life I’m at peace.”
This kid put into words at the age of 15 what most people spend a lifetime trying to figure out. What makes it even more interesting is every time I’m at the detention center I hear the same story. Sure the details may be a little different, but in some way shape or form every kid I talk to just wants a smile on their face and peace in their heart. They honestly have no clue how to get it, but it’s ultimately what they’re searching for.
So let me ask you a question…are we really any different? Now most of us aren’t breaking into cars looking for money so we can buy cocaine, but we do live our lives searching for those split seconds in time when we’re filled with contentment and peace. We probably don’t even realize we’re looking for it but our lives are filled with activities intended to put a smile on our face and peace in our heart.
Maybe it’s a favorite TV show, or a favorite movie, maybe we read or we work. Some of us try to marry for it and some of us travel the world looking for it. We go on vacations to try and get it and we buy big houses and hope it’s in there. We stuff ourselves at nice restaurants thinking we can eat it and then we exercise hoping to regain it. We buy iPods trusting we can listen to it and iPhones wondering if we download it. When the new car smell fades and the excitement is over we move on searching for something else. At the end of the day when we leave the TV on so we can doze off to sleep our lives are consumed with passing the time searching for peace.
I say all this because I’ve been there. I’ve tried to drink it, I’ve tried to smoke it, I’ve tried to buy it and I’ve tried to date it. But at the end of the day true peace in my life was always just a little bit out of my reach. My grandfather once told me that someone asked John D. Rockefeller, America’s first billionaire, how much money it took to make a man happy and content. Rockefeller's reply was, "just a little more than what he has."
Jesus came to this earth to pay the penalty of our sins and to offer us true eternal peace. If we believe in Him and live in harmony with His word we can experience the contentment we so desire. It may sound weird and trust me when I say that 5 years ago I never would have believed it, but the peace I found in my relationship with Jesus was exactly what I was searching for my entire life. I traveled many different roads looking for it, but at the end of the day it was right in front of me the entire time.
These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.
- John 16:33
Faith...
I went through a season of my life where the whole idea of a Higher power creating life as we know it seemed a little far fetched. I wouldn't say I ever quit believing in God, but after so many years of ignoring Him it wasn't an easy process to return. Looking back it's actually pretty funny that one of the most difficult aspects of returning to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ was creation. It was very difficult for me to fathom that a never beginning and never ending God could have created everything we see.
I guess the best way to put it is that I have always wanted a clear cut answer for everything and I needed proof to believe. What I finally had to realize is that I will never have complete proof about the creation of the world and that is exactly the way God planned it. There is a verse in the bible in book that makes my point a little clearer...
By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.
- Hebrews 11:3
The Bible mentions the word faith hundreds of times and it blows me away that God reveals just enough in the scriptures to give us the choice of whether or not to believe. All the evidence we need is right in front of us, but what we do with it is where our faith comes in. Here's what I mean. If you open the Bible and start reading the very first book, Genesis, it lays out exactly how the world was created; now whether you believe it or not is up to you. Unfortunately for most of us faith is what makes it so difficult. We live in an era where answers come to us as quickly as we can type the questions into google and believing in something through faith is often a foreign concept.
Just remember that whether you believe in creation or you believe that everything we see around us evolved from a single atom millions of years ago, both take faith. And if faith is what you lack, ask God to help you with your doubts and your questions. That's exactly what I did and my life hasn't been the same. I came across this video a while back. It will hopefully give you a small glimpse of just how majestic the universe around us really is...
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
- Hebrews 11:1
>
I guess the best way to put it is that I have always wanted a clear cut answer for everything and I needed proof to believe. What I finally had to realize is that I will never have complete proof about the creation of the world and that is exactly the way God planned it. There is a verse in the bible in book that makes my point a little clearer...
By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.
- Hebrews 11:3
The Bible mentions the word faith hundreds of times and it blows me away that God reveals just enough in the scriptures to give us the choice of whether or not to believe. All the evidence we need is right in front of us, but what we do with it is where our faith comes in. Here's what I mean. If you open the Bible and start reading the very first book, Genesis, it lays out exactly how the world was created; now whether you believe it or not is up to you. Unfortunately for most of us faith is what makes it so difficult. We live in an era where answers come to us as quickly as we can type the questions into google and believing in something through faith is often a foreign concept.
Just remember that whether you believe in creation or you believe that everything we see around us evolved from a single atom millions of years ago, both take faith. And if faith is what you lack, ask God to help you with your doubts and your questions. That's exactly what I did and my life hasn't been the same. I came across this video a while back. It will hopefully give you a small glimpse of just how majestic the universe around us really is...
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
- Hebrews 11:1
>
Behold I Stand at the Door and Knock...
Jesus Christ is actively pursuing a relationship with you and it's your decision whether or not you let Him run your life.
I know that's a bold statement but I absolutely believe it to be true. We may ignore Him or run from Him or even flat out reject Him, but nevertheless He is constantly orchestrating circumstances in our lives to draw us into a relationship with Him. I write this knowing that the majority of you will most likely fall into one of the 3 categories I just mentioned, but it does not mean that Jesus still isn't pursuing you. When I look back at my life it is amazing how many times the Lord did things to get my attention and it's sad how often I ignored Him. Let me tell you what I mean by telling you a story.
Every Sunday some friends and I lead a chapel at a juvenile detention center here in Tampa. The teens at the center are truly amazing and some of their stories will break your heart. The teens range in age from 13-17 and come from every imaginable background. Each Sunday we have a little over an hour to hang out, play cards, shoot the breeze and tell them about Jesus. It is a wonderful opportunity to mentor a group of teenagers most of which have been raised in single parent homes and quite often are lacking strong parental influence.
There's no question I could spend all day telling you how God is using the circumstances in the lives of these teens to reach out to them, but I'll save you some time and just tell you about a kid named Mike. I met Mike on a Sunday at the center about 6 months ago and even though I haven't seen him since I'm pretty sure I'll never forget him. Our group had been there about an hour and a half and the entire time Mike hadn't said a word. He just sat there with his arms folded looking confused and a little angry. But then at the end he raised his hand and told us he had something to say, and so he did. I put what he told us below because I think it explains exactly what I'm trying to say...
It's really weird to me that you guys are here and I have to admit I don't even really understand it but I want to say something about it. About 6 months ago I was running late for school because I missed my school bus. I knew if I was late again I would be suspended so I went to the city bus stop to get a ride. For some reason the whole time I was walking to the city bus stop I had this thought that kept going through my mind where I was wondering if anyone loved me? I stood at the bus stop for 5 minutes and just kept thinking "I wonder if anyone loves me?" To be honest with you I ain't never thought anything like that before in my entire life and I don't even know why I was thinking it but I couldn't get it out of my mind. At this point I was getting kind of mad so when the bus came I got on and took the first spot I came to and just stared forward wondering if anyone loved me?
Then like 5 minutes later the bus stopped to pick up an old lady that I had never seen before. She got on and walked down the isle and as she passed me she handed me a note and kept on walking. It was really weird but I opened it and it said "Jesus Loves You". That was it...nothing else. I immediately started tearing up and I couldn't hold them back. I play football and I ain't never cried before so I was embarrassed and didn't know what to do so I just pushed it out of my mind and pretended it never happened.
Then like 3 months ago I was walking to go get high with some of my friends and this car pulled up next to me and some guy ask me if I wanted to go to church. I ain't never seen him before so I kind of hesitated, but he asked me again. I figured it couldn't be that bad it was church so I got in the car and we went to this man's church. That was my first time in church but I remember the preacher saying some words from a book called Psalms. I still remember the words to this day but I really didn't know what to do about it so I just left the church and once again kind of pushed it out of my head.
Every now and then I would think about it but to be honest I didn't really think about it that much until last night. Yesterday I got arrested and brought here and I didn't know what else to do. So last night I was laying on a cot in that room right over there and for the first time that I can remember I prayed and asked God to help me. I told Him that people ask God for help and I needed help, but I didn't understand what he wanted me to do? Then I fell asleep and woke up figuring nothing would change. I guess I was wrong because not even one day has passed and now you guys are hear telling me how Jesus has helped you and how He has changed your lives.
To be honest with you, Mike's story is pretty common. I could spend the next week writing stories about people who have been helped by the love of Jesus Christ. There are some many people out there just like Mike and unfortunately most of us wait until we are in a dire situation to call out and ask God for help.
There's a verse in Revelation chapter 3 that says:
Revelation 3:20
Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.
I've heard this verse explained 100 different ways but Mike is a perfect example of how it looks in someones life. Even though you may not fully understand what it means, Jesus is actively seeking a personal relationship with you. That verse is an awesome picture of Jesus standing at the door to your heart and asking to come in. For the longest time in my own life I knew He was there, but I ignored the fact that He wanted me to live my life in harmony with His word. At the end of the day, God may not be speaking to you exactly like He did Mike, but I can assure you that in some way shape or form God He is orchestrating circumstances in your life to get your attention.
2 Peter 3:9
The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
I know that's a bold statement but I absolutely believe it to be true. We may ignore Him or run from Him or even flat out reject Him, but nevertheless He is constantly orchestrating circumstances in our lives to draw us into a relationship with Him. I write this knowing that the majority of you will most likely fall into one of the 3 categories I just mentioned, but it does not mean that Jesus still isn't pursuing you. When I look back at my life it is amazing how many times the Lord did things to get my attention and it's sad how often I ignored Him. Let me tell you what I mean by telling you a story.
Every Sunday some friends and I lead a chapel at a juvenile detention center here in Tampa. The teens at the center are truly amazing and some of their stories will break your heart. The teens range in age from 13-17 and come from every imaginable background. Each Sunday we have a little over an hour to hang out, play cards, shoot the breeze and tell them about Jesus. It is a wonderful opportunity to mentor a group of teenagers most of which have been raised in single parent homes and quite often are lacking strong parental influence.
There's no question I could spend all day telling you how God is using the circumstances in the lives of these teens to reach out to them, but I'll save you some time and just tell you about a kid named Mike. I met Mike on a Sunday at the center about 6 months ago and even though I haven't seen him since I'm pretty sure I'll never forget him. Our group had been there about an hour and a half and the entire time Mike hadn't said a word. He just sat there with his arms folded looking confused and a little angry. But then at the end he raised his hand and told us he had something to say, and so he did. I put what he told us below because I think it explains exactly what I'm trying to say...
It's really weird to me that you guys are here and I have to admit I don't even really understand it but I want to say something about it. About 6 months ago I was running late for school because I missed my school bus. I knew if I was late again I would be suspended so I went to the city bus stop to get a ride. For some reason the whole time I was walking to the city bus stop I had this thought that kept going through my mind where I was wondering if anyone loved me? I stood at the bus stop for 5 minutes and just kept thinking "I wonder if anyone loves me?" To be honest with you I ain't never thought anything like that before in my entire life and I don't even know why I was thinking it but I couldn't get it out of my mind. At this point I was getting kind of mad so when the bus came I got on and took the first spot I came to and just stared forward wondering if anyone loved me?
Then like 5 minutes later the bus stopped to pick up an old lady that I had never seen before. She got on and walked down the isle and as she passed me she handed me a note and kept on walking. It was really weird but I opened it and it said "Jesus Loves You". That was it...nothing else. I immediately started tearing up and I couldn't hold them back. I play football and I ain't never cried before so I was embarrassed and didn't know what to do so I just pushed it out of my mind and pretended it never happened.
Then like 3 months ago I was walking to go get high with some of my friends and this car pulled up next to me and some guy ask me if I wanted to go to church. I ain't never seen him before so I kind of hesitated, but he asked me again. I figured it couldn't be that bad it was church so I got in the car and we went to this man's church. That was my first time in church but I remember the preacher saying some words from a book called Psalms. I still remember the words to this day but I really didn't know what to do about it so I just left the church and once again kind of pushed it out of my head.
Every now and then I would think about it but to be honest I didn't really think about it that much until last night. Yesterday I got arrested and brought here and I didn't know what else to do. So last night I was laying on a cot in that room right over there and for the first time that I can remember I prayed and asked God to help me. I told Him that people ask God for help and I needed help, but I didn't understand what he wanted me to do? Then I fell asleep and woke up figuring nothing would change. I guess I was wrong because not even one day has passed and now you guys are hear telling me how Jesus has helped you and how He has changed your lives.
To be honest with you, Mike's story is pretty common. I could spend the next week writing stories about people who have been helped by the love of Jesus Christ. There are some many people out there just like Mike and unfortunately most of us wait until we are in a dire situation to call out and ask God for help.
There's a verse in Revelation chapter 3 that says:
Revelation 3:20
Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.
I've heard this verse explained 100 different ways but Mike is a perfect example of how it looks in someones life. Even though you may not fully understand what it means, Jesus is actively seeking a personal relationship with you. That verse is an awesome picture of Jesus standing at the door to your heart and asking to come in. For the longest time in my own life I knew He was there, but I ignored the fact that He wanted me to live my life in harmony with His word. At the end of the day, God may not be speaking to you exactly like He did Mike, but I can assure you that in some way shape or form God He is orchestrating circumstances in your life to get your attention.
2 Peter 3:9
The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
Get Saved...From What?
I had a buddy ask me not too long ago what it meant to be saved. He told me it was always extrememly confusing when the Christians he knew talked about "getting saved." Unfortunately he's right. Christians often do a poor job of communicating the truths in the Bible and his question made perfect sense. I know I probably won't do the best job of explaining it either so let me try and clarify by sharing an audio clip. I heard this a few years ago from a preacher in Alabama named David Platt. He spent 5 minutes basically summing up the portions of the Bible that explain what it means to be saved and why Jesus came to earth and died on a cross.
When you read the Bible you'll notice it is a collection of stories and testimonies of peoples lives. It is a phenomenal depiction of thousands of years and generations of people living in harmony with God's word and out of harmony with God's word. It is amazing to see that from the very beginning God has set forth guidelines that He expects us to live by. When we ignore what He tells us and pursue our own desires we are sinning. It is that sin that separates us from having fellowship with a Holy God, and that same sin that puts us in need of a Savior. By simply admitting that we need Jesus to help us and to save us from that sin is the first step in beginning our relationship with Jesus Christ.
There's a verse in Revelation chapter 3 and verse 20 that says...
'Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.
That verse is such an amazing picture of God asking us to come in and save us from our sins. The flip side is what Romans says in chapter 6...
"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6:23)"
You must believe that Jesus died to pay the penalty for your sins. The penalty for our sin is death. God loves us so much that He provided a way for us to escape that penalty.
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)
Belief in the death and resurrection of Jesus for your sins is essential for being saved, but it is not enough.
"You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe God and tremble." (James 2:19)
So the last thing you must do is to confess Jesus as Lord and Savior of your life. Confessing Jesus as Lord means to commit total control of your life to Christ. You give him the ownership of your life.
Romans 10:9-10 says:
If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Romans 10:13 says:
For whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.
If you know you want to spend eternity in Heaven and you know that you are in need of a Savior then pray the following prayer. It doesn’t have to be word for word because it’s your heart that matters. I just know there will be some of you that won’t even know where to start so I wrote something similar to what I said below…
"Dear God, I admit I am a sinner in need of you. I understand I can do nothing on my own to earn your salvation. In honesty and sincerity of heart I now ask you to please forgive me of my sins, cover me and wash me in the blood of Jesus, give me abundant life here on earth and the free gift of eternal life with you in heaven. I believe Jesus died and rose again for my sins. I confess you Jesus as Lord and Savior of my life. Come into my heart right now, save me and make me whole.”
Guess what, you don't have to have a masters degree to ask Jesus to run your life. You don't have to be a biblical scholar to need a Savior. All of us need to pay for the penalty of our sins and the beauty of all this is that is exactly what Jesus did when He died on the cross for our sins. He paid the way for you to spend eternity with Him in Heaven.
When you read the Bible you'll notice it is a collection of stories and testimonies of peoples lives. It is a phenomenal depiction of thousands of years and generations of people living in harmony with God's word and out of harmony with God's word. It is amazing to see that from the very beginning God has set forth guidelines that He expects us to live by. When we ignore what He tells us and pursue our own desires we are sinning. It is that sin that separates us from having fellowship with a Holy God, and that same sin that puts us in need of a Savior. By simply admitting that we need Jesus to help us and to save us from that sin is the first step in beginning our relationship with Jesus Christ.
There's a verse in Revelation chapter 3 and verse 20 that says...
'Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.
That verse is such an amazing picture of God asking us to come in and save us from our sins. The flip side is what Romans says in chapter 6...
"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6:23)"
You must believe that Jesus died to pay the penalty for your sins. The penalty for our sin is death. God loves us so much that He provided a way for us to escape that penalty.
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)
Belief in the death and resurrection of Jesus for your sins is essential for being saved, but it is not enough.
"You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe God and tremble." (James 2:19)
So the last thing you must do is to confess Jesus as Lord and Savior of your life. Confessing Jesus as Lord means to commit total control of your life to Christ. You give him the ownership of your life.
Romans 10:9-10 says:
If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Romans 10:13 says:
For whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.
If you know you want to spend eternity in Heaven and you know that you are in need of a Savior then pray the following prayer. It doesn’t have to be word for word because it’s your heart that matters. I just know there will be some of you that won’t even know where to start so I wrote something similar to what I said below…
"Dear God, I admit I am a sinner in need of you. I understand I can do nothing on my own to earn your salvation. In honesty and sincerity of heart I now ask you to please forgive me of my sins, cover me and wash me in the blood of Jesus, give me abundant life here on earth and the free gift of eternal life with you in heaven. I believe Jesus died and rose again for my sins. I confess you Jesus as Lord and Savior of my life. Come into my heart right now, save me and make me whole.”
Guess what, you don't have to have a masters degree to ask Jesus to run your life. You don't have to be a biblical scholar to need a Savior. All of us need to pay for the penalty of our sins and the beauty of all this is that is exactly what Jesus did when He died on the cross for our sins. He paid the way for you to spend eternity with Him in Heaven.
The Pleasures Afforded to Sinful Men...
Sunsets blow my mind!
They’re one of the most beautiful aspects of God’s creation and for some reason I can never get enough. When the sky changes colors and the sun begins to drop below the horizon, I’m captivated. It’s hard to explain in words and even the pictures I take don’t capture the moment like I wish they could. But it’s peaceful and everyone seems to know it. Next time your at the beach look around and watch people stop what they’re doing and stare at the heavens until that last speck of light fades away.
Every one of us whether we like to admit it or not is captivated by certain things in creation. Maybe it’s when you’re out on the ocean or when you’re lying on the beach. It could be camping in the wilderness or white water rafting down a violent river. It could be snow capped mountains or the fresh water streams they create. It’s bizarre in a sense but nature just has this way of making us stop and appreciate.
Psalm 19:1-2
The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge.
What if I told you that God was drawing you into a relationship with His son Jesus Christ through the world He created? Seriously! We’ve all felt it but it’s so hard to explain. That breathtaking, stop what you’re doing, how is this even possible, this is the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen feeling. And for a split second in time you know this is no accident, you know there is someone greater who created everything you see around you. Guess what? You were created with that feeling. It’s called Natural revelation and it describes what God has revealed concerning Himself in nature. The bible talks about it in Paul’s letter to the Romans.
Romans 1:19-20
For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.
But most of us ignore it and assume since science can give us a vague understanding of how things work we can move on with our lives. So we push that feeling of awe to the back of our minds and we consume ourselves with our daily lives, and that’s just the way Satan wants it. Never pushing for truth, never accepting the constant call of God on our lives, why? Because it’s difficult to understand how a God who created everything we see around us could actually have a personal daily relationship with every one of us. But He can and He is actively speaking to you through creation, through friends, through family, through preachers, through coworkers, and the list goes on and on. God is placing people in your life to draw you closer to Him.
2 Peter 3:9
The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
Don’t let the world we live in pull you down and suck you dry. Know that God desires a personal loving relationship with you if you’ll simply give your life to Him. I know it’s hard to grasp, but that’s where faith comes in. With the sin of Adam and Eve the world around us changed and life became difficult. It’s often hard to see God through the constant cloud of chaos around you, but He’s there and He always has been. He died on a cross 2,000 years ago to pay the penalty for your sins and mine so we could spend eternity with Him. One day this fallen world will be a thing of the past and there’ll be a new Heaven and a new earth. One without sin, without hardship, without tears and with more natural majestic wonders then you could ever fathom. The next time you see a sunset, take a moment to thank God for the awe inspiring natural beauty of this world, and dream of a new heaven and a new earth that will repeatedly take your breath away.
Augustine who was the bishop of northern Africa in the 5th century said something that makes me smile every time I hear it. There's so much truth behind it and to think he said it over 1500 years ago in a time very different from the world we live in. As he sat and watched a sunset just like I have so many times he said “If these are the pleasures afforded to sinful men, what does God have in store for those whose hearts are His?” 1 Corinthians 2:9 ...“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.”
They’re one of the most beautiful aspects of God’s creation and for some reason I can never get enough. When the sky changes colors and the sun begins to drop below the horizon, I’m captivated. It’s hard to explain in words and even the pictures I take don’t capture the moment like I wish they could. But it’s peaceful and everyone seems to know it. Next time your at the beach look around and watch people stop what they’re doing and stare at the heavens until that last speck of light fades away.
Every one of us whether we like to admit it or not is captivated by certain things in creation. Maybe it’s when you’re out on the ocean or when you’re lying on the beach. It could be camping in the wilderness or white water rafting down a violent river. It could be snow capped mountains or the fresh water streams they create. It’s bizarre in a sense but nature just has this way of making us stop and appreciate.
Psalm 19:1-2
The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge.
What if I told you that God was drawing you into a relationship with His son Jesus Christ through the world He created? Seriously! We’ve all felt it but it’s so hard to explain. That breathtaking, stop what you’re doing, how is this even possible, this is the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen feeling. And for a split second in time you know this is no accident, you know there is someone greater who created everything you see around you. Guess what? You were created with that feeling. It’s called Natural revelation and it describes what God has revealed concerning Himself in nature. The bible talks about it in Paul’s letter to the Romans.
Romans 1:19-20
For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.
But most of us ignore it and assume since science can give us a vague understanding of how things work we can move on with our lives. So we push that feeling of awe to the back of our minds and we consume ourselves with our daily lives, and that’s just the way Satan wants it. Never pushing for truth, never accepting the constant call of God on our lives, why? Because it’s difficult to understand how a God who created everything we see around us could actually have a personal daily relationship with every one of us. But He can and He is actively speaking to you through creation, through friends, through family, through preachers, through coworkers, and the list goes on and on. God is placing people in your life to draw you closer to Him.
2 Peter 3:9
The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
Don’t let the world we live in pull you down and suck you dry. Know that God desires a personal loving relationship with you if you’ll simply give your life to Him. I know it’s hard to grasp, but that’s where faith comes in. With the sin of Adam and Eve the world around us changed and life became difficult. It’s often hard to see God through the constant cloud of chaos around you, but He’s there and He always has been. He died on a cross 2,000 years ago to pay the penalty for your sins and mine so we could spend eternity with Him. One day this fallen world will be a thing of the past and there’ll be a new Heaven and a new earth. One without sin, without hardship, without tears and with more natural majestic wonders then you could ever fathom. The next time you see a sunset, take a moment to thank God for the awe inspiring natural beauty of this world, and dream of a new heaven and a new earth that will repeatedly take your breath away.
Augustine who was the bishop of northern Africa in the 5th century said something that makes me smile every time I hear it. There's so much truth behind it and to think he said it over 1500 years ago in a time very different from the world we live in. As he sat and watched a sunset just like I have so many times he said “If these are the pleasures afforded to sinful men, what does God have in store for those whose hearts are His?” 1 Corinthians 2:9 ...“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.”
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