Lessons In The Night

This week has been absolutely horrid! I'm not going into any details, nor will any be provided upon request. Suffice it to say that this week, my world has been completely shaken up. I've been asking the usual questions, about why all this is happening, and spending a good deal of time in tears. In the midst of this, I was reminded of how God "comforts us in all our affliction" (2 Cor 1:4a, ESV). I know God is more apparent in our trials than when things are going well. I have probably prayed more in this last week than I have over the past year. Through this trial, I have discovered a few things. first, trials are an opportunity to either distance ourselves from God, or run to Him. Second, trials are an opportunity to either give up, or to have our resolve strengthened. Finally, trials remind us of what is needed, as opposed to what is wanted. Though I am still in the midst of this trial, I can see a deeper reliance upon God's grace, a strengthened determination, as well as what is really important in life. continued prayers are appreciated, as I will be praying through this time as well.

Spritual Fitness

Many people who know me know I've started on an exercise program called P90X. It combines intense workouts with a balanced diet. As I am going through this rigorous exercise regimen, it reminded me of something Steve Farrar wrote in his book, Point Man. Steve states how prayer is a lot like exercise. When we exercise, we plan when we will exercise, where we will exercise, what exercises will be done, making sure the exercises are being done correctly, and accountability.  This is almost identical to what we do when we pray. We need to carve out a block of time to pray. In other words, we need to prioritize prayer. We needs to have certain place where we pray. I'm not going to give a certain place, but place that is quiet where you can focus on God is essential. you need to have a prayer list. This allows you to focus your prayer, and not let your mind wander. We need to be utilizing Scripture, so we know we are praying within God's Will. You also need to be accountable for this, as any true change can only come if you know someone is pushing you along, as a trainer would in exercise.
Prayer is essential in the growth of a Christian. As we pray for God to work in our lives and the lives of others, it develops our spiritual muscles. We are strengthened to do the work He has called us to do.

A Good Cleansing

A couple of weeks ago, I did a full body cleanse to remove toxins and excess waste from my colon. I will tell you it was not a pleasant experience, but I have felt better since then. In fact, the other night, I was able to eat fish without running to the bathroom for the first time in several years. And for those of you who ever wondered, the rainbow trout at Red Lobster is absolutely delicious!
This cleanse got me to thinking how we need to be cleansed spiritually as well. David was Israel's greatest king. He is known as the man after God's own heart.  But he did something that would serve as a turning point in his life, and in the life of his subjects. Instead of going to lead his armies against the Ammonites, he stayed at the palace in Jerusalem. One night, he noticed a woman bathing. More than noticed, the Bible says "the woman was beautiful to behold." You could almost see the drool run down his beard as he ogled her. As many of you may know. The woman was Bathsheba,and she was married to Uriah, one of David's soldiers. Well, David slept with Bathsheba, and got her pregnant. Instead of confessing his sin, David tries to cover it up, by sending for Uriah, and hoping the husband and wife would share in matrimonial bliss, and no one would be the wiser. Instead Uriah, who was a Gentile, refused to have better sleeping arrangements than his fellow soldiers. So David orders Uriah to be a sitting duck at the battle,and make sure he dies. After Uriah's death, Bathsheba moves in with David.
Though David thinks he's now off the hook, God sends Nathan to David to let the king know that his sin was not unknown to God. As Nathan shows David his sin, the king repents. The result is David writing Psalm 51. He begs God to cleanse him from his sin. He pleads with God to be given a clean heart.He begs that God be merciful towards him.
This Psalm acts as a spiritual cleanse. it reminds us that no matter how gross our sin, God has the grace to cover it. In the film Amazing Grace, there's a scene where William Wilberforce is speaking with his former pastor, John Newton, who has gone blind. Newton reminds his young friend that "I am a great sinner, and Christ is a great savior."
Some people reading this are dealing with sin. Some may feel as David did, that "There is no soundness in my fleash because of your anger, nor any health in my bones because of my sin" (Ps 38:3, NKJV). You only have one option. You need to admit your sin to God, and trust in his grace and mercy.

The Necessity of Accountability

For a little over a week, I have been working at getting rid of some weight. In order to be healthier, I needed to drop about 95 pounds. The first thing I did was not to figure out an eating plan or exercise regimen. One of the first things I did was to start spreading the news that I was wanting to lose weight. Why in world would I do that? It's simple. The more people know that I'm trying to drop the pounds, the less likely I am to be making unhealthy choices.
Whenever you set a goal, accountability is crucial. If you are trying to overcome an addiction, you need someone to help strengthen you. If you are trying to beat debt, being in a class will help encourage you. If you are trying to lose weight. you need someone to push you along during the difficult times.
In the Bible, especially in the New Testament, you rarely see someone acting alone. Jesus had His apostles, and He sent them in groups. Paul almost always had a companion, whether it was Barnabas, Silas, Luke, or Apollos.
The writer of Ecclesiastes had it right. "Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him--a threefold cord is not quickly broken" (4:9-12, ESV).

The Prince of Darkness Grim, We Tremble Not For Him

This post's title comes from the classic hymn "A Mighty Fortress," penned by leader of the Protestant Reformation Martin Luther. In this hymn, Luther reminds us that we have no reason to fear the wiles of Satan and his minions. In the more recnt worship song, "He Reigns," made popular by the band the Newsboys, we are reminded that the leader of all those who oppose God tremble at the prasing of El-Shaddai.
Some of you may wonder why I'm speaking on this particular subject. It's very simple. It seems that we have forgotten who the dominant force in our lives is. Those of us who are among the people of God, those who have trusted in Christ, we have a form of schizophrenia. According to author and seminary professor Steve Brown, one out of three men in the church are addicted to some sort of pornography. We walk about as though everything is just peachy, and forgetting that Satan "prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour" (1 Pet. 5:8, ESV).
Luke gives an interesting story in the book of Acts regarding spiritual warfare. In Acts 19, Paul was preaching and healing diseases and exorcising demons in the city of Ephesus, in modern day Turkey. Seven men, whose father was Sceva, the Jewish high priest, saw that Paul was commanding spirits in the name of Jesus. These men decided to try this, and so they approached a demoniac, and declared "I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul proclaims" (v. 13). The demon inhabiting this one man responded by giving these seven fools a major league butt-kicking.
In the epistle written by James, we are told to submit to God, resist the devil, and he will flee. But in order for Satan to flee, we must first submit to God. We must acknowledge God's lordship in our lives. Once we've done that, we must resist the devil. Only then will Satan flee

Birthdays

Today is my birthday. I want to thank all my facebook friends for their birthday greetings.
The reason fir this post is due to a comment I heard from a co-worker yesterday regarding birthdays. He made the statement that a birthday just means you're one year closer to being dead.
How is that one goes from counting down the days to our birthdays (and half-birthdays) as children to dreading them as a reminder of our mortality? Personally, I love birthdays, and not just mine. I enjoy celebrating with friends and family the day of their birth. This past April, my wife and I attended a birthday party with a theme based upon one of my favorite shows, "The Office." Every year, our kids telll us what kind of birthday party they want, usually a comic book hero or action character for the boys and princesses and Barbie for my daughter.
How do I view today? I view it like any other day. Today is a gift from God. I need to make the most of it. As the psalmist said " This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it (118:24, ESV)

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to everyone. As many of you are off spending time with family and wrapping the last of the gifts, don't forget to take some time to reflect. This is the day we celebrate God taking on human form. The one whom the prophet Isaiah saw and as a result pronounced a curse upon himself came to earth as a baby. The same Yahweh who declared to Moses that no man may see and live, came to earth.
Let us also remember that Jesus was born to die. The same prophet declared this baby would one day be beaten, abused, and ultimately put to death to pay the penalty for our sin.
In our celebration, let us remember that Jesus, the God-man, lives!

Thoughts on Losing a Pet

We woke up this morning to see our dog Ella had escaped from her cage and was hit by a car overnight. I used to wonder how in the world people could mourn of the loss of a pet. I mean it was only a dumb animal, right? I get it now.

Sometimes I Think of Abraham...

The title for this post comes from "Sometimes By Step" by the late great Rich Mullins. A short while ago, I was reading about Abraham in Courageous Faith by Ed Hindson. Jews, Muslims, and Christians all point to Abraham as the father of their faith. We cannot deny the importance of Abraham in history.
As much as Abraham is to be admired figure, i can't help noticing how God tells what a screw-up he was. He was promised a son, so he and his wife, Sarah work it out to give him a son through Hagar. While it seemed to be the perfect solution to Abraham's heir problem, it opened up a can of worms, as Ishmael's descendants, the Arabs, have a radical hatred for the descendants of Isaac, a son later born though Sarah.
In order to save his own skin, Abraham told Sarah to lie twice about being his wife.
Example of faith? Father of the faithful? Why is this screw-up heralded as a great example? Maybe to show the rest of us screw-ups that it doesn't take perfection to honor God. Sometimes it takes believing that God is who He said He is, and He will do what He said He will do.

When To Slow Down

When I woke up this morning, I had a sharp pain in my left shoulder. It was so bad that when I attempted to get a coffe cup out of the cupboard with my righ hand, the pain got worse on my left shoulder. Throughout the day, I had to do everything slower than I'm used to doing it. walking, turning in my chair, eating lunch all had to be done much more slowly and deliberately today.
For those of you who know me, I don't do too much slowly. I'm usually a charge-ahead, get-up-and-go type of person. While it still hurts, I am learning the benefits of slowing down. Slowing down allows you to really hear others, because you are actually listening. In Ps 46:10, God reminds us through the psalmist to "be still, and know I am God" (ESV). When you take the time to slow down, you are able to hear what God is telling through His Word, through circumstances, and through His people.
Am I enjoying the pain i my neck? No, but I was able to get a taste of learning to slow down, and listen

Faith and Works

For those of you who were unaware, yesterday was Reformation Day. It commemorates October 31, 1517, the day a friar named Martin Luther walked up to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenburg, Germany, and nailed his 95 Theses there. Although originally written in Latin, and meant to be debated amongst theologians, they were soon translated into German and distibuted among the people.
One of the primary aspects was how the Roman Catholic church and protestants teach being justified before God. The tension is the interpretation of Paul's writings, and the writings found in the book of James. Over and over again, Paul affirms that justification comes by trusting in the perfect obedience of Christ on our behalf. This is also the Protestant position. Catholics point to James' statement that a faith devoid of works is dead.
So, is the Bible contradicting itself? Absolutely not! Paul is referring to the basis of being declared just. James is referring to the outward manifestation of a life surrendered to Christ. These are hardly contradictory. They are complementary

A Dangerous Class

In the Bible class I'm taking, I've learned something very important. I've learned this class is dangerous. Dangerous? How can a simple overview of the Bible be dangerous?
It's a dangerous class because it can be so easy to make the Scriptures just another book to study, like the Iliad or Shakespeare's plays. It is so much more than another work to be analyzed. It is a record of God's dealings with the human race. It is story of God reaching down into this world, sometimes in redeeming grace, others in terrifying wrath.
God's Word is not to be taken lightly, but with deep reverence.

One Piece at a Time

Many years ago, Johnny Cash had a song called "One Piece ata Time." It tells the story of an auto worker who devises a plan to build his own Cadillac by smuggling parts to his garage. After many years, when he gets around to building his "dream car," he discovers that the parts are not fitting together as he had hoped. By the time he finishes and drives his car downtown, people are looking at him and laughing.
We may laugh at this poor fool's mishap, but we may do similar mistakes in striving for our long-term goals. We think we have worked toward achieving our career goal, and then find out that there was more involved with this career than we thought. You are getting ready to graduate from college, only to find the job market for your major dry up.
These are not examples of poorly thought out goals. But our long-term goals must have some degree of flexibility. Before you set out on a career path, do the research, and see if there is an area in that field that would be better suited for you. As you work on your degree, see how many career fields line up with your major.
Remember, goals should not be set in stone, but rather with pencil. That way they are written, but not permanantly.

Learning From Others

I'm a huge fan of the Cleveland Indians. Through the ups and and downs, I've stuck by the Tribe. The writer of Proverbs must have had Tribe fans in mind when he wrote, "Unrelenting disappointment can make you heartsick" (13:12, MSG). Both World Series they've played in within the last 15 years were heartbreaking. Those two Fall Classics could make me very bitter against the players and managers of the opposing teams. As I get older, I grow less bitter, and more respectful of those men. Greg Maddux was magical. Jim Leyland was, and is, an amazing manager. Chipper Jones has had an amazing career, as did Bobbly Bonilla and John Smoltz.
When I think of the players for the Atlanta Braves and the Florida Marlins in 1995 and 1997, I think of the church. I think of all the great men who weren't Methodists that I have learned so much from. I learned to laugh at myself from a Presbyterian named Steve Brown. Another Presbyterian, Scotty Smith, helped me learn how God absolutely delights in me. A Baptist pastor from Minnesota named John Piper taught me that I was created to enjoy Jehovah, and a Reformed theologian named R.C. Sproul taught me how God demands and deserves my worship. A church of Christ minister, Max Lucado, taught me the importance of God's mercy, while Jonathan Edwards reminded me to never forget God is just. One Anglican, C.S. Lewis, reminded me that Jesus is either who he says He is, or he's a liar, or a madman. Another Anglican, J.I. Packer, taught be the difference between knowing about God and actually knowing Him. I learned the relevance of Scripture from a dispensationalist named Chuck Swindoll, and the sufficiency of Scripture from another dispensationalist, John MacAthur. From James Kennedy, I learned that evangelism is close to the heart of God, and Charles Colson reminded me that impacting the culture is equally pleasing to God.
A friend of mine once said he would never read anything that was written by someone from a different theological camp. I'm so glad I didn't follow his advice.

After God's Own Heart?

You know what gets me about King David? It's not how he committed adultery with Bathsheba, or even that he put a hit out on her husband to cover up the resulting pregnancy. It's not he seemed to just ditty-bop along as Absalom took his women, his army, and almost his kingdom. It's not that David defied God and counted his army. It's not that David had more wives than you could shake a stick at. What really gets me about David is that after all the crap he had pulled, he's described as a man who " had lived an exemplary life before God all his days, not going off on his own in willful defiance of God's clear directions (except for that time with Uriah the Hittite)(1 Ki 15:5, MSG). HELLO? What about nearly killing Nabal? What about all the stuff I've already mentioned?
But then, I look at my own life. I call myself a Christian. Have I obeyed perfectly? Have I loved God with every fiber of my being, and loved my neighbor as myself? Man, it is so easy to be self-righteous. It is so easy to look at David, at all his failures and shortcomings, and then puff myself up with pride. But then, when I get that way, I have to remind myself to look to the cross. Jesus took the sin of David, just as he took my sin. I fail. I fall short. I miss the mark on a daily basis. But God dealt with my sin at Golgotha, and I, too, can be called a man after God's own heart.