Change

What a year! It is still January and we have already experienced a new president and now a new governor here in Illinois. Who says change comes slowly! I wonder what will be next. Scripture talks of change. In Matthew 18, when asked who will be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven (the disciples were referring to themselves, not Jesus), Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” Pride is something that gets in our way, regardless of what we do, but for some it becomes a hindrance…even a hindrance to getting into heaven. These were Jesus’ disciples who posed this question to him…his followers. You would think that if anyone would get into the kingdom they would, but Jesus corrects them. “Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” Sort of puts us in our place don’t it? Doesn’t really matter if you’re the worship leader, a team chair, or the senior pastor…not if you fail to humbly fill that position casting aside arrogance and self-exaltation. I don’t know what the rest of this year holds for us, or the rest of this month for that matter, but I pray we would continue experience change, becoming the people God intends us to be.

Wintertime Blues!

Okay, here we are…it is Thursday afternoon. There hasn’t been school for three days now and I just found out there will not be school again tomorrow. Our four girls have been cooped up since Monday. They have not been out of the house, not even to play in the snow, until today when Jill went to work and I took Anna to the doctor as she has an ear infection. I know the Lord says that children are like arrows in the hands of a warrior and blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them (Psalm 127:4-5)…but please! I do not think Solomon wrote those words after having his arrows cooped up for three days! I love my children, and they love me…at least they did as of noon today…but I praise God that I have been able to get out of the house and slip and slide the eight blocks to church! I praise God for teachers…I don’t know how they do it. I praise God for bus drivers…I cannot imagine doing that. And yes, I praise God for my loving wife…how she manages a one year old who is cutting teeth, a four year-old who has too much energy, a six year-old who doesn’t feel well, and a seventeen year-old who wants to go somewhere, I will never know. My gifts pail in comparison to hers…I suspect she could manage a 1000 member church with little effort…alone. All that being said, I must go now...it's time to pray for a heat wave...again!

Courageous Prayer

I am convinced there is nothing more important to our relationship with God than our prayers…that is after our salvation, of course...and I have been convicted by insincere prayer. Michael Casey writes these words in Toward God, “To pray well I must first find out where I am. Self-knowledge is never obtained easily. To pray well I need to face up to realities about myself that I would rather ignore: my anxieties, fears, private griefs, failures, lovelessness, and my utter lack of resources. To accept the truth about who I am, what I am, as well as the truth about others, demands courage. If I do not pray well, it is usually because I lack that kind of courage.” Seems to me what Casey is saying is that we must be honest with ourselves. We might fool others; we cannot fool God; we are very good at fooling ourselves. If we are to have a relationship with God, an honest relationship, then we must start by being honest with ourselves…examining thoroughly our own thoughts, actions, shortcomings, and desires. This is hard work, it is at times painful work, but it is required work. Our prayers are much more than words or thoughts…they are how we willfully present ourselves before the Divine Presence…wanting, yearning, exposed, expecting.

A World Without Sin?

I just realized that I did not post this earlier today...sorry about that, my only excuse is our wild weather.

Max Lucado asks us in When Christ Comes: “Can you imagine a world without sin? Have you done anything lately because of sin? At the very least, if you are normal (what is that?), you’ve complained. You’ve worried. You’ve grumbled. You’ve hoarded when you should have shared. You’ve turned away when you should have helped… Because of sin, you’ve snapped at the ones you love and argued with the ones you cherish. You have felt ashamed, guilty, and bitter. Sin has sired a thousand heartaches and broken a million promises. Your addiction can be traced back to sin. Your mistrust can be traced back to sin. Bigotry, robbery, adultery—all because of sin. But in heaven all this will end. Can you imagine a world without sin? If so, you can imagine heaven.”

Lucado challenges us to look within: have we done anything lately because of sin??? If you could hear the excuses that I (or any pastor) hear weekly, you would realize how absurd the question is…of course we have! But where sin abounds, grace abounds all the more (Romans 5:20). No, I cannot imagine a world without sin. Not here in Sesser or any other community I have lived, however, I can imagine a world with grace; a world with forgiveness and mercy. Make no mistake about it, this world is not heaven, but grace will get us thru all of our trials here and move us into God’s presence with confidence.

Like Welcoming Jesus

This week has been a blessing. I rejoice as I recall the many people who played a part in my formation. Some have invested a great deal of time and effort in me; others made much smaller donations. Some worked very hard and I am sure they became frustrated with me; others crossed my path just briefly. However, they all contributed something that helped to make me who I am today. I share this because I have spent the last several days as proud as I can be as Hitomi, our first Japanese daughter, has been visiting with us from Japan. She lived with us as a foreign exchange student for only eleven months during her junior year of high school, but she has truly become a part of our family. We have kept in touch the past nine years as she moved back and forth between Japan and the States and we have grown closer over time. I am blessed that I (and of course my family) was able to contribute to who she has become as an adult and she has made great contributions to our family. Matthew 18:5 tells us, “Whoever welcomes a child like this in my name welcomes me.” I can honestly say that our family’s experience with welcoming children into our home has been a joy and blessing…much like what I imagine being in the presence of our Lord will be like.

God & Heros

I sat amazed last week, as I am sure most of you were, as I watched the news reports of U S Airways pilot Capt. Chesley “Sulley” Sullenberger and his crew making an emergency landing with a jetliner in the Hudson River. No doubt his years of Air Force and civilian flying experience contributed to his composure as he faced certain disaster with 155 people on board…not to mention the untold residents of the communities and workplaces he flew over for those few minutes. Everything I have read praises the captain and crew members for their professional reaction to the disaster and they are to be commended. I will also say that I don’t think they acted in this manner because of their paychecks…something more was going on. I have no idea of any of the crew’s religious affiliations, but it is apparent they see human life as sacred (and not just their own). This crew, under the leadership of “Sulley” is a model for the Church. Paul tells us in Ephesians 4:29 that we are to “build up others according to their needs,” but too often we are guilty of embracing the world’s notion of “me first.” I do praise God for “Sulley” and his crew and I also believe we have witnessed a “miracle.” I’ve heard it said that Captain Sullenberger is a much needed hero for troubled times…yeah, but perhaps it’s more than that. This might just be a really big “God wink” for his troubled church. Either way, praise God!

Join the Team!

I received this email yesterday from a friend and thought it followed the thought of yesterday's blog; so here it is.

To highlight its annual picnic one year, a company rented two racing shells and challenged a rival company to a boat race. The rival company accepted and on race day to the consternation of the host company, the rival team immediately moved to the front and never looked back. It won by eleven lengths. The management of the host company was embarrassed by its showing and promptly appointed a committee to place responsibility for the failure and make recommendations to improve the host team's chances in a rematch the following year. The committee appointed several task forces to study various aspects of the race. They met for three months and issued a preliminary report. In essence, the report said that the rival crew had been unfair. “They had eight people rowing and one coxswain steering and shouting out the beat,” the report said. “We had one person rowing and eight coxswains.” The chairman of the board thanked the committee and sent it away to study the matter further and make recommendations for the rematch. Four months later the committee came back with a recommendation: “Our guy has to row faster.”
The solution for their rowers’ lack of effort was to encourage the one rower to row harder. How absurd does that seem! Yet, many times we as Christians can be accused of the same thing.
If you are involved in a good church, who would you say does all the work around the church? Many times the pastor has the privilege of preaching each week but is also responsible for other areas of ministry! The Bible commands us as believers to help the pastor and enter into his labor with him. How can you help your pastor? One way is through prayer. 2 Corinthians 1:11 says, “As you help us by your prayers…” Prayer is the most powerful way you can help support your pastor. You may not be able to mow a lawn, visit the elderly, or clean a bathroom; but you can pray for God’s blessing on your pastor. You can also help by getting involved in the church ministries. Sign up for soul winning and be faithful each week. Volunteer to work a nursery once a month. Ask if there is any handyman work that needs done around the church. Write letters to the widows. Think of a way you could be a blessing to your pastor and volunteer to be involved in whatever needs to be done. No matter the size, every church needs help. As we saw in the story, one person cannot carry the weight alone. God has placed you in your church to be a blessing to your pastor by helping out. Think of a way you can be involved and ask someone at church what you can do to help. After all, when you help support the pastor, you are really helping support the Lord’s work.

History Being Made!

This is a historic day. Barak Obama, our first black president will be sworn in later today. I must say that living thru the late sixties as a pre-teen; remembering the civil rights struggles and assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., I am not sure I ever thought this day could happen. Perhaps it gives notice to just how great a nation the United States of America really is. There is also an excitement in the air that is, I believe, unequaled. I recall an excitement, though to a lesser degree, when Ronald Regan was elected as we struggled with our hostages in Iran. I have been told it was there when JFK was sworn in and the cold war was at a fevered pitch, but I cannot recall this level of optimism connected with a change of leadership. I must say, I have concerns with President Obama. It has nothing to do with his race or religion but with his political philosophy. This president may affect our future for generations to come by appointing Supreme Court Judges and ruling on such hot button issues as homosexual marriage and abortion not to mention the war in Iraq. Add to this the alleged mess our governor Rod Blagojevich is in and it becomes apparent that we need to be praying for our leaders…but in case you’ve missed the obvious connection, Paul instructs us in Romans 13 and I Timothy 2 to pray for them. I want to encourage you to commit to pray regularly and deliberately for elected officials at every level of government. Many of our leaders espouse viewpoints and agendas that are in direct opposition to God’s word. Yet we know that "the Lord controls rulers just as he determines the course of rivers” (Proverbs 21:1).

Right On Time...Really!

Luke records Jesus’ words in chapter 18, verse 7, “God will always give what is right to his people who cry to him night and day, and he will not be slow to answer them.” If I have learned nothing the past 50+ years, I have leaned that God answers prayers. But why does God at times wait until the money is gone? Why does he sometimes wait until sickness has lingered? Why does he at times choose to wait until the other side of the grave to answer prayers for healing? I don’t know. However, my experiences tell me that his timing is always right…always. While it seems to lack comfort, I can only say he will do what is best for all involved. At times, although you hear nothing, he is speaking. Though you see nothing, he is acting. Several years ago now, Peg McKamey-Bean of ‘the McKamey’s’ wrote a song titled “Right On Time.” It told of how God’s timing and our timing is very different and when in doubt we should know that God’s timing is perfect...never early; never late. With God there are no accidents. Every incident is intended to bring us closer to him and know this: “God will always give what is right to his people who cry out to him night and day, and he will not be slow to answer them.”

We Can Surrender Toys!

I openly confess my love of motorcycles. Recently I was asked when I started riding. I got my first Harley as an eighth-grade graduation present. It was old and worn out, but at the time it seemed like the greatest bike on the road (and while I wish I had it back today, I will also add that I am now repulsed by the notion of giving a 13 year-old an old motorcycle…but that was a different day and time). Regardless, over the years I have owned many bikes. There is a feeling that one gets when riding that is simply exhilarating. I have not owned a bike for several years now, but there is still a thrill there for me. I have had friends ask me why I don’t get a bike again. To be honest, I would rather have another Harley than eat, but Jill and the girls would rather eat! Over the years I have surrendered to a growing love for and desire to better know God along with a growing awareness of stewardship; and we should not forget Jesus does call us to surrender. I still look up when I hear the rumble of a Harley coming down the road and for a split-second my mind recalls the sensations, but then I rejoice in the companionship of the God who guides and directs our steps for the good of the Kingdom. Some day I may again ride…my flesh would prefer it were soon and I even try to justify it as an evangelistic tool…but until then, the Holy Spirit provides all the thrills I really need.

Brrrrr!

As I got out this morning I noticed something inescapable: it was cold…very cold! Did you feel it? At 6:00a I was on my way to a prayer meeting and my car’s thermometer showed it was 1° outside. Have you noticed that when we experience extreme temperatures our habits change? In this cold we bundle up, warm up the car, rush inside from the outside, and refrain from licking metal objects outside. It’s not that the cold forces us to do so; we change because we want to…it’s deemed the right and wise things to do. I think that is how we should be when the Holy Spirit comes upon us…we should change…we should want to change. The presence of the Spirit, much like the extreme temperatures, should affect our behavior. We ought not to do things that we did before we met the Savior and we should now be enabled and equipped to do things that before we would have never considered doing. In fact, I would go so far as to say that an encounter with the Holy Spirit will change our behavior. Just as the thoroughly cold temperatures will dictate our attire, the Spirit will guide our behavior; as the cold bites at our fingertips, the Spirit will bite at our hearts and convict us of actions that we would have never given a second thought before. Have you felt it? My prayer is the Spirit of the Living God would settle upon you much like an arctic cold front blows in from the north…giving you a holy boldness, changing your behavior.

Our God Grieves!

Next Sunday is Sanctity of Human Life Sunday; January 22 is the 36th anniversary of Roe v. Wade. That’s the Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion on demand in the United States of America. Since its passage in 1973, over 50 million innocent, defenseless unborn children have been denied their right to life in the United States alone. We like to brag on how great a country we are; of the progressive social programs and civil rights…it ought not to surprise anyone that many try to quietly ignore this anniversary. Regardless of your political tendency, religious affiliation, or views on abortion, one thing is clear: 50 million children have been deprived the gift of life. How many presidents, judges, teachers, artists, advocates, legislators, musicians, and parents do you suppose were in that number? What might their contributions to society have been? Perhaps one of them might have discovered a cure for aids, or perfected a clean energy source. We’ll never know what our world might have looked like. I truly believe our actions influence God’s interaction with us. We currently face problems that boggle the mind…or at least a small one like mine…and I cannot help but think that a grieving God has withheld some blessings from us because of our stance on abortion. Pray for wisdom and moral clarity for our leaders, for resources for those ministering to women facing a crisis pregnancy, and pray expectant mothers would choose the gift of life.

A Passion For?

How does one define passion? As intense, driving feeling or conviction? Yeah, that’s part of it…but it seems there must be more. Does not the object of our passion need something to legitimize the passion? Can one be passionate about anything? I don’t think so, but I am sure some would argue with me. Regardless, Mike Rayson, a man who I consider a friend, provided the music for a recent worship service I attended and he exuded passion. It wasn’t his vocal or musical gifts, though they were certainly present, it was his passion for sharing the Gospel with others that was evident to all…evident to the point of a tearful congregation and a standing ovation. I believe Mike could master any style of music, if he chose to do so, but I suspect his performance would lack passion. Music is his gift, but sharing the Gospel is his passion, By the way, the Holy Spirit was present that evening and its anointing was on Mike as well as the preacher, but it was Mike’s passion that conveyed that anointing to everyone in attendance. So what about you? What is it you have passion for? How does God use you and your gifts to relate to others passionately? Or is it possible to journey thru life without passion?

The Purpose of the Gospel

Wow, what a day Thursday was! It was filled with dynamic worship, powerful prayer meetings, and I just came from a worship celebration with Maxie Dunham preaching. Maxie is an author and former president of Asbury Theological Seminary, and one of the most respected voices of the confessing movement within the United Methodist Church. In what can only be called a powerful presentation, Dunham reminded us that the purpose of the Gospel was not only to get us into the Kingdom, but to also get the Kingdom into us. That is to say, once we encounter the risen Christ and place our faith in Jesus (salvation), we will be transformed (sanctification). We will be different people. It may not happen immediately, but it could. We will most likely look the same, but we'll appear different to others. We will think differently; we will act differently. God longs for us to be saved, but once we’re saved, God longs for us to be made holy. And once on the road to perfection we become bold witnesses of the Risen Lord. Why? Because the Spirit of the Living God now lives in us, and with the help of the Spirit our purpose is not to survive, but to thrive as witnesses of Jesus Christ.

Practice Makes Really Good!

The theme at this year’s Congress on Evangelism is the “Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations.” I spent yesterday in dynamic worship celebrations, attending workshops and lectures which focused on the first two of the five practices: Radical Hospitality and Passionate Worship. In each of these workshops, the main points were nearly identical…the church must strive for excellence (Makes sense, Christ gave his all for us, should we give any less for him?) if we are to succeed and we must practice if we are to succeed. Bishop Schnase even pointed out rationale for our practice. His illustration was that little league ball players practice the basics constantly: throwing, hitting, running, catching fly balls…then he referenced professional major league ball players who are at the top of their game and make millions of dollars, they practice constantly by throwing, hitting, running, catching fly balls. Some things we never get so good at that we don’t need to refine our methods. It’s the same for churches and the practices of hospitality, worship, faith development, mission and generosity. We may be good at one, or even a few, but we should never think we’re good enough that we don’t need to hone our talents. After all, as John Wesley proclaimed, we are on the road to perfection; we have not yet arrived.

The Brave Hearted

Yesterday as I drove from the cold and snow in Springfield, IL thru fog and rain to Nashville, TN (quite a drive for an out of practice ex-truck driver) I was blessed. With all that windshield time, I was able to listen to several sermons and radio stations. One program I listened to sparked my thoughts…it was a radio program interviewing the author of a book titled “The Brave-Hearted Gospel.” I know nothing about the book and I missed the interview, but I recalled from the movie “Brave Heart” (with Mel Gibson), that the brave-hearted person is one who believes in something so strongly they would give their life for the cause. So, what is it you believe in so much that you would give your life for the cause: anything? For your children or your grandchildren? What about for your faith? Some would be inclined to say they would give their life for their faith, never believing it would come to that. I say that because if you would truly give your life for your faith, it seems to me you would jump at the chance to share your faith with others. Almost daily I see people bragging...on their kids, favorite teams, favorite stores, even favorite barber/hairdresser…but too many fall silent when the opportunity to brag on their Savior presents itself. What about you? God is still looking for those with brave hearts.

Got Abundant Life?

“We always ask for less than we should and often think God is not willing to give us what we ask for. We don’t ask right away. We don’t understand that what we pray about is more important than we can understand. We think small, but the Lord is great and powerful. He expects us to ask for great things. He wants to give them to us to demonstrate his almighty power.” That quote is brutally accurate. While it is impossible for us to think exactly as God thinks (although we can get a good idea from his word), we are forever selling God short…looking for just enough God to make our circumstances bearable. Why is it we settle for tolerable instead of seeking excellence? God wants us to have the very best (John 10:10) and James tells us the reason we don’t have it is because we don’t ask (4:2b). To complicate matters, our inability to attain the abundant life in turn causes our ministry to suffer. It’s the snowball effect…we live powerless lives and our witness is powerless; it’s a vicious circle. Oh, by the way, that quote above is attributed to Martin Luther, the father of the Reformation, who lived from 1483 to 1546…it would seem the old saying is true: some things never change.

A Solution for Tough Times

Everyone says the outlook is bleak: the economy, the job market, the stock market, all are in the worst shape they have been in decades. Yet, God tells us (this is my paraphrase), “Pray because I have all kinds of things for you; and when you ask, you will receive. I have all this grace, but you choose to live with scarcity. Come to me all of you who labor. Why are you so rushed and panicked? Who are you trusting now? Smile, everything you need, I have” (Matthew 7:7-8, James 4:2, 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). If the times are indeed as bad as they say they are…if the darkness in our world is growing heavier by the moment…if we are facing spiritual battles right in our own homes and churches…then we are foolish not to turn to the One who supplies unlimited grace and power. In fact, we are nothing short of crazy to ignore him…yet we do. Too many believers (not heathens; believers) are wrestling with struggles they need not face. Too many Christians are living powerless lives, placing their hope in their jobs, the cash in their pockets, and mere men. Why? Thru Christ God has invited us to live a life of abundance; thru the Holy Spirit he equips and empowers us. All that is left is for us to respond. If you’re not living it, what’s holding you back?

New Year's Resolutions

Okay, 2009 is here. It’s now time to get serious about those New Year’s resolutions that have flowed so freely from our lips the past weeks. It is unfortunate that so many resolutions last barely longer than the first week of the New Year. Most people have good intentions, they really do. Most of us are in need improvement of some sort and many people are aware of the need. Why then are the vast majority of New Year’s resolutions left unrealized? This truly illustrates the difficulty involved with change. Change of any sort, but especially with drastic change; the more drastic the change, the harder it is to achieve (and let’s face it, most of our resolutions involve drastic change!). Even when we know it’s for our own good, it is hard to change…it is work. I think that’s why so many people have trouble with Jesus Christ. He brought radical change to the world. He calls each of us to change; whether you’re a drug addict, a businessman, a homemaker, or a pastor, he calls us to change. In Matthew 18:3-9 Jesus tells us of the change required to enter the Kingdom. The prophet Malachi tells us of the one thing that doesn’t change (3:6). So, here we are…it’s January 2, and that resolution is staring you down…waiting for you to flinch. Now what? I want to suggest that you tackle it by claiming that in His power you can do anything! (Romans 8:28, 37), and believing that Christ gives us life to the fullest (John 10:10). If you can do that, there will soon be a new you, to the glory of God!