Have you ever been reading the Bible and stumble across a part that you wish you could take out? I do all the time. Here are a couple examples: Genesis 6:4 which seems to say that Angels procreated with humans to make a race of Giants. Weird! I have no idea how to explain that one! Or the extremely disturbing story in Judges 19-21 of a Benjamite's concubine who gets raped and dies so he cuts up her body into 12 parts and sends them with messengers to the 12 tribes of Israel which then causes a civil war where thousands die. Yes, that story is actually in the Bible!
I guess the other parts of the Bible that I really wish I could edit out are the parts that hit too close to home. Like for instance I was reading this morning in James 1 "Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy." What? How backwards is that? When trouble comes my way, it is an opportunity for joy. No, not just joy but great joy? How is that possible?
Listen to what he goes onto say: "For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow." I guess this part makes sense. Our faith is like a muscle and it only grows when it is challenged or tested. He says that when our faith is tested our endurance has a chance to grow. Once again, that doesn't sound like fun at all.
I don't know about you, but I absolutely hate running (which is probably one of the greatest tests of endurance.) In fact, I seriously doubt anyone who says they love running. Think about it. Have you ever in your life seen a runner with a smile on their face? The only time they smile is when they finish the race and stop running!
Actually, I have a lot of respect for runners. They have amazing endurance. Endurance is extremely simple yet unbelievably challenging. It is simply telling your body to keep going when it is screaming at you to quit.
James is telling us that Faith is just like running. Our circumstances and troubles are screaming at us to give up, to throw in the towel, but when we decide to continue to trust God in spite of our troubles our faith gets stronger. I wish their was an easier way for my faith to grow, but this seems to be the way it works.
So like any good coach, I am challenging you today to refuse to give up, to keep on believing regardless of the opposition you may face. Listen to what else James has to say: "So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing."
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Is there laser tag in heaven?
Recently around the breakfast table my wife asked the question, "Didn't someone predict that Jesus was coming back in October?" Our middle daughter asked a great question, "What is he coming back for?" I said that he was coming back to take Christians to heaven. She then had this very sad troubled look on her face. I tried to tell her about how amazing heaven really is. I told her it was even better than "Incredible Pizza" (An amazing pizza place, with games, laser tag and such) My youngest daughter excitedly joined the conversation with this question, "Will there be laser tag in heaven?"
All our attempts to convince our daughter of how great heaven is, were not working. She then asked, "Will all my friends be there?" I said if they were Christians they would be. She then with great frustration said, "I don't want to go to heaven, I really like earth!"
This humorous moment with my daughters revealed their attitude about this world, but I think it is indicative often times of our attitude as well. We can be tempted to think that this world is really all there is to life. When we get sucked into this way of thinking, we can get greedy and try to grab all we can grab for ourselves.
My wife and I just recently returned from a missions trip to El Salvador. Every time I travel to another country I am always struck by the poverty I see. The average income of a pastor in El Salvador is $10 a month! The interesting thing is that when I realize how wealthy I am in comparison to my Christian brothers and sisters around the world, it doesn't make me want to hold onto my wealth tighter but to give it away.
In these situations I am always reminded of what I read this morning in Hebrews 13:14 "For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come." Understanding how temporary this world is, will change the way I live. It will change the way I treat others. It will change the way I spend my time and money. It is crucial that we grasp this concept.
All our attempts to convince our daughter of how great heaven is, were not working. She then asked, "Will all my friends be there?" I said if they were Christians they would be. She then with great frustration said, "I don't want to go to heaven, I really like earth!"
This humorous moment with my daughters revealed their attitude about this world, but I think it is indicative often times of our attitude as well. We can be tempted to think that this world is really all there is to life. When we get sucked into this way of thinking, we can get greedy and try to grab all we can grab for ourselves.
My wife and I just recently returned from a missions trip to El Salvador. Every time I travel to another country I am always struck by the poverty I see. The average income of a pastor in El Salvador is $10 a month! The interesting thing is that when I realize how wealthy I am in comparison to my Christian brothers and sisters around the world, it doesn't make me want to hold onto my wealth tighter but to give it away.
In these situations I am always reminded of what I read this morning in Hebrews 13:14 "For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come." Understanding how temporary this world is, will change the way I live. It will change the way I treat others. It will change the way I spend my time and money. It is crucial that we grasp this concept.
Thursday, November 10, 2011
I really am a horrible person!
Almost everyday I pass a man sitting on the side of the road with a sign which says "Homeless and Hungry, Anything Will Help, God Bless. Everyday I feel justified in not doing anything about his situation because I say to myself, "He is just a con-man looking for a hand out. He will just use my money to buy drugs or alcohol."
This morning my wife walks into my office and says "I want to go pray for the homeless man and I need you to come with me." I must admit that my typical reaction when my wife asks me to join her in something like this, is that I drag my feet. For whatever reason, today I was a willing accomplice. We drove over to where he was, got out of our car and walked over to him. He didn't see us coming, so when we spoke to him it about scarred him out of his skin. I had to keep reassuring him that we were not going to hurt him. I told him we were there to help him and not to hurt him.
I asked him how he became homeless. He went into a 5 minute explanation of how he ended up where he was. In my spirit I really believed what he had to say. I told him that we were Christians and wanted to help him. I told him that we would go buy him a blanket and return. My wife recognized that our work with this man wasn't complete. She began to share the Gospel with him and asked him if he wanted to surrender his life to Jesus. He emphatically said "Yes I do, but I don't know how to do that." We led him in a prayer of confession and surrender to Jesus.
After we prayed his face changed dramatically and he said "Am I . . . what do you call what I am now?" My wife said "Your Saved." He began to get really excited and "Yeah that's it. I am saved." We told him about our church and offered to pick him up on Sunday. He was thrilled at the opportunity.
We then went back to our car. I told Dianne, "I repent of every time I have ever looked at a homeless person with harden heart and said, 'They are just a con-artist looking for a hand out.'" We then went and bought him a blanket and hot coffee.
When we went back and handed him the blanket and the coffee, I said "God Bless You." I immediately thought of James 2:15-17 - Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, and you say, "God bless you and have a good day; stay warm and eat well" -- but then you don't give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do? So you see, faith by itself isn't enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.
Listen to how the Message words that last statement: "Isn't it obvious that God-talk without God-acts is outrageous nonsense?" For too long I have had the "God-talk" part down but have been lacking in the "God-acts" department. This whole experience reminded me of how truly alive I feel when I am doing God-acts. We don't do God-acts out of quilt or obligation but because of the thrill of being a part of God's mission and His story.
I challenge you to keep your eyes, ears and heart open to those God-acts he may prompt you to do today.
This morning my wife walks into my office and says "I want to go pray for the homeless man and I need you to come with me." I must admit that my typical reaction when my wife asks me to join her in something like this, is that I drag my feet. For whatever reason, today I was a willing accomplice. We drove over to where he was, got out of our car and walked over to him. He didn't see us coming, so when we spoke to him it about scarred him out of his skin. I had to keep reassuring him that we were not going to hurt him. I told him we were there to help him and not to hurt him.
I asked him how he became homeless. He went into a 5 minute explanation of how he ended up where he was. In my spirit I really believed what he had to say. I told him that we were Christians and wanted to help him. I told him that we would go buy him a blanket and return. My wife recognized that our work with this man wasn't complete. She began to share the Gospel with him and asked him if he wanted to surrender his life to Jesus. He emphatically said "Yes I do, but I don't know how to do that." We led him in a prayer of confession and surrender to Jesus.
After we prayed his face changed dramatically and he said "Am I . . . what do you call what I am now?" My wife said "Your Saved." He began to get really excited and "Yeah that's it. I am saved." We told him about our church and offered to pick him up on Sunday. He was thrilled at the opportunity.
We then went back to our car. I told Dianne, "I repent of every time I have ever looked at a homeless person with harden heart and said, 'They are just a con-artist looking for a hand out.'" We then went and bought him a blanket and hot coffee.
When we went back and handed him the blanket and the coffee, I said "God Bless You." I immediately thought of James 2:15-17 - Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, and you say, "God bless you and have a good day; stay warm and eat well" -- but then you don't give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do? So you see, faith by itself isn't enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.
Listen to how the Message words that last statement: "Isn't it obvious that God-talk without God-acts is outrageous nonsense?" For too long I have had the "God-talk" part down but have been lacking in the "God-acts" department. This whole experience reminded me of how truly alive I feel when I am doing God-acts. We don't do God-acts out of quilt or obligation but because of the thrill of being a part of God's mission and His story.
I challenge you to keep your eyes, ears and heart open to those God-acts he may prompt you to do today.
Monday, November 7, 2011
Are You Listening?
When I was a kid I had this horrible habit of running in and out of the house and leaving the door open. A habit which drove my parents crazy. My parents told me that if I left the house again and left the door open, I would get a spanking. Sometime later, I was caught by my dad leaving the house with the door open again. Well he spanked me and I remember it being an especially effective one. After laying on the floor for some time crying, I got up and left the house WITH THE DOOR OPEN!
I was guilty of doing something that children do quite often: HEARING WITHOUT LISTENING! In that moment, I didn't disobey my parents imperative because I was being rebellious, but because I was being careless.
Listen to what Hebrews 2:1 says: "So we must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it." I find this verse very intriguing. It says to listen very carefully to the truth we have heard. How do you listen to something you have already heard?
Listening and hearing are obviously two completely different actions. Our ears hear things all the time but we are not really listening. There are millions of people in our world who have heard the truth of God's word again and again but have never really listened to it.
Listening means more than just your ears picking up sounds. Listening means you have processed what you have heard and are willing to take action upon what you have heard. The writer of Hebrews is speaking to people who have obviously heard the truth of God's word but he is instructing them to listen very carefully.
I believe God wants to speak to us continuously, but are we willing to take the time and energy to listen very carefully? It is crucial that we listen. The writer of Hebrews says that if we don't listen very carefully to the truth we have heard we may drift away from it.
Just like my childhood disobedience, people don't drift away from the truth out of rebellion but out of carelessness. People in rebellion against God run away, people who are careless drift away. Which I believe is even more dangerous than rebellion because we may not ever be aware that it is happening.
So I challenge you today, to listen very carefully to the truth. Maybe you don't remember the last time you read the Bible. I dare you to open it and allow God to speak to you. Maybe God will speak to you through another person, through difficult circumstances or through your day to day activities.
Whatever it is just please listen very carefully!
I was guilty of doing something that children do quite often: HEARING WITHOUT LISTENING! In that moment, I didn't disobey my parents imperative because I was being rebellious, but because I was being careless.
Listen to what Hebrews 2:1 says: "So we must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it." I find this verse very intriguing. It says to listen very carefully to the truth we have heard. How do you listen to something you have already heard?
Listening and hearing are obviously two completely different actions. Our ears hear things all the time but we are not really listening. There are millions of people in our world who have heard the truth of God's word again and again but have never really listened to it.
Listening means more than just your ears picking up sounds. Listening means you have processed what you have heard and are willing to take action upon what you have heard. The writer of Hebrews is speaking to people who have obviously heard the truth of God's word but he is instructing them to listen very carefully.
I believe God wants to speak to us continuously, but are we willing to take the time and energy to listen very carefully? It is crucial that we listen. The writer of Hebrews says that if we don't listen very carefully to the truth we have heard we may drift away from it.
Just like my childhood disobedience, people don't drift away from the truth out of rebellion but out of carelessness. People in rebellion against God run away, people who are careless drift away. Which I believe is even more dangerous than rebellion because we may not ever be aware that it is happening.
So I challenge you today, to listen very carefully to the truth. Maybe you don't remember the last time you read the Bible. I dare you to open it and allow God to speak to you. Maybe God will speak to you through another person, through difficult circumstances or through your day to day activities.
Whatever it is just please listen very carefully!
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