The "Key" to Being a Christian

Wow! You can tell that the spring semester is more busy than the fall semester just by looking at how much I post. That makes the posts more meaningful I guess.

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We got stuck outside our house on Sunday trying to lock and unlock our front door! The key would not move. The sad thing is that I knew my key was getting harder and harder to use each day I used it. I have always had to lift up on the key to unlock it...but not too much. Sometimes I could push the key in and out a couple of times quickly and it would do the trick. Other times...well...I don't know how I got it open.

But Sunday was different. Sunday was the day that Tanya's key wasn't working either. After her failed attempts, I gave it a whirl (because guys can always do what women can't, right?). Five minutes later (after being humbled in my pride) the door opened. I don't know what I did except get a little bit more impatient with my efforts and this dumb door!

Finally, we got it locked in time to go to church. As we were pulling out of the driveway, Tanya realized that we had forgotten something! What!!?? You are kidding me!! So, my door and I had another go-round. It didn't take quite as long, but I switched from my key to Tanya's several times. It was frustrating. The door finally opened and we went to church.

The next morning I finally got around to taking it apart and fixing our door lock. A little lever was a little bent, and it needed some lubrication. All is well now and our keys work fine. The door unlocks and opens when we want it too.

This got me to thinking (surprise, surprise!). This passage jumped to my mind:
"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened."

I noticed the door being opened. There is no key to the door mentioned. It is not "knock and a key will be given so you can open the door." No, knock and the door will be opened to you. It is not by my power that the door opens. The door just opens. It is not by my efforts. It is not by my efforts. God is working, not Chris.

Let us knock on the door and have the patience for it to open.

Cleanliness

How does God clean us? This is the question that lingers in my mind this morning after reading Psalm 51. Surely it has something to do with my sacrifices, doesn't it? That makes sense...I think. When I am "dirty" with sin, my sacrifices somehow cleanse me and pacify God's wrath against me. Blood has to be shed when there is sin, so sacrifice is a necessity. That is what I normally might think.

But I read about something different in David's Psalm here. Sin is present...no doubt about it. David wants mercy. He wants to be washed. He wants joy and gladness. David wants to be clean.
So, how does he get clean? I see David appealing to God's character. It is because God is an unfailing-love kind of God. It is because he is a compassionate God. It is because God is the one who saves. God cleans us because God is all these things. He cleans us by being all the things. God's character is powerful enough to bring cleanliness to us.

Well, surely we have to do something, don't we?

Yes, but it is not burnt offerings. And it is only in response to his cleaning us.

Well, what do we do?

According to this Psalm, we fall down in humility. Our sacrifice is a broken spirit, a contrite heart. There is nothing we can do, but appeal to God in true humility. Any justifying of my actions that happens shows that true humility is not yet present. I must know and recognize that I am sinful...period.

I also notice that we teach others, but only afterwards. David says that he will teach transgressors God's ways and sinners will turn back to God. It is only after God cleanses us that we are able to tell others about what God has done. This brings glory to God and God alone.

So, God cleans us by his being God. We are cleansed in our humility before the God who was and is and is to come. Let us fall before the throne of the one who is highly exalted above all gods. Amen!

What do you put in?

"Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the
crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in
large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins,
worth only a fraction of a penny. Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, 'I
tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the
others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in
everything--all she had to live on.'" Mark 12:41-44

This morning as I read this familiar passage, I am struck anew with an assumption in the passage. The assumption is: everyone gave. The rich and poor alike. Everyone gave to God's work in the temple.

There are some Sunday mornings that I pass the collection plate without putting something in. Most of the time it is because I forgot to write a check that morning. This doesn't bother me because I know that the check will be written either that night or the next day. It is not that big of a deal.

However, I wonder how many people pass the collection plate with no intention to give whatsoever. Many reasons exist why people don't give to God's work; I have said them myself and heard many others. They don't make much money. They can hardly pay bills, so they definitely don't have enough for giving. They don't have regular income. They want to know that the money is going to be spent well, so they only give to special collections. They just don't want to give. The reasons go on and on.

When I read this text, I notice that the focus of the text is not on how much was given. The focus is on the attitude that must have been present in the people giving in the temple.

This text follows a little pericope that makes this focus unmistakeable. Jesus warns about the teachers of the law walking around in flowing robes. They love to be greeted everywhere and have the most important seats. He says they devour widows' houses and make lengthy prayers. Everything is for show. Jesus ends by saying, "Such men will be punished most severely." Then, our text.

Now we understand why Mark put this pericope before. It helps make sense of the widow's giving. He is making a statement here. The statement is: don't give for show. Let your attitude be, "I am giving...period. Even if it means that everything I have to live on is really an insigificant amount. I am giving to the work of the Lord no matter the cost."

It is refreshing to think about for me. It means that I can release the anxiety I feel about how insignificant my giving seems to be. God is glorified in my giving when my attitude is adjusted.

Lord, encourage us (as your people) to check our attitude in giving. Encourage us to give without letting it consume our life. Teach us to trust you like this widow we read about. You can use our "two very small copper coins" for your glory just like you can use the "large amounts." Please be patient with us as we learn your ways. Amen.

God is Faithful

The sermon last night got me to thinking. Bob encouraged us to know that God is faithful. There truly are passages throughout scripture that put this truth before us. It cannot be ignored!

The question that lingers in my mind is this: how faithful am I? If I am being transformed into the image of the invisible God, and if my character progresses towards that of God's more and more each day, how faithful am I?

Is "faithful" the word that people would use to describe the way that I am committed to my spouse? He is faithful. Would it describe the way that I raise my children? He is faithfully present with them, especially when he says he will be. Do people use "faithful" to describe how I edify the those around me? You can really count on Chris to edify others...that is just something he does. When temptation comes knocking in its various forms, can I say that I am "faithful" to stand up under it and resist temptation for the glory of our faithful God? He faithfully resists all temptation and points to God in the process. Can "faithful" encapsulate the nature of my business dealings, my taxes, my travel logs, my speedometer, and my friendships? Is "faithful" the word that is used to describe me?

This is a scary question. Most of the time, it is so because it confronts me with my unfaithfulness. I have a long way to go toward being completely faithful. So do all of us. Yet, it also encourages me toward perfect faithfulness. Because I desire to reflect God completely, I desire to be perfectly faithful. Therefore, I press on.

And you need to also! The implications of "God is faithful" abound. How are you living out God's faithfulness in your life today? What do you need to perfect in the realm of faithfulness? Be faithful as God is faithful.

Incarnational Ministry

Paul's admonition to the Corinthians challenges me in my ministry with college students: "Imitate me as I imitate Christ." (11:1)

Sitting in my office last Wednesday, it occurred to me that I spend WAY too little time with students outside of the Student Center. It is embarrassing that I don't know where many of our students live. It is not good that if I were to enter a student's apartment, dorm, or house that they would think, "Okay, what is he doing here?"

If I am to take the incarnation of Jesus seriously, I need to follow his example. Jesus came to us. Therefore, in imitating Jesus, I go to students. Why do we get in our mind that students need to come to the Student Center to change their lives? While that will certainly happen by the power of God, students really need Jesus (in us) to come to them.

I will slowly begin going to our students' instead of the other way around. How are you doing the same with others?

Kayla's Light

We have a well-established routine each night before we go to bed. I cherish the opportunity I have each night to take Kayla through this routine. It is good bonding time with Kayla.

About two months ago, Kayla started doing something new that is really weird. I don't know why she does it or what got her doing it in the first place. As we come into her room (that has all the lights off) she stops at the little luminescent light we have in one of the plugs. She kisses it, then she gives it a hug. Sometimes she does this two times.

There are some nights that I just want to get one with it, so I try to hurry her up. We don't need to be doing this every time we come into the room. We finish our routine, get in bed, and go to sleep. See you tomorrow. That's it.

Tonight, I got to thinking about her quirky little light thing. It is like before she gets going into her dark room, she needs to take care of the light. She needs the light to see and responds appropriately...I guess this expression of love is appropriate behavior for a 2-year-old.

Our world is dark; that is the reality that we live in. In spite of this, we need to remember to love the light. While kissing it is hard, we remember to walk in the light as God is in the light. It is a good reminder to place the light in a prominent place in our life every single day. I close with 1 John 1:5-7:

"This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin."

Satan Waits Again

"Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of suffering." 1 Peter 5:8-9.

Satan is very sneaky in his vices. He tried to permanently blind me to the power of God in my storm. He took advantage of what I didn't know about my brothers and tempted me to react against the worst possible scenarios, as if these scenes were in fact going to happen. What a liar Satan is.

It would have worked had God (through his word) not been alive! As I cried out to God yesterday, he answered. Jesus stood and said, "Calm! Be still!" Then Satan fled. He waits for the next time.

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I just made an observation about what precedes the passage I quoted above. 1 Peter 5:6-7 reads, "Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you."

I was letting my fear/anxiety run through my own reason, my own head, my own emotions. I didn't initially cast my anxiety on God. How foolish! That is what Satan was looking for in me. When I didn't give God my fear, Satan came running for the kill. He can use my fear when it is still with me. Once it is God's, Satan can't do anything.

Let us not act out of fear! Let us cast all our anxiety on God alone. Resist the urges of Satan.

The Storm

This morning we have a 30 percent chance of rain for Huntsville. There is something about the rain that I love. It is calming. It is refreshing. It reminds me of God's word going out to accomplish what He desires and achieve the purpose for which he sent it (Isa 55:9-11). That is exactly what happened this morning.

One of our daily readings was from Mark 4. Before getting into the text, I must say that more than rain has been around me. It is a storm! A storm of doubt, confusion, concern, questions, animosity, reflection, love, fear, wisdom, patience, jealousy, and much more surrounds me! You want to talk about emotions all over the place...the thunder is deafening! The storm clouds thicken all around me. And it came on so quickly. How did I find myself in such a place? I hardly have space enough to stay in the boat. Should I bail now? Where can I go? The waves are nearly swamping the boat.

So when I read this morning Mark 4:37, I understand. "A furious squall line came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped." I understand how the disciples could say something like, "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?" a verse later. I understand. I understand their doubt. I understand their fear. I understand their lack of faith. I'm there too!

But, Jesus doesn't stay there! Praise God! He is responsive. He is the one who acts. He is the one who has faith. He is what I need right now. It is Jesus. It is my, Lord! He stands up, rebukes the wind, and says to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!"

Quiet. Be still.

It is so simple. It is not complicated. Those are the words that I need spoken to my storm! Quiet! Be still!

Lord, stand and speak. Don't let this storm overtake me. Increase my faith that you will calm the storm. Squall lines don't last long, but your words do. Please come and speak. Amen!

Psalm 37:30-40

This mornings Psalm reading:

"The mouth of the righteous man utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks what is just.
The law of his God is in his heart; his feet do not slip.
The wicked lie in wait for the righteous, seeking their very lives;
but the Lord will not leave them in their power or let them be condemned when brought to trial.
Wait for the Lord and keep his way. He will exalt you to inherit the land; when the wicked are cut off, you will see it.
I have seen a wicked and ruthless man flourishing like a green tree in its native soil,
but he soon passed away and was no more; thought I looked for him, he could not be found.
Consider the blameless, observe the upright; there is a future for the man of peace.
But all sinners will be destroyed; the future of the wicked will be cut off.
The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord; he is their stronghold in time of trouble.
The Lord helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them because they take refuge in him."

Something I needed to hear.

Updates on Facebook

There was one student who was in the college group at University Church in Abilene that sent me a friend request on Facebook this evening. I just took a quick look at her ACU friends list to see if I knew anyone I could add to my friends list. After 45 minutes, I had reconnected with many old friends from ACU, found out what they were up to, and send a ton of other friend requests to people I want to reconnect with. In addition to this, I was able to pray for a friend and have him pray over me. What an amazing world we live in!

I feel refreshed and ready to worship our God tomorrow morning! He continues to show me his glory through the simplest things! Praise God for the moments he shows up.

Church Website

Two Sundays ago, I had four college students come to Sunday morning class. The problem was that we were no longer having college class. There were just not enough students coming. Sometimes no one would show up! It was very discouraging. So, when I told them that we didn't have class, they began wondering where they should go. One student asked me where the "Body, Soul, and Spirit" class met. I didn't know, but as I asked someone I realized that all adult Bible Classes were currently going through the One-Year Bible reading. Each class would be doing that. The student told me she saw this class on the church website and I knew I had to break the news. Our church website had not been updated recently.

This incident got me to try to begin tackling the job of updating our website. It needs major help! I am taking the initiative because that is what our community needs. We will see what happens, but I am still waiting to get access soon.

God's Word

This year we have begun reading through the Bible using a One-Year Bible reading schedule. It is about four, sometimes five, pages of reading. There is a passage from the OT, a passage from the NT, a Psalm, and a Proverb every day. I have kept to the schedule. It is actually much easier than the schedule I had been keeping the last year and a half.

I must say that this sipping of God's word that I have been doing this year has proved to be refreshing. I find myself not compelled toward study. I don't think about lessons that can come from these passages as I am reading. I just read. In doing so, I notice things I'm not sure that I would have noticed before. New implications for the reading. New ideas and concepts on living that I glossed over until now.

My day is filled with more grace since the reading. Praise God for his enduring word. It refreshes the soul. It grabs the heart. It sustains life. May your word be near me, Lord. May it never depart.

Sunday Worship

I feel like I am talking about this a lot, but it continues to linger in my thoughts. Worship. Yesterday, worship was full for me. My heart was moved...I was engaged. I went home refreshed!

I look at the factors that brought about this in my heart. The song selection had a lot to do with it. C was singing, and he chose great songs. He always seems to do a great job leading us into the presence of God. To put it another way...the focus was rightly placed on God.

He accomplished this by starting songs from within the congregation; he began the song at his seat. I love it! He also focused our minds on what this song is accomplishing in our worship time. The songs were appropriate for their purposes.

Here is what really moved my heart: I was able to freely respond to my hearts' call to clap during appropriate songs. As I closed my eyes, I rejoiced in the presence of God singing, "Behold He comes, riding on the clouds, shining like the sun at the trumpet call..."

May God continue to lead us into his presence during our worship. Lord...revive us! Bring new wineskins so that we can carry the new wine. Let us be the new wineskins, Lord. Let us progress toward your presence according to your word. Amen!

Birthday time

Kayla turned two years old today. Tonight at devo we sang happy birthday to her. She didn't know what to do with the candle, but we were just practicing for tomorrow for her party. It is hard to believe that she is already two!! It really does go by fast.

This reminds me of how little time we have here on earth. We were born just yesterday!! With this little amount of time given us we need to glorify God. It won't be long until our chances are up. As long as it is called today...glorify Him.

Instrumental Worship

Rick Atchley and the elders at Richland Hills Church of Christ have added a third service on Saturday night. This worship service will be instrumental worship. It obviously is being watched by many churches in our fellowship. It also poses questions throughout the Churches of Christ.

I found out about a three-part sermon series by Rick Atchley about the decision they made as a congregation. Something I can say about Rick is that he always boldly proclaims God's word! After watching the lessons, he has encouraged me in my ministry in Huntsville to seriously consider how I encourage and/or challenge those around me. This is a difficult task that many minister face, myself included. How much do I affirm what others already believe? How much do I challenge them? How much do I reorient people? No matter what, though, I must stand on the word of God. Rick poses very interesting questions that I pray glorify God.

Here are some questions I struggle with in this conversation about instrumental music:

How can healthy conversation happen without "sides" becoming polarized? Can we learn anything from those with whom we disagree?

When is it appropriate to give up my "rights" in an effort to edify the church?

What is the relationship between corporate worship and individual worship?

Lord of the Harvest

"Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, 'The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.'" (Matthew 9:35-38)"

The campus is full of students who are harassed and helpless to do anything about it. They are sheep without a shepherd. They will tell you that they know where they are going, but they don't have a clue. They have a plan for their career, their family, their success. All the while, they are sheep without a shepherd. They feel how direction-less they are inside. They really don't know how to deal with their emptiness, their desire to belong to something significant. This is the harvest field.

For those "insiders" (so-to-speak) we know the harvest is plentiful. Workers are needed to work. But what exactly are they working? They are working the seed of good news, that we have a shepherd who gives life. That is what Jesus was doing just before this passage in Matthew. Raising the dead, stopping the flow of blood, restoring sight, freeing the demon-possessed. Jesus was showing his shepherd abilities. It is at this point that we see the call: Pray that workers are sent out!

My prayer is that I begin with the harvest before me. Students need the Shepherd...I will lead them to him.

illustrations of worth

Last Sunday I went to the Hispanic class. They only spoke Spanish. It was good for me to be there for many reasons. I always jump at opportunities to improve my Spanish. Also, I had never heard of a few things the teacher had said. They were not foreign concepts to me, but the way that he presented them was new. It was also good that I got to hear his illustrations as he taught.

He talked about the New Testament in relation to the whole Bible. It was like the meat of a sandwich giving all the flavor. You could just eat the bread or lettuce, but the substance is gone. This is the illustration that stands out to me. There were other examples that I cannot recall right now, but he continued throughout the class relating to people through illustrations.

Obviously, Jesus did the same. I have tried to get better and better at this in my own teaching too. Just this morning I realize that I need to meditate on life more. Illustrations are everywhere. Spending the time thinking through life will help me connect my teaching with students' lives. Much of my prep time this semester will be allowing God to guide my thinking in this regard: how can I present illustrations of worth

Stepping Out in Faith

I am really nervous right now. This semester is a new one for me. We do not have an intern that I can turn to any time I need to. Before I could always count on Daniel. Now he is not here. We have an empty spot.

I have intentionally not filled the intern spot praying that the void will be filled by a student leadership team that will step up. Classes start tomorrow and we still have not hashed out our calendar. This goes against every atom in my body! I know we are going to have a big welcome back activity, but I don't know what it is going to be yet. A student has taken that on.

When I close my eyes I picture what walking by faith is all about. We don't fill up our calendar just to keep us busy...act like we are doing something. We walk by faith knowing that God will show us what we need to be doing. When the opportunity comes we pray we have our eyes open to see it and the courage to do it.

Walking by faith isn't easy. You approach the day you have with eager expectation to see what God brings you this day. You trust that words will be there. You trust that the Lord will guide you. Even a day before the students come back, I am forced to trust that God will provide. We need leaders. I don't see too many...yet...we walk out in faith. Guide our steps Lord.

Moving Me in Worship

Being honest, I sat yesterday in our weekly Sunday service with a critical eye. I was going to see if 'they' could move me...whoever 'they' were. The service began normally. I had "seen it before, heard it before, and gone through that motion before." As we progressed through the service, I found myself trying to focus on what was happening. However, I kept thinking about me doing what I was doing. Nothing was moving me at all. I couldn't wait to tell how 'they' didn't move me in worship. Time for the invitation song.

"Lay Your Burdens Down..." the song begins. As I stood to let people respond (obviously not me, so I thought) to the message the thought occurred to me, "Why is this the song of invitation? It is such a great song!" I stood anyway, closed my eyes, sang, and was overwhelmed.

This song moved me! Rather, God used this song to move me. Seriously...I was shaking at the end of it. I was even trying to stop shaking because I didn't want to be moved. I wanted to prove my point that nothing in the service could move me. Then I could wallow in my own self-absorption of empty worship. That didn't happen. I was moved. It was God. I couldn't help it!

Reflecting on this over the last day, I have learned how much I need to grow! Why am I coming to worship trying to prove that I can't be moved? I should be seeking the very thing I was avoiding yesterday: God's presence. Yet, amazingly enough, God was gracious enough to allow a song to usher his presence into my life. How many times does God use songs to move me in worship? Too many.

Thank you, God, for being so gracious. Thank you for your patience with me. I need to grow so much. Let me continue to be aware of your presence in my life. May your praise be on my lips throughout the day. Keep me from the cynicism I experienced yesterday...all for your glory. You are the one I need. Let me seek you alone.

The Joy of Potty Training

Kayla is growing up so fast! Because she likes crackers, potty training has become one of Kayla's favorite hobbies. Yesterday, nine times she said, "Iwa tee tee." That means, "I want to go tee tee on the toilet so I can get a cracker." Many times when she finishes her cracker, she asks for another one. Once I tell her that she only gets a cracker when she goes tee tee or poo poo, she immediately says, "Iwa tee tee" again. We smile and say, "You just went tee tee." She smiles back and says, "yeah." It is pretty cute. I love how she is growing up! I guess she will be driving in a few months, so I better get ready!

This makes me wonder about how we grow up in Christ. What is it like for God to watch us grow up? I know the joy I have in seeing Kayla discover new things, learn new words, play with legos, laugh as she learns she can keep the rope away from our dog, and just grow up as a human. It truly is a joy!

Solomon understood this when he began his proverbs in Proverbs 10:1 by saying, "A wise son brings joy to his father." As children apply wisdom to their life, it impacts more than just themselves. It brings joy to their parents and others who see. In the same manner, as children of the God who sees all we do, our wise choices in life bring joy to our heavenly father. I imagine a heavenly smile coming across the face of God when I choose to live according to God's word...no matter how small and basic it is. It is a joy for God to see us going t-t in the potty as well as designing a brand new potty for others. How are you going to bring joy to your heavenly father today?

Pray for Benjamin Gatewood

Please pray for Benjamin Gatewood. He was born on Dec 31. Apparently his trachea and esophagus did not form properly in the womb. Once they cut the umbilical cord, he couldn't breathe. After an emergency tracheotomy he could breathe. He won't be able to breathe again until surgery happens in a few weeks.

His parents, Whit and Adrienne, were teammates with us on the Mission Miami team. They are dear friends and we want to get as many people as possible praying for them. Thank you for your prayers.

Please read Whit's blog about Benjamin's status.

Semester Prep

Well, this is my first day back in the office. I must say that it is good to be back. I am Christmas'd out. Praise God for the season, and I will look forward to the same at the end of this year. But, it is good for me to be getting back to normal.

I don't know what to think about this semester yet. I am a little nervous about what it will bring. We don't have the calendar planned out because we haven't met to do so. I think we will be taking things as they come. Since Daniel is gone I am relying on a group of students. More than anything I need to communicate to them that I am relying on them. I plan to do this soon. In fact, one student is wanting to plan our fun "welcome back" activity. I hope to contact him today about that. (Just in case you wanted to know that.)

Our discipleship group will be starting at the beginning of this semester too. I just ordered their books this morning. Words cannot describe how excited I am about taking my relationship with God and these men to another level. I am intentionally not going through the material beforehand so that these men can experience my unplanned thinking process. I think this will allow them the freedom to engage the material more readily. I will keep us posted on the development of this discipleship group.

Living Anew with God

Below is the sermon I preached yesterday. I know that it is a long post, but for those interested...there you go.

Title: Living Anew with God

Text: 2 Kings 22:1-23:3

Focus Statement: God continues to work newness into life

Function Statement: To foster a sense of renewal in our lives

Introduction

Painting by Thomas Hart Benton in the Dallas Museum of Art. Key parts: late afternoon sun, man looking at old shack, roof about to cave in, suitcase held together by two ropes, cow skeleton, man’s hands on beard wondering something. Its name is ‘The Prodigal Son.’ In Thomas Benton’s telling of the prodigal son, we learn that the son waited too long. You’re too late! A welcoming family does not tend the house with servants, the fatted calf is now dry bones, and there is no reconciliation between father and son. The story is anything but the one I know!

Transition: But, this picture is exactly the picture I see when I look at the story of Josiah at the end of the book in 2 Kings 22. Go ahead and turn there.

Rejected Property

The book of Kings is a long series of stories about leaders…kings…“who did evil in the eyes of the Lord” (2 Kings 11:6; 15:25; 16:25, 30). Time and time again a king is described as one who “forsook the Lord, the God of his fathers, and did not walk in the way of the Lord” (i.e. 2 Kings 21:22). It is as if we see all over again the sin that gets worse and worse at the beginning of Genesis, which led to the flood where God totally destroyed the world.

Then, in the chapter just before we begin to read about Josiah, God makes his pronouncement: “I am going to bring such disaster on Jerusalem and Judah that the ears of everyone who hears of it will tingle” (21:12). Even after the story of Josiah we see the lord rejecting his people: (23:27) “So the Lord said, ‘I will remove Judah also from my presence as I removed Israel, and I will reject Jerusalem, the city I chose, and this temple, about which I said, “There shall my Name be.”’”

All of this was part of the covenant God established with Israel so many years ago. Keep my commands and you will be blessed; reject my commands and you will be cursed. So…because Israel rejected God’s commands…it is set…Jerusalem will fall…there is nothing you can do about it! No amount of repentance will change my mind. You can hear the distant voices saying …you are too late…just like Thomas Hart Benton’s rendition of ‘The Prodigal Son’…you waited too long…you kings of Israel.

Transition: But, you can’t just let these distance voices convince us that there is no hope…that we should just resign ourselves to inescapable destruction as rejected property! There is more in our text this morning that compels us to keep listening. The story of Josiah is filled with hope…with renewal. Let’s move in a little closer to hear the story.

Business as Usual

As the story of the Kings comes to a close (at the very end of the book), we see this story of Josiah. He is the one we have been looking for as far as walking with the Lord. “He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and walked in all the ways of his father David, not turning aside to the right or to the left” (22:2). “Neither before nor after Josiah was there a king like him who turned to the Lord as he did—with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his strength, in accordance with the law of Moses” (23:25).

Josiah comes on the scene as an eight-year old boy (22:1). Ten years pass by without any mention of his activity. Nothing stands out as noteworthy to the narrator of 2 Kings. The years went on like usual. A young king doing what young kings are supposed to do…I guess. Business as usual for king Josiah. Even after ten years of being king we see business continuing as usual in 22:3. The kings of Israel regularly sponsored repairs and renovations on the temple. That is what you were supposed to do…repair and renovate the temple…and so…Josiah does this.

He sends the secretary, Shaphan, with this message. (22:4) “Go up to Hilkiah the high priest and have him get ready the money that has been brought into the temple of the Lord, which the doorkeepers have collected from the people. (5) Have them entrust it to the men appointed to supervise the work on the temple. And have these men pay the workers who repair the temple of the Lord—(6) the carpenters, the builders and the masons. Also have them purchase timber and dressed stone to repair the temple.”

Business continues as we continue reading, but there is something new in the story…its something powerful, but not important at first. Hilkiah the high priest found a book in the temple during the course of business. He (oddly enough as a priest) doesn’t know what to do with this book, so he gives it to the secretary, Shaphan. It, apparently, isn’t too important to Shaphan either. He almost forgot to mention it to the king when he was reporting back to him about business. (vs.9) “Then Shaphan the secretary went to the king and reported to him: ‘Your officials have paid out the money that was in the temple of the Lord and have entrusted it to the workers and supervisors at the temple.’” Business as usual… money… workers doing their job…normal stuff here. Oh yeah! (vs.10) “Then Shaphan…informed the king, ‘Hilkiah the priest has given me a book.’ And Shaphan read from it in the presence of the king.”

Transition: At this point in the story, business as usual is over! Life changes. Josiah’s response is unprecedented. Even though we don’t know what the contents of the book are until later, it must be powerful to make such a dramatic change in a person.

Josiah’s Initial Response

Josiah rips his clothes. He orders three other people (more people are involved now) to go with Hilkiah and Shaphan to inquire of the Lord through a prophetess (Huldah) to see if these things are true. It seems like Josiah fears that something bad might happen soon because of the disobedience of his predecessors. She affirms his suspicions (vs.16): “This is what the Lord says: I am going to bring disaster on this place and its people, according to everything written in the book the king of Judah has read. Because they have forsaken me and burned incense to other gods and provoked me to anger by all the idols their hands have made, my anger will burn against this place and will not be quenched.”

At this point, I still don’t see anything good about this story. Nothing has changed! Destruction is still coming. There is something about the words of the Lord “my anger…will not be quenched” that doesn’t give me hope. I see the image of Thomas Benton’s prodigal son. Those voices comes around again, “Its too late.” “You can’t change anything.” “Don’t even try.” You know Josiah was probably thinking that when he received the news from the prophetess…wasn’t he? Let’s see.

Josiah’s Complete Response

2 Kings 23:1-3. What does Josiah do? He tells as many people as possible. More people need to know what is written in this book. We learn here that he is reading from the Book of the Covenant. There are many ideas of exactly what is contained in this book that Josiah read. It could be the laws of Exodus 20-23. It could be pieces of Deuteronomy. It could be the whole Pentateuch, the first five books of the OT. Whatever it is…it contains the idea of blessings and curses predominant in Deuteronomy. Meaning…those who keep the commands of God will be blessed, while those who reject the commands of God will be cursed. Josiah needs to tell everyone the contents of this book.

Beyond just telling people about the book, Josiah did something else. He also renewed the old covenant between Israel and God. He is interested in following the Lord despite the circumstances (despite the fact that God is about to destroy Israel), Josiah decides to renew the covenant in the presence of the Lord.

Taking things even further than verbally renewing the covenant, Josiah completely reforms the entire kingdom (23:4ff). He tears down idols in the temple set up to Baal and Asherah. He does away with all the pagan priests, mediums, and spiritists. He tears down the houses of prostitution. He breaks down shrines, burns other altars, scatters the ashes, and desecrates the so-called “holy places” throughout the land. He takes bones from tombs, puts them on altars, and burns them…total desecration. He slaughters all the priests of Samaria’s high places on their altars and burned human bones…again desecrating them.

On a slightly more positive note, Josiah commands all the people of the land to celebrate the Passover. The narrator says the Passover had not been celebrated since the time of the judges. They again participate in an event that defined them as a people…God showing his favor to Israel when he passed over them when he killed Egypt’s first born. They celebrate the Passover!

Overall, when you read about “Josiah’s reforms” (as they are called), you can’t help but say that it was complete reformation. Josiah truly had a heart that was responsive and humble just like the prophetess said (22:18-20). And you could tell this by the way he behaved. The narrator says (and I read it again) “Neither before nor after Josiah was there a king like him who turned to the Lord as he did—with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his strength, in accordance with the law of Moses” (23:25).

Transition: I can’t help but ask (when I hear the story of Josiah), “Why? … Why does Josiah respond this way? Why doesn’t he just resign to his fate and carry on business as usual? No harm in that right?”

Living Anew with God

Well…yeah there is if you’re Josiah. [pause] Apparently, if you are going to walk right and “do what is right in the eyes of the Lord,” you are going to do this regardless of the circumstances. Regardless of the fact that Judah is going to be destroyed regardless. Repenting is just the right thing to do. You do what is right, period. Josiah hears the words of the Lord and responds accordingly. He doesn’t say, “If my repentance doesn’t change God’s judgment against Judah, I am not going to repent.” Josiah instead says, “Living anew with God means responding to his words that never change.” So, he stands by the pillar and reads the words of God to everyone! That is bold.

This is the message that confronts us here today: how are we going to live anew with God and respond TODAY to his words? The world around us seems to be telling us (ever so subtly), “It doesn’t matter! If you want to do that to make you feel better…go ahead. But it really doesn’t make the world a better place by doing all these things.” They might whisper in our ears that living with God is just about going to church and saying the right things. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Living anew with God means…living according to his word. His word still speaks to us today…just like it did to Josiah. The words that God has spoken are not hidden away in the basement. Instead, they are accessible. They are alive. They are real. They guide us. They speak to us right now! Where are they? They are in the Bible.

Our job…no…our responsibility…is to stand by the pillar and read them! We must be committed to God’s unchanging word despite our circumstances. All of our circumstances change by the minute, but God’s word never changes. The message he spoke to Josiah is the message he speaks to us today. It is an invitation to life with God. His word needs to be close to our heart. Now is the time to renew yourself to God’s enduring word.

The question I have for us this morning is this: How are you going to get into God’s word this next year? Even more than that…how are you going to live according to his word? You can read the words all you want. You can even praise God for his glorious words that offer life. But it is completely empty if you don’t do anything about it. As James tells us, “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says….the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.” (James 1:22, 25)

As we encounter God’s word again, we need to ask, “What are we going to do to live anew with God?” Reformation needs to happen.

God needs your commitment to him despite how tough times are for you right now. I really do get tired of people saying to me, “I need to do better, I know. But I am about to get this new job. Or I am about to retire. Or I am about to do this or about to do that.” There is always something. But, we can still serve God and live life anew while doing all these things. You don’t have to wait until everything is perfect before you begin. Begin now! I can’t think of a better time of the year.

Perhaps you are going through life thinking things are just business as usual. Life is going along pretty normally…nothing major is happening in my life and I am going to work on keeping it that way. But, if we are to take this passage in 2 Kings seriously, we are to be continually looking for ways to reform our lives according to God’s word in a responsive and humble manner. We want to be ones who DID right in the eyes of the Lord. Not the ones who WILL DO or ARE ABOUT TO DO right in the eyes of the Lord. We don’t want business as usual. We have that chance right in front of us. Right now. What are we going to do?

I want to close by reading the chorus of a song from a Christian band.

Watermark song: All Things New

CHORUS:

Because of who You are and who I am in you

You make all things pure

Because of who You are and who I am in You

You make all things true

You make all things new

It is because of who God is and whom he has made us to be that we can begin anew with life with God. God truly makes all things new. That is his business. He can do it. Let’s respond as a community. It is not too late! Let’s live anew with God.

Newness in Christ

I am just beginning to think through a sermon I will preach on Dec 31st. Please bear with me.

The Lord brings new things our way all the time. Many times, however, it isn't new to me. I have heard it before. I know that already. I have read this passage countless times before. How many times do I take communion? When am I not going through my routine? I let the oldness set in and stifle any newness that the Lord wants to bring.

Actually, oldness was set in with Josiah, Shaphan (the secretary), and Hilkiah (the priest). Looking at their life in 2 Kings 22, we see routine: a king doing kingly things, a secretary doing secretary things, and a priest doing priestly things (but not according to the Law apparently). They were not near newness.

That is until they discover a "new," old book of the Law in the temple. Then Josiah went throughout the kingdom bringing the newness that was intended to exist continually since the time of Moses. The newness came however, not simply because of finding this book. It was found by a responsive, humble heart (2 Kings 22:19). The newness continued with new responsibilities: the priest now had to inquire of the Lord, the king had to change the kingdom business, the people had to smash all that opposed the law, and the foreign priests had to die. The newness came with a vengeance.

Today, we have a chance to allow newness to penetrate our hearts. Our humility before the Lord will usher in new life. Our behavior will follow and thereby bring more newness. May God bring the newness found in Christ deep within ourselves and give us rest.

God does what God does

Last Thursday I had a conversation that I have never had before (by choice) and will never have again (again by choice). The conversation was with Daniel, our intern. We had both talked with a student in our ministry, L, earlier that afternoon. She was wondering why things don't go easy for her and was asking for us to pray for her being able to get into a class to graduate on time. Both of us prayed for her.

Daniel mentioned in our conversation that he couldn't help but think about how easy things go for him most of the time. In his transition to another school housing, acceptance, transferring credits, and other little things just took care of themselves without much effort. I anticipate more of the same. As Daniel and I talked, I actually told him something I think fairly regular...I just don't ever say it. I told Daniel that I am not surprised things are going well for him. His life compared to L's is much more focused on God, much more in pursuit of godly endeavors, etc. Of course God is going to make things more easy for him.

Our conversation was much more complex than this. I told him my hesitancy to ever say something like this. I always think of the life of Job in situations like this. That keeps my mouth shut...as it should. Then I began to explore being able to discern God's will. With equal hesitancy I always balk in presuming to know his will for sure. I told Daniel that I think we need to allow the Holy Spirit guide us in times like this. We can know God's will through his Spirit...it just takes a listening heart. And on the conversation went...meddling in the activity of saying how God works in people's lives.

On my way home I picked up some Chili's. It was good. By the end of my meal however, I was having some major indigestion. Then the thought occurred to me that this was the same feeling I had with my kidney stones a while back. I began downing water like a madman.

The rest of the evening was spent in my room, mainly in the bathroom. I threw up my whole meal and more. Four hours of horrible-ness!! I couldn't keep even the water that I continued to drink down. And the pain continued to get worse. Only once I prayed to the Lord to take away my pain (toward the end). I don't know why I didn't cry out to him earlier.

Right before I prayed a dreadful thought occurred to me. I am convinced that the thought (voice?) was from the Lord. The thought was, "Do not presume to know how I work." As I prayed, I asked for relief so that God could be glorified. That is what I am doing now. I am telling you that I believe God caused my pain (in Job-like fashion) to humble my prideful presumptions.

I warn you: do not presume to know how and why God works in people's lives. Let us, however, be the ones God uses to accomplish his will.

Running Progress

Well...I can't believe I haven't posted in so long!! Oh well...it changes now.

I have committed to run a half-marathon in the year 2007. I don't think this will be a problem...I just need to get my body in shape for it. Last weekend I hit the halfway mark. I ran 6.5 miles down Veterans Memorial Parkway. It was tough, but I know that I can reach my mark pretty soon. I plan to run 10 miles this week again down Veterans Memorial. After that it will only be 3 miles more.

I am encouraged to hit this mark...especially running down Veterans Memorial. It is really hilly...that is what makes it so tough. I figure that if I can run this the half-marathon won't be so bad...no way will it be THIS hilly.

The spiritual side of my running will continue to take form, but I offer these words. I definitely know that I am a beginner. In spite of this, I know my goal. It is encouraging to make so much progress, but I can't get discouraged when it doesn't go so well at times. All I can do is get myself in shape to take the next step. We must always keep going...it is not an option to give up. The kingdom of God is progressing through us. May God be praised forever!! Amen.

I Saw the Turtle!!

It is official. I saw the turtle and we are having a boy. There is definitely no hamburger buns on that boy! Yesterday we had a sonogram. The boy is doing fine. He is healthy and moving around. Heartbeat is good. Yea!

Now we are starting the process of finding a name for our boy. This is a big deal for me. I go through the name book (at least when I get it back) and make sure that the name I am looking at is appropriate. If I can visualize my son having this name...it makes the cut. Once this process is finished, I look at what I have and begin talking with Tanya. We will deliberate from there. The only thing I know at this point is...not 'Christopher Jr.' I can't stand that.

I am not sure if we will tell people the name beforehand or not. For Kayla we did. I really don't care if we do or not. I don't think it is a big deal if people know the name. Hey...its cool to know the name beforehand. Then we can talk about 'Kayla' instead of 'her' or 'the baby' before Kayla is born. I liked that.

Holiday Break

Oh...I can smell it now...turkey, stuffing, deviled eggs (do these smell?), ham, football, Cowboys, laughter. [I know you can't smell some of those, but work with me here.] Thanksgiving break is huge at our family. Maybe even bigger than Christmas...I'm not sure. All I know is that I get excited thinking about it!

A when the break finally comes, nice times. I don't typically think about anything except being with family...I go on break! [There was one year that I had to do an assignment during the Cowboy game, but I was on drugs that year. That doesn't count.] Last year was the same.

But, there is a danger lurking there that I don't want to come around this Thanksgiving break. It is called the devil's playground or "spiritual warfare break." I am amazed at how these "breaks" bring Satan out of the closet full force. He loves it I know! He knows that we have mentally checked out and most of the time we have spiritually checked out too. His voice whispers, "We just need to indulge and give in every now and then! Everything will get back to normal...after your 'break.'"

I have already been battling this battle. Since Tanya and Kayla left, I have kindof been on "break." I need to wake up to Satan's lie. Lord, keep me strong throughout this break. It is this break that I need to draw from your strength, not Satan's. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Your name be praised throughout our break. Marana tha. Amen!

As a "Bachelor"

This morning I woke up and turned in my bed to see my dog snoozing away. There was music playing in the other room from KSBJ, the local Christian radio station, because I do that every time Tanya and Kayla are gone. I stayed up late last night after church just working on learning CSS, a language to help with building websites.

After my normal routine, I decided to go to the office a little early to read the Bible. Then my day started, and here I am.

I wouldn't trade married life or life as a dad for anything. I don't know that I could exist otherwise. But, there are certain days that come along that God gives us that are not "normal," whatever that means. Today has been an abnormal day because the two people closest to me are gone. I have not had to do my normal husband or father duties.

God has allowed me to quiet down enough today to hear him a little more. I plan on allowing God to speak more this weekend. I can only praise God for this brief season. This is also a time that I am going to use to think about next semester's plans. I pray that God gives me wisdom through his Spirit.

Why do students do that?

I don't want to judge too quickly because I myself am a sinner! But I logged into facebook this morning to find that two students were tagged in photos doing something I bet they are not excited that I saw. The title to the album was "Some Drunk Times/White Trash Bash." Actually, I have no idea what they were doing. The contraption is not something I have seen before.

I feel compelled to let them know that I saw the pictures, but what do I do from there? This seems like one of those moments where I need to hold out the truth of the gospel. They died to sin in their baptism; how can they live in it any longer? Let us put off our old self which is being corrupted in its deceitful desires and put on our new self which is created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

It would be easy to condemn, but the gospel puts me in the same condemned state as a sinner myself. When I hold out the word of life, we all have the chance to repent and turn to God.

I caution myself when I say these things because this behavior (if done consistently) is not proper for God's people. Reading 1 Corinthians 5, the community is corrupted by such ways of living. The call in this case is to cast this one out. Exactly what that looks like will be a learning process for me, but I know that healing should be the final outcome sought. I know reconciliation can happen.

[Note: I know that this is just one picture taken at one moment in time and should not necessarily be taken as an example of his behavior over a long period of time.]

The Holy Spirit Preventing

I have always wondered about the following passage in Acts:

"Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and
Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the
province of Asia. When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter
Bythinia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. Do they passed by
Mysia and went down to Troas." Acts 16:6-8

What? Why would God prevent them from preaching the word? I thought we were able to do that wherever we went. At least this is what I tell students! And what is going on with the Spirit of Jesus not allowing them to enter Bythinia? Why would this happen? Basically, I am full of questions concerning this passage.

Not only this, but I have similar questions regarding my recent frustrations with LST in Huntsville. My efforts are going nowhere! Is the Holy Spirit preventing this evangelistic opportunity in Huntsville? I don't know, but why would this happen? Does Friends Speak need to be up and running before LST will have a chance? What is going on?

As of now, it looks like myself and LeeAnn are the ones wanting to go on a project. Even in my commitment, I must wrestle with the familial sacrifices it would take. I don't understand what is happening. All I can do right now is wait...and continue to wrestle with God's will!

Give me understanding, Lord. Let me be patient as I wait on your timing. I am dumbfounded...please enlighten me.

Women in Ministry

I have mentioned Let's Start Talking on a few occasions now. I am finding out that women are my most enthusiastic students. They are the ones who take seriously the challenge involved with LST. They are the ones who seem halfway interested. They are the ones willing to go around the world to be used by God. Why is this?

When I get to thinking about this just in campus ministry, I see similar results. The women are more involved than the men. Women are more likely to talk to me after class about something that I mentioned than men. Women are more likely to think about how to coordinate events when I ask them to do that. [And they usually do a much better job at it than our guys!!]

I find this phenomenon interesting. This topic came up in a conversation I had recently and David mentioned that women are not given too many opportunities in ministry to make a big impact. As a result, they jump at the opportunity LST provides. I thought it was an interesting proposal, but a good one.

Looking realistically at our "student leadership" I see women AND men, but the women seem to step up more and more. I am looking to have a leadership team next semester when our intern leaves. We will see what happens.

God give me wisdom.

Let's Start Talking

Tonight about 7 are meeting to begin taking the commitment to an LST project to the next level. It seems like 6 weeks is scaring many people away from doing anything. Because of this, a 3-week project is what I am pushing for right now. I asked them to think about when and where they would like to go next summer. I would like to have our first official training meeting on Sunday if at all possible.

For a while now I have been discouraged about the enthusiasm of the students. It seems like they just didn't want to come on board with LST. I have let it rest for a little bit without saying much to the students (I don't want to be the one they avoid because they know I am going to talk about LST all the time). I am starting back up now with more enthusiasm because I seriously let it go. But time is getting pretty short now; people need to be making the choice to go on a project. We are less than a month away from the Dec 1 deadline.

Check out my personal LST webpage. You can begin making contributions to help me on my trip for next summer.

Lord, give me strength to answer questions and challenge students to get started with the application process. I want them to make the commitment because I know that God can do amazing things through them. May you be glorified, God.

Supporting Congregations

It is written in my job description, but I marginalize it all the time. I know that it is important, but I find myself doing other things. I might get it started, but put it off for another day that never comes. What is it?

I must write a report to our sponsoring congregations and people about the goings-on of Kats for Christ.

I don't know why it is not something I think about doing all the time, but it is difficult for me to actually do. I have learned (and will continually be reminded) through doing these reports that ministry calls me to do things that I don't normally find fulfilling. Yet, strangely enough, I think that these little tasks remind us that this is exactly what we are calling others to do. Namely, little things that they might not normally find fulfilling.

Give me strength this day, Lord, to fulfill my responsibilities as your minister.

Children and College Students

I mentioned earlier that I had talked to Mark Waldron about our students' willingness (or lack thereof) to serve. In that conversation I mentioned that I always struggle with a good, healthy balance between being the prophet and the pastor. The prophet calls students to change their lives. Repent before God's destruction comes! The pastor is the gentle one who offers understanding and guides the sheep in green pastures to quiet waters. Balancing the two is very difficult. When do I challenge? When do I be gentle?

I was mentioning this to Mark and he said, "Welcome to life as a parent! You will be struggling with this the rest of your life." I knew what he was talking about, but I guess it had not occurred to me that as I grow in my ability in raising Kayla and our other little one(s) my ability in ministering to college students will also grow.

The whole conversation made me realize that I do have some understanding in balancing prophet and pastor, but it will continue to grow as Kayla grows. John Huber mentioned that he could see the same thing in Barry, the previous campus minister. When he came he had one child and had two more while he was here. Through that experience, his ability to minister grew.

Cool deal. Thank you, Lord, for encouraging me to connect all aspects of my life. As I grow in one, another grows. You are so good, God.

Elder Teaching Class

Last night was a great class! It was the second of two classes that Mark Waldron (one of our elders) taught in our series on "Great Faiths." He and I met on Tuesday to discuss a few things that have been on my heart about our college students' lack of willingness to serve others.

In last night's class Mark was able to speak as one who had the authority to speak. He challenged our students to find their purpose in Christ by serving others. Mark even went as far as to say something like, "You are growing up in a world that just gives you everything. You are an audience generation! College age people now-a-days want what their parents' have right now. You are not willing to wait like your parents or work like your parents." His challenge was to not be the spectators, but the participants. God is wanting to accomplish something through everyone; we just have to be there while we can willing to be used.

I must admit that I wish I could say something like that and have the same effect. But it sounds so much different coming from Mark. He was born in 1955 and has many years of experience and wisdom in working with students in ministry. He was truly an elder leading our college students into a deeper relationship with our Lord. I loved it!

Lord, show me that you were active last night in class. Bring students to our group with a willing heart to serve you even when they are not asked specifically. May it be a joy for them to serve others here. Come, Lord Jesus, come!

Tidbits of Encouragement

In my ever-present desire to lead students into a deeper relationship with Jesus. I want to offer little words of encouragement every single day that students can take with them. It will kindof be like a little devotional thought that they can get by email. My hope is that they will read it as a way to remain focused throughout the week.

The thing that sparks this is my desire to slowly shape our students' way of thinking into that of Christ's. My hope of writing ONE email to say everything is not realistic. Especially seeing that students probably won't read something so long. Therefore, I think little tidbits here and little tidbits there will slowly guide students into God's presence.

Honestly, I don't know the best way to do this. I can just send out an email to our KFC group email list or put something on this blog group every day. The problem with the blog thing is that I don't always write devotional-oriented blogs.

Hey...I got it. On facebook I will create a group called something like 'thoughts on Jesus.' The group will be daily thoughts for college students to guide them in their journey toward Christlikeness. I can send out daily devotionals to them. I pray that God is glorified through these tidbits.

Cleaning Up

You won't notice it when you first walk into my office, but there is a shelf that I just finished cleaning up. It wa full of books, paper, junk mail, notepads, and stuff I don't even know why it was there.

This morning I chose to begin slowly cleaning up all the junk in my office...starting with that shelf. It jut makes me feel good to have that part of my office clean! I can't explain it. I might even keep it completely empty for a while so I can just enjoy it...we will see.

As I look around my office right now I know there are places that I do not need to touch. My nice bookshelf is spotless, my cabnet is cleaned up, my notebooks are organized, my study resources are neat, and my Bibles are in place.

There are also places in my office that I know I need to work on. Most people really don't even know until they get to looking. Hidden behind my desk is a mess that I can't put into words. If I don't want to deal with something at the moment, I put it on the floor with the other things I haven't dealt with. Also, haphazardly thrown into my drawers is something I just call "office stuff." Pens, staplers, sissors, highlighters, business cards, etc. I think I could even find cassette tapes (I don't even have a way to play these suckers! Aaahhhh!)

I will begin to clean these up too...but I will do so slowly over the next few weeks.


This got me to thinking. Imagine that!! I've got to begin cleaning up my life spiritually. I could start in areas that everyone can see, but I could also start cleaning up areas that no one sees. I am intentionally keeping this vague, but the stuff I keep putting behind my "desk" to deal with later need to be dealt with now.

Lord, help me start cleaning.

Where do you need to start cleaning?

Critical Update

I wonder why I am so critical of things. Most of the time, no one ever knows about it, but I definitely think about stuff all the time. Not only about myself, but also with others. I struggle with the right time to express my criticism and when to refrain.

A little while ago (last Spring), I really made a mistake without even knowing it. I was being critical with a student who needed some positive reinforcement. This student gave me a paper that we were going to use for our Mexico trip and wanted me to look over it. It was written in Spanish. I had looked over it and noticed several grammatical errors. It was just wrong. When she came back to my office a couple of days later. I just showed her some of the mistakes I saw. I also asked her about the progress with the other things she was working on.

In my mind, she was a solid student. Someone I didn't need to think about how to encourage all the time...so I thought. Apparently, I really hurt her. She hid it really well, but she eventually let me know about it. I realized that I need to be in the business of contructive criticism. This is encouraging people, yet offering suggestions for improvement too.

What sparked this thought is our secretary. I asked her to make some copies for me, front and back. When I got them back, they were one-sided...and with paper clips. The paper clip thing didn't bother me, I just asked her to staple them for me. But the front and back thing did bother me.

I am not going to say anything to her about this because I just need to get over that. However, I do think I need to communicate that I need her to listen to me a little more carefully. Lord, give me wisdom to know when to speak and when to be silent.

Concentrated Ministry

Happy Birthday, Chris. It is now one year until I am the age at which Jesus began his ministry. Kindof crazy to think about. He hadn't even started yet. All the work. All the changed lives. All the preaching. All the life.

What stands out to me is that he actually spent that long in preparation for this concentrated ministry. He was very focused. He was very intentional. There was a time when he actually left! The only glimpse of what he did before he set out is as someone who was learning. He continued to learn more and more. He grew taller. People liked Jesus, and he pleased God (as our easy-to-read LST workbook says).

What am I going to do to prepare myself for the beginning of concentrated ministry next year?

Heart Issues

Yesterday while going to a funeral in Houston, my mom called to tell me that my grandfather had a mild heart attack. This while climbing steps to send me a birthday card in the mail! Wonderful! Being the day after the third anniversary of my grandmother's passing, I have not been able to articulate some of my thoughts. Here it goes.

Moments like these remind me of the frailty of life. We think we will live forever, but that is vaporized in a moment. Close calls in the car...praise God that we are still breathing! Family members collapse and recover...praise God that he gave them (and us) more time to point others to Him! Life can vanish in a few minutes, a few seconds. What else can we do once we realize this if it is not praise God for life we have RIGHT NOW?

I can't truly live how God wants me to if I let my frailty and fear consume me. If I refuse to ride in cars because I might have a fatal accident, I have not yet let God be praised for the life he has given me! My peace is not in preventing death. My peace is in experiencing life fully while praising God and pointing people to him.

I pray that God comforts my family as we remember that our life on earth will end. Our hearts hurt, but we are growing to understand our need for God more and more. Keep the eyes of our hearts open to how you transform us through our life experiences.

Sunday Morning Prayers

I did not do a good job at preparing myself for worship yesterday morning. I went to bed upset at Tanya. I woke up thinking about getting Kayla ready for church. I watched the weather channel and a little sports center. Not good. Then, of all things in the world, I caught a little bit of MTV's Laguna Beach. WHAT!!?? Why was I watching that!?

Needless to say, I was not ready to encounter the living God in worship. When I went to class, only one student showed up. We talked a little bit, and then I decided that we better pray. I was mainly wanting to pray about students who weren't showing up. That they would get a little dedication in their lives. That they would wake up for class. That they would take God seriously.

As I prayed (even as Tanya and Spencer prayed), God showed me that I was just like them. I needed a little dedication, a little waking up, a little taking God seriously. God's presence through that prayer encouraged me a little bit, but helped focus my time for corporate worship.

Prayer bombs are on their way. In order for God to work through our students, he must first work through me. May your Spirit empower me to pray for our students. Give me the burden to sacrifice myself before your altar, God. Keep me in your path. Amen.

Parent's Visit

This weekend my parents are coming to Huntsville. I think it is great that they get a chance every once in a while to come down. It is refreshing to have family come visit. Kayla has been saying Che-Chann for the last few days. Tanya asks her who is coming and Kayla gets this big smile on her face and says, "Che-Chann." I can't wait to play some 42 and cards, sit around and talk, and watch Kayla play around the house. Praise the Lord for family!

Technological Suffocation

My laptop broke down about two weeks ago. Well, I could still work on it. I just had to hold the back left part of it up about two inches. Very annoying. I ended up sending it to HP to have them replace the system board. I finally got it back two days ago.

During the about 10 days that it was gone, I went through what I call a computer fast. (In reality it wasn't a true computer fast. I still used another computer, but it wasn't my laptop with all my files on it.) All my lessons were prepared on paper! Can you believe that!? I can't.

Oddly enough, the lessons that I prepared dealt with simplicity, Jacob's faith, my own faith, and solitude. It is strange that this happened to be the week I thought about simplicity! It is strange that God chose this time to remind me of how he worked so powerfully in my life in the past! It is strange that solitude of heart and soul is something I seek more and more throughout my day.

Yesterday was the first day back in my office with the computer. If you want to talk about how busy I felt, here you go. I was drained after the first two hours of my day! I had several studies going on, but I could hardly concentrate because I was tired. Tired from being up late on my computer the night before. I had all kinds of emails to respond to, people to put on our church email list, and files to update on my computer.

About midday I realized that my computer seemed to tbe the culprit. I felt busy because of all this technology. There might be something there in preparing lessons without the computer. There might be something there in restricting the time I use the computer. There might be something there to really seek God rather than busying myself with computer stuff.

Right now I have my Yahoo mail up, my Facebook account opened, and notepad stuff for my blog. Before writing this, I had Dreamweaver open. I will throughout the day probably have 5-7 different computer applications open because I need to go from one thing to the next and back.

Some food for thought from a computer guy: let's intentionally detach ourselves from the busy-ness of trying to do so many things at once. What would happen if we put aside our computer for even 4 hours of our day? Perhaps I can intentionally do this in an effort to help God speak to me. Am I listening?

Jesus' Sleep

I wonder about how tired Jesus was day in and day out. Did he cat nap?

I know how I get when I don't get enough sleep. The day seems to drag on and on. Monday was one of those days for me. I was up late (admittedly watching a movie), Chica (my dog) had a bad ear infection that needed attending to at 3am, Kayla woke up the first time at 5am, and then the day began at 6:15am with a grumpy girl. The day was not the most alert day I have ever had. This being the case, I magaed to get through the day all the way without being a jerk to Tanya that night.

It seems to be a normal practice for Jesus to withdraw to solitary places. I am struck by Mark 1:35ff. It was very early in the morning when he went to pray. Perhaps Mark just mentions this as a typical thing Jesus did every day. But, if he didn't get to do this every day, was Jesus fighting to stay awake through the day? We will never know, but I bet he didn't.

This doesn't make me feel good.

I have experienced seasons (and days) in my life where energy just came over me that I cannot explain. It seems to be times that I was constantly consumed with God stuff. I didn't have time to worry about how I was feeling. Mission projects, service projects, retreat weekends, counseling sessions, lessons to prepare, Bible studies, etc. All of these put me in a situation that God's energy needed to come. It did, and I was sustained.

When I am dragging through the day, perhaps I am not consumed with God's business. I probably need to put myself in a situation in which God's energy is needed. Ask for it, and see what happens.

Taking Jesus Seriously

Are you serious!!??

This is the response that I get from many students when I ask them to leave with me at 4am to go get supplies for Loaves and Fishes, a Angel Food Ministries program that relies heavily on volunteers. It is great food at a cheap price. Tons of people take advantage of this and our church is a host site for it. People who would never come to a church come through to get their order of food. When students ask me this question I simply reply...yes.

I am sure I would have asked this of Jesus if I walked with him here on earth, especially looking at the radical nature of his message. "Hey, my family is really those who do God's will." Are you serious? "Be perfect as your heavenly father is perfect." Are you serious? "The child isn't dead; she is only sleeping." What? "Listen, your sins are forgiven." "You feed them." "Anyone who wants to be my disciple must take up this business of dying." "All of you will desert me." "I am, and you will see me, the Son of Man, sitting at God's right hand in the place of power and coming back on the clouds of heaven." "You will be my witnesses throughout the world." Are you serious, Jesus?

His response?

"Yes."

Are you taking him seriously today?

Not enough time

I want to ask God for more time this week! There is just not enough of it.

Today was filled with conversation with students. All of them were good! They were conversations that needed to happen. A lot of ministry happened. I would like to think that God used these conversations for his glory. He probably did!

But, looking back on the day, I find myself wishing I could have gotten more things done! I did read the Bible. I continued preparing for class on Wednesday (on Jacob). I made some headway on our LST information meeting coming up on Wednesday. I thought about Thursday devo. I thought about what the Lord might want to say through me to a big group of teenagers on Sunday. I gave our intern some assignments, our secretary some paperwork, and our dog a trip to the vet. But, I feel like I didn't get anything done.

It is one of those things that I experience more than I like to admit. I am working on things that have an end, but most of the time they don't actually get completely finished until the day of or the day before. I don't like that!

It is easy for me to ask for more time. I hate to say this, but I won't get any more time. It is not going to happen. I will just keep using the time the Lord has given me. I continue to pray that He use it for His glory. May you be glorified as I offer myself to you and others. Please give me words to say at the appropriate time.

Encouraged

This last weekend I went to Fort Worth, TX to a Let's Start Talking trainers and recruiters seminar. I got to room with my best friend David. The weekend was really good for LST stuff! I got to spend time thinking about how to tell people about being missionaries next summer. It really is a life changing experience.

The really encouraging thing about the weekend though was spending time just talking with David. Friday night and Saturday night we stayed up til about 1:30am talking about all kinds of things. Ministry, God, Jesus, church, discipleship. What was cool and encouraging was that we have been experiencing similiar growth in being Jesus' disciples. Each of us have been seeing our walk with Jesus in new, challenging ways. Both of us are being confronted with the kind of life to which Jesus calls his disciples.

Being ministers of the gospel we both also have challenges with how to bring others to similar places. All I can say is that God has encouraged us both! Praise Him for friendships like this. He really knows what he is doing.

Ask that the Lord put someone in your path that he can use to make you both better disciples.

What are you hanging on to?

Last night I had a dream about going water skiing. Now I have been doing this for as long as I can remember. Slalom by 12, barefoot by 16. I was also a ski instructor for a Christian Camp. I love it.

This dream was weird because we spent so much time figuring out what was wrong with the rope. Apparently, it was broken. We had gone out on the lake with a broken rope! We ended up on the other side of the lake still trying to fix this darn rope.

The other strange thing about this ski trip was that I did not know these people I was with from Adam. They were two older, fairly heavy-set women. Maybe one of them was a man. It really wasn't that important for me in the dream. All I knew is that I didn't know them, but they were trustworthy people.

Well, I ended up working on this rope for hours and hours. It was something about the handle. I couldn't get one side right. I kept trying and trying, but it just wouldn't work. By this time we were almost to the bridge (you obviously know where that is if you know my dream). I kept cutting the rope shorter and shorter just committing to start over so that it would be right.

I finally got it to where I wanted it. It worked! So we headed for the boat. (Somehow we had gotten on shore at this pig farm to fix the rope). When I looked at the rope however, it was way too short! I couldn't ski behind this! Great! But, I decided to try anyway...then I woke up.

DREAMS!!! Can't make sense of them sometimes.


As I was washing dishes this morning...the interpretation came to me. Here it is. Who is taking you for a ride? What are you going to hang on to? Just trust the rope and stop trying to fix it!

Here is what I make of it. The ride is toward God. Jesus is the rope! I need to stop tinkering with the rope, which is hindering my riding toward God. The people taking me on the ride are trustworthy people who know the way. They have been there before me.

Simple. Easy. So, do it!

More Rantings on Silence

Well, I am still limiting my talking. While I could probably speak double bass right now, it is better for recovery that I still not talk. This is hard! But, I am still learning from this little challenge.

When you talk with someone in a soft voice, they calm down! It seems like it is relaxing to them or something. People I talk to with my voice like this automatically begin whispering themselves or at least talking softer. It is funny to watch.

Their whole demeanor seems to change as they seem more patient and receptive to what I am saying. It is like this person to whom I am talking actually stops in their tracks to listen. A few have even forgotten what they were talking about because they were trying to hear me.

The lesson for me is to talk softer on a regular basis. People might start listening to me more. Anyone can learn from this, especially if they regularly find themselves in intense-filled, argumentative situations. Begin talking softer and watch patience and understanding creap into the conversation.

Laryngitis musings

I lost my voice on Sunday night! It still is not back as I write. It is different not being able to talk. I really do talk a lot more than I would have guessed.

Thinking about this for a day now, I have learned a few things. Among them is this: I don't have to raise my voice for Kayla to understand what I am saying. In fact, I almost don't have to talk. She understands my body language a ton! Hand motions. Looks on my face. Raising of the eyebrows. Standing up. All of this communicates a ton.

I have realized that I need to rely less on my voice and more on my actions. They really do speak louder!

Submission

What does it mean to submit? Is submission something that we should practice on a regular basis? If someone submits to someone else, does it mean that this person is weak? Or is it a sign of strength? How does submission line up with the message of the gospel? Can someone be led to submission? Under what conditions? Where does trust in the one to which we submit come into play?

I ask these questions because I wrestle with asking students to practice the discipline of submission.

Dentyne Fire Challenge Questions

I have started something that I find a little challenging.

One of my professors in graduate school would start off his class with something he called the "Hershey Challenge Question." Being a greek class, it typically dealed with some nuance of the text we were reading that week. It was never an incredibly easy question, but if we put time into preparation for the class we would have some clue as to the answer. Whoever got the answer he gave a Hershey bar.

I decided to start doing this on Wednesday and Thursday nights. While I don't have Hershey bars, I do have a bunch of gum to give away. Thus, I am calling it the "Dentyne Fire/Ice Challenge Question." I think it is a fun way to challenge students with questions.

The challenge for me is to come up with good challenge questions. Do I tell the students the topic a week before and ask something in line with what we are discussing? Do I just do random biblical knowledge? Do I ask questions on what was said in church?

I'm leaning toward something dealing with the class that is about to be taught, but we will see how it develops.

A Hamburger Lesson on Blessing Others

Yesterday we had our weekly ministers lunch. We went to a fairly normal place, McKensie's, and had a stinkin awesome hamburger! Something happened to make me remember that I am thankful for life.

We ordered our burgers as normal and went to the table with beans and our drink waiting for the order. As we left, there was a group of correctional officers were standing around waiting for their burgers. They were very vocal about how long it was taking to fill their orders. One was laying into the new girl at the front about how she was filling the orders. Apparently, they were watching her take the orders. She waited til she had 4 or 5 orders before giving them to the back. The were groaning and moaning until their food came out.

It was really annoying to me. I couldn't help but think about their conversations back at work. "Can you believe how long they took! This girl didn't have a clue! This place is horrible! I'm never going back there again!" I thought about how sad that is. Really great hamburgers forgotten and supposedly "ruined" by not getting selfish expectations of fast service met.

What happened was a really big phone-in order came in. This just put them a little behind. No big deal...understandable, in fact. Nothing to get upset about. I wish I could have told the one vocal lady about.

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This morning I woke up with a little sore throat. I also feel a little weak. I hope I am not coming down with something. I will take something when I go home for lunch.

I could complain about it all day, sucking everyone else into my OWN world of self pity. Putting myself in anothers' position (a good practice for everyone), I would not want someone to go on and on about how bad their situation is. I would not want to hear little groans here or little groans there. "I wish I could talk better." "I wish I would feel better." "Look at me" "Look at me." I can't stand being around this, so why would I want to put others through this?

Let's accept our situation and bear it quietly. In doing this we bless others.

Friday Retreat Thoughts

I really enjoyed the retreat this last weekend. It was about an hour northeast of Huntsville, so not too far. The place was really pretty. I loved the scenery.

There were only 17 students who came, but that was a good number. We started out on Friday night with ice breaker stuff, which turned out to be incredibly funny! Courtney did a great job getting all those together for us. What stuck out to me that night was our prayer at the very end. We circled up and held hands. If someone wanted to pray out loud, they could. If they didn't, they would squeeze the next person's hand. I invited the women of our group to pray and was amazed at who was moved to offer prayers! Praise the Lord! Our prayer lasted about 20 minutes and I was encouraged by every word.

As we were unpacking, Tanya came and asked me where all the refrigerator stuff was. I just stood there knowing that I didn't get it. We brainstormed for a bit and decided that it would be less expensive to drive back to get them rather than buy all of them from the local store. With everything ending about 9:30pm, I knew it was going to be a late night for me.

While many students asked to go with me, I told them I would go alone. This ended up being exactly what I needed! I really had not spent good time praying for the weekend. Preparing for lessons and getting all our plans set consumed my time and energy. So, because our vans don't have working AC, I had the windows rolled down as I made the trip back to Huntsville.

I prayed for each student by name. I prayed for their life. I prayed that God speak to them this weekend. I prayed that he encourage them. I prayed that he change them. So I brought each student before the throne of grace as I traveled the dark roads. It really renewed me and got me on track for the weekend.

God heard my prayers too! This year was not full of cliques and people who gravitated to their own group of friends. Everyone was mingling with everyone else. It really was amazing to witness. We actually looked like a group of people dedicated to glorifying God and removing all hindrances.

I praise you, Father, for that time of prayer on Friday night. Thank you for letting me forget the fridge stuff. You use so many things in such strange ways. Open my eyes to see more of this in my life.

Fall Retreat

We just got back from our fall retreat. We went to the same place we went last year, Pineywoods. It was a great retreat! God was glorified and we were able to really get focused on waking up to the life that we have in Jesus. I will probably post more about it later on today.

I wanted to say that I have that same feeling that I had in college after a full week of 5 or 6 major exams. It is over! Praise the Lord. I was able to teach three different sessions on Saturday and then a brief lesson on Sunday morning. It was good, but I am glad it is finished. May God continue to give us energy to glorify him in our life.

Receiving my blog via email

Well, I think you can now receive my blog posts via email. Let me know if you are having a problem with it. I will just add you to the list. Have a wonderful day.

Praying New

I must tell you that this last week has been a great journey in prayer for me. With the help of Richard Foster's Celebration of Discipline I have discovered praying with imagination. Let me explain.

He uses the example of praying for a husband and wife and their marriage. The husband has been having an affair for some time and it has become public. You commit, he says, to pray for their marriage over the next thirty days. Using you imagination to pray for their marriage. You imagine that every time the husband sees the woman with whom he has had an affair he is filled with disgust. You imagine that when he sees his wife he is overwhelmed with love for her and wants to do everything he can to mend their broken relationship. You see them able to laugh together again, you hear them discussing hurt feelings, you imagine the pain of the affair being taken away.

I decided to try this new type of praying out. Kayla has been a pain in the rear, Tanya has had enough, and when I get home I feel the stress in both Kayla and Tanya. It has not been good. In fact, it had grown to a point that I was feeding off it too. Late one night I prayed with my imagination. I saw Kayla waking up without screaming while beating on the door she can't open yet. She was filled with contentment and ready to discover another part of her world. I felt the joy that Tanya felt when she would see Kayla in the morning when she got up. I saw the smile on her face. I imagined that breakfast and lunch were pleasant without whining and asking for "appi" (apples) all the time. I went through the whole day imagining what I prayed for. It was actually hard to do. And it took a long time to do it! But, when I came home asking how the day was, I knew the answer already because I had already felt it and imagined it before it happened. It is unlike anything I had experienced before.

When I told Tanya how I had prayed, she was encouraged. I told her that I was happy to work with God that day to make the day go so well. That is how I look at it. I am working together with God through my imagination to bless others. Wow! That is what it means to be "God's fellow workers" (1 Cor 3:9). I can't wait to tell other stories of how God and I have worked together to bless others. Until then...may God give us wisdom.

God Through Us

I send this in a recent email to our group:

"God led me to challenge all of us to empty our wallets for a little girl with cancer, Melissa, and her family. Her dad has passed away some time ago leaving her mom to take care of 3 kids. Recently, Melissa's mom quit her job to be at home with her, and paying bills was not a concern for her. Without any government support because of their undocumented status in the U.S. she faithfully said, "God will provide."

And that he did through us. On one Thursday night God offered this family (through us) $500.11 plus a gas card with just over $5 on it. When I got the final number, I almost couldn't believe how good our God is.

When I gave the money to the social worker last Friday, she was brought to tears. She couldn't believe it! God truly is an amazing God. And he is working through you to do amazing things!"

I got to thinking about when this happened. Thursday night is the night in town when the abnormal college student goes out to get plastered. They will go to wherever and take in a substance that causes them to lose control of their body, spending a sum of money to engage in this abusive activity. In start contrast to this, we were spending that night being controlled by the Spirit of God. We willingly submitted to the power of God to reach into our wallets to offer (not spend) money to God.

Think about the joy that both types of students experience from these two activities. One's joy is completely gone, a long forgotten thing of the past. Being overtaken by drugs, they might have done something stupid that lands them into a place that produces anything but joy.

The other's joy continues as they point to the God who did all this. They have something inside them that sustains them to pour their lives into others. The joy is stirred to an equal state every time they remember what God did through open wallets.

When we chose to let God work through us, we make a choice that lasts much longer than any other choice we can while here on earth. Choose to be used today.