A Christmas outrage

I read this blog on Desiring God's Website. It reminded me of how outrageous the whole experience must have been for Joseph. I think you will enjoy this.

(by Jon Bloom)

Joseph's Painful Decision

Mary wasn’t herself. Joseph had sensed some urgency in her request that he meet her at “their” tree. She was staring at the ground. She seemed burdened.

“Mary, is something wrong?”

She looked up at him intensely. “Joseph… I’m pregnant.”

A blast of shock and disbelief hit him, blowing away all his coherent thoughts for a moment. His legs quavered. He grabbed at the tree to steady himself. It felt solid, rooted.

He stared at her. He was numb. No words came. Everything seemed surreal.

Mary was still looking at him with her intense eyes. He saw no shame in them. No defensiveness, no defiance. Not even tears. They looked…innocent. And they were searching his eyes for an answer.

Mary broke the charged silence. “What I need to tell you next I don’t even know how to say.”

Joseph leaned harder into the tree, bracing himself. He looked down to Mary’s feet. Her feet. They looked just the same as they did when he believed she was pure.

That was what made everything so strange. Mary looked as chaste as she ever did. If she had been the flirtatious type or had some discernable character weakness, this news might have been comprehendible. But Mary was literally the very last person Joseph would have suspected of unfaithfulness. He could not imagine her with another lover. He didn’t want to know who it was.

“What I’m going to say is will be very difficult to believe. But will you hear me out?” Still looking at Mary’s feet, Joseph’s nod was barely detectable.

“I have not been unfaithful to you.”

Joseph lifted his eyes to hers. Rape? That might explain her innocence. But why wouldn’t she tell me—

“God has caused me to become pregnant.”

This statement flew around his mind, looking for a place to land. It found none.

“Joseph, I know how it sounds. But I’m telling you the truth.” Then Mary described an angelic visit and the message she had received. She was to bear a son, conceived by the Holy Spirit, who would be called the Son of the Most High who would sit on David’s throne forever. God was the baby’s father. Mary was pregnant with the Messiah.

Mary sounded as sane as ever. Nothing about her was different—except that she was claiming to be pregnant with God’s child. He felt like his brain was exploding. Was she adding blasphemy to adultery? He could not conceive of her being capable of either.

“I…I don’t even know what to say to you, Mary. I can’t even think straight. I need to be alone.”

Joseph spent the late afternoon walking up on the brow of the hill that overlooked Nazareth. Things were clear up there. From this 500-foot perspective he could see the Sea of Galilee to the east, and to the west he could just see the blue Mediterranean on the horizon. But he could not see how Mary’s story could be true. He could not recall anything like it in the Torah. “God, show me what to do,” he pleaded.

The sun was setting as Joseph walked back toward the nearly finished house that was to be their home—the house he had dreamed just that morning would someday know the happy voices of his and Mary’s children. That dream was now dead. His decision was made. Mary’s claims were too incredible, maybe even delusional. He needed to end the betrothal, but he resolved to do it as quietly as possible, shielding Mary from avoidable shame. He still loved her.

That night he fell asleep, exhausted from grief. And then the angel came to him and his world was flipped right side-up.

There is an encouraging lesson to draw from this story. Joseph was a just man (Matt. 1:19) and assessed the situation in the integrity of his heart, and, I assume, with a deep trust in God. He made the best decision regarding Mary that he could. It turned out to be the wrong one. But God, full of mercy, intervened. He gently corrected Joseph and gave him the guidance he needed.

He will do the same for us as we trust him.

A Glimpse of a Pain-Free Life

I was encouraged by this blog from John Piper. Hope you are too...

(Author: John Piper)

Here is a three-second experience that might encourage you.

I was sitting at my desk slowly reading and praying over Job 29 and 30. The thought came over me that at this moment I am pain-free. In fact, I feel very good. I feel warm and content. Almost cozy. As if in a blanket by a fire on a cold evening with a good book and a friend.

The next thought that came over me—came over is what I mean—was that this pain-free euphoria will not last. My back pain will increase. My joints will stiffen. My eyes will grow dim. My hearing will become more muffled. My memory will weaken. My mind will slow down. My balance will make me stumble. And warm moments like this will decrease to the point where there is only discomfort interrupted with pain.

For a split second there was a deep and threatening sense of loss. A kind of nostalgic sorrow. Not fear, but sadness. The thought of never having these moments again was like a deep ache. But this sense of loss was more of an echo than a sound in its own right. As soon as it came it was fading away.

In its place, came over me—and this too was fleeting, as much as I wanted it to stay—a conquering and freeing sense of what would be true after death. Its primary effect (as odd as this sounds) was to make me feel free from shame at possible ridicule from unbelievers in moments of personal evangelism. This was all within seconds. It was like a fleeting spiritual taste of heaven and the resurrection.

I saw and felt, as through a clicking camera shutter, everlasting pain-free life. Everlasting warmth. Everlasting guilt-free days. Everlasting friendship with the most interesting and caring Person in the universe. Everlasting expectancy, as on a child's Christmas morning. Everlasting amazement, as at the first sight of the Himalayas. Everlasting tension-free relationships where everyone knows that everyone will take what is said in the true way. Everlasting calamity-free enjoyment of everything good, without any danger of idolatry, because the Source of all good is loved above all.

All this happened in about three seconds.

The taste that is left (poorly recorded here) is strong enough to make me pray: O Lord, pour out your Holy Spirit on me and my family and my church, so that the reality of heaven and the resurrection and the new earth will be known and spiritually seen—if only through shutter speeds of illumination—that in this hope we will be the most anxiety-free, regret-free, grumbling-free, selfishness-free witnesses to the greatness of Christ the world has ever known.

Don't read this. It will waste your time.

There are 22 billionaires in the DFW area. 3rd only to New York and Moscow, Russia. I don't know what I am more surprised about- Dallas having 22 billionaires or Moscow having more than that.
I had no idea.
Dang.

Congo

Though pressed for time, I sat down to read an article in the NY Times about injustice in the Congo, and how Americans may be funding the injustice everyday without even realizing it.
Here are a few clips from it:

- This is Africa’s resource curse: The wealth is unearthed by the poor, controlled by the strong, then sold to a world largely oblivious of its origins.

-“Without knowing it, tens of millions of people in the United States may be putting money in the pockets of some of the worst human rights violators in the world, simply by using a cellphone or laptop computer,” Senator Durbin, a Democrat, said at the time.

You can check out the entire article here:
Congo’s Riches, Looted by Renegade Troops

Be sure to check out the audio/visual slideshow as well.

I long to be a person that makes a difference in the world. Sometimes I feel pretty helpless, but that doesn't mean I am without excuse for my inaction. In my head and in my heart I hate injustice. But why do I accept it?

Socks

Where are all of my socks going? Does anyone else have trouble keeping up with socks? They literally disappear at our house.
Gah!

And the "Father of the Year Award" goes to... (drumroll please)

"If you can see it, you can achieve it." That's a motto that some people live by and I think it's just plain kooky. When I think of raising a boy, I know my visions of grandeur will be replaced by visions of reality. My older brother, Wade, has twin boys who are now 4. And (bless his heart), Halloween brought the funk to Wade. When I checked my email this morning, this is what I received from Wade:

Subject: Father of the Year


Hey Guys,

Lisa was gone. Daddy is on duty. No problem.
Friday
Pick up kids at 3:30 from school. Check.
Kids take nap. Check.
Take kids to Fall Frolic at church for Halloween. Check.

Lisa forgot to mention "Don't let the kids sleep too late."
We were there by 7:50.



They pull the plug at 8.


Father of the Year.

P.S. To compensate, I took the kids to McDonalds for chicken, toys, playground and icecream. McDonalds is closed at 8pm for the next 5 days for remodeling.

Love


Wade Walker
Founder
US Golf Events, US Golf Designs



I do, however, believe the phrase "A picture is worth a thousand words."
-kyle

2 Questions & 3 Keys

-more thoughts from John 5:1-18

The Scribes and Pharisees were wrestling with 2 basic questions:
1. What constitutes work on the Sabbath? What kind of work is forbidden by God on the Sabbath?
Notice that they completely miss the heart of their faith. They miss the heart of the Sabbath commandment. They miss the very heart of God. And because of that they completely miss God Himself. Not working is not the primary issue. Keeping the day Holy is the primary issue. Not working is a means to the end of keeping it holy. The Pharisees focus on the means and not the end. They came up with a list of 1521 things you could not do on the Sabbath. Their very attempt to not work was work! Do you ever feel like even when you rest, you can't rest? A life lived outside of the acknowledgment of the Living God is a restless life.

2. Does God work on the Sabbath? If so, what kind of work does God do?
Most Scribes agreed with Philo of Alexandria, the 1st century Jewish philosopher. He said, “God never ceases creating, but as it is the property of fire to burn or snow to be cold, it is the property of God to create.”
Dr. Raymond Brown shares his thoughts, "In particular, divine activity was visible in 2 ways. People were born and people died on the Sabbath. Since only God could give life and only God could deal with the fate of the dead in judgment, this meant that God was active on the Sabbath."

3 Keys
Brown goes on to cite Rabbi Johanna who put it this way: "God has put in His hand 3 keys which he entrusts to no one else. The key of rain, the key of birth, and the key of the resurrection of the dead. It was clear to everyone that God used these 3 keys on the Sabbath."
So when we read in Genesis 1 that God rested, it doesn’t mean that God sat back and took his hands off of creation to let it go it’s own way. God continues to work by sustaining creation moment by moment. We would see complete chaos if God were to cease working for one second. God uses the 3 keys.

Now listen to Jesus speak:
One of the solid facts of history was that Jesus of Nazareth was crucified because he angered the temple authorities by the way he acted on the Sabbath and by the way he spoke to justify his actions. Some healing was allowed on the Sabbath- so that was not the problem. The violation was in what Jesus told the lame man to do. “Take up your bed and walk.” Both are explicitly prohibited on the Sabbath. The Misnah- The carrying of things from one domain to another and the carrying of an empty bed is prohibited. Jesus knows the rules and he deliberately breaks them.

The POINT? Jesus Christ is in the business of making people whole and will not let human rules get in the way.

But what really angers the temple authorities is his justification for his actions.
John 5:17 got Jesus crucified.
“My Father is working until now, and I am working.”
The Jewish people would say “The Father” but they would never have said “My Father.” Jesus expressed a unique relationship with the one who is working on the Sabbath. And then Jesus adds “and I myself am working.” Jesus of Nazareth from Galilee, the Son of Mary, is claiming the right to do on the Sabbath what only the Living God can do. He is, in that statement, claiming the right to use the 3 keys. Never lose sight of the basic fact: Jesus was crucified because he broke the Pharisees Sabbath rules and because he justified his actions by claiming divine right to do so.
His actions by themselves were enough to get him into trouble. But his words caused the temple authorities to seek to kill him. Kill him! Religious men who wanted to follow God wanted to kill a man who healed someone in need. Why kill a man who makes people whole? Because in their minds they heard a claim of equality of God. They had to respond. They were the protectors of Israel’s theology. They could not ignore him. They could see that he was not a lunatic. They saw a man named Jesus who walked into a room and for some reason, just because of his mere presence, all rules were suspended! "Who does he think he is?"

Jesus is a man who was so impassioned with making people whole regardless of societal norms and glorifying His father that it got him killed.

That's what happens when we attach rules to how God should respond. The moment we begin to call the shots for God is the moment we begin to walk in the footsteps of the Pharisees. May we be focused on Jesus and how He acted and spoke, and seek to get rid of everything else that is simply peripheral.

~ Once again, thank you to Darrell Johnson for his insight on John 5

Learning from the Pharisees

cre⋅scen⋅do Part 2
-a continuation of Sunday's message from John 5:1-18

The celebration of the Sabbath was at the heart of 1st Century Judaism. There is no way to exaggerate the importance of the Sabbath. If you were a Jew in the 1st Century then you were constantly aware of the Sabbath. The 4th Commandment was at the heart of who they were as a people and for one big reason it was the central point of their faith. They were convinced that all of Israel's problems were due to them breaking the 4th Commandment. There are passages in Isaiah and Ezekiel that give them good reason to feel that way. We should not pound on the religious leaders too much for wanting to protect the Sabbath. There was something justifiable in their conviction. Scripture tells us that when we pay attention to the Sabbath then it signals to others that we are faithful to the Living God. It shows others that we know that we are not God- we keep the command of God.

Exodus 31:13-14. “You shall surely observe my Sabbaths, for this is a sign from me to you throughout your generations that you may know that I am Yahweh who sanctifies you; therefore you are to observe the Sabbath for it is holy to you and anyone who defames it shall surely be put to death for whoever does any work on it shall be cut off from among my people."

When God’s people stop working for one day a week and start worshipping and pursuing the Living God, it is a sign that they know who really rules the world. The opposite is also true. When God’s people no longer rest once a week it is a dramatic sign that they no longer believe that God reigns (Darrell Johnson). The Pharisees were deeply concerned that they would automatically pay the price for their disobedience to the Sabbath. They were protecting their people, their pride, their faith, their country, their theology, their families. And I believe that we pay the price when we do not take seriously the practice of the Sabbath. Darrell Johnson says it this way: "It’s not an imposition on the human species. It’s an exposition of the human species. God did not arbitrarily come up with this rule. It’s built into the fabric of our humanity. God does not impose it on us. It exposes what we are intended to be. It is about the rhythm of life. It is about how we are to function. The Pharisees rightly cautioned us that we ignore the Sabbath at our own peril. Our pace of life today is a violation of creation. The Pharisees are on to something and we should not dismiss it too quickly."

So pause this week. Stop working. Slow down for one day. Love your family. Play together. Acknowledge God for a whole uninterrupted day. It's who God created you to be. Maybe we can learn a lesson from the Pharisees after all...



Based on lecture notes from Dr. Darrell Johnson...

Funny or Not Funny?

So I was reading my good friend Rob's blog this morning and I watched a video that made me laugh out loud in the little coffee shop that I office out of. Be patient and wait for it- 2 1/2 minute mark. I had to steal it from Rob, who stole it from one of his friends, and wanted to share with you, along with a few other vids that I find pretty funny. Do you think the same way as I do?
Funny or Not Funny?

#1

FUNNY OR NOT FUNNY?

#2

FUNNY OR NOT FUNNY?

#3

FUNNY OR NOT FUNNY?

#4

FUNNY OR NOT FUNNY?

cre⋅scen⋅do

cre⋅scen⋅do [kri-shen-doh]

On Sunday I mentioned that I was barely scratching the surface of John 5. My intention was to preach on John 5:1-18, but unfortunately time would only allow me the privilege of covering the miracle itself. The point of John 5:1-18 is that Jesus Christ is in the business of making people whole and He will not let human rules get in the way. On Sunday I talked about the great news that Jesus is the only One who can make us whole, but was unable to point out convincingly with time restrictions that His passion for doing so got Him killed. I want you to know that it appears in John 5 that the reason John included this story was not simply to point out the goodness of Jesus and His ability to make the invalid whole and well. John seems to be moving us quickly from the pool-side to the cross.*

John wants us to know in chapter 5 that this is the beginning of the end for Jesus. G. Campbell Morgan said it this way- “On the human level, what Jesus did that day, and what He said that day, cost him his life. They never forgave Him.” It is a historical fact that Jesus received the death penalty because of what he did and said on the Jewish Sabbath. I point out the historical factuality of this because we must see that Christianity is about something that actually happened, not merely somebody's ideas. So, when you follow John to the pool at Bathesda, and as you watch Jesus heal a man who had been an invalid for 38 years, be sure to pause a moment and take it all in. On the surface- think of the determination of this paralyzed man to get into the waters when they are stirred. Think of the man stepping in front of him to jump into the pool. Think of the panic that wipes his face clear of determination. See his anger and rage at the "lucky one" who was able to beat him to the waters to be "healed." Take it all in. But don't miss what is happening on a much greater scale. What Jesus was doing was getting himself killed in the process of making a man whole. (Or some may say that I have my sentence flip-flopped: Jesus was making a man whole in order to get Himself killed.) It's a snapshot of the grand scale story of Jesus and you and me. His passion to make us whole and to bring us to God is what killed Him. But we must see that this was no mistake! Jesus didn't just stumble through John 5. Jesus knew exactly what He was doing. He was picking a fight here! I cannot begin to fathom all that was happening here.

What seemed to be a sweet story of the goodness of Jesus and his desire to make us all whole turns into a snapshot of Jesus on his way to the cross. We begin to see men who wanted to follow God, to please God, and to protect the theology of their nation morph into the killers of God Himself. Our stroll that we take with John alongside the pool at Bathesda on that beautiful day turns out to be the swirling of the spiritual realms and not the pool, the beginning of the end for our savior Jesus. Jesus' act of mercy sparked the crescendo of the cruel fight between religious people and God.

More to come tomorrow...


* I am indebted to Dr. Darrell Johnson from Regent College in Vancouver for his insights on the Gospel of John. I truly treasure his wisdom and exposition of the stories of Jesus that I have grown up reading and hearing with much ignorance.

Jesus & Me

I was thinking about myself yesterday. That's normally not good when that happens. It gets me to wondering how God could put up with me. I really was thinking about this yesterday evening. God is holy- and I would not be able to stand for a second in his presence. I am embarrassed to admit this, but there are days when I don't offer up ONE prayer to God. I can think all day about our church and our people without whispering a prayer to God on their behalf. There are people who don't know God who offer up more prayers than me! If I just got a glimpse of Him, His glory would consume me on the spot!

BUT

This morning I have been thinking about Jesus. That's always a good thing.
- I wonder if, while laying in His manger, He looked beyond the adoring (and scared!) face of Mary and saw the stars and the constellations that He made and He named.
- I wonder about what He was like when he was a child. I wonder what His conversations with God were like when He was 4 years old. I wonder how much Mary and Joseph must have laughed at their little bundle of joy and energy behind closed doors at their house when he was a little guy.
- I wonder what kind of sense of humor He had. Did he have a hard time not laughing when someone broke wind?
- I wonder who his best friends were when he was a teenager and if they ever thought he was "a little odd." I wonder if there was a point when they decided not to like Him. Or if their parents warned their kids to stay away from Jesus- He was too dangerous.
- I wonder what Jesus thought about when He laid down at night and drifted off to sleep. I wonder what He dreamed about. Did He have nightmares about His future? I wonder if He dreamed about Heaven.
- I think about how it must have been obvious that He had so much love in His heart when he hung out with his buddies. I wonder how Jesus would have responded and how his body language must have changed when his buddies would sin (against Him!).
- I wonder how teenagers today could live like the teenager that Jesus was.
- I wonder how often Jesus specifically told people "I love you." Did He start exchanging those words with "God loves you"?
- I wonder how old Jesus was when people who were staring Him in the face started wondering "Is that man, or is that God talking?" Was He a 15 year-old causing people behind closed doors to ask "Seriously, who is that kid?"?
- I wonder if Jesus would have ever hung out with me. I wonder, had I been alive then, if I would have wanted to hang out with Him.
- I wonder if there were certain children who knew Jesus well and saw Him as kind of their "God-father." I am not trying to be funny. I am serious. I wonder if they ran to Him when they would see Him. I wonder if they ever tackled Him with big hugs or covered his eyes from behind and played the "Guess who?" game. And I wonder if He always got it right. I wonder if those same kids understood what happened to Jesus when He was suddenly gone. Mere babes trying to figure out where Jesus went... And I wonder how their moms and dads tried to explain to their children why Jesus was arrested and "went to heaven." I wonder what they thought when they gathered with Him the day that He ascended back into Heaven.
- I wonder if there were any who followed Jesus from a distance who decided that He was not legit. I wonder if they second-guessed themselves even when they were old, gray, and wrinkly.
- I wonder if the blind man who received the gift of sight followed Jesus long enough to lay his eyes on the mangled body of Jesus.
- I wonder if I would have cared about the same things as I do today had I walked with Him on this earth.
- I wonder where I would go in this life if I spoke with Him non-stop and walked with Him every day. I wonder where, just me following Him, would take me. Would I move to Turkey? Would I fall in love with the people in Mexico? Or Indonesia? Or would I make people mad at our church? Would they want to hear what I had to say?
-I wonder what I would spend my money on if He were physically present with me every moment of the day?

He changes the way I think about myself. I begin to think less of me and more of Him. He changes the way I think about God.
When your heart beats faster when you think of Jesus, that means something. Mine did this morning. This is what it means to truly be alive.

once dead.
now alive.
once blind.
now seeing.
once grasping.
soon touching.
I can't wait to see Jesus.

Preaching What is True and Precious

(Author: John Piper)

A word to preachers. Truth and falsehood is a good pair of categories to use when deciding what to preach. Speak truth not falsehood.

But there is another crucial pair of categories. God tells Jeremiah that he must use this pair if he would be faithful:

Therefore thus says the Lord: "...If you utter what is precious, and not what is worthless, you shall be as my mouth. (Jeremiah 15:19)

In deciding what to preach make these two judgments: Is it true and is it precious? Preach what is both. If it is true, preach it with authority. If it is precious, preach it with passion.

One great reason why some preaching leaves people unmoved is that preachers seem unmoved. Is this precious or isn't it? That is the question in the hearts of the people. If it is, why don't you sound like it?

The great battle of preaching is to see what's true and to savor what's precious. Weak seeing and weak savoring are a curse to God's people.

Brothers, plead for deliverance from this curse. The ordinances of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. They are more precious than gold and sweeter than honey (Psalms 19:9-10).

Grace, Cowboys, T.O. & Glorifying God

I am a huge Cowboys fan, which by default has made me blind to character analysis of heroic players suiting up in the Silver and Blue. The Cowboys have traditionally (at least for the last 20 years) employed players based on talent and not so much on character and integrity. Jerry Jones is not looking for guys to talk politics with or go to church with. He is looking for guys who can win a Super Bowl.
One such character, Terrell Owens, or affectionately known by Terrell as T.O. is the perfect example. T.O. is a freak of an athlete. Team-mates have described him as one giant muscle. He is a beast. But his off-the-field and on-the-field antics have made him kind of a villain across the nation. Yesterday after the Cowboys win over the Bengals, T.O. mentioned that he was just thankful for the opportunity and wanted to give all the glory to God. Now, I am not making any judgments on T.O. But what I want to ask is, "If T.O. is sincere, would we be able accept it?" Do we carry around this idea of who is and who isn't worthy of giving God glory? I have noticed that T.O. is different, and have recently been disappointed with some of his post-game comments that have left me with the impression that he is still the selfish T.O. that ruined Philly. But regardless of whether or not that is true- have I set myself up as judge as to when someone can give God glory and when someone can't?
If I would have seen and heard the centurion, who was put in charge of killing Jesus (recorded in Luke 23:47), praise God then sadly I think I would have had a problem with that. I would have said that he was not fitting to give glory to God. But for some reason, I get this sense that his praise was particularly glorifying to God as he stood at the foot of the cross. And I get this sense, that in T.O.'s journey of faith (or some version of it), God may just be smiling. Maybe it comes down to Christians having a problem with grace. Do I struggle with the Loving Father's bent to love the wayward son, or the criminal on the cross, or the adulteress woman, or the self-seeking millionaire football celebrity?

Golden Rule Moments

John Ortberg speaks about "Golden Rule Moments" in his sermon called "Whatever you do, do this!". Any moment, any time, any place, any job, any setting, any interaction with any human being- on a shuttle bus, at the grocery store, at the gas station or the coffee shop or at home around the dinner table- could be a golden rule moment. "So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets." If this was such an important thing to Jesus- if it sums up the Law and Prophets- then why don't we act on this more often? It's a way to give our faith legs. Sometimes our faith can seem too abstract and it's kind of something that morphs from year to year, but not from day to day.
If we were to see every interaction with people throughout the day as a Golden Rule opportunity, then our faith would constantly be morphing- in a great way! In a way that looks more like Jesus. How long will I wait to become more like Jesus in this way? Every day, every interaction is an opportunity to fulfill the Law and the Prophets. There is moral meaning and content in every moment of the day. I am at the coffee shop right now, and I am about to engage the spiritual realms, take part in the battle for eternity, please my Heavenly Father, and fulfill the Law and Prophets by doing something as simple as following the little rule that we heard when we were children- the Golden Rule.
I will live this day with Golden Rule eyes.

Dancin Machine

I would like to give a shout out to my brother Rob- "Shout Out! Hi-Oh!"- for drawing my attention to this video. My wife (a dancin machine) and I have had dance-offs within the confines of our family room but unfortunately did not have the opportunity at our wedding reception. Check this out- pretty funny. And yes, I am kind of upset that it was not my idea.

belly

I eat way too much ice cream and way too many gummy bears.
That's a fact, Jack.

Poetry

I have always enjoyed the flair of truth-laden creativity. Some people just have it. They can strike up deep emotion with the stroke of a pen- not in some manipulative way- but because unmovable truth is exposed in some beautiful way. After reading a devotional from John Piper, I decided to read the book of Lamentations. It was an emotional 30 or 45 minutes. Jeremiah, was staring at the streets of Jerusalem watching the demise of the land and people that he loved- watching children beg for food from their mothers, and their mothers in return ("compassionate women" keep in mind) cook their own children for food. And Jeremiah's response- a poem. Lamentations. An emotional, truth-saturated, painful poem with glimpses of hope. I read it and I saw America- a people who have forsaken God and people who are starving for the food of the Word. Lamentations is an incredible piece of work. Even if you were to take it out of the Bible and place it in a school textbook, it would still be gorgeous. Not only is it beautifully written, it's a poem that God wants us to read and to reflect upon and be changed by. It is a poem from God to us.

I hope to become a decent poet. I hopet to become a poet. Suffice it to say, it will take a while. I will leave you with one that I wrote in high school. It's breathtaking, I know. I hope to have some that are more meaningful to share as God continues to shape my mind from mush to masterpiece. I have started some and it will take weeks or months to finish. But here is a poem that I received an A for in high school.

"Eek"

"Eek" cried the kitten,
I hit it with a mitten.
"Eek" cried the cat;
I hit it with a bat.
"Eek" cried the bear;
I hit it with a chair.
"Eek cried the dog;
I hit it with a log.
"Eek cried the anteater;
I wacked it with my weed-eater.


That's right. An A. Feel free to leave your own masterpiece here.

Can Eloquence as a Preacher be a Stumbling Block to Listeners?

Moments ago I read John Piper's blog and I was struck by what he said. He basically says that its possible to be so eloquent as a speaker that people don't care what you say- they will like it no matter what the subject matter. He points to an example from the life of George Whitefield, one of our country's most gifted/successful preachers in American history. The last paragraph hit me square in the mouth- like a sucker-punch from Mister T- I am a product of what he is talking about. We pick up on his blog:

"In the spring of 1740 Whitefield was in Philadelphia preaching outdoors to thousands. Benjamin Franklin attended most of these messages. Franklin, who did not believe what Whitefield was preaching, commented on these perfected sermons:

'His delivery...was so improved by frequent repetition, that every accent, every emphasis, every modulation of voice, was so perfectly well turned, and well placed, that without being interested in the subject, one could not help being pleased with the discourse: a pleasure of much the same kind with that received from an excellent piece of music.' (Harry Stout, The Divine Dramatist, 104)

Here was preaching that was so well-delivered you could like it enough to ignore it's convicting truths. What should I say about this? More: What should I do about it? Paul said,

'Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.... My speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. (1Corinthians 1:17; 2:4-5)'

Was Whitefield right to perfect his delivery to the point where unbelieving Benjamin Franklin would enjoy it like a piece of music?

Pray for me. This is not an academic issue for a preacher.

P. S. Lest the generation of younger preachers who don't give a fig for eloquence think they have this one solved, beware. There is an "eloquence" of "hip" and "dress" and "slang" and "savvy" and "casual" and the "appearance of artlessness" that can have the exact same mesmerizing effect in our day that Whitefield's eloquence had in his: People like it without sharing any of the convictions."


This gives me a lot to think about. Pray for me too.- Kyle

My Wife is enough proof that God is good.

Though God needs no proof that He is good- because HE IS WHO HE IS- I know that it's true because of my wife- the way that He made her, shaped her personality, painted her smile, produced her laughter, sprinkled beauty into her eyes, changed her heart, saved her life through Christ, gave her an incredible family, illuminated her mind, strengthened her fingers to praise Him on the piano, gave her breath to pray to Him and speak of Him, and gave her a beautiful voice to sing praises to Him.

My wife just turned 28. I am so thankful for the 5 years of marriage and 6 years of life that God has given me to get to know her better, to love her more, and to experience more of the love of Christ through her. I love to hear her pray. And sometimes she cries when she prays- I think it's because she is blown away by how incredible it is that a holy, good, God is listening to her. My love for her has grown- so much so that I get this sense that my heart has literally grown larger and expanded! I now have more room for joy- joy that God fills my heart with every day- many times through the smile, laugh, voice, and touch of my wife. I love her. If God took me today, or her for that matter, I would still consider myself blessed beyond measure. She is beautiful. I praise God for her.

An excellent wife who can find?
She is far more precious than jewels.
The heart of her husband trusts in her,
and he will have no lack of gain.
She does him good, and not harm,
all the days of her life.
Proverbs 31:10-12

kinda funny...

This morning on our commute to Jessica's school (we carpool), we saw something that was kind of funny. We saw a man walking his dog. And at the man's expense, we laughed pretty hard. It was unfortunate that the man was on a motorized scooter and his dog was in a cage on the front of his scooter. That just goes to show that walking a dog is never about the exercise. I have sketched a picture for you to give you an idea of what it was like- it's not to scale, but it's pretty close. I don't know if this is kind of rude, but I know for sure that it was kind of funny. That dog was terrified...

Rude blog or funny?

Okay, one more

Lanny Donoho is one of my heros. It's hard to describe him. As a matter of fact, I think his job title at Northpoint Community Church in Atlanta is "Lanny Donoho." Check this video out and see why I like him- I think this is kind of the norm for him...

My Pastors...

I have had a blast being a pastor over the last month. One of the things that I am learning is that unless I have a pastor I will become short-sighted and stale. Currently, I have 4 pastors that I like to stay connected to. Here is the list of pastors and why I love them:

JOHN PIPER
God uses John Piper to challenge my faith, my earnestness, my authenticity, my love for God. From the first time I heard him preach at a Passion conference 10 years ago until now, he has always seemed to bring something challenging, inspiring, fresh, and centered upon God's Word. He is currently the Teaching Pastor at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

JOHN ORTBERG
John Ortberg, Pastor of Menlo Park Presbyterian Church in California, consistently keeps me real and practical. He is a funny guy- really really dry humor- hilarious. I try to stay read-up on his books. Much of my sermon from this past Sunday came from his book, The Life You've Always Wanted. I had the book with me on Sunday because I wanted to really plug the book and try to get some of our members reading it- I just forgot to mention it. I have included it on my Shelfari to the right.

FRANCIS CHAN
Francis Chan, pastor of Cornerstone Community Church in Semi Valley California, is one of my favs to listen to. Francis has taught me to vocalize my love for the church- sometimes tough love and sometimes not. I love his book Crazy Love.

DAVID PLATT
David Platt, Senior Pastor of The Church at Brook Hills in Birmingham, Alabama, is a young buck of 29 years who happens to have 2 Bachelor's Degrees, 2 Master's Degrees, and 1 Doctorate. He has a brilliant mind and he boldly proclaims God's Word. He keeps me close to the text and challenges me to stay away from entertaining the flock on Sunday mornings.

These are my pastors that keep me fresh. I am curious. Who do you listen to? Who do you read? And why?

Mission Trip Snapshot

I had a blast on our mission trip to Monterrey, Mexico last week. Sweat, tears, joy, sadness, faith, love, food, coca-breaks, friends, brothers and sisters, Christ exalting, Spirit-led, precious times of prayer, Psalm 146 & 1 John 2:6. Here is a taste of what the week had in store for us...

Mission Monterrey

Okay, peeps- I left my computer in Tejas and have tried to stay away from the computer as long as I can- but I have noticed that some of my new friends have been updating their blog each day while we are here in Monterrey, Mexico. So, to avoid hanging out too much on the computadora I will just give you the links to their blogs. Their blogs include pictures of the trip. You will probably recognize some of the Rockway Crew in the pics. J.D. is a Cowboys fan who lives in Philly (please pray for protection for him and his wife!). Matt is an incredible youth pastor in New Jersey. I have found J.D. and Matt to be Godly men, and I am sure their blogs are well worth reading as well. Here are the blogs- and I hope to get back on the blog-horse someday soon. (I may even have one of our students update my blog regarding our work this week).

Click here for J.D. Cope's blog.
Click here for Matt Magee's blog.

We have animals living in our house and sometimes in our backyard

It hit me yesterday how strange it is that we have animals that live in our house. 4-legged creatures that are hairy and they walk around and lay around the house all day. Our dog Timber was laying across Jessica's lap and I thought it was so strange that an animal was sitting on my wife. I thought I had forgotten about it until I went out to mow the grass today. It's obvious that we have animals living in our backyard. It's like a mine field. You could lose a shoe back there.

$0.99

I love me some Arizona Raspberry Iced Tea. 23 FL OZ. 99 Cents. It's a bargain.
Amen and amen.

Crazy...

Life is pretty crazy right now. I am crazy busy and I'm going crazy getting ramped up to lead a crazy church. I am also crazy lonely right now because my crazy wife is out of town at a wedding. Youth camp was crazy. Our new youth guy Steve is crazy. And I am reading a book called "Crazy Love" by Francis Chan. He's crazy and I highly recommend the book. It's pretty crazy.
This was a fun blog to write. It's crazy how long it's been since I last had time to blog!

Heaven...

God loves us not in a way that makes us supreme, but makes himself supreme. Heaven will not be a hall of mirrors but an increasing vision of infinite greatness. Getting to heaven and finding that we are supreme would be the ultimate let down.

The greatest love makes sure that God does everything in such a way as to uphold and magnify his own supremacy so that when we get there we have something to increase our joy forever—God's glory.

- John Piper

Sweet Florida, I love you. I miss your touch.

Forgive my recent ignorance of the blogging world. It was kind of nice to tell the truth. I was just kickin it ol' school on the beaches at Perdido Key Florida. I didn't even check my email until the day before I had to come home. "So how was it?" people ask me. Here you go.

Beautiful beaches. Green/ blue Gulf water. Blingin Condo. 7 bedrooms. 5 bathrooms. 13 people. Not crowded. Great food around a huge kitchen table. Talking about our Lord with an incredible family. Cards. Dominos. Catch-phrase. Apples to Apples (In which I learned from a certain person that Clint Eastwood is much more radiant that Jesus Christ on his return :)). Nerts/ Pounce. Reisen. Beautiful views of the bay. Sand volleyball. Naps on the beach. Books. Andy Griffith. Sting rays. Dolphins. Indiana Jones. Sharing a room all week with my beautiful wife! Louie Giglio. Indescribable. God's Word. Pretty Sunsets over the bay. Momentary showers over the beach. Great seafood. Father's Day. 5 year anniversary with Lovely. Family Devotional. Over-arching sense of God's goodness all week. Sand in my trunks. Sun-soaked skin. Watching people laugh. Settling into the fact that God is truly with us. Rest. Study. Prayer. Renewal.

I read 2 books over the break. I have put them on the bookshelf to the right.
And then check out these passages that I found particularly fetching last week. Psalm 33. Psalm 116:7. Psalm 119:175.

So, I am back. And I have grown in my love for my wife and my Lord. Thank you Jesus.
"Let me life that I may praise you, and may your law sustain me."

I mean it. I am flat out tougher.

It's a proven fact. If someone were to live just one day in my skin, they would be in extreme pain. Just everyday normal living and breathing for me is easy- and pain free. But if someone were to take up residence in my body, they would be hurting severely. To tell the truth, I honestly don't feel pain at all right now.

I am tougher than most people.

Period.

38 Years- Resistez!

Found this on Desiring God's Blog today. More inspiration from persecuted Christians . . . Be encouraged, all you Saints, and press on in the faith.

"In the late Seventeenth Century in… southern France, a girl named Marie Durant was brought before the authorities, charged with the Huguenot heresy. She was fourteen years old, bright, attractive, marriageable. She was asked to abjure the Huguenot faith. She was not asked to commit an immoral act, to become a criminal, or even to change the day-to-day quality of her behavior. She was only asked to say, "J'abjure." No more, no less. She did not comply. Together with thirty other Huguenot women she was put into a tower by the sea…. For thirty-eight years she continued…. And instead of the hated word J'abjure she, together with her fellow martyrs, scratched on the wall of the prison tower the single word Resistez, resist!

The word is still seen and gaped at by tourists on the stone wall at Aigues-Mortes…. We do not understand the terrifying simplicity of a religious commitment which asks nothing of time and gets nothing from time. We can understand a religion which enhances time…. but we cannot understand a faith which is not nourished by the temporal hope that tomorrow things will be better. To sit in a prison room with thirty others and to see the day change into night and summer into autumn, to feel the slow systemic changes within one's flesh: the drying and wrinkling of the skin, the loss of muscle tone, the stiffening of the joints, the slow stupefaction of the senses—to feel all this and still to persevere seems almost idiotic to a generation which has no capacity to wait and to endure." (p 116-117)
-Karl Olssen, Passion

I look forward to meeting Marie Durant.

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The most blessed hour of my life...

I have such mixed emotions about the death penalty. I believe it's necessary, but I hate it. I cannot stand the thought of watching someone have life taken from them. I am not trying to be political, I am just being personal and honest. I don't think I could ever count it a privilege to watch someone die. I was surprised to find that a hero of mine, Charles Wesley, counted his witness to an execution as being the most blessed hour of his life.
-Your finest hour, Charles, is watching some criminals get hung? How could it be possible for the most blessed hour of one's life to be spent witnessing an execution? 

I love to read and to hear about hero's of the faith. I just read the following today on Desiring God's daily blog/email. Check the following out- it's too good not to share:

- On July 18, 1738, two months after his conversion, Charles Wesley did an amazing thing. He had spent the week witnessing to inmates at the Newgate prison with a friend named “Bray,” who he described as “a poor ignorant mechanic.” One of the men they spoke to was “a black slave that had robbed his master.” He was sick with a fever and was condemned to die.

Wesley and Bray asked if they could be locked in overnight with the prisoners who were to be executed the next day. That night they spoke the gospel. They told the men that “one came down from heaven to save lost sinners.” They described the sufferings of the Son of God, his sorrows, agony, and death.

The next day, the men were loaded onto a cart and taken to Tyburn. Charles went with them. Ropes were fastened around their necks so that the cart could be driven off and leave them swinging in the air to choke to death.

The fruit of Wesley’s and Bray’s night-long labor was astonishing. Here’s what Wesley wrote:

"They were all cheerful; full of comfort, peace, and triumph; assuredly persuaded Christ had died for them, and waited to receive them into paradise. . . . The black . . . saluted me with his looks. As often as his eyes met mine, he smiled with the most composed, delightful countenance I ever saw."

"We left them going to meet their Lord, ready for the bridegroom. When the cart drove off, not one stirred, or struggled for life, but meekly gave up their spirits. Exactly at twelve they were turned off. I spoke a few suitable words to the crowd; and returned, full of peace and confidence in our friends’ happiness. That hour under the gallows was the most blessed hour of my life." (Journal, vol 1, 120-123)

O may the boldness of Wesley be found in me! And may the message of the cross not be emptied of it's power by the temptation to half-heartedly mince words so I may not be offensive. May I see that eternity truly hangs in the balance with how someone responds to Jesus Christ. And may I count it a privilege and a blessing to see the saints go down in peace.

Jesus makes all things better.

pain with Peace.

grief with Joy.

loss with Gain.

sickness with Health.

anger with Self-control.

fear with Trust.

lost with Hope.

confusion with Order.

momentary anguish with everlasting Enjoyment.

bleak with Light.

death with Life.

life with Jesus!

"Because your love is better than life, my lips will praise you."- psalm 63.3

Sufferings the glory of the church?

Paul, to the Church in Ephesus:
"I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory."

How does suffering mark the church in America? Do we glory in it when we see it or do we run from it? My suffering is not a mark for the church. My suffering is harm for the church. On most days, I do not have a Biblical mind-set. My passion for God seems less than my passion for me. I am a suffering Christian. And my kind of suffering- it is not good for the church. God, thank you for your mercy- it never ends for me- and make me who I need to be for Your Church.

What i hope to say when i get to Heaven.

I wonder if the gospel in America is more of a "get your ticket to heaven!" gospel presentation. There is a difference between asking for a forgiver-of-sins to forgive you of your sins so you can go to heaven and recognizing that Jesus Christ is not only your Forgiver, but also your (and everyone else's) only hope, your only passion, your refiner, your prize and treasure, the One who will restore the image of God that sin shattered, and the One who will do away with sin, pain, and death forever. When I get to heaven, I don't want to look around and say "I am so glad I made it here." I want to get there and say, "I am so glad HE is here. I want to see Him. I will go to Him now. He is everything I have longed for and I must have Him."
What is He to you? See Jesus turn to you and say, "But what about you? Who do you say that I am?"

Who would you spend the day with?

If you had to choose one person from the New Testament (aside from Christ himself) to spend the day with, who would you choose? Paul, the great apostle, has never been one of my favorites. Hear me out on this- I think I have always been a little intimidated by him. He seems like he might have been a little divisive and abrasive. I feel like I could hang out with my peeps James and John- go fishing with them and tell "Your Momma" jokes with them til it's time to go home. I think I could even hang with Pete because he never spent time killing people, like Paul.
Paul was nuts. This joker didn't joke. I find myself daydreaming about what Paul would say to me if we were to hang out for the day. "Do you really need those gummy bears?" Or "When I was your age, I didn't have 20 pairs of shoes." Or "I walked to school uphill- in the snow- both ways." Or "You are such a slacker." Or "I don't like you." He would probably want to cut the day short- seeing how I would probably waste his time. I think I would irritate him. He wouldn't get my sense of humor either- he would have no patience for my slow-forming dry comments and my lame puns. It would truly be the Odd Couple on steroids.
I imagine my favorite apostle (John) saying things like, "Little child, I love you." "You are my brother, my friend." "You are the coolest person I have ever met- almost."
But as I think about hanging out with Paul- I can't help but think that I would be extremely inspired to press on in the faith. I think he would have that crazy look in his eyes like, "I could kill you right now, but I am not going to because I have better things to do right now. Besides, I am different now. Christ is fo rill and He has taken control of my life."
I think he would walk and talk with a twinkle in his eye that says, "Join me. This faith thing is real, Christ is powerful, and we are almost home." I read 2 Timothy, and I hear a man who knows that the end is near for him. And he wrote such wisdom at death's door! I fear I would have been spouting off foolish things- like "I love lamp." Or "Have you ever seen a fart machine? It's hilarious." He said things like "But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days." "All Scripture is God-breathed." "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race. I have kept the faith." He wrote beautiful and deeply meaningful things. I see a strong minded man in his last days- pressing on til his last breath was breathed.
One thing struck me as I read the last part of 2 Timothy. Paul said, "The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen."
I wonder, "Did God honor those words?" It's well known that Paul was beheaded for his faith. Was Paul waiting for an angel to stay the swift attack of the soldier's sword? What did he mean when he said that God would rescue him from any evil attack? If the sword is not an evil attack, then what is?
I think I would love to spend some time with Paul. Though we may have some awkward moments where I feel a little bit out of my league, I think I will press on and take a walk with the great Apostle over the next few days.
I am curious- Who would you spend the day with and why? And does Paul scare anyone else?

Cyclone Nargis

If you have yet to hear about the cyclone that hit Myanmar (formerly called Burma in Southeast Asia), then you are unaware that there is an estimated death toll of over 100,000 people. Our questions now should not begin with "Why" but rather "What" and "How". What do we do? How should we respond? Listen to the words of Paul in Ephesians and let the Spirit lead you to do what is right- to do what is like God.
Eph. 4:28- "He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need."
Eph. 5:1- "Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

My main man, Francis Chan!

I have really started to listen to this guy named Francis Chan. He is a very gifted communicator from Semi Valley California and I have grown closer to God through him. I got connected to him through the college movement called Passion. I was on his website today and I noticed that he doesn't like to write his blogs but he prefers to video his blogs. You can check it out by clicking right here.
I noticed one of his video blogs titled "Thoughts from the Bible Belt." Francis videos his blog from a restaurant in Fort Worth. This video kind of makes me sad- especially since I am entrenched in the Bible Belt and I may have a hard time ever leaving "Bible Beltish" ways behind. Check it out.

Bet you can't

So you know that song "Sweet Caroline" by Neil something or other- I bet you can't not say "Bum, Bum, Bum" right after the part where he goes "Sweet Caroline..."
Don't believe me? Try it. Go down to my playlist at the bottom of the page and click on the last song in the list.
I'm just sayin- I bet you can't.

I did it.

I feel like I look like that guy Phil Stacy from American Idol last year.

Okay, so I got tired of my hair. Money is gone. Mom is gone. My only hope was to cut it myself. I did it. And it's okay because I know that Jesus still loves me.
And thank you to all who have told me that I have a nice-shaped head. That means a lot to me.

So what I'm trying to say is...

At her feet he sank,
he fell; there he lay.
At her feet he sank, he fell;
where he sank, there he fell- dead.
Judges 5:27


Don't ask me. Ask Samuel when you see him in heaven.

Envying Bigger Trees

Sometimes I get it into my mind that our church should be BIG. I hope that the root of it is a desire to see more people come to know Christ- but I also know myself well enough to know that my ego is at play. I wonder how often my disappointment with the size of the crowd has distracted me from ministering to the crowd- the crowd that God has granted. The following words were encouraging to me- once again from my good friend (though he doesn't know it yet) John Piper.


Posting by John Piper on Desiring God's website:

There are saving works that God will only do through small churches and ordinary people, not through large churches and more sophisticated people.

The Lord said to Gideon, "The people with you are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hand, lest Israel boast over me, saying, 'My own hand has saved me.'" (Judges 7:2)

Beware of missing your appointed fruit by envying bigger trees.

"Oh this is not good."

I got that sick feeling in my stomach, turned to my friend Jonathan and said "Oh this is not good."
The following is the retracing of the moments right before those words slipped out of my mouth:
I watched her take her shirt off, only to reveal a pin-striped shirt underneath- a referee.
Before that she sat down to put on her basketball shoes.
Before that she walked into the gym.
Before that I was relieved because I didn't think I would have to see her again.
Before that I thought, "People like you."?
Before that she said to me as I got out of the car, "Excuse me sir- I thought you would have seen my blinker. I had my blinker on the entire time. I thought you were going to run me off the road!" I tried to be apologetic and polite. But she kept on. And I kept nodding and listening. "You were driving dangerously. You need to slow down. We are both trying to get to the same place- I don't understand people like you."
Before that she rolled down her window in the parking lot.
Before that I got really nervous.
Before that I saw her pull up in the parking lot.
Before that I got out of my car.
Before that I tried to lose her behind me because I realized I had just probably really ticked someone off.
Before that I saw the SUV turn right- right behind me.
Before that I passed the SUV.
Before that I thought that the person in front of me must be lost.
Before that I was wondering what the car in front of me was doing. It had it's right blinker on, but was not in the turning lane.
Before that I noticed that it was going really really slow. I began to think that this person must either be really old or must be really lost.
Before that I exited off of the Highway within the flow of traffic. I am not a tailgater- I am a good driver.
Before that I was in a hurry. I had to be there before tip-off for our basketball game.

In a nutshell: I accidentally ticked off a lady in traffic. She followed me to tell me about it. I tried to play a basketball game and forget about it. She wouldn't let me forget about it, because she was refereeing our game. Like I said, "Oh this is not good."

I was reading a friend's blog who was reading a friend's blog and this is what I found:

This is truly fantastic. Laughoutloudfantastic.
Thanks for sharing Rob (and Rob's friend).
Click here. You won't regret it.

One Night in Hail

When alone and other things...

When I am alone, sometimes I will scream really really loud. Sometimes in the car. Sometimes at home. I like it because I don't get to do it very often- and no one can really hear me.
And one more thing. Sometimes I wish I was a bald eagle. Or at least some kind of a bird so I can fly. I tend to think that that would be a lot of fun.

Across the Chasm

I have become a Lazogger. (That's Lazy Blogger mixed together). I think it's because I am tired. Or maybe it's that I am mentally drained right now. I started to look through some of my old blogs that I never published and I ran across this poem that I wrote on December 7 of last year. It brought back so many memories- good and bad. It reminded me of many things- the main thing being that only what is done for Christ will count. I don't know if this poem will make sense to you- it was mainly for me. I remember last December being surrounded by people, yet feeling alone. I had lost 2 good friends and our baby within a few months. I felt like I was standing on one side of the Grand Canyon with my friends and child on the other side- and I knew I couldn't see them until I crossed. It felt like it was way too far away- and it was too difficult of a journey to get there.


I stand at the edge
the chasm seems too deep
too dangerous
too wide
i begin to lose hope
i am shook by separation
my friends
my child
they have flown
but i know where they are
on the other side i know
i must get there i must
but i can't get there alone

i know the One who has done it
i will go with Him

this walk along the edge seems too much
too rocky
too scary
but i hear their voices across the chasm
"just cross it, you must!"
"almost here!"
"take heart!"
"be strong!"
"don't give up!"

i am breathless my eyes mist
The One whispers, "Listen to them."

"what we talked about- it's visible!"
i smile.
"only what is done for christ will count!"
i nod, hands back on the plow.

"in the end the King will take your hand,
cross the chasm
and we will be here.
your scrapes-
your bruises-
your tears-
they'll be gone.
And we will sing loud together again, old friend.
It won't be long."

ROCK CHALK JAYHAWK

Just finished watching the game. Unbelievable. Go Jayhawks. Go Big 12.
ROCK CHALK JAYHAWK!

Look to the Skies...

Sunday

I had an absolute blast on Sunday. I feel really blessed to be a part of a church that genuinely cares for one another. I have attended several churches and I have served at a few churches now, but I can honestly say that Rockway Church is the most compassionate group of people I have ever been a part of. It's always awesome when you baptize people at church- but it is especially awesome when you feel like you really know them. The synergy that was felt on Sunday morning when we baptized 3 kids and 5 adults was incredible. Imagine the scene: Everyone standing around a portable baptistry in a middle school hallway. Cramped. Many with cameras and camcorders. Tears. Laughter. Authentic cheers. Cold water. Loud applause. Big smiles. Visiting families. A group of people intimately connected by a great King- Jesus Christ is his name. It was a taste of Heaven. I look forward to experiencing more days like that one. And I know that one day it will be for good- the experience will last forever. Neverending. Neverending cheers. Neverending applause. Neverending praise. Neverending love. Neverending relationships. Neverending King.

Days like Sunday make me so happy to be doing what I am doing. It makes me think- the church has such a responsibility- a responsibility to show the world how great and glorious Jesus Christ is.

AW Tozer writes, ""The heaviest obligation lying upon the Christian Church today is to purify and elevate her concept of God until it is once more worthy of Him- and of her. In all her prayers and labors this should have first place. We do the greatest service to the next generation of Christians by passing on to them undimmed and undiminished that noble concept of God which we received from our Hebrew and Christian fathers of generations past. This will prove of greater value to them than anything that art or science can devise."

I pray we are faithful in our understanding, in our pursuit, and in our teaching of God.

What was I thinking?

Yesterday morning I did something really really dumb. I realize that most of you who know me believe that I am simply incapable of doing something that is not brilliant. But I am writing this this morning to let you know that I am merely a human being. I too, bleed red liquid. Most people call it blood. I call it "blood plasma," which is a specialized bodily fluid and technically a tissue.
Most of you would be surprised by this, but I put my socks on one at a time. I only wear one pair of underwear at a time- at the most. And I chew my food just like everyone else. Sometimes I drool on my pillow. Sometimes on my shirt. I run red lights too, and I occasionally will prank call random people- just like everyone else. Occasionally I too will take part in gang violence and I will lie like crazy to make people think that their house is on fire. I too believe that I know where the Weapons of Mass Destruction are hidden. I too enjoy the WE (Women's Entertainment network- channel 263 on DirecTV) and I LOVE Celine Dion as well. Just like the average Joe, I enjoy hot baths and I love listening to Delilah on 103.7 at night. I have mimicked Mr. Miaggi and I still wear a towel around my neck and fly off the couch occasionally.
That's right. I am relatively normal. Except yesterday morning. I said something to my wife that was really really DUMB. It was right before we left the house in the morning (we carpool). It happened the same way it happened to the boy on "Christmas Story" who let a dirty word slip out of his mouth. The preceding moments happened so fast, but the words came out extremely slow- and were pointed towards my wife's beautiful face- "You need to clean up your room." You got it. What was I thinking? Not too many brain cells swirling around my brain yesterday morning. And the room was not even that messy. It was the kind of thing that would take 3 minutes to clean up- just some clothes on the floor.
The truth is that I adore my wife. I am pretty normal as I stated earlier, but I would like to think that my love for my wife is not normal. I love her, not just because she is beautiful, but because she is beautifully crafted by God. I love who she is- inside and out. She can be a firecracker, but at the same time she is really pretty shy too. She is funny- and gets funnier as the days go by, and her smile will light up a room. Her laugh will grab your attention and, yes, it's one of those laughs that is contagious. I love life with my wife. We are about to celebrate our 5th year of marriage this summer. I think about this often: neither one of us is guaranteed another day in life- or another day of a clean bill of health. I am so thankful for the life God has given us together. I didn't know my heart was capable of loving this much and expanding to how big it is now- but I also know based on the past 5 years that I will love her even more tomorrow. I know that no matter how stupid I can be sometimes, my wife has got my back and I will never have to wonder how she feels about her goofy hubby.
Most of you probably think I am blogging this in order to kiss up to my wife. She would tell you that I don't need to kiss up to get back into her "good graces." Our conversations and text messages over the following hour and a half yesterday left no question that we are still madly in love with one another.
And I realize that my family will probably begin calling me "Ben Walker" as my dad has made quite a name for himself pulling the same stunts- I just hope I never get to where I tell other people at other houses "You need to clean your room." Wink. Wink.
Seems a bit random, but I just thought I would share one of my most truly RETARDED moments of my marital career. What was I thinking?

March Madness ramblings

I love March Madness. I cannot help but try to watch EVERY game that comes on during the NCAA Men's Basketball tournament which happens every March. I have been enthralled with it ever since I was in junior high. I remember one year I put up one of those miniature basketball goals over the door in our family room and I played while the tournament was going on. I would mimic specific moves and shots that I saw those athletes do. I remember rooting for Oklahoma State one year and watching this guy named Randy Rutherford hit a fade-away 3 pointer to put a game away during the tournament. It was unbelievable. They went on to reach the Final Four that year in 1995. Ever since then I have tried to pull off the same move when I am alone shooting hoops. Normally I am VERY unsuccessful. I remember the same year watching a guy named Tyus Edney dribble from one end of the court to the other with only 4.8 seconds left on the clock to beat the buzzer with a lay-up, putting away Missouri's run at a National title. UCLA went on to win it that year.
It's called March Madness because anything can happen. And normally the craziest things happen. This year Davidson beat Georgetown. Wha?
That's why I love March Madness. I find myself cheering for Texas A&M?! Against UCLA. Or I find myself looking forward to watching Davidson play Wisconsin (cuz there's this one guy that plays for Davidson that is unbelievable behind the 3 point line, and omg I find myself getting giddy when I see him shoot an NBA 3 pointer with a guy in his face and it's nothing but net baby!). Why even pay attention to those who-cares games? Because it's March Madness and something maddening is going to happen.
My wife and I fill out brackets every year and the loser normally has to do something for the other person. This year's wager: The loser has to plan out a spectacular date and graciously host it for the other person. I am making my plans now. The score right now is 40-35. Jess is winning, and I think she has a really good shot at finishing me off next week. That is unless Kansas and Texas make the championship game. But the chances of that happening are so small- 2 Big 12 teams in the National Championship game? Come on!
Some of my picks that are just flat out cooky: Baylor beating Purdue- and then beating... Georgia? Yeah, that's right- I picked Georgia to beat Xavier and then to play Baylor. I also picked St Joe's to beat OU.
And something else that's funny- I had the sneaky suspicion that Western Kentucky (12 seed) was going to beat Drake (5 seed). I picked the upset- like an expert. I felt like I had a good lead on Western Kentucky. March Madness is fun. It makes you do stupid things like predict Western Kentucky will beat a team named Drake or cheer for teams that you hate like Texas A&M. Okay that about wraps up my ramblings- except to say that I am hoping that my Texas Longhorns are victorious against the Stanford Cardinal on Friday. Which makes me wonder- who the heck gave Stanford their mascot- is the Stanford Cardinal a bird, a tree, or a person in the Catholic Church? I hear their mascot is a tree- but that's not very impressive to me...
I leave you with Tyus Edney during the madness of 1995. Enjoy...

Right now

Okay, so I am sitting in the coffee shop and I am listening to this song called "Hosanna" from the new Passion cd- and I am totally getting caught up in it. I am getting a little stir crazy right now- like I am getting carried away in the midst of this song- but I am not getting carried away. I am more plugged into reality right now than just about ever. Because right now there are throngs of angels joining the praise of millions of people and beyond- praising the Son of God. I join them today. But what I fear right now is that I will never see some of my friends come to experience the greatness of worshipping Christ alone. Jess and I have friends that God has blessed us with, and we know that heaven will not feel full enough for us unless these friends of ours join us in praise of the Son of God, Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is infinitely valuable, friend, and I hope that you join the praise of millions today because that's the only way your heart will be filled.
If you need a little help, purchase this song or you can find it on my playlist at the bottom of this page.

What dream is worth selling out for?

What dream am I willing to sell out for? This message gripped me years ago when I first heard it as a college student. As long as I am in America I will have to keep a narrow focus on answering this question wisely. When I lose sight of it, I will become idle, uninspired, and a stumbling block to those needing to see God's Kingdom and not my own. This message is about 8 minutes long. It's well worth the time if you have yet to hear it. You will have to scroll down to the bottom of the page and hit pause on the music player so you will be able to hear the video clearly.

I feel it on all sides

I feel pressure to conform on all sides of me. The world has always been good at silencing men and women who have lived a life void of passion. I fear losing passion. When I lose passion, I lose my voice- my influence. I see so many people in the church today (men especially) who live fear-filled lives. They have neglected true passion. Too many men today are raising their boys to become just like them- spineless. Where do I receive enough passion to carry me through this life when the world just wants to silence me and make me like them? I am learning that the cross is the only place where true strength and passion resides.

Jesus faced fear. He felt more pressure on him (coming from all directions) than anyone could ever imagine feeling.

Christ did not endure the fear in the Garden, the fear of the whip, and the pain of Golgotha to make me a spineless fear-filled man. It's the passion that carried Jesus to the cross that I want to empower me. 

That's the same passion that filled many who have shook the foundations of history. 

- The martyrdom of the saints from Stephen to today's persecuted church. 

- Paul and Silas singing in the prison yards.

- The long quiet walk with Harriet Tubman along the underground railroad. 

- Rosa Parks and her refusal to give up her seat. 

- The young missionary facing the end of the spear.

- The man who kicks down the door of the brothel to rescue the girl huddled on the dirty floor. That's passion. I want to live like that. 

I want to be a part of a group of men in our church that are sick of just trying to survive what the Enemy throws at us every day. I want to be one of many who feel great angst and get TICKED off when injustice is rewarded- when the lowering of the bar is expected- when women are treated as objects and no one seems to care- when our teenagers are giving up their purity and their innocence because they've never been taught how to channel their passion- when there are so few who mourn over the loss of innocence in our kids or the apathy in the pews on Sunday mornings. I want a "kick-down-that-door" faith. And I cannot find it anywhere other than on that hill over 2000 years ago when passion changed everything. Everything. 

Blah

I am yelling right at this moment. AND NO ONE CARES!

Oprah

I have always been somewhat slow to jump on any bandwagon that is highly critical of anyone that seems to bring insult to the gospel. I guess I have always thought that lost people cannot support what I believe in the same way that I cannot support what they believe. They act lost because they are lost. I have tried to be objective, not emotional, and have tried to be slow to jump on any bandwagon.

But I think what I am learning is that some bandwagons need to be full. I am not so much interested in opposing a person as much as opposing their message and the damage that their range of influence can cause.  Anyone that says we ought to say and believe the phrase, "My salvation comes from me" or to say and repeat "I am the light of the world." ought to be countered. Followers of Jesus cannot remain silent to any person of influence that turns the message of the Bible upside-down. We would do well to see this interaction as warfare. 

But there is a major difference between fighting against a person and fighting against a belief system. This is where the difference lies in various Christians' definitions of warfare. Anytime you hear a Christian who is name-calling and slandering another person based on their belief system- you can bet that they have blurred the lines between tearing down a person and tearing down a stronghold. It's the difference between tearing down the image of God in a person and defending the image of God in a person.

Some Christians wage war against a person. Other Christians wage war against every argument and pretension that sets itself up against the gospel. The second one is best. Paul told Timothy  to "Guard what has been entrusted to your care. Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge, which some have professed and in so doing have wandered from the faith." He also says in 2 Corinthians 10:3-5, "For though we live in the world we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God and take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ."

We do not demolish people, people! Click here to check out the growing tide of "opposing ideas that is falsely called knowledge" from one of the most influential people in the world. Let our response be love. And let us stand firm in the faith, friends.

Afflicted (Part 2)

Before I was afflicted I went astray,
but now I obey your word . . .

It was good for me to be afflicted
so that I might learn your decrees.

The law from your mouth is more
precious to me
than thousands of pieces of silver
and gold.

Psalm 119:67, 71-72

It's good to be afflicted?

I remember being in one of the most beautiful places on the earth, Maui, having just surrendered to the ministry a week beforehand, and wondering why in the world I could not "feel God." I went the whole week without digging into God's Word. I had just come off a spiritual high at youth camp the week before- in Texas. Now I was in Hawaii, and I was at a loss for spiritual "want to." A tragedy. I have promised God that if He ever allows me to go back that I would be better next time:)
Psalm 119 tells me that for those who follow God, the "want to" seems to come in full force when one goes through affliction. I believe it. Some of the most precious times with my Savior have been in times of deep anguish. Granted, at times during the pain, I was too distracted with grief that I could not feel my way to my Bible to open it up. But God allowed me pockets of slight relief and I was able to open up God's Word and it was my lifeline. So, I find this at work: I don't like affliction, but I like being close to God more. It is good to be afflicted.
Good days and bad. Hawaii or Idaho. I want to be able to follow suit in Psalm 119:72, "The law from your mouth is more precious to me than thousands of pieces of silver and gold."

Rockway HTs

Cool video. Awesome story.

Confused

Confused. I am. Giants. I hate. Cheered for them. I did. Extremely put off and disgusted that they won and that it wasn't the Cows and so happy and giddy that the Pats lost. "I am really really angry!" I said. "Hee-hee. That's really funny," I said. Confused. I am.

The Lord- He works justice for the oppressed.

I heard a really cool story this morning as I was listening to "Mike and Mike in the Morning" on ESPN radio. Tonight in Indiana, Coach Ron Hunter, head basketball coach of IUPUI (Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis) will be coaching his team barefoot. And thousands of faithful fans of the team will show up barefoot as well. All of it is an attempt to bring awareness to over 300 million children around the world who go their whole lives barefoot. To the children, it's a way of life. But to us, it's a tragedy. I applaud Coach Hunter and the organization he has linked arms with, (Samaritan's Feet). One of the details of the story that captured my attention and caused my imagination to run wild was the fact that the IUPUI's basketball team wanted to join their coach in July on his trip to Africa to deliver the now 45,000 shoes that they have collected. March madness . . . NCAA tournament . . . Sweet 16 . . . Final 4? All of a sudden, it doesn't really matter so much. What matters most to the team is that the unreached in Africa would be reached. Coach Hunter has written the NCAA board to request that they remove restrictions that would deny the team access to traveling abroad in order for them to take part in this life-changing trip. I pray that the NCAA does what is right.

It gets me to thinking and hoping. I am beginning to believe that the heartbeat of this younger generation is to see hope and redemption spread around the globe. Look no further than the front row of our church last Sunday, as our teenagers' dry eyes became tearful as the reality of millions never hearing about the good news of Jesus Christ was shared.

May this internet generation, the baby boomers, gen y, or whoever follows in our footsteps- may they give their lives for what really matters. May they see that the Super Bowl and March Madness are fun, but not reality. May they find the gospel, and decide to sell everything in order to gain the priceless treasure. And may they share hope around the world.

For the full story from the Houston Chronicle, click here. One last thing. I thought I should mention that Converse donated 15,000 shoes for the cause on Mike and Mike this morning, eclipsing Coach Hunter's goal of 40,000 shoes by 5k. Praise the Lord, O my soul . . . The Lord works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed.

When Grieving May Save Your Life

I frequently check out John Piper's Blog. I have signed up to get the daily email blog from Desiringgod.com. This one , in particular, caused me to step back and re-evaluate my mind-set. Perhaps the best thing about this blog entry and the effect it has had on me: it is not the words of man, but God, that are challenging me.

Here it is.

Sometimes the best mark of holiness is not griping that sin abounds but groaning and grieving.

Woe to those who lie on beds of ivory and stretch themselves out on their couches, and eat lambs from the flock and calves from the midst of the stall, 5 who sing idle songs to the sound of the harp and like David invent for themselves instruments of music, 6 who drink wine in bowls and anoint themselves with the finest oils, but are not grieved over the ruin of Joseph! (Amos 6:4-6)

And the LORD said to him, “Pass through the city, through Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and groan over all the abominations that are committed in it.” 5 And to the others he said in my hearing, “Pass through the city after him, and strike. Your eye shall not spare, and you shall show no pity. 6 Kill old men outright, young men and maidens, little children and women, but touch no one on whom is the mark. And begin at my sanctuary.” So they began with the elders who were before the house. (Ezekiel 9:4-6)