All Fun And Games Until...

Repent is a big word. A huge word, actually. Even an impossible one.

Repent means to turn away from sin. It means to recognize what we have done to displease God, and to simply walk away from it. To stop doing it. Sounds easy, right? Sure, until you try it. Before you know it, one tiny sin trickles its way back to your doorstep. One little temptation.

Yet Scripture tells us repentance is necessary for Salvation. Indeed, Jesus takes sin so seriously He recommends doing whatever it takes to cut it out of your life.

If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. (Matthew 5:29-30)

Not only does this passage tell you how serious Sin really is, and how serious God really is about it, but it tells you how impossible it is to fight it on our own. Cut your hand off? Pluck out your eye? Does Jesus really mean these things?

Fortunately, repentance isn't merely a turning away. It is also -- perhaps even more -- a turning to. We take our eyes off our own worldly temptations and fix them instead on Christ. And it is in Christ that true repentance becomes possible. 

So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me.  For in my inner being I delight in God’s law;  but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me.  What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death?  Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!
So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin. (Romans 7:21-25)

We can't turn away from sin on our own. But we can turn to Christ, and in Him have the strength to truly repent.

Repost: "Sweet Merciful Heaven, It's Only Wednesday!" -- And Other First-World Problems

(originally posted 9/26/12)

I didn't sleep well at all last night. Nothing in particular,  just for some reason, my body wanted its requisite seven hours, and my brain wouldn't get on board with the idea. I left my cell phone -- which doubles as my alarm clock -- at work last night, which meant I had to crawl my way out of bed to hit the snooze button on the actual alarm clock. Of course, the new cups for our single cup coffee maker haven't arrived in the mail just yet, so I had to wait until I got to work to brew and enjoy my first cup of coffee. Brushed my teeth before leaving and found a little "pink in the sink" as they say,  and thought, "Man, when I actually find a dentist, I'm gonna get yelled at about my flossing habits."

But, somewhere between tiptoeing through the room to avoid waking my wife and stumbling around to find where ever it was my kids put my shoes, I realized... I have it pretty darn good.

There are people on this planet who have never even experienced bad coffee -- let alone the sweet, smokey aroma of a well-crafted morning blend. There are people in this very country -- in my own neighborhood -- who would happily do anything for a job. I make a living doing what I love. I worry about gingivitis while there are people across the globe who have lost teeth and even lives because they simply don't have enough water for dental hygiene. I have a beautiful family that loves me, while some children will never know their fathers.

Yet how often, in my complaining, do I actually take stock of all the ways I've been blessed and tell God, "thank You?"

Remember Paul's final instructions in 1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18: " Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus."

And remember, too, that those circumstances the early church faced were not nearly so cushy as those faced by you and I on a day to day basis.  

And maybe, in learning how to be grateful for the things we've been given, we can remember also that the point of blessings is often to bless others with them. There is a hurting world out there, and we, after all, have a pretty good life.

Love Note Day: It's The Little Things (Repost)

Today is Love Note Day. So with that in mind, this is a repost from October 23, 2012 - a reminder of the little ways God says, "I love you."

It's The Little Things

Consider this: when you are in a relationship, what means more to you? Is it the occasional grand gesture of outward love; or is it the many little things that person does for you? Is it the big dinner on your wedding anniversary, or the notes left in your lunch sack, the text messages or emails just to say "hi," or the simple act of picking up the kitchen?

When it comes to God, we often look to the Grand Gestures as proof of His love: The crucifixion of Christ, the forgiveness of our sins, the blessings of our families.

Yet,  His sacrifice and forgiveness aren't the sum total of His relationship with us. In fact, those things were necessary to begin the relationship. I have found, as I grow in this relationship with my Creator and Savior, that He also shows me He loves me in countless small ways. Little blessings. I'm beginning to learn that growing in this relationship means recognizing those small blessings for what they are, and thanking Him for them.

Sometimes,  it's a good cup of coffee at just the right time (I often joke about this, but think about it: who made the coffee bean, the water; who gave me the ability to afford a coffee maker?). Or He shows me a sunrise when I need to be reminded of His glory. Sometimes, it's the laughter of my children when I need to remember just how blessed I really am. God knows what I need, and when I need it. He knows how to tell me He loves me when I most need to hear it.

All of this leaves me asking two questions of myself: am I thanking Him for all those little ways He says He loves me? And how am I telling Him in return?

What's In Your Backpack?

Fairly recently, there was a big issue regarding the amount of stuff in the average student's backpack. Enough, experts worried, that the load could potentially cause serious injury. Book after book of Important Material, different binders for every class, and Heaven help them if they played sports and brought their own lunches!

Carting around 30-40 lbs of Education isn't just painful; it's actually harmful.

Life gets like that, student or not. By now it's a well-known fact that stress can contribute to early death. A recent study even suggests those with elevated stress are 50% more likely to die early. Yet we all carry it on our backs. The cares of this world. The burden of sin. Whether you realize it or not, the guilt of a life lived without God. All of this is shoved into our proverbial backpacks and carried around all day. If you're walking around, there it is -- all your care, all your worry, all your guilt and pain -- strapped to your back. This isn't a new problem: it's as old as sin.

And that's exactly why Jesus offered an alternative. It turns out, all that stuff you're carrying on your back? You can trade it in.

 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)

When you hand your stress-filled pack over to Christ, He will, with your permission, empty it of all that excessive junk. He will fill it instead with Love and Grace, and shoulder your own weight for you. Life doesn't have to be heavy. It doesn't have to be a burden. All of that can be lifted from you, the weight removed from your shoulders. And, standing straight for the first time, you can know what Christ meant by a life abundant.

Get Ready

Pre-, post-, or amillennial ... when it comes to the end of days, what we don't know -- or at least what we don't agree on -- could probably fill more books than the entire Left Behind series. Including spin-offs.

But, and this is important, I don't think God requires that we all agree on exactly how He's going to accomplish his Ultimate Will. He's going to do what He's going to do, regardless of how you, I, or anyone thinks it's going to happen. More vital is that we are now and always ready for Him to move, however He's going to do it.

“Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. 

“And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’ Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’ And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut.

 “Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’ But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’

“Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming. (Matthew 25:1-13)

Are you ready? Are you loving as He has loved? Are you going into the world and teaching His gospel, telling everyone of His great love and mercy? Are you prayerfully going about your day, in communication with the Father? Are you living your life in such a way that God is, even now, pleased with what you do with what He has given you? 

Get ready. Get right. And then, get to work. When He returns, however He does so, whenever He does so, it will be a glory the likes of which you and I have never even imagined. So be watchful, and be ready. You won't want to miss it!

Love, and that whole "submission" thing

Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. (Ephesians 5:24-27)

I don't know how many people really use this passage as a guide in their marriages. What I do know is that a whole lot of people who claim to are only using half of it, and usually not correctly. So, a quick word on that: submission and servitude aren't the same thing. Not remotely. 

But speaking of service, let's look at that pesky, mostly ignored portion: "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her..." 

Very often, we ignore this entire section of Scripture because it makes us uncomfortable. But when we really look at it, we can see a beautiful, wonderful prescription for a loving household. Christ didn't come to dominate the church. He came to humble Himself, to serve her, to die for her, to lead her in the ways of God, and back, ultimately, to the arms of the Father. 

You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave— just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” (-Jesus, Matthew 20:25-28)

This is what Holy Love looks like. It is a sacrificial, desperate love. It is the kind of love that makes a man willing to die for his wife. The kind of love that weeps with her, that rejoices with her, that wants only the best for her.  

Imagine how marriage would look if men would truly love their wives as Christ loved the church!

Your Best Life Now!

Fact: God never promised us an easy life. He never promised us earthly prosperity or good health or even
happiness. At least, not in this world, as it is now.

A whole lot of Christians are looking for God to provide for them an enriched earthly existence, free from the burden of debt. In excellent health, with a perfect family and 2.5 kids and maybe a dog. A whole lot of Christians believe they can have all their materialist dreams come true, and all they have to do is think positive. Think -- no, believe -- prosperity into existence, and God will come out of His lamp, nod His head, and grant your wishes. After all, Jesus came that we might have life, and have it more abundantly, right?

Okay, sure. But I fear there may be some confusion here. Life doesn't mean prosperity. Abundance doesn't mean prosperity. An abundant life is one lived in Christ. An abundant life is a life lived in service to the Creator. Not a life of health, wealth, and happiness.

Just ask the Disciples. They moved around place to place, gave up everything to follow Christ and survived on the good will of fellow believers. All but two were ultimately martyred.

Or, go straight to the source and see what Jesus had to say. Sure, He said something about "abundant life." But He also said, "Blessed are those who mourn --" because there will be mourning -- "for they shall be comforted." 

He said, "blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake --" persecution! That doesn't sound an awful lot like health and wealth -- "for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven."

Paul talked about his health and wealth thanks to following Christ: 

From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness— besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches. Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to stumble, and I do not burn with indignation? (2 Corinthians 11:24-29)

Man. Talk about your "Best Life Now." 

... maybe he just didn't have enough faith...  

But praise God, because our reward is Heaven. Our reward is a life full of Christ and His great love and mercy. Our reward is an eternity by the side of our creator. I'll take that over The Eternal Genie any day.  

I'm Rubber, You're Glue!

Ever heard this one before: I'm rubber, you're glue, whatever you say bounces off me and sticks to you?" As poetry, maybe it's not the best, but there's an interesting truth to it. Just not the one we usually meant when we said it as children.

But first, let's back up a little. We are sinners. We are guilty of sinning against the God of the Universe, and failing to meet His standard of holiness. This is spoken of in Scripture, and evidenced in our daily lives. Children, for example, aren't taught how to lie, how to fight, how to misbehave. It comes naturally. Instead, they must be taught how to treat one another properly. How to put others before themselves. Welcome to human nature.

Thank God, then, that He sent Christ, His only Son, to lift that burden of our sinful natures, and offer Himself instead, not only as ransom, but as a means of escaping sin itself.

Yet, we still have an Accuser. Accusers, actually. Not only is the devil himself whispering in my ear, reminding me of my past, and present, failures. Not only is he telling me I can never be good enough for God, but the rest of the world, too, stands with fingers pointed in accusation.

Hypocrite! Liar! Bigot! Sinner! The wrath of the world fueled by the lies of Satan, the Accuser. But we have hope. We have confidence. Because we have Christ, who has paved the way. We have Christ who has loved us, even while we were yet sinners, as Romans 5:8 reminds us, and died for us to prove it.

The Devil says you're not good enough, and he's right. You're not. I'm not. Nobody is. But where he's wrong is in accusing you of sin for which you've already been forgiven. He's right that you're not good enough to stand in front of God. But he's wrong, because we have an intercessor to plead our case when we do.

We call this "projection." It is important to Satan that we believe we will never abide eternally with God, because he knows he once did, and never will again. So these arrows of accusation, though meant for you, bounce right off, and stick right back to the one who sent them. Because it is he who can never be made worthy. It is he who once had everything you and I will inherit, and threw it away in his arrogance. He stood face to face with God, and chose to walk away. But in Christ, his fate is not ours.

Never Forget... But Remember...

September 11, 2001. It's been twelve years since the tragedy of 9/11 occurred, but it remains etched in our
collective memories, a date that lives in infamy in the hearts and minds of my countrymen. A date that means much to us, but even more to the families of those whose lives were cut brutally short by the zealotry of fanatics.

"Never forget." The admonition is plastered on posters, on t-shirts, and online. Never forget what happened. Never forget what we lost. As a nation that has been in war or on the brink of one ever since those events, indeed "forgetting" is nearly impossible. But the call remains: never forget. Never forget the men and women who died simply for showing up to work that day, or just for being on the wrong plane. Never forget the religious fanaticism which fuels the sort of hatred that allows a man to murder thousands of people he's never met, even when it means dying in the process.

Never forget the horror of it, lest we be tempted to our own self-righteous wrath.

But in the midst of remembering national tragedy, in the seeming flood of awful event and awful event that seems to occupy the headlines, remember, too, that there is hope.

I will never forget this awful time,
    as I grieve over my loss.
Yet I still dare to hope
    when I remember this:

The faithful love of the Lord never ends!
    His mercies never cease.

Great is his faithfulness;
    his mercies begin afresh each morning.
(Lamentations 3:20-23)

That Man has made a mess of things is the understatement of eternity... but the God of all Creation loves us with an unending love. He shows us a mercy that never fails. The world around us broils in wrath and war and godlessness. But in Him, we find peace. 

The words of Christ, in Matthew 11:28-29

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 

In The Beginning

In the beginning, God...

For me, these are four of the most important words in all of Scripture -- indeed, in all of language. Some of the great philosophical questions of man are answered in this single phrase.

In this one phrase, we learn God is eternal. At the beginning of time -- at least by our reckoning -- God already was. We learn where we came from. If God was, in the beginning, we know that everything that came after must have been made by Him. And indeed, the rest of Genesis 1 and 2 bear that out. We get the sense of our place. We are not the center of the Universe; He is.

He is the Will that set the Universe in motion; the Force that keeps it together. He is the Hand that guides it, the Eye that watches over it, the Lungs that give it life.

He exists outside the universe, and outside Time, voiced in Jesus words: Before Abraham was, I Am! (John 8:58)

In the beginning, God created...

There was no beginning before God acted to make it so. When God created, there was the beginning. Not before.

God is the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and End.  He is before Time and after. Before the Universe and After. Greater than the plans and wars of nations; greater than the motions of planets and suns. He is the Creator... but He is so much more.

So when you hear the words, "God loves you, and has a wonderful plan for your life," I want you to understand exactly what that means.

Of Presidents, Bears, and Failing To Do The Wrong Thing

Today is Teddy Bear Day. Most people have heard the story of how the Teddy Bear came to be. It started in 1902, when, after a frustrating hunting experience, President Teddy Roosevelt was presented with a baby bear. Mr. Roosevelt, the presenter suggested, might like to shoot this bear so at least they wouldn't go home empty-handed. The president of course refused, and the incident was portrayed in a newspaper cartoon. A toy maker picked up on the idea, and the rest is history.

Originally, I was going to use today to illustrate something about mercy. Instead, I'd like to point out how badly we need it. See, Roosevelt isn't remembered in this incident for showing mercy to this baby bear. Not really. Rather, he's the hero of this tale simply for refusing to do something horrible.

Think about it. This small bear cub hadn't done anything to the hunting party. It hadn't even grown into a mature adult. Whether or not you agree with hunting as a sport, I think anyone with a heart pretty much understands why shooting the cub would've been a rotten thing to do. This isn't mercy; it's humanity. That the incident was commemorated tells us something about ourselves, I think.

We, the human race, tends to see simple kindness as something extraordinary. We have this idea that we deserve to be rewarded somehow for not taking part in doing the wrong thing, or because we managed, somehow, to do what's right.

I'll never forget the day when, as a substitute teacher, I was asked by my students about drug use. Actually, I believe the direct quote was, "I bet you did a lot of drugs in college, huh?" He really wanted to know. So I told him: no. Not even once. I've never been drunk, and I've never even experimented with drugs. The students were incredulous. How did I manage that? How did I get through college and not do drugs? It's just sort of taken for granted that, at a certain age, you're expected to do the wrong thing, and anyone who fails to do the wrong thing is either a hero or pariah. I'm honestly not sure, to this day, how they viewed me.

But what all this tells me is simply this: we need a savior. All of us. It's so easy to do the wrong thing. Doing the right thing, even if, in hindsight it was as simple as just making a decision, can seem like an insurmountable challenge at the time. The truth about human nature is that defaulting to the wrong choice is ingrained in all of us. And that's why I need God. That's why Jesus came. Because even though we all do it right now and then, even though anyone can (theoretically) avoid the bad and embrace the good, much of the time, we simply don't.

My prayer this morning is that God help each of us to stop looking for the pat on the back every time we do the right thing. That He help us instead see our need for Him. That He forgive us our depravity which causes even simple acts of kindness to seem extraordinary, and that we look to Him as the perfect example of how to live a truly good life.

Don't Wait!

I mentioned yesterday how much I hate being late. At odds with this is the fact that I'm also a champion procrastinator. Back in high school, I used the "I work better under pressure" line like I invented it myself. Possibly, there's even a little truth to that. But whatever the case, I tend to wait on a lot of things until the last minute.

This was true for homework, and is still true for housework, for various aspects of my day job, and even for my home life. But worse than that, it's also true when it comes to sharing the Good News of Christ with other people.

Consider: we believe Man is fallen, and can never attain the perfection required by the God who created us. We can never be good enough to even enter His presence. Our lot is an eternal death, wholly separate from the God of the Universe. Yet, by his painful execution on the cross, Jesus, the Son of God, who wrapped Himself in flesh, made it possible to stand before God completely justified and unashamed. He took that imperfection and provided us a way to become something new and better in Him. And in so doing, He restored our relationship with the Father who never wanted us to walk away. This is the Gospel, and it's for everybody. But we wait.

Penn Jillette is an illusionist and avowed atheist. A few years ago, a man risked mockery and humiliation by presenting Penn with a Bible. While it didn't change his mind and force him to his knees to beg forgiveness of the God he has denied, a seed was planted. A powerful one. So powerful, Penn took to the internet just to tell everyone about the experience. And then Penn Jillette said something so profound, it has shamed me, and humbled me, and stuck with me ever since.

If you believe that there’s a heaven and a hell, and people could be going to hell or not getting eternal life, and you think that it’s not really worth telling them this because it would make it socially awkward—and atheists who think people shouldn’t proselytize and who say just leave me alone and keep your religion to yourself—how much do you have to hate somebody to not proselytize? How much do you have to hate somebody to believe everlasting life is possible and not tell them that?

I mean, if I believed, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that a truck was coming at you, and you didn’t believe that truck was bearing down on you, there is a certain point where I tackle you. And this is more important than that.

So what are you waiting for? We are given one life, and an unknown amount of time. We were given Grace and forgiveness by Christ, and a command to let everyone know they can have it too. If we continue to put off our daily chores, if we continue to insist we can work on that project better under pressure, in this one thing, let us stop procrastinating. Because when it comes to the lives and souls of others, we simply don't have that right. 

Be Late For Something

I hate being late. Always have. Generally, I'm a pretty laid-back person, not really given to stressing out. But
if I'm running behind, and it looks like I may arrive after my intended time, watch out! I get stressed. I get mad. I start rushing myself and others, and basically making life unpleasant until we finally get where we're going.

See, before I had kids, this really wasn't a problem. My wife and I both happen to be naturally punctual people, and both of us enjoy getting where we're going on time, or even early. So we always were. That simple. Now it's been nearly nine years since my first born came into this world, and we still can't figure out how to get everyone out of the house in time to get where we're going without stress, fights, and headaches.

Slowly, though -- oh, so slowly -- I'm learning instead something far more valuable. I'm learning that, in all that rushing around, in all that "hurry up hurry up hurry up," I'm denying myself the pure joy of simply experiencing my family. And, perhaps worse, I'm replacing their future memory of their Dear Old Dad with this worn, stressed, always rushing madman where once a laid-back, fun-loving guy used to be.

There are things worth being late for.

Just like I've missed out on chances to really enjoy time with my children here and there, I'm also guilty, I'm afraid, of missing out on time with God. How often is my time with Him cut short -- or even cut out -- because of somewhere I have to be, or something I have to do?

But I'm reminded, even Jesus made time with the Father a priority.

“Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” (Mark 1:35)

This wasn't a one-time thing with Him. He made time for the Father. Didn't worry about being late to this or that, or not having time to do anything else. He knew that, once that first priority -- time with God -- was attended to, the rest would fall into place.

That's the great thing about priorities, when you think about it. When we put First Things first, the rest works itself out. And even better, when that first priority is God, we allow Him access to the rest of our day, to fill with blessings we may otherwise have missed.

So go ahead: be late for something. Take a little extra time to kiss your spouse and kids. Take some extra time to spend with the Father. The rest of your day will be far better for it.