The Moment of Impact

Have you ever felt the oppressive weight of guilt that accompanies sin? Have you lain awake in bed wondering why you made the choice that you made and feeling that gnawing feeling that follows a departure from the will of God? As I was sitting in church this morning, the preacher mentioned the fact that Jesus was born and was without sin and died as a result of taking our sins upon himself. This may not be news to anyone reading this, but I hope that the feeling that it prompted in me casts a new light on this event for you. Let's refer back to the feeling of guilt that comes from our sinful decisions. Let's apply it to the story of Jesus. We know that one of the great causes for pain in Jesus was the spiritual separation from his Father in Heaven. Let's think, however, about the physical, human existence that Jesus led. We know he had hunger, we know that he had tears, we know he felt alone. What about guilt? Did this man who had done nothing to deserve our guilt get hit with the guilt that rightly belongs to all of a sinful mankind? Can you imagine that terrible feeling after you know you have done wrong multiplied endlessly and then bearing that weight of all those feelings you never deserved. We as sinful beings have no trouble earning our guilty feelings. Jesus did not follow this path. He took those feelings from us and bore them on the cross. On this week before Christmas, when the beginning of the sacrifice takes place, think about the mind of Jesus as he was tortured and killed. That mind may have been weighed down by the lie that you told, or the sinful way you talked to your family, or a whole world of sin that flashed through his mind. Yes, sin separated us from God, and it separates us from God as well, but think about all of the guilt of the world's sins being included in that misery. Do not take your sin lightly as the guilt attached to it is shared by one who is far greater than yourself. He did not deserve your sin, but he took it because He loves you. Know this and let it impact the choices that you make.

What Are You Looking For?

This morning I set my alarm and got up at 6 in order to attend a missions group meeting at 6:30. I placed my trust in my GPS and as I headed out into the rain I was pleased with the idea that I would be on time. I had never been to the restaurant before, but had seen a restaurant that shared the same name, so my mental image of what I was looking for planted itself firmly in my mind. It turns out that all restaurants named Peppermill do not look entirely the same. My GPS found the restaurant and directed me exactly where to go. When I arrived where it told me to go, I did not see the restaurant. At this point, my faith in my GPS began to fade and I assumed that somehow it had malfunctioned and I continued to drive in circles, muttering under my breath at the failed nature of technology. I spent the next 10 minutes driving in circles, hoping and actually praying that I would stumble across the right place. All this time, my GPS kept telling me to make a U turn, take a left, take a right, or do anything that would get me back to my original destination. Running out of options, I decided that I would once again entrust myself to the guidance of the GPS. I followed the arrows as it urgently directed me back to where I did not see the restaurant that I had pictured in my head. This time, my mind began to explore the possibility that the thing I had expected to find was different than what I was intended to find. I followed the GPS and eventually saw that the restaurant that I expected to be bold and blazing in it's advertisement of itself was tucked away neatly in the corner of a strip mall. My faith in my GPS was restored, and although I was late for the meeting, I had made it after all. How many times in our lives do we look at the signposts and expect that we know exactly what we are looking for? We stubbornly pursue the wrong direction and ignore guidance from the One who know where we have been and where we are going. (I know, it is a little trite to compare God to a GPS, but I am doing it either way:) We often take the wrong turn, sometimes unplug ourselves from the direction of our Guide and stubbornly press on in the absolute wrong direction. Our end goals may be wealth, status, friends, travel,sports or any other thing that we picture in our minds as the culmination of our journey. Know this, that a path has been chosen for you, the markings and arrows make it very clear where your destination lies. There is a plan for you. There is a destination for you. Don't waste time driving in spiritual circles, leaning on your own understanding, ignoring the blinking arrows that point you back to the right path. Trust that God is taking you where you need to go, and get rid of the distractions and misinformation that steer you away from His path. God, help us to focus on where you want to take us, and when we try to lean on our own understanding, be gentle in bringing us back to Your path.

The Certainty of God's Plan

The story of Esther is one of my favorite Bible stories. It has all of the elements that any good story should have. It has rags to riches, government oppression, political intrigue, murder plots, hangings, and the eventual rescue of a whole race of persecuted people. The part of the story that really intrigues me is in CH. 4 v. 14. Mordecai is asking his niece to stand up for the Jewish people in risking her life to seek an audience with her king. He warns her that she must intervene on behalf of her people, and eventually her people are spared, but a different aspect of this story jumped out at me from verse 14. Mordecai's request went something like this. "Listen, Esther, I know that you have access to the king. I also know that Haman wants to kill all of our people. I also know that God has promised our people that we will survive this, but my question to you is do you want to get on board? Oh yeah, by the way, Esther, if you do not help, Haman will kill you and all your family but the Jewish people will be saved either way. Mordecai knew that Esther was strategically placed to help deliver the Jewish people, but he also knew that God would deliver His people either way. This assurance came from the promise that God had given Abraham regarding his people numbering like the sand in the sea and being the line of the Messiah. Mordecai grabbed ahold of this promise and knew that no matter what, the Jewish people would be spared because if they were not, then God's plan would have failed. Mordecai just had to tell Esther to hop on board in the fulfillment of that plan. She could have ignored the welfare of her people and God would have saved them either way. He would not have saved her and her family though. She had a choice to make, follow God's will or face death. We have the same choices to make in our daily lives. God's plan is going to happen. God does not necessarily need us in order for this plan to work out. God offers us a spot on board. We may not know where this train is going, how many hills or snowdrifts that we may climb up or plow through, but we can be assured that God's plan will be fulfilled. Make the decision each and every day to find out God's plan and follow it. If you don't see a destination sign posted at the station, read the Bible, it will help you know what God's plan is for you. Pray that God will give you clarity on His plan, but know that whether we see our destination or not, God is placing us in the position we need to be in, and we need to move in the direction He wants us to go.

I Would Officially Like to Invite you to Walk on Water

If you were to ask the average person, which individual in the Bible walked on water, most people would tell you that it was Jesus. Although this is a pretty cool feat, it pales in comparison to some of the other miracles such as raising the dead and casting out evil spirits. What are we supposed to get out of this miracle other than reinforcing what many people already believe about Jesus? It is my opinion that none of the miracles in the New Testament are meant as bragging points for Jesus or as mere displays of his power, so there must be a deeper meaning in this. The most impulsive and irrational of Jesus' disciples saw Jesus walking on water and asked, "do you want me to come to you?" This is the same Peter who cut off a soldiers ear and who swore that he would not deny Christ, yet did it 3 times. Acting before thinking was not abnormal for Peter. I can envision his rush of loyalty, or love, or even belief that carried first one leg and then the other over the side of the boat as the balls of his feet touched water, not knowing what sensation would come next, but believing that Jesus would be there for him. I can see Peter focusing on the face of Jesus and boldly taking the first couple steps. I then hear the crashing of waves, and the spray of sea foam and can almost feel a tangible doubt enter into Peter's mind as his peripheral vision starts to take in these fear inducing distractions. I can see his glance dart away from the face of Jesus as these doubts take hold and his attentions shift from the face of his Saviour to the immediate danger that he faced. Save, me!! he cried as these doubts and fears overcame his faith and he sank into the sea. The hand of Jesus reached out and pulled him up from the sea and the story ends with Peter being safe and accounted for. In our Christian walk we often experience this same thing. We start off with the best of intentions, but as things such as accolades, trials, or worldly distraction begin to creep in to our field of vision, we begin to sink under the weight of our own independence. We may be knee deep, waist deep, or may be even breathing air through a straw we are so deep in the sea, but we have the assurance that if we reach out our hands, Jesus will lift us up. As amazing as this sounds, I would implore you to avoid this as much as possible. Do not avert your eyes from Jesus. Keep focused on the One who sustains you as you walk through the storm sea of life. Do not wait until you are over your head in self importance and disbelief to call out "Save Me". Stay focused on the Creator and Director of the universe and know that with His help you do not have to sink into the depths, but can instead walk in new life with your eyes firmly placed on Him.

The First Life Jesus Died For.

As I contemplate writing some profound, possibly world changing piece of Easter literature, my mind keeps being drawn back to what Easter really means. To those who would claim Christ as their own, it is a time of celebration at the completion of His redeeming work defeating death. What about the other guys. What are they celebrating? In reality this celebration is one that Christ's followers should hold to, and those who do not accept Him as Lord and Saviour have no capacity to understand the nature of the celebration. This in no way means that all people are not welcome in God's presence, it just means that they might not grasp the profound importance of this event. There is actually no way to understand this event unless you travel back 3 days earlier to when Jesus made himself the substitute for all sin. It is at the point that the unsaved man or woman can begin to comprehend what the Resurrection means. Without the death, there is no rising again. Seems simple enough, doesnt it? If you are in the catergory of not really understanding the Resurrection, don't feel alone, we were ALL there at one time. It is not that far away from you either. Let me share a story from the Bible that might give you clarity on the choice that lies in front of you. When Jesus was first captured, the people were given a choice betwen Jesus, a man who had committed no crime, but had upset the powers that be by making claims that they could not comprehend and a common criminal. They chose to set the criminal free. Like most human beings, they feared what they could not understand and they chose to rid themselves of the threat of Jesus instead of actually trying to understand His words. I caution you, do not be like these men. Try to understand the message of Jesus before you cast Him away. The second man the people could choose to set free was a notorious criminal and all around scoundrel Barrabas. The people chose to free the criminal that they knew and understood instead of freeing the man they could not understand. My question for you is what do you think Barrabas did at this point? Did he stand there, in front of crowds of angry people, some of who may have been his victims, or did he accept the gift of his freedom? What semi intelligent human being would choose bondage when the road to freedom lay in front of them. We receive no word from the Bible that Barabbas chose to remain in prison. We can only assume that he had enough sense to trade his life for the life that was offered to him. A single man remained in front of that crowd. A man who had every right to go free, but was sacrificed so that this man, Barabbas, who had nothing worthwile in him could go free. This same offer is being made to you today. You stand there on the stage, next to a battered and beaten Jesus. He looks at you and you know His gaze is asking you if you will choose His freedom or a life of bondage. Do you shake the shackles from you hands, or do you turn to the jailer and slowly make your way back to your cell? I implore you, choose the way of life. Make the sacrifice count for you. Do not let the battered and beaten Jesus go to your death having done so in vain. Take the freedom that is offered you, run from what has caused your imprisonment and breathe the fresh air of a new life. Make this Easter different than any other you have experienced. Jesus did indeed rise again, take advantage of today to rise with Him.

The Seven Words I Never Have to Say.

Today is a momentous day for those who adhere to the Christian faith. It is the day that our freedom was bought. It is the day that a world of possibilities that do not include eternal death became available to us. It is the day that our impending death was substituted for a fully vibrant New Life. As Jesus died on the cross, He spoke the words that we will never have to say. "My Father, why have you forsaken me?" It is the ultimate injustice that the one man who actually did not deserve to be abandoned by God in Heaven was the one who took our place and was separated from God for us. For our greed. For our pride. For our selfishness. For our murder. For our thieving ways. For our adulterous thoughts. For our ultimate sin of making our own way without God. This spotless sacrifice spoke the words that will never pass my lips. God will not forsake me. Despite my tendency to take my own reigns and wander in stubborn circles, God will not cast me away. I will never have to wonder where God has gone. I will never have to look for a bridge back to Him as he is by my side all the times that I have tried to run on my own course. God knows that I am going to attempt to forsake him for pleasure and profit and pride, but he still will not leave me. He has enduring mercy. This mercy was bought and paid for by the death of His son. Do we deserve this mercy? Not likely. Have you received this mercy? Hopefully. Take a closer look at the quality of the decisions you make. Are they free from condemnation? Do they fall short of perfect? Remember, perfect is not really good, perfect is no blemish, no mistake, no sin. His son was perfect and as His death approached, asked His own father why he had forsaken Him. Due to that magnificent sacrifice, we only now have to ask ourselves the question, "My God, why have I forsaken you". There is time to turn around and run back into his arms. There is time to apply the sacrifice of His perfect Son to your life. There is time to enter God's loving arms and know that you will never be forsaken. Those arms will lift you and make you new. Do not waste this chance to guarantee that you will never be alone. Do not waste this chance to choose a new life. Do not hesitate to give your life to the one who bought it many years ago. It is a simple choice, but will have an amazing impact on your life. Never again have to wonder why and if you have been forsaken. You will not be. You cannot be. Revel in this promise and choose to join hands with the one who has been reaching out for you since the day you were born. Never walk alone again. This is His promise and I know it to be true.

Hand over the Gun

" Jim gently caressed the trigger of his _____________ as those who knew him well dove for cover and those who did not know him at all were about to receive a rude introduction". Imagine any sort of weapon with a firing mechanism inserted into this blank (pistol, rifle, shotgun etc..) and it is easy to picture a scene of stark terror and impending tragedy. Some may picture mortal wounds, some may picture wounds that are survived but debilitating, while still others may think of the emotional scarring that would certainly follow such a brutal attack. We would be hard pressed to find anyone who could justify such an attack. Now, try to insert a different word into the blank. How about we try the word anger? The Bible makes it very clear to us that the tongue is a dangerous weapon. It is most often hurtful when it is employed in anger. How is our anger typically manifest? Through the use of a harsh tongue. While it is very unlikely that any of us will ever place individuals in danger by inserting a weapon in the blank, it is a distinct possiblity that our name and the word anger are a much more likely fit.
As devastating as any tragedy may be, I would even theorize that the effects of anger can even be much harder to recover from for the surviving persons as it often takes place over a prolonged period of time and has a tendency to shift causality to the victim. ie. "he or she is angry at me so often, I must have done something wrong". I know a little bit about anger. I can envision my siblings and I hitting the floor on many occasions knowing that a parent had an itchy trigger finger and a full clip. This is something that is not necessarily an exception when it comes to child raising, but when it becomes the rule then it is far more likely to become a problem. When I look back at my early life I recall the sting of anger as it wove its way into the very thread of my makeup as a human being. This umbrella of anger often leads to one of two extremes. It can lead to an increased conformity to make certain that whatever caused the trigger to be pulled will not happen again. (bad grade, detention, missed curfew) The second extreme is a dogged and persistent non conformity. "Can't do it right, won't even try". I feel like this is the catch all for victims of anger as it early on becomes apparent that not enough can be done right to take the weapon of anger out of someone else's hands. I did very little dabbling in the area of conformity as my way of dealing with the anger around me. I went straight to the non conformity. I was going to outduel this anger with cynicism and a perceived indifference. As the years passed, however, the true nature of these charactistics was revealed. "A rose is a rose" and 'anger is anger". I can still to this day be accused of "gently fingering the trigger of my own anger" all too frequently. I often tell my wife that I am not "mad" I am just frustrated. I guess I would rather come off as the victim than the perpetrator and frustration is more a victim thing than being mad. ie.. I am frustrated because I lost my wallet..implies that circumstances are beyond my control. "I am mad because I lost my wallet"..implies a conscious choice to use anger as a coping tool. As I think about it now, anger and frustration are merely a game of semanitics that in no way lessen the likelihood of my family hitting the deck when they see my trigger finger tense up. All I know is that I do not want this blight to continue in my family. I do not want my children to glance nervously around the house before I come home to make sure everything is in place. I do not want my wife to try to guess what I am thinking in order to lessen the likelihood that I will place her in my crosshairs. Most of all I do not want to mortgage my spiritual leadership for the sake of my own selfish desire to espress my displeasure at things around me. I know the debilitating effects that this can have on the spiritual growth of those around you, and I refuse, in the name of Jesus, to be the stumbling block for any. Sure, I will fail at times. It is a certainty. What is not a certainly is that I accept that failure as the status quo. I can accept that my home is a "weapon-free" zone. I can accept that my children and life will long to see me when I have been away, not afraid of what I will find when I return. I can accept that my children's only thoughts about my coming home is that they are ready to climb all over me, regardless if my day was bad or good. As my children age I want them to see less and less of this anger, and more and more of the love that we are commanded to show. I know it is not something that will be easy, but worthwhile things rarely are. I know I will not be perfect, but human being rarely are. I know that God will be there to guide me, and that He always is. I want to ease my finger off the trigger, unbuckle the gun belt and gently hand it over to the loving arms of the One who has shown us such patience and grace that to mirror Him is my lifelong goal and prize. Anger does not reflect well in His mirror, so it is time for it to go. 'Lord, I pray that you will forgive me for being angry, no excuses offered. I realize the root of anger is self pity, and there is no place for that in one of your children. Thank you that I do not have to hit the deck when I come into Your presence, but I can do so bodly. Help my children and wife to be bold in my presence as well, as I display charactersitics that would welcome them to me. Thank you for your promises and your ability and faithfulness in keeping them. Amen

Father Knows Best

Any of us who are followers of this atypical man called Jesus have heard the Bible verse about all things working together for good for them that love God and that are called according to His purpose. I heard this consistently as I grew up but never really gave it any thought. I followed many diverse, often destructive trails without giving this any thought. I had no inkling that God was working a plan in me, and at times I would even have told you that I didn't even want Him to. I had grabbed control of my own sinking ship and as lawn chairs and the orchestra around me slipped into the murky depths my hands still clung to the wheel of the ship, my lip whistling an oblivious tune. I had no idea or thought that God had a plan for me. I thought that my plan was just fine. One of the indicators that I looked to to determine the success of my plan was that there were those around me who seemed to be doing OK following a similar plan. One of the people who I often looked to for confirmation of this fact was my brother. We often times had found ourselves floundering in the same waters and for some reason I felt that as long as I was OK with him then I was on the right path. As we aged, the paths that we were on began to angle off from each other and I found myself in the uncharted waters of my own misery and addiction. My brother knew of my struggles, but he was on a path that was headed in a much more positive direction than I was. Still, the bond that we had as brothers was rock solid even though my lifestyle undoubtedly put strain on him and his young marriage. We had always been brothers and we always would be. Little did I know that this feeling of being joined so close with my brother was a tool that God, in his infinite wisdom, had a plan for. In the meantime, I continued my downward spiral. My difficulties forced me to the point where I had to make a geographical move, if only for a brief respite from my addictions. Still, it was very hard to leave my brother behind as I moved away from he and the rest of my family. This move was really a last gasp, a last wrenching on the wheel of my ship as I tried to salvage a wasteful, floundering existence. I had exhausted what I thought were all my resources but during that year, God grabbed me, shook me, and took the wheel out of my hand. It was sometime during this year when I received an unexpected call from home saying that my brother had just had a major heart attack and that he had actually been dead on the table. He had been brought back by the love of God and by the persistence of his doctor. His children would still have their father. At the time I really did not know how to feel as I was far away from home and far removed. Disbelief, shock, relief and many other feelings ran through my head, but none of them went much below the surface. I know now that I could not actually cope with the thought of my brother dying, so I kept my emotions at an arm's length. How is this part of a plan? You might be inclined to believe that this event caused me to straighten up my act and follow God out of a profound fear and respect for His power. For some reason it did not effect me this way. In fact, it was many years later when I actually began to realize God's intentions through this trial. Contrary to what many of us believe trials are not always put in place to cause us to veer towards a different path. I think that most of the time that is what God intends for us, but I am blessed that this situation is different. This situation allows me, ona dialy basis to glory in the love that God showed for me. I know, in my heart, that God nearly took my brother to accomplish a much greater purpose. Now, my brother and I are closer than we have ever been. We are not out partying, or carousing or living our lives in proximity geographically, but there is no feeling so strong or powerful as living my life in proximity spiritually with my brother. I talk to him across the miles and hear of the love he has for God, and how that love affects his marriage and his fathering of three beautiful children. I, who know all of the flaws, all of the weaknesses, all of the mistakes of the past and can look at him and see the man that God has formed him to be. I can think of the legacy of Godliness that he will leave for his children, and that marriage that increasingly seems blessed by God. What once were conversations about things of little or no kingdom value are now confirmations of God's work and confession of struggles that are turned over to God. His is a life that is renewed, and I, who have been his only brother for 36 years am so blessed that God has shown me the true meaning of brotherhood through the power of His love and grace. I can imagine my brother laying on the table, the doctors and nurses frantically scrambling around, trying to save this young father and husband and then I picture the God of all Creation breathing life into His Creation once again. As my relationship with my brother continues to expand into a deeper understanding of God's work and as we are better able to sharpen each other, I humbly thank God that the breath that he breathed into my brother on that hospital bed is being shared with me to this day. This is the blessing that God had in store for me. Thank you God for the great contrast of being lost and being found, being dead and being raised again. Thank you God for blessing me with a believing family and a brother who breathes new life.

Like a Roaring Lion

In the Bible we often hear different things about the figure commonly referred to as Satan. Paul tells us that Satan is an "angel of light", He is referred to as the Father of Lies, and perhaps the most vivid depiction of Satan is that He is like a roaring lion, seeking who He may devour. This depiction of Satan as a roaring lion is a little bit clearer to me as I reflect on one of the more annoying aspects of my daily life. A few months ago, my wife and I decided to "rescue" a cat from the breeding ground of disease that was our local humane society. After several months of recovery the cat has now fully recovered and prowls the house looking for wayward ankles and toes to bite. Generally these are my ankles and toes, but he has been known to catapult off of the kid's faces every once in while as well. I am now sneaking around the house at all hours, much like Peter Sellers in the Pink Panther, waiting for a well hidden attacker to spring at me. At times I successfully avoid the swiping claws and gnawing teeth, but I also have a few scratches on my feet and ankles that indicate previous battles lost. Even as I write this, I am hunkered silently over the keyboard hoping that "Ninja Cat" does not hear the clickety-clack of my typing and spring out of the darkness towards more vital parts than my feet and ankles. I do actually have to think twice before wiggling my toes in bed, or dragging my feet across the floor or scratching an itch. (think of the catastrophic possiblities with that one). It has taken me several months to develop this awareness as the threat seems to be an imminent and immediate one. As devastating as this sounds, there is actually a far more devastating and destructive pattern of attacks that we as Christians are often times far less aware of. We are not the predators, we are the prey. We are do not walk about in fear, but we should walk around with a deepened awareness of the roaring lion's desire to rip and tear at us in many areas of our lives. He seeks to render our relationship with God and with others to nothing less than dry, gnawed on bones. He fires darts of discontentment, anger, frustration, greed, manipulation and disbelief at us and hopes that one of them finds a vital organ. We as Christians are protected by the blood of Christ, but we are also capable of wandering far from God's protective embrace and travelling to where the Roaring Lion and the Father of Lies is waiting to ply his trade. Be aware of the things you engage in on a daily basis. Our wandering often starts small. A harsh word here, and an angry reply there and we are in the jungle, being stalked. Cling close to Jesus daily and trust that by following His commandments we can blunt the weapons that the Devil would use against us to promote our downfall. Be vigilant, put on the Armour of God, fight against the temptation that surrounds and stand strong against the power of Hell.

Between Two Theives- Rob Bell and Eternity

Just recently I have found myself engaged in several Facebook discussion about a new book by Rob Bell that proposes to solve the question of who goes to Heaven. As I saw him interviewed at length regarding this book I was at first surprised, and then deeply dismayed. One statement Bell made was that "the only people who will not go to Heaven are those who do not want to be there". Bell referred to a wedding he presided over where the bride's father did not want to be there, and then drew a comparison between that, and Heaven. If you do not want to be there then God is not going to make you go there, because God is love, and love would not force you to be somewhere you don't want to be. I was deeply dismayed by this comment, and although Bell is free to ascribe to any religious philosophy he so chooses, he should be wary of leading the masses of his followers down this dangerous path. As I struggled to understand his viewpoint, my mind was drawn to the sacrifice of the cross and it's central importance in the work of salvation. As Jesus hung dying between two thieves, one of the men mocked him with the idea that He could save himself from this ignominious death. The second thief responded asking Jesus to remember him when he reached Paradise. Jesus told the second thief that he would be in Paradise that day. What is the difference between the two thieves? One showed belief and made a request that was based on his faith that Jesus could do exactly what the thief had requested of him. Are we to assume that the second thief received the same treatment as the first? If he so wished, would he also be entering into Paradise? It would seem that Bell feels the second thief would be in Paradise as well. Why then would Jesus even have bothered to tell the dying thief that he would join Him in Paradise that day, if indeed both thieves would be in Heaven. Seems like a waste of His dying breath. I feel there was a major significance in Jesus' words to this dying man, as the man's words were prompted by his faith and belief in the changing power of Christ. Another concept that disturbed me was that Bell clearly postulated that "Heaven and Hell" are a state of being while we live our lives on earth. When asked about Heaven and the afterlife, the only answer Bell gave was very flippant and insincere.."do I think Heaven is a place with gold streets and where everyone drives a fancy sports car...No." I am not sure what group is proposing this "sports car" Heaven, but Bell seems to be effectively combatting this ever elusive group of miscreants. I was more under the impression that Heaven was all about spending time with our Creator in fellowship with Him and even if Bell beleives this in some corner of his mind, his flippant answer was actually rather disgusting to me. To minimize the presence of the Holy Trinity for eternity for the sake of hyperbole is a tragic understatement of what the conversion process entails. The idea that all who want to will be able to attain Heaven also brings up a very disturbing mistake that God must have made. Why did he send the Holy Spirit if everyone is going to Heaven either way. Who even needs guidance? Who even needs to interact with the Father and the Son? Who needs to heed the battle that Paul presents between the flesh and the Spirit. Who needs regeneration? I can anticipate that those who support Bell would begin to follow the mantra of Love being the focus of all things Christian, as I have seen and heard Bell ascribe to this idea repeatedly. It is hard to argue against this idea of an all encompassing love that would send none to punishment. I kind of like it, and if i did not have kids of my own I would be more likely to support this theory, but that love also propells me to give them boundaries and set limits, and at time even discipline them. I know they are prone to wander, and this is sadly enough something they share in common with all mankind. This is where another trait of God that Bell seems to ignore fully comes in to play. God is indeed a God of justice. (not fairness-Justice) We as man are fallen and are in direct opposition to the justice that God demands of us. He did not make each and every one of us choose to cheat on a test, to pick and choose which laws we follow, to lie to our fellow man, to be absorbed in greed, to envy our neighbours boat or car or Lear jet. This fallen state required a sacrifice to bring us back into alignment with our Creator. In what is the greatest act of love, God sent his Son as our atonement. Jesus died on the cross so that we would have a choice. That choice must be made. It cannot be assumed, it cannot be generalized, it cannot be spread around evenly in the idea of fairness which we as humans seem sadly predicated toward. God's justice and love must by necessity coexist for there to be any meaning to our conversion. Our need must dictate our response. We certainly prefer His love over His justice, but to discount the one while preaching the more palatable is negotiating with the One who has already negotiated our freedom. Love does indeed win, as Rob Bell has stated, but it does so as the counterbalance to the justice that God has required. This love, however, does not negate the process of the Holy Spirit wooing and drawing sinners towards the cross. Seeing the cure, or hearing about the cure for any given illness does not in itself provide healing. The cure must somehow be administered to a willing patient. A conscious decision to change from one path to another is an integral part of the salvation experience. The thief on the cross knew this to be true and acted accrodingly. I only hope and pray that you make this decision as well. That being said... In the immortal words of Dr. Evil (paraphrased) "I am finished with the Rob Bell conversation":)

Modern Art and God

I for many years have been confused by what is commonly refered to as modern art. Its abstraction and lack of definition have made me question whether it is an inside joke wherein the creators and "avante-garde" mock the common man with themes of unintelligible visions and bizarre presentations of those visions. As much as I have struggled to understand, and at times ridicule the outside of reality abstraction of modern art, I am guilty of following my own abstractions in my own mind. These ideas do not spring forth into any tangible forms of art, but they do relate to the Great Artist and are far more abstract than any modern artist could ever be. I am slowly learning, however, that we do not serve and worship an abstract God. For many years I have know that God is capable of doing anything that we ask of Him. In favor of these grand ideas I lost sight of the fact that God can change me. I have faith that He could move mountains, heal the sick, forgive the sinful and change the world. In this process of "painting" a mental picture of what God is capable of doing, I lost the reality of what God want's to do. He has a picture in mind, and it is not paint randomly splashed upon the canvas of our lives. What I failed to remember and implement in my own life is that God can also effect change in our lives in many small, concrete areas. As these areas are touched by the Great Artist, then the overall painting takes on His form. Corner by corner, inch by inch, the colors and hues take on the design that he has intended for me. I have had faith that God could indeed perform miracles on the grandest scale, but I was living in the abstract and did not recognize that the miracles that God most wanted to work were in my life. God is not abstract, the Bible is not abstract, our faith should not be abstract and all of the outpourings of our love must not be abstract. We must live and serve in the concrete, as we serve a God who is unchanging, and whose plan for us involves us living out His plan for us in tangible ways. We must pass the stage of planning and move on to doing. We must move past the vision and implement the action. We must remember the game plan while running the plays. God has a plan for us. This plan asks us to move forward in our faith on a daily basis. As much as we and He at times desire wholesale changes, He understands that small steps lead to these changes. Find one area of your life that you would surrender to Him as you read this, and pray about that area. Pray that the God who can indeed move mountains will create a work of art in that area of your life. When God has done this work, move on to the next area that requires the touch of the Great Artist. Repeat as needed. (Hint...it will always be needed) Dear God, help me to make the changes, step by step until your picture is all that shows through on the canvas of my life.

Unrefined Chrisitanity

I think it would be safe to say that a majority of Christians agree with the principle that becoming a Christian does not free you from the prospect of any trials or tribulations in life. In fact, many Christians might even agree that these trials and tribulation are part of our growing process. In fact, this is even a Biblical truth. 'The trying of your faith works patience". My family and I seem to be undergoing our fair share of trials of late, and on some days it works toward building our patience, and on some days we lose the battle. I was watching a road crew the other day and I saw this machine that goes through and skims off the layer of asphalt and grinds it up as it peels away all that is wrong with the road. Potholes, cracks, bumps where the earth has shifted or roots have grown. I am finding that the cracks and bumps of my life are being subjected to this same process. All of the roughness and sin are being scooped up and ground down to a fine material and then fed through the filter of the Holy Spirit. Granted, this is not a process that is perfect by any means. Some days there are far more cracks and potholes than others, but there is a joy in knowing that as every piece of dirt and decay is filtered away, then I am that much closer to the glory that God has for me. I fear that our modern, culturally relative attempts at Christianity have allowed to many big chunks of sin and debris into our machinery, where it overflows and bypasses the filter of the Holy Spirit. I was reading about an author and prominent spiritual leader who was proposing that God would not send people to hell. I agree with him 100% God only sends people to Heaven, he does not choose to or delight in people choosing any path but the path that leads to him. We have sinned, we have fallen short, we are headed to eternal torment, separate from God. One lifeline is offered in the person of Jesus Christ.Be wary of a gospel that does not include this. Beware of a gospel that tells you that you have a right to be saved. Beware of a gospel that makes no demands on you once you are saved. We are to love each other...that is a fact..but we are also to speak the truth with that love. The gospel must lead to a daily examination of our lives and as the refining process moves forward, we can pray that the filter of the Holy Spirit becomes our first nature. Lord, help me to understand the purpose of any trials that may come my way. Help me to press on toward you in the refining process.

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Why Me? A Letter of Friendship

WHY ME?

Dear Reader,

In writing this letter, I must let you know of two assumptions that I make regarding the reader. The first assumption is that at some point in your life you have asked yourself the question, “Why Me”. Sickness, accidents, spilled coffee, empty bank accounts, crying children, or any number of daily circumstances can inspire that exclamation. You and I, in accord with all humanity have felt singled out in our misfortune. We have all experienced days where that isolated rain cloud dampens our every step. I hope that the reader and I can agree on this point. The second, and certainly most important assumption is that the reader will most likely not understand all that I am writing about. This may be in some part due to my inabilities as a writer, but may be even more so due to the amazing nature of what I am writing to you about. It is like trying to paint that most picturesque sunset with paintbrushes and paints purchased at the Dollar Store. Please forgive me in advance for the weakness inherent in my pen. My words must be viewed through a lens, as decoder ring of sorts, that you may or may not already possess. Be assured, dear reader, that prayer that these words would find their mark is being uttered continually by the author, and certainly by the one who placed these words in your possession.

Before defining the purpose and nature of this writing, I must initially remind the reader what this writing is not. This product is not intended as a religious writing. It is not Protestant, Catholic, Muslim, or any other religion under our sun. You should not, actually cannot look to any man, woman, child, leader, or follower as an argument for or against what I am writing to you about. These are all human beings, and are likely to let you down, and all of these religions have done their fair share of that throughout history. These facts, however interesting are of little importance to us. What is important is answering the question that introduced you to this writing.

Why Me?

I have yet to hear one of those fortunate individuals who have won a large sum of money utter the question “Why Me”. It seems that these words are typically used when something undesirable has occurred. I propose to part with that trend and share with you something that is far more valuable than any set of lucky numbers. We have seen time and again how those who have found the great fortune of winning money, immediately succumb to the devastating destruction of their lives. What I share with you does not destroy what is good it only builds on it. It destroys the thing that is already hard at work tearing at the fabric of your being. What I share with you will build you up and bless you far beyond any worldly wealth.

Why Me?

I see the reader question the very reason for this writing. I apologize if my lack of skills have contributed to this in any way. I will try my best to explain the answer.

We live our lives much like the lottery winner who spends as if there were no tomorrow. The Bible even suggests that those who do not choose the way that Jesus provided them should “eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow you may die”. To me this sounds like “Live it up, you don’t have forever.” Many of us have chased this lifestyle and have actually died hundreds of little deaths as a result. Broken promises, misused friends, dishonest transactions, and a myriad of other ailments slowly drain the life from our bodies. Our conscience grows weary and we eventually learn to ignore it. We daily creep closer to death. Our soul and spirit are lost in the daily pursuit of duty and fulfillment. In my life, each day, each moment, became all that I knew. Nothing was larger than my little world. I died a little each day, and this became sufficient for me. After years of these “little deaths’, I finally cried out for help. My prayers and cries were not answered until I actually admitted that I needed to surrender. I was in the wrong lane, driving the wrong direction but still insisting that I was doing just fine. The day I opened my eyes and saw my predicament was the day that I stopped dying and was revived by a new life. You may be doing “just fine”, I truly have no way of knowing, but I do caution you to look around you, look farther down the road, see where your trajectory is taking you. Are you dying more each day, or are you headed in a direction that will bring you new life?

Why Me?

“All have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory”. None of us like to hear about the things we have done wrong, but dear reader, I can only assume that you are in the same boat as me. On the Good Ship Imperfect we are both passengers. We have all fallen short of God’s glory. Our conscience tells us this on a daily basis. I am not going to dive into the individual nature of our sins. Few would claim perfection in this world, and I doubt that this writing has fallen into the hands of one of that select few.

Why should I care?

“the wages of sin is death, but…..” Death exists all around us. It is a fact of nature. Things are born, they grow, they deteriorate and they die. This is true physically and spiritually. Often the passion and zeal of youth grow weaker with age as do our bodies. We all will face death one day. This is a result of our sin and the sin of those who came before us. I hope dear reader that you can agree with me on this point. We all will die. Morbid, depressing news to be sure, but thankfully this is not the end of the verse. There is a but.

“but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus”. This is where my written words are taking what I will call a “Dollar Store” moment. I have no skills or abilities to describe what forever looks like. In fact, there are times when the thought of forever actually frightens me. I don’t have enough songs on my Ipod, what am I going to do with all that time? I too am confounded by the idea of forever, but I believe that the God who promises it to us will hold this promise true. I am also confused by the concept of gravity, but I am pretty certain it exists. According to the Bible, death in the eternal sense means complete separation from God, for all time. In essence, if we reject God, we spend our lives dying a little each day, and then when our earthly bodies finally give out, we have no chance to drink from the “Water of Life”. No doing it over, no more “eat, drink be merry- death has closed the final deal. Dear reader, I hate to be blunt, but to answer the question ‘Why should I care? I must reply. “because you too must someday die.”

What then?

Although the reader may not necessarily be so convinced by my writing that they immediately ask “What’s next”, I must provide answers for those who would have questions. The what then is to “call on the name of the Lord”. This is by no means a stiff, formal prayer. It in all actuality can be as simple as waving a prayerful flag of surrender. I can think of a time when I was a young man and I was swimming in the surf and was smashed by a sleeper wave. At first, I thought that under my own power I would be able to break free of the undertow and find my way to safety. I struggled and fought, but could not gain my footing. Realizing that the situation had gone far past being one of embarrassment and more a battle of survival I cried out for help. I may not have looked cool while doing it, but as the arms of my father wrapped around me and pulled me from the foamy sea, how I appeared to the world was far from my mind. I had surrendered. I knew I could not do it on my own and I cried out for help. This same scene was repeated some years later with my Heavenly Father. I had floundered in raging seas and had swam against the undertow, but in the end cried out to Jesus that he deliver me from the mess that only I had gotten myself into. “Call on the name of the Lord and thou shall be saved”. My earthly father did not ridicule me of even scold me for foolishly entering turbulent waters, nor will the Heavenly Father. Cry out for Him to save you, and wash you clean of all of your sins. Give Him the weaknesses, the insecurities, the self-pity, the hatred, all of the things that cause you daily death and reach toward the saving grace of His light. Feel His arms reach down and enclose you in a protective embrace. Feel the life breathed into you as you cease dying daily and start living eternally. Surely there will be times when you still flounder in the surf of a difficult life. There may even be times when you feel all is lost. Just know that the arms of the One who created the seas and can calm the storms is only an arms length or a softly uttered prayer away. Lean on Him. Trust in Him. Give it all to Him. Pray to God and ask forgiveness of all that is wrong in your life and surrender to the love of Jesus and the freedom that was purchased by His blood.

Blood?

I understand your concern dear reader, and follow me through as I explain the importance of the blood of Jesus. In early history, God required a sacrifice to help bring mankind back in alignment with Him. Typically this was livestock such as a cow or sheep. This was not a mystical undertaking, it did not exhibit any power, but its purpose was to reconcile God and man, which was the natural state of being when God created the world. When God sent His son Jesus to die a cruel death on the cross, this was the last and final sacrifice that was necessary for the realignment of man with God. No more blood sacrifices were asked for or needed. (kind of a relief, isn’t it) What offers us even greater relief is that the simple act of accepting the sacrifice of Jesus as the means to rejoin us with God is all that is required of us. Mankind walked with God before sin came into the picture and Jesus dying on the cross allows us to walk with Him again.

For what reason?

You ask an important question dear reader. I will hopefully provide you with some answers, but I remind you that not all that I say can be fully understood until you have viewed it through the lens of Jesus and His saving grace. Still, I will try to put it in as plain of words as possible. You are sick, dear friend. I do not diagnose any medical illness, nor do I desire to offend you. If you knew that someone around you was suffering from an illness, you would do all in your power to offer them what they needed to recover their health. Jesus offers the same thing to you. Your soul and spirit suffer from a degenerative disease known as sin. At times it seems to go into remission, but do not think that it ever truly goes away. There is only one cure for this illness, and this remedy I have described already. You need a blood transfusion of a unique kind. Be assured that the daily process of dying that you are undergoing can only be halted by crying out to the Great Healer. He will carve out the areas of your life where sin and the decay of death reside, and will replace them with new life. This process may be hard as you are forced to part with patterns and pursuits that you have built your life around, but rest assured this healing process ends well. You will experience a joy and fulfillment that is not experienced frequently in this world. You will walk in step with God, much as Adam and Eve did in the Garden of Eden. It is very important at this time that you do not look to mankind’s feeble and often hypocritical versions of Christianity as an excuse for not tending to your own healing. Man is expert at misinterpreting and screwing up what God has said. Do not let your disbelief spring from these weaknesses in mankind. We ALL have sinned. We ALL will continue to sin. We must ALL tend to our own illness. The question that I must ask you then, dear reader, in response to our original question of “Why Me” by necessity must be “Why not you”. What is holding you back? What keeps you from escaping the daily death that is a part of your life? What keeps you from seeking a new and fulfilled life? “call on the name of the Lord and you shall be saved”. Reach out from your sick bed and grab the hand of the Great Healer. Know that you are now in His arms and are now filled with vibrant new life. I pray that this is so.

An Uncomfortable Christianity

All of us have had this experience. We are walking down a busy street and we see some person who may look a little odd, a little too eager, and all around a little off handing out pamphlets. We may try to avoid them by passing to the other side of the street, or may tuck our hands into our pockets to appear less likely to grab one of the pieces of paper out of the unwanted, outstretched hands. As much as we try to avoid it, the piece of paper ends up in our hands, and we give it a glance and dismiss is from our mind as "just another religious nut handing out tracts." Maybe we feel a flush of shame that we are not doing more to serve the kingdom, but this feeling may quickly be replaced by the feeling that even if we did serve God more fully, it would be in a far more efficient way. The crisis of faith has been averted, and we pursue our plodding, comfortable course, pressing on toward the prize, just not pressing too very hard. As I spent the last week reading about the early church and the persecutions that assailed it, and as I listened to the message this morning asking what allows Christianity to spread, I reached an interesting conclusion. The level of comfortability that we feel in our relationship with God is directly opposed to the amount of fruit we produce for His kingdom. I do not imply that we do not receive comfort from Him, I just imply that if we feel complacent and comfortable, then we most likely are not pursuing Him the right way. In the early church, comfortablility was not an option. The persecutions of the early church are well documented, as is the resulting growth and spread of the gospel in the early years of Christianity. As much as persecution caused Christians to spread, I do not believe that this was the prime reason why Christianity also spread. Early Christians were subjected to myriad tortures and a variety of cruel deaths. These deaths could have often been avoided by merely worshiping a Roman idol, or renouncing belief in Christ. As I read account after account of these persecuted Christians singing praises to God as they burned, or uttering words of thanks and praise to Jesus that they were able to follow Him into martyrdom, I was startled by my lack of faith. When James was accused of being a Christian, he handled his impending execution with such grace and rejoicing in the Lord, that the one who brought the accusation against him was converted, and upon making this conversion public, was executed alongside James. I do not suggest that we must be made martyrs to be made more effective as Christians, but we could certainly die a little more to the world than we currently do. We have fallen into a pattern of "Comfortable Christianity" where we give our lives to God, but do so while maintaining the lives we lived before he redeemed us. I do not speak of sin, but instead speak of patterns of life. We still pursue the "finer things", we still seek the comforts this world has to offer, we plan vacations and parties and seek promotions and push and jostle for a place in this world, not realizing that one has already been provided for us. What can surpass being a child of the King? There is no sin in accruing the things that we would have in our physical, temporal world, but beware of the comfort that comes with these things. What would you part with, up to and including your life, in order to further the gospel? When I ask this question of myself, I realize how far short I fall. May you ask this question of yourself as well, and give honest answer to it. It may be uncomfortable, but that is right where God want's you to be. Lord, help me to seek a place where I am not comfortable so I can better see you accommodate for my weaknesses through your ever present strength.

The Turn of a Phrase-Cubes and Triangles

"I am a poor bewildered triangle being wooed by a cube". This quote from James Branch Cabell's The Cords of Vanity was part of a conversation between a suitor and a flirtatious young woman. Needless to say,the relationship did not work itself out. The lack of connection in their communication is something that all of us have experienced during our lifetimes. This quote is an example of how our human attempts at communication and witnessing to the world can often experience a communication chasm. In my upbringing, it seemed that their were those Christians who had the "skills', whether oratorial or otherwise who drew people to Christ. They must have had the magic phrases that helped the unsaved person understand the "wooing of the cube". As I have grown older, and more understanding of the power of God I have begun to realize that all of our attempts to communicate as circles to squares or as triangles to cubes are faulted from the outset. Those we communicate to will be "bewildered" by what we are saying unless our words are touched by the Holy Spirit. As I was preparing my Sunday School lesson this week, I was reading the story of Jonah and his rebellion. The part of the story that really stuck out was how Jonah was bitter that God had saved the evil people of Ninevah. This was the same Jonah who had spent the last weeks preaching and teaching to the people of Ninevah, and had actually convinced the king to follow the One True God. Jonah's negative reaction to the redemption of the Ninevites tells me that even while he was preaching for the repentance of the people of Ninevah, his heart was not all the way in it. He still had reservations about God's redemption, even though he himself had just experienced in a drastic way. This is a huge relief for us as Christians. We do not have to say the perfect thing, or answer the questions of doubt in a perfect manner. We do not have to prove the existence of God, or explain how the world was Created, or even explain the virgin birth. We do not always even have to be sure of what we are doing. We just have to be willing to be used by the Holy Spirit. The Great interpreter can take our mumbled, disconnected ramblings, our cube-like communication and can clarify it until the bewildered triangles are faced with only the stark and vivid reality of God's Truth. It is freeing that our responsibilities as Christians are less dependent upon a turn of a phrase than they are on doing a good turn. Love takes on many forms and fashions and eliminates the need for cubes to communicate with "bewildered triangles", acts of love are understood by every tribe and tongue. The words we speak pale in comparison to the workings of our hands in their communicative ability with a lost world. Lord- help me to rely on you and to realize that the only "magic" words that I can say are actually deeds.