naked theology

Love One Another: The Cost of Love and the Low Rate of Return

2012-02-11T11:50:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine posted the following blog this morning. As we approach Valentine's Day, I thought the theme of loving one another seemed to fit well. I love reading other blogs because all of our perspectives are different when looking at the Kingdom of God and what it should look like. In reading the thoughts of others, we often have that "light bulb" of revelation flash on and wonder to ourselves, "Why didn't I think of that?" It may be a concept so simple, but because it was generated from another mind, it's revealed a fresh, new and vibrant. The words of my friend Brother David Hutton represent just such a scenario and what it means to really love one another in the realm of God's Kingdom.

We all long to see the love of God moving in people's lives through His Spirit. We all want to see transformation and our efforts produce fruit for the Kingdom of God. But the problem is, none of us are promised any of this in each and every situation. As followers of Christ, we're called to be obedient to Him, His call in our life and furthering His Kingdom. We aren't promised accolades and pats on the back. We're not guaranteed measurable success in our ministry endeavors. When we love others, as Christ loves us, we are never promised that others will love us back. (John 13:34-35) What we can be assured of is that when we take steps of obedience to Christ, He is faithful and will use each word, each prayer, every touch and every dollar spent to advance His Kingdom here on earth. Not an ounce of humble effort for God will remain ineffective. Brother David reminds us of this in the following words.

"Recently I was terminated by an incarcerated gentleman with-whom I had worked the last several months. He sent, I suppose, what could be considered the equivalent of a 'Franciscan Dear John Letter' to me from prison. He made it quite clear he didn't need my friendship or prayerful support, but instead money in his canteen fund.

He let me know honestly that he didn't appreciate anytime spent o n prayer on his behalf, the sort of support he needed was someone who could give him a place to live and a job once he was released.

I read his letter several times over (which wasn't hateful or mean spirited) and I even jotted some notes in reply, but in the end, I saw he spoke his truth plainly and honestly and threw my reply in the trash.

Had I fumbled? Maybe he thought my prayer was to change him? Instead of asking God to guide him. Had I come across with a little too much 'preferential option for the poor'? Did I lose the Man, while looking for the Soul?

Oh, I won't lie to you. I wanted him to see a loving God. One without all the trappings we some time place on God. You know the one; "God is Love". I wanted him to see the God who created us All in that image. Without exception, but I won't shove that down anyone's throat.

Maybe he knows this God of Love, but for some unsettling reason, I fear he doesn't, and that bothers me a lot. It's tough enough some days when we do know God, let alone when we think he doesn't exist or is the white bearded man casting lightening bolts on people from a golden throne in heaven.
I don't know the outcome of this particular situation, but I hope just the same."

None of us know the outcome of this situation, David. But what we do know is that God does. He knows each and every aspect of this man's future journey, and will use every amount of effort, every prayer and every loving word that you uttered as a follower of His Son, Jesus Christ.

Is Chrisanity a "Masculine" Relgion?

2012-02-04T11:36:00.000-08:00

Author and speaker, Rachel Held Evans, asked men to respond to recent comments by John Piper regarding Christianity as being predominately a “masculine” religion. These are my comments on a topic that has caused a bit of controversy in some theological circles.

First and foremost, it can be problematic for us to try and classify God in terms of human attributes. When you get right down to it, God is neither male nor female, but is Spirit, existing outside of time and space and the physical constraints that we experience as human beings. We cannot attribute a sexual identity to God any more than we can classify the Divine as a particular ethnic race or belong to a religious denomination. In the same manner, neither sex is superior to the other, as no one race is dominant to another. It has not been left open for us to delve into the complexities of understanding God’s identity as one would describe someone to another. In the west we tend to categorize and classify in a distinctly empirical manner. We strive to describe the unknown with concretely definable attributes, and whether consciously, subconsciously, or subliminally, we attempt to do this with God. Therein lies the problem.

However, the Bible gives plenty of insight to at how God chose to be revealed to humanity, and He does in fact describe Himself with male attributes. Although some will debate that the "Spirit" is more feminine, we can clearly see that God presents Himself as a male figure. However, it's important to note that just because God identifies Himself to us with male attributes, does not necessarily suggest that God is "male", so to speak. There could be a number of reasons for this, and I don't feel that it is significant to this blog to go into them in great detail. The point is, one or the other had to be chosen and God chose to describe Himself as male through His Word. Does that diminish the female counterpart of creation? Does this mean that "Christianity", by and of itself, is a "masculine" religion?

First and foremost, it's important to conclude that if God made man in His image (Genesis 1:27), part of the image would represent the female. This would lead one to conclude that God possess female attributes equally as he does male. The Bible is replete with imagery that represent God's male attributes, however when seeking illustrations that tend to lean in the feminine direction, the examples are somewhat harder to track down. For the purposes here, I've chosen to site several passages that represent female attributes, as well as Biblical illustrations that show a more dominate female emphasis in general.

First of all, God describes the Church as the "Bride of Christ" (Ephesians 5:2 This is the most significant argument against Christianity being classified as exclusively masculine, since this title is attributed to “the Church”. The Church is also the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12) which is His representation until Christ's Second Coming. The “Bride of Christ”, being classified as female, and the Body of Christ, being obviously male, would lead us to believe that both attributes are being completely represented in this image. Through this, we see beautiful imagery of bride and groom being joined together as one and the "two become one flesh", leaving the sex as a secondary factor. (Genesis 2:24) Is it therefore possible that part of the marriage union is for each of God's sexual attribute to better understand the other? Either way, one cannot escape the overwhelming feminine identification of the Church being a bride.

Another interesting reference comes in Matthew 23:37, in which we find Jesus unashamedly identifying and expressing a motherly instinct to God's children when He says, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem. . . ! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings. . . !") God chose to use the comforting, nurturing and compassionate aspects of a mother to illustrate His children being drawn to redemption through His Son Jesus Christ. We also see illusions of this in Luke 15:8-10, and the Parable of the Lost Coin. Jesus uses the image of a woman, quite possibly a mother, who diligently sweeps her home in hopes of finding a single lost silver coin. In the same way, God Himself searches the entire creation in search of one sinner that repents and finds the Kingdom of God.

Looking at the Book of Isaiah, God clearly identifies Himself as a mother. In vivid illustrations of a woman giving birth to, lovingly caring for and nursing her newborn baby, God reveals Himself in an exclusively female anthropomorphism. In Isaiah 42:14 God speaks powerfully through Isaiah saying, “For a long time I have kept silent, I have been quiet and held myself back. But now, like a woman in childbirth, I cry out, I gasp and pant.”, and again in Isaiah 46:3 “Listen to me, you descendants of Jacob, all the remnant of the people of Israel, you whom I have upheld since your birth, and have carried since you were born.” After childbirth, the mother compassionately cradles her baby and provides vital nourishment as in Isaiah 49:15 - “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you!” Could these illustrations reveal comforting and nurturing attributes that only can come from the female character? I think we all can agree that “As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you; and you will be comforted over Jerusalem.” (Isaiah 66:13)

Another similar illustration is found in Psalm 131:2 – “But I have calmed and quieted myself, I am like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child I am content.” In this verse, we see the Psalmist finding calm and rest as he takes comfort in God, as a child becomes independent and secure in its mother’s provision.

In Proverbs 4:7, we read that “Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding.” This same “wisdom” that is considered precious and priceless is also identified as a female in the same chapter and perceived as a “protector”, “exalter” and one that will honor us when we cherish her as the supreme gift that she is. Here the author purposely uses the Hebrew feminine noun חָכְמָה (chokmah) for wisdom. Wisdom is the woman that calls out to us in Proverbs 8 and 9, urging us to choose her ways, love her and fear God, her creator. With almost Christological imagery, she reveals to us that she is the first of God’s creation and had an essential part of creating all that came after her and all that we see. As a mother gives birth to life, this causes one to ponder the idea that wisdom may be looked upon as a mother as well, possibly with connections to the references in Isaiah.

As stated early, let’s keep at the forefront of our minds that God’s sexual identity is really irrelevant in terms our spirituality and in the Kingdom of God as a whole. In the essence of the Kingdom, there is no male or female, only citizens. (Galatians 3:28) the In Exodus 3:14, when Moses asked the name of God, He simply responded, “I AM WHO I AM.” Granted, the Hebrew הָיָה הָיָה (hayah hayah) translates as masculine, but I don’t think that was the point that God was trying to make. Rather it’s if the question was irrelevant in the first place, and if He could be identified in terms of human understanding, the mere name would not shed anymore light than before. Instead, God revealed Himself to Moses as a burning bush, something with very little human identification. When God showed Himself to Moses in Exodus 33, it was not as if a giant man passed by the rock in which Moses was hidden, only revealing His backside. Rather it was a more likely a manifestation that was not at all comprehensive to the human mind. Moses saw the glory of God: Man. Woman. Child. Adult. Mother. Father. Sister. Brother. Baptist. Catholic. American. African. He is who He is.

“Goddesses have, of course, been worshipped: many religions have had priestesses. But they are religions quite different in character from Christianity.... Since God is in fact not a biological being and has no sex, what can it matter whether we say He or She, Father or Mother, Son or Daughter?

Christians think that God Himself has taught us how to speak of Him. To say that it does not matter is to say either that all the masculine imagery is not inspired, is merely human in origin, or else that, though inspired, it is quite arbitrary and unessential. And this is surely intolerable.”

C.S. Lewis

Quest

2012-01-21T15:43:00.000-08:00

We have stretched arms to the heavens

in hopes of touching

the holy face of God.

We have traveled the seas unrelenting,

in hopes of finding the Spirit

that would carry us as the waves on which we were carried.

We have walked the earth unforgiving,

upon rock as hard as hearts

in hopes of finding the Rock that would not be broken.

And within the fleeting efforts of our toils,

we laid our heads to rest.

And in the quiet and still of night,

with arms drawn in,

the waves stilled,

the earth cooled,

We have found the essence of our seeking,

to be closer than the breath in which we breathe.

Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh

2012-01-06T06:38:00.000-08:00

To the Man on Mansfield Street

by Catherine Chandler

I have imagined countless reasons for

your sleeping on the hotel heating vent ---

a lengthy layoff, months of unpaid rent,

a gambling debt, divorce, a private war . .

Or was it something darker, maybe drink,

a need to fill your veins with heroin;

insanity, a secret or a sin

you wouldn’t whisper to a priest or shrink?

The morning traffic soon will wake you up;

you’ll check there’s nothing missing from your bag;

you’ll bind your blisters with a dirty rag

and later gauge the clinking in your cup.

I see the bright-eyed boy you surely were;

I see the tender infant, newly-born,

the Baby who, before the cross and thorn,

was given gold and frankincense and myrrh.

Unlike the offerings of wiser men,

all that I give you is a cigarette,

the time of day, some change, my mute regret

that begs to differ with the word, Amen.

Youth With a Mission: My Meager Attempt at Fund Raising

2011-12-30T15:45:00.000-08:00

A few months ago I received a letter in the mail from my cousin, Christiana. Rather than boring you with my lame attempt to capture the authenticity of her story, I wanted you to hear from her heart directly, and hear the details of what God is about to do in her young life. After reading her initial letter, I was so blown away by her passion, excitement and commitment to this opportunity, that I decided to help her in any possible way that I could. After talking with her a couple of times, I realized two things: 1. My finances literally stink right now. 2. Most everyone's finances stink right now. Those two sobering revelations shed some light on the one particular area that she needs help with the most: Getting the word of this opportunity out to as many people as possible. Let's face it. The economy is tough right now. There aren't many of us individually that are able to make much of a dent in her financial obligations, but perhaps if we work together, we can make a real impact! Since there are so many of you out there that faithfully read my blog, which I appreciate more than you can possibly know, I asked Christiana to write a similar letter to you directly.

I'll admit, very few opportunities come along in the missions area that I truly believe in 100%. Most of you know that I can be somewhat of a cynical minister. This however, is a ministry opportunity that I not only believe in, but clearly see the Spirit of God as the vehicle moving this forward. All that I ask of you is to read the words of this faithful follower of Christ. Hear the passion that God has placed in her heart. Meditate on what He is about to do in her life, and in the lives of those that He will impact through her ministry, and then just pray. Just simply ask God what He wants you to do. And together, let's ask ourselves what He can do through us in building this ministry, and what we can do to impact His Kingdom in the most powerful and radical way possible. Will you join me?

Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

My name is Christiana Falbo I am writing to share with you all a rather exciting adventure I am about to embark on. I have been accepted to a program called YWAM, or Youth With a Mission. It is a Christian missionary program that allows people like me to learn and experience God and His works in a surrounding I wouldn’t otherwise be able to. I will be part of a 21 week lecture phase, otherwise known as Discipleship Training School (DTS) where I’ll learn more about missions and what it really means to be a missionary, while living with a group of about twenty people doing the same. After I complete my DTS, we will leave on what is called an Outreach, where we travel to another country (or countries) and put into practice what we have learned. My specific DTS is partnered with a campaign called “Not for Sale” which solely focuses on ending sex slavery and human trafficking around the world. This means that wherever I go for my outreach (I won’t know where until i start my DTS) I will be working heavily with the issue of sex slavery and will actually get the opportunity to see the trafficking first hand and be given the chance to do something about it. The entire program will last five months, which means I will be gone from January to June. I will spend the first three months doing my DTS in Townsville, Australia, and the final two months wherever God decides to take us, but it will most likely be somewhere in Thailand or Southeast Asia.

Learning to trust God’s plan for me in making this decision has been a trial to say the least. I moved to Colorado from Texas about eight years ago. Since then I have become extremely involved in West Bowles Community Church and its youth group. I started singing in the youth praise band when I was a freshman and became one of the leaders as a sophomore. When I was a junior I started helping out with the Junior High group as a leader and just became a leader of the high school group as well. Even though my role as a leader has been to help lead and guide the youth I work with, I have found that I have gotten so much more in return than anything i would ever be able to give to these kids. I signed on to be a leader, but ended up in some of the most amazing friendships with the people I have the honor of leading with as well as the kid’s I’m leading. All of this has made my decision to do YWAM that much harder. While I am beyond ecstatic for the opportunity at hand and the experiences I will be gaining, I am both nervous and heartbroken to be leaving behind what I have called home and the people I have called family for so long. I have really learned how to trust what God is doing in my life and put His plan into action.

I write to ask for your support. In this time, I need all the prayers I can get. However, along with emotional support, I also ask for financial support, as this is a rather expensive endeavor. I know God provides, but I also know that I have to be willing to work. Reaching out for help has been both a hard and humbling process for me, as I have accepted that I can in no way do this alone. I have truly learned the value of a dollar, so asking for support has been no easy task. I am more than aware of these economic times, as my own family lost our home to foreclosure in 2010. So if you are unable to give financially, just keeping this ministry in your thoughts and prayers is more than enough.

If you want to learn more about YWAM and my journey, you can go to ywamrto.org , e-mail me at christiana.falbo@gmail.com, or facebook me!

Much Love,

Christiana Falbo

Advent Reflections - 12/25/2011 - Christmas Day

2011-12-25T06:45:00.000-08:00

"So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galiless to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to hime and was expecting a child. While the were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, as son. She wrapped himin cloths and placed hime in a manger, because there was no guest romm available for them.

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

Luke 2:4-19

Reflection

Christmas Day is here! Our journey through Advent together has come to an end. The expectation is finally culminating and the whirlwind of the Season is coming to a close. Perhaps you’re about to open Christmas presents. Perhaps you’ve already torn into the brightly colored packages, taken it all in and someone has inevitably uttered the question, “Is that all?” Maybe someone uttered the familiar, “Now if you don’t like it, I have the receipt!” Or my favorite from The Christmas Story, “Didn’t I get a tie this year?” Someone will eventually grab a garbage bag and start picking up the wrapping paper. Someone will collect and sort the ribbon and bows to be saved and just like that, Christmas is over. All the anticipation that has been building up for the last month is finally exhausted, we take a deep breath and maybe, just maybe, we relax just a little. Advent is complete. Christ has come.

As we reflect on our journey, we find something very interesting in our passage from the Gospel of Luke. It contains something that might be easily overlooked, but in many ways contains the very essence of what Advent is all about. As we read the familiar story of the birth of Jesus Christ, we come to a small detour. For 18 verses we read Luke’s eloquent account with the emphasis being almost solely on the birth of a baby. And then suddenly, almost completely out of place, we get a glimpse of mom’s perspective. Just a brief snapshot in verse 19, and then back to the “story” in verse 20: “Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.” Despite the magnitude of what was going on, and how the world was about to change, Mary took a few moments in time, paused and reflected on the moment. Imagine what she might have said. “Joseph, I love you so much, but just give me a few seconds to take all this in. I want to remember every detail. I want to treasure this moment forever.”

Yes, Christmas is here. Advent has come to a close. But before we start making plans to take down the tree and clean the house up for New Years Eve, let’s commit to one another to take some time this day and just rest and reflect. Let us look back over the last month and meditate on the journey we’ve taken together. Let us remember the hope that we have in God; the hope that came to fruition and was revealed in His Son, Jesus Christ. Let us cling to the joy that each of us have in the salvation He so freely gives and the eternal life that we posses through our faith in Him. Let us rest in the love that God revealed in the birth of His Son; the same love that would lead him to the cross 33 years later. And let us rest; rest in the peace that comes from knowing that we are not alone in this world. We believe in a God that is not far off. He’s not distant or difficult to access. He shares in our laughter, rejoices in our victories and mourns in our losses. God is here.

Let us rejoice! Emmanuel, God with us!

Closing Prayer

Lord, Prince of Peace, Savior of the World, You have come as You promised. As we celebrate today, let us take time to reflect on what this journey has meant to each of us. Let us just for a moment, hold this time in our hearts and remember Your great love for us; a love so great that You sent Your only Son into this world to live among us. Today we rejoice in You, we thank You and we sing with hearts of praise: Emmanuel, God with us.

Amen

Benediction

Let us go about our day looking forward with hope, reflecting in joy, acting in love and encouraging peace. May the peace of Jesus Christ be with each and every one of us.

Amen

Advent Reflections - 12/24/2011 - Christmas Eve

2011-12-24T07:26:00.000-08:00

“He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
Revelation 21:4 (NIV)

Reflection

Take a few seconds and enjoy the silence of the moment. Christmas Eve is finally here. Can you feel it? Christmas Eve just seems to have a magical feel to it, doesn’t it? Almost a “real time” sense, as if the events are about to transpire for the first time, and in a sense, perhaps they are. In Christ, all things are new each day, as well as each year. The reality of the incarnation is just as true as it was over 2000 years ago. And as our time together comes to a close, let us carry that with us beyond the Christmas Season. As we reflect over the last month of Advent, let us not think of Christmas Eve as the end of our journey, but the beginning. Hope. Love. Joy. Peace. All things new. Beginnings. Emmanuel, God with us.

Although our verse for today refers to the Second Coming of Christ, I’m amazed that the essential truths apply to His First Coming as well. Through Christ, our tears are wiped away. Through Christ, there is no more death, for we posses eternal life in Him. Through Christ, our mourning, crying and pain subside, as we trust in Him with every heartache and burden. “the old order of things has passed away.” Jesus Christ has come into the world. In the flash of an instant, in a single moment of time, God broke through our earthly realm and became man. He became one of us and in a short 33 years, He would become the perfect sacrifice for each one of us. The burden of sin was lifted. The seemingly endless process of atoning sacrifice was satisfied. Emmanuel, God with us. He was with us. He is with us. He will be with us. He has come. Advent.

Prayer

Lord, today we celebrate the birth of Your Son, Jesus Christ. As we conclude our Advent celebration, we do so with hearts of thanksgiving, praise and worship. Glory to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.

Amen

Advent Reflections - 12/23/2011

2011-12-23T09:29:00.000-08:00

“This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”
1 John 4:10 (NIV)

Reflection

There is no greater emotion than love. Love can envelop an eclectic collection of emotions that often contradict each other and leave us either elated or completely confused. Love can conjure a range of feelings from happiness, laughter and contentment, to thoughts of anger, hatred and jealousy. Love can lift us up, and love can bring us crashing to the ground. Love unites and love can also divide. Love can conquer all obstacles of life and love can leave us utterly defeated. Love can find us included among close friends and family or leave us feeling abandoned and lonely. Love can be all, or it can be nothing.

Love also generates peace, a peace and joyful contentment that transforms the very essence of who we are. It can catapult us from the often mundane pace of life to an exciting journey that leaves us confident of accomplishing anything that we face. Love can consume us with peace, and most often that peace comes from being loved, rather than loving. Being loved by others is a confirming indication that we matter. That we are worthy of love. That the make-up of who we are, has caused another being to be moved to this radical and all encompassing emotion: Love.

As we read these words today’s passage, we discover a very simple and yet complex and perplexing truth: God loves us. And all that God has done through His Son Jesus Christ, had nothing to do with how much, or how little we love God, but how much He loves us. His love for each one of us is overwhelming and filled with mystery; the same mystery that revolves around the incarnation. A love so massive and without limit, and yet it was contained and confined in the limited vessel of a small child. A love that compelled the God of all that is, all that has been and all that will be, to descend into the darkness of this world and live among us. This is love: Emmanuel, God with us!

Prayer

Lord, Your love for us is without limit, without understanding and without end. In our feeble attempts to love You, Lord, let us receive Your love through the blessings of this Advent Season. Let us rest, feel Your peace and be loved by You.

Amen

Advent Reflections - 12/22/2011

2011-12-22T07:10:00.000-08:00

“All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).
When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.”
Matthew 1:22-24 (NIV)

Reflection

Peace is somewhat of a priceless commodity these days. Let’s face it. We live in chaotic times and most of the circumstances that surround us can induce anything but peace. From an unstable economy to the continuing threats of terrorism, singing “peace on earth” can seem to be just empty words. Especially during the Christmas Season, peace is something that sometimes eludes us. Images of joyful families’ Christmas dinners, warm fireplaces and happy children around a Christmas tree can seem to more resemble a Norman Rockwell painting rather than our reality.

One of the greatest misconceptions in today’s culture is misinterpreting what peace really means. Most often, we confuse “peace” with the haphazard emotions of “happiness”. Happiness is an emotion that develops from the circumstances around us; peace is an emotion that rises above them. Peace transcends our circumstances of life and determines how we react to them. In fact, one could say that peace is more of a state of mind, rather than a feeling or sentiment. Peace is determined by our responses to the world around us, or lack of reaction to the stresses and worries of life. Peace comes when we relinquish control of that which cannot be controlled.

In the words of Matthew 1:22-24, we read of a situation that may have seemed overwhelming, confusing and fearful for Joseph. He could have awoken in a panic, argued with God and run from the circumstances that were thrust upon him. He could have legally divorced Mary and would have been completely justified by culture and faith. After all, from all earthly perspectives, she had cheated on him and was pregnant with another man’s child. Who would blame him for bailing out?

Our Advent passage for today reveals much of how Joseph reacted to his circumstances. From our point of view, he didn’t argue, question or choose to panic over the news God gave him. He didn’t run, get angry or blame anyone for what was going on. Joseph chose not to react to his circumstances, but instead submitted to that which could not be controlled. He accepted how his life was about to radically change, and as far as we can tell, he had peace. May we react the same way to the sometimes uncontrollable circumstances that we might face.

Prayer

Lord, we confess that sometimes we react to our circumstances with fear, anger or panic. It is in these times that we lose hold of the peace that You want for each and every one of us. May we take hold of your peace and let it overwhelm us, rather than the troubles of life.

Amen

Advent reflections - 12/21/2011

2011-12-21T05:22:00.000-08:00

“In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe.”
Hebrews 1:1-2 (NIV)

Reflection

Why is it that we so often live in the past? Why do we so frequently attempt to build our current days based on the blessings of yesterday? You’ve heard the expressions: “Those were the good ‘ol days!” “Remember when…?” “Things are just not like they used to be.” I am especially reminded of this during Christmas because we tend to focus so much on tradition. As soon as the decorations come out, the music starts playing and our favorite TV shows come on, we are transported to another place and time. We think back on the magic of Christmas when we were younger, and long for those nostalgic feelings that captured us then. In an effort to recreate the memories of yesterday, we strive to re-create a Christmas that relives those we remember. But we usually end up disappointed and a little frustrated. Why can’t things just be like they used to be?

The problem with nostalgia is that it focuses on something that no longer exists. The past remains only in our memories and if we’re really honest with ourselves, nothing can be done to relive the days that have passed. The only thing in which we can control is our present, and when you think about it, we really have no control over that either. In reality, all we have is today. In fact, all we truly have is this moment. This moment that we share today, celebrating Advent together. The past is no longer. Tomorrow will be. Today is what it is.

As we hurdle toward Christmas Eve, as the excitement builds, and as we celebrate the coming of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, rest in the present. God once spoke through the prophets of old, and revealed His soon coming. For a time God was silent, and the people of Israel longed for the days when the Lord spoke to them. But as time passed, He indeed came into the world. That moment of time, in the quiet and peace of Bethlehem was better. No more longing. No more looking back. Emmanuel, God with us!

Prayer

Lord, in the quiet of this moment, help us to keep ourselves in Your presence. Help us to live our lives day to day, in great anticipation of the blessings You provide moment to moment. Let us look on the past with joyful memories, look to the future with hope and live today in your love and grace.

Amen

Advent Reflections - 12/20/2011

2011-12-20T06:51:00.000-08:00

“When Israel was a child, I loved him,
and out of Egypt I called my son.”
Hosea 11:1 (NIV)

Reflection

For just a moment, imagine a time in life when you faced a particularly difficult situation. Think about the situation and the details that surrounded it. You may have felt fear. You may have felt anger. You may have felt frustrated and helplessness to change your situation. Now imagine the moment that you realized that your circumstances were finally going to change for the good. Can you remember the overwhelming peace you felt in the realization that God had finally answered your prayer, reached into your life, and lifted you up, delivering you from a situation that seemed inescapable? Do you remember the relief? Do you remember the burden that seemed to be lifted from your shoulders? Do you remember the peace?

Mary and Joseph faced a difficult situation as well. With their new baby boy and the anxieties of being new parents, they also faced fear and uncertainty for His life. Feeling that his reign would be threatened, King Herod forced them to flee their home in the dark of night and move to a foreign and unfamiliar land. They were probably confused and frustrated, knowing that if Jesus was really God’s Son and Savior of the world, why could He not change their circumstances? As God had delivered His children from Egypt through the hand of Moses, why would He not deliver them from the same place of captivity?

But can you imagine the peace that overwhelmed them when they finally heard the words, “It’s time to go home.” In his perfect time and within His divine circumstances, God illumined a path in the darkness that led them out of captivity. They would finally bring their baby home in safety, and eventually see salvation burst forth for the entire world.

God’s plans, timing and circumstances do not always line up in the way we think they should. We often find ourselves waiting in our own places of captivity. Our own Egypt. We feel fear, frustration and anger, many times even questioning our very faith in God himself. But when we begin to see our circumstances change, and the details of God’s plans coming to perfect fruition, the burden is lifted. The fear dissipates. The anger subsides. And His peace overwhelms us once again.

Prayer

Lord, as you brought Your Son out of Egypt and revealed the perfection of Your divine plan, let us remember that You are faithful, You are loving and You can always be trusted.

Amen

Advent Reflections - 12/19/2011

2011-12-19T05:59:00.000-08:00

“For as the soil makes the sprout come up
and a garden causes seeds to grow,
so the Sovereign LORD will make righteousness
and praise spring up before all nations.”
Isaiah 61:11 (NIV)

Reflection

Peace can come in the simplest and most unexpected places. In the midst of facing the most difficult of obstacles and walking through the darkest of times, the light of peace can break through and overshadow even the seemingly most impossible situation. As with a laugh from a child, a song on the radio or lights on a Christmas tree, peace and joy can transcend our circumstances and lift us to a place where we can say to ourselves, “It’s going to be OK.”

Like the verse that we read today, if the soil of our lives is ready to receive the seeds that God provides, the sprout of peace will grow. Sometimes all that is needed is soil. Even in the most unfavorable conditions, a sprout can rise up with new life. New life multiplies and creates more life. This is the encouragement that peace provides for us all, and the essence of what Advent is all about. Advent is about new life. Advent is about finding peace and joy, even in the darkest places. Advent is about a God that generated life in His Son Jesus Christ, and the new life that comes through Him to each of us.

In the quiet of this time, let us reflect on the new life we have in Christ. Unlike the sprouts that can grow, wither and eventually die, new life in Him comes fresh everyday. Let us remind ourselves that His righteousness and praise that sprung froth over 2000 years ago, springs forth anew during this Advent celebration and will continue to spring forth in the coming year.

Prayer

Lord, as we spend this time with You, remembering the new life that we have through Your Son, Jesus Christ, let us remember that new life is always available through Him. As we approach Christmas, celebrating His birth, let us see life as new and fresh. Grant us new life each day.

Amen

Advent reflections - 4th Sunday - 12/18/2011

2011-12-18T06:14:00.000-08:00

“But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God.
You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus.
He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High.
The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”
Luke 1:30-33 (NIV)

Reflection

Sometimes it is in our darkest hour that we finally hear the words from God, “Do not be afraid,” We often go about our days, rushing from one place to another, feeling as though we are spinning our wheels. We attempt to conquer our to-do lists, but they end up longer than before. We pay another bill, and another comes in the mail. We finally “get there”, wherever that may be, only to realize that we are utterly and completely lost. This is the point that many of us know all to well: the point of complete exhaustion. The point when we feel as if we can’t take another step. We can’t handle another responsibility or deal with another disappointed, and then…

Through the silence. Through the pauses for a deep breath. Through the anxiety and fear. We hear it. “Do not be afraid” You’ve heard it, haven’t you? The voice of God? The voice that calls out to you when you feel as if the final wave has crashed over you and no amount of strength will bring you to the surface? You hear it. “Do not be afraid” And suddenly, when you least expect it, you feel the peace that goes beyond your understanding. You realize that He is there, He loves you and you have found favor with Him.

It’s easy to imagine that Mary may have been in a place like this. She had been going about her life as usual, trying to make ends meet and prepare for her marriage to Joseph. From what we know of this young couple, they didn’t have it easy. Life was not without struggles and fears and they had both probably accepted that their future would be bit of an upward climb. Needless to say, the Bible tells us that Mary was afraid when the Angel Gabriel appeared to her. But rather than announcing to her that she would become pregnant, and that her baby would be God’s only Son, he focuses on Mary’s immediate need first. One of God’s children was afraid and He comforts her in the way only He can. “Do not be afraid”

Prayer

Lord, we thank You that You comfort us when we need You the most. As the Angel Gabriel told Mary to not be afraid, let us hear those same words when we face fears, uncertainties and troubles in life.

Amen

Advent reflections - Day 19 - 12/17/2011

2011-12-17T06:28:00.000-08:00

"When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.” So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.”

When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled:

“A voice is heard in Ramah,
weeping and great mourning,
Rachel weeping for her children
and refusing to be comforted,
because they are no more.”

After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child’s life are dead.” So he got up, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee, and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets, that he would be called a Nazarene.
Mathew 2:13-23

Reflection

We like to be in control, don’t we? Like the favorite circus act, we like to attempt to keep as many plates spinning at one time as possible. Living in a self-driven culture, we’re taught to believe that control equals success, and lack of control reveals failure. When we feel that we’re in control, we feel better about ourselves. We feel a sense of accomplishment and peace that everything is right in our little world. We continue to try our best to control all of our circumstances, and we might succeed for a period of time. But eventually we realize that too many plates are spinning. One by one, they begin to slow down. We do our best to keep them spinning, but they soon begin to wobble, and inevitably crash to the ground at our feet. We stand there, feeling overwhelmed and exhausted, wondering how we kept the plates balanced in the first place.

Today we reflect on the story of Mary and Joseph’s flight to Egypt with Jesus. At first glance, we automatically see a picture of circumstances that appear out of control. When reading these words and putting ourselves in this young couples place, we might imagine many plates spinning and a frantic attempt to keep them from crashing down. Mary and Joseph are new parents. That’s one plate. And their new baby happens to be God’s only Son. Now there are two plates spinning. They are warned by an angel that King Herod is planning on killing Jesus (third plate), and they now have to flee the stability of home and move to Egypt (that makes four). After three years of living in a foreign and unfamiliar country, they are told by God that the coast is clear. They can finally return home. Just as it seems that all the plates are now spinning in unison and things are under control, another is added to the balancing act. With five plates now beginning to wobble, Mary and Joseph find that they will have to build a new life in obscure little town called Nazareth. How many plates are spinning at this point?

As we conclude our third week of Advent, you might be asking yourself how “Joy” can be found in this story of spinning plates. From our perspective, we may only see a series of events that would cause most of us stress and anxiety. We see a situation that seems confusing, frustrating and apparently becoming more out of control with each passage. But it is in the last verse of this passage that we grasp the true perfection and stability of this situation. “So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets, that he would be called a Nazarene.” Everything was divinely fulfilled exactly how God intended it to be. Every detail of Mary and Joseph’s situation was under His sovereign control, and although the Bible tells us nothing of what they were going through emotionally, somehow I think they were doing OK. I believe that despite the overwhelming circumstances that surrounded them, they chose to trust in the God that had fulfilled His promise. No plates were spinning. None wobbled and fell to the ground. In fact, I don’t think the balancing act ever began.

Prayer

Lord, as we conclude this third week of Advent, enable us to remember that our joy does not come from our circumstances. It doesn’t come from how much control we have of life, but only from our confident trust in You and our faith that you keep our lives in complete balance.

Amen

Advent Reflections - 12/16/2011

2011-12-16T20:40:00.000-08:00

“And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”
Luke 2:13-14 (KJV)

Reflection

In the Christmas favorite, A Charlie Brown Christmas, a disenchanted Charlie Brown finds himself frustrated with the over commercialization of Christmas. Encouraged by his opportunity to direct the school Christmas play, he does his best to instill the true meaning of Christmas in his group of friends. When his final attempt to restore the Christmas spirit by purchasing a miserable and dying little Christmas Tree fails, Charlie Brown finally has had enough. In a heart-felt cry that encapsulates all of his holiday frustrations, he utters the now familiar words, “Isn’t there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?!” It’s at this point that his loyal friend Linus, wise beyond his years,
walks up to the stage microphone and reads the words of Luke 2:8-14.

“That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize him by this sign:

You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”
Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying,
“Glory to God in highest heaven,
and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”

Of all the passages pertaining to Christmas, none come close to these simplistic and all encompassing words that we read today. In the quiet of this moment, let our hearts be filled with the joy found in the truth of these words. Amidst the hectic pace of the Christmas season, let us encourage one another with what Christmas is all about.

Prayer

Lord, as we read these words tonight, words that encourage such joy for all mankind, let us remember the true meaning of Christmas. “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

Amen.

Advent Reflections - Day 17 - 12/15/2011

2011-12-15T15:58:00.000-08:00

“After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.”
Matthew 2:9-11 (NIV)

Reflection

The star that led the wise men to Jesus was brighter than any other. Through God’s divine providence, it appeared to announce the birth of Christ for those that were watching and waiting. From all practical perspectives, everyone should have noticed the splendor of this unusual event. But the Bible and other historical sources tell us that this was unfortunately not the case. Only a few educated philosophers and astronomers were able to interpret this glorious birth announcement, three of which are revealed in our passage for today. They knew that they were witnessing an extraordinary event. Something was taking place that was beyond the traditional and often narrow view of the world, and they wanted to be a part of it.

Sometimes we allow tradition to cloud our perspective of what God is doing in the world. We get so consumed with our narrow view of things that we forget that His view encompasses much more. Especially during the Christmas holidays, it’s easy for us to get sidetracked. It’s easy to slip into a complacent mindset that misses the big picture. When this happens, peace tends to elude us and joy becomes a rare commodity. Just as many missed the coming of the Messiah, we miss the unusually bright star in our lives as well, because we fail to look up.

As we move into the last week of Advent, let us commit ourselves to look up and see things from God’s perspective. Let us not miss the “bright morning star”. Let us keep our eyes upon the “light of the world”. As He guides us toward Christmas, let our perspective be clear, and our view broad.

Prayer
Lord, we confess that sometimes we allow ourselves to be consumed by the culture around us. With our eyes focused on the world, we miss the miraculous things that You do in our lives. Help us, Lord to keep our eyes focused upon You and not miss the guiding stars that You place before us.

Amen

Christmas According to Charlie Brown

2011-12-14T19:55:00.000-08:00

"Isn't there anyone who can tell me what Christmas is all about?" The classic quote from the timeless, A Charlie Brown Christmas, resonates with all of us and takes us back to a simpler time. Most of us have seen this Christmas favorite over 100 times, but it still seems to make Christmas complete and helps us to focus on the true meaning of the holiday. Overwhelmed with the commercialism of Christmas, our friend Charlie Brown finally hits the breaking point. Lifting his hands in desperation, he raises his voice and makes his yuletide plea! "Isn't there anyone who can tell me what Christmas is all about?" What timely words for me as I woke up this morning. And it made me wonder how many people ponder this same question.

I've been spending a lot of time just meditating on Christmas. This morning, my thoughts were much more vivid than usual. Not so much the "stuff", but just on what this time of year is supposed to mean to me. I have to admit, I've been a little jaded this year. For some reason, the commercialism seems to be more prevalent than it ever has been. The constant inundation of advertising at Christmas time, can cause many of us to slip into an almost mechanistic mindset that sends us forth in a spending whirlwind. We are inundated and it's almost impossible to avoid being sucked into the deception. But it's not just the shopping. We are inundated visually too: Christmas lights, store displays, television commercials, presents, our favorite TV shows, etc. etc. etc. The list is almost endless and in our attempts to find "peace on earth", we find that we're pushed to the limits of sensory overload.

Charlie Brown felt these same frustrations. He's no different than you and me. Not experiencing the joy that he thought he was supposed to feel, he begins a noble quest to find the true meaning of Christmas. He seeks the psychological expertise of Lucy, but to no avail. He gets plugged into directing the school's Christmas play, but finds more frustration than he had before. Trying as he might to connect the dots, Charlie Brown finds more confusion and less peace. Finally, our ol' pal has had enough and with desperation and great passion, he cries out to his friends, "Isn't there anyone who can tell me what Christmas is all about?!" Silence. He waits. I can feel it! He's desperately hoping that the light will come on and he will finally realize what he's been seeking.

And then the answer. Linus, well beyond years, walks up and offers the reply that seems to clear the fog: "Sure Charlie Brown, I can tell you what Christmas is all about. Lights please."

"And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." (Luke 2:8-14)

"That's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown".

Pretty simple, huh? No commercials. No lights. No decorations. No elaborate dinners. No presents. Just the eternal truth of Christmas and the birth of our savior Jesus Christ. Peace. Joy. Salvation. Like a knife, it cuts through the crap and speaks to our souls. This is the truth that our children need to hear from us. This is the truth that will resonate in their souls and convict them of what Christmas is really all about. Let's face it; we all feel like Charlie Brown from time to time. But when we are overwhelmed preparing for Christmas, look back to these simple words, from a simple and nostalgic Christmas TV show. Slow down. Listen to Linus.

"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."

Advent Reflections - Day 16 - 12/14/2011

2011-12-14T15:40:00.000-08:00

“An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
Luke 2:9-12 (NIV)

Reflection

Fear of the unknown is a very common problem these days. As our world continues to change, unknown factors of life increase as well. Our lives are filled with many uncertainties, all of which contain a litany of various unfamiliar aspects and results. When faced with an unfamiliar activity or situation, many of us find ourselves reacting with every emotion from general uneasiness to shear panic. Basically, most us just don’t like to face the unknown.

But with every unknown situation, there is the opportunity for joy to transcend our fears. Sometimes facing the unknown is the only way that God can reveal what He truly wants to do through our lives. Unfortunately, fear is one of the greatest factors that hold many of us back from accomplishing the extraordinary things that God can use us for. But think about this for a moment. Is it not usually true that when we take that critical step of faith, trusting in God even while consumed with fear, that the overwhelming joy we experience overshadows previous fears? Is it not usually worth the risk?

As the Angel of the Lord appeared to the Shepherds, and the manifestation of the glory of God surrounded them, they were afraid. In the presence of the unknown, fear overshadowed the joy that God was about to proclaim. By the angel’s words, “Do not be afraid”, the Good News of Jesus Christ was proclaimed, and the unknown became known. Fear became joy. Truth transcended uncertainty.

Prayer

Lord, we face many uncertainties in life and confess that the unknown causes great fear. But in You declaration of truth, through Your son, calms all fears that arise in us. Allow the Good News declared to the shepherds to be the same joy for us today.

Amen

Advent Reflections - Day 15 - 12/13/2011

2011-12-14T11:19:00.000-08:00

“This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.
But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus,
because he will save his people from their sins.”
Matthew 1:18-21 (NIV)

Reflection

There are times in life when occasions that usually bring joy do anything but. Two people are married for the wrong reasons. A promotion is accepted, but requires too much time away from home. A new home is purchased, but the debt is overwhelming. A child is born when the pregnancy was unplanned. Most of us do our best to make good choices in life, but occasionally we make mistakes. When those mistakes become realities, we hope and pray with all of our heart that God will transform our circumstances and forgive us in our failures. And sometimes we see that our circumstances, although not anticipated or planned for, turn out to be the greatest blessings from a sovereign God.

Joseph certainly did not anticipate Mary becoming pregnant before they were married. The Bible tells us that he was a righteous man, most likely making good decisions for most of his adult life. But yet here he was, facing the possible ending of his relationship with Mary and ramifications that would affect both of them for the rest of their lives. But being a man of God and knowing what the stakes were, Joseph made the best decision that his human mind could make: he would divorce Mary with as much dignity possible.

It was only then that God intervened to reveal to Joseph that the blessed occasion would not be a burden after all, but the greatest blessing mankind would ever see. Joseph made the wrong decision based on his limited knowledge. God revealed that this was not his choice to make, and regardless of the unexpected circumstances, joy would come from the birth of this unexpected child.

Prayer

Lord, in the midst of our mistakes, our failures and unexpected situations in life, help us to see the joy in all that You do through us. Help us to see that while our circumstances may be unexpected, joy can always come through Your Holy Spirit as we trust in You.

Amen

Advent Reflections - Day 14 - 12/12/2011

2011-12-12T16:27:00.000-08:00

“This is the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah the son of David, the son of Abraham:
Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob,
Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers,
Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar,
Perez the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram,
Ram the father of Amminadab, Amminadab the father of Nahshon,
Nahshon the father of Salmon, Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab,
Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse,
and Jesse the father of King David.
David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah’s wife,
Solomon the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the father of Abijah,
Abijah the father of Asa, Asa the father of Jehoshaphat,
Jehoshaphat the father of Jehoram,
Jehoram the father of Uzziah,
Uzziah the father of Jotham,
Jotham the father of Ahaz,
Ahaz the father of Hezekiah,
Hezekiah the father of Manasseh,
Manasseh the father of Amon,
Amon the father of Josiah,
and Josiah the father of Jeconiah and his brothers at the time of the exile to Babylon.
After the exile to Babylon:
Jeconiah was the father of Shealtiel,
Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel,
Zerubbabel the father of Abihud,
Abihud the father of Eliakim,
Eliakim the father of Azor,
Azor the father of Zadok,
Zadok the father of Akim,
Akim the father of Elihud,
Elihud the father of Eleazar,
Eleazar the father of Matthan,
Matthan the father of Jacob,
and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, and Mary was the mother of Jesus who is called the Messiah.
Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Messiah.
Matthew 1:1-17 (NIV)

Reflection

As you catch your breath from reading this extensive list of names, some too difficult to pronounce, you may find yourself wondering why God would include such a detailed and repetitious passage in the Bible.

You may find yourself wondering why this has been included as part of our Advent journey.

What could we possibly learn from this ancient family tree?

How can we possibly meditate on these words and allow them in intertwine with our celebration of Christmas?

In the days of Jesus’ birth, the culture was rife with expectations of the Messiah coming into the world. Discussions of who it would be and where he would come from were common, although not all of them correct. In fact, some Jews expected two different Messiahs to come on the scene. So that there would be no confusion, God spoke through the ancient prophets, who set forth unmistakable prophecies, so that no other person born into this world could claim true that which Jesus fulfilled. One unmistakable characteristic was that the Messiah would come from the line of David.

With intricate beauty, God details a family line that descends from Abraham, the Father of the Jewish people, divinely travels through King David and quietly rests upon Joseph, “the husband of Mary, and Mary was the mother of Jesus who is called the Messiah.” Such perfection. Such loving detail.

We see in this passage the words of a God that wanted nothing more than for the world to know His Son.

Can you imagine the joy that filled the land as this truth slowly became realized?

Prayer
Lord, as we meditate on these words that seem repetitious and mundane, let us see that nothing could be further from the truth. Through these words, let us realize Your great love and be overwhelmed by the joy that comes from you.

Amen

Advent Reflections - Day 15 - 12/11/2011

2011-12-11T15:51:00.000-08:00

“And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices
in God my Savior, for he has been mindful
of the humble state of His servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
for the Mighty One has done great things for me—
holy is his name. His mercy extends to those who fear him,
from generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
He has brought down rulers from their thrones
but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things
but has sent the rich away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful
to Abraham and his descendants forever,
just as he promised our ancestors.”
Luke 1:46-55 (NIV)

Reflection

As we begin our celebration and the third week of Advent, things might finally be slowing down for you. There may be a last minute gift to buy, a few decorations to set in the perfect place and a meal or two to prepare. But overall, things are probably settling down into a routine and we can all finally take a breath and relax, if only for a few minutes. These are the times when we can reflect and meditate on what is most important in our lives. These are the times when joy begins to fill our hearts,

and anxiety slips away just a bit.

Joy is something that we often misinterpret in today’s culture. In our often haphazard lives, it’s easy to confuse joy with happiness. Happiness is an emotion that is based on circumstance and the things that happen to us and around us. Joy is something much deeper and really has nothing to do with circumstances. Joy is something that rises above our circumstances and transcends the coming and going of happiness. Joy is lasting and permanent.
Happiness is fleeting and temporary.

When we read these words in today’s passage, often called Mary’s Song, it’s impossible to not feel the deep joy that she must have felt in uttering these words. She cannot contain the emotions that fill her soul as she calls out, praising the God from where her joy comes. Her joy is overflowing from deep within her, and she wants all who hear her to feel the same joy that she does. Even today, over two thousand years later, her cries of joy can be felt in the quiet moments of our Advent celebrations.

As our days begin to slow down just a bit, let us allow joy to fill our hearts. Let us take time to reflect on the blessings that God has bestowed on us and those we love. Let us hear the words of Mary that are just as true for us today as they were for her so long ago. They are true. They are real. They are now.
Let them fill our hearts, our minds and our souls.

Prayer
Lord, as we settle into the Christmas Season, allow our hearts to settle as well. Let our hearts be filled with peace and the same overwhelming joy that Mary had so long ago. Amen.

Advent Reflections - Day 14 - 12/10/2011

2011-12-10T07:15:00.000-08:00

“But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.”
Titus 3:4-7 (NIV)

Reflection

A gift given in love, is a gift received in love. Nothing is more exciting than giving the perfect gift that has been selected with love as its motivation. When it’s received and opened, that love is realized by the one receiving the gift, and fulfilled in the gift giver. In a cyclical pattern of giving, gifts are a catalyst of the love that we have for one another. What better way of describing the birth of Jesus Christ into the world than a “gift” to mankind?

Jesus was the encapsulation of God’s kindness and love. The gift of salvation, lovingly given to us, not because of anything we did to deserve it, but because His love outweighed any possible prerequisite. As with the gifts that we give each other at Christmas time, God expected nothing in return. We had to pass no test, or earn the right to receive our gift. The gift of salvation and eternal life in Christ were given in love and nothing more. All we must do is complete the perfect cycle of giving and receive God’s gift in love.

This Christmas, as we search for that perfect gift, let us do so with the love of Christ as our motivator. Let us spend time with each carefully selected gift, reminding ourselves of God’s deep love for us. A love so deep that He sent His Son, who appeared in Jesus, born on Christmas day.

Prayer

Lord, we come to You today, thanking You for the perfect gift in Your Son, Jesus Christ. May each and every gift that we give this Christmas, be given with the same love that you express to us, in us and through us.
Amen

Advent Reflections - Day 13 - 12/9/2011

2011-12-09T14:49:00.000-08:00

"But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law.
God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law,
so that he could adopt us as his very own children.”
Galatians 4:4-5 (NLT)

Reflection

For only a moment, recall as a child how difficult it was to wait for Christmas. All the festivities, decorations and favorite TV shows were all well and good, but nothing compared to the big day! As the weeks passed and anticipation grew, you found it more and more difficult to contain your excitement! By the time Christmas Eve had finally arrived, you could scarcely keep your attention focused on anything else! One thing filled your young mind and nothing else would satisfy the anticipatory exhilaration that wanted so much to be released! And that one thing was…the presents!

Let’s face it. We do our best to teach children the true meaning of Christmas, and they listen. They might even be listening right now as we join together. They understand as best they can, but ultimately their minds are more consumed with tearing into those brightly wrapped packages placed neatly around the Christmas tree! But to their frustration, as with most things in life there’s always at least one rule. You can’t open presents until Christmas Day, or maybe Christmas Eve if you’re lucky! And if you have children, you know how difficult it can be to enforce this rule.

But why do we enforce this rule of waiting until Christmas? Why the zealous postponement of such a spectacular event? Because it’s just not the right time. The waiting and anticipation is part of the joy of Christmas, and so it is with love, that parents encourage their children and prepare them as they wait. God’s children had to wait. Waiting was an aspect of life that the Hebrew people knew very well. Years of living in slavery, captivity and oppression kept them focused on the one day when God would finally send the gift of salvation to His chosen people. That day would soon come in the birth of Jesus Christ; the first Christmas Day. And as with our children, God’s children waited with great anticipation. The Bible makes a point to remind us that “when the right time came, God sent his Son”. It could not have come one second sooner, and would have been impossible to occur anytime later. God sent Jesus into the world at just the right time.

As we conclude our time together, let us quiet our hearts in trusting patience in God. The right time will come. Until then we wait, knowing that God’s plan of perfection is complete.

Prayer

Lord, it is so hard to wait. Sometimes it feels as if all we do is wait. But in the silence of this moment, remind us to trust in You, find our patience in You and rest in the truth that Your time is always the right time.

Amen

Advent Reflections - Day 12 - 12/8/2011

2011-12-08T08:07:00.000-08:00

“Jesus did many other things as well.
If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even
the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.”
John 21:25 (NIV)

Reflection

During our celebration of Advent, we focus our attention on one glorious single moment of time. No other historical event has transformed our world more radically. When Christ came into the world, history from that moment on was changed forever. Even the concept of modern time revolves around this miraculous event. Throughout the Christmas Season, our devotion, focus and activities center around the birth of a baby born into obscurity and poverty. Christmas is a birthday celebration. The birth of Jesus Christ. The incarnation of God in human form.

As with any birth, Christmas is about beginnings. New life springing forth into humanity, both physically and spiritually. All of us celebrate our birthday each year. It’s a reminder of the miraculous moment that we came into the world and the exciting events that surrounded that day. We remember the birth of people we love, honor and respect. We celebrate birth because it reminds us of how precious life is. Birthdays cause us to reflect on life, and as we get older, birthdays can become a bit more reflective because lives become increasingly filled with memorable and life-transforming events.

Unfortunately, when our Christmas celebrations end, so does our devotion. Christmas comes to an end and we pack up and put away the decorations for another year. We return gifts and find room for the new stuff we’ve acquired. And as we clean up the house and take a deep breath to relax, we slowly slip back into life as usual. The problem is that some of us proverbially packed up Jesus as well. Advent will come to an end, and so does our devotional time.

“Jesus did many other things as well”. Let us commit to each other to continue sharing these stories in our families each and everyday. Let the spirit of Advent encourage us to move forward and remember that the birth of Christ is only the beginning.

Prayer

Lord, as we close our time together, let us be renewed in mind and spirit that the celebration of Christmas marks only the beginning of the life of Your Son, Jesus Christ. After the holidays are complete, let us commit to ourselves to the many other things He did as well.

Amen.

Advent Reflections - Day 11 - 12/7/2011

2011-12-07T17:34:00.000-08:00

“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.
We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son,
who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
John 1:14 (NIV)

Reflection

“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” In the quiet of this time, think about these words for a moment. Imagine the essential meaning and implications of this verse. Our God of complete perfection came to earth, not by obligation, not by universal mandate, but because of the depth of His eternal love for us. So much so that He was willing to leave His heavenly dwelling, and in divine condescension, became man in order to live among us. The God of the universe, cloaked in the vessel of an infant child, all the while never losing His divinity. The perfect, living among the imperfect. God and man. Complete in both substance and essence.

During this hectic time of year, it’s easy for us to forget the significance of why we celebrate. Although we may be flooded with reminders of what Christmas is all about, sometimes it’s as if the words fall on deaf ears. Christmas is not only about trees, decorations, presents and “chestnuts roasting on an open fire”. It’s not only about the Christmas lights, parties or A Charlie Brown Christmas. While all of these great aspects of Christmas bring joy, warmth and laughter, they are ultimately not what’s it’s all about. They are only supplements to the essential truth of Christmas: “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.”

So as you celebrate this season with all of the traditions, gatherings and festivities that you hold dear to your heart, celebrate with the knowledge that the God of the universe became one of us, made His dwelling among us, and dwells with us today.

Prayer

Lord, as we celebrate Christmas with all the pageantry, tradition and splendor, let us remember that the true reason we celebrate is that You became flesh and made Your dwelling among us. Help us to remember that as we go from here to there, in celebration of Christmas, that you go with us as well. Let this be your celebration.

Amen.

Advent Reflections - Day Ten - 12/6/2011

2011-12-06T08:46:00.000-08:00

“The angel answered,
“The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.”
Luke 1:35 (NIV)

Reflection

In the flash of an instant and within the divine intervention of an angelic messenger, Mary’s life would be forever transformed. It’s hard to imagine some of the thoughts that must have been racing through her young mind. “Why me?”, “There’s nothing special about me”, “I’m not good enough”, “I’m too young”, “I’m not ready for this”, “This isn’t what I had planned” But yet here she was, facing a choice that really was no choice at all. “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” God chose Mary. An ordinary woman, with faults like anyone else, recognized that the love of God was about to overwhelm humanity and that she would be used as its vessel.

How often do we question our abilities when God wants to use us? Instead of recognizing the awesome fact that a loving God chooses to use flawed human beings, we resist, thinking that we know better than God. Mary wasn’t perfect. She was afraid and maybe a little confused. But in His perfect love and sovereign will, God chose her. With all her fears, imperfections and questions, she heard God’s word, chose not to hesitate and acknowledged that His plan was much bigger than hers. In love, God chose her and in obedience, she was willing to say, “I am the Lord’s servant.”

During this season of Advent, may we set aside our plans, hesitations and fears of imperfection. May we trust in a God that chooses to use us, not because he has to, not because we are perfect, but because He loves us, and nothing more.

Prayer

Lord, it is in this quiet moment that we acknowledge Your presence and perfect love for us. We know that we are far from perfect, and we know that our imperfections sometimes hold us back. But as we meditate on Your perfection, help us to trust in You and that Your decisions are always right. Give us the strength to step forward when You call, knowing that it is because of Your love that You chose us. Let it be only in love that we serve You. Amen.

Advent Reflections - Day Nine - 12/5/2011

2011-12-05T17:55:00.000-08:00

"and to everyone’s astonishment he wrote,

“His name is John....And you, my child,

will be called a prophet of the Most High;
for you will go on before the Lord to

prepare the way for him,
to give his people the knowledge of salvation
   through the forgiveness of their sins,
because of the tender mercy of our God,
   by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven
to shine on those living in darkness
   and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the path of peace.”
Luke 1:63 & 76-79 (NIV)

Reflection

There is nothing closer to a miracle than the birth of a child. With each and every life that comes into the world, also comes a specific and lovingly created purpose. Each life is uniquely ordained by God and every parent has high aspirations for their children. When a father looks into his baby’s eyes for the first time, there is no limit to the dreams that he imagines. The love that is created in that moment knows no end and has no limit. Love is a powerful emotion and encompasses the theme of our verse for today.

These words that we read from the Gospel of Luke are a portion of what is often referred as Zechariah’s Song. Zechariah was the father of John the Baptist, who upon his birth declared in divine prophecy that his son would go before Jesus to prepare the way for His ministry. In that moment, he not only declared his love, hopes and dreams for his son, but the hopes and dreams of the entire world as well.

Zechariah knew that his son was chosen by God to prepare the way for Jesus. And although his love for his son outweighed anything that he ever imagined, he knew that his purpose was much more than just carrying on a family name. For in the moment that he gave the name John to his son, he acknowledged that he was destined for something much greater. Zechariah acknowledged that God would eventually use his son, John, to reveal His love to the world, manifested in the One that John would go before: Jesus Christ.

Prayer

Father, it’s hard for us to imagine a love deeper than that between and father and son. As we read these words of Zechariah, let us remember the deep love that You have for each of us. A love so deep that You sent Your only Son to one day die for the same world into which He was humbly born.

Amen.

Advent Reflections - Day Eight - 12/4/2011

2011-12-04T13:00:00.000-08:00

For God so loved the world
that he gave his one and only Son,
that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life..”
John 3:16 (NIV)

Reflection

Today we being the second week of Advent and continue our journey together. Remembering the hope that we have in Jesus Christ, we now reflect on the everlasting love that God has for each and every one of us. What verse communicates this essential truth more clearly than John 3:16? These words call to us from the prophecies of the Old Testament, in their fulfillment in the birth of Christ and through His eventual death and resurrection. This common thread of God’s love stretches through the entire message of the Bible and reaches out to us in the most essential attribute of who God is. God is love. And His love is revealed in its purity through His Son, Jesus Christ.

Love is an all encompassing emotion; bringing both the greatest of joys and the deepest of pains. It’s no wonder that God uses love to illustrate who He is and what His Kingdom is all about. In divine dichotomy, Jesus’ life on earth represented the pinnacle of pain and suffering, and the deepest illustrations of love possible. But as we celebrate this second Sunday of Advent, in the quiet of this moment, let us reflect not on the sufferings of life, but on the inexpressible joy in the birth of Christ. Reflect on that moment when God broke through our earthly realm, descended from His Heavenly dwelling and made Himself man. In the first breath He drew, the love of God was revealed in a humble infant. The essence of love was revealed and became an earthly reality.

Prayer

Lord, as we celebrate this second Sunday of Advent, we remember the deep love that You have for us. In the birth of your Son, Jesus Christ, we truly see how much You love the world. Let us remember that regardless of our circumstances, regardless of who we are, what we’ve done or will do, that Your love is eternal. Your love is true. Your love is real. Your love is You. You are love.

Amen.

Advent Reflections - Day Seven - 12/3/2011

2011-12-03T08:59:00.000-08:00

“For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the greatness of his government and peace
there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne
and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
with justice and righteousness
from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the LORD Almighty
will accomplish this.”
Isaiah 9:6-7 (NIV)

There is nothing better than hope fulfilled. A dream is realized. A goal has been met. A passion fully comes to completion. A love is returned. A new day begins, and a day comes to an end. “A child is born”. In the birth of Christ, all of our hopes come to a divine completion that could only come through a loving God that set the universe in motion.

As we end this first week of Advent together, we reflect on hope. We see that hope requires patience, trust and faith. We see that hope is often a journey, and journeys are not always easy. The journey often takes time. Sometimes days. Sometimes weeks. And sometimes thousands of years. We see that it begins with a people living in a very different time and land, and ends with everyday people like you and me. But in the midst of our waiting, hope is always fulfilled through a God who broke into history and made all things new.

End this week with the peace of knowing that we serve a God who encourages hope. He joins us as we wait. He walks with us through our journey. He mourns with us in our sadness. He rejoices with us in our pleasures. He calms us in our fears. He rests with us in our peace. And He stands with us in our hope. He is with us. Immanuel!

Prayer

Lord, we end this first week of Advent holding on to hope. We thank You and give You praise that in Your Son Jesus Christ, You fulfill all hope; past, present and future. It is in this hope that we trust in You, and it is in this hope that we find our peace.

Amen.

Advent Reflections - Day Six - 12/2/2011

2011-12-02T20:16:00.000-08:00

"He will stand and shepherd his flock
in the strength of the LORD,
in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God.
And they will live securely, for then his greatness
will reach to the ends of the earth.”
Micah 5:4 (NIV)

Reflection

Reflecting on last Christmas, I remember one day in particular of last minute shopping. I found myself at the mall, surrounded by the madness of the Christmas rush and people from every walk of life. As my blood pressure began to rise and patience wore thin, I felt a little like one of many sheep being herded from one place to another. I’m quite certain that it’s no coincidence that God refers to us as sheep, with Christ being our good Shepherd.

Maybe you’ve found yourself in one of these places of frustration and stress. Perhaps you feel consumed by the seemingly endless inundation of activity that surrounds this season. At every turn, it seems that there is something else to buy, something more that needs to be done or somewhere else that you we have to go. We find ourselves exhausted, anxious and praying for just a few minutes of peace and quiet to just catch our breath. We want to scream, “Stop! Enough already!”

This is why the celebration of Advent is so significant to us as followers of Christ. It’s the one time of each day that we can turn our focus away from things that don’t really matter, and concentrate our minds on why it is that we celebrate. We can turn our gaze from the temporal, and stand in awe of the eternal: Christ Jesus.

In the quite of this moment, stand in awe of the one who we worship, for He indeed stands as He shepherds His sheep. It is in His majesty that we find rest. It is in His greatness that we find peace. It is in His love that we find comfort. And it is in His promises that we find our hope.

Prayer

Lord, in the midst of the sometimes hectic pace of life, may we find rest. In the schedules that we find ourselves bound to, may we find peace. In the “stuff” of the Season, may we find You. Thank you for fulfilling the hope we have in You and in your promise through Your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen

Advent Reflections - Day Five - 12/1/2011

2011-12-01T19:03:00.000-08:00

“The days are coming,” declares the LORD,
“when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch,
a King who will reign wisely
and do what is just and right in the land.”
Jeremiah 23:5 (NIV)

Reflection

We all long for political leaders that will govern with wisdom, strive for justice and do what is right in the world. Sometimes that happens and sometimes it doesn’t. Some witness freedom and others suffer the pain of oppression. Many of our hopes and dreams rest in the decisions that leaders make. The people of Israel hoped for some of the same things that we do. They had hope in the promise that God would one day send a savior into the world that would “reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land.” They longed for a leader that would grant them freedom to their nation that would last for all eternity.

In the birth of Jesus Christ, their hope finally came to fruition.
But Jesus was something different and not quite what they expected. They expected a political, military and religious savior that would physically reign, physically save and literally build a great Kingdom of God’s chosen people. Jesus came to spiritually reign, spiritually save and inaugurate a spiritual Kingdom that would overshadow all that we know on earth.

The Kingdom of God is very different than the earthly kingdoms that we live in. Through Christ and living as citizens of His divine Kingdom, we are set apart to live differently. We serve a King that transcends the governments of earth and satisfies all hopes and dreams more than any earthly leader can ever do. Through the Kingdom of God, we see what God longs for all of us to have, and through his Son, Jesus Christ, we see it inaugurated.

Prayer

Lord, as we join together in celebration of Advent, we give You praise and thanks because you are our King. We thank You because all of our dreams, hope and desires are in You, and in You alone. Despite the turmoil and instability that we sometimes see in our world, help us to remember that through Your divine rule, and through Your Kingdom, all is calm and all is bright. Amen.

Advent Reflections - Day Four - 11/30/2011

2011-11-30T17:41:00.000-08:00

“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign:
The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son,
and will call him Immanuel.”
Isaiah 7:14 (NIV)

Reflection

Immanuel, God with us. There are few words that we hear during the Christmas season that bring more tidings of great joy! To believe in a God that is not far off and aloof, but literally with us, is to rest in the fact that we are never alone. In fulfillment of the words in Isaiah 7:14, God conceived His one and only Son in a young virgin woman. Christ would be born into the world through the vessel of a human being, just as each and every one of us was. God truly with us. In divine mystery; completely God and yet completely man.

Let’s face it. The Christmas holidays are not always an easy time. It’s common for loneliness to increase during this time of year, causing many of us to feel anything but “joyful and triumphant”. When gatherings, parties and festivities increase, unfortunately sometimes so do the feelings of sadness. Even when surrounded by people we love, the stress of the holidays can make even the most positive person feel a little isolated.

It is in these times when we reach for the most essential message of Advent. Through our faith in Him, Christ lives with us today. The sign was given over 2000 years ago, we have seen it come to pass, and we rejoice in the reality of knowing that it is true. Immanuel! God with us!

Prayer

Lord, may our hope lie in the truth that we are never alone. Let us rest in the knowledge that You are with us. You have been. You are. You will be forever. Amen.

Advent Relections - Day Three - 11/29/2011

2011-11-29T20:28:00.000-08:00

“But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,
are only a small village among all the people of Judah.
Yet a ruler of Israel will come from you,
one whose origins are from the distant past.”
Micah 5:2 (NLT)

Reflection

One of the most essential aspects of having hope is to also have patience. We hope and wait for the weather to change. We hope for that new job and wait for a response. We hope for the tumor to disappear and wait for a miracle from God. We hope for peace and wait for war to end. We hope for the things that we desire most. Hope is a passion that runs deep within all of us, manifests itself in joy and carries us forward in times of trial. But despite the origins of hope, things don’t always happen when we would like them to. Sometimes the things we hope for take time, and time means waiting. We wait. We hope. And we wait even longer. Sometimes the passage of time means that hope dwindles. And sometimes it seems hope is lost.

The people of Israel had hope. They hoped for a savior that God had long ago promised them through His prophets. For hundreds of years the Israelites held on to the hope of a coming ruler that would emerge from the small and obscure town of Bethlehem. Generation after generation read the words of Micah 5:2 among their families and anticipated its fulfillment. A long time would pass as they waited and God remained silent. Hope must have dwindled as each year passed. Can you imagine their cries to God? “When, Lord? When will you deliver what you’ve promised?” Hope. Time. Waiting. Patience. Silence.

As you spend this quiet time with God, allow Him to let your hope be renewed. Whatever you hope for in life, and no matter how long you’ve waited, let it begin anew today. Let your patience be refreshed and your discouragements be uplifted. Let the words of our scripture for today be powerful proof for you that God keeps His promises and we indeed have reason for hope.

Prayer

Lord, in You we live, in You we trust and in You we hope. Renew our hope this day and enable us to rest in the hope that was fulfilled through Your Son, Jesus Christ coming into the world. Amen.

Advent Reflections - Day Two - 11/28/2011

2011-11-28T19:59:00.000-08:00

Listen! It’s the voice of someone shouting,
“Clear the way through the wilderness
for the LORD!
Make a straight highway through the wasteland
for our God!
Isaiah 40:3 (NLT)

Reflection

If you’re like most people, the Christmas rush has already begun for you. Each year, we seem to be inundated with an onslaught of commercialism that can cause even the person of strongest resolve to submit to the temptation of obtaining more “stuff”. Before we realize it, the sun has set on yet another Christmas Day, and we are already making plans to pack away everything until next year. It’s then that we realize that our path to Christmas has been a hectic blur through a wilderness of activity, shopping, spending and stress that leaves us exhausted and unfulfilled. We take a deep breath, finally uttering that familiar phrase, “Where did the holidays go?” We may have hoped for peace, but in reality, we received very little.

In the quiet of this moment, as the rest of the world may seem to be rushing towards Christmas at full speed, let us commit to ourselves that we will slow down and focus on the hope that we have in Christ. Despite the things that need to be done and the places that we may need to go, let us allow ourselves to slow our pace. In the recess of our souls, let us imagine ourselves moving into the “slow” lane of seasonal traffic. See the road ahead of you. It’s clear and straight. The voice of God calls to us, far beyond the distractions saying “Make a straight highway through the wasteland for our God!”

Prayer

Lord, in the stillness of this moment, grant peace to us in our minds, bodies and souls. Let us feel the pace of life slow down, despite the rush of the Christmas Season. As we focus on You and You alone, help us to keep the hope of Your Son alive in our hearts and let it shine forth for all to see. Amen.

Advent Reflections - Day One - 11/27/2011

2011-11-27T17:16:00.000-08:00

“The scepter will not depart from Judah,
nor the ruler’s staff from his descendants,
until the coming of the one to whom it belongs,
the one whom all nations will honor.”
Genesis 49:10 (NIV)

Reflection

Today we begin a journey together. A journey based on beginnings, but also a journey enveloped in hope fulfilled. As we read these words from Genesis (Beginnings), we see that from the very beginning of time, God was speaking the seeds of hope into the world. These truths came to fruition in the story of Christmas and encourage us even today, some 2000 years later. As we light the first candle of Advent, we are reminded that as followers of Christ, hope stands as one of the true essentials of faith.

We live in a time where hope is not always easy to cling to. Whether its war, terror, financial crisis, climate change or rumors of the world coming to an end, we seem to be consumed with cultural influences that inspire anything but hope. When troubles and discouragements seem to multiply each day, it becomes easy to lose hope. Hope can seem to become pointless and unrealistic. Some may say that hope is just an idealistic fantasy in the world in which we live.

But the season of Advent is about Hope; hope in a God that divinely joined humanity, lived among us in the discouragements of life sand meets us even in the most miniscule details of our lives. It’s the same hope that the people of Israel had over 2000 years ago. A hope in a savior that “all nations will honor”, and was fulfilled in Christ Jesus coming into the world. It’s the same hope that He will one day gloriously come again. So as we begin this celebration of Advent together, let us focus our minds on this hope filled truth: God came into the world to live among us. Emmanuel, God with us!

Prayer

Lord, as we begin this journey of Advent together, let our hearts be renewed with hope; the same hope that Your children had over 2000 years ago, and the same hope that we have that You will one day come again. In the silence of this time, calm our hearts and minds. Help us to hold onto hope during this Christmas Season. Amen

Thanksgiving and Contentment

2011-11-24T07:49:00.000-08:00

"give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread." Proverbs 30:8  What a counter-cultural statement. Doesn't sound very aspiring. Doesn't resemble someone climbing the ladder of success, and doesn't seem like someone who thinks they will be financially blessed by God because they're faith is stronger than the next guy. Doesn't sound like somone who read the latest Christian self-help book. Doesn't sound very American., or very Christian to some. Sounds like a person who is ....wait for it....it's a new word....you may not understand it....it's.....CONTENT. Shhhhhh!

I know. Contentment is a bad word during this time of year. I mean, isn't that the antithesis of what Christmas marketing is all about? Isn't that the opposite of the real motive of gift giving? It's not about what "they" want, it's about what "we" can get, right? Let's face it. That's the essential motive of all Christmas advertising.  Companies rely on the restless discountented spirit of Americans and hone in on that one question that we all ask ourselves, "What do I want?" or even better, "What do I need?"

Every year, it seems earlier and earlier that stores begin packing their aisles with festive Christmas marketing, displays and Christmas themed products. This year it was well before Halloween, which makes me sometimes wonder if we're gradually moving toward one single "Winter Holiday Season”, rather than three individual celebrations. Thanksgiving is basically rolled over by the Christmas steam engine. Kids find it boring and stores find it to be an unprofitable pain in the ass.  Just a low profit holiday stuck between Halloween and Christmas.

Many years ago, my parents gave me an inspirational picture for Christmas that I hung in my office. The peaceful image was of a golden sunset silhouetted by a man in a kayak rowing across a calm, glassy lake. The picture was titled “Contentment” and the caption read, “When you can look at the past with pride and the future with hope, you can live comfortably with today”. It wasn't until many years later that I realized how true these words really are. The apostle Paul got this. He knew very well the true meaning of contentment and we see this repeated throughout many of his letters in the New Testament.

In his letter to the Philippians, he says, “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:11-13). From these words, we see that Paul understood that we have no real control over the past or the future. The only period of time that we can physically live within is the present. And our present situations in life can only be made peaceful through a complete surrender to God. The secret of contentment of which Paul speaks, lies in the last verse. “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.”Paul reaffirms this understanding in his first letter to Timothy. In 1 Timothy 6:6-8, he again links the secret of contentment to God. “But godliness with contentment is great gain.” He then goes on to show us that our physical possessions have nothing to do with our contentment. “For we brought nothing into the world, and we take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.” And doesn't this seem to be what being "thankful is all about"? No wonder advertisers don't want to focus on Thanksgiving! We just might grasp it's essential meaning and not spend as much because we realize that we're content with what we have! It's a conspiracy!

Today is Thanksgiving.  Let's commit to take a break from Christmas plans and just take a break. Let's actually give thanks for what God has done in our lives. Celebrate Thanksgiving. Take some time to meditate on what it means to be thankful and who it is we are thankful to. Let us remember that contentment doesn't lie in all the "stuff" of life. Contentment lies in being "thankful" for what God has given us each day; whether good or bad; whether a lot or just a little.

"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." (1 Thessalonians 5:16)

Run With Me by Jennifer Luitwieler: A Retrospective Review

2011-11-07T07:54:00.000-08:00

Have you ever wondered what your life would look like if told through a story? Imagine if you had to chronicle your life up to this moment, what would it look like? How would it sound? What would you choose to include? What would you leave out and why? What would you highlight, and why would that be interesting to others? What people would stand out as characters in the story? What would be the plot? How would the story rise to a climax and then end with every aspect coming together to complete the wonderful tale that is your life, all the while keeping the attention of the reader? Seems a bit overwhelming, doesn’t it? Maybe a little humbling? After all, most of us don’t live crazy, exciting James Bond kind of lives, right? So why would someone want to read “our” story? Good question. But rather than attempting to solve the seemingly impossible, let me tell you a little about a book and someone who seems to have figured it out. And with near perfection, I might add.

In Run With Me: An Accidental Runner and the Power of Poo, my friend and author, Jennifer Luitwieler takes all of the ingredients listed above, tells her story in a way that instantly captures your attention, and all the while creates a cohesive narrative that remains adjoined in seamless perfection. And she does this in one of the most simple ways possible: she takes you on a journey. The vehicle she uses for the journey is running and the fuel that gets you there is poo. Yes, poo! Dog poo to be more specific. But you’ll have to read the book to find out why dog poo is so significant to this book.

As Jennifer states in the beginning of the book, Run With Me is not only a book about running. And it really isn’t, although in a strange way, it is. Again, you’ll just have to read the book to understand the dichotomy. In realty, running is only the cohesive gel that holds the story together. It’s the common thread that keeps it going and unites aspects of a life, just like yours and mine and packages them together. Although running has become a significant part of her life, she uses her passion to link ordinarily life together in an enjoyable story. That is what is so powerful about this book. Jennifer creates a story telling model that reveals that each and every one of us has a “story”, we just have to find the vehicle that carries it. If you’re runner, you’ll get it. If you’re not a runner, you’ll get it.

One of my favorite aspects of the book is it’s simplicity and holistic flow. In a society that compartmentalizes every aspect of our life, Jennifer is able to blend life realities into a refreshing story that is intertwined at almost every point. Each theme that she emphasizes and each point she makes, remarkably connects to the entire essential theme and leaves no loose ends. The story is organic and flows naturally without confusion. You never get lost in the story or find yourself wondering where a particular point is going. Whether she is describing her spiritual journey and frustrations with the Church, or the details of her first half marathon, she makes her point while making sure that you’re connecting with her.

Run with me is fun, refreshing and uplifting. In fact, having somewhat of a melancholy personality, at times I found it too uplifting! Through the story, Jennifer is like the friend that keep telling you jokes or tickling you until you smile. You do your best to remain in self-pity, but you finally submit, realizing that your attempts are futile. You WILL smile. You WILL laugh. You WILL end up having a better outlook on life. Curse you, Jennifer, and your motivationally themed memoir!

In all honesty, Jennifer leaves it up to you. She has no agenda and no preconceived notions that she will change your perspective on life. She simply shares her journey. Run With Me leaves you feeling that you just had a great conversation with a friend, she shared some good stuff with you and hopes you took something from the story. You get the impression that if she made you laugh, at least for that moment, she accomplished her goal. Although, if you want to run with her, just a little farther, she’s ready to go!

Read Run With Me and run with Jennifer!

Article also published in Provokotive Magazine, 11/10/2011

Interview With Joy Wilson and the Not Alone Project

2011-11-06T14:59:00.000-08:00

Visit author Joy Wilson at her website: joyleewilson.org/wordpress/

Interview With Jake Kampe, Contributor to Not Alone

I had the privilege this year of being a contributing author to Not Alone: Stories of Living With Depression, written by people who have suffered from depression. We have openly shared our stories so that other people with depression will know that they are not alone in their pain.
I’ve had clinical depression all my life, and know the pain and isolation it causes. I know the shame of crying uncontrollably in public for no apparent reason, panic attacks, fear of falling into a black, bottomless chasm and never coming out again, despair that just won’t go away. There is often a stigma associated with this disease, because our symptoms aren’t rational or predictable. So we hide behind a façade whenever possible, and suffer in silence, never knowing that many people around us have similar feelings.

I first met Jake Kampe when he e-mailed me after reading my essay in Not Alone. I learned he was a fellow contributor, and we discovered we shared the same feelings and many of the same experiences (which is the point of the book). I asked Jake if I could interview him, so you can hear his story of hurt and hope.

Tell us a little bit about your spiritual journey, and why you decided to write your story for Not Alone?

First of all, I’m fairly new to the writing scene, so basically I write for anything, everything and anyone that will let me. The mere fact that anyone sees any value in what I have to say is amazing. I’m often my worst critic and regularly have to convince myself that I just might not be as full of crap as I imagine. But I realized that I “needed” to contribute for me more than anything else. Revisiting some of the darkest places in my life was a confirming indicator in how much God has given me and how far I’ve come. I’m the kind of person that doesn’t necessarily see things as they are within the moment. I live much of my life in a retrospective perspective, which is probably why I am such a nostalgic person. By the way, did you know that “nostalgia” was once thought to be a mental deficiency? Makes sense.

I’ve dealt with depression and severe anxiety for most of my life. It sucks. The darkest periods were during high school and college, and if it wasn’t for God and my extensive collection of Smiths CDs, I probably would not be writing this today. As with anyone who has lived with depression, the journey has been extremely difficult and filled with a deep darkness that most people cannot even imagine.   I can remember many times crying out to God, especially when I became involved in vocational ministry, Why? What possible good could come from this? What is this accomplishing for Your Kingdom, God? I’m utterly useless!” As hard as I tried, I could not see how God would use my experience of personal hell to further His message of being the light of the world. For me, the light was flickering. I felt like a hypocrite, a failure and at the very least, a weak Christian. I frequently found myself angry with God and cursed Him often. Instead of seeing the God of love that I now know He is, I only envisioned a vindictive God that I wanted nothing to do with, or at the very least saw Him as a divine practical joker.

Once I began to find healing, more stability and a semblance of peace in my life, I soon began to see things with a bit more clarity. When I began to accept depression as part of my life, it was as if a fog had been lifted from my vision of the world and I began to see reality for what it really was. I think that’s one of the more sinister weapons that depression uses most often: the inability to see things as they are. Reality becomes warped and distorted, creating a deeper spiral of darkness that just feeds on itself. Things don’t look the same, smell the same or sound the same. Reality can become almost hallucinogenic in the deepest times of depression. The mind feeds on itself in this vicious circle of demoralizing thoughts that screw up the mind, body and spirit. But as the fog clears, questions such as the ones I asked God begin to find the answers in the realty that once seemed so elusive.

Why do you think it’s so hard for people with depression to talk about it?

Because we’re chicken shit. We’re so caught up in this societal “appearance” game that we’re terrified to look weaker or more inferior to someone else. Instead of embracing that depression is part of who we are, we hide it, ignore it and push it deep down inside. What we don’t realize is that we’re subconsciously hindering aspects of ourselves that enable beautiful qualities that culture and the Kingdom need to see lived out. People with depression have great empathy for others, they love deeper, hurt more and care about the world around them. Those are qualities that are nothing to be ashamed of. The world is in short supply of people that love painfully.

Depression has historically been considered a weakness. It’s only been in recent years that people are finally realizing that it is in fact an illness. Just as someone with cancer would seek medical treatment, someone with clinical and/or chemical depression must do the same. A person with a broken arm gets a cast. The heart attack victim has surgery. The one with cancer is treated with chemo. Unfortunately, most people who have not experienced intensive chronic depression cannot understand from their limited perspective. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but we live in a culture in which one usually has to physically see something before believing in its reality. So it is with depression.

The same issues exist within the Church, and unfortunately maybe even to a much higher degree. As I stated in Not Alone, one questionably well-intended friend once enlightened me that depression was a curse form God, and that I needed to repent of some sin in my life that was keeping me in bondage. Luckily, I dismissed his advice and rested in what I knew was true. God may have allowed me to remain in depression, but I never felt that He “made” me depressed. We serve a God love. Just read through 1 John 4:7-21.
I think that this kind of perspective comes from a warped view of the Gospel, wrong theology and basically just wrong thinking. A life of following Christ has never been promised to be free of pain and suffering. In fact, we should expect it and maybe even welcome it. Christ promised that we would have trouble in this world (John 16:33). He states very clearly that one of the requirements of being His disciple is that we deny ourselves and pick up our own cross. It is only then that we truly follow Him.

Carrying a cross is not easy. It sucks. It’s painful, embarrassing and difficult. But suffering is an essential part of being a Christian. In fact, many of the early Church Fathers considered it to be a spiritual discipline. Imagine that concept being taught in today’s “Dr. Phil” society.

What has having depression cost you?

Well, let’s see. If I add up the cost of hundreds of therapy sessions and medications alone….Hmmmm….Now that’s depressing.

When I look back in retrospect, I can see that depression has cost me a lot. But it’s all relative. It has to do with how you define “cost”. Surely, I’ve missed out on a lot. Depression causes deep fear, which held me back for quite a while. Who knows what I could have accomplished much earlier in life had depression not been such an intricate part of my journey. I might have decided to go into seminary in my early ‘20s instead of my ‘30s, or been the pastor of a mega-church (cringe!). I might have written dozens of bestselling books. I might have never met my wife and had the two amazing boys that I have today. I might have never had the chance to meet you and the incredible people I know through the Not Alone Project. I might have become an arrogant, cold, unloving, shallow, superficial person. Everything I loathe today. I’d say that maybe it’s cost me a lot, and maybe that’s a good thing.

Why do you say that depression can be a blessing?

I think I may have already jumped ahead and talked a little about this already, but I soon discovered that depression was somewhat of teacher to me.   And from its intensive education, I learned not only how to deal with depression in my own life, but how to minister to others suffering from the same demons that I once had. I learned that I had been blessed with not only sympathy for others, but also empathy. I hurt when others hurt. When alking with someone with depression, I feel the pain that they feel. I see what they see. I hear what they hear. And I find myself not wanting to travel down the dark road with them. I think to myself,”Oh shit! This is too real! I can’t go there! Too many familiar things in this story!”   But I go with them. I take their hand and jump down that spiral of darkness just because they need me to. I’ve learned to trust that God will not allow me to stay there anymore. His hand pulls me back out, once the communal suffering is complete. Kind of like a lifeline for a climber, descending into a deep crevasse.

I’ll be honest.   If could go back in time, and had the ability to change my life experience, I would not change anything. As strange as it may sound, depression has been one of the greatest blessings in my life, because it made me into what I am today, and I like who I am. Depression refined me, sculpted me and transformed my life. Sometimes I see my life as a clay vessel, with God as the Potter. He created a vessel that for all practical purposes looked OK from an outside perspective. But after careful analysis, God realized that what He had made was not quite what He wanted it to be. The only way to transform a clay vessel into something new is to break it down. It’s smashed into many pieces; the pieces are then crushed into smaller pieces and then ground into a fine dust. Water is again added and clay forms once again. The Potter then begins to mold and shape the clay into the perfect vessel that He always intended to make by pushing, squeezing, stretching and cutting. It’s not comfortable. It doesn’t look pretty.

At last the vessel is as it should be, but still not complete. For if it is used without being exposed to the heat, it will sag and wilt into a useless lump. The furnace refines the vessel so that it can be used in fulfillment of why it was created. The fire is intense and burns away any material that is not mandatory to the vessel being hardened. It’s ugly, chaotic and painful. But when complete, and the vessel has been cooled, it’s now ready for use in the most essential way possible.

If there’s one thing you hope people can take away by reading your story, what would it be?

Like the title of the book says, you’re not alone. That seems to be the essential message of all the authors and what we all tried to communicate. Reading through the entire book, it’s as if a common thread of empathy runs through the pages of this community of people.   As a collective voice, we join together and agree that we share the same experiences and long for others to join the group.

My greatest hope, my humble prayer, is that people would see that recovery is not only possible, but a much fuller life is possible as well. There were times in my life when I literally accepted that my life would not get any better. I was convinced that my mind and psychological condition was beyond repair. I was broken and regardless of how much progress I might make, I would never have the life I had always hoped for. I resolved that I would probably never get married and subsequently never have children. In the worst case scenario, I feared that one day my mind would just snap under the pressure of depression and I would have to be locked up in a nut house (I can say “nut house” because I consider myself a nut).

But man! God not only blessed me with recovery and peace in my life, but He has given me more than I ever expected! I got married to the same woman who suffered through the deepest and darkest days with me, I have two beautiful boys and God opened the door for me to go to seminary and dedicate he rest of my life serving Him in vocational ministry. Over the last 5 years, He also added writing to my life and ministry, which has opened even more doors of peace and joy.   How cool is that? And it just continues to get better with age! People ask me if I’m “healed” from depression and without hesitation, I tell them no, because I’m being healed every day. I have peace, but just when I think my healing has come to fruition, God reveals something new and beautiful to me. Peace grows deeper, and peace is an awesome gift of God, isn’t it?

Peace be with you!

Imagine: What did John Lennon Know About the Kingdom?

2011-10-22T12:55:00.000-07:00

A few days ago, a friend asked me to describe my picture of the Kingdom of God. Without hesitation, I replied, "John Lennon's song Imagine." He looked at me for a few seconds, as if waiting for the punchline and then laughed. I asked him what was so funny and he answered me rather arrogantly, "Come on! That's liberal idealism. Not the Kingdom of God." So, do I think that the Kingdom of God is nothing more than a idealistic view of the world? Well, let's take a look at Lennon's words and see.

Imagine there's no Heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today

No Heaven? No Hell? Well, before you accuse me of heresy, let's think about this. Before the Fall of man, things existed exactly how God had intended them to be. Life, nature, people, the world and all that existed was the completion and perfection of God's Kingdom. There was no death, so the Earth was our home. Heaven was not something to look forward to. It was reality. Nothing better existed, apart from being God. There was no need to want or seek anything more than we had. God lived among us. Earth was basically Heaven on Earth, created for man. When sin came into the world, the perfection of Heaven became flawed, thus our need to reside in Heaven after our bodies finally died. Again, it was not the way it was supposed to be. Jesus came into the world to change the path to something different. Something better. Something real. Heaven became a necessity, a divine plan B until His return. Yes, there is a Heaven, but it was not where we were supposed to live until there was no other option. So yes, Imagine there's no Heaven. Imagine what the Earth was supposed to be like, because in it's essence, it was a reality.

As for Hell, it was never created for us in the first place. See Matthew 25:41. For the follower of Christ, it shouldn't even be an issue because it was never intended to have anything to do with us. Within the Kingdom of God, Hell has no relevance to us because we would never experience it. Yes, there is a Hell, but personally, I don't care because I choose to imagine the Kingdom without it.

Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace

Countries only exist because we created them. Again, this is actually a symptom of the Fall of man and sin entering the world. See Genesis 11:1-9. In the Kingdom of God, no countries were ever intended. No borders, so no need for differences, division, war and reasons to dominate each other. No languages to separate us. No nationalities to isolate us. No superiority so that someone else is weaker or less of a human being. And yes, no religion; only a life spent experiencing the presence of the only God in complete unity. "All the people, living life in peace." Yes! Imagine it!

Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world

Imagine that there is no need for possessions, because all we have and want comes from God. Imagine a life where we have no desire to have more than someone else. Imagine giving, without any desire to receive. No keeping up with the Joneses. No need to worry about money. No power struggles. No selfish ambition or greed. No climbing the ladder of success. No retirement funds. No hunger. No poverty. No homelessness. No healthcare. No "least of these" See Matthew 25:46 Simply imagine the entire world, living together and sharing everything we have and praising God every minute because He's provided everything we need. Not a bad thing to imagine, is it?

You may say that I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will live as one

Yes, you can say that I'm a dreamer, and many of you do. That's OK. But I don't think I'm the only one, am I? I think that each and every one of us have these desires for our world. Some of us may have buried them deep down inside, folded up in a file that reads: "Liberalism" "Socialism" "Utopian Nut Jobs" "Idealism" Maybe it was thrown away all together. But were John Lennon's dreams for the world really that far off from what God wants for us all? I know nothing of his spiritual beliefs, and as far as I know, He didn't follow Christ. But does that make his vision an less real, pure or theological for that matter?

What these words remind us is that it's OK to wonder what the world would be like if the Kingdom of God was here in it's fulfillment. It's what we were created for. It's how things were intended to be. And as followers of Christ, it's our responsibility. Because until Christ returns to earth one day, we're it. The Body of Christ, living and breathing in this fallen world. It's not the responsibility of governments, societies or UNICEF. Jesus inaugurated the Kingdom of God, we keep it going and advance it, and one day, hopefully soon, He will fulfill it. Is it easy? No. Is it realistic? No. Is it possible in? Not until Christ returns, but try. And we Imagine.

Five Simple Steps for Rapture Preparation

2011-10-21T10:16:00.000-07:00

There's been a lot of talk about the the Rapture of the Church taking place tomorrow, May 21. I figured that I should probably blog about my thoughts on the upcoming events, so I sat down to give it some thought. Many things ran through my mind, and then it hit me. No one has given any practical advice on preparation for the Rapture. How are we to know if we are "Rapture Ready"?

Well, here's a list of Five practicals steps for you to follow to make sure you are adequately prepared. Whether you are one of the lucky ones to be gathered to the Lord, or one of the poor souls left to endure the inevitable Tribulation, let's make sure that everything runs smoothly and without unnecessary inconvenience.

1. Do Not Drive: Let's face it. If you on the roads when the Rapture occurs, and you're not one of the fortunate ones to be taken, you probably don't want to be on the road when 100s of cars go driverless. And if you are planning on being Raptured, have a little common courtesy and just stay home where it's safe.

2. Call in Sick: If you are a pilot, cab driver, train conductor, surgeon, air traffic controller, or any occupation that involves the safety of others, please call in sick or take a vacation day.

3. Think Green: If there is a high probability that you will be raptured, please turn off your water, electricity, cancel cable, phones, etc. Those left behind are going to dealing with enough. Why burden them further with open accounts, wasted utilities? Please note: If you leave your cars in the garage, make sure the emergency handle has been pulled on your garage door.

4. Drink Responsibly: As with hurricane parties and New Years Eve, many folks are going to be tempted to partake in a few extra pints in celebration. Trust me. If you are one of the heathens that will be here on Sunday morning, you don't want to face it with a hangover. And the rest of you probably don't want to be raptured while intoxicated. (RWI)

5. Remember Your Pets: As much as we love our pets, the truth is that they will NOT be part of the Rapture. Think ahead. If you are left behind, make sure that you have plenty of pet food and reserve water supply in case store and utilities are down for a while. If you will be leaving us, make sure that your pets have a safe, quiet and caring place to stay. They will most likely be very nervous and stressed as it is. Let's think of their needs as well.

It is my hope that these simple steps will help you as we all hurdle toward the end times. Whether you are left behind or taken from the Earth to be with Christ, we all need to make sure we are prepared.

As for me, more than likely, this will be my last blog. I appreciate each and every one of you that have been faithful in reading my theological musings. If you've been left behind, and are reading this after the fact, I'm sorry. You must not have paid enough attention to my more evangelical blogs. I'm pretty sarcastic, but I'm pretty sure that I never joked about damnation.

And if you reason I am unfortunately left behind with you, I'll have one hell of a freaking blog to write on Sunday.

The Singularity of God

2011-10-12T07:52:00.000-07:00

Deuteronomy 6:4: "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one."

John 1:1-4: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind."

Lord, You are all that is,

all that has been,

and all that will be.

You encompass all and are within all.

In a divine spiral, You sit at the centermost point of all existence.

My life, my worries and my joys

revolve around the great sustainer that is You.

The spiral eternally spins in unison with all that is.

By Your Word it began,

through Your Word it endures,

and in Your Word it conitues.

Instill in me the simplicity of my union with You.

Amen

A Prayer of St. Francis

2011-10-11T09:43:00.000-07:00

"Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred...let me sow love.
Where there is injury...pardon.
Where there is doubt...faith.
Where there is despair...hope.
Where there is darkness...light.
Where there is sadness...joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled...as to console,
to be understood...as to understand,
to be loved...as to love,
for
It is in giving...that we receive,
It is in pardoning...that we are pardoned,
It is in dying...that we are born to eternal life.

Peace Be With You - Excerpt from Not Alone: Stories of Living with Depression

2011-10-01T15:27:00.000-07:00

Toward the end of college, I felt as though my life was in full blown crisis. Regular cocktails of anti-depressants, downers and alcohol only numbed the pain that was hiding just below the surface. The temporary alleviation of suffering created a false reality that only isolated me further. “Nothing seems real to me anymore” I remember telling my psychologist at the time. He immediately said with certainty, “Then Jake, you need to be in a place where things can feel real again.” What was he saying? Did I need to be in a hospital? Institutionalized? Was I that bad off? I don’t remember much of those days, but I remember that moment very well. It was a sobering realization that my life had spiraled out of control. One question remained: Where was God in the midst of this downward journey into an unknown abyss?

Even attending church, spending time in prayer or reading scripture became an uncomfortable experience. I suppose that even my image of God was distorted, but ironically my faith was growing deeper. My convictions to know Him more fully and serve Him were growing as well. But like a car stuck in the mud, the more I spun the wheels of effort and faith, the deeper I seemed to sink. My prayers became mundane, spiritless and forced. I would frequently find it hard to focus on God and my anger and frustration soon became directed more toward Him. I began to envision God mockingly holding the key to my healing. Dangling it just beyond my reach, He would smile as I reached out.

Need Your Help: A Shameless Self Promotion

2011-09-30T07:59:00.000-07:00

As a writer, I rarely ask for input from those that read what I have to say. For me, writing is a way to communicate what I feel, think, believe and am most passionate about. Writing has been somewhat of a ministry for me and has allowed me to connect with people all over the country and people that I may never have a chance to talk to face to face. Writing is therapy for me and helps me communicate some of the tough, and sometimes dark issues that I deal with each and every day. Sometimes I feel like my readers are sitting across from me at our favorite coffee shop and listening to me ramble. I say this to let you know that you reading my blogs, essays, book chapters, etc. means more to me than you might realize.

From time to time, many of you have sent me emails, commented on a blog or personally told me how something I've written has impacted you in a particular way. I make it a point to save each and every comment in some way, because your opinions matter to me. Unfortunately, a lot of these comments are scattered about in cyberspace. I've tracked down a few, but many are out there somewhere, waiting to be found when I'm not intentionally looking. Many comments have just been made by you personally, as we've talked on the phone or over a cup of coffee. I remember specific comments that have encouraged me and reminded me that people enjoy reading what I have to say. Well, it is with this that I need your help.

I am working with a publisher that is potentially interested in my first book. One of the areas that they are asking me to expand on is my reading platform. Basically, they just want to know if I have a basic reader following that can be used as a foundation to begin marketing the book. Its one thing for me to believe in the potential of my book, but quite another to know that that potential literally exists from others.

What I am asking is for you to just share your thoughts with me. What have I written that has specifically affected you in a positive way? Maybe it's just my writing in general that has impacted you in some way or inspired you in terms of your faith. Would you be willing to send me a comment or an email sharing your thoughts? (Unsolicited of course!) If I can compile a file of positive responses to my writing and interest in my book, I can then use this to provide a platform foundation to reveal to this publisher the very real marketability of my book.

Of course, as always, if you have negative comments, you know I welcome those as well, although I won't be sharing those with the publisher. However, once the book is released, you'll have every opportunity to let them know what you really think of the "garbage" I write! :)

Thanks everyone! You're support means everything to me!

Peace & Blessings!

Jake

Capital Punishment & The Kingdom of God

2011-09-23T06:03:00.000-07:00

Before reading this blog, please know that I am approaching this topic from a Christian perspective. I am purposely choosing not to address this as a social issue, and not from our government's perspective on the death penalty. My thoughts and opinions fall into the realm of the Kingdom of God and what I believe Jesus had in mind for what that Kingdom would look like. I feel that this approach must be taken because this is an area in which we are not comparing apples to apples when choosing our stance. If we claim to be followers of Christ, the choice must be made to follow His teachings and His alone. To be honest, the secular opinion of American society is irrelevant in this situation.

Over the last few days, there's been a lot of talk about the death penalty. With the execution of Troy Davis in the state of Georgia, the discussion has crept up again and needless to say, opinions are very strong on this issue. For the purpose of this blog, I will not get into the details, but in the case of Davis, evidence proves that it is very possible that he was innocent and that at the very least, the execution should have been delayed in order to re-examine the case and determine if these claims were warranted. In my personal opinion, there is a very good chance that an innocent man was killed. You can read the details of Troy Davis at your leisure on any of the popular news websites of your choice.

The reason that I choose not to get into the details of Davis' case is because they are not the real issue of what we are witnessing in this situation. Putting opinions aside of this specific case, and dismissing the fact that an innocent man may have been killed, it's imperative that we ask ourselves the question, "Should the death penalty be accepted as morally acceptable within the Christian Church?" Whether a man is 100% innocent, or guilty of the worst atrocities that one can imagine, is it acceptable to thoughtfully consider a person's crimes and offenses by a judge and jury and make the premeditated decision to kill another human being because of the sins they have committed? Again, I am approaching this from a Christian perspective, believing that the "murder" of another human being is a sin. Murder in this case being considered a premeditated killing of another person that does not fall into the case of innocent accident, self-defense or government sanctioned war, in which the soldiers are doing their job commanded by the US military. Although the instance of war could be argued from a Kingdom perspective, I'm not naive enough to believe that war can be avoided. I am not a pacifist, but I definitely do not celebrate war, nor do I think that it should be encouraged as something good and valued from a Christian perspective. But I'll leave that issue for another blog.

At this point, you are probably wondering what my opinion is on the death penalty, so let me cut to the chase. I am 100% against capital punishment. As I stated before, I am choosing to look at this issue from a Christian perspective; not socially. I choose to look at life from God's perspective, thus seeing all life as sacred, regardless of the horrendous acts that many people chose to commit. Does this mean that the man, Jake Kampe, does not believe that some people are worthy of death? No. Does this mean that my human nature would not want to see the death and even suffering of those that kill the innocent, those that molest children and rape woman? Does my opinion of the death penalty mean that somewhere in the dark recesses of my soul, I would resist pulling the trigger of a gun pointed at the head of someone who killed someone that I love? My wife or one of my boys? Let me just say that that is an area that I don't even like to think about. The "man" is capable of much more outside the realms of God's Kingdom. Which is why I chose to retreat within His borders.

Yes, there is violent imagery in the Old Testament and the death penalty was condoned by Mosaic Law. But it's important to consider a few issues before we use these illustrations as a justification for capital punishment in today's society. First of all, as a good friend of mine reminded me of today, two reputable witnesses had to be presented that both witnessed the crime deserving of death. How often do we have one solid witness at our disposal during a trial, let alone two? The death penalty was taken very serious in Old Testament Israel. Which leads to the second issue: "why" was the death penalty condoned in the first place?

It's important to know what was going on in Old Testament times in terms of the Nation of Israel. This nation was selected as God's chosen people. These were the people that would bring God's redemptive message to the world. These people bore the message that would eventually pave the way for Messiah, redemption and all things being made new. A great change would eventually happen to the world and the people of Israel were the instruments that God chose to use. Therefore, it was imperative that God protect His people regardless of the cost. As with the seemingly ridiculous laws found in Leviticus, the death penalty was another example of the extremes God had to go through to make sure Israel survived, persevered and was protected, even from themselves.

While capital punishment may have been necessary in Old Testament times, with the coming of Christ, He in fact made "all things new". The world had been redeemed through Him and His eventual death of the cross and His resurrection. Jesus came, not to abolish the law, but to fulfill it, which He did in completion and perfection on the cross. The Kingdom of God had been inaugurated and Christ's ministry began a way of looking at the world from a radically different perspective. The Kingdom of God is about everything that will eventually be realized. It's not complete, but our job as the Church is to reveal it in as much completion as humanly possible, even if it makes no sense to society. Standing against the death penalty is one of those instances.

As followers of Christ, we face a constant tension of duality. What might be acceptable by societies standards, may not be within a Kingdom perspective. Like I said, I may stand against war with God's Kingdom, but understand that war is an unfortunate reality in our world. By standing against capital punishment, we are showing the world what Christ stood for in it's essence. We show the world that we are willing to love our enemies, even when all logical reason tells us otherwise. It shows the world that we are willing to turn the other cheek, even when our other is bloodied. It shows the world that we are willing to lay down our sword, even when we are 100% justified in wielding it. It shows the world a Kingdom that chooses life, not death and that it's continuing cycle will not redeem mankind.

When Jesus was confronted with the woman found guilty of adultery in John 8, he had every right to allow her to be killed. According to Mosaic law, a woman found guilty of committing adultery could be legally stoned to death. Jesus could have easily forgiven her of her sins, promised her eternity in paradise and given his approval for the stones to begin flying. Instead, Jesus asks all of us to examine our own lives, drop our stones and ask a very simple question. If the wages of sin are death, then why am I still alive?

A Center Stage Theologian, and a Fool.

2011-09-21T09:27:00.000-07:00

I recently wrote an article on my children's ministry blog, The Emerging Child, about the importance of praying with the children in your life. As usually is the case, after meditating on the topic for a while, I found that there was an underlying reason that I wrote what came to mind. Thinking that I was primarily sharing my thoughts for other parents, pastors and teachers, I quickly found that the proverbial finger was being pointed at me. I saw myself on center stage, called "bullshit" on myself and didn't like what I saw.

Its funny how our thoughts don't always follow our actions. We develop great ideas in our minds and can even implement them from an outside perspective, but when it comes to internally carrying out what our minds eye sees, we often fall short. I wonder why this is. Why is it so difficult to carry out what we believe and follow through what we hold as true? I assume it's just part of our fallen nature and that we can be pretty screwed up creatures. Paul was familiar with this all too well when he wrote, "For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it." (Romans 7:19-20)

We live in a state of constant duality between knowledge and implementation. In an increasingly relative culture, living what we actually believe becomes more and more difficult. The tension increases and our strength fails, and this is where the real test comes into play. Do we really believe what we say and do? Are the thoughts that run through our minds really issues that we will carry out to the forefront of life, or are they words that fall on deaf ears? Do we have deaf ears as well?

Back to my children's blog topic and the idea of praying with kids. After spending a good deal of time thinking about this, I came to a very sobering conclusion. If I pray with my boys, or any other kids in my life for that matter, I better be damn sure that I mean what I say and say what I mean. I better know without a shadow of a doubt that my words are being directed to a holy God, and not just being recited to impress those that listen. Because guess what? Kids are natural bullshit detectors. They can sense insincerity a mile away and know when something isn't real.

Pray with the children in your life. Don't preform for them. Or you'll find yourself alone on center stage.

9/11 Reflections - The Kingdom of America or the Kingdom of God?

2011-09-12T18:00:00.000-07:00

Yesterday seemed to have a "feel" to it. Every year, on this solemn anniversary, it's as if a cloud descends upon my world, and the events seem to be happening in real time. Similar to Christmas Eve, the day seems to be magically alive, but not with expectation and joy, but with heavy meditation and sadness. The anniversary of 9/11 has always been a very reflective day for me. I always find time to meditate, pray, and talk with others about what we've learned from such a culture-altering event. I remember that Tuesday morning as if it happened yesterday. I remember exactly what I was doing, as I sat at my desk. I remember how the sun looked as it crept through the trees outside my office and through the window. I remember thinking that it looked and felt like Fall, although it was still very hot and humid in typical South Texas style. I remember receiving the first email about the first plane that hit the World Trade Center, and not paying much attention. And I remember the feeling of darkness I felt as I began to realize what was happening when the second plane hit.

I also have memories that leave me feeling a little empty, saddened and a little angry. Looking back, I remember the "pep rally" atmosphere that seemed to develop almost overnight, including in the Church. Churches of all denominations began pumping their fist, chanting, "USA! USA!, wearing red, white and blue and covering the cross with the flag. When I heard the news of the first attacks on Afghanistan, I spoke to a pastor friend of mine to discuss what was going on. His reaction, "Light 'em up, baby! Light 'em up!" My heart sank, I sheepishly said, "Yeah! Right!", and quickly made an excuse to leave. But I'll admit, part of me was sharing his emotions at that time.

"Light 'em up, baby!" Think about that for a second. Like most people at that time, my friend was excited that America was retaliating. It's somewhat natural to take joy in the vindication of the evil that had been inflicted on so many innocent people. But what he was not considering was that at that very second, people were dying. His first reaction to the bombing of human beings, and what would become the beginning of a long period of war and death, was excitement. Yes, at that time, many of these people were our enemy, but whether we want to admit it or not, innocent children were dying, women were screaming and holding their babies, and men who had nothing to do with their country's politics, were doing their best to protect their families. That's the reality of war. That's the reality of a fallen world. The same fallen world that saw the death of thousands of innocent Americans.

Now, don't get me wrong. The events on 9/11 were tragic, and unfortunately, America had to react in some form of retaliation. I'm not advocating pacifism. I feel the same pain and sadness as any American at the loss we suffered. What I am questioning is our "reaction"; reactions to war as Americans, specifically those of us that call ourselves followers of Christ. The Church. The Body of Christ. Should we react to war as if it is a football game? Should we cheer on the sidelines, hoping that our opponents get their skulls crushed as we rush down the field of enemy territory to victory? Or should our reaction be more solemn? Should we pump our fists in the air, chanting, "USA! USA!", or should our fists be folded in prayer, asking God to protect the innocent and allow peace to return to His kingdom quickly? Should we be so quick to wave the flag before we lift up the cross? Should our reaction be hatred for our enemies, or a nation, or should we consider the words of Jesus Himself who said, "But I tell you: love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you," (Matthew 5:44) Those are radical words. Difficult words. Ridiculous words. But that's what Jesus' Kingdom is all about. Foolishness.

You see, for Christians of this nation, America is not our kingdom. America did not invent Christianity and Jesus was not from the Heartland. War should not be a sporting event and we should not be so quick to pray for our team to win. Instead, should we not pray for an end to war? Should we not pray for not only the safety and protection of our country, but also the safety and protection of the world? Because whether we want to admit it or not, the entire earth belongs to the Kingdom of God. Americans, Iraqis, and Afghans are all human beings that God created. He wants ALL to be saved, not only Americans. (See 1 Timothy 2:3-7) And guess what? Even terrorists are in need of redemption.

After things settled down on 9/11, I left work and made my way to a prayer meeting at a friends house. I stopped in HEB to grab a drink and an energy bar for lunch. As I walked out, an old woman was walking toward me, weeping hysterically. She could have been my grandmother and I felt tears in my own eyes forming. As I got closer to her, she grabbed my arm and through her sobs, she began to say, "Did you see what they're doing in New York?! Did you see what their doing to us!?" I was in tears at this point and I just nodded my head. Then she said something that sums up my feelings this morning. "Just pray. OK? Please, son. Just pray."

Pray. Just pray. This is the first year that i can honestly say that I forgive those that attacked our nation. I can honestly say that I love them; not because of what they've done or haven't done, but because of who they were. I love them because I see hopeless lives that came to a tragic end leaves behind a legacy of evil. I'm saddened because I have a glimpse from God's eyes and see people that He wanted to follow Him, but drifted about as far as a human can from the true God.

Not Alone: Stories of Living with Depression

2011-08-31T20:30:00.000-07:00

Many of you know that I had the opportunity to contribute to another book called Not Alone: Stories of Living with Depression. It's a collection of essays by a community of authors that tell their stories of how they've dealt with the varied aspects of depression in their lives. In a very candid and raw fashion, each person breaks the silence in hopes of diminishing the stigma that exists in our culture today. And by sharing these stories, we've attempted to offer hope to those that suffer today.

In contributing to this project, I quickly found that it was much more difficult than I had anticipated. Reliving some of the experiences with depression caused me to face some things that were not very comfortable. As I wrote, it was as if a dark cloud settled over me and I felt my overall mood shifting. It made me realize how powerful these emotions are and how I will most likely carry them with me for the rest of my life. It also revealed to me how God has been with me throughout my suffering. As somewhat of a divine counselor, He not only guided me through the most difficult times of my life, but He strengthened me, taught me and shaped me into who I am today. So, although my memories of depression conjure emotions that I instinctively attempt to repress, I realize that they are assets as well.

Depression is a very real experience for many people living in today's culture. Because of the negative connotations that come with it, depression is usually not something that we freely discuss in everyday life. The causes are too numerous and varied to mention here, but they can include such things as abuse (both emotional and physical), chemical imbalances, death of loved ones, divorce, rejection and various family issues. There is no one reason that a person might suffer from chronic depression, but one thing is for sure, our fast paced and demanding society definitely contributes to some level of depression in everyone. It can leave the person feeling isolated, secluded and alone. People that deal with chronic depression usually hide the effects and do their best to cope with it in isolation, never knowing that the person sitting right next to them in Starbucks very well might be equally suffering. So they remain silent, hiding away, believing that no one could ever understand what they feel, believing that no one cares.

For those dealing with depression, Not Alone is a collection of stories that will resonate with the reader with words of hope, comfort and empathy. Whether sharing the first initial discovery of depression, how they sought help or giving words of hope that depression can be managed, the authors all tackle the lie that you must suffer in solitude and isolation. With courage and honesty, these stories give a glimpse into the mind of the depressed individual. While you will not find a cure for depression in these pages, you will find a sense of community. You might find yourself thinking, "That's EXACTLY how I feel!" You will find words of comfort. You will find support. And when all is said and done, you will find that you are Not Alone.

Interpretations: What Did Jesus Mean?

2011-08-29T09:27:00.000-07:00

During the course of our lives, most of us will follow a certain set of philosophies, cultural ideologies or teachings of some kind. Whether physical, mental, spiritual or theological, these aspects act somewhat as guides or templates in determining the paths we will take in life. Behind each of these particular aspects, usually lies a person that the philosophy, ideology or teaching was developed from. In the realm of Christianity, Jesus Christ lies as the foundation for each and every belief, doctrine, philosophy and theology in general. To the Christian, Christ points to every aspect of faith, and consequently every aspect of faith points to Christ.

It's important for us to interpret scripture, not only from our personal point of view, in terms of what a particular passage says to us spiritually, but we also need to consider contextual, historic, cultural, and lingusitic aspects as well. As stated above, it's also very imperative to search and decipher what Jesus said and taught regarding the potential interpretation. Some areas of teaching are very explicit, in which Jesus addresses the issue directly, or indirectly. And as you may well know, some areas are a bit critique. Either way, it's important for us to do our best in deciphering what Jesus taught on the issue we deal with in life.

Recently, I ran across a particular passage that has taken a bit more study and reflection. I had planned on presenting this verse in my blog, exploring the various interpretations and then discussing which I thought was correct in terms of what Jesus is trying to get across. Instead, I thought that it might be interesting to first start a discussion.

Take a look at Luke 22; specifically Luke 22:35-38. What do you think Jesus is talking about in this passage? Why does Jesus command the apostles to buy swords? I will share with you that my traditional interpretation of this passage had been wrong up until now.

Luke 22:35-38.

"Then Jesus asked them, “When I sent you without purse, bag or sandals, did you lack anything?”
   “Nothing,” they answered.
³⁶ He said to them, “But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don’t have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one. ³⁷ It is written: ‘And he was numbered with the transgressors’^[b]; and I tell you that this must be fulfilled in me. Yes, what is written about me is reaching its fulfillment.”
³⁸ The disciples said, “See, Lord, here are two swords.”
   “That’s enough!” he replied.

Pray for Bethany House

2011-08-25T15:40:00.000-07:00

I'm going to ask you to join me on a journey. I can't tell much about it, because I don't know much about it myself. I don't know exactly where this journey is going to take us and I have no clue how long it will take us. Success? Failure? I have no idea. Will we get lost? Probably. Will we get tired? Definitely. Will we get discouraged, frustrated, scared or angry? Yes, yes, yes and yes. Will you think to yourself that my request is a little ridiculous? Probably. The final destination of our journey is a place that doesn't exist yet. Right now, our journey's end is a small vision in the recesses of my mind, but it's beautiful. And it's a place that we will all gather together one day and rejoice. We will all come together in this destination and praise the God of this universe, because He finally got us to where He sent us. So, do I have your curiosity piqued yet?

Right now, the vehicle that we are going to use for our journey is simple: prayer. An that's all this journey is at this point: a prayer. This is not a goal, a plan or even a idea yet. This is a prayer, and that's it. So I guess in many ways, I am only asking you to walk with me. You don't have to buy a plane ticket, pay for gas or even get your biked tuned up. Just put on your shoes and walk with me for a while, until God reveals what comes next. A walk. That sounds good, doesn't it?

Our walk together begins with a vision that God put on my heart this weekend. I just got back from a three day personal retreat, and the place that I visited is a convent in Houston that offers a non-denominational retreat house for groups or individuals. It has become a sanctuary for me and a beautiful refuge from the everyday stresses of life. It's a place that I find rest. It's a place that allows me to slow down. I slow down mentally. I slow down physically. I slow down spiritually and listen to God, rather than dictate wish lists to Him. When I walk into this place, I feel like a child curling up in his fathers arms, as the weight of my burdens lightens. It's simple. It's monastic. It's always there waiting for me.

Have you ever wished you had a place like that to go to? When you feel like running away? When you feel hurt and alone? A place where someone will be waiting, with a hot cup of coffee? A place with a bed, so you can rest and a meal waiting for you when you wake up? A place to share creative expression in music, art and faith? It's simple, but it's always there. Someone is always there waiting to open the door, no matter how late it is. It's a refuge. A sanctuary. What if that place existed right in your community? What if it existed?

So this is where we begin our journey. I'm just going to ask you to join me in prayer. Remember, that's all it is at this point; a prayer. So often, I think we limit our prayers to things that can only be accomplished within the natural realm. We pray to a supernatural God, and yet we rarely expect His answers to resemble His character. What if we prayed for God to give us this place at the end of our journey? What if we called it "Bethany House"?

Bethany was a small town located on the eastern slope of the Mount of Olives. It was about 2 miles Southeast of Jerusalem, and the home of Mary, Martha and Lazurus. If you were traveling to Jerusalem and found yourself stopping in Bethany, you wouldn't be able to see the city yet because Bethany was nestled at the bottom of the mountain. This gave the town a feeling of quietness, peace and seclusion. Jesus often found refuge in Bethany to stay with His closest friends as He ministered in Jerusalem during the final days before His death and resurrection. Some of the most significant, spiritual and passionate events of His ministry culmination took place in Bethany. It has also been thought of as a center for caring of the sick, the destitute and weary pilgrims of Jerusalem.

So, as God began to paint this picture in my mind, the images of Bethany came to mind: Bethany House. I'm not sure where Bethany house is, what street it's on, how to find it or what kind of condition it will be in when we get there. For that matter, I'm not sure of what condition we will be in when we get there. But I know this; there will be light on in the window and a pot of coffee brewing in the kitchen and a bed waiting for us to rest our weary heads on.

Will you join me in praying for Bethany House, whatever and wherever it is? Will you join me in this passion that God has put on my heart? I know it sounds impossible, but nothing is impossible for God, is it? It says in Daniel 4:35 that "All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back his hand or say to him: 'What have you done?'" He can do what he wants and I believe that He wants this! !I can see it! I can feel it! It's out there somewhere, and we'll find it together.

Mark 11:24 - "Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours."

1 John 5:14-15 - "And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him."

Mike

2011-08-15T12:31:00.000-07:00

Those of you that know me, know that I can be a rather melancholy person. Because of that, I've always been somewhat obsessed with death. It's always caused an inner conflict within me and I'll admit, some fear as well. I've read verses like 1 Corinthians 15:54-58 and meditate on the words "O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY? O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING?” and thought to myself, "Really?" I don't know about you, but I've felt the full sting of death many times. There is an uncertainty with death, and regardless of the depth of my faith, there are times when I think and wonder at the mystery of my existence. If you say that you are 100% sure of what will happen to you when you die, you're lying, or you have some spiritual insight that I've not yet grasped. Because regardless of how strong our faith in God might be, there will always be a hint of doubt. That's part of what faith is about.

My friend Mike died just over 13 years ago. I'm not sure why I'm thinking about him today. Maybe it's because my mind is wandering from excessive writer's block. Maybe it's because Summer is coming to an end, kids are going back to school and change is in the air. Maybe it's just because I'm feeling a bit nostalgic and yes, melancholy this afternoon. Or maybe it's because I just read a blog posted by a friend of mine about loosing one of his best friends this week and the grief he is now experiencing. Nah, that can't be it.

Mike died on the Monday after Labor Day in 1997. He came to my house on Sunday for lunch, bringing with him his beautiful little daughter, Jordan who was only 1 year old at the time; the same age as my oldest son, Ian. We cooked hot dogs for lunch, drank a few beers, ate Popsicles and filled up a little baby pool for the kids, and our feet. It was a good day.

Mike was having a rough time with life, as well as his marriage, so we talked a lot. He shared a lot of his struggles with me. I listened. It felt good to listen. It felt good to talk. When he left that afternoon, I walked with him out to his car. After getting Jordan situated in her car seat, he looked me right in the eyes and thanked me for inviting him over. I could tell that it meant a lot to him. You could see it in his eyes. Just before he drove off he rolled the window down and said, "Hey, let's going fishing tomorrow since we have the day off." I thought about it, hesitated a few seconds and then declined the invitation. I would have loved to have gone fishing. We were fishing a lot back then and I was always looking for an excuse to go. But for some reason, I felt the need to spend more time at home and with my family. I had no idea how much more was going on by turning down his offer.

The next day was Labor Day. Mike went fishing anyway, with another friend named Tommy. I didn't know Tommy very well, but we had all fished together a few times. I felt a little jealous that I wasn't the one who went. It should have be me with him. That morning I felt a twinge of regret, thinking how nice it would have been to be in the water, hooking a few speckled trout. But the day went on. We sat around the house and did as little "labor" as we could. We watched TV and played around on the computer. All in all, it was a pretty boring day, but it was good to spend time with my wife and son. It was good to rest.

Just after we finished lunch, I was sitting at my desk on the computer when the phone rang. It was Mike's wife, Kim. She said my name, paused and her voice began crackling. I could hear her crying and my heart began to race, feeling that sinking feeling deep in my soul. You know that feeling? The feeling you get just before something bad happens? That feeling that you are right on the border of a tragedy? As soon as you step over the line of acknowledgement, everything in your immediate world is going to change, and you feel it. You sense it. Here we go. Stepping over the line.

My first thought was that Mike had left Kim. Not too long before, Mike had run off to Florida to escape marriage problems and the stresses of life that were troubling him. I imagined that he had again decided to temporarily escape, and Kim was naturally upset, and was calling in hoes that I would help her track him down. That's what I was thinking. I wish that had been the case. Something so simple could have been solved. Something so simple could have been worked through. I would have been glad to have driven out to Florida to find him. I would give anything to have the memory of finding him fishing or sitting in some beach bar drinking a beer. I would have convinced him to come home. He always listened to me. We would laugh about it today.

That's not how things worked out. After the phone fell to the ground, I remember hearing someone picking it back up. I heard a voice that I didn't recognize. "Jake, this is Kim's aunt. Kim was calling you to tell you that Mike was killed this morning. I'm so sorry." I stepped over the line. Everything changed. My reality changed. Everything looked different. Everything sounded different. It was as if I stepped into another dimension. The sting of death.

"What? What? What?" That's all I remember saying. I looked around the room, back and forth in quick movements of panic. She hung up the phone. My wife Kelly was sitting on the bed across the room. She knew that it was one of those phone calls. It was one of those lines crossed in life that you can't cross back again. She was crying.

Through tears she muttered, "What? What happened, Jake? Is it Mike? Is he dead?" I nodded my head and began weeping uncontrollably. It was the kind of weeping that comes from deep inside your soul and you have no control over it. My head fell into my hands and my shoulders began heaving up and down. This was one of the rare times in my life that I've felt the full force of mourning. I understand grief and the powerful clutch of it. The cold embrace of death surrounded me and I felt empty. I walked outside and on to my driveway, staring up at the sky. What had just happened? Why wasn't I there with him? Why didn't I go? Could I have saved him? Would I have died as well? Why, God? Why?

Mike was struck by lightning from a small isolated thunderstorm that popped up late that morning. I remember seeing it pass just to the West of my house, thinking how strange it was. There was no chance of rain that day. Mike had left Tommy and the boat at the shore, while he ran across the beach to get his truck. Tommy didn't even know what had happened until the ambulance showed up. He was killed instantly. The thoughts ran though my head once again: It should have been me with him that morning. Maybe I could have done something. Maybe I could have stopped him. Maybe my obsessive compulsive tendencies would have kicked in and I would have insisted on him waiting for the storm to pass. Why wasn't I there?

About a year before Mike's death, he became a follower of Christ. Not many people know that. I had been a Christian for a few years before him and he had always thought I had fallen off the deep end. But we were close friends so he eventually began to ask me questions about what I believed. He didn't talk about his faith that much with others, but we had many conversations about spirituality and God. One evening in particular, when Mike was having an especially rough time in his marriage, he called me. "I don't get it! I became a Christian just like you encouraged me to do, but my life still sucks! Why?"

I didn't have an answer for him. I agreed with him that life did suck from time to time. I shared with him that I often felt the same way and even questioned my faith occasionally. I also shared with him the good things God had done in my life. Mostly I just listened. I listened to the pain in his voice and tried to feel it with him. I told him that I understood and he wasn't alone in his struggles. I never judged him and I never questioned his faith. I guess that I just tried to be who Christ would have been for him, if He was sitting with him that moment; the same Christ that sat with me when Mike died. The same Christ that works through me when others grieve a loss and feel the sting of death. And the same Christ that reminded me of Mike this afternoon, and reminded me that I'll see him again. The sting of death is gone, life still sucks sometime and I still miss my friend. See you soon, my friend.

Why Won't God Heal Amputees?

2011-07-31T09:05:00.000-07:00

Some of you may be familiar with the popular atheist website, Why Won't God Heal Amputees. The basic objective of the organization is not only to prove that God does not exist, but to encourage the believing Christian to rationally contemplate their faith and logically consider their arguments. Their hope is that those who believe in God will eventually come to the deductive conclusion that faith is simply a superstition and therefore open their minds to a more enlightened thought process. They seem to claim their arguments are presented to any religion or faith system, but Christianity seems to be their main opposition.

I have to admit that these kinds of organizations used to make me very defensive. From a faith perspective, I found it very hard to understand why some people come to a place in life where it becomes so easy to deny God's existence, but also feel compelled to attack the beliefs of others. If someone truly has no belief in God, what difference does it make to them whether or not someone else does? I still feel this way to a certain extent, but I have also grown to a place spiritually where I don't feel the need to attack other belief systems. I believe in God and believe that Christianity is true, but my goal in ministry is not to "force" others to accept my beliefs, but to be a point of influence that will cause others to honestly consider the reality of the Kingdom of God and what it means to be a true Christ follower.

With that said, I find this organization very interesting and compelling. The honest questions they ask seem genuine and whether right or wrong, they deserve addressing . Granted, some of their statements are a bit antagonistic and condescending, but if you look beyond the defensiveness, anger and what might appear as an attack on those of faith, I think you'll simply find fellow human beings seeking answers to the same questions many Christians deal with. And to be honest, the Church and Christians in general have traditionally done a pretty poor job in answering the arguments. Today's culture demands more than just the typical rehearsed, memorized and cliche "churchy" answers.

So, here is a list of the "10 Questions That Every Intelligent Christian Must Answer" taken from the website linked above. What I would like to know is how you would answer these questions in an honest manner, if you were involved in a discussion with someone who did not believe in God. Avoid being defensive, argumentative or feeling as if you need to "win" the argument. Avoid judging the questions as ignorant or simplistic because of what you know. These are "real' questions that "real" people ask. Consider how you would honestly answer these questions from your perspective of faith, knowledge and experience. I plan on writing another blog that will address how I personally answer these questions, but I wold like to know what you think.

1. Why won't God heal amputees? We believe that God answers prayer, preforms miracles and heals in various manners, but we never see someone grow limbs in response to prayer. Why not? Does God ignore amputees?

2. Why are there so many starving people in the world? Why would God pay attention to your pray to find a job, when He seems to ignore the prayers of people literally starving to death?

3. Why does God demand the death of so many innocent people in the Bible? Exodus 35:2 demands the death of anyone who violates the sabbath, Deuteronomy 21:18-21 demands the death of disobedient teenagers, Leviticus 20:13 calls for the death of homosexuals and Deuteronomy 22:13-21 demands the death of woman that are not virgins when they marry. In the book of Joshua, God commands Israel to not only kill the men, but woman and children as well. In Deuteronomy, we see that God commands Israel to kill "everyone" in Heshbon and Bashan. He also commands the extermination of everyone except the virgins of Midian in the book of Numbers (the virgins were plunder), and in 1 Samuel 15:1-9, the Isralites are commanded to kill all of the Amalekites - men, woman, children, infants, cattle, for something they did 400 years prior.

4. Why does the Bible contain so much anti-scientific nonsense? Can you remain a logical and intelligent thinker and still believe the supernatural stories of the Bible?

5. Why is God such a huge proponent of slavery in the bible? Take a look at these verses from both the Old and New Testament. Exodus 20:20-21, Deuteronomy 15:12-18, Leviticus 25:44-46, Mark 14:66, Colossians 3:22-24, Ephesians 6:5, 1 Peter 2:18

6. Why do bad things happen to good people? Think about it. We probably all know of someone that ranks up there with Mother Theresa, and yet they seem to be plagued with constant tragedy. Consequently, we all know of people that could be classified as evil incarnate, and yet their lives seem to be completely absent of even minor troubles.

7. Why didn't any of Jesus' miracles in the Bible leave any evidence behind? Several people have asked me why more evidence is not available of Jesus' miracles other that Scripture.

8. How do we explain the fact that Jesus has never appeared to anyone?   If Jesus is omnipotent and omnipresent, why does He seem to not appear to anyone? Apparently, Mary has appeared to people in apparitions, why not Jesus?

9. Why would Jesus want you to eat His body and drink His blood? Many of us have grown up in the Church, so this does not seem unusual. But what about those who have never heard of this concept? Could this not seem grotesque and cannibalistic?

10. Why are Christian divorce rates the same as that of non-Christians? This is a great question and one that cannot be denied. In fact, being involved in ministry, I seem to see more instances of divorce than I do outside the Church. Why is this?

Breaking News: It is Now OK to Love Queers

2011-07-17T15:52:00.000-07:00

If you're a Southern Baptist, great news! It's now OK to love homosexuals! You can now get rid of your Gaydar Detector and take a deep breath! Southern Baptist Theological Seminary President Albert Mohler has shaken up evangelical circles with his recent chastising of Southern Baptists and their tendency for negative treatment of homosexuals. The Associated Press quoted Mohler as saying, "We’ve (Southern Baptists) lied about the nature of homosexuality and have practiced what can only be described as homophobia… We’ve used the choice language when it is clear that sexual orientation is a deep inner struggle and not merely a matter of choice...That doesn't mean it's any less sinful, but it does mean it's not something that people can just turn on and turn off." He also encouraged the denomination to repent from a "form of homophobia" and condemnation, rather than granting them a spirit of love and embracing them as fellow sinners.

Southern Baptist Convention President Bryant Wright has also recently challenged conservatives to refrain from using hateful rhetoric toward the gay and lesbian community and urged compassion in saying, “It’s not only upholding God’s Word, but there’s always that spirit of Jesus that we want to seek to communicate. When we feel passionately that something is wrong, we are still called to love that person who is ignoring what God’s Word says. It’s not always easy to do.” Note that neither of these two leaders are condoning homosexuality or rejecting the traditional doctrinal belief that it is a sin.

Most of you know that I attended Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, but don't necessarily label myself to be a Southern Baptist. My initial reaction to these two statements was that these leaders deserve praise for taking what is proving to be a very controversial stance. This is a huge step for a denomination that has long been considered intolerant, judgmental and even hateful toward the homosexual community. But after meditating on this for a while, I realized that I actually have a very different perspective on this issue and wondering if it is such a good thing after all.

First of all, I am purposely not going to share my beliefs on homosexuality. Many of you already know where I stand on this issue and if you would like to know details on how I feel personally and how I deal with this in ministry, you can always email me and I'll be glad to elaborate. However, the purpose of my silence of personal belief is intricately intertwined with the reason I am writing this blog in the first place, and that lies in a simple question: Why?

Why does it matter? Why is a non-Christian homosexual any different than other non-Christians and why do Christians have to be told how to treat them? Why does it have to come to a point where two very respected Christian leaders have to remind us that we need to love our human brothers and sisters, regardless of their particular sins? You see, whether or not you believe that homosexuality is a sin is totally irrelevant. The overshadowing element is that our personal beliefs should have no bearing on our love for one another and should have nothing to do with how we treat each other; in this case those that claims to be a homosexuals.

From the perspective of the Kingdom of God, there are two types of people that we journey through this life with: those that know the truth, love and salvation of Jesus Christ, and those that don't. Our mission within the Kingdom should remain focused on bringing Christ's life changing message to light; not critiquing the sins of someone that needs Christ because of sin. Whether or not homosexuality is a sin is not the point. The point is, we're all messed up people before knowing Christ and carry a lot of crap in our baggage. We need His unconditional love and to understand that it doesn't matter what's in the suitcase. That's why we need Christ and that's why others come to him in the first place. Does it matter, or should it matter why they come? Do our individual sins calculate differently on the salvation meter? Because I have news for you; God looks at ALL sin as repulsive, so if that disgusting spec in your neighbor's eye is causing you chronic nausea, try removing the hideous log in your own first. (Matthew 7:3)

This reminds me of the story of the woman caught in adultery in John 8. If you aren't familiar with the story, take a look at it in John 8:3-11 The Pharisees come rushing up to Jesus with this young woman that has been sleeping around. More than likely, she was a prostitute, in fact some theologians think that this woman could have been Mary Magdalene. "Teacher, this skanky woman was caught screwing some guy that she's not married to! She’s a whore! The Law of Moses says that we should kill her! She's not worth salvation! She's a lost cause! What do you think about this?" After all is said and done, what does Jesus say to the woman? Does He point out the fact that her sin is more repulsive than the next person? Does He tell her to keep her legs closed, stop sleeping around and gets her life straight first, and then come back? Instead Jesus tells her that He doesn't condemn her. He doesn’t judge her. He doesn’t make her feel like an outcast, subhuman or not worthy of the Kingdom. He accepts her as she is and asks her to leave her life of sin; not her life of sex, her life of sin. Did you catch that? He doesn't rate her sins on a scale of 1-10, or point out to everyone that she’s a whore. He just says "leave it" and "come".

Come. I like that about Jesus. He asked people to come to Him, and they did. When He walked the earth, he just wanted to be close to people, not caring where they’d been or what they’d done. He just wanted people to come. The Church is His Body, His hands and feet. Why should we add qualifications that He never did?

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” - Matthew 11:28-30

Jesus Meets Socrates

2011-07-11T09:01:00.000-07:00

I'm convinced that one of the biggest problems within the Christian Church is a lack of thought. Not the kind of thought that most of us engage in on a day to day basis, but deep contemplative thought. The kind of thought that births creativity and allows the imagination to run wild. In fact, this is the very foundation upon which Naked Theology was built.

The Church Fathers and other great theologians were also deep thinkers and contemplative philosophers. Ambrose, Athanatsius, St. Augustine, Clement, Ignatius, Thomas Aquinas, and St. Francis of Assisi all built their theology, not only on their interpretation of scripture, but the deep thought that followed. Even modern theologians such as Karl Barth and Dietrich Bonhoeffer were not afraid to dig deeply into the mysteries of God.

Think about the times that you have run across a subject on which the Bible seems to be totally silent. Are there areas on which you wish scripture expounded more or expanded? Specifically in the New Testament, are there topics that you find yourself wishing that Jesus would have addressed directly, but doesn't seem to? Are there cryptic or difficult to understand passages that you wish contained just a few more verses to help you understand it more clearly? Have you ever read a verse and thought to yourself, "What?! I have no freaking clue what this means!"

Now, before I go any further, let me say that I firmly believe that the Bible is completely sufficient for guidance on every and all aspects of life. There are obviously some areas that the Bible does not directly address, such as modern cultural topics, but in studying similar issues and parallel passages, it is possible to translate a particular passage and find what you need to know in most modern contexts There are also areas on which the Bible is vague and some passages that are very difficult to understand. It's significant to remember that while the Bible was just as much written for people in 2011, it was written by people that lived in a very different time, a very different culture and in many areas of life, thought very differently than we do.

I get asked theological questions fairly frequently, and since I've been to seminary, some people automatically deduce that I have all the answers. Well, sometimes I have an answer, but not as often as I would like to admit. There are quite a few instances where I have to plead ignorance or pull the old, "Let me get back to you on that one" while I go and ask someone more knowledgeable on the respective topic than me. In fact, there are times when I feel that I know less after seminary than I did before...the more I read and learn, the more I realize how much I don't know. And times when I feel like a complete idiot.

But one thing that I have learned is that while the Bible is meant to read and teach, it is just as important to be meditated on and pondered over. It's meant to be philosophized upon, discussed and written about. It's meant to have music written from it, art created from its influence and poetry to be inspired from it. God doesn't just want us to mechanically read and regurgitate what we learn from scripture, but He wants us to use our hearts as well as our minds. The early Church Fathers weren't afraid to gaze toward Heaven, and ask the tough meditative questions. In fact, this is how many of our Church doctrines came into existence.

When was the last time that you read a favorite passage and found yourself asking, "What if....?" "I know that Jesus doesn't address this issue directly, but if he did, what would He have said? How would He have handled this?" "If Matthew, Mark, Luke or John would have been inspired to write another passage on this topic, what would they have said?"

So, here's what I need your help with. Do some thinking and ask yourself these questions?

1. What are some issues on which the Bible seems to be silent?

2. Have you ever found yourself thinking, "I've read this verse over and over, and have no clue what it means. I've even asked several pastors about it, but no one seems to know or be able to explain it to me." Tell me about it.

3. Have you ever thought, "I wish Jesus went deeper on this issue. I understand what He's saying, but I feel like I need more." What was the issue?

I'll be compiling your comments and using your input for my book. I'll also be posting short excerpts as the writing progresses. Looking forward to hearing what you have to say, and more importantly, what you "think"!

The Kingdom of God: Where Does Our Alligience Lie?

2011-06-25T08:19:00.000-07:00

Within theological circles, there are many views and interpretations of what Jesus meant when He talked about the Kingdom of God. There are about 140 instances in the New Testament where this is referred to directly or alluded to in other wording. Either way, there has been an ongoing debate about what the kingdom of God exactly referred to. Some have claimed that the Kingdom was wholly manifest in Jesus’ presence on earth and represented in His words and deeds. Some claim that any reference to the Kingdom is completely a reality of the future and is associated with Christ’s second coming. The most common interpretation has to do with elements of both arguments and is sometimes referred to as the “already/not yet” tension. In essence, the Kingdom of God was inaugurated with Christ’s first advent, exists today and will be complete when he returns again. Today Christ’s love exists through the life of the Church, but the world is still subject to evil to some extent. This is the view that I personally ascribe to and contextually what Scripture seems to be referring to. (See Luke 10:9, 11:20, Matt. 3:2, Mark 1:5, Luke 17:21)

I’ve been doing a lot of thinking on what the Kingdom of God should look like and what my responsibility is within the Kingdom. What is my responsibility and what is the Church’s responsibility in advancing the Kingdom? Obviously, since the Kingdom of God exists, what we do with our lives has a direct effect on its manifestation and advancement. Consequently, since there exists this “not yet” element to the Kingdom, what we don’t do, or the negative aspects of our lives, hinder the Kingdom. The more we live as Christ and represent His Body as the Church, the more that the world will see the Kingdom and understand what God originally intended for the world. When we live in opposition to Christ, the Kingdom is reduced to mere words, hypocrisy and a lack of belief from culture.

I bring this up because people often ask me about my political views and party affiliation. I admit that there was a time when I was the typical conservative right-wing Christian that had the world view that Jesus was not only American, but started His movement right here in the good old USA. I believed that Jesus would have only voted conservative and cheered for us when the USA went to war. As long as Jesus and His teachings lined up with that picture of American Christianity, I was OK with being His hard-line follower. But over the last five years or so, my views have radically changed.

Well, before you accuse me of being a bed-wetting liberal, communist or socialist scumbag, allow me to explain. First of all, I don’t consider myself to be a liberal or Democrat either. In fact, I no longer side with any political party and refuse to align myself with the “left” or “right”, unless I’m reading a map. I’m no longer registered as a Republican voter, and will not side with the Democrats either. I don't use God to promote my view of politics and choose coffee over tea. For lack of other options, I assume the government would classify me as an “Independent”, but I never identify myself with that label either. Going one step further, my citizenship as an American is secondary and not really how I identify myself as well.

Now, let’s be clear. I’m not one of those people who are ashamed of America, believe in anarchy or have a Utopian view of what the world should look like. I don’t believe in John Lennon’s “Imagined” view of life and tend to look at life through a more realistic set of lenses. Believe it or not, I’m still a pretty black and white person. What I’m getting at, is that if the Kingdom of God is a reality, even if incomplete, it is the Churches responsibility to make it a reality. And the first thing we have to do is decide to put His Kingdom first, even if it means denying our allegiance to man-made kingdoms. Jesus said, "Seek the Kingdom of God above all else," (Matthew 6:33) This is the only way that the kingdom of God will be seen as a reality and cause culture to want to be a part of it. It has to overshadow culture, country, communities and even individual churches.

What would this look like? Well, C.S. Lewis said in Mere Christianity, that if Christians were functioning and living as they were originally intended to, most people would scoff and label it socialism. And you know what? He’s right. If we model the early Church and all that Christ taught in the New Testament, we would be living a very socialist existence. Selling our possessions, sharing all that we have with anyone in need, choosing non-violence and actively loving others, including our enemies, looks more like a hippie commune, doesn’t it? But here’s the thing: these ways of living life cannot be mandated by a government and this is what this blog is all about. The principles of socialism are not bad in and of themselves, but when a man made government initiates them, and they are based on man and not God, the end result is disastrous. Only the Church can initiate this kind of revolutionary way of living. Only the Church can and should look this way. These are supernatural principles. When we live as Christ calls us to live, people see a counter-cultural way of living and advance a Kingdom that doesn’t make a lot of sense to the world. It really has nothing to do with politics or party affiliations. It has to do with following a King that rules a radically different Kingdom. It has to do with citizenship and where it ultimately lies.

Dad

2011-06-16T15:00:00.000-07:00

As we approach another Father's Day, I find myself missing me dad more than usual. So in honor of my dad, Bill Kampe, I'm re-posting this blog that I wrote last year. Happy Father's Day, Dad. I can't wait to see you again someday. I'll bet the fishing is great! You'll have to show me all the good spots when I get there!

For me, one of the most comforting aspects of the Christian faith is that God is our “Father”. (Psalms 68:5) My dad died a little over four years ago. That’s something that I never thought I would have to say, let alone write in a blog. “My dad died.” You always look at your parents as being somewhat immortal, especially dads. But they die, and I guess a little part of us was created to expect it. It's natural to lose your parents one day, but it doesn’t make it any easier.

Each time I talk about my dad, and get to the point of talking about this death, I feel my eyes watering up and my voice crack a little. It’s funny, but I miss him more and more as the years go by. Something will pop into my head, some thought that I want to share with him, or something will happen where I could really use his advice. It’s funny, but sometimes I have to remind myself that he’s not there.

A few months ago, my 7 year old son was experimenting with his electronic set and asking questions that were a little out of my field of knowledge. My dad was an electrical engineer and I began to tell him about how this is the kind of stuff Paw Paw did for a living. He would have loved teaching him how it all worked and the fact that his grandson was showing some aptitude in this area would have given him such a thrill.

It’s funny, but I can still hear my Dad’s voice, as if I had just talked with him a few days ago. When I’m away from my wife and boys, I sometimes forget their voices, but I remember my dad’s voice. I remember the deep tone it had and the calm and methodical way he spoke. When he was excited or passionate about something, he would get more animated and stutter a little. That’s how you could tell that he was really interested in the conversation.

I remember my dad coming home from work late in the day. He would open the door quickly and come through with a big stride. He always had the paper in his hand and would lightly hit me with it. “Hey, guy!”, he would say with a big smile, and would go in the kitchen to say hi to Mom. That “dad smell” would waft passed me as he went by, and I felt comfortable. I felt safe. Dad was home.

I’ve learned that being a dad is a lot harder than being a son. My dad told me one time that I would never feel the same security that I did when I was a boy living at home, once I had my own family. And he was right, to an extent. I’m the one that carries the burdens and fights the monsters under the bed. I’m the one that is responsible for creating the safe structure of home and peace that my boys rest in.

But like I said, my dad was only right to an extent. See I believe that even though I have the enormous responsibility of being a father, the burden is not 100% on my shoulders. We are stewards of these amazing gifts that God has given us. God still calls the plays; we just carry the ball. And I do feel some shades of the security that I once felt as a child from time to time. When I feel close to God and His presence is evident, flowing around me, I feel safe. When I come to Him as a little child, and rest in His arms, I feel peace. And as I comfort my boys and do my best to create the peaceful structure that they deserve, I feel God doing the same for me. He’s my Father. He’s Dad. (John 20:17)

My dad believed in God, but I don’t know if He felt the same security on which I’ve learned to depend. I think that he carried a lot of burdens that he didn’t realize weren't his to carry. See, my grandfather died when my Dad was only 9 years old, so he had to learn how to be a dad with only a small point of reference. He had to learn to depend on himself for much of his life and that made him a little harder. He grew up without a father and I wonder how much different his life would have been had his dad lived a longer life. And for that matter, what would my life be like today?

Either way, dad did his very best at raising two boys. I told him that a few years before he died, and he said that that was one of those things you wait your entire parenting life to hear. I hope to hear it someday, and I hope that my boys will grow up feeling just a little more security than I did. Not security from me, but from their heavenly Father who wants them to have a peace that transcends all of their understanding. (Philippians 4:7) I want them to feel that security of knowing that everything is OK. It’s taken care of. Dad’s home.

After Birth

2011-05-20T18:07:00.000-07:00

Every once and a while, the light bulb of illumination appears over my head. You know, that "DING" moment on the old cartoons when the character has a "bright" idea? I wonder if the proverbial "light bulb" of revelation has to now become an LED or CFL bulb? I mean, cartoon characters have to be conscious of the environment too, right? Actually, when you think about it, the entire image of the light bulb might not be politically correct anymore. Why waste energy just because you have a revelatory insightful thought? Maybe the character could just turn a shade of green when he has a bright idea? Hmmm. Well, anyway.

I love it when I find a little piece of insightful truth that I never noticed before. One of the reasons that I write is because it enables me to put my thoughts together in a coherent format. By recording my thoughts, my humble hope is always that someone will glean something from what I've written and then develop a new insight of their own. My favorite comments is always something like, "Wow! I never thought of it that way!" When more people begin to express their thoughts, beliefs and insights, it can open doors for others. They share their new insights and the cycle continues. When I think about it, I think we are more prone to learn more from each other than we do from any other source.

This morning is was reading something that that really blew me away by the imagery. My friend Rob Vasquez writes an online devotional called "Be Blessed". This week he wrote the following about what it means to be born again and the transformation that occurs after:

"Many people don't realize or want to admit how messy, slow, painful & gradual real change is. And here’s the truth many don’t want to accept: it’s very messy for broken people to be healed & transformed. It takes time. Birth is messy. It isn’t pretty. And guess what? Neither is new birth. Following Jesus is messier than people make it out to be."

Unfortunately, a lot of Christ followers reduce their salvation down to a day they "accepted Christ". They prayed a religious mantra that magically transformed them into a Christian and now they are suppose to be automatically different than those that haven't prayer "the prayer". We do this a lot in our churches, don't we? We compare notes with each other and base our worth on how many people have been "saved". The higher the number, the better Christian we are and to US be the glory, right? Get 'em into heaven, get 'em a Bible and direct them to a church, and our job is done! But is salvation this simplistic?

Let me be clear. I'm not discounting the act of salvation. I'm not discounting the fact that for some Christians, saying a prayer of salvation was a pivotal point in their spiritual life. And I'm not saying that it is not a Christian's responsibility to share the gospel and hope to see people others come to Christ. What I'm saying is that we narrow down salvation and making disciples to a one time event that really can have nothing to do with a person being "Christlike". Yes, there is always a point in which a non-Christian becomes a Christ follower. Usually, it is a specific decision we make. Sometimes it's a definable moment, and other times it's not that clear. I look at my own salvation as a life long journey that contains many pivotal moments of spiritual realizations. If someone asked me when I was "saved", there is a specific time that I refer to as the moment of my "salvation", but to be honest, it's somewhat irrelevant to me now. I'm more interested in what has occurred, and continues to occur in my life today, and what I think Rob might be talking about in the words above. What we're really talking about is "sanctification".

Bible.org defines sanctification as "the activity of God which liberates the Christian from the power of sin. It is the process of becoming what we are in Christ. This involves the putting off of the old habits of lying, stealing, backbiting, etc., and putting on the Christ-like qualities of honesty, mercy, and love." See Colossians 3:1-10

Basically, sanctification is the process. It's the ongoing activity on our lives of becoming more like Christ. We become sanctified as we get rid of the crap in our lives and start looking more and more like Jesus by our words, actions and thoughts. While salvation is essential, sanctification is really the evidence of who we are. In many ways, sanctification is more significant than a single salvation experience because it reveals that a transformation has occurred in a persons life. How many times have you run across someone who claims to be a follower of Christ because they "prayed a prayer", but they displays nothing in their life that would lead anyone to arrive at that conclusion.

And this brings me to my point: like Rob said above, change is a messy thing. When we begin the journey of becoming more like Christ, it can be a very ugly, chaotic and nasty process. Yes, becoming more Christlike is a beautiful thing, but the process of getting there can be anything but pretty because it can involve confronting lifestyle aspects that are no longer spiritually healthy. Everyday choices and actions can become "anti" Christ, and when we confront these issues, a conflict arises. Our natural person, the thing that existed before following Christ, begins to rebel and fight the "process" every step of the way. It doesn't want to be sanctified. In many ways, we don't want to change. We would rather live in a state of pre-salvtion because it's easy, safe and non-threatening.

When a baby is born into the world, it's a beautiful, joyous and life changing event. But physically, it's not pretty, is it? It's messy, painful and chaotic. Screams and cries fill the air as this new life comes into the world in a wave of blood, bodily fluid and discarded tissue. It's not a pretty picture from a purely visual perspective. Being "born again" is no different than the physical aspects of natural birth. Our Church culture has created an unrealistic view of what salvation is, and consequently, it's created an unrealistic view of sanctification as well. Spiritual transformation is sometimes not pretty, and like Rob says, it's slow, painful and gradual.

From my own experience, in many ways following Christ is much more difficult than the life I lived before. As I grow, becoming sanctified, I encounter and overcome more and more challenges that reveal to me how messy my life is. I was born (again), spit out into the world in a mess of spiritual afterbirth. Yes, I was cleaned up, but it's cold, frightening and not the comfortable place I came from. I've been poked and prodded. I've had to eat things that taste like shit. I've soiled myself and spit up when things didn't agree with my spiritual digestive system. I've fallen when I tried to walk and been scolded when I did something wrong.

Grace at Reduced Cost

2011-05-15T18:31:00.000-07:00

On the bridge of the unforgiven
   forgiveness takes the high road.
Malnourished and perplexed,
   redemption takes a second seat.
Finding salvation comes at a cost,
   but you buy grace at wholesale prices
and wonder why it's defective
   and void of legitimate warranty.
It was forecast that rain would fall
   and it did indeed.
We run to theological shelters
   set up by Red Cross rejects.
But our cots have no sleep number
   and smell like homeless ministry.
You shake the hand that shakes
   and offer a blessing on pain.
"Peace be with you" and off you go.
   You go your way. I go mine.
I adjust my ringtone.
   You stand in line.
My hands are washed and the crowd applauds.
   My realization is final and sure,
as salvation sets in cold and secure.
   Grace is cheap.
Costco carries it in bulk.
   You run to freedoms register
and write your check to God.
"I've paid my dues. Now my entitlement counted."
   Among the Pharisees we all will stand,
but our robes are rotted and tassels are tangled.

                                                    - Anonymous

The Practice of Love

2011-05-15T06:17:00.000-07:00

Most of you know that I recently had the opportunity to join a community of authors in writing for The Practice of Love: Real Stories of Living into the Kingdom of God. This is a collection of essay by a community of writers that examines what it means love God, ourselves, our neighbors and our enemies in today's culture. We know that God has called each of us to love in extraordinary ways in all facets of life, but reality proves that this is sometimes easy said than done. This book provides real life personal stories that will cause the reader to examine what it really means to love in the Kingdom of God.

In contributing to this project, I experienced a lot more personal spiritual insight than I thought would. I chose to write about what it means to love our enemies because this has always been a difficult thing for me. We live in a very self-centered culture, so our first reaction in dealing with enemies is usually to place focus on ourselves and how we've been hurt. I don't know about you, but I often think of the person who wronged me and immediately contemplate how I can get revenge and make the offender hurt as I've been hurt. Not only that, but I usually feel the need to be justified. What I mean is that I want the other person to realize what they've done was wrong and know, deep within their heart, that they are wrong. Nothing aggravates me more than someone arrogantly strutting around as if they've done nothing wrong, completely oblivious to the pain they've caused me. But as a follower of Christ, is this what He calls me to do? Is this the kind of reaction that will advance the Kingdom of God? Or does my returning anger with anger, only hinder others seeing the Kingdom in the way Christ wants it to be seen? These are the questions that I wrestled with as I wrote my essay.

Ironically enough, over the last few weeks, we have been witness to possibly the quintessential example of an enemy in Osama Bin Laden. Consequently, with his death, we have all been given a opportunity to examine this issue in the clearest example that we will probably ever have before us. To me, it was as if God revealed this scenario to me and said, "OK. You just wrote an essay on what it means to love your enemy, right? Well, here's THE enemy. Love him." Really, God? I tell you that it's hard for me to swim and you throw me in the middle of the ocean?

After my experience with The Practice of Love, I find myself wanting to love more. Specifically, I find myself wanting to expand the way that I love my enemies. Basically, I came to a realization that I don't want to hate anymore. I don't want to judge anymore. I'm finding that I don't feel the need to be "right" all the time, and "win" the arguments, whatever "winning" means. Instead of actively seeking reasons to be angry with my enemies, dislike or even hate them, I'm learning to seek out ways that I can love them. What are ways that I can connect with that person and find unity? Whether or not they "feel" my love for them, how can I really love them, and more importantly,what does that look like in the Kingdom of God?

Those of you that know me, know that I can have somewhat of a temper. It doesn't take much to set me off, and usually that comes out in dealing with my enemies. But many years ago, a mentor of mine gave me some advice that I've never forgotten. It was one of those gems of wisdom that is written on your soul, under the file name: Wisdom. This man, that was quite a bit older than me, recognized that I often got angry with those that hurt me. Not only that, but he also recognized that I had the somewhat obsessive desire to "be right" or "win" the argument. One day, he sat me down and said the following: "Jake, people are going to wrong you throughout your life. It's going to happen again and again. But YOU have the choice of how you are going to react to them. Why is it so important for you to be justified? Instead, allow them to believe that they've won. For whatever reason, they felt the need to hurt you. Let them have it. It's theirs. Instead, find a way to do something kind for them. Find a way to show love to them. By doing that, you will almost always soften their hearts. When that happens, then, and ONLY then, can you sit down with them, explain how they hurt you. 99% of the time, they will understand and ALLOW you to be justified. Then you both win. That's a better deal, right?" Yes, Pat. That's a much better deal. Thank you.