Sucker for a Christmas word...

It has been nearly a month since I have posted something, which is highly unusual since I am such a sucker for the Christmas season. If you don't believe me take a moment to check out my past holiday musings here and here. Now, I'm in as much in the Christmas mood as I normally am... heck, maybe even more so... but I have been more contemplative about the nature of the joy, more thoughtful about the glee.

You see, it has been a particularly rough year. It has been a year of hospital rooms. It has been a year of funerals. It has been a year conflict. A year internal and external turmoil. But all this has put me even more on the edge of anticipation for the holiday that we are merely days from celebrating. As I have thought about that anticipation, I wonder, just what am I anticipating? It's not the gifts... I really don't have a real want. It may be the family time, but even as I think about it - there's something else.

Contrary to the popular notion of Christmas, it is not a season all about peace and goodwill toward all people... though the coming of Jesus is to be a joy for all people. No, as I have visited the Christmas story in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, I see God working through a story of violence and hardship. There's a pregnant teenage girl and working class man traveling a great distance to sleep in a barn... a murderous king that kills every male child under the age of two... and the appearance of angels, which may seem like a cool idea, but think about how frightening that would be... Yet, through it all their lies Emmanuel - God with us... There is hope out of turmoil. Life out of murder.

The hope I find in this season is that God is still in the business of redemption... still in the business of using the ugly and seemingly useless times in our lives and using them for his own glory. Merry Christmas to you all, and I hope you look to the star of Bethlehem and find the cross of Calvary.

Giving thanks in the valley...

Psalm 23 is amazing. I know that is a pretty obvious statement... and an under-statement. I mean, really all of God's special revelation is amazing... but what is so uniquely amazing about the 23rd Psalm is that it is so broadly recognized as a passage of comfort and peace... even to people that deny the truthfulness of the Bible itself. It is memorized by children, memorialized on plates and plaques and tea cozies. It is a passage of Scripture that, at least culturally, transcends its connection to the faith to which it harkens.

I have always wondered why this is the case. Of the 150 Psalms, why is the 23rd so elevated in people's minds? Well, I am sure there are countless reasons, but one of the things I find most compelling about it is the way David is able to raise a voice of thanksgiving and praise in the middle of seemingly difficult circumstances. As you read it below, notice how he talks about the "presence of his enemies", and "the valley of the shadow of death" and yet doesn't fear, doesn't have a want, and recognizes the tremendous blessing in the simplicity of his life... the restoration of the soul, the ability to follow God's path of righteousness.

These are a profound statements for all of us right now. The economy is in the tank. Unemployment is reaching new heights. Our country is still at war on multiple fronts. And if we look up at just the right moment we may even see the sky falling... I have had my share of hardship and heartache in the past year. And to be honest, I have wanted to reserve my praise and adoration to God until after I see how things pan out. But David isn't doing that... He is able to give thanks as he looks at his enemies, he his able to praise God in the midst of the darkness.

So, what would it take for us to echo the words, thoughts, and actions of David? What would it take to praise when we feel like doing anything but? What would it take for us to give thanks as we walk through the valley of the shadow of death?

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
3 He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
for his name's sake.

4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.

5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.

a little wisdom from my boy Fenelon...

Francois de Salignac de La Mothe Fenelon (or as I like to call him... my boy Fenelon) was the Archbishop of Cambrai in the 17th century. He became a spiritual advisor to a host of people in France including Louis XIV. As such he penned a great many letters of spiritual advice, some of which have been collected, translated, and abridged by the Whitaker House publishing company into a book entitled Let Go... Anyway, back in seminary I read through these letters for a devotion class, but admittedly I didn't appreciate the quiet wisdom these letters held. Since, then I have rediscovered them (in the back of my car), and recently this little book has helped center my thoughts and prayers.

I want to share a portion of one letter that has been a challenge to me this past week. It comes from letter 17, entitled "Quietness in God Our True Resource"... in it Fenelon writes,

When it comes to accomplishing things for God, you will find that high aspirations, enthusastic feelings, careful planning and being able to express yourself well are not worth very much. The important thing is absolute surrender to God. You can do anything He wants you to do if you are walking in the light of full surrender.

Living in this blessed way involves a continual death which is known to very few, but it is in this position that you can really be effective for God. A single word spoken to another person from this restful, abandoned position will do more to change circumstances than all our most eager and carefully planned schemes. You see, when you speak from this position of abandonment to God, it is the Spirit of God who is then speaking, and the word you speak out of context loses none of its force or authority. Only one word perhaps - but it enlightens, persuades, blesses, and moves to action. We have accomplished everything, and have scarcely said anything. On the other hand, if the old self gets the way, we end up talking forever. We discuss a thousand different possibilities. We are constantly afraid of not saying or doing enough. We get angry, excited, exhausted, distracted, and finally make no headway at all.

I can be a bit vociferous... for some reason I feel the need to talk, and talk, and talk, and talk to get my point across in a lot of different situations... especially when I am passionate about something. But, what Fenelon rightly points out is that all the talking in the world, all the action in the world won't accomplish a darn thing if we don't surrender our will to the Father. More and more I do find it to be true: quiet is a spiritual exercise... it's a scary one, but important. Because it is in the quiet that our deepest longings, fears, joys, and triumphs come bubbling to the surface, unimpedded by the noise of life. And then we can give them over to the Lord and let his will rule in our lives.

Thanks Fenelon for that reminder.

broken glass and the devil...

I hate cleaning up broken glass. I mean, really who likes it. Broken glass means something is... well... broken. And more than that, broken class is a pain to clean because it's difficult to be sure you have gotten it all up. There have been times when I have had to try and sweep or vacuum up a broken vase or pitcher thinking I have gotten it all only to step on a tiny, seemingly insignificant piece months later. And those tiny shards of glass can be a real bear, because you're not even sure they are there. They hurt, but it may take a while before you can identify the problem causing more pain and risking infection in the process.

Recently, I had to deal with a fair amount of broken glass, and while the big pieces seemed the most dangerous, I was meticulous about trying to get all the little pieces up so they wouldn't surprise me later. That got me thinking about the schemes of Satan, and how so often we can trick ourselves into thinking that the most dangerous temptations we face are the ones that we can see. But really, the dangerous temptations are the ones that are out-of-sight, the temptations to sin that seem like good things.

Let's take the way we look at the idea of truth for example. My generation has grown up in a culture that is so confused about the concept of "truth" that we question if it actually exists. In the name of open-mindedness we are told that we must acknowledge the validity of every idea regardless of its absurdity, and for the Christian we can go so far as to deny the very foundation of our faith: the Word of God. Now, tolerance is a good thing. Being open-minded is a good thing. But the danger of sin and temptation is that in the name of a "good thing" we deny what God has revealed to be true. Sin and temptation of this sort are difficult to see and yet can work its way into our hearts, minds, and souls and do some real damage to faith.

In The Screwtape Letters CS Lewis paints a vivid, albeit fictitious, picture of how Satan tempts Christians, and in the very first letter Screwtape tells Wormwood that the one of the most powerful weapons in his arsenal is that of incompatible ideas. "Your man has been accustomed, ever since he was a boy, to have a dozen incompatible philosophies dancing about together inside his head. He doesn't think of doctrines as primarily 'true' or 'false', but as 'academic' or 'practical', 'outworn' or 'contemporary', 'conventional' or 'ruthless'. Jargon, not argument is your best ally in keeping him from the Church." So many people believe they can be a Christian and yet can hold views that are incompatible or contrary to the Bible. They can promote Jesus with their lips, but deny him by how they live and by what they truly believe. The degradation of our understanding of right and wrong is a subtle slip from righteousness, but it is one that keeps us from embracing the full truth of the gospel.

And it should not surprise us that the most dangerous temptations are the ones that don't seem like temptations at all. Paul had to deal with false teachers in the Corinthian church, and what they were teaching may have seemed like truth, but it contradicted the truth of Jesus Christ. And so he writes in 2 Corinthians 11:13-15,

13For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. 14And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. 15It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.

If Satan masquerades as an angel of light, he does so to implant little shards of sin into our souls. He does so to tempt us with things that appear good, that appear true, and are easy to believe, but are totally incompatible with the truth of God's Word.

May we be as meticulous with our hearts and minds and souls as we are when cleaning up broken glass.

the conversations we can't have, part II...

So, a couple of posts ago I mentioned the fact that, from a cultural standpoint, Christians can't really stand up and present the Jesus of the Bible without the potential of being ostracized and blasted for being intolerant or bigots or whatever. We can talk about Jesus as a loving, kind, "friend of sinners", but not as the one who challenged people to "repent for the kingdom of God is near".

Last night, I watched a popular television show that illustrated this point perfectly. During the show (I'll let you guess which one) a character's father was trying to approach her about a given topic by using Scripture to demonstrate the nature of sin, and she proceeded to fire back with the words of Jesus in order to defend herself. In the end, the father was eating crow and the daughter felt vindicated.

There are a couple of points to be made. First, the words of Jesus quoted in Scripture do not in any way contradict or diminish the other words of Scripture. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17, ESV (emphasis mine). In Matthew 5 (portions of which were used in the aforementioned television show) Jesus himself said, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 5:17-20, ESV. So, to quote Jesus incorrectly is to misunderstand the entirety of the Bible. Jesus did preach a gospel of grace and forgiveness, but he also preached in equal measure a gospel of justice and repentance.

Second, the quickest and most effective way to justify sin to yourself (by that I mean make yourself feel better about doing what is in itself wrong) is by looking to Scripture to back yourself up. Satan, in fact, will try to use the Bible to tempt us. In Matthew 4, Satan quotes Psalm 91 to try to get Jesus to obey him. I think it's important that we understand that merely quoting the Bible doesn't put you in the right, and one passage taken out of context can be used more to trip you up than to help.

Last thing, Jesus was a friend of sinners, but he was never a friend of their sin. A lot of times people who don't want to be held accountable for their actions will quote Jesus' words to the accusers of the prostitute in John 8, where he says, "Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her." They'll make the argument that Jesus didn't want us to judge sin so neither should we. But they forget what Jesus says to the woman at the very end of the passage, "Go and from now on sin no more." Or some translations say "Leave your life of sin." Jesus was not a friend of sin, and as I read recently, "We need Jesus because he called sin sin and chased it to the cross to pay for it and take the damning curse from those who trust in him."

bloom where you are planted...

Recently, Jules and I have taken a particular interest in getting flowers to grow along the path that leads to our front door. And after a couple of attempts and some pretty solid rain here in Central Florida we have this nice border of purple flowers. They are healthy and thriving, which is pretty nice I have to admit.

Not too far in our bush/flower bed we have a conglomeration of flower types and colors. Now, I know as little as any person about types of flowers, but one type that we have is the marigold. They grow fairly easily and they have this cute (yes, I said cute) little yellow flower that buds. We have planted probably a half dozen marigolds in the flower bed, and every once in a while we pluck the dead/dying buds and throw them in our yard. Well, apparently, and I did not know this... the planted buds can actually grow a new flower plant. So, one of these buds that we thought was dying and tossed - ended up in our row of purple flowers and began to grow an entirely new plant. We didn't do anything to help this little guy grow, in fact, we hadn't intended for it to be planted at all, and yet there he was. (For some reason I have decided this marigold is a guy...)

I started to think about how so many of us are so unhappy with the state of our lives. In fact, it seems like one of the defining characteristics of society is to complain about where we are and what we do and even who we become. We blame people and situations for everything. People blame parents, the government, global warming, traffic.

But, I have heard a saying that goes, "Bloom where you are planted."

You know there's something to be said for that. The fact is God controls every aspect of our lives. Where we were born, who our parents are, where we were raised, and he puts us exactly where he wants for a reason. Now, we may have no idea what that reason is, and a lot of times that reason isn't even remotely clear to us. And sometimes even when it is we choose to try to ignore it.

The Bible is full of people that chose to "bloom" where they were planted. David, Moses, Abraham, Ruth, Nehemiah, Joseph, Job. They all followed the situations God gave them and did (with some exceptions) the best they could to be faithful to his purpose... even when they weren't sure what that purpose was.

Jonah... on the other hand... did his best to avoid the situation God was calling him to. And one of the things I remember in my Hebrew study of Jonah was that his name meant "dove," which was a symbol of folly and foolishness to the Hebrews. His running from God's plan and purpose was foolish, and ultimately flawed because there is no running from God. Even when he was forced to submit and do what the Lord called him to do he grumbled and complained about it. God called him to prophesy judgment on Ninevah, and when they repented and turned to God, Jonah was angry that God showed mercy. How many preachers today would love to have that kind of revival and see God work in that way? Yet, Jonah was not.

There are some people who will always shake their fists at their circumstances. Some people will always find a reason to be angry and hate life. And others will take advantage of even the smallest of opportunities. Others will see the gifts God has given them, instead of the gifts God has not given them. As my Pastor says, some people see their lives and become bitter and others will become better.

Which one will we be?

through the valley...

A lot of my friends, family members, and people in my congregation have been going through some really difficult times lately. For some it's the death of a loved one, for others it's struggling with serious illness in their families. Some are struggling to find work, feed their kids, pay their bills. My heart has broken for all these dear people this past week, and in my prayers I do lift them up. But I'll admit that it's a constant struggle not to be angry with God on their behalf. What I notice is that in the middle of grief, and giving supplication for those dealing with grief, prayer divorced from a devotion to God's Word can leave me feeling somehow more detached and distant from the Lord.

With that I leave Psalm 23 here... it may seem to be a cliche Scripture, but the powerful message it gives us should never be considered cliche... the Lord is with us, even when we find ourselves in the darkest of valleys. I hope it helps you as it has helped me. I love you all.

1 The Lord is my shepherd;
I have all that I need.
2 He lets me rest in green meadows;
he leads me beside peaceful streams.
3 He renews my strength.
He guides me along right paths,
bringing honor to his name.
4 Even when I walk
through the darkest valley,
I will not be afraid,
for you are close beside me.
Your rod and your staff
protect and comfort me.
5 You prepare a feast for me
in the presence of my enemies.
You honor me by anointing my head with oil.
My cup overflows with blessings.
6 Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me
all the days of my life,
and I will live in the house of the Lord
forever. - Psalm 23, NLT

the conversations we can't have...

There are some things that people just don't like to talk about. I think it goes something like this... in polite conversation you are not allowed to talk about politics or religion... of course that is a very old adage and for the most part it has fallen by the wayside. Because politics is THE topic of the day nearly every day, and rightly so. The actions of the President and Congress and especially our local city or county commissioners effects all of our lives. I mean, whenever there is a new bill about to be proposed we all ask, "How is this going to effect me or my family?"

Now as for religion, the conversations get a little trickier. You can talk about religion. Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, vague far-eastern religions with names you can't pronounce... you can talk about those. You can talk about God. You can talk about your "sense of spirituality" heck, you can even talk about Jesus, and people won't typically care. Even Deepak Chopra has book on Jesus... but the conversations we have about Jesus have to framed in just the right sort of way.

We can believe in and talk about Jesus as a great teacher, philosopher, challenger of the status quo, spiritual guru... even the whole saving-people-from-their-sins part is okay as long as you demystify it and take God's wrath out of the equation so it becomes more of "self-help" tactic than actual salvation. We can talk about what Jesus means to me, how he has given me hope and light, how he comforted children, and told people to be generous. We can put Jesus into our little socially-defined boxes and be just fine in conversation. You can invent your own views about Jesus, outlandish and unsubstantiated as they may be while casting dispersions on 2,000 years of historical tradition, and you will be excepted in academic and social circles and even admired as tolerant and innovative.



But try to talk about the Jesus of the Bible, and you may see some uncomfortable looks and people squirming in their seats. Start quoting passages like "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6). Or "Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters" (Matthew 12:30). Or any passage that speaks about Christ as the Son of God or that speak about him in exclusive terms or that speak about judgment... speak about the actual Jesus and those are conversations our culture won't let us have.

So, what are we to do? Slink back into the corner? Shut our eyes and ears to the world around us, all the while ignoring the fact that we live in a country that supposedly stands for religious tolerance?

The Church has got to be louder. It has got to be bolder. Christians must refuse to allow for the sanitized, personalized image of Jesus to prevail when we know the truth. For it is "the truth [that] will set you free." Not the lie, not the acceptable version of the truth. But the truth, that Jesus, the biblical, actual Jesus, is the only way... whether we like it or not. The problem is that it is difficult for us to do. It's difficult for Christians to get hyped up about something that with surely ostracize us.

It's not that Christians won't get excited or stand up for against things. Christians have loud and boisterous opinions about the new healthcare package. Christians get excited about the next Joel Olsteen or Tim Lehaye or Chris Tomlin. Most Christians, especially in the southeastern US, have a favorite college of professional football team they will defend tooth and nail against their bitter rivals. And believe me, I'm not speaking self-righteously here... I get jacked up about all those things too. And there is nothing wrong about having passionate opinions about those sorts of things.

But who will defend Jesus against the attacks of syncretism? Who will stand up and say, "that's not the Jesus of the Bible"? "That's not who Jesus was or is." Of course, actions speak louder than words, but silence in the face of lies speaks even louder and it's time for the Church to stand up and be counted... not merely against those religions that we can see, but also against those that would seek to replace the one true faith with a lie.

eyes wide open...

This past weekend Jules and I were in Tampa for a marriage conference, and during the conference there was an opportunity for us to go on a "date night". We were both looking forward to it, so we went to Channelside... a spot in Tampa with several restaurants, a movie theater, and kind of a party atmosphere. So, we went down there for a little dinner and decided to catch a movie, and it was awesome being with my beautiful wife, talking about things, and just sharing each other's company.

But there was something that both of us found very, very unsettling... All around Channelside were these girls dressed WAY too provocatively in short black dresses... and by short I mean they would be considered long-shirts by most people's standards... and by girls I mean some may have been 12 or 13 years-old. And as you might expect where there are girls dressed that way there are drooling, sweaty boys following far too closely. It was sad to see the looks on these kids' faces. So unsure. So nervous. But trying to hide it with false bravado and posturing. All of them sure desperate to find significance by looking and acting just like everyone else. I felt depressed, and old.

I know there were probably times in my early adolescents where I put out the same sort of false security in my black shirt, or having the right shoes, or because I was just like everyone else and yet spouting off things about wanting to be different. But now I see just how foolish that was.

Something else was going on at Channelside that night which stood out in such a sharp contrast to all that was going on around as to seem like a small but brilliant gem in an otherwise rocky environment. There, in the very middle of the plaza, was an artist who had set himself up a little street studio. Right there on small 18"x18" canvases he dreamed and created beautiful landscapes which he only saw in his own mind. Some were of beaches and mountains, others were landscapes that only George Lucas might fully understand. This artist dreamed with spray paint and a pillow under his knees and as the crowds watched him he could not have cared less if anyone else like what he did, because after each world was created he put it out front and looked up smiling. What he had created was good.

In Genesis, we read that God created men and women, male and female, he created them in HIS image and that he breathed into them the breath of life (ruach in the Hebrew also meaning spirit as used in Genesis 1:2), and you know I have never really had a problem with that, until I really think about it. It means that something in each and every person that has ever lived or will ever live reflects something of the glory of God... something in every single human being has the Spirit of God in them. Now, that's easy for me to accept when I think of the people I know... my friends, my family. And it's easy for me to see that worked out when I think of that artist creating worlds on canvas, but what about those kids? I admit it's difficult. What about convicts in the local jail? What about terrorists in the Middle East? For me, it's downright impossible to comprehend that God made them at all.

So, what does that tell me? It tells me something strange about how I am supposed to respond to situations with other people. It tells me that as God looks on all people and sees the effect that sin has had on the image he has put in us, it must break his heart. Thus the need for a Savior. See Jesus though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. (Philippians 2:6-8). He was the perfect image of God, without sin, without corruption, and yet he gave that up so that through him we, and those kids at Channelside, and the artist, might be covered with Christ's perfection and restore the image of God that has been corrupted by our sin.

It also tells me something else... I am no better than those kids. I still feel lost at times... broken, full of self-doubt, looking around nervously for acceptance. But I know that my worth is not dependent on even my own feelings of worth. It is entirely dependent on my acceptance by God which I can not earn or add to. God has already accepted me because of the life, and ministry, the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. And that is something everyone needs to hear.

Things I have never believed in...

So, I began to think about friends of mine, maybe some family members, and people I used to know (and because of the beauty of Facebook still keep in some contact with), and I wondered what it is they believed in. I began to think about things they don't believe in and things they used to believe but now don't for one reason or another. Then I began to think about myself, and ask those same questions... what do I believe, what don't I believe, what have I never believed?

It's interesting that I spend a great deal of time thinking about what I believe, but almost no time about the things I don't. The things I don't believe, I just don't... I dismiss them and they are out of my mind nearly as quickly as they entered. There are exceptions of course, but I think that is the way many things are for us.

For example, I have never believed in Santa Claus... Now, I know there was an actual St. Nicolas (I've been to his tomb in fact), but as far as believing there was a fat, jolly man living at the North Pole riding on a sleigh pulled by flying reindeer... No, never believed it. My parents never perpetuated the story with me, and to be honest I am no worse for the wear. In fact, I love Christmas (ask my wife if I don't get into the holiday seriously), and I am not one of those who is anti-Santa Claus and elves... but believing that has never been part of it for me. Some, if not most of you don't share that experience...

I have never believed in the Tooth-Fairy, Easter Bunny, Great Pumpkin (for all you Charlie Brown fans)... but those are easy ones.

I have also never believed the old adage: "You can do anything you set your mind to." You've probably heard that statement as a child, and probably followed a conversation where you said, "I can't..." You may believe that statement, but it needs some serious qualification, because it just isn't true.

Think about it for a moment before you totally write me off... Think about anything that you want to do, anything you want to be, any place you want to go, and right now set your mind to it, walk out the door and do it... see what happens. Take me for example, I love basketball. I play off and on, and still to this day, when I pick up a ball I think about what it would be like to play professionally. But I'm knocking on the door of 30, I'm vertically-challenged, haven't seriously played in years, and have little to no jumping ability left. I could set my mind to it, walk out the door, try-out for some pro or semi-pro team, and do the very best I could, and what would happen? I wouldn't make it. No question. And That's okay.

Now, what's my point? My point is our motivation is all wrong. When we tell kids things like that what we're trying to do is get them not quit simply when things get difficult or tough, and that's a good thing. We should all, even in adulthood, try new things, and we shouldn't quit simply when things don't go well the first time. But to say that on our own we can do ANYTHING, sets us up for false expectations that are impossible to achieve.

See, even the Bible says in Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." But we tend to focus on "I can do all things" part and forget the qualifier they must be done in God's strength. With God in control, there are things that he will and things he will not allow us to do. And even the things he allows us to do may not turn out the way we expect. But those things are always for his greater glory and for our ultimate good.

I think Paul gives us a better motto to live by in 1 Corinthians 10:31 when he says, "So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." That will keep us trying hard, trying new things, but keep us humble in the process... realizing we have nothing on our own, and that it all comes from God.

a little too close for comfort...

So, I was out running on a sidewalk along a somewhat busy street in Lakeland, FL the other day when a very disturbing thought entered my head... the only thing between me and the traffic whizzing by at 45+ mph is a piece of 6-inch raised concrete. I mean, that's all a sidewalk really is... it's really just a speed bump. Because let's be honest, we've all nicked a sidewalk or two and some of us may have even run up on one, and if someone really wanted to they could just start taking people out. That was a freaky thought. I mean, what is it that keeps people in cars on the street and not taking people out as they walk or run along? For that matter what keeps us from not doing what we know we should not do?

Well, several hundred years ago several philosophers and political theorists including Thomas Hobbes and John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau put a name to this sort of thinking - the "social contract". Basically this theory goes something like this... everyone gives up certain autonomy to a governing body so as to maintain social order. In my little running scenario that means the drivers on the street acknowledge that a governing body has set up the sidewalk as a safe haven for walkers, that driving on the sidewalks is dangerous and therefore against the law... so they don't do it.

Of course, most people don't even think like this. Hitting a sidewalk is terrible for your car, and people in general don't want to hurt those on the sidewalk, or in any case most people are just too busy to care and they are trying to get from Point A to Point B as quickly as possible. You and I don't think about things like social contracts... we just don't want to ruin our day. But when someone does do something like that... like running up on a sidewalk to take out unsuspecting runners... we think it's tragic, and in a sense we become a little more fearful because someone has broken the unspoken agreement.

CS Lewis took this a step further... he said that sense of right and wrong... that sense of a "social contract"... really originated with God himself. In Mere Christianity, he states that every person (meaning those in their 'right mind') has an instinct to abide by what he calls the "moral law". And this instinct cannot be explained apart from God. For if we try to argue that people do good for their own good, then we might look at people who steal from others and get away with it and say they did bad for their own good... But if the moral law is for a person's own good then even the theft might be considered good... so that fails. Well, then what about doing good for the good of society... well there again we might question, which society? Lewis cited Hilter and the Nazis and the abomination of the Holocaust... in their society at that time they believed they were doing what was good for their society. But no one (in their right mind) would say the Holocaust was anything less than one of the most evil acts perpetrated on humanity. So again, the argument that morality is defined by society fails...

There are many other arguments about the origin of the moral law (or the lack of any moral law), or what causes people to act according to generally the same rules, but ultimately there has to be something outside humanity that determines the rightness and wrongness of things... for we all at some point say, "That is wrong" or "That is right." There has to be something that determines that statement outside of ourselves, because relativistic arguments just don't hold up.

Paul, writing to the Romans explains our confusion with right and wrong pretty well I think... (this is The Message paraphrase)

The basic reality of God is plain enough. Open your eyes and there it is! By taking a long and thoughtful look at what God has created, people have always been able to see what their eyes as such can't see: eternal power, for instance, and the mystery of his divine being. So nobody has a good excuse. What happened was this: People knew God perfectly well, but when they didn't treat him like God, refusing to worship him, they trivialized themselves into silliness and confusion so that there was neither sense nor direction left in their lives. They pretended to know it all, but were illiterate regarding life. They traded the glory of God who holds the whole world in his hands for cheap figurines you can buy at any roadside stand. Romans 1:19-23

We often don't acknowledge that God has revealed all this to us, we don't give him the credit he is due, and Paul says, we act as though God's input on things like right and wrong don't matter... we trivialize him and so we trivialize right and wrong itself.

The question is where will it end up? When we, who are imperfect, think we can define the standard for right and wrong... where will we end up? Just exactly where we are... People want to know why we can't get a handle on the state of our world, I think it's because we continue to refuse to acknowledge God as God... and that his is the ultimate standard.

breaking the silence...

It's interesting how different people deal with things differently...

Because of recent events, I haven't wanted to write. I haven't really wanted to talk. I haven't really related to people in the way that I normally do...

The fact is that I haven't related to myself in the way I normally would... times have been tough, and as they say "when the going gets tough, the tough gets going..." Now, that statement can be taken a number of different ways, but the way it is typically taken is that when bad things happen, the tough people work harder, they bear down, they work things out... It could also mean that when bad things happen, the tough just leave... That seems ridiculous and contradictory, but really the first explanation is equally ridiculous.

You see, when the bad strikes... when tragedy hits too close to home... we can't just bear down and "soldier on" or "power through" or whatever other ridiculous thing we are told to do. You see, I believe (though admittedly I have hated this fact recently) God is in the business of using tragedy and pain for a greater good; our greater good and his greater good. If we just run rough-shot through the problems and the tragedies and the pain we fail to take the time to ask, "What is God doing here? What does he want me to learn? How does he want me to grow and respond?"

Those are easier questions to write here, than to actually live out, I realize... but difficulty doesn't make something less true. Believe me, I have not wanted to ask these questions, because quite frankly I have not been in the mood to hear what God thinks about my current situation. I have been pretty upset with God. And that is in large part because I know that God is in control.

And yet, at the same time I see things everyday that remind me that his goodness and presence in my life are also tied to his authority, and that ultimately his plan includes the end of the bad and the pain... if we, if I can but wait upon him.

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

5 And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.”
Revelation 21:1-5

"life will never be the same..."

Last week Jules and I broke the big news that we are having our first child, and the outpouring of congratulations has been overwhelming. From family and friends, to people at our church, to high school and college friends I haven’t seen in years - everyone has been so happy for us.

After the congratulations, of course, comes the sage words of wisdom from people that have gone before us - people who have braved the world of parenthood and lived to tell about it... and while everyone has been helpful, and I really do appreciate the advice... most of it boils down to one thing: “Your life will NEVER be the same…” (insert deep ominous music here). People then usually add something like, “Oh but it’s great!” That got me thinking about just what that means “your life will never be the same…” The same from what?

Before I got married I had never lived with a girl before, and anyone who is married will tell you your life is never the same after that. Jules and I bought our first home a little over three years ago and, at least from a stress vantage point, that is very different than living in a rented apartment with a maintenance staff on-call - again our lives were never the same. When I went from high school to college I had never lived away from home, had to buy my own food, pay my own electric and phone bills, and basically been responsible for myself, and my life has never been the same… And all those things happened just in the last 10 years.

Now, I know what you parents are thinking, “Oh Zac, but you don’t know… this is way different.” I have no doubt that it is... I mean God has allowed Julie and I to partner with him in creating a human life... I know this is major. But the question I have is - should that really surprise us? I mean, God is a God of change and adjustments. Now, God himself does not change, but he has set up the world so that it is in a state of flux constantly.

The seasons - spring, summer, fall, winter - are all radically different (unless of course you live in Florida where it never drops below 50). The same human being at age 8 looks and acts vastly different than they do at 80, though it is the same person. Mountains rise and fall because of the movement of the Earth itself. God is a God who has ordered life so that we are accustomed to change. All of it, though, has its proper place and time.

The Byrds recorded that famous song Turn, Turn, Turn based on Ecclesiastes 3 which says,

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:

a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
a time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
a time to tear, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
a time to love, and a time to hate;
a time for war, and a time for peace.

God has designed everything to have its place, he has designed everything to be in a state of change for a season. But the great news is that God prepares us, and in the fullness of time he makes us ready for those moments when "life will never be the same."

nature shows... and the start to a good day...

One of the things that I often wonder about is, just exactly what makes a good day a good day? I mean, when I think about the course of my 29 years I have had over 10,650 days... what made the good ones good, and the bad ones bad? Is it how things start? Is it how the day ends? Does it matter who you are with? Does it matter what you do? Does it matter if you eat, exercise, sleep enough? Is there a formula that can separate the good days from the bad ones?

Well, I don't really think there is a formula, but there is a key... at least in my experience that helps keep bad days from becoming bad days... perspective.

Of all the things that I find relaxing there is one thing that really helps me start the day in a relaxed frame of mind: nature shows. There is one that comes on the Discovery HD Theater that I particularly love called, "Sunrise Earth." Now, for those of you that find nature shows boring, this one is a sure-fire tranquilizer dart, because the entire show consists of scenes and sounds of sunrises from a given location. No music. No commentary. Nothing but nature. I love this show when I am getting ready in the morning because it reminds of the beauty and grace of the natural world... the world God created. It helps me have some perspective about what is going on around me.

God knows we have a tendency to forget the greatness of who He is and what he has done... Certainly Job had had a series of extremely bad days, but when Job questions God about all that he had gone through what does God remind him of? That he is God...

1 Then the Lord answered Job from the whirlwind:

2 “Who is this that questions my wisdom
with such ignorant words?
3 Brace yourself like a man,
because I have some questions for you,
and you must answer them.

4 “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?
Tell me, if you know so much.
5 Who determined its dimensions
and stretched out the surveying line?
6 What supports its foundations,
and who laid its cornerstone
7 as the morning stars sang together
and all the angels[a] shouted for joy?

8 “Who kept the sea inside its boundaries
as it burst from the womb,
9 and as I clothed it with clouds
and wrapped it in thick darkness?
10 For I locked it behind barred gates,
limiting its shores.
11 I said, ‘This far and no farther will you come.
Here your proud waves must stop!’

12 “Have you ever commanded the morning to appear
and caused the dawn to rise in the east?
13 Have you made daylight spread to the ends of the earth,
to bring an end to the night’s wickedness?
14 As the light approaches,
the earth takes shape like clay pressed beneath a seal;
it is robed in brilliant colors.[b]
15 The light disturbs the wicked
and stops the arm that is raised in violence.

16 “Have you explored the springs from which the seas come?
Have you explored their depths?
17 Do you know where the gates of death are located?
Have you seen the gates of utter gloom?
18 Do you realize the extent of the earth?
Tell me about it if you know!

19 “Where does light come from,
and where does darkness go?
20 Can you take each to its home?
Do you know how to get there?
21 But of course you know all this!
For you were born before it was all created,
and you are so very experienced!

22 “Have you visited the storehouses of the snow
or seen the storehouses of hail?
23 (I have reserved them as weapons for the time of trouble,
for the day of battle and war.)
24 Where is the path to the source of light?
Where is the home of the east wind?

25 “Who created a channel for the torrents of rain?
Who laid out the path for the lightning?
26 Who makes the rain fall on barren land,
in a desert where no one lives?
27 Who sends rain to satisfy the parched ground
and make the tender grass spring up?

28 “Does the rain have a father?
Who gives birth to the dew?
29 Who is the mother of the ice?
Who gives birth to the frost from the heavens?
30 For the water turns to ice as hard as rock,
and the surface of the water freezes.

31 “Can you direct the movement of the stars—
binding the cluster of the Pleiades
or loosening the cords of Orion?
32 Can you direct the sequence of the seasons
or guide the Bear with her cubs across the heavens?
33 Do you know the laws of the universe?
Can you use them to regulate the earth?

34 “Can you shout to the clouds
and make it rain?
35 Can you make lightning appear
and cause it to strike as you direct?
36 Who gives intuition to the heart
and instinct to the mind?
37 Who is wise enough to count all the clouds?
Who can tilt the water jars of heaven
38 when the parched ground is dry
and the soil has hardened into clods?

39 “Can you stalk prey for a lioness
and satisfy the young lions’ appetites
40 as they lie in their dens
or crouch in the thicket?
41 Who provides food for the ravens
when their young cry out to God
and wander about in hunger? Job 38

Here's the thing, I don't always get to have mornings where I start my day like that - remembering the creativity of God. I mean, there are times I have to rush, there are times I don't eat breakfast, there are times I forget things going out the door, there are times where the most important thing to me as I head out the door is the thing I am trying to get to. That's the opposite of having perspective. I, too question God's goodness, his wisdom, his justice... the questions aren't the problem unless I forget the answer he gives himself in Job 38.

Good days or bad, God is God and my only control in life is what I do with the day he has given me and how I approach him in the face of circumstances.

nothing new under the sun...

When I was a kid I used to listen to records... actual records. You know, big black discs with grooves in them. My parents had a ton and I listened to them all. My dad had Beatles' records, my mom had the Lettermen, Simon and Garfunkel, and Motown, my older sister had Michael Jackson... Rachael and I had Disney records featuring a very young Molly Ringwald singing "This is My Country", I kid you not. Anyway, I remember listening to those records and just being mesmerized by the bigness of the sound and the art work on the covers and the smell of the vinyl.

Of course, you know the story: records gave way briefly to 8-tracks but ultimately to cassettes, and then to CDs, and now to digital music. Now, let's be honest I love digital music... the ease of it, the compact size and portability, but records still hold a place in my heart. I'm one of those kind of guys who likely has two iPods and two record players just in case... Recently, I have gotten back into vinyl (for the second time) and all those early memories of my parents' and sisters' vinyl came rushing back, and even the nostalgia of my very own Fisher Price record player sits with me as I listen to new and old music on LPs. Personally, I think a resurgence in the actual production and distribution of vinyl could really boost the sagging music industry, but that's not my point... My point here is that what was old can be made new again.

God's mission throughout history has been to restore, to redeem, to make new... Genesis 3 - Man and woman mess up, and God has the right to destroy them right there, but instead while he punishes them he still shows them grace, he clothes them, and then promises a Redeemer in Genesis 3:15 who would "crush the head" of the serpent. And in Revelation 21 we see all this come to fruition...

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

5 And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Revelation 21:1-5a

There are a lot times when I feel too broken to do any good. Too obsolete to matter. I feel that my past, or even my present aren't good enough to be of any use to God, or his people, but then I remember that God is in the business of redeeming lost things. He is in the business of taking weak and ugly things and making them beautiful and strong - so that they may shine in the light of his glory.

I know some of you out there feel too messed up to matter, but thankfully for all of us God does not see us that way. Through Jesus Christ, the Great Redeemer, our past does not have to decide our future and our worth does not have to be measured by the sum of our actions. Let God bring you back to life and fully rely on Him.

Oh btw, if you are interested in getting vinyl locally check out these shops (if you have other suggestions, put it in the comments)... Park Ave CDs (Winter Park, FL) and Rock n' Roll Heaven (Orlando, FL)

finding the balance in the middle of transition...

As of now I have been a seminary grad for a little more than three weeks, and the very thing that I was warned would happen is happening: there is this lingering discontent as I have set the hard rigors of studying aside and stepped into a full-time ministerial role. Now, don't get me wrong I love my church and I love the role that I am in. I do not miss the hour and a half drive to and from school, nor do I miss the pressure of three or four papers being due at once.

Of course, I am setting some personal study goals for myself... to read books I haven't had time for, or to reread books I used in seminary to gain more insight and clarity... but let's be honest it isn't the same. The "have to" is not there and sometimes that is the most intriguing motivation. The blessing for me is that as the Director of Discipleship continued studies are part of my job to some extent, but even that motivation is different.

It reminds me so much of how the disciples changed in the early church. Peter, for example, went from constantly sticking his foot in his mouth to preaching to thousands in only a few short weeks. The church itself went from a band of pseudo-outcasts plagued with dissension and self-doubt to a strong body of believers who held everything in common and supported each other. What was the difference? Well, obviously Christ's gift of the Holy Spirit was the driving force behind the apostles' work - but I also think the Spirit used the motivation of necessity to give them a push. Now, I maybe wrong, but the apostles had spent three years with Christ but in his resurrection they realized that if the gospel was to be preached they would have to do it. I cannot imagine what that mental, emotional, and spiritual transition must have been like, but it makes sense that they would need the Holy Spirit in the face of their mission.

As I am seeking to find the balance between personal study and practical ministry, I am asking God for his Holy Spirit to tell me when and where and how much. That is the prayer we all need to pray, because without him all our efforts will be for naught.

be prepared to be surprised...

One of my favorite musicians of late has been Sondre Lerche... don't worry I had trouble pronouncing that name too. Anyway, he has written a couple of great songs including "Two-Way Monologue" and "Say it All" but one of my favorites is from the soundtrack for Dan in Real Life (a really good movie by the way) called "To Be Surprised". So, I was listening to that song and thinking how little we tend to be prepared to be surprised. I mean, yes, we buy insurance so we are prepared to be surprised in case of a natural disaster, we put on seat belts to be prepared to be surprised by an on-coming car... but what about the good things?

In some ways, it seems like an oxymoron, preparing indicates that we know something is coming, and to know something is coming is to NOT be surprised. So, what does it mean?

Coming at this from a Christian standpoint, we should always be prepared to be surprised by what God is trying to do in our lives. James talks about those who ask from God, yet aren't prepared for him to answer - in this case he is talking specifically about wisdom...

5If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. 6But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. James 1:5-6

Jesus specifically talks about asking for needs according to his will...

22"Have faith in God," Jesus answered. 23"I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. 24Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. Mark 11:22-25

Too often it goes like this: we pray, we don't believe, and we don't receive. So of course prayer doesn't work. Of course, then, you are not really praying.

Now, I am not saying that God gives us a blank check to pray for anything and everything I want and if I am just ready to receive it then it will be. That's not what Jesus is saying, and that is not what James is saying. Preparation to be surprised by God means we must ask for things that will honor him and glorify him. Sometimes that means we glory in the good things he offers us... life, health, good jobs, plenty of food, etc. Other times he gets glory by sustaining us through the bad times. Jesus himself asked in the Garden that the cup of God's wrath might not be poured out on him, "But not my will, but your will be done..." Jesus said. God's glory was made great in Christ suffering... and then his resurrection.

You see, for us, sometimes we ask for things and God says, "Yes" other times God says, "No or Later". But the surprise comes in what God does with what he does and does not give us. Sometimes we get what we want and are surprised by the abundance. And other times we suffer and then are surprised at how we become better, stronger, wiser, and yes, happier people.

Being prepared to be surprised means leaning into God's wisdom and grace no matter what the circumstances.

it is finished...

After a long hiatus, I am back to posting... Most of you know why I have been out of the blogosphere for the last few months, but for those that don't, I have been running toward the finish line of my M.Div. degree at Reformed Theological Seminary. This is a degree that I have been pursuing for the better part of four years, some as a part-time student but over the last year as a full-time student... and this semester I have been an ultra-full-time student. What that means is that over the last 3 months I have had to complete 22 hours of post-graduate work in order to graduate, and that has been insane!

Now, I have been supremely blessed in this journey. I have a great church that has been so supportive and flexible with my work schedule, a wonderful family that is constantly encouraging and cheering me on, and most significantly a loving wife who has done everything from running through flash cards with me, to making pots and pots of coffee, to knowing when I need 8-10 hours of quiet, to consistently telling me how proud she is of me, to succeeding and thriving at her job while I worked part time... I'm extremely supported.

While I have been trying to process this oddly unsettling thing called graduation, that has been the consistent theme: I have been supported and loved the entire time, and at no point have I been left out on my own. But even though this is a time of celebration and relief... it is a time for me to reflect as well.

I know I have had people around me the entire time, and yet there have been times I complained, moaned, felt like throwing things against the wall, felt like giving up and flippin' burgers at McDonald's. What a pansy! I mean, this is just school, right? That's not to belittle things, but I haven't done this alone, I haven't been unprepared, and yet I have been a baby at times.

I think about Christ and all that he endured, and wonder just how alone he must have felt at times. This is the Son of God, eternally proceeding from the Father, who saw the foundations of all the world laid down, who understood the weight of his task from the beginning... talk about feeling like no one gets it! Yet he continued on, relying on the Father, praying, and being led to the point of his own death where he drank the cup of God's wrath for all humanity until finally he said, "It is finished."

[Christ] though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:6

My goal and prayer is that this phase of my life would be marked by the servant heart of Christ, not believing or acting as though I am owed anything, but relying on the power of God through the Holy Spirit that every tongue would confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

wounded victor...

22 That night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two maidservants and his eleven sons and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. 23 After he had sent them across the stream, he sent over all his possessions. 24 So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. 25 When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob's hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. 26 Then the man said, "Let me go, for it is daybreak."
But Jacob replied, "I will not let you go unless you bless me."

27 The man asked him, "What is your name?"
"Jacob," he answered.

28 Then the man said, "Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome."

29 Jacob said, "Please tell me your name."
But he replied, "Why do you ask my name?" Then he blessed him there.

30 So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, "It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared."

31 The sun rose above him as he passed Peniel, and he was limping because of his hip. 32 Therefore to this day the Israelites do not eat the tendon attached to the socket of the hip, because the socket of Jacob's hip was touched near the tendon. Genesis 32:22-32

Struggling is not something that most American Christians like to discuss. Far too often we are more interested in a therapeutic faith that seeks to anesthetize pain and shrug off any need to persevere and “hold onto” the Lord. Much more than that though, we forget that God uses problems and sufferings to correct our course and teach us that reliance on Him is more important than even our life or health.

This passage of Scripture is so helpful in understanding this concept. Jacob is the chosen one over Esau, and yet he is marked for much of his life with that name Jacob which means “deceiver” and so that is the way that he survives and indeed thrives. He is far from perfect, and yet there are times where his faith is evident. He has encounters with the God of his fathers, still his life is filled with struggle even from the womb, through his rivalry with Esau, his dealings with Laban, and now with the God-man. But it is this final struggle that allows him to realize the fuller blessing of God’s promise. For Christians today, we should look to Jesus Christ who struggled against men and with the Father and prevailed. We need to be willing to also struggle against the world (Romans 12:2) and cling to God for His blessing. That doesn’t mean we should expect to come out of our struggles unscathed; in fact we may limp our whole lives as Jacob did. God will, however, renew our identity in Him and we will be marked and redeemed by His grace in the middle of the struggle.

No, "we can't"...

So, today we have a new president. Before I get into this, let me say that it is pretty unbelievable that we can have a total overhaul of our government without the nation breaking out into civil war and with the old government and the new government on the same stage... And it is a huge step in our nation's history that race is no longer the kind of barrier it used to be. For these reasons, today was a good day for our country...

That said, there is a problem as we head into this next administration... this idea that "WE CAN..." This has been the rallying cry of the new administration and a point around which people stand, cheer, and find hope. It's this idea that if we pull ourselves up by the boot straps and put our arms around each other, we can solve the ills of the world. It's a nice thought, and makes for a great slogan, but in the grand scheme of things it is false.

Now, if you are still reading this, then you are either highly confused, ticked off, or just waiting to see what I mean... So, I'll explain...

There are a lot of things that you and I as human beings can do. We can create things, we can destroy things, we can love, we can hate, we can make breakfast tomorrow morning, we can run marathons, climb mountains, open up people's hearts, and administer medical knowledge in ways that prolong life or take life... in fact, this list of things we CAN do is quite long... but it's limited. There are things we can't do. We can't yet leave the orbit of Earth and return back. We have yet to eliminate all disease. We can't yet run marathons faster than 2 hours. We can't read people's minds. Nor divert hurricanes or tornadoes. And this list is far longer... And even the things we can do have limits. While we can make breakfast tomorrow there is no guarantee that you won't burn it, or that you won't spill your cereal, and so on...

What I am saying is that you and I can do a lot of things, but not everything, and even what we can do, we can't do all the time... no matter how well we prepare or how much we believe we can do this or that. So, what?

This idea that "we can" do whatever we set our minds to fails at one particular point: God is in control of it all. Too often we say we have the power, and we have the ability to do whatever we like without realizing that we are not even promised our next breathe.

And ultimately the main problem in the world is sin... The reason the housing market has tanked, the reason there are wars, the reason families fall a part, why terrorism exists, why there is a ecological problem... all of it has to do with sin. And the bottom line is that you and I can't do a darn thing about this fallen state. Nothing. We can't. But through Jesus Christ we have a hope, and not the kind of hope we have in a politician that maybe things will get a little better over the course of the next four years... but a hope that is sure and firm that what God has promised He WILL accomplish.

Now, I'm not trying to be pessimistic, nor anti-progressive, but if we want to understand our place, and latch onto power that really matters we have to recognize that we are creatures... special and blessed creatures, but still creatures. Our only hope lies in our reliance on the Creator. A Creator that has also taken

As we head into a new phase in our country's history we should hold a very humble attitude and be ready to say "No we can't... BUT HE CAN!"

New Year, new posts...

So, I have never been too jacked up about New Year's. I mean, it's just a day, right? I mean, I never actually feel different from December 31st to January 1st, so what's the big deal?

But this year, I do feel different. This year I understand that a new year is symbolic of new possibilities and new opportunities and most importantly a clean slate. This year I do see a difference between December 31st and January 1st and even though it's already the 5th I am still praying for that Happy New Year.

No matter what the circumstances though I have to admit that God is in control and He has ordained everything that has happened will happen.

1 There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven:

2 a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,

3 a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,

4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,

5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain,

6 a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,

7 a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,

8 a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

No matter how this year turns out there is something oddly comforting that God has already got it mapped out. And as this chapter continues in Ecclesiastes I know that He has "made all things beautiful in His time..."

I can't, He must. And He will.