what's your MacGuffin?

So this morning I was checking out my ol' Twitterfeed and noticed an article by one of my favorite magazines Paste, and everyday they post a List of the Day - basically "best ofs" on various topics. On this particular day they listed the best MacGuffins in cinematic history. For those who don't know or are not planning on reading the article - a MacGuffin (a term coined by Alfred Hitchcock) is the element of the film around which all the characters are focused... As the list points out - the one ring in The Lord of the Rings trilogy for example. It is the driving force behind the plot, the reason the movie exists in the first place.

Well, it got me thinking about personal MacGuffins - please no jokes - as I tend to spiritualize things... Everyone has a reason for existing, everyone has something for which they are living. Everyone lives for one thing or another. The most successful people I know, or can think of are very conscious of that one thing, and so they intentionally center their lives around it... But the vast majority of people are living for an unconscious drive or an unrecognized desire. Their lives have no intentionality, and they can fool themselves into thinking their lives have no purpose - simply because they don't see it.

These people are living to run from the demons of their past or failures in the present- struggles from childhood, mistakes they have made as adults, feelings of inadequacy. And so they live - whether they know it or not - to exorcise those demons. They can't move forward because the MacGuffin of their lives has got them chained and they don't even know it.

Jesus said to "seek first the kingdom of God..." and really the entire Bible is about this move toward that kingdom... But in order for any of us to make that the real focus of our personal lives we have to really recognize what we are actually seeking first. What are we actually living for? What defines us? And then we have to be willing to give those things up and place our trust in the Creator of the world, and the Giver of our lives. That's easier said than done for sure. It takes a lot of work and personal responsibility and help from people who genuinely love you, but in the end it's the difference between living a life without focus and meaning and centering yourself on that which matters most.

what it means to relax...

So, as Jules and I have journeyed through this thing called pregnancy we have come to the time where Julie is having to sit back and "try" to relax. Now, this has been easier said than done, because she is an incredibly driven and active person. She loves to do projects around the house and clean and work in the yard. So for her to stay off her feet has been somewhat of a challenge. I, on the other hand, have no problem relaxing... in fact, I'm quite good at it. I'd go so far as to say, I am a genius at relaxing because no one needs to force me to lay down and take it easy. Some people may call that laziness... I call it having an unusual talent for resting...

Whether you find it easy to kick back or not, even the best relaxers can become overwhelmed by anxiety, stress, and worry. I can be awakened from an otherwise sound sleep with my mind racing with the thoughts of the approaching day. It's easy to be jolted back to reality from an all-out veg fest with the worry of tasks undone, or relationships that have faltered, or the uncertainty of major life events or decisions. So, how do we cope?

I remember as a kid going through major periods of anxiety. I mean, seriously worried about going to school or doing homework... and I would get a little panicky. Then one day a simple question entered my mind... "What's the worst thing that could happen?" I started to think about the reasonable consequences of a given situation and asked, "What's the worst thing that could happen?" Now, that tactic works well for a child. I mean a child probably won't be thrown out on the street if he doesn't do well on a test. A child probably won't have his electricity shut off if he forgets to do an assignment... Sometimes the ramifications of adult decisions or mistakes are pretty serious.

But, yesterday our pastor referenced a Scripture that has really stuck with me and reminded me that the eternal consequences of life don't have to depend on my past mistakes or actions... they are entirely up to God.

Though the mountains be shaken
and the hills be removed,
yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken
nor my covenant of peace be removed,"
says the LORD, who has compassion on you. Isaiah 54:10

You know, our worlds may fall apart. But the Lord is a God of compassion and his love does endure and his peace can reign in the face of anything... if we but lean into him.

the comfort of organization...

Julie is now in her 32nd week of pregnancy and of all the things that we have prepared for one thing I didn't really see coming was nesting. Over the last 4 months or so, Jules has been organizing and reorganizing and prepping the house for our incoming little buddle of joy, and it has been an interesting sort of dance to witness and participate in. One area, she decided to get straight was my record collection, which over the past year has grown to 60 volumes. Her solution was to get two crate-like boxes and make alphabet tabs to help me keep them in their right place, and to be honest... I love it! It's such a great comfort to know exactly where everything from The Black Keys to The Rigtheous Brothers is located and to be able to put my hands on them easily.

This comfort reminded me of a passage in 1 Corinthians 14 where Paul is giving prescriptions for worship, and he says in verse 33 that "God is nota god of disorder but of peace..." and in verse 40 he tells us that everything should be done "decently and in order." Now, Paul uses something of God's very nature to make comments about worship, but I think we could take his line of thinking and apply it to all areas of our faith. Too often people try to exercise faith and develop with no real plan on how to do it. It's the willy-nilly approach to Christianity. But there's a problem with that... it doesn't work. I'm saying this from experience. If you really want to get good at anything, and that includes developing a deep and abiding faith, you need to get organized a develop some sort of plan. Why? Because when you falter, as we all do, you can go back to the plan and start again. There's comfort in organization... And God is not a god of disorder. (caveat - this is meant for those who understand they can't earn salvation, but want to grow in the salvation that God has graciously given through Christ Jesus.)

Helpful places to start your plan.

Bible reading and prayer - the two go hand-in-hand and serve to focus your day on serving the God who made you, regardless of your profession.

Community building - church attendance and groups is vital for accountability and encouragement and learning - because the Bible is not always so easy to understand

Service - make active Christian service a part of your routine. This helps keep a godly "don't think of yourself more highly than you ought..." perspective

copy cats...

It seems to me like there are a lot of shows out there that have tried to pony off the success of other shows of the same Ilk. You know the ones I'm talking about of course. American Idol begets America's Got Talent. Jon & Kate Plus Eight begets 18 (or 19) Kids and Counting. Even a show like Little People, Big World has seen a surge of others follow it that recount the lives of "little" people out in different parts of society. And you can come up with dozens of other shows that exist only because another show came before it and had some modicum of success. Some of the "copy cat" shows are better than the originals, others - not so much.

The whole thing kind of irritates me though... I mean, I don't understand the total lack of originality. And do the networks honestly think we, the audience, don't see the similarities? Maybe not... Maybe people can't see when they are being given a derivative and often inferior product as the real thing.

I think about how the Israelites reacted after they had been brought out of the land of Egypt and were waiting for Moses to come down from Sinai with the Law. They got impatient, they got bored, and so they called Aaron to make them a golden calf. And once he is done he says something very interesting..."These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!"

Aaron is actually giving credit for the Israelites' freedom to this golden calf and the people buy it! Kinda unbelievable... They had seen the Lord bring them out of Egypt with a "mighty hand and outstretched arm" yet they set up this idol based on the success God had granted them. It's derivative and in this case counterfeit.

Lest we be too judgmental of the Israelites, we do the exact same thing today. We accept something as being of ultimate importance, as being the source of all happiness - though at it most it is really just a derivative of the real source of happiness and joy. God is the originator of all things and so anything good and pure and true comes from him, but too often we look to friends, family, jobs, gadgets (a personal weakness), hobbies, sports, and a thousand other things to replace God on the throne of our lives.

And just like the producers of those second-hand shows, we hope that the second things will be better than the original. Sometimes the shows are better than the originals, for us though creations can never fit the role of the Creator. The Originator is always better the the derivative.

previously on LOST...

Spoiler warning: if you haven't seen last night's finale yet you probably want to hold off on reading this...



So, last night's finale of Lost has left many with a sense of awe, being cheated, triumph, or defeat... I fall somewhere in between these emotions and thoughts, and ultimately as I tweeted last night... It's just a television show. But a friend of mine posted a blog earlier today that made the very true statement that human beings are hard-wired for story and so that makes Lost and its story so important... Also because of the nature of Lost's philosophical and religious overtones I felt a particular nudging to comment.

For 2:20 I was riveted and felt like Lost would end well... The survivors would be happy, people would have lived and died for a purpose, etc etc... I realized about an hour into the finale we wouldn't get any substantive answers about the origins of the island or Jacob's mom, or why some people were on the lists in the first season but not the "candidates"... I realized that and was still okay... Felt like that was why the show was so great, because we would always have questions.

But then they throw this self-made purgatory scenario into the mix to explain the mysterious flashes sideways... Those weren't flashes sideways but flashes to a place where all the characters got to work out their psychological daddy issues, got to do right what they had done wrong, feel exonerated, or whatever... It wasn't a purgatory where the characters do penance, but where they work things out until they are "ready to move on".

Sure there were syncretistic images of major religions, and that bothered me a bit... But what do I expect from a show that, while it has spent more time focusing on Christian themes than other faiths, has mixed philosophy and religion without exploring their actual compatibility? What really bothered me was that for a show that claimed to be far different than the Hollywood norm, which it has been, it ended with the same ol' humanistic relativism that has defined the philosophy of Tinsel Town for decades... It ended with a cliche. The supernatural forces on the island didn't matter in the end. True good and true evil didn't matter. It was all about how they treated each other, because the most important thing is that they were together in the end... I didn't need nor expect a gospel presentation nor was I looking for anything really Christian, but the redemption the characters sought and received turned out to be cheap and easy.

True redemption comes at a far greater price than merely working through our issues...

a picture is worth a thousand words...

For everyone that knows us or follows me on Facebook or Twitter you know that Jules and I are expecting our first child, and I really can't imagine that we could be more excited! We're almost in the home stretch of the pregnancy, and it is amazing how life changes so quickly. Suddenly your life is about researching the best brand of diapers or baby lotion. Constantly googling how the baby might be growing during this week of pregnancy or that week of pregnancy. Your life revolves around the monthly doctor's visits and prenatal vitamins... it is a total change from where Julie and I were a year ago.

And it really does feel like an adventure to us.

The biggest adventure in this process has been the trips to the ultrasound room at our doctor's office. When you go in there is this moment of anxiety and anticipation that is like a 6-year-old waiting for his first "big boy" bike the night before Christmas... on steroids. And it strikes you that you are going to meet your child for the first time. This little person, who you will be connected to in a way that no one else on the planet will share in exactly the same way, is right there in black and white and moving all around. You can see and hear his little heart beating, and then the tech begins to take you on what amounts to a tour of your baby - showing you the lungs, the chambers of the heart, the legs, arms, liver, and all his tiny parts. It's nothing short of mesmerizing! Jules and I joked that it is like the best reality television show ever... at least from our point of view.

And the thing is every time I look at the copies of the pictures that we have, all I can say is "Praise God!" I have a literally thousands of thoughts and emotions, but all that I can really articulate is those two simple yet powerful words. Somehow that's enough.

For you formed my inward parts;
you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
my soul knows it very well. Psalm 139:13-14

For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. Romans 1:19-20

new hats, new responsibilities, new blessings...

What hats do you wear? I'm sure even as you think about that question there are probably a hundred different answers that you could give... for some you may think of your jobs or careers - you might wear the hat of an insurance adjuster, or a lawyer, or maybe a teacher, or administrator of some kind... you might work for a television company or church or elementary school or medical supply company or hospital. Maybe you think first of what you do for fun - you're wear the runner's hat, or the climber's, a weekend warrior-type, or an avid reader or a someone who crotchets things. Some of you might not think of your jobs or hobbies at all because... well, you could careless... You might think more about your families and you wear the hat of a husband or wife or brother or sister or mother or father... all of us wear the hats of sons or daughters.

More than likely though you are like me and think of all of those types of things all at once. You are a your own virtual milliner - always taking on new roles and responsibilities - both big and small, familial and professional...

This idea of roles and responsibilities and wearing new hats has become particularly significant to me over the last few months as I prepare to put on one of the most important hats of my life - the Daddy Hat. In about 4 months I will be a father, and yes... I'm aware of how heavy a hat that is... even as I type those words I am filled with an exuberance that I can actually taste, and in the same moment I'm nearly overcome with the need to protect and defend the child that has yet to see the light of day... There is an actual weight to that word "father."

It also has me exploring the whole concept of the Divine Fatherhood of God in a new way as well - in a way that is immediately applicable to how I will be as a dad. For God as our Father is a provider of every good and perfect gift (James 1:17). He shows us his love in the middle of our deepest need as he reached down to us - offering salvation through the sacrifice of his Son Jesus Christ for our sins (Romans 5:8). In fact, it is only through his eternal Son, and his sacrifice, that we can be called sons and daughters of God. We are adopted (Ephesians 1:4). You see as our Father, God adopted us at a great cost - sacrificially loving us... Sacrificial love - means giving up something very great in order that your love is demonstrated.

Love, real love is something that we struggle with all too often. We think of love more as a matter of getting rather than giving, and I have even seen too many fathers and mothers try to get things from their own kids calling it love. They try to gain a sense of meaning, or reliving their own youth. They use their children as sounding boards for their own failures and mistakes, or they take out the frustrations of their days on them. Their kind of parental "love" is more about what they get from their kids than what they give... but that is far from the biblical, divine paradigm.

Now, I'm not a parent, yet... but I think the hat of true fatherhood is worn by those men who would live out a God-like, sacrificial example for their children. It's a difficult but joyful kind of love that calls dads (and moms) to put themselves aside for the good of their sons and daughters. Looking to the needs of the child before their own. As I look to the example of my Heavenly Father, I pray I can wear the hat well, and ask him that when I fail he would cover me with his "Abba" grace that goes far beyond what I deserve.

let it snow, let it snow, let it snow...

So, this was an odd weekend in Central Florida, for in many places it actually snowed! Of course, there were no drifts, only elf-sized snowmen, and try as people might there wasn't any real opportunity for sledding or skiing... It was gone faster than it had come, but still in Florida any snow is a significant amount of snow.

Snow is a funny thing. It's just tiny flakes of frozen water that are harmless when experienced individually, but when you get billions and trillions of those tiny flakes put together they can be at once mesmerizing and in the next moment wreak havoc on cities, states, and regions of a country. Those miniscule bits of water that are so innocuous on their own can combine into a storm, a blizzard that literally takes over the lives of everyone it touches. It really is quite amazing when you consider how small and fragile those little flakes are.

I think about the way the early church got started, and I am equally amazed. The Acts of the Apostles recounts the story of how truly ordinary individuals combined in the name of Jesus Christ and under the power of the Holy Spirit to do remarkable things. They faced down an empire, took on the standing religious (both Jewish and pagan) and cultural authorities in several cities, and crossed ethnic boundaries that defied all conventional wisdom... and in the middle of it all they established the single most powerful institution the world has ever known - all according to the plan of God and for His glory. They understood how delicate and perishing their lives were, but by faith they took every opportunity to stand up for the gospel. Acts 5:40-42

But what would those men and women's lives been like had they not followed the movement of God's Spirit, if they had not had the courage to stand for the name of Jesus, if they had not gotten caught up in the spiritual storm that surrounded them and followed even in the scary moments?

Too often, modern Christians are more interested in being left alone, maintaining the status quo, not rocking the western-American cultural boat, not joining in the spiritual storm with the generation of believes that have gone before us. We fear what might happen. We don't want to get too committed. We don't want to take a stand, because we fear no one will stand with us. We're too busy being worried about our children's little league schedules or school projects to take account of their souls. We are too worried about our bottom line to look at our eternal state. We are a people of convenience and non-committance. Our feelings get hurt and so we go elsewhere. We want a "fresh" take on our faith so we join another church.

So, what comes of our lives? The fragility of our own existence exposes the frailty of our faith rather than solidifying it... as it did with the early church. We refuse to join the Spirit for the long-haul and so we live, at best, pleasant but rather fruitless lives.

It's interesting that when the writer of Hebrews seeks to motivate his audience to lives of active faith he calls out the stories of ordinary men who lived extraordinary lives because they believed in the promises of God, and really lived by them. Hebrews 11 recounts those stories and then in Hebrews 12 we read -

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.

He ends with Jesus. What would happen if we really took this passage to heart? What risks might we take for Christ? How committed to his church would we be? How reliant on His Spirit would we have to be? And would our lives really look the way they do now?

We all say, at least to some degree, that we want our lives to matter for something more, but few of us take the chance to actually do it. Only in Christ Jesus do our lives have any hope of eternal significance, but we must have the courage to take the step to truly live for Him.

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