Poem: But a Simple Shepherd: A Christmas Poem (Revised)

But a simple shepherd,
Leading my sheep o'er barren hills toward town.
Who could have known how life would change
When the angels above shone down?

But a simple shepherd,
Listening to angels entreat.
I make my way toward Bethlehem,
A young family there to greet.

But a simple shepherd, I peered into the stable,
Come to see a little babe, lain 'tween horse and sheep.
Who could have known how the world would change
By this babe so fast asleep?

But a simple shepherd,
Ne'er one to open mouth to preach.
How could I not go with news of the babe
Out into the world, every soul needed to reach?

But a simple shepherd,
Amazed at this life so changed.
Could have ne'er imagined preaching an evangelist's message
That night upon the grassy range.

But a simple shepherd,
Staff and flock long stored;
Shepherding the new believers
Of that baby, our Savior, the Lord.

(Revised Nov. 19, 2021)

Poem: Watching (A Wedding Promise)

 

I've stood here watching

For so many long years now;

Watching as the world has changed,

Watching to keep myself changeless for you.

I've stood here watching,

Wondering when the day might come

That I could take your hand

And dance with you to life's gentle love song.

The thought leaves me breathless.

I've stood here watching,

Guarding the way to you heart,

Watching as each day passes on,

Watching so you'll know you're treasured.

I've stood here watching,

Wondering as the days have passed

At the legacy of love that we

Will leave to those who come behind us.

The thought leaves me breathless.

I'll stand here watching,

Standing strong as life's storms rage,

Watching for the troubles that life may bring;

Watching to keep you safe from harm.

I'll stand here watching,

Wondering, as the days roll on,

At how very blessed I've been

Walking through life with you beside me.

The thought leaves me breathless.

I'll stand here watching

As life carries us through the years,

Watching our legacy grow wise and strong,

Watching to keep our family anchored true.

I'll stand here watching,

Wondering, after the years have passed

And I'm left all alone,

At how much I've loved you with all my life.

The thought leaves me breathless.

Poem: The Sun Sets Low on a Pink Horizon

The sun sets low on a pink horizon,
Its hues cascading o'er drowsy hills and plains.
The earth swallows this glorious fire,
Welcoming darkness as the daylight wains.
Cooling under evening's purple cover,
Slumber eases the day's many pains.

Our bright star sinks low each twilight,
Burning flames now shadows o'er the fading earth.
Evening's hush brings rejuvenation,
Calming the earth in silent dearth.
Welcomed sleep covers the waiting ground,
Rest arriving in the day's rebirth.

Old Posts from 2008:

 "A Christ-Built Man"

A Christ-Built Man:

-loves the brotherhood, fears God, honors the King! (1 Peter 2: 17)

-lives by faith! (Gal. 3:11)

-is always on his guard. (1 Cor. 16:13; 1 Tim. 6:20-21; 2 Tim. 1:14, 4:5; 1 Peter 5:8-9)

-is a man of courage. (1 Cor. 16:13)

-stands firm in the faith. (1 Cor. 16:13; 1 Cor. 15:58)

-does everything as for the Lord. (1 Cor. 16:14; Eph. 5:1-2; Col. 3:17, 23)

-preaches the Gospel. (1 Cor. 9:16; 1 Thess 2:4; 2 Tim. 4:2; Gal. 1:8-9; 2 Cor. 4:5)

-is Christ's ambassador. (2 Cor. 5:20; 1 Tim. 2:7)

-lives by the Spirit. (Gal. 5:16, 25; Romans 8:5-17; 1 Cor. 2:12-15)

-is patient, humble, and gentle. (Eph. 4:2; Phil 4:5; 1 Peter 3:8, 5:6)

-lives in the strength of the Lord. (Eph. 6:10; 1 Cor. 16:13; 1 Tim. 2:8; 2 Tim. 4:17)

-prays, in all occasions. (Eph. 6:18; Phil. 4:6; Col. 4:2-4; 1 Thess. 5:16-18)

-avoids godless chatter. (2 Tim. 2:16, 23-24; 1 Tim. 6:20)

-perseveres through suffering. (James 1:2-4; 1 Peter 4:12-15; 2 Tim. 2:15; Col. 1:24; Heb. 12: 7-8; Gal. 3:4)

-serves his King, not society. (Gal. 1:10)

-is an imitator of God. (Eph. 5:1-2; 1 Thess. 1:6)

-guards his steps. (Ecc. 5:1)

-is slow to speak and quick to listen. (Ecc. 5:2, James 1:19)

-always conducts himself in a manner worthy of the Gospel. (Phil. 1:27, 2:14; Col. 3:17, 24)

-loves his wife! (Col. 3:19; 1 Cor. 7:2-3; 1 Peter 3:7; Eph. 5: 25-28)

-avoids sexual immorality! (1 Thess. 4: 3-8; 1 Cor. 5:9-11, 6:18-20; Romans 13:13-14; Eph. 5:3-5)

 

 

"Heroes and Princesses" 

Every boy grows up with an innate longing to be a hero; for his life to mean something. He wakes up each morning with a desire for his peers to look upon him and see something special; for them to call upon him to share his greatness with them.

Every girl grows up with a burning desire to be a princess; to be seen pure, and for a hero-man to long to love her with every ounce of his being. She wants to wake up each morning and be loved and to pour herself into making sure her hero-man is every bit the hero he is supposed to be.

So, why has life grown so mundane? Why does it seem like there are no heroes or princesses to be found in this land of freedom and tolerance?

The world stood and told our boys "We don't want you to grow up into heroes." And told our girls "There is no hero coming to love you; you might as well give up." And we have listened!

Few are willing to strive to stand against the world. Few men are willing to stand up and show the world their greatness and to love their wives with all that they are. And few women are willing to be loved and to help their man be great.

Why is that? Imagine what our world would be like if we aspired to be what we are made to be...

 

"How Real is My Faith?"

 
"And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands and when they drink deadly poison, it will not harm them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.
"After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, He was taken up into Heaven and He sat at the right hand of God. Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed His Word by the signs that accompanied it."
Mark 16-17-20

"As you go, preach this message: 'The Kingdom of Heaven is near.' Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give." Matthew 10:7-8

-These signs will accompany those who BELIEVE: drive out demons, raise the dead, speak in new tongues, pick up snakes and drink poison without being harmed, heal the sick, cleanse those who have leprosy.

There is a common theme running through the church that if God wants something done, then He will give someone the "skills or knowledge" to do it.

And, while it is true that God does give us skill and knowledge and gifts to use for the Kingdom and to reach the world, this idea is contrary to what the Word says.

Anyone who believes that God is God, and that Jesus is His Son who died on the cross to pardon our sins, is one who these verses speak of! Anyone who BELIEVES!

Why is my faith so weak that it is not accompanied by any of these things? I've never cleansed a leper, or healed someone of a malady. I've never been poisoned and not harmed, and I struggle with new languages.

But why?

These verses clearly illustrate that it is available. What has happened to our faith?

Old Post from 2007: "Being a Man of Faith: Hebrews 10:39-13:21"

Ten Steps to Becoming a Man of Faith:

"But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved.

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." Hebrews 10:39-11:1

I was reading today in Hebrews 11 about faith. It's very easy to just sit back and read through chapter 11, the "faith chapter", and not really pull anything out of it. I've done it countless times before.

But then the other night, Jamee, Nick, and I had a discussion on faith, and what it really means to have faith, and how our faith shows.

It was intriguing, and so the first place I came to explore was "the faith chapter".

So, the responsibility of being faithful? It runs deeper than most Christians would ever imagine. Most Christians would agree that they have "faith", but Paul has other ideas of what it means to have faith.

He starts it off powerfully, "But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe, and are saved." (He.10:39) He's setting it up. "If you're going to be a man of faith," he says,"you can't be weak. You can't shrink back. You have to know what you believe."

So what is faith?

"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." (He.11:1)

"By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible." (He.11:3)

Faith is being confident, because we know where we came from. Faith is being strong, because we know that Someone stronger is in control.

Then Paul leads into recalling the experiences of some very great men of faith. By faith Noah did this... By faith, Abraham did this, and this, and this. He goes on to tell of the things faith in our King accomplishes, about people "who by faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised." (He.11:33)

But it doesn't stop there: "who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword;"(11:34)

Powerful stuff, yes? There is more: "whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies." (11:34)

It doesn't stop. Paul goes on to talk about how through faith people were raised from the dead, others endured torture and refused to be released; others endured flogging, others prison. They endured being stoned, being sawed in two, and death by the sword.

They were "destitute, persecuted, and mistreated" (11:37); "the world was not worthy of them."(11:38) "These were all commended for their faith". (11:39)

And then Paul lays it down: "Therefore"; anytime Paul said therefore, people turned to listen. "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses", all those he just described as having great faith, "let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us."(12:1)

So, step one of being a man of faith: Knowing who you are.

Step two? Getting rid of the stuff that can hold you down.

Step three is simple, but most of the time, we Christians have jumbled up number two, and are so weighed down, that we can't manage it. Fix our eyes on Jesus.

"Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." (12:3)

Step Four? "Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons." (12:7)

"No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it." (12:11)

Step five will be difficult, but it is vitally important to your walking in faith: "Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy". (12:14)

"Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe". (12:28)

Step six? Being thankful and worshiping God.

Step seven: "Keep on loving each other as brothers." (13:1)

Step eight: "Do not be carried away" (13:9)

Being thankful, worshiping God, and loving each other as brothers seem to flow pretty easy most of the time. Most Christians wouldn't think too much about those.

But how many Christians wake up each day and prepare themselves so that they won't be carried away? Not many, I'm afraid.

Paul then goes on to say, "And do not forget to do good and to share with others" (13:16), almost sounding like a mother sending her child off to kindergarten. But, in truth, this is vitally important!

How often do we get so busy, and wrapped up in the world around us that forget about this command? "Do not forget to do good"?

This whole list of things has been Paul reminding the brotherhood how vitally important it is to prepare themselves each day!

He finishes up with one more that is vital to the walk: "Pray for us."(13:18) Pray for the brotherhood!

Paul's conclusion? "May the God of peace... equip you with everything good for doing His will." (13:20-21)

We've got to step up and be men of faith, and then God will equip us to do His will.

Step One: Know who you are.
Step Two: Get rid of the stuff that will hold you down.
Step Three: Fix your eyes on Jesus.
Step Four: Endure hardship as discipline.
Step Five: Strive to live at peace and be holy.
Step Six: Be thankful and worship God.
Step Seven: Love each other as brothers.
Step Eight: Do not be carried away.
Step Nine: Do not forget to do good.
Step Ten: Pray for the brotherhood.

Old Posts from 2007:

"Romans 8:28 - A Crutch to Christianity?" 

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose."


I was reading this morning, searching for something to hold to, while under attack. And this verse, the "everything for good" verse was my first stop.

But, I think that we, as Christians, especially those who do not spend much time exploring the Word, have taken this verse and turned it into a crutch.

Christians view this verse as some sort of Heavenly bank note. As if with every hardship and trial, we should be issued some sort of "good things" debit card, which we can use at our discretion.

(i.e.: "Okay, God, it's time for you to bless me, because I've got several "good things" credits built up from those hardships I went through last summer.")

God doesn't promise that for every hard time we go through we will have an equally good and blessed time.

He does, on the other hand, promise that every hardship that we go through will be used for the good of those who love Him. "Those" being His people.

Now, I am not saying that God doesn't use what we go through for our good, because He does. But, it goes deeper than that.

There are things that happen to us that bring about little or no fruit in our own lives: being raised by a single mom, losing a brother, going through a rift in your family.

But, those are the things that happen to us so that, once we come out stronger, we can minister to others who are going through something similar.


So, a crutch?

 

"Connected and Loving: Hurting as Others Hurt"

 
Paul had a good idea of what it meant to be connected to God and to the family in Christ.

"Love must be sincere." "Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves." (Romans 12:9,10)

And, speaking of love, he says, "It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." (1 Cor. 13:7 NIV)

I think that the Living Bible describes this verse better. "Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance."

Sometimes I find myself dealing with pain that is only a reflection of what the people I love are dealing with.

That's part of what love entails. It's not all feel good. Sometimes, maybe often, it is my spirit interceding for your spirit because you are hurting.

We are connected, you and I, and when you hurt, I hurt. That's part of life, and part of love.

 

"Ready to Give Up for a Brother?" 

"This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down His life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers." 1 John 3:16

"Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue, but with action and in truth." 1 John 3:18

I've been reading through John's letters today, and what strikes me is his passion for the brotherhood to have each other's backs.

He doesn't shy away from the tough subjects like Christians do today.

He says that the world is going to hate us, so we should be ready to give up ourselves for the brothers.

Am I living in a ready manner that I would be able to give up my life for my brothers? I think so.

 

"Being a Four-Pillared Man" 

"Of all the men I have known and admired most in life, it is the four-pillared men who have most impressed me - and most impacted their world!

These are not perfect men. They come from diverse backgrounds - from good homes, bad homes, no homes. They are men who had strong dads, weak dads, and no dads. Men who are rich and not so rich. Men who are famous in this world, and men known only to their small civilizations around them.

But they are men who never stop growing. When one or more of the pillars begins to crack or lean out of balance, they turn to their Lord - the ultimate King, Warrior, Mentor, and Friend - to make them straight, strong, and true once again.

These are not lone rangers. They realize the enormity and the impossibility of being a four-pillared man alone. They are rusty knights who need a round table of other rusty knights to share joys and challenges, fears and disappointments. They need men who will both call to encourage them - and call them on the carpet. They choose to never be too busy - or too lazy - or too proud - to lock arms with men walking in the same direction.

These men are not cowards who give up and quit when the task seems overwhelming. They are not so concerned about their own personal rights, freedoms, and happiness that they sacrifice the sacred principles of manhood.

They are men who have known failure, but not defeat; disappointment, but not despair. They are men who can see through these hard things in life because they have their compass set on truth (!!), not on the fancies of a fickle society.

These are men who are willing to live - and if necessary, die - for principles far bigger and greater than they.

They are men determined to live life to the fullest...by the Book."

-From Stu Weber's book: Four Pillars Of A Man's Heart

Busy work or Good works

 "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." (Eph. 2:10)

 This is something that I've been considering lately; it is a dual-sided question in my mind: how often do we do things for God simply to stay busy, rather than actually fulfilling the call that He has placed upon us?  

 A friend of mine recently asked me this question and it's been bouncing around in my brain and burning a hole in my heart since: "If you were to stand before judgment today, would Christ be pleased with how you have accomplished the purpose He had for you to do?"

Can I answer that question with a resounding yes? 

After being asked the question, I sat down to examine what are the purposes that God has called me to accomplish? 

I've known since I was 12 that I was called to ministry of some kind. 

I've known since I was 19 that I was to be a father to the fatherless. 

I've known since I was 20 that I am called to write for Him. 

And I've known for the past year that He was calling me to preach the Gospel. 

The hard task, beyond struggling with busy work versus His good works, is figuring out where these four callings intersect- or maybe figuring out WHEN they will all intersect. There's a quote that I've used throughout my life that is particularly poignant in this instance (it's actually on the top of this blog page): "The place where God calls you is the place where your deep gladness and the world's deep hunger meet." (Frederick Buechner) 

But back to the question at hand: figuring out whether the works that I throw myself into are indeed the good works that God has prepared for me to do or whether I am just trying to stay busy so that I can say that I am doing something for the Kingdom. 

I look at myself and see some good things done for the Kingdom, things that line up well with these things that I have been called to do. But none of them are finished, none are accomplished fully. 

I just wonder sometimes whether if I were to die today, if my Lord would say, "Welllllllllllll, you did some good things. You gave it the ol' college try, but you didn't quite accomplish all of the things that I needed you to do."

It's not a salvation issue, I know, but it is a discipleship issue. Am I figuring out and then doing the things that He has really called me to do? And if I don't finish them, what then? 

 

For you, my friends and readers: are you accomplishing the good works that God has called you to do? Or are you just piling things on your plate to appear to be busy for the Lord? 

There will be times when God has definitely called you to be busy, but there will be others where He has called you to a time of rest and rejuvenation. Don't give in to the opportunity to busy yourself outside of God's timing! If He has called you to rest, put aside the desire to fill your plate with all kinds of works just to be doing something for the Kingdom. 

 You were called for good works that He's already prepared, not for busy work. Go accomplish things for the Kingdom!

Breaking Generational Curses

 Maybe it was naive of me to think that generational curses could be broken.... 

Deuteronomy 30:19 says that "I have put before you life and death, blessings and curses." 

Exodus 34:7 states that God will punish the sins of the father to the 3rd and 4th generation...

All my life I have said that I would not do things the way that my father did them, that I was going to break the generational curse played out in my dad's life and his dad's life. And maybe even further back than that. 

 As my namesake says in Joshua 24:15 "But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." That's all I've wanted. To build a home- a family, a lineage- that serves the Lord, that stands in faith, that doesn't shrink back in the face of hard times...

But maybe I was naive to think that I could control what happens simply because it was something that I was committed to. What happens when a generational curse from outside your line begins to affect things, as well?

I don't know what to think at this point... How do I break a curse that doesn't come from my line? How do I establish the example that my kids need? Maybe all I can do is all I can do.

What I do know is that we each have a responsibility to say: from this point forward, as long as it is up to me, I will change the course of my family line- we will serve the Lord- no matter what. 

That is really the point of the vows we make in a covenant before God: even in the worst times, I will make sure my family is serving the Lord; even in the lean times, in the poor times, in the miserable times. Even when I am no longer on the mountaintop high, I will serve the Lord and set that generational example for my family before the Lord.

Worn and Weary

 

A journal entry from November of 2007: 

 

"Father, I am worn and weary."  

 

Followed with these scriptures: 

 

"He chose to give us birth through the Word of Truth, that we might be a kind of first fruits of all He created." (James 1:18)

 

and

 

"Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the Word planted in you, which can save you." (James 1:21)

 

We are saved, we are redeemed, we are revitalized by our time in the Word. 

 

If I'm worn and weary, have I spent enough time in the Word in order to become revitalized by the Word of God?  

Dipping down into the deep waters of the Word of Truth is where I find the rest and health that I need to restore my soul, where my soul can become that first fruit, that ready offering to my Lord, that it needs to be. 

Immersing myself in the Word makes it so much easier to put aside the filth that the world piles on me, which is what makes me worn and weary in the first place.

God doesn't always provide me with immediate renewal of health and vitality, but He does provide me with the tools necessary for that renewal of faith.

Miraculous Restoration

 I'm sitting in my office this afternoon, worshiping and writing, and I came across this little scrap of paper that I jotted a note on a few months back. I think it's something that is going to develop into another sermon about who Jesus is:

The Miraculous Restoration of God's Healing

-When Jesus performed miracles of healing, He could have simply brought people out of a situation where things were bad and broken into a temporary mend- going from completely blind to be able to see "good enough," from being crippled to being able to hobble about, from years of internal bleeding and intense pain to being in lessened, manageable pain.

How ecstatic those healed would have been! One moment, I can't see at all and then the next, I simply need glasses... I can't walk one moment and then the next, I need a cane, but I'm shuffling around better than I've ever been able to. Healing of any kind to someone needing healing would be an amazing blessing.

 But Jesus didn't deal in temporary fixes. Jesus dealt in overwhelming grace and generosity- showing us that there is nothing that we can bring to Him that can overwhelm Him or exhaust His generosity. Jesus goes big- period; hard stop. 

 The miraculous healing brought with it an immediate restoration to "brand new" status. Restored sight comes with healthy, like new eyes- and even more miraculously- doesn't require any time needed to get used to going from blindness to sight. The blind opened their eyes and were able to see (in the one recorded example we have where a man didn't  immediately receive full healing, Jesus gave it a second go and then it was at 100%).

I watched my mom go from being hearing-impaired and nearly deaf for my entire life to getting dual cochlear implants- and there was a steep learning curve as she had to get used to the implants and her brain had to learn all these new sounds. 

Jesus' restoration came immediately: 

"As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, 'Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?'

^'Neither this man nor his parents sinned,' said Jesus, 'but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.'

After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. ^'Go,' he told him, 'wash in the Pool of Siloam' (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.

His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, 'Isn’t this the same man who used to sit and beg?^' Some claimed that he was.

Others said, 'No, he only looks like him.'

But he himself insisted, 'I am the man.'

^'How then were your eyes opened?' they asked.

He replied, 'The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see.'

^'Where is this man?' they asked him.

'I don’t know,' he said.

They brought to the Pharisees the man who had been blind. Now the day on which Jesus had made the mud and opened the man’s eyes was a Sabbath. Therefore the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. 'He put mud on my eyes,' the man replied, 'and I washed, and now I see.'" (John 9:1-13)

Even more amazingly, Jesus' restoration doesn't just cover miraculous healing! The covering over our sins and restoration of our relationship with the Father happens immediately, as well. 

The moment you confess of your broken, sinful ways and put your faith in the free gift of salvation that Jesus offers, you are restored to a place of honor in the family of God! Just like those that Jesus healed immediately, there is no waiting period as we wait for our restoration to take hold or any requirement that we must make ourselves good before we can receive it. We simply ask in good faith and it happens.

Poem: The Edge

Blindly I run to the edge,
Striving to find you 
Even when life is dark and unclear. 
I stand here on the edge,
Raising my eyes to find you.
I search for your grace.  

I draw toward the edge,
As you gently reach down 
And urge me to submit to your plan. 
I stand on the edge, searching for life.
Your Spirit covers me and peace fills my shaken soul.
Can I trust You enough to leap? 

I stand in darkness on the edge,
But your light seeks to find me. 
By your grace, I jump unseen
From the edge that has bound me here.
Your life warms my frozen faith,
My life renewed as I fall into Your will.
 

In Response to God's Calling

God always prepares us for whatever He is about to call us to do. On top of that, Scripture is full of our Christian forefathers giving us divinely-inspired direction for what it looks like to observe and understand, prepare for and respond to God's calling. 

Our responsibility lies in what we do with God's call when we receive it. It doesn't necessarily have to be a huge decision or undertaking; it could be as simple as deciding to make small decisions as a reflection of God's character and love rather than my own fleshly desires. 

Responding to God's call doesn't necessarily refer to making a positive, proactive decision, either. There will be times where God's call is contrary to what I hope He is going to direct me to do- responding to His call might mean staying put when I want to move on or to wait when I am ready to make a move. 

Will I be obedient to His call? In the end, God doesn't need me- He can accomplish whatever plan or design He has with anyone- but He allows me the opportunity to respond to His call and to be a tool in the work of His design, because He loves me and wants to make me feel useful.

In Ezekiel 36, God tells Ezekiel "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you... I will put my spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my commands."

Those He calls, He prepares. He gives us direction for how to ready to respond to His call. From 1 Peter:
 -Prepare your mind for action; be clear-minded and self-controlled. 
-Set you hope fully on the grace to be given you in Jesus. 
-Love one another deeply.
-Do not conform to evil desires; rid yourself of malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy and slander.
-Submit yourself to God's authority.
-Live as free men; Live as a servant of God; Live in harmony with one another.
-Love the brotherhood deeply; fear God; honor the King. 
-Use whatever gifts you've received to serve others and administer God's grace:
          -If you speak, speak as one speaking the very words of God; If you serve, do so with the strength God provides; If you suffer, rejoice that you suffer as a follower of Jesus.

-Be shepherds of God's flock that He puts under your care.


 If God is preparing you by teaching you these things or allowing you to learn them through your circumstances, be aware that He likely has a call of some kind waiting for you down the line.

Actionable questions for each of us each day:

Am I living in a way to be found worthy of God's calling for my life?  

Am I striving every day to use the gifts He's given me to fulfill His calling?

Am I ready to respond if God were to call me today? Would I go? Would I serve? Would I leave my comfort zone to pick up my cross and follow Him? 

Romans 11:29 "God's gift and His call are irrevocable."

(Note: you might refuse to listen or refuse to follow, but once God has called you, that call will never leave you.)

Crowd of Witnesses

"Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus, the source and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that lay before Him endured a cross and despised the shame and has sat down at the right hand of God."                                (Hebrews 12:1-2)



I was considering this verse this morning and the implications of what it means to be surrounded by this crowd (I like crowd better than cloud) of witnesses. 12:1-2 comes right on heels of the "faith" chapter, where the Patriarchs of the faith are listed along with some of the highlights of their faith. 

It's a powerful image that is followed up by an instruction to finish out the race of our own faith, one that presents this idea that these men of faith will be there at the finish line of our race, encouraging us to cross the line well.

But it also brings a stark reminder for me that I do not come from a legacy of faith - and that I want to live with a purposefulness to make sure that my kids, grandkids and on down the line will see my face as they cross the finish line.

A dear mentor of mine, Pop, has set a legacy of faith and discipleship that now stretched some four generations and I can't see it stopping in the near future. And as excited as he gets about his crew now, I can just imagine him standing beside Jesus, Abraham and the Apostle Paul, beaming from ear to ear, when his descendants begin to finish their races. 

To be sure, my crowd of witnesses will be smaller than some. Aside from my mom, I'm not sure that any of my grandparents can be considered a witness of faith. I hope to see them there, but it is not something I can be sure of. 

It is a powerful reminder for me every day that what I do, how I parent, how I influence the world around me, will be a determining factor in whose finish lines I will get to be a part of the crowd at.

Is that something you've considered? It's another reminder to be purposeful in how you spend each day.

Back From Despair

A piece of a poem that I've been working on:


Step back from the edge of cavernous despair?
Look away from the depths of ruin? 

Find a path from the forlorn
To walk along the spires of the day's new light.

Be swept up into the bosom of Love
And forget the weight of the darkened day's past.

Follower or Disciple?

Sadly, the word disciple has become a cultural buzzword. As the Christian denomination "Disciples of Christ" moves further and further left in their ideology and more and more people want to be seen as "spiritual" rather than "religious," it has become far more acceptable to be a follower of Jesus rather than a disciple of Jesus. 

Here are my thoughts on this: 

1) Jesus had both followers and disciples. 
 -Some of Jesus' followers were likely just following along for the miracles and to see the cool stuff that Jesus would do. These followers fell away when Jesus' teaching got tough (John 6:60 - not all the translations make the distinction here between follower and disciple, but some of them do).
-Some of His followers became disciples: the 3,000 that listened to Peter at Pentecost who became the first Christians. 
-Some "followers" followed Jesus for nefarious purposes, i.e: the Pharisees who followed Jesus just to see if they could trip Him up, whom we're told Jesus could see their evil hearts. 

-The disciples were not perfect. How often did Jesus get upset with them for being knuckleheads? But they believed Jesus was who He said He was and they confessed it with their mouths. Even then, they are still not perfect; Peter still denies Jesus, Judas betrays Jesus, and they all are "sifted like wheat" by the enemy. But they stick with it; they surrender their lives to God's plans for their lives, even when it results in persecution and death for many of them. 

2) Jesus does not call us to make followers. He calls us to go and make disciples. (Matthew 28:19-20)

Are you a follower of Jesus? Or are you a disciple of Jesus? 

Disciples do more than just pray a prayer of salvation and come to church once in a while to check out what Jesus is doing. 

Disciples live a life of intense intimacy with Jesus, living each moment and each encounter in the same way Jesus would, the way Jesus taught us how to. 

Disciples surrender to God's plan and purpose for their lives. They strive to accomplish the things God wants to do through them and to be prepared to move in the directions that God wants to move them. 

Disciple is not a bad thing. We are called to be disciples and make disciples. 

More than anything, I want to be faithful to that call. And I want people to know that I am more than just a follower. 

I am intimately engaged in God's work within my surrendered life and I am striving each day to be a disciple of Jesus: to absolutely be a reflection of who Jesus is. And I want to actively make others into the same.

Simple Instructions For These Trying Times

"Jesus declared, 'Love the Lord your God with all your hear, with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hand on these two commandments." (Matthew 22:37-40)

Simple instructions for these trying times:

1. Love God with everything that you are.

2. Love your neighbor as yourself.


     The amazing things about these instructions: they transcend all ethnic, political and socioeconomic boundaries. They are clear boundaries for our behaviors and attitudes.

     Followers of Jesus, if you're really taking these instructions to heart, you'll treat others in the same way that Jesus did; you'll value them the same way that God values them. 

     Here's what the world could look like if we all lived these instructions out well: 

-No racial injustice or ethnic inequality because we would all treat each other with the same value based on God's sense of worth, rather than our own prejudices. When you love God with everything you are, you treat the things that He loves with a value higher than your own self-worth.

-No looting or destruction of others' property. If you love your neighbor the same way that you love yourself, how can you treat their lives and livelihood with such disdain? 

-No excusing bad/ sinful/ destructive behavior because they "deserve it" or because you don't want to be the one to tell them no. Part of love is saying "That behavior is sinful and it needs to stop." Just like Jesus told those He healed to "go and sin no more."

     It's pretty simple. If we all really loved Jesus and followed these instructions, we wouldn't have any of this mess. Nobody throwing their lives away because of drug use. No cops treating others in a prejudiced way. No looting and destruction of property. No cops being killed by domestic terrorists; no domestic terrorists at all. 

    Love God. Love others. I am third in the grand scheme of things.
 

Use This Time Wisely!

I've been pondering this question today: with all the time that has been allotted for each of us during this Coronavirus quarantine, have we used it wisely?

Thankfully, my time has been spent mostly at the church, where we've been limited but still active in preparation for the season to come, but even still there has been many periods where I've been given the free time to make an active choice with what to do with my time. Have I used that time wisely?

This past Sunday I preached on Colossians 3:12-17, specifically on making time each day to put off your old self and put on the image of Christ in its place so that we can walk every day toward sanctification: becoming holier today than I was yesterday.

At the end of Paul's admonishment to the church at Colossae to put on the image of Christ comes three instructions on how we utilize our time each day:

3:17- "Whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him."

3:23-24- "Whatever you do, do it enthusiastically, as something done for the Lord and not for men, knowing that you will receive the reward of an inheritance from the Lord. You serve the Lord Christ."

4:17- "Pay attention to the ministry you have received in the Lord, so that you can accomplish it."

As I think about these instructions, I come back to that question: am I using my time wisely?

If I put on the image of Christ, but neglect my time or use it foolishly, am I really walking in sanctification? Am I really becoming holier and being a reflection of the Spirit living within me?

I guess what I am asking myself today is this: when I stand before the Father at judgment and He and I look back on the downtime that I have had during the quarantine, will He be proud of what I've done with it?

Have the things that I've done and said been done in the name of the Lord Jesus? Have they been a good reflection of the faith and trust I have in Him?

Have the things I have done been accomplished enthusiastically for the Lord? Are they worthy of the reward of inheritance?

Have the things I have done and said during this time of quarantine helped me to accomplish the ministry that God has called me to do?

Every day, just as I actively choose to put aside my old flesh, put on the image of Christ and work toward sanctification, I must also choose to actively use my time in a productive manner, in a way that will put a smile on my Father's faith. At least, that's where I want to get to.

Are you there with me? Maybe there's some procrastination going on. Maybe some of you don't even know what the ministry that God has called you to is. Use this time to discover what that calling is!

Use this time to do those little things that make your heart come alive!

"The glory of God is in man fully alive." St. Irenaeus

God is glorified when we are obedient in doing the things that bring us mental, emotional and spiritual health! And we are much more likely to commit to actively glorifying Him when we are walking around with beating, healthy spiritual hearts.

Use your time wisely! Don't complain about being locked down; write that book that God put on your heart! Paint that amazing painting! Build healthy, life-changing relationship with your kids! Get active and healthy. Write music- sing out praises to the Father!

Things will return to normalcy before you know it- and we'll be right back into the swing of "being too busy" to accomplish .... whatever it is that your heart is secretly crying out for your to accomplish.

Use this time, this blessing of a slow down, wisely, my friends.

Fathers, Guard Your Command

Fathers in our culture are portrayed as out-of-touch, overly religious, counter-cultural fuddy-duddies or as rambling, bumbling idiots with nothing worthwhile to contribute except corny dad jokes or uncomfortable "uncool" dad moments. 

And because of the cultural shift around us, too many dads are content with sitting back and letting the culture redefine what family should look like, what their role as father should look like. Too many dads have abandoned the idea of being the stalwart warrior and protector of the kingdom that God has placed them in command over, preferring instead to abdicate command to their wives and spend their time tinkering in the garage with a beer in one hand and a tv remote in the other, or worse yet, disappearing altogether and allowing their one-time "baby mama" to go it alone. 

True masculinity is decried as toxic and to be avoided and fathers are pushed into the background of our families and our culture, and yet we wonder "Where did the MEN go? Where did the FATHERS go?" 

Why are our children becoming more confused, less secure and less grounded? Look no further than the loss of authentic fatherhood in our western, post-modern, post-Christian society. Look no further than the cultural trash heap where fathers have been relegated.

Growing up fatherless, I see this firsthand in myself. My dad wrestled with many demons, none as influential as his own relationship with his father, and decided that running from them would be the best course of action, leaving me without the most important influence in my life - even though I long ago pledged that I would be a good, Godly father and husband and not do things the way my dad did them, and even though growing up I had Godly men who came alongside me and tried to fill some of the empty roles that my dad did not fill, there are still areas of fatherhood where I am inadequate because I didn't learn those things through the intense influence of a father/ son relationship. There are things that I've had to learn from fatherhood books in order to teach my kids, because they are lessons that my dad didn't, and likely couldn't, teach me. 

Fathers in our culture, and even within the church, are encouraged to abdicate and flee, but that's not what we are instructed to do. In his first letter to Timothy, Paul writes out the responsibility of fathers: to be a constant Godly influence in the lives of his children and those around them and to guard to command that Go places over him:


Man of God, guard what has been entrusted to you! Keep your command without fault or failure! (1 Timothy 6:13-14)

I love this command that Paul shares. It's written in the closing, almost as a reminder- sprinkled in amongst a list of important things that Paul wanted Timothy to remember and to share with the churches. "Guard the command entrusted to you." 

There is so much in that little verse. Fathers, you are the commander over the kingdom that God has given you. Not only do you get the greatest reward for what is produced by your Kingdom, but you bear the responsibility for the influences that you let reach your children. 

The world can call you out of touch all they want, but you bear responsibility for what negative influences YouTube brings to your children's eyes, for the negativity that pollutes them from Facebook. The old adage may say, "Be careful little eyes what you see. Be careful little ears what you hear," but in reality the truth screams at us: "Fathers, guard what your children see! Guard what your children hear! Protect them! Don't even allow the negative influences of the world to invade the fortress."

Lock the fortress down tight, dads. You have a lot of good, amazing, Godly information to relay to your kids, to teach them and train them up in. They don't need a counter-influence coming at them, especially negative influences that come at them simply because you're too lazy to lock down the fortress or simply letting things in because you're ignorant of what they're watching or who they're talking to. 

Guard - Protect - Train. That is your job. It's one that we need to start taking seriously.