2007 in review

It's been an amazing year. As I look back on the year I see amazing things happening. Here are just a few of the things that have happened in my world this year:

1. We (pastors) found ourselves leading our church family through a very difficult time. It was exciting to be part of it and see what God did through this time.

2. This was the first year in a long time that I didn't go to Haiti. YEAH!

3. This is the first year in my adult life that I have taken 2 weeks off at the same time. It was amazingly refreshing. I think I will do it again.

4. I got the chance to ride my bike to Colorado and spend the week motorcycling in the mountains with my sweet wife and friends. I think I will do this every year.

5. On vacation this year I grew my first beard. I was surprised it was ALL gray. I think it looked pretty good.

6. I pastored at more funerals this year than I have in many years. Some of these dear ones were good friends. It's been hard in that respect.

7. I have been able to read some great books this year. I love books!

8. My dear wife has gotten very busy in the ministry, and I have been thrilled to see that.

9. We, as a church family, have seen the Lord work in amazing ways through this year. I know the kingdom of God would continue on just fine without our church, but it's been great to see God work in our little church family.

10. We found a new teaching pastor, Steve Hixon, this fall. He's a great guy, and I'm looking forward to working with him.

11. One of our pastors and a good friend is leaving us to work in missions. I'm sad that he's leaving, but excited to see what God will do in and through him.

12. I have been blessed to be able to spend some time in the word each day. I don't think I could spiritually survive the last year without that time with God each day.

13. I have been blessed to see God work in the lives of people in our church family. They have grown more than they know. Many left our church because of the problems we went through, but those that said, "this is my church" and stayed through this time have grown into an amazing church family. I wouldn't have missed it for the world or be willing to go through it again for anything!

I hope your year was one that brought you joy in your memories and growth in your faith.

Going deeper

Today I got an e-mail from a man I have been discipling for a while. He is growing tremendously, but it hasn't been easy....it never is. Here's his note today:

But He knows the way I take,

When He has tried me,

I will come forth as gold.

My foot has held fast to His path;

I have kept His way and not turned aside.

I have not departed from the command of His lips;

I have treasured the words of His mouth more than food....Job 23:10-12

"God calls us into a deeper relationship than we can ever imagine. God will do whatever it takes to get us there if we ask Him. Sometimes it includes hardship, trials, and even tremendous loss in order to get us to loosen the grip of world. Often it is not that the world that has a hold on us, but rather we are equally holding tightly on to the world. Still, in this journey God will never leave us. God always finishes His work. Though it may take time and we may feel as if the cost is too great, He is preparing us for His purpose and will not relent. The real question I often ask myself is, would I really want Him to; especially after coming so far? In our impatience, we want it now...today. However, as we read God's Word it is evident that God is prepared for the long haul. He is faithful in ways that we do not understand. If you go deep into the ocean, the deeper you go the more pressure you will experience. Still it is only in the depths that you will see things that few have ever seen. God longs to purify each of us. How long will we be content to simply float on the surface?" --Mike B.

Blessed

We finally got to have "Christmas" with or kids and their families last night. It was great chaos. A present opening orgy of sorts. That happens when you have grand kids at their ages, they simply want to open them all RIGHT NOW. So we let them. We had a great time. One gift I want to mention is the one I got from my son. He's 32 now, married and doing well. I love both of my kids dearly. They have been a wonderful blessing in my life. My son gave me a framed picture and in the frame was this:
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"Dad, I wish there was a way to repay you for all that you've done for me: Al the caring, all the love, all the sacrifice and concern. I always knew you would be there for me, and that your love never depended on what I did or didn't do. You encouraged me to work towards and reach whatever goals I set, and you helped me to have faith in my abilities. You taught me that mistakes don't mean failure, and that I need to try harder. Thank you for all these things, and for everything that made my growing up years a very special time.

I love you very much."

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Knowing that he wrote it himself makes it a prized possession to me. Isn't it funny that over time it's little things like this that are the most valuable to us? It's not the expensive "toys" we care about, it's the inexpensive personal things that are important.

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And, I must mention one more that is really amazing- my daughter used her gifts to make something by hand. She is a wonderful artist and craftsman. She spins her own yarn! This year she gave me a neck warmer for cold days on the motorcycle, but what was great about it is that she spun the yarn herself, then knitted the neck warmer too! That's a lot of work and love for her to invest in what looked like a simple gift, but I won't see it that way.

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I don't know what you may have gotten for Christmas, but I was richly blessed with two simple gifts I will keep for the rest of my life.

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(The pictures are from our evening together)

Person of the year 2007

The person of the year for 2007 is not one, but one represents them all. They are all the men and women who are risking their lives to protect our country and those in Iraq, Afganistan and other places around the globe. My nephew is one of them, and although war is never the best choice there are times in a fallen world when it is forced upon us. War is a horrible thing, and yet these men and women are risking everything to serve their country. For their sacrifice and service they are the person of the year 2007. Thank you all for your great sacrifice for us all.

(I don't care what Time magazine says. I'm right and they are wrong on this one. Putin as man of the year? I don't think so!)

Planning ahead

At this time each year most of us begin to plan ahead for the new year. We call those plans "New Year Resolutions." It's an opportunity to try to do better this new year than we did the last.

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But let me invite you to look ahead a little further....further into the future than just the new year. Further than you have ever looked before....all the way to the end of your life. When it's all done here what do you hope others will say about you at your funeral? When friends and family gather to remember you what do you wish they would say about you?

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He was a great dad, godly man, hard worker. She was an amazing woman who loved her family, everyone around her and her Lord. I'm sure you have your own list of things that race through your mind...."I hope they will say," or "I would like to hear." So, let me invite you to plan ahead....not for the new year, but for the finish line.

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Plan ahead in this way- write down the things about you that you would want others to remember you for and begin to weave those things into your life NOW. None of us know when our days are done, but we can intentionally set a course for the finish line now. Live your life today with the finish line in view.

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There is another finish line for each of us....it's our interview with our creator. That meeting is the final finish line. For those who have trusted Christ as their savior it will be a great day whatever the commentary may be, but for those who have not trusted Christ for salvation that finish line is a dark day. Many have said it before me, but let me repeat it. We do not live for the commentaries of friends and family, although their words about us will tell a lot about our lives. We live for an audience of one- God himself. Live your life knowing that there is one who is watching, one who will give the ultimate report card on your life. Live for an audience of One.

Christmas delayed

It's been a strange Christmas. We found out last weekend that Joye's mom was ill. So we postponed Christmas and drove to Arkansas to take care of her. She's out of the hospital, and home with us for a while to recover.

As we get older so does everyone around us including our parents. We are still blessed to have our parents with us, but that will not last for too many more years. Time passes, we all age and one generation departs with another to follow, but for now we will enjoy having Joye's mom with us.

I hope you all had a great Christmas with family. We still have Christmas ahead of us.

Merry Christmas!

Thinking about Christmas

I have been reading the Christmas story over and over to prepare for tomorrow. It's such an important event in the history of mankind....the entrance of the creator into our world. I know that most simply see this as a secular holiday....a time of gifts, vacation, a time to be with family. But it's so much more. It's the visible revelation of the love of God for each one of us. The God who made us became one of us to save us. It's the most amazing story the human race has ever heard. I think I'm just beginning to get a sense of how much this birth of Christ really means...this humble entrance onto our planet in a little backwater town in Israel is the pivotal event of history. The world has asked for proof that God exists...here it is. There has been no other person in the history of the human race that has made such a difference in our world as Jesus Christ has. He is the central figure of time and history. He still makes the cover of Time magazine each year, and he has changed my life forever.

Happy Birthday Jesus

Happy Birthday, Jesus. Thank you for showing us what the love of God looks like.

Another reason I like Texas...

It's December 21st and I snuck away to spend the day with a couple men from our church riding motorcycles! Christmas is only 4 days away and we rode 300 miles today....it's another reason I like Texas.....75 degree weather a few days before Christmas!

We had a great time, rode out into the country and found some roads where we didn't see a car for miles. It was great. I got some time to "breathe" and pray. I really needed it.

I don't know if you can call this a hobby, but I will claim it as one. For me it's a great way to get away and refresh my mind and lose myself.

The best Christmas gift ever!

Christmas spirit

Christmas is a great time of year for most, but for some it's a very sad and lonely time. It may be the first year without someone they love. For others it's simply that they are alone, and this time of year is really difficult.

In this time of celebration of the love of God and his gift to man, look for those who are alone, discouraged, grieving and reach out to them. Invite them to join you for Christmas, give them a gift, call them....reach out.

Christ came to show us the love of God for us, let's do the same for those around us who simply need a warm smile, a hot meal, a friend. And if you know someone who has lost a loved one this year call them and encourage them. It's the perfect time to extend the love of God to those around us.

For us!

The Christmas story is one that never gets old to me. It's the ultimate revelation of God's love for mankind that he, the one who made us would become one of us to save us.

"For unto you is born" is the language of the story. It was for us. Christmas is the revelation of God's great love for us and his willingness to humble himself by becoming a man, living here with us, dying for us and then rising again so we could have eternal life through faith in him. It's a wonderful story of God's great love. For all the social discord over Jesus and Christianity it's still the greatest story ever told...the story of God's love for us!

Quote of the YEAR!

Well, it's official. The quote of the year is......drum role, please.....‘Don’t tase me, bro!’

Reuters
updated 12:56 p.m. CT, Wed., Dec. 19, 2007-

LOS ANGELES - "Don't tase me, bro," a phrase that swept the nation after a U.S. college student used it seeking to stop campus police from throwing him out of a speech by Sen. John Kerry, was named Wednesday as the most memorable quote of 2007.
Fred R. Shapiro, the editor of the Yale Book of Quotations, said the plea made by University of Florida student Andrew Meyer on Sep. 17, accompanied by Meyer's screams as he was tased, beat out the racial slur that cost shock jock Don Imus his job and the Iranian president's declaration that his country does not have homosexuals.
Shapiro said Meyer's quote was a symbol of pop culture success. Within two days it was one of the most popular phrases on Google and one of the most viewed videos. It also showed up on ringtones and T-shirts.

I won't even list 2 through 4 on the list.....it's just too sad. If this is the best that the great minds of our country can come up with then we are in a sad place. Hopefully they chose the most notables, not the most intelligent....so at least that would give me some solace.

While you're making other plans....

There's an old saying, "life happens while you're making other plans." As a pastor I see that in my life and the lives of the people I care about all the time. Yesterday one of our guys called me to ask for help. His mother was dying, and he wanted to know what to do about funeral arrangements. He said, "we just didn't think about this part of it." That is usually the way it goes...we are busy just living each day and then suddenly must deal with things we never thought about.

We got a call like that yesterday. My wife's mother is going into the hospital today. She has pneumonia. So we spend the evening discussing what we should do. Should my wife go there immediately? How to get there- drive or fly? Do we cancel Christmas and do it later? How do we fund the trip? Can I rearrange my schedule to go with her? A dozen questions that suddenly must be answered and dealt with. It's just life in a fallen world, and we all go through these things.

Once in a while though I get a glimpse behind the curtain and see what life could be without the ravages of sin on this planet, and wonder how many of the things we live with, endure and have to work through would not even exist in a sinless world. So, here's a short list of things that I think will change when this broken, fallen world is fixed and put right-

-We won't have to deal with funerals anymore...no more death...that will be nice.
-I won't have to have a Kleenex box on my desk for the spouse who is sitting in my office after finding out their mate is divorcing them. In fact the tissue companies will be out of business with the removal of tears....even that little thing is profound.
-Hospitals will be empty! No more sickness or death.
-No more glasses! I'll be able to see perfectly.
-The courts will be closed. Without sin to mess things up they won't be needed.
-Traffic lights will be turned off, you won't have to legislate "doing the right thing."
-No more politicians! How great will that be?!
-No more keys needed...without sin we won't need to secure against its temptations.

As my mind wanders I think of a dozen things (I'm sure there are hundreds) that would change when sin is dispatched. I can't wait for the day...the day when Christ returns, sets up his kingdom, and we see for the first time how life was meant to be without sin and it's impact on our lives. I think we will be amazed at how different it will be....how many things we think of as "normal" will be done away with....I can't wait.

Quote of the day

The quote of the day comes from a good friend of mine, Eric. Eric has decided, at the tender age of 45, to go to seminary and prepare for ministry. His quote comes from his own odyssey of faith and what he has learned about the Christian life. Eric said,

"You don't have to be ok, you just have to be obedient." --Eric Allen

Great songs come from trials

One of the men in our church, Mike Bascue, has been through an amazingly difficult time and is coming through the other side. He found times of doubt, times when he was angry at God, times when he felt alone.....but through it all, and now on the other side of his trials God is working in his life. Here is a song he just wrote. I think you will really like it. Here's the link to his first cut of "The Stone."

Christmas is coming....

Christmas came whether anyone believed it or not. How many in our day miss out because "it's just impossible!"? The truth is that it is a miracle, it is impossible....and that's why it's so exciting. The God who made us became one of us to save us. It is a miracle....don't miss it.

Monday's cartoon

Well, we did it.....we got a Nintendo Wii. Joye got a really amazing deal from Amazon.com, and we got the Wii for $79.00! It's great fun, but now we battle with "Wii elbow" and the temptation to use words pastors shouldn't use. The games are very frustrating! I must tell you that my dear wife, Joye, is a Wii addict. Intervention may be necessary.....especially with the new game Mario Galaxy. She has nearly conquered it, and can't stop until she does. She loves puzzles, and this kind of game is the ultimate puzzle. But the truth is that I knew that about her, and I get blamed for getting the game and getting her addicted. I confess....I did it. We are having great fun and frustration with the Wii. Come over sometime....let's play a game...a Wii little game.

A blessed dad

I am a very blessed man. I have a wonderful wife, kids and grandkids. I just wanted to share a photo with you of our beautiful daughter, Lindsay, and her husband, Zach at his company party last night.

Lindsay is a wonderful blessing, and an amazing woman. I'm honored to be her dad.

Thanks, Linz, for being such an amazing godly woman.

Training for the race

I am preparing for a year with a group of men from our church. I have invited about a dozen men to join me for a one year odyssey of faith. I am going to title this year, "Training for the race" because of the two verses that use this language in the bible. Paul uses this language to describe his own walk of faith, and so I plan to use this same language to bring focus to this year together.
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In my own life I see that I easily lose my focus on what's important if I don't keep my eyes on the goal. The dilemma for most of us is actually knowing where the goal is, so it's easy to get distracted. There are a lot of things that are part of this race-the world, work, family, etc. It's not simply a 100 yard sprint down a track to a finish line I can see. It doesn't take just 10 seconds and then I'm done. This race takes a lifetime...it's a marathon, not a sprint, and the finish line is not in sight for many years. When I first realized this, that it will take my whole life, it changed how I live.
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So, I need your help....if you were to join me in this year of training for the race what would you want to study, what would you want to know? What do you need to help you grow in your life? What do you need to train for your race? Based on these scriptures would you give me your suggestions for what you would want to know to help you in YOUR race to the finish line?
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1 Cor. 9:24 Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! 25 All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. 26 So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. 27 I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should.
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Heb. 12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. 2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.

Fedex - Cast Away Commercial

This little parody is loaded with spiritual implications. I have a whole list of them that came to mind. What applications to life do you get from this funny little video?

Another sign that demands a question....

Here's another sign that piques my curiosity to know....where is this sign? It's a great sign, and as a pastor it has spiritual implications for me as I think about the tendencies of us "sheep." I have never thought of sheep "escaping into the jungle," it's quite a picture.....

The Only Worthy One

This morning I was visiting with one of our pastors discussing his Christmas Eve message. We were talking about passages for the scripture readings. We discussed Isaiah, Daniel, Luke, John and Philippians, but my thoughts raced to a passage in Revelation. It's a passage that gets me excited each time I read it. This is only a portion of the chapter (read it all when you have time), but here are the words I want to talk about. Read the verses, and then let's discuss them....
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Rev 5:1 I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a book written inside and on the back, sealed up with seven seals.
Rev 5:2 And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, "Who is worthy to open the book and to break its seals?"
Rev 5:3 And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the book or to look into it.
Rev 5:4 Then I began to weep greatly because no one was found worthy to open the book or to look into it;
Rev 5:5 and one of the elders *said to me, "Stop weeping; behold, the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to open the book and its seven seals."
Rev 5:6 And I saw between the throne (with the four living creatures) and the elders a Lamb standing, as if slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent out into all the earth.
Rev 5:7 And He came and took the book out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne.
Rev 5:8 When He had taken the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one holding a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.
Rev 5:9 And they *sang a new song, saying, "Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation.
Rev 5:10 "You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth."
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This passage thrills me. It takes me into God's very presence and introduces us to the ONLY worthy one.
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There have been hundreds of religious leaders and founders of religions over the centuries, but as we come into the very presence of God we get a clear commentary on all of them when John writes, "Then I began to weep greatly because no one was found worthy." It's clear that this is an intentional passage meant to focus the eyes of the human race on the only one worthy of our worship and praise, Jesus Christ. It's clear how God feels about all the other religious leaders of time and history.
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But did you notice why he is worthy? It's because of his obedience to the father to do for us what no one else could do. No man can pay the price for his soul....it's too high, so here is what the worthy one did, "for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth."
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Christmas is the grand introduction to the world of the only worthy one. Thank you, Lord, for sending the worthy one to provide salvation for the human race.

A post you need to read

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One of the blogs I check regularly is written by a brother in Christ in Singapore. He just posted a story you need to read. He shares the story about his visit to a Christian church in China. You can read his thoughts here.

Google earth's new discoveries

One of the great software programs available online is Google Earth. It's a compilation of satellite photos from space. There are some amazing discoveries from these photos, many of them you may have seen. Here's a new one found recently as people have scanned the photos- Noah's ark-
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And here's another one that amazed me-

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.The children of Israel crossing the Red Sea on dry land!

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Gotcha!

Two weeks 'til Christmas

Christmas is exactly two weeks from today! I guess I better start shopping....

Leading up to this most amazing rememberance of God's gift to man I'd like to share a random selection of Christmas "stuff." Have a great holiday season.

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Rob Bell: Everything Is Spiritual

I really like this little cut from a message Rob did. In it he communicates an important truth very simply. What are your thoughts on this idea?

Monday's cartoon

How rich are you?

A fellow pastor, Kris, posted this on his blog and I wanted to share it with you. It's a "how rich are you?" web page. Take a moment, go to http://www.globalrichlist.com/, plug in the numbers and see where you fit. You may be surprised how blessed you are.

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As Kris says on his post we are amazingly blessed, and are challenged to use the blessings God has given us in a way that honors him.

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I was visiting with a man in our church last night who has worked hard in his life (coming from a difficult childhood, abandoned by his mother and raised by relatives) and is now a very wealthy man. He has all of this "money stuff" sorted out nicely. He shared with me several things he has recently been able to do with some of the money God has given him. He and his partner just finished building an orphanage for 450 children in India because it was needed. He just recently gave his wife a large amount of money for one of their anniversaries with this stipulation- you can't spend any of it on yourself, you have to give it all away to help others...and she did. This couple has this money thing figured out. They are using the rich blessings God has given them to change their world.

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As a pastor I don't have nearly that kind of wealth, but when I plugged in my meager salary on this web site I was embarrassed to see how blessed I really am compared to the world around me. It helps at times to remember that we are a most blessed people. Lord, help me to use those dollars you give me in a way that honors you.

The Golden Compass reviewed

.The Golden Compass starts today, and with all the discussion about it I think I need to see it myself, so this afternoon I'm going to see the movie. I'll give you a report when I return....

My wife and I saw the movie this afternoon. I have been trying to think of a way to describe it. It's dark, depressing, a little confusing....but the visuals effects were amazing. It was like many of the adventure fantasies being made now. The big difference was the message. There is a monolithic organization in the movie trying to control the human race. I can see how this could look like the catholic church.

There were many spiritual elements in the movie, but most people would miss them. Many of these are vague and hard to follow, and some were just upside down from our reality. It was entertaining, but the plot and story were slow. Frankly, it got a little boring at times. The movie finished with a setup for a sequel, and where that will lead would be the thing that would concern me.

After the movie we talked to two different teenagers in different settings and neither of them seemed very interested in the movie. I will be curious to see the impact of this movie. I will also be interested to get some definitions for all the spiritual elements in the movie because I still don't know where the author was going with some of them.

I rate this film a "yawn." I think it will be a non issue.

Today I'm reading....

This morning I'm reading in Acts 27, and I come to this verse.....

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Act 27:23 "For this very night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood before me,"

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I noticed two things from this verse, but first let me set the stage for Paul's comments-

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Paul is on a ship heading for Rome to appear before Caesar. He's a prisoner. The ship has been adrift in a severe storm for nearly two weeks. The crew and passengers have given up hope. They all anticipate that this is the end.

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In the midst of this Paul makes this statement of faith. What made his statement so amazing is not just the circumstances, but his perspective on his life in the midst of a time of hopelessness for those around him.

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Here's what I saw in Paul's brief testimony- 1. He belongs to God, and 2. because of #1 he serves God. This is slave language. This is a declaration of ownership, obedience and dependence, but it's also a statement of purpose...because I belong to God and serve him my life is his to do with as he pleases. It's a declaration that whatever happens to me, wherever I go, whatever I do...I'm his, and because I'm his I serve him where I am....even on a sinking ship.

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So, I ask myself this- Do I see my life as one belonging to God? And, do I serve him because of that? It's an ownership issue....

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1Co 6:19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?
1Co 6:20 For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.

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I'm not my own, I belong to someone else. Do I believe that? And if so, do I live like it? I have to constantly remember that it's not all about me....it's all about HIM.

Amazing

There's an amazing site in our community. In a field near our home a family has decorated a large, lone tree with Christmas lights. What's amazing about the display is that you can see it from quite a distance....the lights are a neon white, and it looks like they have put lights on nearly every branch on the tree.

What looks like a beautiful site at night is just an ugly tree by day. It's funny what a difference light makes.

I wonder if that's how we appear....without Christ just another ugly dead life, but when the light of God's presence enters our lives we light up those around us and draw a crowd.

Truth or passion?

I am noticing something in our culture that has caught my attention. I am watching to see where this all ends.
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What I see is a battle between truth and passion. It appears to me that passion has gained an equal footing with truth. In other words if someone is passionate about what they believe then their view is accepted even if it's not true.
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Truth as an absolute has lost its place in our culture. Now passion has replaced it.
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So, I'm wondering....am I the only one who sees this or do you see it too?

A great movie for the family

I'm not a great movie critic. I love comedies, westerns and action films. I will tolerate "chick flicks" because I love my wife, and that is the extent of my movie expertise, but I love a movie that just came out on video, Mr. Bean's Holiday.

We watched it Monday night with the grand kids, and we all laughed, from 5 years old to 57....it's a great family film. And it's rated G! How amazing is that?

So, if you're bored and looking for some fun, silly entertainment let me recommend "Mr. Bean's Holiday."

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday! Our wonderful little grandson, George, turned one this last Sunday. He spent the evening at our house last night, and he knew the present was for him. How do they figure things out so quickly? It was great fun watching him play with his new toy.....pushing all the buttons, making all the noises (his parents will hate us in a week), what great fun it was.

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So, today, let me say, "thank you" to the Lord for blessing us with George.

A book review

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I just finished C.J.'s book on humility. In our culture of pride and self-focus a book like this is like a shoe that just doesn't fit. I really enjoyed the book. It challenged me to look at my heart. It's a painful examination.
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This book is a must read for anyone in ministry or leadership.

Monday's cartoon

A big enough faith? Part 2

My good friend, Tony, read the previous post and recommended this video. I agree with him, this is a great video to follow part 1 and a very insightful message from Mark Driscoll.

A big enough faith?

I have heard this phrase in Christian circles often, "if you only have enough faith..." and then the comment fades off into some great miracle that would happen for you....if you only had enough faith. I'm honestly tired of this perversion of the bible, and want to take a moment to vent a little. The reason it's such a problem is that it makes God small and forces me to take his place.....if I only had enough faith. The whole weight of a miracle in my life rests on ME. The whole idea is neither biblical or true. You don't need more faith for God to act in your life, and the fact that something isn't happening has nothing to do with the amount of faith you have or don't have.

Jesus said, "for truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you." Did you see that? It's not the size of your faith, it's the size of you God. It's not a focus on ME, it's a focus on God. It's not how much faith I have, it's God's wonderful will and plan for my life. It only takes small faith to do big things, but it takes a big God.

This whole perverted theology "if you only have enough faith..." makes faith into something it isn't. It's not something to accumulate for a blast at my problem, it's not measurable or powerful of itself. Faith can do nothing. Did you hear that? Faith can do nothing....it's the one you have faith in that performs the miracle. Faith has NEVER performed a miracle, and never will.....it's GOD who does the miracle.

A little faith in a big God can move mountains. I don't need more faith, I have all I need. What I need is to have faith in the right thing- in the BIG God who can answer my prayers. And, frankly I'm really tired of hearing people put the weight of a miracle on the backs of those who are least able to carry it. You will see far more miracles with a little faith and a big God. You will see far more miracles with a faith in God rather than a faith in faith.

Enough faith to move mountains? You don't need more than you have, all you need is a God big enough to move the mountain for you. It's much easier to let God be God. Take your little faith to the throne of a big God and watch those mountains move!

A site for sore eyes

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Often I will highlight web sites because I like them. Here's one with a series of high speed photographs of different liquids. They are amazingly beautiful. You can find the photos here.

Living in a broken world

This morning I got a call from a crying wife who just found out her husband is having an affair. My heart hurts for people going through such horrible things.

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This is the part of my job that is the hardest.

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We are living in such a broken world, and the results of how broken it is are more evident each day. There are days when I feel like a doctor in the emergency room who is dealing with the broken, hurt and dying. There are some situations where I know the patient will "die", but I do the best I can to help them.

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Sin does that in our lives. It destroys lives. There is often little we can do but comfort those suffering the results of someone's sin.

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I still remember what one of our men said to me, with tears in his eyes, when we had to announce a sin in our church family, he said, "I hate sin." May I add my voice to that of my friend and say, with a realization of sin's work in my own life, I hate sin. I hate what it does in our lives and in our world. I can't wait for the day when sin, death and the enemy of our souls will be destroyed.

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Jeremiah wrote these words to describe our condition,

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Jer 17:9 "The heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick; Who can understand it?

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I'm so glad that, through faith in Christ, God has dealt with the penalty of sin. I can't wait for the day when he comes to complete our salvation and deals the final death blow to this horrible curse we live with called sin.

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There is a day coming when.....

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Rev 22:3 There will no longer be any curse; and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His bond-servants will serve Him;
Rev 22:4 they will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads.

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There is a day coming when.....

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Rev 21:4 and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away."

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I know my friend who called today, with tears in her eyes, looks forward to that day.

Seeing things as God does

I'm aware from what I read in the bible, that I don't see things as God does. My vision is skewed because of sin. I value things that God doesn't, and I don't value some things that God knows are priceless. I'm always in a values alignment mode as I live each day- what do I value? And then, how does God see it? The challenge for me is to get the same view of people and things that God has. Here's a reminder that has helped me- people are eternal, things are temporary.....that always gets my thoughts straightened out when I get my values confused.

Running the race

Today, as I read the word, I come to this passage in 1 Cor. 9-

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1Co 9:24 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win.
1Co 9:25 Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.
1Co 9:26 Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air;
1Co 9:27 but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.

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As I read this it reminds me again of some basics of the Christian life I need to remember. The problem is that I easily forget them, so I know others do as well. Let me just briefly list the basics of the Christian life (the race)-

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1. We are in a race. Obvious? Not to most. But if you know you are in a race it changes how you go through your day, it makes the days more intentional.

2. It's a marathon, not a sprint. The race will be my life...it demands a focus and endurance.

3. There is a prize for the one who runs well!

4. This race, the Christian life, demands self-control. It means I have to say "no" to some things so I can win the race. It's not a punishment, it's wisdom exercised so that I can run well.

5. I must run (live) "in such a way" that I will succeed. That means intentionality. I live and choose and do because of a bigger picture- I'm in a race with a goal in mind- the finish line.

6. This race means that I must discipline myself so that I won't be disqualified. What a word for an athlete...the ultimate embarrassment...disqualified. It's the ultimate shame to prepare for a race, then to not finish, but to be disqualified. The implication? There's rules to this race, there are things to do and things to avoid. If I want to finish the race well I have to make some choices. To be shamed by disqualification is possible.

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These are just a few things I noticed from the passage. I'm glad Paul used a word picture that I can understand....it makes this very visual for me. A race, a finish line, training, endurance, do's and don'ts, rules, shame possible.....all of it is very clear and understandable to us in the 21st century. Paul is throwing out a challenge and an invitation...run in such a way....

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One of the things that always keeps me focused is to remember that there is a finish line, there is a tape to break, there is glory or shame to be had....how will I finish the race? My goal and challenge is to finish well, to finish with a smile and joy.....how's your race going?

Offending Islam

It seems that I read daily that someone is in trouble for offending the Muslim world in some way. Now it's a teacher in Sudan who allowed her children in the classroom to name a toy after the prophet Muhammad.

Is there any way that we who are not Muslim do not offend Islam? I think in truth the answer is "no." The very fact that I am a Christian and do not believe that Allah is the true God is offensive to the Muslim who is honest.

We must be ready to deal with the fact that any faith other than Islam is offensive to the devout Muslim. So here I am, a Christian in love with the God of the Bible, worshipping Jesus, the God man who died for my sins on the cross, believing that he is the only way to salvation and that he will return to welcome me into his eternal kingdom.

To the Muslim I may be an infidel, but to the God who made me I am his blessed son.

Christians & Jewish martyrs say; "I will die for what I believe".
A Muslim martyr says; "you will die for what I believe".

Dragging idols

In part of my reading this morning I'm in Ezekiel. I came to chapter 20:7-8 and read these words, "I said to them, 'Cast away, each of you, the detestable things of his eyes, and do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt; I am the Lord your God.' But they rebelled against Me and were not willing to listen to Me; they did not cast away the detestable things of their eyes, nor did they forsake the idols of Egypt."

It made me stop for a moment....I never read that in Exodus, but here in Ezekiel God is telling us they drug their idols through the desert for 40 years and would not let them go. After all they saw God do, how he provided for them, how he cared for them, they still drug along those worthless idols for 40 years.

I wondered....what idols am I dragging around? What am I holding onto after all I have seen God do? What "false gods" will I not let go of? Is there anything that I will not "cast away" because God thinks it's detestable? And, why don't I view it as detestable too? These are just some thoughts running through my mind. I know I do it....I know I'm "dragging idols." What are they? And am I willing to cast them away like worthless trash? How do I get God's view on all of this?

Lord, show me what idols I'm dragging around. Help me to see them as you do. Help me to cast them away...don't let me be a rebel too.......

Just thinking again.....

Late last week I posted that I was feeling pretty empty headed and needed to take a break. The holiday gave me that. It was a great time of rest, being with family and spending some time with friends and my dear wife.

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I must admit that my drug of choice is people. I love being with people. One of our men in the church came up to me after the sermon yesterday and said, "You are a weaver (I had spoken on weaving thanksgiving into our lives), you weave through the lives of people and make a difference in their lives." I took that comment as high praise, and I know he meant it that way.

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So today I am thinking....what is it that we all need so badly in our lives? What is it that is so necessary for us? I am convinced it is a "people fix." We each need the touch, the ear, the presence of other people to live. We can't live this life alone, we need others to thrive.

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I read an article about the orphanages in Russia in years past, and the problems they were having with infant deaths. Their newborn mortality rate was really high. They discovered that the solution to the problem was to schedule a time each day for these newborn babies to be held, loved and talked to. So they put in place a regular schedule of holding, loving and talking to each baby. The mortality rates dropped dramatically and the babies actually looked forward to and anticipated their 10 minutes of attention each day. We, as adults, are no different. We need attention. We need a "people fix."

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But there is more, and here's where I think it gets hard...people don't just need time, they need someone who really cares about them, who will really listen, who will be interested in them. That's much harder because we find our lives so busy with "me" how do we dedicate the time to others that they need? It's one of the great deserts of our culture- people who will care for each other, and invest in one another's lives. For most of us, when we find it, it's like finding water in the desert, we just want to linger and drink in all we can...all the attention and love we can get because we are so needy, so thirsty....and that's where it gets hard. Like those babies who just needed some attention, we all look for someone to pay attention to us, and when we find them we hold on....not realizing that they need attention, time and care as well. Without realizing it we often run off the very people we most need.

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So, like the Russian orphanage system, let me advocate we build into our lives a regular diet of investing in the lives of others. We all need it, we all hunger for it, why do we so neglect it? One of the couples we visited with over the weekend were talking about this very thing- why is it so hard to find friends? They invite people over for dinner, coffee or just time to play games, but no one ever does that for them. They feel the need, but our culture doesn't make it easy. I think we could fix a lot of our problems if we all scheduled 15 minutes a day to sit on our front porches and just visit with the neighbors....we all need our "people fix", it's part of the human hunger. Might I challenge you to schedule this into your life and make people important?

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They are what God is most interested in.....

Monday's cartoon

Taking a break...

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Time for a break. I'm tired, my brain is empty, and I need a walk....so I'm going to take a few days off. See you early next week. I'll be on that bench if you need me.

Happy Thanksgiving

I have to ask....

Ok, I have to ask...where would you ever need a sign like this? And, why?? And lastly,

what happened that made this sign necessary??? That's a story I want to hear!

Thanksgiving thoughts

Thanksgiving in just a couple days away. Families gather together to eat, talk and celebrate. It's a day to say "thank you" to God for all he has done in our lives. I must admit I don't say "thank you" enough, each year it's a new reminder that I need to make thanks part of my life. It does affect us...it molds us, shapes us, changes our view of things. It's an intentional decision to thank God for his blessings. It's an admission that he gave them all to us. It's a celebration of his very nature, for his love endures forever. I'm so glad we worship a good God, a God who loves us. I'm grateful, thankful that his love endures forever! I hope you have a great day of food, family and thanks to the God who made us. He is so good.

The view from our back yard....

...is nothing like this. We live in Texas! The scenery in Texas is typical southwest United States. Sometimes I wonder why anyone ever fought over this land in the first place or decided that this would be a great place to live. The thing that keeps us here are the people and the community of believers we love and care for. If I were looking for a place to live because of the view this would not be it. But here we are...in Texas. It's great to have such a rich (in love and faith) community of people around us. We can give up the view because of the people. The family of God makes even Texas beautiful.

Monday's cartoon

Feeling like Solomon, the conclusion?

A few days ago I presented a problem for your consideration. Here is the problem:

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"I counseled a couple last night that presented me with a dilemma much like the one Solomon faced with the two women and the baby (1 Kings 3:16-28). This couple came to me to resolve their dispute, and here it is- she's a Christian, he's a Muslim, they are married with two children.....each of them wants to raise the children in THEIR faith! She wants to raise them Christian, he wants to raise them Muslim. How's that for a problem?"
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I invited your thoughts and told you I would let you know what I told them. Here is what I said to them-

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I told the wife, she's the Christian, "You need to pray to your God and ask him to work in the lives of your husband and children. You need to teach them about your faith, and share with them the gospel message. You should take them to church, and pray that God will work in your family."

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Then I looked at the husband, the Muslim, and said, "You need to pray to your God and ask him to work in the lives of your wife and children. You need to teach them about your faith, and share with them what you believe is the way to God. You should take them to the mosque, and pray that God will work in your family."

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As you can imagine, the wife who brought her husband to me to convert to Christianity was angry. But I wasn't finished yet. I had to tell them one more thing,

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Then I looked at them both and said, "I need to tell you one more thing. You will be praying to different Gods. They are not the same God. You also need to know that only one of them is the real God, and the other one is not a god at all. You need to trust your God to work in your lives. The real God will work, and change your family. Can you both do that?"

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They both agreed to my assignment, and I sent them on their way.

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Like Elijah with the prophets of Baal in the Old Testament this is indeed a test of faith in God, and it's an opportunity to see the real God work. Do we really believe that the God of the Bible is the only God there is? Then trust him to do what only he can do. Let the real God prove himself....and he will.

World's most effective speed bump

Something fun for a Saturday afternoon.

The Master's Four Hour Work Week *

The speaker --touted in the media as the trendiest motivational life coach of the moment-- sat cross-legged before his disciples as they waited to catch his first words. This was supposed to be a seminar on time management and life changing insight into the quality of living. There were all kinds of people here too-- sales executives, ministers, politicians, CEOs and even some "creative" types and people off the street. But why were we all sitting on the ground? Someone whispered that the guy had taken all the management and how-to knowledge of the past 1,500 years (and possibly of the future, too, if you buy into the spiritual stuff) and distilled it into a few succinct statements that could rearrange your priorities forever. If he wanted us to sit on the ground, that was fine. The speaker lifted his hand and the buzzing died down.

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"Point No. 1," said the speaker, gazing at his audience. "Swear not."

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There was silence for a full 30 seconds. What the ... is that it? I hate these 'zen' kind of things speakers do. A hand went up. "What do you mean by swearing?" asked an earnest-looking minister. "I mean, don't promise anything, and you'll never disappoint or be disappointed. Let your yea be yea and leave it at that. Never have a goal. People will understand--in fact they'll thank you for it, they'll be free of expectations, so will you, and everybody will get more done." There was some nodding, but it was clear no one was really getting it.

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"Point No. 2. Don't lay up treasures here on earth."

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There was furious whispering among the group. A man in a blue sports jacket raised his hand. "I'm pretty sure that would wreck the economy. I mean, the banking industry would crumble and we'd be in a Depression for sure. Maybe if you elaborated a little..."

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"Point No. 3. Take no thought for your life."

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Now there was real buzzing. One elderly gentleman got to his feet and walked away. Finally someone asked, "If we took no thought for our lives, we'd probably never even come to a seminar like this."

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"Now you're getting the idea," the speaker said. "Which brings us to point No. 4. Love your enemies."

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The tension seemed to break and the crowd relaxed. Surely he was joking. Maybe this whole meeting was some kind of reality TV show set-up. A few started looking around for the cameras. A harried looking woman executive motioned to speak. "Sir, I'm sorry, but we expected some direction in how to live. Like... maybe you could evaluate our "lifestyle quotient." I actually brought some notes on what my dream lifestyle might be. Aren't you going to explain about how we need to take a mini-retirement and outsource our lives?"

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"Actually, that was going to be my final teaching today. Point No. 5. Die to yourself."

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The effect was as if he had adjourned the meeting. Several people got up and left. One rich young man protested: "Come on, that's not a mini-vacation, that's a permanent vacation... forever. You can't be serious." "As a heart attack," the Master deadpanned.

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As the space around him emptied, a bird landed on the tree branch to his left. He smiled and thought to himself, "A prophet has no honor in his own country. Must be time to move on."

*An article from the "Wittenburg Door" blog