Living upside down

Whenever I read Jesus' words in Luke 6 I have to stop and calibrate. It's difficult. We live in a world that's been turned upside down from what God intended. If anyone lives as God meant us to live we look different. We look upside down. Here's the passage that always makes me stop to look at how I'm living in this upside down world...

Luke 6:27 "But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29 If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. 30 Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. 31 Do to others as you would have them do to you.

These words are so contrary to the way our world works and yet these are the life choices for a Christ follower. Every sentence of Jesus' words challenges our rights to ourselves. He calls us to love others in such a way that we give up all our rights to our own way, our own things, our own best and yet, at the end, we see the intent...Jesus is calling us to treat others in the way we want to be treated whether that ever happens or not. This is the way Jesus lived out his life. He lived these verses much to the confusion of those around him. Jesus turned the other cheek, he blessed when cursed, he showed us the final tally of this kind of life. It's a life that seems upside down, but if we live it out it will turn our world right side up.

Monday's cartoon

Where are you?

I've been thinking about a passage of scripture that has been in my thoughts for a number of months. It's been rattling around in my head because of the ongoing nature of the question by the first one to ever ask it.

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This question, "where are you?" was the first question ever asked. It was God's question to Adam as he looked for him in the garden. For an omniscient God it seems like a silly question, but the question wasn't so much for God's information as it was for Adam. "Where are you?" is a question God has asked man since he asked it the first time. For Adam the answer was an interesting one. For Adam, the first man, his response created 3 new things that never existed before. Adam replied,"I heard you in the garden and I as afraid (1. a new emotion) because I was naked (2. a new awareness). And I hid" (3. a new relationship). And since these 3 new "inventions" we have dealt with fear, our nakedness before God and we have been hiding from him ever since.

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From that first dreadful day God has been on a quest for man. He continues to come to each heart and life to ask, "where are you?" You see, God is on a quest to find his men and women. A quest to once more have a relationship with us. He is roaming the world asking those who will listen, "where are you?" Do you live in fear? Are you dealing with the embarrassment of what you have done? Is the raw nakedness of your life and your actions causing you to run from God who sees everything? Have you been trying to hide from him?

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God's chasing hard after us, not to punish, but to have a relationship with us. He wants to recapture the relationship he meant for man to have with him when he created us. When you hear that question in the whispers of your day, "where are you?" know that God is looking for you. He wants you to know him and know his love. He wants to give you all that he meant for you to enjoy in relationship with him. Don't let your fears overwhelm you. Don't worry that God know about all that you have done. Don't hide from him. Run to him. There are open arms waiting to have a relationship with you. He loves you.

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Coming soon.....

I'm working on several things I want to share with you, but they aren't ready yet. Here's a hint of a few of the things I'm working on now.....

"Stumbling toward eternity"- This will be several parts on how God leads us in our lives.

"Band-aids and bullet holes"- This is a piece I told you about a few weeks ago, but it's not ready yet. I will get it done as soon as I can.

I look forward to the year ahead and the opportunity to trust God together as we near the end of time. Exciting days, aren't they?

Quote of the day

"God never stops working in and through our lives. So many people speak of our enemy and his relentlessness. How much greater is God's relentlessness!" -David Vinson
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Cowboy's Ten Commandments

(1) Just one God.

(2) Honor yer Ma & Pa.

(3) No telling tales or gossipin'.

(4) Git yourself to Sunday meeting.

(5) Put nothin' before God.

(6) No foolin' around with another fellow's gal.

(7) No killin'.

(8) Watch yer mouth.

(9) Don't take what ain't yers.

(10) Don't be hankerin' for yer buddy's stuff.

Y'all git all that?

posted on the wall at Cross Trails Church in Fairlie , Texas

(Alan, thanks for the e-mail with this attached. I love the way cowboys get to the core of the issues. I hope you enjoy this as much as I did.)

What will you risk?

I've been thinking....

I've been thinking about my own faith and relationship with God. I'm thinking about this one question- What will I risk to know God? What will I risk to gain this relationship with the living God? What will I give up to have HIM? It is a risk. I risk the loss of everything, even my life in some parts of the world, to know him. I risk losing friends, reputation and position. It's a risk to follow God.

I still remember the story of a man sharing the gospel with a young man. He finally asked, "Is there any reason you wouldn't want to trust Christ right now as your savior?" The young man said, "No, I think I would like to do that." The pastor said, "Well, before you do let me give you some reasons you shouldn't...." We are often much too quick to lead someone to faith without telling them the price. The price is high....it will cost you everything. It will cost your very life...all that you have and all you are, but the reward...WOW! There is no reward like knowing God. Salvation now and forever. Forgiveness of sin forever. LIFE! Peace. Hope. Joy. A family like no other. A FATHER, the very one who created us, available to listen whenever we call....and a thousand other things that have filled volumes of books beyond number.

What would you risk for that? Everything!

On being sheep...

One of the great insults to our pride in the Bible is God's description of us as sheep. Basically, God is saying, "you guys act like sheep!" If you know sheep that's a bitter pill to swallow, it's a blow to our pride, an insult to our intellect.

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As a "shepherd to sheep" myself I have seen this prove true far too many times. It's hard to admit it, but I'm a sheep too. We are....for the most part...stupid, selfish, inconsiderate, smelly, nervous, easily irritated, not responsive to leadership.....is that enough to get us started? The Bible says, "all we LIKE SHEEP have gone astray." All we? Me too? YES! We wander....we wander from God, from truth, from safety, from the "flock" and find ourselves in trouble. Most of my work as a pastor is helping those sheep who have wandered away as they deal with the results of their wanderings. There's an old gospel song with this verse, "prone to wander, Lord I feel it..." And it's true. We wander because, like sheep, we are dumb! Solomon uses different words to describe it, but dumb will suffice for our purposes.

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God tells us what will help us...what's best for us, which way to go, and how to find his best. Our response? We ignore him and go "our own way." We are so brilliant, we seem to think we know more than the one who made us. So, today, from one dumb sheep to many more, let me encourage you to stay close to the shepherd, make sure you are close enough to hear his voice. Don't wander off...it will come to no good at all. With Christmas near it's a great opportunity to "wander back" to the shepherd and get to know him all over again. Hanging out with the shepherd will dispel your fear of the wolves all around.

A special need

I've been thinking about this for a while without an easy solution so I thought I would throw it out for your thoughts and prayers. I have a pastor friend in Kenya who has asked me to pray for the money for him to get a digital camera. It's a simple way for him to earn some extra money taking photos of those who need them for documents, licenses, etc. I've thought about this, but have not come up with an easy solution to his need, but then I thought.....how many of us have several digital cameras? How many have upgraded to a better camera, but still have an older one that works well, but isn't needed any more? If you have an extra camera (battery operated is preferred) that you are not using and would give to a pastor in Kenya would you let me know? I know God will provide for Winston, one way or the other, so I thought I would invite you to be part of this provision.

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Monday's cartoon

Growing in faith

I have been a student of God's word since I was 14. That's 45 years of reading this amazing book. It has changed my life in so many ways I can't even tell you all the changes it has made.

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I have noticed, in these days we live in now, that most Christians are not reading the bible. The reasons are numerous and include the current beliefs that God's word is not inerrant. In our day many Christians do not believe that Jesus is the only way, that there is a literal hell, and a hundred other truths clearly described in the bible. If you don't believe it's God's word then why would you feel the need to read it any more than any other book? So we see a Christian culture in possession of God's word and they never read it.

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But some do believe it's the word of God. For those that want to study it, read it and know God the problem is, as one young man said this week, "Where do I start?" If you start at the beginning and try to read to the end, as if it were a novel, you will quickly abandon your journey out of frustration and boredom. Let me suggest a bible study method I have developed over the years that has really helped me. It keeps God's word fresh, exciting and can be done in a few minutes a day. In fact I usually spend about 30 minutes a day in the word and can read through the entire bible in a year or less. One thing for sure...it's not boring!

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I have divided the bible into 6 basic sections: Psalms, Proverbs, history, prophets, gospels and letters. That's it. 6 sections to read each day. Reading in this way will keep you involved and excited about God's word.

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Here's what I do and why...The first thing I do in the morning is check the calendar...what day is it? Whatever the date I read that chapter in Proverbs. There are 31 chapters so I read through Proverbs once a month...that's 12 times a year. Proverbs is Solomon's book. He was the wisest man in history. It's often called wisdom literature. So, Proverbs for my head.

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Then I head for Psalms. A couple chapters in Psalms is easy (depending on the length of the chapters...be flexible). David was a man after God's own heart. So, Proverbs for the head and Psalms for the heart.

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Then I go to the history section. Genesis to Job is the whole history of the Old Testament, 17 books. I read one chapter in this section each day. I love the history of the Old Testament. It's the foundation for the rest of the bible.

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Then to the prophets- Isaiah to Malachi. These 17 books overlap the history books and will compliment those books. Read one chapter in this section. You will be surprised how quickly you move through this section and even when you get to a difficult chapter you know you will be in another section in a few minutes.

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Then I move to the gospels. Matthew to John are the four gospels. I read a chapter here each day and once I've gone through the gospels I start over and do it again. I always want to hang around the gospels and spend time with Jesus. When I read the gospels I get to know God. Jesus shows me what he is like. Often, as I read through the gospels I will "get into the story" and watch Jesus from inside the story. It helps me know God better.

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Then, finally, off to the letters- Romans to Revelation. These books are the major theology books of the New Testament and will help you grow in your Christian faith. A chapter here each day.

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There is an important thing you need to do as you begin this odyssey- get a journal. Write the date and record what you have read. It will help you keep track of what you are reading. Use the journal to record anything you learn from your reading. Your faith will grow and your journey with God will come alive. You will not be bored and the bible will become an exciting book to you.

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Peter wrote, 2 Peter 1:3 "His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness." If this verse is true then the most important thing you can do for your faith is read God's word. Join me on this amazing adventure. It's a journey that will change your life.

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Saturday's cartoon

A simple question

As I'm reading this morning once again I come upon a verse that wasn't there last time I read this book. This book, the Bible, continues to amaze me with its revelations. I simply am unable to understand how something I have read hundreds of times continues to reveal new things to me, but it does!

This morning, as I'm reading, I read this verse,

Eph. 5:10 ...try to learn what is pleasing to the Lord.

That's the entire verse! In the middle of some of the most amazing theology in the Bible this little verse hides as the ultimate goal of every believer. Most Christians I know would tell me that one of their goals in life is to be happy. I have never heard anyone say, "My goal in life is for God to be happy, to be pleased with my life." Imagine how my life would change if the first question I ask before any decision is, "I wonder what would please God?" How many choices would be different with that simple question as my first filter for any choice I make?

Family

There's nothing like family. The noise, the clutter, the visit and the babies. It's great! Here are a few photos of some kids I'm very proud of...

(click on any photo to enlarge)

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Learning to pray

One of the things that I'm still working on, still struggling with, still feeling like I don't do enough is pray. What's so amazing is that the God of the universe, the creator of everything....MY creator, has invited me to come and talk to him anytime I wish and yet I know that I do not avail myself of this most amazing invitation as I should.
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A man who really knew how to pray was Paul the apostle. Many of his prayers are written in his letters and they are absolutely amazing! Here is his prayer from my reading this morning and then a few thoughts of my own.
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Eph 3:14-21 For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
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As I look over Paul's words all I can say is "wow!" What an amazing prayer. What it expresses, what is woven all through the prayer, is this thought- God wants to be part of your life and wants you to have all of his best gifts. From him we get our name, our supply from his riches, his Spirit to live in us, his strength for our inner man, his love, his family, understanding of how great his love really is for us, his desire to fill us with himself, his ability to do more than we could ever think, and his power to make it all happen. And, because these things are all true Paul asks God to provide them for his readers.
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This prayer, like Paul's other prayers, is amazing and is focused on God's wonderful ability and desire to meet our needs and care for us....if we will only ask. I wonder why I let anything keep me from spending time talking to the God who is able and willing to help me with my life and my problems. I remember a story of one of the saints in centuries past who said, "I have so much to do today the only way I will get it done is to spend an extra hour in prayer." How differently we think today. And yet his invitation stands, a bold one for sure, written by the author of Hebrew-
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Hebrews 4:16 Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
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