BEHOLD!

Behold is one of those words in the Bible many and I would argue most people read and continue right on reading without giving it much thought. But we are really missing something special by doing so. We’re cheating ourselves out of something bigger and tonight I want us to taker a closer look at this special word from a number of different ways so that we no longer take it for granted and the next time you read it, you will stop and take a closer look.

Behold is a verb. It’s an action word that means when we read it, there’s something to do on our part; something is required of us. In many cases throughout Scripture it’s actually a command, so we might want to take heed and special notice of it the next time we come across it.

In the King James version of the Bible “behold” is mentioned 1298 times. 1064 times in the O.T. and 234 times in the N.T. Tonight we’re going to look at a number of passages mainly from the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end: Genesis and Revelation with a few other specific instances of significance.

In Genesis, the word behold is first used in regards to the first blessing recorded in Scripture. In chapter 1 verse 29 God had just finished the creation story with the creation of Man made in His image and God blesses them with the ability to be fruitful and multiply and He grants them the power of pro-creation themselves. This is a pretty significant event so God Himself says in verse 29: Behold: “I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.” God then turns His attention to the rest of His creation and says in verse 30: “And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so.” Throught the creation story God would make something and affirm it by saying “It was good”.  In the last verse of the first chapter is says: “God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good.” And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

What does it mean to behold something? What is the significance of this word?

I believe that to behold something is to pause from the physical and to see the spiritual. We live in a material world made up of things, empirical things you can examine with all of our senses. However there is also a spiritual side of life and that is where the heart connects with what is beautiful. When we actually behold a thing we open ourselves to something beyond the physical. When we are full present in the moment, we connect with the thing that makes whatever it is we are experiencing “beautiful”. It could be a photograph or a painting or a view of something like a sunset, or a mountain range, or the night sky. It could be a sound or a song or a smell or a touch. Whatever it is, we connect with it in a way many take for granted and most are unable to explain. I would offer this explanation of why something touches us as “beautiful” or wondrous. You see it’s in that perfect moment; The moment  when we are fully present, that we encounter the presence of God as the source of that particular beauty we are experiencing because He alone is the source, the essence and the creator of all that is beautiful. This beauty can be found anywhere and everywhere and nowhere. Because the source of what makes a thing beautiful is not really of this world, it has no pragmatic purpose in this world. It’s not meant to be efficient or the end of anything in particular. It simply IS in the eye of the “Beholder” when they stop and gaze upon the reflection of the source. Beauty and wonder move us. They connect with our inner most being; with our very soul. They reveal the creator and source of what it (the thing of beauty) brings us. And that my friend is something we call Joy. Ask yourself: what is the purpose of Joy and what is its source? We behold many things but all of them reflect their creator God Himself. When God says for us to behold, It’s because He’s either done something amazing worth talking note of or He’s about to do something and He doesn’t want you to miss it. In Scripture, whatever follows the word “Behold, you can bet your bottom dollar it’s important and you ought to stop and look at it very carefully. You need to examine it not only with your five senses but with your heart and you need to look past the physical to the spiritual and the eternal. It a Clue that something bigger is going on here and you might want to pay attention. Ultimately, it’s an invitation and an opportunity to connect and commune with God in that moment of beholding. Behold and be held in the arms of your Father and experience the fullness and Joy of His presence. 

But beholding though is not always about beauty directly. It also shows us things that are important. Things of God that teach us and help us to grow. Things that teach us the fear of the Lord that rings us to the beginning of wisdom.

Here’s some passage in Genesis to illustrate my point:

And the Lord God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever: Therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. (Gen 3:22-23 KJV)

 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth. And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth. (Gen 6:11-13

And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die. (Gen 6:17 KJV)

And after the great flood in Chapter 9:
And God spake unto Noah, and to his sons with him, saying, And I, behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after you; And with every living creature that is with you, of the fowl, of the cattle, and of every beast of the earth with you; from all that go out of the ark, to every beast of the earth. (Gen 9:8-10 KJV)

In Genesis 17 God establishes a covenant with Abram and gives him a new name. We read starting in verse 1: “And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect. And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly. And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying, As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations. Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee.

Pretty significant moments in History don’t you think? And God’s presence evident in every one of them.

In the N.T. the shepherds out in the field were visited by the Angel of the Lord and they were terrified but the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. (Luke 2:10-11 KJV).

Later we hear from John the Baptist:

These things were done in Bethany beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing. The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me. (John 1:28-30 KJV)

That’s a pretty significant thing to take note of, is it not? The lamb of God coming?

There was a very special moment that occurred as Jesus hung on the cross just before His death. To be a widow in Jesus’ time was a very difficult predicament to find oneself in. It held potentially serious social and even survival consequences. Let’s behold this moment together. In John chapter 19 starting in verse 25 we read: 

“Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son! Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home. (John 19:25-27 KJV) 

Behold the love of God for His earthly mother! What an amazingly tender moment God chose to share with us.

How about this moment:

3 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the children of God: (1 John 3:1 (KJV)

There are many more beholden moments to be found in the N.T. and specifically in the red letter sections. I encourage you to stop and look at them for yourselves. 

For now though, let’s look at a few final passages from Revelation. The first one from Jesus Himself. You may recognize it from the famous painting that was made to reflect this passage:

“As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.” (Rev 3:19-21 KJV)

This particular passage of Revelation was actually prophesied in the O.T. book of Isaiah where he said in chapter 40 verses 8-10:

“The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever. O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God! Behold, the Lord God will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him. Isaiah 40:8-10 (KJV)

Jesus continues in Revelation 22 verse 12:

And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. Rev. 22:12-14 (KJV)

And finally lets behold one last spectacular moment together tonight as recorded by the Apostle John in Revelation chapter 5 verses 1-13:

John says:

And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals. And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof? And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon.

And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon. And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof. And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.

And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.

And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints. And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.

And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. Revelation 5:1-13 (KJV)

Solomon, the wisest man to walk the earth once said:

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace. What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth?I have seen the travail, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it.

11 He hath made every thing beautiful in His time. (Ecclesiastes 3:1- 11 (KJV)

I usually like to leave you with questions to think about when you leave here but today I want you to do something new; Something different when you go back to your everyday life.

Take a moment and behold the world around you. Pause in His time and see with your heart the Kingdom of God and all of His creation, the beauty it holds and the joy it brings. Look at what He is doing and join in, for there is great beauty and wonder in everything on earth. Even in the darkest and most tragic of times. If we just stop and behold, we can be held in His beauty and presence, reflect upon His awesome wonder and find rest in His great love. “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!”
Psalm 133:1King James Version (KJV)

The Word

This is the text of a sermon I preached back in December of last year. Several people have asked me for a copy of it so I thought I would just post it on the blog.

The Word

Words… Words hold tremendous power. Don’t they? We use them every day to define our reality, to communicate with each other and to provide meaning and context for how we live our lives. They shape our thoughts, our opinions and our beliefs. They hold the power to breath life into a person’s heart or to destroy a person’s spirit. There have literally been trillions of words spoken on earth and recorded throughout human history. Words matter; but have you ever wondered why? What are they? Where do they come from? What do they actually do? Where does their power originate?

We really should think about them more often than we do because we take them for granted and they serve a purpose… I would say a divine purpose and I believe that purpose is to reveal The Kingdom of God to us all.

We recently finished studying the book of John in my Wednesday Seniors Bible Study and my good friend Ralph Atteberry would like nothing better than for us to study the book of Genesis next. So tonight, just for Ralph and in his honor, I’d like to share with you some of both Genesis and John along with a few others you may have heard before.

Allow me to show you how “The Word” works together to tell us a story that reveals God’s Kingdom, His desire for creation and how we are to respond to it. You have probably heard these words, maybe not in this particular order or arrangement but I want you to see how God’s Word works all things together to tell His… to tell our great story. Allow me to start from the beginning, because that is when God first spoke: The Word.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

He was with God in the beginning for In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.

In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.

And God said, “Let there be a vault between the waters to separate water from water.” And it was so. God called the vault “sky.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the second day.

And God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear.” And it was so. Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.” And it was so. And there was evening, and there was morning—the third day.

And God said, “Let there be lights in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark sacred times, and days and years, and let them be lights in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth.” And it was so. And there was evening, and there was morning—the fourth day.

And God said, “Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the vault of the sky.” God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the fifth day.

And God said, “Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: the livestock, the creatures that move along the ground, and the wild animals, each according to its kind.” And it was so. Then God spoke again and said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”

 So God created mankind in His own image,

in the image of God He created them;

male and female He created them.

God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.” And it was so.

God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.

The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him.

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in the highest heaven,

and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” 

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.  When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child… We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array.

By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.

On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived.

(John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’”) Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.

He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.

Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.”

“You are a king, then!” said Pilate.

Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”

“What is truth?” retorted Pilate. Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Jesus said: “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one — I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.” For I am the way and the truth and the life.

“Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.”  For you so loved the world that you gave your one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For You did not send your Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

Therefore Jesus, Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death — even death on a cross!

Jesus said: I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. For everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. This is my command: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and 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 hang on these two commandments.”. “If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever — the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”

“Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.

“All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. “You heard me say, ‘I am going away and I am coming back to you.’ If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe.

And to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

Powerful words? What makes them so powerful? What did they actually do to you to make you think they held any power?

Word’s are powerful but the reason they hold power is because they point to an even greater power. Let’s take a moment because I want to show you the purpose of Words and a power even greater.

Close your eyes. Quiet your mouths. Empty your mind. I know this will be hard because I’m telling you not to but try not to think about any words in particular. Now… open you’re your eyes, reach out your hand and take hold of the person’s hand next to you and then close your eyes again. Feel their hand. Feel the life in it. Feel the power of the Holy Spirit flowing from it into yours. Feel the very hand of Jesus holding yours.

Words are used to paint a picture in our minds. That picture tells us a story and the purpose of that story is to touch us. Touch can speak to us and connect with us beyond any word imaginable. We are made of flesh and blood, bone and spirit. But we are created in the image of God and given something more in the mystery of that creation; we are given emotions because God is beyond the physical. He is an emotional being. Emotion is physically intangible. The only way to truly communicate with God is through our emotions… Through our love. Every form of communication we have available to us whether it be words, or pictures, or music, or touch is meant to connect with us on an emotional level in some way shape or form for it is our emotions that truly drive us… our heart that determines our relationship with God and with each other. Words matter because they hold the power to touch us emotionally. But the love of God made manifest in flesh and blood reaching out to touch us holds the power to change a person’s heart. You see, words weren’t enough. The law wasn’t enough. God had to physically reach out and touch us. He had to touch our hearts. He came in person. Immanuel. The Word made flesh that dwelt among us. And His Words hold the power to heal; the power to resurrect; the power to restore and the power to reveal and unveil the Kingdom of God to everyone. The devil knows that. He knows the power of words (The Word), which is why he works so hard to corrupt it, to twist and distort our words and have us use them to conceal the Kingdom of God and to discourage others from ever seeking it. You’re words… our words reflect whose side we are advancing which is why it is so very important that we consider them and choose them wisely.

As with every sermon I share I want to leave you with some questions to take with you when you leave here tonight.

Do your words reflect The Word? Do they reveal the person of Jesus within you? Do they show people the reality of God’s Kingdom around them? Do your words speak life into the world just as Jesus did in Genesis? Or are your words hiding the light of Christ from others? Are they confusing them and driving them towards the darkness of the enemy? Do they reflect what is truly in your heart? How are they “touching” the world for God?

Let us pray.

Evangelism… and the Lost Art of Conversation

 “For ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ But how can they call on Him to save them unless they believe in Him? And how can they believe in Him if they have never heard about Him? And how can they hear about Him unless someone tells them? And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!”
Romans 10:13-15 (NLT)

Blessed and beautiful are the feet of an evangelist! AMEN! An evangelist is simply someone who goes around (brings) and preaches the Good News to others. There have been a few great ones throughout History. The Apostles were all evangelists. Paul was one of the greatest of his day. The term Apostles itself means “sent one”: the sent ones found in the above verse. Billy Graham is probably the most famous of modern day evangelists. Recently though, his health has declined and I find myself wondering who will be the next one. Who will take his place when his time here is done? Maybe it’ll be Francis Chan or David Platt or John Piper or any number of other great speakers and advocates of the Christian faith. Who knows?

As I thought and prayed about this subject I heard the Lord very clearly speak to me these words: “What about you?”

I have to admit that really bothered me because I have never in my life thought of or wanted to be an “Evangelist”. Tell people, perhaps millions of people about Jesus? Are you crazy? Fear of a level beyond comprehension consumed me. Fear of rejection. Fear of ridicule. Fear of persecution. And the biggest one of all; the one people fear most, second only to dying: Fear of public speaking!

But what about me? What about all of us who claim Jesus as our Lord and Savior? Aren’t we all obligated to be evangelists on some level? The short answer to that question is yes and I’ll tell you why.

Another great evangelist and Apostle by the name of Peter once said this:

“But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.”
1 Peter 3:15-16 (NIV)

Peter, the one who had denied Jesus three times and whom Jesus said he was the rock upon which He would build His Church, found the courage to speak and told us we needed to always be ready and able to speak about the hope we have within us that is Jesus Christ and His salvation message. The reason for that is because of what Paul wrote in Romans 10:13: “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

There is nothing more powerful than your personal testimony because it cannot be refuted. It is truth that cannot be denied… only ignored; and some people will ignore it. Don’t take it personally. It’s not you, it’s the message. Testimonies though are powerful and they change other peoples lives. Look at the story of the Samaritan women at the well found in John chapter 4:

“The woman left her water jar beside the well and ran back to the village, telling everyone, “Come and see a man who told me everything I ever did! Could he possibly be the Messiah?”… Many Samaritans from the village believed in Jesus because the woman had said, “He told me everything I ever did!” When they came out to see him, they begged him to stay in their village. So he stayed for two days, long enough for many more to hear his message and believe. Then they said to the woman, “Now we believe, not just because of what you told us, but because we have heard him ourselves. Now we know that he is indeed the Savior of the world.”
John 4:28-29, 39-42 (NLT)

Because of her testimony, her entire village came to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. An entire village!

So how do we begin? How do we go about doing it?

First of all let me say it’s not as hard or as scary as you may think it is but there is a right way and a wrong way to go about it.

Step 1. Pray!!!

Pray for God to grant you an indwelling of the Holy Spirit and to prepare the hearts of those you will encounter ahead of time. Ask Him to put those people in your path so you can find them. Pray for Him to give you courage and peace to speak the Truth in love boldly when the time is right.

Step 2. Trust the Holy Spirit when He tells you: “That one! Talk to them.” and be obedient when He does.

Step 3. Open your mouth and start listening.

This is the hard part because we really don’t know what to say. We know what we want to tell them but we don’t know where to start. Allow me to help you with this one.

First of all begin with these two scriptures at the forefront of your mind:

“Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.”
Colossians 4:6 (NIV)

“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.”
Ephesians 4:29 (NIV)

Start by listening first. Ask them their name. Invite them to tell you their story. “What brings you here?” or “Where are you heading?” People are always on a journey. Something and some set of circumstances brought them to where they are with you at that moment and they will most definitely be going somewhere else when you depart. Physically and metaphorically, everyone is on a journey and has a story about it to tell. Find out what it is! This is where the Holy Spirit will reveal to you how to proceed with the conversation through the things they share with you. You can discover who they are, what they want, possibly how they’ve been hurt or how you can help. This develops a context for you to be able to share your story and the hope you have within you. This helps you to see how your testimony fits into their story and how God and Jesus can become relevant to them.

You cannot tell them your story and you cannot speak truth into their life until you are given permission to do so. You have not yet earned that right and they will not receive it. You have not yet earned their trust and to attempt to do so risks violating their free will as you attempt to force your views upon them.

Here is one very important fact that you must accept and operate within:
“No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him;” John 6:44 (NKJV)

We have no power to save anyone. God orchestrates all of our lives according to His purpose and will. We cannot presume to know what He is doing. We can only hope to be a part of it. Jesus is the only one who saves and our job as His disciples is simply to testify to that truth when given the opportunity and facilitate a connection for others to see and find Him. He takes it from there. He brings about the transformation. He alone brings the increase (1 Cor. 3:6-7) and He alone gets the glory (Isaiah 42:8). You are His servant in that process. Nothing more.

Step 4. If you need help making conversation or getting them to tell you their story remember this acrostic my good friend and brother Jim Ramos shared with me.

F.R.I.E.N.D.S.

F-family     Ask them about their family.
R-recreation     Ask them what they like to do for fun.
I-interest     Ask them what their hobbies and interests are.
E-education      Ask them about their schooling.
N-needs     Ask them about their struggles and needs
D-destiny     Ask them about their earthly journey and where they are going. 
S-salvation     If it comes to this point in the conversation ask them about where they are going when they die.

 

That’s just another tool for your toolbox in case you need some help starting a conversation. I have a simple method that really only requires three questions to make it all happen.

I start with simply asking them their name and what brings them here. Sometimes I will follow that with “Where are you heading?” Like I said earlier, people are always going somewhere whether literally or metaphorically so the fact that you show the slightest interest in their journey often gardeners a response. I then follow it up with “Is there anything you need… can I help?” Most people are shocked by this question because strangers just don’t usually care enough to ask/offer such things. Generally they won’t ask for anything but the times they do I take as a sign the Holy Spirit is already at work and I find I am usually able to accommodate their request. This builds trust and opens doors for further conversation and the opportunity to share your story with them. When they don’t ask for anything I ask “Can I pray for you?”. Most people will not turn down a prayer. Then I pray for them in Jesus’ name and introduce myself.

I’ve started a lot of great conversations this way and more than a few friendships. It’s simple, non-threatening and it works!

Step 5. Don’t expect any results. If you go into this expecting to convert them or baptize them by the end of your conversation you’re going into it with an agenda and you’re not loving them unconditionally as we are called to do. They will sense it and they will shut you down in a heartbeat! Remember evangelism is about planting seeds. That’s it. God takes it from there. Just like farmers, we do the work of planting the seed but we have no control over making it grow. That’s the miracle of Jesus’ work.

Step 6. Follow through with any promises or commitments you make with them. Be honest with them. They need to trust you and know you are a safe place they can come and share their thoughts and feelings with. They will not care what you know until they know how much you care!

Step 7. Have fun and enjoy the ride! There’s nothing like a front row seat to what God is doing in someone’s life; and there’s no greater joy than being used by God and getting to be a part of it.

That’s It! Give it a try and let me know how it goes. I’d love to hear YOUR STORIES as well!

Live a Little

Today my post comes courtesy of my oldest daughter Megan. As parents we labor to teach our children things that matter. We long to impart the wisdom we’ve been given in life and leave them with a legacy that will live beyond them. One thing my wife and I have always done with our children is read to them and because of that my kids have developed a love of reading themselves. I have endeavored to plant a seed in my daughter about the power of a story to change a persons life. Specifically, I’m referring to His Story as recorded in the Bible. But it also includes my story, her story and the stories of every other person who’s lives have been forever changed by God through Jesus Christ and His story. Today she shared with me a revelation she had and I got the chance as her dad to see that seed bear fruit in her life. She got it! and I’ve never been more proud of anything she’s written before… except for one poem she wrote about her and I a few years ago which I’m not inclined to share at this moment. But I will gladly share her revelation it was written today.

 

“Reading is, in a sense, living somewhere else. Seeing a person changing, fighting through their difficulties and flaws with them. Experiencing their journey and partaking in it. You learn from them and their triumphs and their failures. You see their world and their life. But then you finish it… and the story is told. Most grown-ups will say: “It’s just a book. Don’t be so emotional. It’s not even real!”

And that’s when you have your choice. It may be just a book, just words. But words have power. 26 letters of one alphabet are all that make up a book. Pretty amazing, huh? 26 little symbols can move you to tears, to laughter, to anguish and despair. 26 letters can change your life. A book is what you make it. The epic your imagination takes you on. You can read a book in two different ways. You can stay here, keep your feet grounded in this world, read the book and step away. Or you can engulf yourself in the story – revel in the people, the places, the relationships and the choices. In the end, it will be harder to read that last page, close the cover, leave them behind- but it will be infinitely worth it.

Live a little. It doesn’t have to be here.”

-Megan Skaj

3.31.14

Looking for a few good men and women

I’ve been thinking a lot about the words I spoke recently about what Jesus said and “go be the church” and the parallels drawn between the earthly battle and the spiritual battle going on all around us. In a real war when men are trapped behind enemy lines how do we go about rescuing them? Ever heard of the Special Forces units in the US Military? Which one comes to mind most often: Army Rangers or Delta Force, Marine Force Recon, Air Force Pararescue, or Navy SEAL’s?

These units represent the pinnacle of commitment and ability in their respective branches. These are men who are highly trained, gifted, equipped and motivated to accomplish the mission they are given.

Anyone here ever sing “Onward Christian Soldier”? Anyone ever read the Bible and believe we are at war with principalities and rulers of darkness. See Ephesians 6:10-20.

I really like this passage from the Apostle Paul:

For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete. You are looking only on the surface of things. If anyone is confident that he belongs to Christ, he should consider again that we belong to Christ just as much as he. For even if I boast somewhat freely about the authority the Lord gave us for building you up rather than pulling you down, I will not be ashamed of it. I do not want to seem to be trying to frighten you with my letters. For some say, “His letters are weighty and forceful, but in person he is unimpressive and his speaking amounts to nothing.” Such people should realize that what we are in our letters when we are absent, we will be in our actions when we are present. We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise. We, however, will not boast beyond proper limits, but will confine our boasting to the field God has assigned to us, a field that reaches even to you. (2 Corinthians 10:3-13 NIV)

I like the SEAL’s because they are known as “The Quiet Professionals”. I think the last part of that passage sums up their character quite nicely:

Such people should realize that what we are in our letters when we are absent, we will be in our actions when we are present. We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise. We, however, will not boast beyond proper limits, but will confine our boasting to the field God has assigned to us, a field that reaches even to you.

SEAL’s are a threat to the enemy even when they’re not there because people believe in their integrity and “what they are in their letters, they will be in their actions when they are present.” SEAL’s have no reason to “compare themselves with those who commend themselves.” They’re not out to prove anything. They’re out to accomplish the mission. They do not boast about what they do. They confine it to the battle field… the same battle field that reaches to the captives.

So where are the JSF (Jesus’ Special Forces)? Where are the ones who are completely committed to the mission we’ve been given? Where are the ones who are willing to go in together in small units (communities) behind enemy lines to set the captives free? Where are the ones who don’t care what the world thinks about them personally because they care more about the mission than themselves? Where are the ones who do not boast about what they are doing but are willing to boast about what the Lord is doing on the battlefield they’ve been assigned: the one that reaches out to those who are lost?

I think we need some SEAL’s of our own. A unit or two or ten of Jesus SEAL’s as it were.

The term SEAL comes from Sea, Air, and Land meaning all the places they will go to accomplish the mission. I think a Jesus SEAL would be someone who wants to (S)eek and (E)vangalize in (A)gape (L)ove. Evangelize simply means to preach the Good News, so a Jesus SEAL is someone willing to go behind enemy lines to seek the captives, preach the gospel, and love them unconditionally. And they would be willing to go wherever they had to to do it.

To be a seeker means to be someone who is intentional about what they’re doing in going after something or someone. Navy SEAL’s are very intentional in what they do every minute of every mission.

Preaching (Evangelizing) the Good News can take many forms and the most effective sermons I’ve found are the ones that are lived out loud. Navy SEAL’s bring the good news when they arrive among the captives and proclaim who they are and what they’re there to do. Sweetest words any captive prisoner of war has ever heard: “US Navy SEAL, I’m here to rescue you and take you home!”

Agape Love means unconditional love. US Navy SEAL’s do what they do with this kind of heart. They do it for the mission and for each other. Everyone of them would lay down their life for each other (John 15:13) and for the success of the mission regardless of who the prisoner was they were being sent to rescue. In their heart, they serve a higher calling. So do we. Or at least we claim to.

So what about us? Are we willing to be intentional about the mission our commander (Jesus) has given us? Are we willing to go out behind enemy lines and risk of ourselves, perhaps our very lives, to set the captives free? Do we have it on our hearts to die to ourselves and lay down our lives for each other in order to accomplish the mission? Are we willing to commit ourselves in the same way to train and equip each other to be a success in that mission?

I’m looking for a few good men who think they have the heart and are up to the task/mission we’ve been given. I’m looking to create some JSF units right here in Champaign/Urbana. Do you think you have what it takes?

Contact me if you’d like to be a part of “SEAL Team One”.

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One Hundred Trillion Dollars

I awoke this morning at 3:33am. I find that significant both because of the time (3:33) and because of what was on my mind when I woke up.

What if I told you you could buy your way into heaven? What if I told you a seat at that great banquet at the King of the universes table could be had for a price? What if I told you that price was One Hundred Trillion dollars a seat?

How much is that? That’s a 1 with 14 zero’s after it.
It looks like this: 100,000,000,000,000. I’ll refer to it as 100T from now on.

That’s right folks, eternal life with God in Heaven for the unimaginably high cost of 100T dollars.

What a bargain!

Now… what if I told you there was someone giving away 100T? Actually… He’s giving away something of equivalent value that would actually pay the bill. Would you like to know what it is? Would you like to know who it is?

I’ll tell you. It’s one simple drop of blood. One drop worth 100T… Giving it away. Interested yet?

The man’s name is Jesus and I’ve often wondered how precious His blood is and if you could place a dollar amount on it, what would it be worth? If you could, how much would you have to pay to go back in time and buy one single drop of His blood? What would you even put it in? What type of container would be appropriate to hold something of that immense value? How about a soul?

Now your probably thinking: Wait a minute Matthew, there’s only so much blood in a human body. Given the average human being has about 6 liters of blood in their body and there are 1000 ml of blood in a liter and 1 drop of blood equals 20 ml, that would mean if Jesus paid the fee for every soul on earth with a single drop of His blood there would only be enough for about 120,000 people.

That is true, but Jesus was no ordinary man. Let’s take a look at this for a moment. You see Jesus was able to miraculously increase certain things to provide for the sustenance of the people. In Scripture it’s recorded that on two separate occasions he fed 4000 and then another 5000 totaling 9000 in all. Hypothetically, if we take that number and assume Jesus could do that every day of the week multiplying that 9000 by 7 we would get 63,000. So going by the evidence we have in Scripture as to Jesus’ ability to provide for mankind, Jesus could have theoretically provided for 63,000 people in just one week’s time.

If we take that number and multiply it by the number of drops of blood in the human body how much would you get? The answer is 7.56 billion. How many people are there currently on this planet? The current population is about 7.2 billion. That would mean that Jesus could theoretically afford to provide and pay the cost for every person on earth to have eternal life in heaven if He was able to increase the amount of His blood (there’s evidence to suggest He could) and He was willing to shed every drop of it for mankind. Well folks, that’s exactly what He did. He gave it all. Every drop.

 

There’s not a single trillionaire on the planet… yet. Theoretically, it could happen someday. A Hundred Trillionaire? Who knows how long that would take or if it’s even possible. I would imagine the earth would cease to exist before that time came around.

If you Google it, the best guess is that there is roughly 40-44 trillion dollars in the entire world today. 100T doesn’t even exist.

If you’ve ever wanted to know how much a person’s soul is worth I’ll tell you. If you’ve ever wondered how much you and your soul are worth, I’ve got a pretty good idea. How does 100 Trillion dollars sound?

Eternal life for the unimaginably high cost of 100T dollars. Just one drop is all it would take. He’s already given it for you. The only remaining question is do you want it? Will you take it? Or would you just as soon throw away 100T dollars? There is a cost though and Jesus said to count it first before you decide. He said those who seek to save their life must lose it. All it would cost you is your life. So… the question remains: Would you be willing to give up your life here on earth to gain an eternal life in Heaven? He gave His life for you. Would you be willing to give your life back to Him? I did and it was the best investment ever because when I did, I joined the 100T club.

 

What Jesus Said – Go Be The Church

This is the third and final video in a sermon series titled: “What Matters Most” and looks at some of the hard words of Jesus and what He commanded and commisioned us to do.

God Goes Before Us – The Power Of Legacy

We’ve been given a great legacy from our Father in Heaven. What will you do with it?

The Big Picture – The Kingdom of God

My sermon from February 16th, 2014.

Meaning of Life – Deluxe Expanded Edition

“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world” (Psalm 19:1-4 NIV).

The question of God is one every human being has pondered since the beginning of time. Does God exist? What is God like? Is God a personal being or impersonal force? The answers to these questions could fill a book but I will attempt to summarize for the sake of this post. I first believed God exists because of the opening verse from the book of Psalms written above and as the Apostle Paul wrote in the book of Romans, God has made it plain to us. “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—His eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse” (Rom. 1:20 NIV). God’s general revelation of His creation (the universe) to His created (mankind) was the first and most powerful proof of His existence to me.

I have loved the night sky since I was a little boy and spent my childhood growing up in the woods on a river near my grandparent’s house. I experienced God’s revelation and glory every day in such profound ways as to captivate my imagination like a raging forest fire. Every experience I had in those woods and on that river drove me to asking more questions about who He was, what He was like and why He did all of “this”. His “general revelation” taught me first of His existence and then as I grew older I experienced His “special revelation” through His Word and through His Son, Jesus Christ. Through Scripture I learned about His personality and that He created me in His image and that He loved me and had a plan to redeem me unto Himself through His Son Jesus. I learned about His Holiness and His Righteousness and that He was a jealous God who cares for us like a Father does for His own children of which I am one. I personally experienced the sound of His voice and the touch of His hand when I cried out to Him in my suffering and He healed me from a lifetime of pain. Because of these things, I know that God is a personal being and not just some impersonal force.

So if God really does exist as I and many others believe He does, what does God expect of us? I believe He expected us to live with Him for eternity in relationship with Him and in worship of Him; but only of our own free will because true love is never something that can be forced. It has to be given. His desire is for us to know Him and to love Him. His expectation is that someday that will happen. Even though we fell from His Grace in the Garden of Eden, I still think He holds that same expectation and everything that happens throughout our human history, does so according to His perfect plan to bring that expectation and desire to fruition.

Mankind’s quest in discovering truth is what drives him to find answer to the questions “What is ultimate reality?” and “How do we know what is real?” That need for truth is the catalyst for why we develop a worldview to begin with. According to James Sire (2004) “a worldview satisfies by being true” because “truth is ultimately the only thing that will satisfy” (p.248). A worldview, in order to be true in our minds and subjectively satisfactory, must possess inner intellectual coherence and consistency; be able to adequately handle and comprehend the data of reality we experience daily and be able to explain what it claims to explain (Sire, 2004 p.246, 247).

In the first post I wrote on the meaning of life, I thoroughly expressed my views on reality and they have not changed one iota. This reality we experience can often lead one to then ask what is the cause of humankind’s existence? We wonder why God even bothered at all in creating anything, let alone mankind. I think this goes back to the heart of God’s own nature in being in community with Himself (Father, Son and Holy Spirit). He desired to create us in order to have a relationship with us because of His “creative” essence and wanted to share eternity with us. As to the actual cause of our existence, atheists and intellectuals have argued that for centuries. I recently saw a graphic illustration someone posted on Facebook that said that atheism was:
The belief that there was nothing and nothing happened to nothing and then nothing magically exploded for no reason, creating everything and then a bunch of everything magically rearranged itself for no reason what so ever into self-replicating bits which then turned into dinosaurs.

While some may think this makes perfect sense, many, including myself, do not. I believe the Christian cosmological view that God spoke (Gen 1.1) and created the cosmos ex nihilo (out of nothing). As Sire (2004) puts it, “God did not make the universe out of Himself. Rather God spoke it into existence. It came into being by his Word” (p.29). He created our existence and therefore that creation became a reflection of Himself that we might see and know Him better. Science and religion can come to the same conclusion if only today’s scientists would be willing to follow the truth back to the source of that truth rather than denying it out of a sense of fear of accountability or guilt. Our sin separates us from God and all that He created which is why He hates it so much. The law He gave to us serves a purpose in exposing our sin and convicting us of it (Rom 3:19-20). It is not meant to pile guilt upon is. It is meant to reveal our guiltiness and cause us to repent (turn) from it and back towards God and the “reality” he “created” for us to enjoy with Him.

Our existence leads us to the question: what is the meaning of human history? As James Sire puts it in his book “The Universe Next Door”: “Human ‘history” can be subsumed under four words—creation, Fall [sic], redemption, glorification” (p.37). History is linear. It has a beginning, middle and an end that tells a story: His ‘story’… a story that points to Him. In this story we are able to see our beginning and our fall and even the beginning of our redemption from our current point in time. We can also look ahead and see the future path to redemption and the promise of our glorification in Christ through the prophecies recorded within God’s Word. We know it to be true because we are able to look back at all of the previous prophecies that have been fulfilled, specifically in Jesus. The reason we can trust the prophesies recorded in Scripture is because in the Old Testament there were 332 prophesies written hundreds of years prior specifically related to the coming Messiah and every single one of them was fulfilled in Jesus Christ (Dobson, 2003 p.69). As Ryan Dobson shared in his book “Be Intolerant” (2003) and as we discussed in class, back in 1958 a scientist named Peter Stoner wrote in his book “Science Speaks” that the probability of Jesus fulfilling just 8 of these 332 prophesies was 1 in 1017. That’s a 1in 100,000,000,000,000,000 chance of it being a coincidence. He then gave this great illustration in taking 100,000,000,000,000,000 silver dollars and laying them across the entire state of Texas. Doing so would cover every square inch of the state two feet deep! He then said to mark one of them red, toss it in the pile and mix it up really good. Then blindfold a man and tell him to walk as far as he wants across the state and to bend down and pick up just one silver dollar and the one he picks up will be the red one on the first try (p.74). That is how likely just 8 of those biblical prophecies being fulfilled in one man would happen to be. Jesus however, fulfilled all of them!

Jesus said He was going to prepare a place for us and that there would be signs of His return (Mark 13:24-27). His foretelling of the end times and the coming Kingdom of Heaven is recorded throughout the Scriptures in Matthew 24-25, Mark 13, Luke 21, 2 Peter:3, and the book of Revelation. He is coming back one day to get us and take us there with Him (John 14:1-4). He is coming back to glorify us (Phil. 3:20-21) and His creation restoring all things unto Himself and defeating all His enemies, even death, once and for all (1 Cor. 15:24-26 and 51-56).

Until that time comes we are left with a few more questions: What gives your life purpose? How do you know what is right and wrong? And what will happen to you when you die?

Before I became a Christian the only thing that gave my life purpose was the pursuit of self-gratification. Collecting things, doing things to entertain myself and make myself happy, and learning new ways of doing the same were the main focus in my life. In short, I was very self-centered. I found Rob Bell’s moment of “hitting the abyss” a point I could really relate with. In His book Velvet Elvis (2005), Rob shares a time when he had come to a point in his life where he just couldn’t go on and he visited a therapist. His therapist told him: “Your job is the relentless pursuit of who God made you to be. And anything else you do is sin and you need to repent of it” (p.114). This was basically the same revelation I had about how I had been living my life prior to Christ. Now I find purpose and meaning in pursuing whom God made me to be and working for my Father in Heaven and my Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus said: “…The harvest is great, but the workers are few…” (Luke 10:2), so I’ve given my life to serving Him and furthering His Kingdom here on earth. My purpose and meaning in life come from the things that mean something to Him. What matters to Him, matters to me and that is where I have found no greater joy than to be used by Him for His Kingdom and His Glory. In accordance to what James Sire said about a person’s worldview, I find it perfectly “satisfying”.

As far as knowing right from wrong, it is now plain to me as God intended. What He calls evil and wrong, I call evil and wrong. What He calls glorious and good, I call glorious and good. He tells me so through His Word and through my conscience and through His Holy Spirit. Having been made in His Image (Imago Dei), it is hardwired into my being. Having been reconciled with Him through Christ, His Holy Spirit guides me in what is true (John 14:16-17) and when you know what is true, what is false and wrong becomes obvious. It’s just like the Treasury Department. They don’t bother trying to train their people what all the different counterfeit bills look like. They train them to know what the real one looks like and then they instinctively “know” a counterfeit when they see it. Knowing the truth sets us free (John 8:32).

Finally, regarding death and what will happen to me when I die; I can say without a doubt that when my physical body dies, what is truly me will just keep on living because I have been given eternal life through Jesus Christ. I learned the Greek term for this eternal life at Lincoln Christian College almost ten years ago. It’s called “Zoe” life. It was a most profound discovery to realize I was already living my eternal life within this earthly body and that when death comes in this realty, it’s merely a bump in the road where we shed this skin and keep right on going. That is what will happen to me unless of course Christ returns before that time and I’m caught up in the rapture or something really cool like that. I’d be just as happy to leave here in flaming chariot like Elijah.

References
Bell, Rob (2005). Velvet Elvis: Repainting the Christian Faith. Grand Rapids MI: Zondervan.

Dobson, Ryan (2003). Be Intolerant: Because Some Things Are Just Stupid. Sisters, OR: Multnomah Publishers, Inc..

Sire, J. W. (2004). The Universe Next Door: A Basic Worldview Catalog Fourth Edition. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

Hello Church… Are you listening?

Pretty much everything that needs to be said right here. David Platt gets it!

The Three “R’s” of Christianity

As children we are first taught the “basics” often referred to as the three “R’s” – Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic. OK, so they don’t all begin with the letter R but that’s how they sounded and how we remembered them: The Three R’s.

They were/are the basics in life and what we need(ed) to learn to be able to function within civilized society. You had/have to be able to communicate through the ability to read and write and to understand numbers and how to use them. They were/are essential skills that, sadly today, not everyone in our world is fully proficient in their application and use.

I think we as Christian’s also have three basic “R’s” that we need to practice and to apply in our lives if we are to fully see and understand the Kingdom of God and to function within it as He intended. These R’s are Reverence, Respect and Recognition.

Reverence: applies to how we relate to God the Father. I think in our churches today we have lost much of our reverence for God and who He is as sovereign creator of all things seen and unseen. He is Holy above all else. He is Omnipotent, Omniscient, and Omnipresent. Too often I think we see Him as a mere story book character. Important and powerful indeed, but nobody we would fall face down on the ground in front of if He were to suddenly appear before us. In church we sing to Him and we talk about Him, but do we truly Revere Him for who He is? Is He big enough in our minds for us to humble our hearts before Him? Is He real enough in our lives to drive us to our knees in prayer and thanksgiving? I think we need to get back to revering God more not only in our church services but in our daily lives and in everything we do. I think we need to start turning our stages back into alters and our multipurpose rooms back into sanctuaries. I think we need to start taking our shoes off again when we step upon Holy Ground and start showing some real reverence for the One True and Living God.

Respect: applies to how we relate to Jesus as our LORD and Savior. I think the church does a good job at proclaiming Jesus and Savior but I also think we often fail to show Him the respect He deserves as LORD over our lives. He’s become our friend and our buddy. Always there for us to talk to and to hang with. He’s our Savior and for that we love Him and show Him a certain amount of politeness and courtesy in our lives and daily interactions. But as LORD over our lives? Does He have control? Does He rule your thoughts and actions? Do we give Him the respect He deserves as the Son of God and the ruler of the Universe? Do we respect the things He calls us to? Do we respect His view and Word as the final say in our lives and how we are to live them? Do we respect that all authority in heaven and Earth has been granted to Him by the one we are to Revere above all else? Do we really respect His authority in our lives? Do we? Really? Do we respect Jesus as LORD? We need to.

Recognize: applies to how we are to relate to the Holy Spirit of God. I think a strong case can be made that we as the church largely neglect and fail to recognize the presence and power of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Out of sight, out of mind as it were. It is the Holy Spirit that bridges that gap between this world and the one that is unseen. He allows us to see it. He allows us to connect with it. He allows us to have full access to the Kingdom of God right here and right now.

Jesus understood it. He said so Himself that He must leave so that the Holy Spirit could come (John 16:7-16). If Jesus Himself understood and recognized the importance of the Holy Spirit in our lives, shouldn’t that tell us something? Shouldn’t that be a clue as to what we should be doing?

Revere God, Respect Jesus, and Recognize the Holy Spirit. Time to get back to basics.

What’s in a Heartbeat?

As I laid in bed this morning I inadvertently moved my arm to my side only to find my 7 year old son lying next to me as my hand came to rest on his chest. In that moment the Holy Spirit spoke to me and I was filled with joy to “feel” the heartbeat of “my son” in my hand. Immediately memories too many to count flooded my mind of other times in the past I had become aware of the heartbeat of people I love. I remembered the time I first heard the heartbeat of my best friend in Kindergarten (Chris Flowers), when he and I played with his fisher price doctor kit with the real working stethoscope. I remembered lying on the floor in the woods as a boy, leaning against my dog Rex, looking at the leaves of the trees and listening to the sound of his heartbeat. I remembered the first time I placed my head on my wife’s chest and listened to her heartbeat and came to the realization of the saddest moment yet to come in our lives when I would hear it no more.

I remembered the first time I heard my oldest daughter’s heartbeat for the first time in the doctors office and then the first times I heard my other two children’s heartbeats as well. Then I remembered the day Megan was born and listening to her heartbeat through her chest, live and in person, for the very first time and how precious that sound was to me.

Then I remembered the night my mother died and how I watched her heartbeat stop on the monitor as I held her in my arms. I remembered the night my grandmother died in my arms and how I was blessed to be with her the moment her heartbeat stopped as well. Then I thought about my wife’s aunt Mary Lou, who’s heart stopped beating just two days ago and the heartbeats of other friends and family members of mine who are also fighting right now against cancer so that their heartbeats may continue as well.

What’s in a heartbeat?

Everything…

It’s God’s gift to us. It’s the constant reminder of His Presence in our lives. When it starts… when it stops… and everything that will happen to us while it beats are known only to Him. It is life and without it, it is death. It is the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit and His Fruit (Gal. 5:22) and it is the wellspring of life (Prov. 4:23). It is what makes the heart the heart. Without that beat, the heart is powerless to power us. It is the spark of life and the very essence of God within us.

When you’re done reading this, find a quiet place, close your eyes, put your hand on your heart, and know that God is with you (Matthew 28:20b)… always. And then thank Him for that heartbeat and every other heartbeat that you know and love. Show your love and gratitude to Him for all of those heartbeats and do something for Him and His Kingdom in return. Take that precious heartbeat of yours and pay it forward. Make it count. Take care of it and guard it so that you may continue doing so as long as you can. Never take it for granted. Never forget what it means to you. Remember what’s “in” a Heartbeat.

Maybe… Maybe Not

Isn’t it funny how our own fears cause us to get angry at the mere possibility of something happening? How often have you gotten mad at someone for something they did or said that caused you to think something bad was going to happen and then it never happened. How much strife do we live with in our daily lives because of our unfounded fears? It seems to me it would be better to give someone the benefit of the doubt, hold your tongue, and wait to see if something bad does happen before you blow up at them. If it does go bad then you’ll only have to be mad half as much as you are now as opposed to being mad twice as much for the same thing; and if it doesn’t, you’re not mad at all and you’ve succeeded in keeping the peace with them and yourself.

“A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” (Proverbs 15:1 NIV)

“Do your part to live in peace with everyone, as much as possible.” (Romans 12:18 NLT)

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” (Matthew 5:9 NIV)

not a fan

It’s been awhile since I read a book that really challenged me to think/re-think my life. I just finished reading “not a fan” by Kyle Idleman and in the voice of Fire Marshall Bill: Let me tell ya somethin!… Every new Christian should read this book soon and every old Christian should read it sooner… twice. For me it served as confirmation of recent events of which you can read about here on this blog and encouraged me to stay strong and faithful on this new path I have been called to follow. For many I believe it will be a hard pill/book to swallow. It will convict you and force to to D.T.R. you have with Christ. (you can find out what that means in the book) 😉

This book compels me to break the playground rules and Double Dog Dare all of you to pick up a copy of this book and READ IT ASAP!

My name is Matthew Skaj and I am not a fan.

A Parent’s Gift

Retold by Matthew Skaj

Imagine the following: You are a parent of a small boy about 7 or 8 years old.

It’s a Wednesday night and you are at a church prayer meeting when somebody runs in from the parking lot and says, “Turn on a radio, turn on a radio!”

And while the church listens to a little transistor radio with a microphone stuck up to it, the announcement is made: “Two women are lying in a Long Island hospital dying from the mystery flu.” Within hours it seems this thing just sweeps across the country. People are working around the clock trying to find an antidote. Nothing is working. California, Oregon, Illinois, Arizona, Florida, Massachusetts. It’s as though it’s just sweeping in from the sky.

And then, all of a sudden the news comes out. The code has been broken. A cure can be found. A vaccine can be made. It’s going to take the blood of somebody who hasn’t been infected, and so, sure enough, all through the Midwest, through all those channels of emergency broadcasting, everyone is asked to do one simple thing: Go to your downtown hospital and have your blood type taken. That’s all we ask of you. When you hear the sirens go off in your neighborhood please make your way quickly, quietly, and safely to the hospitals.

Sure enough, when you and your family get down there late on that Friday night, there is a long line, and they’ve got nurses and doctors coming out and pricking fingers and taking blood and putting labels on it. Your wife and your kids are out there, and they take your blood type and they say, “Wait here in the parking lot and if we call your name, you can be dismissed and go home. “You stand around, scared, with your neighbors, wondering what in the world is going on and if this is the end of the world.

Suddenly a young man comes running out of the hospital screaming. He’s yelling a name and waving a clipboard. What? He yells it again! And your son tugs on your jacket and says, ” Daddy, that’s me. “Before you know it, they have grabbed your boy.

Wait a minute. Hold on! And they say, “It’s okay, his blood is clean. His blood is pure. We want to make sure he doesn’t have the disease. We think he has got the right type.” Five tense minutes later, out come the doctors and nurses, crying and hugging one another – some are even laughing. It’s the first time you have seen anybody laugh in over a week, and an old doctor walks up to you and says, “Thank you, sir. Your son’s blood type is perfect. It’s clean, it is pure, and we can make the vaccine.” As the word begins to spread all across that parking lot full of folks, people are screaming and praying and laughing and crying.

But then the gray-haired doctor pulls you and your wife aside and says, “May we see you for moment? We didn’t realize that the donor would be a minor and we need… we need you to sign a consent form.”
You begin to sign and then you see that the number of pints of blood to be taken is empty.

“H-how many pints?”

And that is when the old doctor’s smile fades and he says, “We had no idea it would be little child. We weren’t prepared…. We need it all.”

“But-but… You don’t understand.”

“We are talking about the entire world here. All of mankind… Please sign… We need it all!”

“But can’t you give him a transfusion?”

“If we had clean blood we would. Can you please sign? Would you please sign?”

In numb silence, you sign the consent.

Then they ask, “Would you like to have a moment with him before we begin?”

Can you walk back? Can you walk back to that room where he sits on a table saying, “Daddy? Mommy? I’m scared. “What’s going on?” Can you take his hands and say, “Son, your mommy and I love you, and we would never, ever let anything happen to you that didn’t just have to be. Do you understand that? “And when that old doctor comes back in and says, I’m sorry, we’ve-got to get started. People all over the world are dying. Could you leave? Could you walk out while he is crying, “Daddy? Mommy? Daddy? Why, why have you forsaken me?”
And then next week, when they have the ceremony to honor your son, and some folks don’t feel like coming and just sleep through it, and some folks don’t come because they decided to go to the lake instead, and some folks do come, but with a pretentious smile and just pretend to care.

Would you want to jump up and scream at the top of your lungs, “MY SON DIED FOR YOU! DON’T YOU CARE?”
Do you think that’s what GOD would like to say to all of us? “MY SON DIED FOR YOU. DON’T YOU KNOW HOW MUCH I CARE?”

Seeing it through a parent’s eyes breaks your heart. Maybe now we can begin to comprehend the great love God has for us, and the great sacrifice that Jesus made for us. His blood was pure, and it was given to save our souls so that we may have life eternal and again be in the presence of our Father in Heaven. Please take some time to think about that and to honor and remember Him and what He gave for every one of us.

Monumental

I missed seeing this at the Savoy theater back in March (It was sold out), but from watching the trailer I think it’s a great documentary and I’m looking forward to seeing it if/when it comes again to Champaign. If you’d like a chance to see it too, please click on the “Demand the Movie” link. Some things are not best forgotten and some things are worth fighting for.

Clarification

In my previous post below I was simply retelling a DREAM I had about experiencing Hell first hand. NO persons were injured or killed in the telling of that story. I am not a murderer. I have not, nor have I ever shot anyone, especially a little girl. Please do not call the police. It was just a dream and a story. Please take it for such and nothing more. Thanks and have an incredible day!

Hell is not fun… Choose wisely

“I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.”(John 12:46 NIV)

In my last post I talked about a dream I recently had in which the Lord granted me a gift and a glimpse of Heaven to come. It seems only right that I also tell you about another VERY lucid dream I had several years ago where He also allowed me to experience for a brief moment what I can only call “Hell”. I believe He allowed this experience to teach me a lesson which I will also explain along with the dream itself.

In my dream there was a war going on. I was in charge of (leading) a company of men and we were walking through what was the bombed out remains of some small country town. We were searching for survivors and came across an old man and a young girl of maybe 10 years of age. The girl was carrying a rifle and did not speak English. She may have been speaking Italian, but I couldn’t tell you for sure. The old man spoke English and called out to us “Don’t Shoot!” I told my men to hold their fire and they did so in complete obedience… obedience that would soon cost some of them their lives. The girl was crying out to me in words I could not understand. I only knew she was extremely sad and desperate in some way for me to do something. I looked to the old man to translate and he told me she was his granddaughter and that her parents had been killed in the bombing and that she wants to be with them in Heaven but she could not kill herself because if she did it would be a sin and she would go to Hell and never see them again. She wanted me to kill her so she could be with her mom and dad again in Heaven.

Now this next part never made sense to me because what she did seemed to me to be just as sinful as suicide, but to a little girl in her condition she might not have realized the consequences of her actions.

The grandfather begged me to help. He had tears in his eyes and I could see the pain he was going through as well because he had just lost his children and his granddaughter was hurting in a way in which he could not offer her any comfort. This only added to his grief and sorrow. The girl now became hysterical and began shooting at my men in hopes that someone… anyone would shoot her in self defense and send her to be with her parents in Heaven. I stood there watching my men fall to their death one by one, holding fast to my orders of “do not fire.” She was not shooting at me, but at my men whom I loved like brothers. As each one fell my heart was shattered with memories of them and their families; all of whom were close to me and my family my entire life. It’s like I was watching my best friend get shot and killed in front of me over and over and over and I was letting it happen because I was equally heartbroken over this young girl and her grandfather. My men were crying out to me to do something… to save them… and I froze.

What happened next still haunts me to this day. I think it always will and in some ways I am thankful for this memory because it will forever serve a purpose I will reveal later, but not now. Now… I made a choice: a fatal choice that doomed me to Hell myself. In that split-second moment of sheer terror and pain, I very slowly and deliberately pulled out my .45 caliber handgun, pointed it at this little girls forehead and pulled the trigger. I watched her eyes as she fell backward into her grandfather’s arms. As he caught her and looked at me with tears in his eyes, I turned the gun on him and fired again… ending his life and his sorrow as well.

I stood there in shock and then in a brief flash of light (another bomb explosion I can only presume) I found myself rushing through a tunnel of light. I could see my men next to me in the tunnel and they were smiling at me with such warmth and yet also with a look of sadness. A moment later I understood. I was now alone in total darkness. A darkness beyond description. Heavy, sad, oppressive darkness. And the worst part about it is I was completely aware of it. I was fully conscious of the fact that I would forever be alone, in the dark, from this moment on for all of eternity. I was forever separated from light. THE LIGHT of God Himself and I was not dead. I was in Hell. Hell was not a place of burning fire. I believe that is a place reserved for Satan and his demons. As surely as I told you Heaven is for real, I tell you the Truth that Hell is as well. Hell is being completely separated from God.. from Love… from Light itself. Wrapped in total darkness… and you are completely awake and aware of it. And then the pain of knowing it’s forever really sinks in.

Looking back, I believe I now understand the following scripture a little better than before:

“And he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, and the guests I invited aren’t worthy of the honor. Now go out to the street corners and invite everyone you see.’
So the servants brought in everyone they could find, good and bad alike, and the banquet hall was filled with guests. But when the king came in to meet the guests, he noticed a man who wasn’t wearing the proper clothes for a wedding.
‘Friend,’ he asked, ‘how is it that you are here without wedding clothes?’ And the man had no reply.
Then the king said to his aides, ‘Bind him hand and foot and throw him out into the outer darkness, where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ For many are called, but few are chosen.” (Matt. 22:8-14 NLT)

I cried out to the Lord and He removed me from the darkness and revealed to me my failure and sin and this is the lesson I wish to share with you. In that moment of decision; the moment I chose to stop this little girl from killing my men… my friends; I played God. I chose to take the power of life and death in my hand and wield it in what I thought (justified in my mind at that time) was an act of mercy upon this little girl, her grandfather and my men. I did not seek the Lord. I did not seek or leave room for Him to intervene in the situation. I did not ask or trust in Him to provide an alternative solution. I decided I was going to take His place and therefore put myself above Him in this most critical situation. A situation He had the power to make right. It was His place to judge. It was His place to be merciful. It was His place to heal this little girl and comfort her grandfather. It was His place to save my men. It was His place to lead me in what to do and I chose to not seek Him or trust in Him in that moment. Because of that choice, He allowed me to experience the consequences of my sin: eternal separation from Him… trapped in total darkness… with complete consciousness. I cannot fully put into words the total isolation and despair I felt in that place. I can certainly understand why there would be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

The memory of that dream and the little girls eyes as I shot her in the head will haunt me forever and like I said, in a way I’m thankful. I’m thankful for that reminder to always seek Him when I find myself in a desperate situation; to always trust in Him to act on my behalf when the path ahead of me is not clear; and to always remember how much I never want to be separated from Him in that place of darkness. I never want to feel that kind of alone-ness and I want everyone to know how much Hell is not a fun place. You don’t want to go there. You don’t have to go there. None of us do. We choose to go there all on our own. It’s not what He wants. Trust me… I’ve personally been there. You don’t want to go. Because of Jesus Christ, you don’t have to. That’s the Good News my friends. Actually that’s not just the Good News… That’s the BEST news!

A seat at the Kings table, or alone in the dark? Choose wisely, because the choice is for all eternity and Hell is not fun.

Psalms 37:4

“Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.” (NIV)

Recently, the Lord turned my life upside down. He reached down from Heaven and grabbed hold of me in a very profound way; a way that has changed my life forever. He revealed to me a lie that I had been living under my whole life and healed me from a broken heart I had been scarcely aware of because I had grown up discovering new ways of hiding and ignoring it… always some way of covering up the hurt and making life “safe” again. It was THE lie: “You’re not worthy.”

He brought me to terms with that lie. He exposed it and revealed to me what it was stealing from my life and more importantly from the life He wanted for me. My wonderful and loving Lord walked with me through that pain in the same way he met me on the other side of a broken heart the morning after my mother died almost 9 years ago. He was there with an outstretched arm waiting for me… waiting to take my hand with an invitation to walk with Him on the remaining journey that is my life. I heard him say to me: “Why don’t you follow me with reckless abandon? Doesn’t that sound like fun!? Take my hand Matthew, and I’ll take you for the ride of your life.” And then I saw Him smile at me with the most radiant grin you could imagine.

The Lord and Savior of the universe meets me where I’m broken, heals my heart completely… for the second time! and then personally invites me to take His hand and follow Him on the “ride of my life”. How can I or anyone in that position do anything but say yes? So I did. My heart was now free from every fear and trepidation I had ever had about following Him. I suddenly had no more excuses, no more reasons to delay, no more obstacles keeping me from the path He had prepared for me. I was ALL IN!

That happened about 7 weeks ago. Since that time I have resigned from a really good/secure job I held for more than ten and a half years. I’ve accepted His calling upon me into full time ministry service in His Kingdom. I’ve put my complete trust and the lives and welfare of my wife and kids completely in His hands. I took a leap of faith most people would label me insane for having done so. What’s most important is that the first time I encountered Jesus after my mom died I was given a verse of scripture (a life verse if you will): “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” (Prov. 3:5-6 NIV) In this most recent encounter, He has given me another verse to live by: “Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.” (Psalms 37:4 NIV)

All I can say is that I have been holding tight to those two promises and He has truly been making my paths straight and granting me the desires of my heart over the past several weeks. I have been blown away and completely humbled in the discovery of how He has orchestrated the people, events, and timing of everything that has transpired. I have been crushed by His grace and blessings in spite of my failings and sin. He has moved in absolutely HUGE ways and in small to show me and assure me of how much He loves me. This morning He granted me a moment in a dream that led me to write this post and share it with you:

When I was a young boy (5-7 yr. old) my grandparents had a place in the country that was magical for me. When I think of “Home”, this place is what I think of. The joy and wonder of it still brings me to tears. We had woods, a river, horses, a pony named rooster, a pony cart, pastures, a garden, a tractor, a tire swing, and my dog Rex. We had wild strawberries and raspberries, a pet squirrel named Nutkin, and miles of trails to explore everyday. My Grandmother, my dog Rex and I knew every inch of those woods. We communed (I would now say in hindsight with God) there daily. I learned to ride my bike on that dirt road. I learned to tape playing cards to my spokes to make it sound like a motorcycle when I rode fast (I could never ride fast enough though LOL). I then learned how to ride with my grandpa on the gas tank of his real motorcycle (Honda CB350 and later a CB550). I learned to shoot a bow and arrow and a rifle. I learned to fish and catch minnows and crayfish and clams for bait. I can remember the color of the sky, the smell in the air, the feel of the ground on my bare feet. I remember the light that surrounded that place. It was heaven on earth.

A few years ago my heart led me to go back to that place and see it again with my own eyes. I was heartbroken to find the current owners had let everything grow over. You could barley see the barn through the weeds. The pastures were all grown over and gone. There was so much overgrowth that the whole place seemed dark and now somehow evil. I pulled away with tears in my eyes and haven’t been back since.

Early this morning the Lord brought me there again in a VERY lucid dream, but back to how it used to be… almost. In this dream, my grandmother, who passed away 5 years ago, was there. I have not dreamed of her in a very long time. At first I did not see her. I was simply walking down those trails we used to walk when I was a boy. I was picking and eating wild strawberries. My dog Rex came out of the brush and ran up to me and my heart burst with Joy to see his smile and hold him and look into his deep brown eyes again. We continued walking together and I saw the barn and the horses in the pasture. I passed the tire swing and looked toward the garden. Everything had been cleared again (made new) except for a few patches of weeds and small trees and that’s when I saw my grandmother standing there in blue jeans and a sleeveless top wearing gloves and leaning on a shovel she was using to dig up the weeds. Her smile…….. her smile told me everything.

Brothers and Sisters I tell you the Truth: HEAVEN IS FOR REAL! And our Father has gone to prepare a place for us there. He is coming back to bring us Home. This morning He allowed me to see it… just for a moment. It was a gift. It’s one of the desires of my heart and He gave it to me as a gift because I have delighted myself in HIM. It was the kind of gift any father who loves his child would give if he could. The kind that says “I love you with all of my heart and I want to make all of your dreams come true.” It was a perfect gift that said “My Words are True.”

That gift and that Joy can be yours too. All you have to do is reach out and take His hand.

Beware of Christians

This past week I came across a little news blurb on Fox News that was talking about a new documentary film produced by four college guys (Christians) called “Beware of Christians”. I clicked on the link to their website and watched the trailer and decided to order the DVD. They had a “name your own price option” which further convinced me to check it out and see what they had to say. I really didn’t know what to expect when I placed my order. I thought it would probably be worth the $10 I spent and I figured their hearts were in the right place in simply trying to get this message out and not trying to make a bunch of money, so I reserved my opinion until after I watched the full movie. That was Monday. It arrived to my surprise in my mailbox yesterday (Wednesday). I watched most of it late last night out of curiosity and the rest of it today out of desire to see the rest of it. First of all I have to say well done and well said to all of these guys. Their heart and their desire to understand what it means to be a Christian in our culture today is awesome. They really took an honest look at themselves, our world, and what Jesus said it means to follow Him and I truly hope and pray many more will view this film. It’s not easy. It’s often really “crappy” to follow Jesus in this world. But it is so worth it if you will. It brought to mind this passage from 1 Corinthians 1:18 “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”

I was a Coward once… and then it got easy.

There is a reason I haven’t written and posted anything to this blog in almost 4 years. Since updating it and drawing light to it’s existence on Facebook last fall that reason became evident once again. Me (mostly) and my family get attacked when I do. When I started writing this (Been working on this post in draft form since last fall) I was still on Facebook – I’m not anymore; at the time, two of my three children were on antibiotics fighting ear infections. My littlest one had some kind of sinus thing going on and couldn’t turn her nose off. I had a flu bug that zapped every once of strength and made me feel like I’d been rolled under a half dozen semi’s. My wife was at her wits end trying to care for everyone and nobody in this house could sleep through the night anymore. At the time I started writing this post I couldn’t even finish it and it sat as a draft until today.

Three years ago I was also being attacked. So much so that I gave up taking a stand for God and His Truth. I stopped following the lead of His Holy Spirit in my life. I ignored the things He was telling me and showing me and refused to write them down or share them with others. I couldn’t handle the proverbial heat I took for doing so and resented God for not affording me any protection. My prayers were ignored. My cries went unanswered. I felt betrayed and alone. So I did the cowardly thing given the circumstances and quit. I was a coward… and then life got easy again. The attacks lessened. The Spiritual oppression I was feeling subsided. Life got comfortable again and I wandered away from the path God had set before me and the blessings He has in store for me.

Only now have I been able to see why. What changed? Everything…. and nothing. I recently went on something called a “Walk to Emmaus” as did my wife. It was life changing and I encountered the living God through the Love and Grace of His Son Jesus in a powerful new way. I embarked on this journey on Thursday February 23rd with a few specific questions and prayer requests. That Saturday just before lunch, God provided me with an answer to “the question” I didn’t even know I needed to ask. What He showed me and allowed me see was a lie that I had been trapped in for 40 years. I’m only 41 if that tells you how big a deal this was. It’s the same lie that so many people and Men in particular have their entire lives shaped by. It’s a subtle and pernicious lie of the devil: “You’re not worthy”.

“You’re not worthy” are the words the father of all lies whispers in our ear to trap us in our fear and chain us down to a life of pursuing a sense of worth rather than pursuing God’s Heart and His Kingdom. It’s the lie he whispers into the hearts and minds of every child who lives through the divorce of their parents: “If I was worthy, my parents would put aside their selfish differences and work it out”. “If I was worthy of God’s Love, He would not allow this to happen to me”. That first one drives the fear of a child. The second one drives our fears as adults. My biggest fear and what has driven me to a become a rather type A personality is of failure. Failing my wife and kids and my family: the most precious gift God has given me next to His Son Jesus. The fear of if I failed them, I would no longer be worthy of their love. If I failed myself I would no longer be worthy of God’s Love. My 4.0 G.P.A. over the past 10 years of working my way through college had become an idol that I valued more than my relationship with Jesus Christ. It had become a sinful stumbling block to my walk with God and I couldn’t even see it because in my mind I had convinced myself that I was doing it for Him and for His glory. When I started back to school at Lincoln Christian College back in 2004 I created a signature line for school email correspondence that read “Summa cum laude ad majorem Dei gloriam”. That was my goal: To graduate with highest honors for God’s Glory. In truth, that was a coverup and a mask for the fear of failing I didn’t even know I was wearing until God forced me to look in to the mirror at my heart. Some of you may be able to relate. Some of you may now be able to see in the mirror yourself. Some of you will understand the kind of pressure I was living under. The pressure to be perfect and never fail my wife and kids. Pressure that cannot be sustained because there is only One who is perfect and who will never fail us… Only One who is worthy. And because HE IS WORTHY and HE IS PERFECT, and HE LOVES YOU AND ME, I don’t have to be anymore. I don’t ever have to worry about not being worthy of His or anyone else’s love. I don’t ever have to worry about being separated from Him or my family ever again. My heart is free and my feet are back on the path of service to His Kingdom.

God’s timing is perfect and He needed to straighten some things out in my life before I could move on to His calling for me. I thank you LORD and praise You for Your awesome power and love and how You have brought me back into the sheepfold and revealed to me just how You have been working ever so faithfully in my life to bring me back to this path. I am worthy just because You love me… and that is enough.

Are you a Leader or a Lens?

I’ve been working on this post for awhile and I wanted to post the “True Mark of a Leader” first so you would have a reference to who the real “Leader” is as that sets the context for this post. If you haven’t read that first, go read it now. In this post I’d like to introduce you to a leadership concept most people haven’t heard of before and that is the concept of being a “Lens” rather than a “Leader”. Leaders are great but great leaders are “Lenses”! So what’s a Lens compared to a Leader? A Lens is basically a transparent optical device used to focus and/or magnify an object at a distance. Eyeglasses, Microscopes, Telescopes, Camera lenses are all examples of a Lens with Eyeglasses probably being the most common so that’s what I will use to illustrate my point. Glasses help people with degraded or limited vision “see better”. They help us get to where we want to go quicker, more easily, and safer by allowing us to focus clearly on the destination. A Leader performs a similar task by teaching us, guiding us, and helping us find a particular destination. We follow them and trust they know where they are going. But our eyes are often inadvertently on them rather than the destination itself and this is where the danger lies and things get muddy so to speak.

Allow me to elaborate. When I look through my glasses I see and find what it is I’m looking for and I rarely notice the glasses themselves. If I do notice them it’s because they’ve become dirty or scratched. Being a Lens to someone means you care more about helping someone clearly see the Truth they are seeking than  you do them noticing you. You’re work as a Lens is to remain clean and transparent, gather as much Light (Truth and Knowledge) as possible and put that into focus for the person you are serving. Being a Lens is about developing an attitude of humility and a desire to serve in the most humble and honest way possible. It’s not about you, but about helping the other person to see more clearly. As a Lens you do everything you can to give the person you are assisting the best and most honest view possible with the ultimate goal of going completely unnoticed if possible during that process. It serves a natural defense against Pride and keeps the focus on where it should be: living the life of a Disciple and proclaiming the Truth of God and His Creation (see 1 John 2:6).

Seeing ourselves as merely leaders allows for our pride and ego to sometimes get in the way. We can easily fall victim to thinking we’re the focus and what we do and say is what matters most. It can become more about what it is you know, how much you know, and how well you can articulate that knowledge and lead others to it. Those things are just as important to being a good Lens, but the focus (pun intended) and motive behind developing proficiency in those areas is much different. Being a leader also puts a tremendous amount of pressure on you to live up to the person you’re leading and their expectations of you to get them where they want to go. Being a Lens removes that pressure and puts the onus on them to decide their own path and whether or not to accept the Truth you are showing them.

Don’t just be a leader. Be a Lens and be the best Lens you can be! Polish yourself by improving your level of knowledge and wisdom. Enhance your ability to focus others by increasing your ability to articulate through language skills both written and spoken. Remain transparent in your life so that others may see Christ through you because a Lens works both ways. As you help others to see more clearly, God’s Truth and His Love will shine more brightly through you to them. You don’t even need to be in a leadership position to be a Lens to others. It’s a mindset, not an ability, so anyone can do it. Even you!

The True Mark of a Leader

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.”
(John 15:5-8 NIV)

Look around today and you will find literally hundreds, if not thousands of books and other related materials on “Leadership”. Indeed, “Leadership” and all of its associated training has become an industry unto itself. John Maxwell, Dale Carnegie, Steven Covey, Zig Zigler, and countless others have written book after book on the subject and yet we still have a shortage of true leaders in the world today. Why is that? I would like to suggest it might be because the true mark of a leader is not about being a “Leader”; it’s about being a “Disciple”. Not all leaders are Disciples, but all Disciples are leaders (emphasis mine) and it is precisely the Christlikeness within a leader that draws people to them. Yet the majority of today’s leaders, or should I say the people trying to become leaders, completely miss this fact and that is, in my opinion, largely do to the increasing secularization of our society. It’s no longer acceptable to talk about Jesus or the Bible in public any more, so the people wanting to sell books have taken His principles and stripped out any reference to Him in order to be more marketable with His very message.

I have read many books on leadership and let me tell you this: There is nothing written in any of them that was not first taught by Jesus two thousand years ago. The problem with reading these books is that many people end up idolizing and worshiping the author rather than the source from whom they are getting their material and inevitably all we end up with is a list of techniques for being a leader that sells us short and leaves us still wanting. They are missing the one crucial element for true success as a leader and that element is Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ is the perfect model for leadership, not John Maxwell, not Zig Zigler, and certainly not you or me; and the sooner we realize this, the less time we’ll need to spend reading book after book on the subject of Leadership. Now I’m not condemning the wisdom and principles of leadership that the authors mentioned above have shared in their writings. Some of them are devout followers of Christ, which is precisely why they are such successful leaders. I’m simply saying that we need to keep what they say in the proper perspective and always keep first and foremost in our mind who we should be modeling ourselves after. Leadership exercises, activities, classes, and programs are great, but if that is your purpose and your process for becoming a leader, then that’s all you will have to offer others. If your life however, is about being a Disciple of Christ, a Servant of God, you will not only have the skills and techniques of a great leader to share with others, you’ll also have the Person of Jesus Christ to offer them.

C.S. Lewis once said “Aim at heaven and you will get earth ‘thrown in’: aim at earth and you will get neither.” If we keep our focus on Heaven and we remain in Him, He will remain in us and we will bear much fruit; and it will be the fruit of our efforts that shows ourselves to be His Disciples. If we miss the example of Christ Jesus and remain focused on the training and techniques of being a leader, we limit ourselves and those we are teaching to what we know, and what we are. When we serve others as Disciples of Christ and train them as Disciples rather than just “Leaders”, the sky is the limit as to what can be accomplished because what we accomplish is done for the Kingdom, in His name, for His glory, rather than for ourselves. As Disciples: “We proclaim Him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. To this end we labor, struggling with all His energy, which so powerfully works in us.”(Col.1:28-29 NIV) Amen.

The Gospel Truth (video)

First, I’d like to thank my friend Sandy for sending me this video. We all, and I mean every person on earth have/has sins and demon’s we wrestle with. Many of us are in all out knife fights with them on a daily basis. In those battles we bleed. We’re scared. We’re left hurt, bloody, laying on the floor, often left for dead because the people around us are not even aware of the battle’s were fighting on the inside. I think that’s why the Apostle James told us to “confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.” (Jam. 5:16 NASB) He understood that confessing our sins to each other was a matter of life and death and that by doing so, we would not have to fight those battles alone. “Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken” (Eccl. 4:12NIV).

Take your pick. They all boil down to one of these: Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Sloth, Wrath, Envy, and PRIDE (Rom. 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.); and all of these things lead to death (Physical and Eternal). But take heart, because the other side of that Romans 3:23 verse is Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” WE HAVE A SAVIOR and a way out! That my friends is the greatest joy of being a Christian. We’re still going to die physically because we live in a world ravaged by the effects of sin. There’s no escaping it. But we (our souls), as believers in Christ, will live on in Eternity with our LORD Jesus Christ; being forever in His Presence and in His Light and in His Perfect Love in a little place He’s gone to prepare for us called Heaven. That is the Gospel. For those who have ears to hear… let them hear and believe. Amen.