"Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training.  They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever."  1 Corinthians 9:25

I think the idea expressed in what Paul writes above is one of the more cumbersome ideas to live out.  Here's why:  we preach the gospel (as we should) and proclaim that salvation will never, ever be a result of our own works (which is of utmost truth and high priority).  But then we are stuck with this idea that "works" are bad and it carries over into how we live our lives after we believe in Jesus and receive the full impact of the gospel.  That's why, when we begin to preach or teach on the idea of some types of "disciplines" for the follower of Jesus that people get scared or intimidated - or worse.  But discipline, or training, is a natural part of our existence in this life, and is also a natural way of existence in the Kingdom of God.

If I want to learn to type, or hit a baseball, or speak German, or become a discus thrower, or drive, then I will need some training.  I will have to "work" at it.  This isn't a bad thing; it's the natural thing to do.  In fact, it's the only way.  We simply can't learn to do all these things automatically - it will require effort and training and discipline.  Simply put, training or discipline is just a vehicle to learn to do what we could not already do naturally.  That's why Paul says in the verse above that those who compete in games (think Olympics, that was more in line with what Paul was referring to) need to go into strict training.  In other words, they exert effort through exercising their muscles, stretching those muscles, eating certain foods, abstaining from certain foods, and getting proper rest.  As a result, they are prepared for the task at hand.  Paul then teaches us that athletes train to get a perishable crown (it was usually a wreath for the head - basically the ancient version of a gold medal), but "we do it" to get a crown that will last forever.  We do what?  Train.

I know this may strike you as odd, but Jesus trained too.  Putting aside the unanswerable theological question of when (as in what age) Jesus knew He was the Messiah, we read something interesting in Luke 2:52, "And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men."  At this point, Jesus was 12 years old (a significant time in the life of a Jewish boy as he moves from child to man).  He had stayed back in Jerusalem after the Feast of Passover, even though his parents had left and were making their way with a caravan of people back to Nazareth.  They traveled a full day, then realized Jesus wasn't with them.  When they finally found him back in Jerusalem a couple of days later, He was in the Temple (His Father's House).  And guess what he was doing: "After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions" (Luke 2:46).  He was training.

We see from Paul, and certainly from the life of Jesus, that training is not a bad thing - discipline in the way of Jesus is not a bad thing.  It's the normal thing.  But how do we reconcile that to the fact that "works" is not a part of our salvation.  Well, maybe we should look at it this way as we understand what "works" really means.  As Dallas Willard aptly put it: "God is not opposed to effort, He is opposed to earning."  Did you catch that?  One is an action ("effort") and the other is an attitude ("earning").  To take action in the way of Jesus is simply to reflect an understanding of what the Kingdom of God really is; namely, God in action.

So don't fear training.  Some of you already do it in the normal course of your life.  You are trained at work.  Maybe you are studying (training) at school.  Or possibly you are someone who exercises frequently.  In all of these cases, you already understand training.  Now job number one for you and I is to make sure that our training in the way of Jesus is the priority.  Paul said it this way: "For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise both for the present life and the life to come" (1 Timothy 4:8).

"Apart from Me, you can do nothing." - Jesus

I was reading recently about the top selling Christian books of the new millenium.  Since we are a decade into it, it was interesting to review what the general populace in the Christian community has been consuming.  It gives us a good idea of what we are thinking.  Of the top 100 titles, over 50 of them were about family/marriage/parenting, with basically the rest being about the self (you know, how to be the best "you" you can be).  Of the few remaining titles, there were 6 about the Bible and 4 about evangelism.  But here is the one that stopped me cold - of the top 100 titles in Christian book sales for the new millenium, 3 were about Jesus.  Three.

Seems maybe we have forgotten that Jesus said we can do nothing without Him.  Nothing.

But it appears that we beg to differ.  To be more ruthlessly honest, it appears that I beg to differ at times.  It seems that we act as if we can do this "Christian" thing on our own - just work a little harder, have a bit more discipline than the next guy, etc.  It's as if we think that Christianity is our effort to be like Jesus.  It's not.  That's the opposite of the gospel.  Christianity is not our effort to be like Jesus, it is Jesus' effort to be Himself in us.  You might want to read that last sentence again.

As Leonard Sweet pointed out, Jesus didn't even try to live His life on this earth by His own power.  He said "Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself...", and in another place Jesus said "I can of Myself do nothing" (see John 5:19, 30).  So, since Jesus could do nothing of Himself, what did He do?  He said it this way, "Whatever the Father does the Son also does", and again, "I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me."  And finally, "Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me?  The words I say to you are not just my own.  Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work" (see John 5:19, 8:28, 14:10 respectively).

Jesus lived his life through the indwelling of the Father.  So do you really think that Jesus is going to tell us to live our lives any differently?  That somehow we should live our lives on our own, in our own strength, and just try to "copy" Jesus?  Good luck - that is the recipe for abject failure.  "Trying to be like Christ" is not only hard, it is impossible.  Only Christ can be like Christ.  And that's the point.  He indwells us.  He lives in us.  And He wants to live His life out through us.

So we could take all the great information from all of the books in the bestseller list and put it into practice.  We could have better parenting skills, better communication in marriage, and all other kinds of ways to get some "self-help."  But, in the end, apart from Jesus we can really do nothing.  When the life of Jesus is being lived out in us, we will be better spouses, parents, and people -  because it manifestly becomes bigger than ourselves, it becomes about Jesus and His power.

We need to step out of our "youniverse" and into Jesus' universe.  Everything, and I mean every thing, is for Him, through Him, in Him, and by Him.  He must have the preeminence.  If we don't allow that, the alternative is not good:  we begin to drown in the pool of narcissism while thinking what great swimmers we are.  The "youniverse" is nothing more than a black hole.

"No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also." 1 John 2:23

You may be guessing, by the title of this post, that I am going to rant about how unfair it is that there is a debate about whether or not we can have a National Day of Prayer, and how the stupid federal court system is actually entertaining the idea that this day is unconstitutional, and how the President cancelled the annual Presidential prayer service this year, or how Franklin Graham got disinvited to the Pentagon because of his remarks about Islam being violent.  But I'm not.  I am going to talk about something a little different than those things (and "those things" can be rightly dialogued about by others).

It might be weird to say that I don't really care about the National Day of Prayer or what happens to it.  So I won't say that.

What I will say is that I don't have a ton of emotional capital tied up in this day, and I will explain why.

First, it is the National Day of Prayer...not the National Day of Christian Prayer.  The idea from President Truman, which was formally adopted by Congress and stated in a declaration on June 17, 1952, was to "turn to Almighty God for help and guidance."  I think it is great that we live in a country where that type of declaration can be made legally and within the confines of our political system.  But the Almighty God to whom President Truman is referring is not necessarily the Almighty God to whom everyone else in 2010 is referring.  The country at that time (1950's) was much more homogeneous, specifically the religious culture.  Not so today.  We are a broad swath of faiths/religions/spiritualities/non-religions.  And while it is great to live in a country that can make these declarations (which are consistent with the fouding of our country), it also means that this same sword can pierce the sword-bearer as well.  This country can also declare a "National Day of Non-Prayer" theoretically.  The bottom line - I just don't think it is the job of government to make religious policy because it usually turns out to be a rather toxic stew.

Second, the idea that the government had in doing this (be it President Truman, or later President Reagan who formalized the actual first Thursday in May as the official day) was, to quote President Reagan, for the "citizens of this great nation to gather together on that day in homes and places of worship to pray, each after his or her own manner, for unity of hearts of all mankind" (bold, mine).  Sounds great at first glance.  But even though the sentiment is nice (as well as politically expedient), it is not consistent with our understanding of God the Father as revealed in Jesus.  Can you picture it?  A gathering outside the City Hall in each city where American Muslims, American Hindus, American Mormons, American Buddhists, American Wiccans, and American Christians all take time to pray for the unity of hearts of all mankind.  Obviously, as Christians, we have a responsibility to live peaceably with our neighbors and to show them the love that the Father showed the world through His Son, Jesus.  In that sense, this would be a good thing.  But, here is where I say what nobody wants to say, and what would be termed as highly politically incorrect: We would not all be praying to the same G(g)od.

From the politician's stance, I could see where they would say "so what?"

From the media's perspective, I could see where they would say "well, I guess it couldn't hurt anything...it's nice to see people getting along."

But from the Christian's perspective, it disturbingly muddies the waters of the gospel - a gospel that says that we can only know God through His Son, Jesus Messiah (Christ).

Now, I say all of that to simply give some context as to why I don't rant about the goings-on surrounding the possible expulsion of the National Day of Prayer.  I am glad it exists today, and I have participated in the event formally and informally over a number of years (praying to the Father as revealed in the Son through the power of the Spirit).  I don't even wish it to go away, as I rather appreciate the privilege to pray in public with others.  But this type of thing isn't the job of the government (though I appreciate the sentiment from which it came).  It is the job of believers, specifically in my faith context, of Jesus followers.  Who we are as Christians should never get lost in a sea of political ecumenism for the sake of "unity".  I am Christian because I love, follow, and embrace Jesus as the revelation of God to us - the Messiah of Israel and the true Lord and Savior of all men and nations.

I don't need prodding from the government (be it mine or anyone else's) to pray to Him.  Our very existence is tied up in Him, so prayer is not some formal exercise needing to be buttressed by Congressional and Presidential declaration - it is the lifeline for the believer and should be engaged every day.

So, by all means pray.  Pray today on the National Day of Prayer.  Pray, as I have, for our President, other political leaders, families, churches, soldiers, and anything/everything you want to pray about/for.  But pray for these things/people, not because you have one day to do so, but because you have a relationship to the Father through His Son, Jesus, everyday.

"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things."  Philippians 4:8

Reading the Bible is an adventure for me.  Sometimes it's like an amusement park where I soar in the adrenaline of the roller coasters.  Other times it feels like a hike up a mountain - the air gets thin and I get a bloody nose.  Still other times it is akin to a middle school dance: I unashamedly love the music but feel really awkward on the dance floor (plus, I still have have some "space dust" crackling in my mouth and sticking to my last remaining baby tooth).

But reading Philippians 4:8 today was more like a tour of an art museum - you have to see and think beyond what you saw and thought.  The Scripture is art - beautiful in and of itself.  But this Scripture before us tells us not to think about the Scripture before us, but instead to think about other things.  Beautiful things.  So often, we miss these types of invitations in the masterful artwork known to us as Scripture.  We often memorize it and read it and teach it.  Sometimes we just forget to do it, and that is the greater thing indeed.

Paul tells us in this passage not to memorize what he says here.  Nor are we specifically told to teach it (though, of course, that is fine).  What we are told to do is to think about some things - beautiful things.  Pure things.  Lovely, admirable, praiseworthy things.

So I started thinking about beautiful things.  And lots of things came to mind.

My wife on our wedding day.  My wife every other day since.  The artistry of both of my boys when they are playing baseball.  The taste of apple pie.  The feeling I get sitting on blankets with family and friends watching a show in shorts and flip-flops weather.  The smell of babies after they have taken a bath.  The sound of Eric Clapton's guitar.  The lyrics to "Make You Feel My Love."  The connection my heart feels to a cello.  The view of Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives.  Switzerland.  The smell of books.

I could go on and on, and so could you.

So, why the exercise?  Why does Paul tell us to think about such things?  Well, I don't know precisely.  Presumably, there is layer upon layer of reasons - many of which you could articulate.  But the one that resonates with me the loudest is the one that I have asked many times in my life, even from times of adolescence.

What makes these things beautiful?  Where did all the beauty come from?

Obviously, I know the answer to that question.  But that is not the point really; important for sure, but not the point.  Intellectually understanding that all the beauty comes from God and is a gift of God and is tied up in God doesn't satisfy us completely.  It is an incredible thing to see the beauty - incredible indeed - but there is a desire, a longing, for something more.  At this point, I must yield the floor to the great C.S. Lewis:

"We want so much more - something the books on aesthetics take little notice of.  But the poets and the mythologies know all about it.  We do not want merely to see beauty, though, God knows, even that is bounty enough.  We want something else which can hardly be put into words - to be united with the beauty we see, to pass into it, to receive it into ourselves, to bathe in it, to become part of it."  (The Weight of Glory).

This beauty that we see, we want to enter into.  Humanity's secret is exposed by beauty - the longing of our hearts that we attempt to articulate but cannot describe.  We want to be where the beauty is - where the light is; to live in it and breathe it in.  We sense a resonance with beauty far beyond us, yet it feels like home - as if, for some inexplicable reason, we were made for it.  Again, Lewis:

"It was when I was happiest that I longed most...The sweetest thing in all my life has been the longing...to find the place where all the beauty came from." (Till We Have Faces).

This, I suspect, is the invitation of beauty: To find the place where all the beauty came from.  The road of beauty is designed to lead to God. 

Think about such things.

It's official.

I am the worst blogger of the cosmos.  I received the award today at 4:29pm.  The award was presented by me, to me.

Some of the award criteria were things like: Doesn't care that people check their RSS feed for your new installment, will sometimes go a month and a half without even a shout out to those who read, and mocks all readers by writing about a faux award to make them (him) feel better.

While I accept this award with the requisite humility, I also wanted you to know that I think I am going to do a blog entry by the end of the week that is legitimate.  I think.  Not sure.  Could be another month.

"I ask then: Did God reject his people?  By no means!"  Romans 11:1a

I just got back from my 4th trip to Israel late last night.  As I type this, my body is on a different clock (so if anything seems unusual or is a run-on or seems non-sensical or zany or goofy or partially unintelligible or superfluous or a cacophony of paradoxical juxtapositions....well, just blame it on jetlag..).

I love Israel, and I love the people.  And, I am bothered by some things.  Specific things.  Like doctrines that teach that God is done with Israel.  I must admit that I don't fully understand the ways of God with the people of Israel, but I am beginning to discern more and more an insipient anti-Jewishness creeping into Christian theology and philosophy.  This kind of thing has a long history (yes, even to some of the early church fathers), but can be seen to play out in various theological constructs in our contemporary setting.

I have often read the idea that the Church has replaced Israel in the economy of God.  It kind of goes like this: "Israel was God's chosen instrument to display God's glory among the nations.  Israel failed.  Jesus came and fulfilled everything Israel wasn't.  Jesus gave birth to the Church and kicked Israel to the curb."  In some circles this is known as "replacement theology" (also known formally as supersessionism).  My definition is lame and simple, but succinct enough to get the point.

I (have you noticed that I have started four consecutive paragraphs with the word "I"?  Ok, I mean the letter "I"?  That's probably bad....but this is a blog...my blog, so I guess I can say whatever I want.  And, I turn off the comments section anyway b/c I can't respond to everyone who reads my blog and wants to comment.  But starting four consecutive paragraphs with "I" is stupid...I'm sure you would agree.  I'm tired.)....... love the Church.  The nature of the Church being the "new man" of the two (Jew and Gentile) is one of the great mysteries of God's grace.  But I still contend that Romans 9-11 is in the Bible to remind us that God is not finished with Israel, and that He hasn't cast them aside for good.

Our appreciation for Israel should be high.  Let's name a few things: 1. our Scriptures are Jewish (almost entirely), 2. Messiah Jesus is from the Jews, 3. Israel is the olive root into which we are grafted (Rom.11:11-24), 4. they were the nation chosen in God's Sovereignty to be the people of God on earth, 5. Israel is the geographical location for our Lord's rule over the earth, 6. Our God is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  I am sure we could find many, many more, but there is an appreciable sample.

That said, it doesn't mean that we would approve of every move that national, political Israel makes.  Nor does it provide some kind of carte blanche excuse for any type of injustice, or a need to take a back seat in the things of Jesus.  Nor does it make the Church some secondary class of the people of God (since Peter tells the Church the same thing written of Israel in the Hebrew Bible - note 1 Peter 2:4-12).  But while all of those things are true, we should still recognize that Israel is important to God by His own sovereign choice.

If God cast Israel aside, after making an everlasting covenant with her (note Abraham), who is to say He won't do the same with the Church?  I think suggesting that Israel has been forever cast aside is an affront to the faithfulness of God.  Paul even says as much when he states, "I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of Gentiles has come in.  And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: 'The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob.  And this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins'." (Romans 11:25-27).

Going to Israel causes one to ponder some of these rich realities.  For me, it causes me to be drawn in to a God who is so far beyond my conceptual ability.  I swim in the vast ocean of His sovereignty and His mercy, and I pause to thank Him for the grace He has shown us in Messiah Jesus.

"He said (to me, Isaiah), 'Go and tell this people: Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.  Make the heart of this people calloused; make their ears dull and close their eyes....' Then I said, 'For how long Lord?'"           Isaiah 6:9-11(partial)

I have been reading through the book of Isaiah of late.  It's not the easiest book to read, since it necessitates some knowledge of both redemptive and geographical history.  There are alot of cities and nations mentioned in the book, and there is vast material on the promise of a Messiah - a Savior of Israel.  Good thing too - because there are definitely some scenarios in this book that are difficult, and from which people will need saving.

I remember when I was in New Orleans taking one of my seminary courses on the Old Testament.  My professor, himself an expert in the Old Testament (with specific arenas of expertise in the Wisdom literature of the Scripture), made the class very difficult for us.  Very difficult.  The volume of work was nearly beyond the capacity of a human, and the expectation of knowledge on the exams was beginning to surpass ridiculous.  Finally, as the class was drawing to a close for the term, I understood why this was so.  It was wrapped up in my professor's worldview of the Old Testament.  When asked by a student to summarize the whole of the Old Testament, he simply replied, "Life is hard."  Well now, that explains some things (but doesn't explain some others....like why I thought it funny to refer to myself as "Molech" for most of the term...).

As I am reading Isaiah, I can't help but come back to that simple statement of the Old Testament my professor gave us.  It certainly seems to ring true for Isaiah.  Being an Old Testament prophet had to be a hard job.  You got asked to do all kinds of things that were seemingly weird, like, say, walking around the town naked for a long time.  But you also had to basically have all the self-esteem and glory that you ever wanted thrown right out the window because if you were an OT prophet, you likely weren't going to be on Facebook or Twitter with a ton of "followers" (anybody else find the whole idea of wanting to amass followers of your every move on Twitter a bit...I don't know...awkward?...I digress...).

It would be hard to hear, like Isaiah did, that God wants you to go and be a voice for Him to the people - and, oh yeah, they aren't going to listen to you.  So God says He wants Isaiah to help him close ears and shut eyes by the actual message Isaiah will be proclaiming from God.  Sounds delightful doesn't it?  Just what you signed up for when you thought about making a career move to "full-time Christian ministry."

At times, I wonder if I have done a disservice to those watching me in ministry by not letting them know how hard it can be sometimes, and that God doesn't promise us that our ministries will be easy.  Comparable to Isaiah, I live in DisneyWorld in my ministry context.  But not everyone who is called will always be in this type of ministry context.  Some will be called to very difficult places and circumstances, others in less difficult ones.  God makes no promises on the front end to us.  He calls, and He expects us to respond in obedience.  What He chooses to do with us to use us for His glory to be displayed in the world is up to Him.  And even if we end up in what might be construed as an easier place, we never know what circumstances might come into play.  And we don't know how God might want to leverage all of it for His glory.

I also thought about how God calls me to a place much like Isaiah sometimes (minus, I hope, the "walking around naked" thing..).  God hasn't called me to make up a message for people - He has asked me to communicate what He has said.  Obviously, in the contemporary world of the closed canon, we have a message from God to proclaim.  But we need to be vessels that can carry the message with integrity.  Isaiah wasn't perfect, and neither are you or I, but we have a responsibility before God to be people who so desire to hear the heart of God that we won't trade that which is best for that which may be only good.

Maybe not all OT prophets were loners...but they did know how to get alone with God.  Maybe they all weren't without friends...but they did know that God would speak the truth to friend and enemy alike without fear.  And maybe they weren't all in hard circumstances all the time...but they did know that circumstances were whatever they were - their responsibility was to hold out the heart of God for people.

There are some lessons in there somewhere for all of us...not just the prophets among us.

I don't often use my blog for this type of thing, but today I wanted to pass along some information about two areas that we have been asked about frequently:  Haiti and Lockport (NY).

HAITI:

We continue to get reports from on the ground in Haiti, and the situation is still very dire and the infastructure is still non-existent.  Our team that is in the Dominican Republic is doing well, and everyone is fine.  Some of our team (and/or friends of our team) was in Haiti and felt some of today's aftershocks, but everyone is fine.  A portion of our team has been able to get supplies to a border town that SCORE (our partner on the ground) has contact with through a hospital.  Please continue to pray for the work going on there, and check out The Chapel's Facebook page to see a video on another one of the agencies we partnered with in Haiti.  At present, through many people's graciousness, we have put nearly $40,000 into the relief effort through a variety of reputable groups and churches on the ground.  As was communicated Sunday, when we have a more formalized plan for longer term involvement, we will communicate it to you.

LOCKPORT, NY:

As announced this past Sunday, we are going to be opening another campus in Lockport in the next few months.  This campus is a by-product of our mission - to see every man, woman, and child have repeated opportunities to hear and see the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Lockport has a distinctly unchurched population, and it is our desire to help change that along with some other wonderful partner churches in that area.  Pastor Matt Eisenhower will be our campus pastor for The Chapel at Lockport, and the teaching for that worship gathering will come from the CrossPoint campus via technology (and will be the exact same thing being taught at the CrossPoint campus - at the same time).

There will be an informational meeting for all of those folks from Lockport that would be interested in participating in our new campus.  That meeting will occur DURING each worship gathering at 9am or 11am in the Andrews Chapel right off the atrium.  So, if you would like to attend one of the meetings, then plan to worship at one hour and attend the meeting at the other hour.  Pastor Matt Eisenhower will be there to talk about the vision for this campus, and Pastor Daryl Largis, our Executive Pastor, will address the group as well.

I would encourage you to go to our Chapel Facebook page and check out the announcement of this project, the introduction of Matt and his wife Becca, and some facts about this new campus location.

Continue to pray for God to demonstrate His work in Haiti, and here in Western New York.

"Love must be sincere.  Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.  Be devoted to one another in brotherly love.  Honor one another above yourselves.  Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.  Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.  Share with God's people who are in need.  Practice hospitality."  Romans 12:9-13

As I have watched the unfathomable human tragedy in Haiti over the last couple of days, my mind and heart can't help but be stirred to think about many things.  I won't detail all the things that have gone on in my head and heart, but I realize that there is something that everyone has in common in these situations - we most often ask the question "Why?"  Maybe more specifically, we ask the question "Why, God?"

I wish I had an answer for you.  I don't really.

Some have offered answers.  One Christian broadcaster went so far as to say that God brought this on the people of Haiti because they made a deal with the devil when they gained their independence from France.  Another broadcaster has talked of how our President will use this tragedy for political gain.  I think both responses couldn't be farther from the point, nor relevant to the immediate human need that exists in Haiti.  To be honest, I wish both of these folks would have just shut up about all this other stuff and used their platforms to encourage people to get involved in helping the people of Haiti.  They can talk about all the other irrelevant stuff later.

What I suggest to people to do in these situations is to ask, "What would God want me to do right now?"  Maybe you are to pray.  Maybe you are to contribute financially to an aid agency.  Maybe, when it is accessible, you are to go over to volunteer in the aftermath.  I don't know what it might be for you, but we can't close our ears to the incredible pain of human need.

Here in our faith community, we are leveraging people and resources to assist in the near term.  We have a team of people on medical mission who are in the Dominican Republic (it shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti), and another team set to leave tomorrow morning.  It is possible that some of our second team will adjust their schedule and make an effort to get into Haiti.  Either way, we are still funneling resources (money and supplies) to the needed organizations on the ground in Haiti.  If you are part of our faith community, you will hear details about that on Sunday - if you are not, then I am sure you are thinking about ways you can participate in the alleviation of suffering in Haiti.

Action is required first, so that's why I mention it first.  But action will give way to contemplation at some point, and the questions about life, God, humanity, suffering, evil, and good will all come to the forefront of people's minds.  When they do, I hope you are ready to point them in the right direction.

Should you need some help with that, I have tried to address the topic before (in the aftermath of a local tragedy - the crashing of a commercial airplane into our community in February of 2009 that killed all 50 people on board as well as the owner of the home into which the plane crashed).  You can find that discussion here: http://theater.thechapel.com/play/?p=297&title=The_Mystery_of_Tragedy.

At the end of the day, I don't fully understand all the workings of God in the world, or the workings of evil.  But one thing I do know - that the cross of Jesus Christ stands as the revelation of God's character, and His unparalled love for humanity.  If you wonder where God is in all of this suffering, look no further than the cross.  Once you experience the reality of that kind of love offered for you, it will move you to action to show that love to humanity. 

"Do not wear yourself out to get rich; have the wisdom to show restraint."  Proverbs 23:4

Restraint is not a particularly popular word in the English lexicon anymore.  The word itself implies that there are impulses that must be held back or controlled, and that you can't always get what you want (to quote the Stones).  That is not an enjoyable thought for a generation of people that have what they want whenever they want - at least to a degree.

While you could probably think of a hundred examples to every one I mention, the fact that we have what we want whenever we want can be seen readily:

* If you want food, pick up a phone and have them bring it to you

* You need to buy a Christmas present?  Just log on, buy it, and have them send it to you

* No need to stop and ask for directions ever again (awesome! now I don't have to interact with humans!), just use your GPS

* Need anything else?  There's an app for that.

You have thought of a zillion more examples I'm sure.  And all of those examples makes the word restraint seem so antiquated...so irrelevant....so....dial up.

But the ancient wisdom writer who penned Proverbs 23 knew that restraint was one of the most important principles that we could embrace.  He realized (sooner or later) that having everything you want all the time doesn't yield the life you hoped to have - in fact, it steals it....sours it.

I don't often ask you to do this (or, for that matter, to do anything), but if you are reading this, would you be so kind to grab a Bible (some of you, like me, have the Bible on your phone - you can get it for free you know...just sayin'...).  I want to show you the examples of restraint that the wisdom writer uses in Proverbs 23.

1.  He teaches us to have restraint when we eat (v.1-3,6-8) - Wow, who ever said the Bible wasn't relevant?  We live in a culture (America) that is growing alarmingly obese.  I don't know all of the reasons, but I do know the common sense one - we eat way too much.  We don't show any restraint at the table.  Could it be that this is a product of having whatever we want whenever we want it?  I don't think it is the sole reason, but I do think it is a major contributor.

2.  He teaches us to have restraint in our pursuit of money (v.4-5) - Riches are temporary, not eternal.  Riches can't satisfy the human soul, it can only temporarily appease the cravings of our sinful flesh (and the more we feed those cravings, the bigger the appetite becomes).  It is a monster that can never be fed enough - it will just continue to consume.  Restraint teaches us to know when we have enough, and to be content with it.

3.  He teaches us to have restraint with our power (v.10) - Just because we can overwhelm someone with our power (our wealth, our position, our influence, our strength) doesn't mean we should.  This is an issue of justice, and justice is something God takes seriously.  God will defend the cause of the powerless, and He will be their justice (either now or later), so those who have power should use it to serve and love, not to domineer or promote selfish gain.

4.  He teaches us to have restraint as a parent (v.13-18) - Part of restraint is discipline.  As parents, we are instructed to discipline our children (in love, not in wrath).  Some parents, through either laziness or a philosophy that doesn't worry about restraint, let their children run their lives (and seemingly the lives of everyone around them - they live on planet "ME").  Kid CEO's in the house is a bad philosophy according to the Bible - our role as parents is to restrain them in arenas that are harmful to them, and we foster that through loving discipline.

5.  He teaches us to have restraint with strong drink (v.19-21,29-35) - If you read this (and I hope you are), you see a bleak picture of the person who drinks too much.  It almost seems comical when we read it, but it is not meant as comedy.  Alcohol is an escape for many people - they want to forget their problems or responsibilities.  The problem is, they create new problems for themselves and others.  I watched my boys listen to some of the drunks at the Bills game the other day - guys and gals who were making no sense, speaking jibberish, and acting ridiculous.  It's a sad reminder of the way we try and fill the gaping hole in our heart.

6.  He teaches us to have restraint sexually (v.26-28) - Though this is taught from a father to a son, it is applicable for men and women (or boys and girls as it were).  Interesting, wouldn't you say, that a teaching from 3,000 years ago still has as much relevance today (if not more relevance).  Sexuality outside the plan of God in marriage of a man and woman is a grenade with the pin pulled looking for a place to detinate.  Enjoy all that comes with marriage - have a blast, be creative.  But keep the fire in the fireplace because that is where it belongs - if the fire gets into the rest of the house you have huge trouble on your hands.  Having all we want whenever we want it in this area is death to us.

There are a few others in this chapter I could draw out, but you get the sense of the chapter.  I don't want to apologize for restraint.  It's not a bad word.  It's a word associated with wisdom.  So, while you and I enjoy life, live it to the full and for the glory of God, and drink in the experiences that God gives to us, let's make sure that walking alongside us in this life is the beautiful lady called "Wisdom" who loves to whisper a word in our ear - Restraint.

"Be very careful, then how you live - not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil."     Ephesians 5:15-16

You can't watch tv any day in the last few days and not hear something about Tiger Woods.  Unfortunately for him, his guarded private life has gone very public - as have his indiscretions.  Marital infidelity happens every day to a variety of people, so I am not altogether shocked that it happened to Tiger Woods as well.  He may be the greatest golfer of all time (arguably), and he may have incredible professional discipline, and he may have more money than many third world countries, and he may have a beautiful wife and family....but, he still did what he did.  No matter how private we like to keep our sins, sin is never private - it always wreaks damage beyond ourselves.  I feel for Tiger's wife and family, and do hope Tiger is able to reconcile.  More than that, I hope through this he finds Christ.

Tigers can't compete with Lions.  The Bible teaches that our Enemy, Satan, is like a roaring lion seeking who he might devour.  We may think we are strong and disciplined, but our Enemy is crafty indeed.  Very crafty.  That's a part of why we are taught to be careful how we live - because the days are evil and are often influenced by the Evil One.

Even those in "ministry" or who are long time followers of Jesus aren't immune to the attacks of our Enemy, the lion.  And one of the ways that he attacks is in the arena of marriage.

Just this week, I have received information about some friends in ministry who are married but have seperated.  Another friend, who is a pastor, had a falling out with his wife, snapped, and ending up taking his own life.  He had three children.  I wish he didn't believe in that last moment the lies of the lion - somehow thinking that taking his life was better than any alternative or the hope of reconciliation.  The whole thing just makes me heart sick, because I know that was not the way he lived his life - he had, to that point, allowed the trajectory of his life to be centered in the glory of God.

People don't get into these positions overnight.  It's not usually just one conversation, or argument, that leads to something so drastic as cheating on a spouse, or seperating, or taking your own life.  It is usually a product of multiple days or months or years even.  That's why we need to make the most of every opportunity, and take great care how we live.  Because what happens to us is never private.  There are spouses involved, there are kids involved, there are churches, and fans, and families, and communities involved too.

So, wives, may I say something to you?  Please show respect to your husband (Eph.5:33).  You may think he doesn't deserve respect right now, and you may be right.  But, you didn't deserve the grace and love of Jesus either, yet God granted it to you.  Your response is to do the same.  Don't badmouth him or talk him down.  Don't nag him like he is a child (even if he is acting like one).  Thank him for his provision/contribution to your family.

Husbands, how about us?  We have a responsibility to love our wives with the same self-sacrificial love that Jesus has shown to us (Eph.5:25-33).  Tell her she's pretty.  Tell her how great a mom she is.  Tell her you love her - and show her you love her.  Care for her and serve her with the heart of Jesus.  Lead with honor, nobility, gentleness, and respect, but (for crying out loud) LEAD.  Show your wife and family your commitment to Jesus, and lovingly lead them in that way.

This matters deeply.  Why?  Because the days are evil, so we need to be careful how we live - we need to be full of the wisdom that comes from God.  There is a lion who is ready to pounce, and he wants to do damage.  And it won't be a private damage, it will affect much more than just you.  Don't underestimate the lion, even if you think you are a tiger.  Your strength is weak compared to him, but your submission to God will be the power you need.  James 4:7 reminds us of this - "Submit yourselves, then, to God.  Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."

"The disciples had forgotten to bring bread, except for one loaf they had with them in the boat."  Mark 8:14

Let me go ahead and get this out of the way so I can get on to making some reasonably spiritual points about the above passage:  I just don't ever want to hear the word "loaf" associated with food for any reason.

There are a number of reasons for this (as you probably can imagine).  I can handle hearing the phrase "a loaf of bread", but when loaf starts making its way into other things I start to get a bit squeemish (Meat Loaf, Cheese Loaf, Sausage Loaf, Pimento Loaf, etc.).  Since I am already talking about stupid stuff, let me go ahead and offer a few other words that never have to enter a conversation about food: congealed, chutney, casserole, and ghoulash would be among them.  Yuk.  Saying them makes me nauseous.

Anyway...

Jesus is in a boat one day with his closest followers.  He has just recently fed four thousand men (not including women and children) out of just a few pieces of bread and fish.  It was miraculous.  And it wasn't even the first time - some time before Jesus had done the same thing with five thousand men.  His disciples got to see it all.

But following this second great feeding, Jesus is having a conversation with the self-righteous religious leaders of his day (called "Pharisees").  They wanted him to give them a sign from heaven - Jesus said no.

So, now on a boat with his closest followers, he tells them to beware of the "yeast" of the Pharisees - essentially telling them that the wrong thinking the Pharisees have about God and His Messiah can seem small but can penetrate the whole of their thinking if they aren't careful (just like a little yeast leavens the whole dough).

As happens from time to time in the reality show life of the disciples, they miss the point.  They think Jesus is talking to them about "yeast" because they didn't remember to bring any additional bread with them for the trip - all they have is one loaf.  So, they argue amongst themselves as to whose responsibility it was to get the additonal bread ("hey Thomas, if you would have stopped shoving fish down your pie hole for a minute maybe you would have remembered to get some bread for our trip" followed by "Oh yeah? I was doing you a favor - you need some additional carbs like you need a hole in the head").  Jesus, hearing their conversation, basically says "Do you not get it?  You think I am talking about the need to bring bread?  Haven't you seen me feed 5,000 men followed later by feeding 4,000 men and we had plenty leftover?  Do you think I am worried about you bringing more bread?"

He basically told them they were blind.  Then, when they got out of the boat, Jesus (as he so often did) illustrated in a very earthy way what he was trying to teach them.  He meets a blind man and heals him of his blindness so that he can see clearly.  After that, Jesus is walking with his gang, and he asks them who people say He is.  "John the Baptist", says one.  "I have heard people call you Elijah" says another.  "Other people are calling you one of the prophets" the last one calls out.  So, Jesus asks them a pointed question: "Who do you say I am?"  Peter, the spokesman of the group, answered.  "You are the Christ."

I think that is the thing He wanted them to understand all along.  It wasn't so much about signs, though they have a purpose.  It is about the One to whom the signs point.  When he was with them in the boat, they thought He was worried about not having enough bread.  What He wanted them to realize is that the One Loaf they had in the boat was enough because, I think, it was Him.  He was their Messiah, their sufficiency, their Bread of Life.  It took them a while to see it.

And it takes us a while too.  Sometimes we think we need more than Jesus.  We forget that He is our sufficiency.  He is all we need.  But in the words of C.S. Lewis, "The man who has God and everything else has no more than the man who has God only."

The One Loaf - our Bread of Life - is sufficient for us.

"The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.  Elijah was a man just like us.  He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years.  Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops."  James 5:16b-18

First, to both people that probably read this blog (like my Mom...and maybe one friend that my Mom has badgered to death with the "you would really enjoy some of my son's writings" spiel), I want to apologize for being the least caring and least conscientious blogger in the history of the blogosphere.  Sometimes I am good for a blog a week - sometimes it's a blog a month.  Truth is, though, I confess to my stress level being around negative 42 when I am not popping them out every week.  I will, however, try to do better - for both of my faithful readers.

Now, on to things somewhat more pressing....

I don't feel much like Elijah at all.

When I read what James wrote nearly 2,000 years ago, I almost pass out at the gall.  James says (it seems to me rather flippantly - though I know it's not flippant because it is inspired by the Holy Spirit) that Elijah was a man just like us.  More specifically, Elijah was a man just like me.  I'm not one for overreaction (normally), but this literally has my head spinning because there is no part of me that thinks that me and Elijah are "just like" each other.  Ok....we do have in common that we are human, and that we are males.  Past that.......I'm still thinking........still thinking.....nope, nada.

So, after James drops this little gem on me the other morning, I decide to take a look at how me and Elijah might stack up....which required me to make a left in my Bible and move back a few centuries into the pages of the Hebrew Scriptures (aka The Old Testament).  My travels took me to 1 Kings 17 where I am introduced to Elijah.  Here is how we are introduced to Elijah:

"Now Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, 'As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word."

Well, that is screaming negative numbers on the "me and Elijah are just alike" meter.  I have never prayed with that kind of faith and authority in all my life.  And even if I had, I probably wouldn't tell anyone - let alone announce it to the King of Israel like Elijah did.  Maybe if I keep reading, I will find some other things in common.

Nope, it gets worse.

1.  Elijah goes and lives by a brook where ravens feed him every day because God said so.  I am nothing like that.

2.  Elijah then gets commanded by God to have a widow from outside Israel provide for him.  I am nothing like that either.

3.  The widow's son dies, and Elijah prays and asks God to raise him back to life.  I have never prayed anything so bold.

4.  Elijah challenges more than 800 false prophets to meet him on Mount Carmel.  I just gave the bully my lunch money.

5.  Elijah prays a prayer to call fire down from heaven to show those false prophets whose God is God.  I would need a diaper.

6.  Elijah gets threatened right after that by a lady who says she is going to kill him - so he gets depressed and scared.  What?

I have never prayed those kinds of prayers, never taken those kinds of steps of faith, never acted with such courage for the glory of God.  I am nothing like Elijah....until he freaks out.  He gets scared, depressed even - tells God he wants to die.  He says he has had enough.

Man, I don't even think I have reacted like that - even in some of my most stressful times.  What at first seemed too ridiculous to be true (that me and Elijah are alike) - well, it may not be that far fetched.  Elijah is a man - just a man.  His strength and his power come only from God.

Thus, James says - "Elijah was a man just like us."  Just like us, he needed God for everything.  Just like us, he had to deal with the struggle of life.  Just like us, his strength was only a testimony to the grace of God in his life.

But James wants us to understand more about our similarity to Elijah than just identifying with his weaknesses.  James says that Elijah prayed and the miraculous happened - so, since we are like Elijah, if we will pray with the same faith and earnestness then God can/will do the miraculous on our behalf.  But Elijah's praying was not for his own benefit - it was for the glory of God, as ours must be.

I have no idea how to really pray like that...but the last few days have put in me a desire to learn.  Hope it does for you too.

"We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ.  To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me."  Colossians 1:28-29

On occasion, I have been known to use words or phrases that need looking up.  For some of them, I have created my own word and definition apparently - as much as I might argue to the contrary ("well, you must not have the newest edition of the dictionary or else what I said would be in there...").  Most of the time, however, it is my wife looking up words I said in a sermon (in fact, happened about 2 weeks ago most recently....actually is kind of fun for me now).  I have officially uttered the phrase "incipient Judaistic Gnostisicsm" in a sermon before...I know, what was I thinking?

Anyway, I like a well turned phrase as much as the next guy, but what I really dig in the Bible are those "enigmatic" phrases (I'll wait as you join my wife to grab a dictionary should you so need one....although I know that many of you will act as if you know what "enigmatic" means and just keep on going, which is fine if you want to be that way, but relatively self-deceptive don't you think?  Plus, I looked it up prior to using it just to make sure I was using it right).  I love it when the Scripture talks about being weak to be strong, or that Jesus became poor so we could be rich, or that the greatest will be least in the kingdom of heaven.  They are somewhat paradoxical really, yet also make us cry out in worship (which very well might make them a "paradoxology" perhaps....close the dictionary - not in there - I made it up......but it is a pretty good one, no?).

Paul uses an enigmatic phrase here in Colossians.  He says, "To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy.....".  That's just a counterintuitive statement.  To labor, to struggle - well, that means that we exhaust our energy on something.  But that's not what Paul says.  He says that he labors and struggles with his energy (and of course Paul is referring to Christ's energy).  That could be good news to people like you and me.

I can't tell you the number of times that I just feel fried.  I'm busy, over-committed sometimes, and I'm running on fumes.  "But it's all for God" I tell myself to try and ease the stress.  But that doesn't really work.  It may be all for God, but it's not all through God.  And I think I know why:

I have times in my life where I forget the gospel.  I don't forget the content of it - I remember that Jesus died, was buried, and was resurrected on the third day so that God might reconcile the world to Himself through Jesus - I simply forget the practical reality of the gospel.  I forget that Christ lives in me.  I forget that the power that raised Jesus from the dead is alive in my mortal body.  I forget that I have traded my life for His life.  Thus, I forget that I have a strength, an energy, a power at work in me and through me that is not my own.  So, it should be no surprise that Paul says that he labors and struggles with all of the energy that is not his own, but is rather the strength and energy of Christ.   Though it still requires sacrifice and work, living in and with the energy of Christ would be a good place to live.

The world needs more enigmas.  The gospel is an enigma.  Christ is an enigma.  Salvation is an enigma.  Grace is an enigma.  I want to be an enigma too, as I live my life with the energy of, and from, Christ.

"For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.  The last enemy to be destroyed is death."  1 Corinthians 15:25-26

Just this week alone, I have done two funerals.  That's two too many for the week.  That's two too many for a lifetime as far as I am concerned.

I don't know anybody who really likes funerals (and if I did, I wouldn't know them for very long).  But funerals don't bother me that much really - they simply become part of the warp and woof of what it means to be in vocational ministry.  No, it's not the funeral that bothers me - it's the reason for the funeral.

Bottom line: I hate death.

My hate for death is not so much based on the fear of my own.  I realize, unless Jesus chooses to come first, that I am going to go the way of the earth like everyone has before me.  I can accept that.  But I still hate it.

My hate for death is a bit deeper I think.  Clearly, there are many reasons I hate death.  It underscores, sometimes, the upside down nature of this life when parents bury their children instead of vice-versa.  It is always, one hundred percent of the time, inconvenient.  Death respects nobody - it is an impartial enemy.  If death were a fish, I would flush it down the toilet.  Were it a person, I would punch it in the mouth.

Now before you think about how unChristian my remarks sound, and want to talk about how we are to love our enemies, etc., let me set a few things straight.  First, I am not of the pastoral order that wants to talk about how "natural" and "beautiful" death is.  Nope, not going to find me talking about that.  Death is an enemy, it is not a friend.  In fact, Death is the enemy that I don't have to love, and I will tell you why: Because God hates it too. 

God is life.  Jesus said He was Life, and that He came to give Life (John 14:6; John 10:10).  And I can assure you, God hates death.  Death came through sin - and that is another thing God hates (sin).  Death is simply the evidence of a world gone wrong - of tragic human rebellion and pride.  It is the horrific aftertaste of forbidden fruit.  And it undoubtedly wasn't supposed to be this way.  The world God made was good.  It was beautiful.  Glorious.  Non-tragic.  But sin brings death.  And death is an enemy - of you, of me, and of God.

That's why God inspired the writer of 1 Corinthians to plainly state that death is an enemy of God.  John the Revelator also spoke of death as an enemy to be vanquished in Revelation 20:14: "Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire."

The fact that death is our enemy makes the destruction of this foe that much more satisfying.  Every time someone dies, it seems that the sting of death is felt by everyone - it's cold, it's final, and it feels like death has won.  As much as we hate to admit it, and as much as we tell ourselves of the story of victory, when death rears it's head, it's fangs are sharp and it's roar is loud.  It is an intimidating enemy.

That's why I am glad I am with Jesus.  He died.  He knows the sting.  But He didn't stay dead.  He got up and punched death in the teeth.  He knocked every bicuspid and molar straight out of death's mouth.  And because Jesus died and resurrected, there is coming a day when those of us who know Him will to.  That is when we will be able to sing this anthem of praise:

"Death has been swallowed up in victory.  Where, O death, is your victory?  Where, O death, is your sting?  The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.  But thanks be to God!  He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."