The Word Artificer

To Leave a Legacy

2012-01-20T18:19:00.001-06:00

I love how Television shows can put intense feelings and fears so easily into words that we find a hard time expressing.

As I was watching Bones there was an exchange that really got to me. Temperance and Booth are investigating the murder of a doctor. It turns out that the doctor was perhaps the greatest heart surgeon on the East Coast. Nobody has noticed that she was missing, no one has made a big deal that the greatest heart surgeon is dead.

Temperance is upset by this. It disturbs her. When she asks how it is that no one has remembered, the heart surgeon's supervisor responds with this line:

"'I will show you fear and a handful of dust.' T.S. Elliot. We don't actually fear death. We fear that no one will notice our absence. That we will disappear without a trace." (Bones Season 6, Episode 9)

How true is that? Men want to have children for many reasons, but one of the reasons is so that their name will live on.

It is the greatest dream for a musician for their work to live after they die.

We want to be remembered after for generations to come.

I like to write. I also like it when other people read my writings. I would love someday to have a book that was so good that it would live on after I cease living.

How do you think the writers of the Gospels feel? Their names live on forever, we remember Paul, Peter, John, and Luke.

It brings us to an interesting point. As Christians we are called to step back and let Christ shine through us. Yet we remember those original Apostles for the great things that they did.

Where is the line between separating my actions and what Christ is using me to do?

The book of Hebrews is one of my favorites in the Bible. It has great content, but that is not the only reason I like it so much.

I have a question for you. Who wrote Hebrews?

Can't answer it, can you? Paul, John, Luke, Barnabas, Apollos, Pricilla, or a handful of others have been speculated as the Author of Hebrews.

I think that's why I like it so much. We don't know who wrote Hebrews. This is a book that it truly not for the author's glory. This book is all for God's glory.

In the movie Joyful Noise one of the main characters is having a fierce debate with her mother. The topic of the debate? How do you step back and say I'm not doing this for my glory, but God's?

That's the real question in life, isn't it? How do I stand back and say This isn't me. This is God working through me. As always, let us seek our answer in Scripture.

Sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear.
-1 Peter 3:15

I think that verse tells us an awful lot. We should always act above reproach. I don't think we need to say after everything we do "Glory to God AMEN!"

No, I think it matter more how we act then what we say.

However, when anyone asks us questions like "Why are you doing this?" or "How did you get to be so good at this?" We shouldn't be selfish and say it's all us.

Yet wee need to be meek about it to, not like some rap singer thanking Jesus for their grammy.

Ultimately your legacy is like files saved on a flash drive. Remembered for a while, but eventually forgotten.

Do things for Christ, not to leave a legacy. You'll find more joy that way.

Tattooed

2012-01-16T17:22:00.003-06:00

Have you ever thought about getting a tattoo? Lots of people have them. When my cousin was 16 he got a large tattoo on his forearm of the Grim Reaper - scythe and all - holding a flaming world in his hands. Let me tell you, that artistic statement will be with him forever.

How would you like to be stuck with the tattoo in the pic above? Take a closer look and you'll know how bad it really is.

Like it or not, tattoos make a statement on our body that will be with us forever - even when we get old and wrinkly. A lot of folks have taken to getting Christian tattoos. A cross, the fish, the face of Jesus - you name it, folks have inked it on their body.

I have to admit, these make more sense to me then getting a butterfly on your big toe or your crushes name tattooed on your butt.

I really love the concept of getting a word tattooed. As a writer, I love words. I love the words that Christians tattoo on themselves - especially the meaning behind the words. Some Christians tattoo words such as "Grace, Forgiven, Love, Jesus, Repent, etc."

I've actually been thinking about getting a tattoo for a while. I know exactly which word I would choose.

In many of his letters Paul begins his introduction stating "I, Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ...." Depending on your translation Bondservant may also be translated as Slave, or Servant. So what is Paul saying? What does it mean to be a Bondservant of Christ?

The greek word that is used is Doulos.

According to my Bible Commentary Doulos is a slave, who has been freed by his master, but out of love chooses to serve still.

How beautiful is that? The master has said to his slave "You are free to go."

The slave, however, says "No, I don't want to go. I'm staying."

That's our Christian life, isn't it? Jesus has set us free from our sin. Because of that act we love Him so much that we choose to serve.

In Galatians I think Paul is speaking directly to the human condition:

For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ.
-Galatians 1:10

To be a Doulos we need to turn away from the world - from trying to live in the world and seek the pleasures from the world - and seek after God.

Christ has freed us. Will you choose to serve Him still?

If I were to get a tattoo it would be the word Doulos. What would yours say, and why?

The Leper Holds Nothing Back

2012-01-04T09:25:00.006-06:00

This year there is One Word I have chosen that I'm going to dwell on. This is the word that will guide my choices this year. Once again I want to give a shout out to My One Word. You can read more about it in my last post.

My One Word is All-In. Over the next few blog posts I'm going to be looking into the Gospel and finding examples of an All-In lifestyle, We're going to look at God fearing men and women who held nothing back.

To begin, I'm going to tell you a story. It's rooted in Mark 1:40-45.

There was this man, and he had a problem. You see, according to his peers he wasn't a man at all. He was unclean. He had leprosy.

Leprosy was a curse. Big green and yellow blotches would grow on the skin. Soon the inflicted lost feeling in their hands and feet. It wasn't long before they lost limbs to infection.

What's worse, leprosy was contagious. To have leprosy was to be ostracized from the community. Lepers often lived in their own little camps. When they went into town they had to yell "Unclean! Unclean!", warning everybody to stay away.

To have leprosy was to be marked for life. Leprosy was a death sentence.

It came upon a day that this particular Leper had heard some crazy tales about a man named Jesus. This Jesus fellow had just begun his ministry, and at this point in time was trying to keep his true nature on the down low.

It didn't matter, however. This Leper had heard all about Jesus. He had heard that Jesus was casting out demons, turning water into wine, and even healing those who were sick.

The Leper heard that Jesus was going to pass by a local town. Excited, yet nervous of what would happen, the Leper wrapped his cloak on tight and ran towards the city. He entered through the gate, yelling "Unclean!" as he went. He was given wide berth.

The leper found a secluded spot on wall and sat down to wait. He hoped he wasn't too late; this Jesus had to be coming.

The Leper fought the temptation to doze off as he waited for Jesus to come. Soon there was a commotion. Lots of people were moving down the street. This was his chance! Standing, the Leper surveyed the crowd. There was one man who was talking while the others listened. This had to be that Jesus fellow.

Running, the Leper got in Jesus’ way, fell to his knees, and threw back his cloak. The crowd gasped. This man had Leprosy. He was going to defile Jesus. “If You are willing," the Leper pleaded, "You can make me clean.”

Jesus looked town at the kneeling Leper. The Leper was holding nothing back. He truly believed he could be healed.

Compassion filled the heart of Jesus. He was moved to do the unthinkable. Jesus lay his hand on the Leper.

Gasps filled the small crowd. An old lady in the back feinted. The crowd had expected Jesus to send the man away. Instead Jesus had touched the Leper. In the minds of the people watching this was an unthinkable act.

“I am willing," Jesus said with authority, "be cleansed.” As soon as Jesus spoke something wonderful happened. Immediately the leprosy began to fade until there was only smooth, clean skin - no green blotches.

The Leprosy was gone. This man was no longer an outcast. Jesus had healed him completely.

Wow, what a story. The Leper is a perfect example of going all-in, of holding nothing back. The Leper knew that by approaching Jesus there was a good chance that those who lived in the city could stone him for contamination - after all, he was less than human.

It didn't stop the Leper.

The Leper had only heard rumors of this Jesus fellow. What if Jesus could not, or would not heal him? It didn't matter to the Leper. He saw his opportunity, and he took it.

The All-In lifestyle means holding nothing back. Be like the Leper - take a leap of faith, commit completely - the Lord will respond.

One Year. One Word.

2012-01-03T10:15:00.002-06:00

Three days into the New Year and I've already been brought to my knees by Jesus. He's humbled me, and it hasn't been painless. However, I have a feeling that it's going to lead to a great year.

Sunday night I made my weekly trek to church. Let me tell you - I was not prepared for the butt kicking the Lord was about to give me.

The Sermon was given by one of Hope's Elders: Mark Hintz. He told us the tale of his family. Last year his wife gave birth to a stillborn child. Through his story God brought me to my knees, and it was not a gentle process. He threw me to my knees.

That night, driving home, I didn't feel right inside. God had humbled me when I didn't know I needed to be humbled.

I was uncomfortable. Through Mark's story God was calling me to respond. I just didn't know how I was supposed to respond.

That was when my friends at Real Teen Faith directed me to a new movement for the New Year. Most people make resolutions. Resolutions generally are doomed before they even start.

Why? People pick a need in thier life and try to fix it. As a social worker I was taught that the best perspective was a Strength Based perspective. Look at what you're good at, not what you're doing wrong.

RTF directed me to My One Word. Instead of making a long list of resolutions, you pick one word that you want to live out for the year, and you focus on that one word.

Inside me God was calling me to respond. I sought for one word that could sum up that feeling. Through some soul searching and praying I found my one word for the year. The one word that I'm going to try to live out.

My one word is "All-In".
When it comes to my relationship with God this year, I want to be all-in, holding nothing back. When it comes to my relationship with others I'm betting the pot. This year, I'm all in.

Along with my one word God has revealed a scripture verse that will guide me.

"He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked."
-1 John 2:6

This year I'm going to be All-In with my walk. In my next few blog posts I'm going to be exploring how Jesus was All-In in everything that He did.

I challenge you to walk alongside me. What's your one word for the year? What verse are you going to focus on to be the person God wants you to be?

Join me on this journey. We can be who God wants us to be. You are not alone.

The Marathon We Run

2011-12-29T10:31:00.002-06:00

Today I was catching up on Don Miller's blog (Blue Like Jazz, Searching for God Knows What) and was struck by his post.

One of my favorite bands is MxPx. They've been with me for almost 20 years now, and their music has gotten me through a lot.

They have a song that always leaves me in awe when I listen to it. It's a song about my life, or so it seems.

I've been running for so long for all these years

There's not much point in holding back the tears

And now the tears fall right out of my face

Sometimes I feel like I'm the Energizer Bunny. I keep going and going. There comes a time where my batteries begun to die. But I can't stop to recharge them., I have to keep going. Eventually the running gets to us, and we crack.

I've forgotten what I'm running for

Maybe I'm running in place, running in place

There are so many times I feel like the above lyrics. Why am I running? Why do I feel that I have to do all the crap that I do? Is it accomplishing anything? Or am I running in place?

Seems like it's all been said a million times before

Seems like I've already been through the door

Why am I always running at this pace?

There are many times that I feel like I just need to slow down. I remember a particularly stressful time during school. I had to write paper x and y, and study for test z and a. There just wasn't enough time in the world. I wasn't sleeping in order to run the pace I had to. I had a friend tell me that I needed to slow down, take a break, and relax. Easy for them to say!

Exhaustion finally caught up with me and I decided to take a 30 minute nap. I set my alarm. Slept through it and woke up 2 hours later. At first I was upset, but then I realized that the pace I was setting for myself was a pace that was too fast. What pace are you running at right now? Maybe you need to slow down and smell the roses.

You walk, I run. You walk, I run.

I don't even think about it.

You walk I run. You walk, I run.

It's so easy to get caught up in the demands of the world and feel like you need to run a marathon to keep up. The worst is when you're moving a million miles a minute and it feels like everyone else is moving at a slow walk.

Perhaps there is a speed limit in place for a reason. Going to fast leads to accidents. Wouldn't the world be better if everyone took a deep breath and slowed down just a little bit?

If you're like me and in the middle of a sprint perhaps its time to slow down. I know, I know, there's not enough time to slow down!

Do you feel like you're running in place? Slow down and crack open the Bible. It's a great place to find direction.

Take a water break. Drink from the fountain of Life.

A Year In Review ... Kind Of

2011-12-28T10:52:00.002-06:00

Well, it's that time of the year again. You know what I'm talking about. The time when everybody and their brother's cousin makes a post talking about their life over the past year.

It's a time for people to look back and reflect on the highs and lows of their lives. If you had a great year it's the time that you're free to rub it (gently) in everyone's face. If you had a crappy year it's a time to reflect on the lessons that you've learned, as well as to get some additional support from your friends.

I have to admit, even I was tempted to do this. After all, it's freeing to look back at the highs and lows of the past year and re-experience them in our memories.

As I was contemplating doing this I began to think - I know, dangerous - and a very important question entered my mind.

Why one year? What makes one year so significant? Why don't folks do a month, week, or day in review? Okay, some people do, but honestly, who reads them? What makes a year so special?

A year is 52 weeks, 360 days, 8,765 hours, 525,948 minutes, or 31,556,925 seconds.

Yes, I did just post music from Rent in my blog. I'm as shocked as you are! It just seemed to fit, so go with it.

Anyways, back to my main point (wait, did I have a main point?) Why a year?

It's our human nature to look back. Our past does not define who we are going to be, but it does explain who we are now. Looking back at every single day in review would be tedious and time consuming. That's why we choose a year. In a year we can become a completely different person from who we were. In a year we can accomplish so much - or so little.

Let me put some things in perspective:

You know who Jesus is, right? It's a pretty cool dude. We like Jesus. He did so much while he was on earth. Jesus changed the world.

Jesus was 33 when He was crucified on the cross. He accomplished quite a lot in 33 years. Here's the kicker - Jesus was 30 when he started his Ministry. So everything that Jesus did - all the change He caused - was done in three years.

Yes, Jesus was God Incarnate, but so? Use Jesus as your example. We can either live the next year in a way that doesn't inspire change in the world, or we can be the change that we want to see - Just like Jesus was.

Are you ready to live the next year of your life in a way that's God honoring and bold? If not, why not? What's stopping you?

Flirted With You All My Life

2011-12-25T21:38:00.001-06:00

For most Christmas is a happy time of the year. It's the time of the year where we actively remember when Jesus came to the earth as an innocent babe to save our souls. Everybody seems to come together, be merry, celebrate, and give gifts.

It should be a happy time of the year, right?

I've been having a very hard time of it this year, and I finally figured out why. I'm waiting for the boot to drop. What do I mean? Looking back in my life December has been one of my hardest months every year.

In 2005 I was rushed to the hospital at 3am Christmas morning. I was in really bad shape, the doctors said that my life was in serious jeopardy. The cancer almost claimed my life.

In 2006 I lost my good friend, and example, Ryan Shuman to cancer. I still wear his braccelet as a reminder to the life he lived. It would be two short months later that I'd lose Laura Jahnke to cancer as well.

In 2008 I was suffering from serious, deep, dark depression and almost took my life.

This year has been full of lots of thinking and lots of memories. I recently found a musician who wrote music that tugs at my soul. His name is Vic Chestnutt. He has quite a story. When he was a young man he was in a car accident and became a paraplegic. He couldn't feel anything below his waist, and could barely move his hands.

Yet he didn't let that keep him down. Vic Chestnutt became an amazing song writer - his songs were performed by REM, Widespread Panic, Billy Bob Thorton, and others. He also had a musical career of his own, proving that one could overcome their limits.

One of the last song that Vic wrote was called "Flirted With You All My Life." In this song Vic tells the story of a love song. This is not your average love song, however. This is a song about a man who has courted death, who wants death to come, but has been rejected. In an interview Chestnutt said that he had tried suicide a couple of times before, but that it just hadn't took. Listen to the song - there is a beauty in its sadness.

Christmas Day, 2009 Vic Chestnutt took his life.

I find myself drawn to Vic's music, and his story. I listen to Flirted With You All My Life and am taken back to the days of my depression in 2008. It's not a bad thing, I've moved beyond the depression and suicidal thoughts that I had. Mostly I look back on the choices I made that led me to the deep hole. I now know how easy it is to think that taking your life is the only way out, and I give God thanks every day that he gave me strength to say no to the seductive call of death.

It's Christmas. I hear people say all the time "Jesus is the Reason for the Season" and "Put CHRIST back in CHRISTmas." Okay, sound nice. But what are they talking about? What does that look like?

I think Vic shows us exactly what it looks like. I think his song is what life is like without Christ. We spend our lives flirting with Death until Death wins and whatever afterlife awaits us ensues and we are judged for our sins. Not a pleasant love story.

Christ changes that. With Christ, I think Vic's song becomes a break-up song with death. Because Christ kissed death we no longer have to. Christ has taken the sting out of Death by dying for us, even though we don't deserve it.

I can close my eyes and picture a scene where we're dancing with Death. He has a smile on his face because he knows that he is about to win our soul. Then Christ taps Death on his shoulder and says "May I cut in?" The smile on Death's face drops as he knows that he's lost this love story. Because of Christ we can now break up with Death. Isn't it sweet?

Truly that is what Christmas is about - Christ cutting in on our dance with Death. Have you let Christ cut in yet?

The "Right" Thing

2011-12-21T13:12:00.003-06:00

In the breakroom of one of the sites I work at there's a large yellow sign with big, bold black lettering that reads:

The Right Part
In The Right Place
At The Right Time

That sounds pretty nice, right? In life we like the right part, at the right time, in the right place. We want things to flow and go smoothly.

I wonder, however, if it's not this way with God. Sure, we want the right part, in the right place, at the right time. We often pray "God, I'm doing X, please have Y happen." We want specific things to happen, things that we feel are "right."

More and more I have begun to think that perhaps God has a sign hanging behind the desk He uses when answering our prayers that reads:

The Wrong Part
In The Wrong Time
At The Wrong Place

I believe that God often sends us the wrong thing we need, or perhaps the right thing, but the timing is all wrong. No, I do not think that God is doing this to be difficult, although some days it can feel this way.

I believe most of our Christian walk with the Lord is full of God giving us the wrong part, at the wrong time, in the wrong place. He does this so that he can transform it into the right part, time, and place.

The Christian life is about God taking something that is wrong, broken, and lost and restoring it to something that is "right" and perfect.

Next time you pray don't ask God to deliver the "right" thing. Instead, pray that he will transform whatever he needs to in your life so that it becomes the "right" thing, at the "right" time, in the "right" place.

Being Human

2010-10-09T23:27:00.004-05:00

I have a unique living situation. I live with two roommates who are polar opposites of each other. Roommate one has a girl friend, and many other friends besides. I barely see him, he's always out enjoying life. Roommate two has zero social life. The only time he leaves the room is to either go to class, go to the caf, or use the bathroom. He spends almost all of his time on his computer watching TV shows and Movies.

Today I had a conversation with roommate two for over an hour. It is the longest conversation we have ever had. At first his lack of social life bothered me. I've had several friend over who were bothered by it as well. Human beings are relational, so when we see someone without any contact we have an urge to include them.

I was talking to the roommate, though, and he told me he likes not having a social life. He enjoys spending all of his time watching a story play out for him on his computer screen, rather then living one.

At first I began to suspect that this roommate had serial killer tendencies and would murder me in my sleep. I have since rejected this hypotheses, but if I do die a mysterious death you know who to investigate first.

I do believe, however, I've discovered the reason that this roommate enjoys keeping to himself. To be in relationships with other human beings is to be vulnerable to some extent. When we interact with others we place ourselves out there. The deeper we exist with others, the more vulnerable we become.

My roommate has decided that he would rather just exist, as opposed to interacting and putting a piece of himself at risk.

Right now I'm thinking that my roommate might have the right idea. What would it look like if I stopped putting myself out there, stopped getting hurt, stopped being ignored, and just existed? That's pretty much what I've done today. It actually felt good.

Yet I don't think I could do this forever. To be human we must have a relationship with our environment. Sometimes that includes being uncertain about what to do in a specific situation. Sometimes it includes pain. But that's the point of pain, isn't it? Pain proves to us that we're still alive. Pain makes us human. What would we be without the hurts and highs of relationships?

We wouldn't be human. We would just exist.

The Church of Flesh and Blood

2010-06-01T22:02:00.006-05:00

Jesus walked down the isle of the local mega Temple, preparing to give a sermon. He had prepared a sermon about what it truly meant to be blessed, but had discarded it because it might be to scathing. As he walked down the isle he noted all the vacant looks on those sitting in comfortably cushioned chairs as air conditioned licked at their skin. As he made it to the pulpit Jesus glanced at the clock. The singing had gone over. Great. He only had 22 minutes to make his tepid sermon. He dare not go over, for the people's time was more important that the possibility that his stale words might be used to change lives. Mentally trimming down his sermon, Jesus began. "Blessed are those who go to church, for their time is so valuable...."

One would be shocked if that were how the Sermon on the Mount began. Or the Feeding of the 5,000. What if Jesus had decided that it was lunch time and sent all those gather, 5,000 men, plus women and children, home to go find food? What if He had put others time and convenience above His own teaching? What if Jesus had limited the power of the Holy Spirit because some people were afraid of getting uncomfortable?

Lately I've been talking to some friends about my beliefs, and I've mentioned that I'm a free-thinking, pro-love, anti-church follower of Christ. Always they get a wrinkle in their brow at the anti-church part. It's almost ironic, this belief of mine has only begun to grow in the last couple of months, but it is now one of my most intense. It took participating in my school's homeless week, living out of my back-pack and sleeping in the student center, to realize how much damage the church is doing.

For so many, church is a place to go on Sunday, and maybe Wednesday. Church is a place where they fellowship with believers and put in their dues. It's a place that's seldom used during most hours of the week except for the few church employees who have to go into the office to prepare for the big day. It's a place that constantly needs remodeling and expansions to attract other believers.

Wrong. Wrong, wrong, wrong. We are the Temple of Christ. We are the Body of Christ. We are the Church. You are the Church. I am the church. The Church is not some building that needs new carpeting. The Church is flesh and blood! The Church is a living, breathing thing. By accepting Christ into your life you become the Church, the Bride-groom of Christ.

The problem with Church these days, in my opinion, is that it kills unity. Look at all the denominations out there! The leader of my small group has told me the story of how her home church when she was little had a church split, half the church taking beards, and the other half beer. I've heard many stories of church splits over silly things like that. We also have the worship wars, followers of Christ getting nasty because they can't agree on what kind of music is sweeter to God's ears.

I have come to the opinion that denominations are killing the body of Christ. I love doctrine and theology. I think it's a great thing, I love knowing why I believe what I believe, and I'll gladly discuss it with joy. Yet, let's be honest here. We will never know for sure if we are correct or not until Christ returns. We can use the scriptures to make educated guesses, but we will not know for sure here on earth.

Then why on earth are we getting all uppity and at each others throats because we disagree? Granted, when someone is teaching something that is clearly against the Bible, it is justified to get uppity, but there is much doctrine that people disagree over that isn't against the Bible, and that is what I'm talking about.

There is a time and a place for new denominations, I will give you that. For example, the split we had between Catholics and protestants with Martin Luther. While I don't have too much of a beef with Catholics, at the time what Pope Leo was doing with the mass printing of indulgences was wrong, and it was justified and commendable for what Martin Luther did, becoming a warrior church (remember, he was the church!).

For a modern day example let's take the Emergent church. When I first learned about the Emergent Church I thought I'd found the place where I belonged. Here was a church that put their faith into action. They are not stagnant. But then I looked into the theology. We have Rob Bell teaching people that truth is like trampoline springs, it's flexible, and that those who follow absolute truth are block heads. Hmmm, this seems to go against Jesus' teaching that He is the Way, the Truth, and The Life. Jesus is the Truth. It's absolute.

The Emergent church is a doctrine that I will not stand behind. Their theology is against the Bible. There should be a separation. Yet I believe that so many of the denominations out there need to be brought together. Unity must be returned. The sleeping giant that is the church must be awoken.

Paul speaks of believers being of one body. When their is disunity in the body, it doesn't function. There is disunity in the Church. We are not functioning correctly. We are the Church of Flesh and Blood, and we're bleeding profusely. Yet everyone ignores the gaping wound, refusing to bandage it, thinking that if we ignore the wound it'll go away. Folks, that's how one gets gangrene. A radical amputation is needed to end this infection before it causes absolute death among the church.

A Story Worth Living

2010-05-21T02:13:00.001-05:00

The other day I had some time to blow so I stopped by the Christian bookstore. I happened upon the book A Million Miles in a Thousand Years by Donald Miller. I've read his other works, Blue Like Jazz and Searching For God Knows What and really enjoyed them. I was reading the reviews on the back and there was one by Rob Bell. I have to admit, it was an instant turn off. I blatantly disagree with Bell's theology. However, Max Lucado also had a review - and the book was on sale - so I decided to give it a try.

I'm glad I did. This book was life changing. Not the kind of life changing that elicits a 180 degree change of behavior only to wear off four months down the road so that it's like it never happened. No, I think this change will have an impact forever. Because it's not my actions that have been changed, it's my thinking. I've been given a new lens to look through life, and I hope it will be a lens I use often.

I think one reason I enjoyed the book so much is that Don related it a lot to writing, something I love to do. In his book Don talked about our Stories. Every action we do helps tell our story. Are we living a bad story? Or maybe just a mediocre story, not doing anything with your life. Don't you want to live a Great story, a story people will sit around a campfire telling? Well, in order to do this we need to get off our duff, take risks, and go for it.

There's one thing that I love about this theology of writing our own story. I've begin to get frustrated by people who say they're waiting for God's will. I've come to believe it's a cop-out to not act, to give into fear and do nothing. It's so much easier to do nothing, than to take a risk and do nothing. We tell ourselves that it's not in God's will to do something that involves risks, and we lose out on the experience. Perhaps what we were going to try wouldn't have worked out, but it would have been the inciting action to live a better story.

Now, don't get me wrong, I don't think we should just blow off following God's will. What we need to do is move forward with risks, with action, while seeking God's blessing in the process. I've learned to pray that God will close a door unless I should step through it. And you know what? He does!

Don really got to me in his book. I've come to realize that my story is lacking. In highschool I lead a great story. I beat cancer! Pretty epic. My story could be made into a movie, it's a good story to live, a story of tragedy and pain, yet also of hope and love. But now? My story is just mediocre. I'm in a canoe, floating down the river. I'm moving forward, but I'm surrounded by others in the same river, in similar canoes. I'm not living a bad story, but I'm not living a great story either. I'm just living, just getting by.

I’ve wondered, though, if one of the reasons we fail to acknowledge the brilliance of life is because we don’t want the responsibility inherent in the acknowledgment. We don’t want to be characters in a story because characters have to move and breathe and face conflict with courage. And if life isn’t remarkable, then we don’t have to do any of that; we can be unwilling victims rather than grateful participants.
Pg 59.

I was really hit by the preceding quote. Don talked about how to have a good story, to actually live, you need to make choices, be intentional. A great story is waiting to be told for you, all you have to do is reach out and grab it.

Right now I'm disappointing in myself. There's a possibly great story waiting for me, and I had the opportunity to reach out and grab it today. The timing wasn't good, but the opportunity was there. I used the bad timing as an excuse, thinking to myself all the while that by not making the risk I was living a bad story. I didn't take the risk. I can only hope that the opportunity will present itself again in the near future.

It would appear that intentionally choosing to live a better story is not an easy thing to do. I have Hope in Christ, though, that He will assist me and guide me, give me courage and strength, as I attempt to write a great story for the character that is me.

Prayer - More than an idle hobby

2010-01-17T21:11:00.005-06:00

Today I went to New Hope church, a church I haven’t been to in a couple of years. It was one of the best services I’ve been to in quite a while. No, it wasn’t because of the worship, which was amazing. No, it wasn’t because of the sermon, which I did remember and enjoyed. No, it was because of something else. It wasn’t what I was taught at the service today, but what they did.

When I was in senior high my church Bible study read through this book called “Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire” by Jim Cymbala. I recently found my copy of the book. I remember that it was good, but that’s all I remembered. I couldn’t tell you a thing about the book. So I decided to reread it. I was struck once again by the power of Cymbala’s words, and this time they will stick with me. Cymbala spoke about how one must have prayer in all that they do. He was talking about churches and how they have lost the way of prayer. One quote especially struck me from a minister from New Zealand:

“You can tell how popular a church is by who comes on Sunday morning.
You can tell how popular a pastor or evangelist is by who comes on Sunday night.
But you can tell how popular Jesus is by who comes to a prayer meeting” (28).

The church I went to today, New Hope, had the prayer thing down. We prayed, a lot. I loved it. What’s more, they have a weekly prayer meeting! I think about my church back home. We have a time for prayer during the service, but that’s it. Prayer I not made an integral part of my home church.

I’ve come to see that prayer is the lifeblood of a Christian. Prayer is a part of our nature, it’s in the essence of every follower of Christ. To live a life without prayer is to live a life with our eyes plucked out. We can still move around, but we can’t see where we’re going. We’re lost to the plan that God has laid before us.

I’ve realized lately that I’ve been neglecting prayer. It’s not out of some habitual desire to not pray, it’s out of this lack of having my priorities in order. We need to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17). I forget to pray without ceasing. And I suffer because of it.

How does one pray without ceasing? The Greek words used say more to the point to pray constantly. I’ve had this explained to me that I should think of a leaky faucet. It’s not continuous, there are breaks. Yet it’s constant. It keeps dripping and dripping and dripping. In the same way this is how we should pray.

I heard Crawford Loritts speak on praying without ceasing and he brought up the example of Nehemiah. Throughout this short book we can see five different examples about this constant attitude of prayer.

-Nehemiah prayed without ceasing when there was bad news: 1:4-6
- Nehemiah prayed without ceasing when there was an opportunity: 1:11
- Nehemiah prayed without ceasing when there was a need for intervention: 2:2-5
- Nehemiah prayed without ceasing when there was danger: 4:9
- Nehemiah prayed without ceasing when there was a need for encouragement: 6:9

Nehemiah had prayer so ingrained into his daily routine that he prayed before everything He did. That was just how it was. That’s how I want it to be.

“Prayer is the source of the Christian life, a Christian’s life-line. Otherwise, it’s like having a baby in your arms and dressing her up so cute – but she’s not breathing! Never mind the frilly clothes; stabilize the child’s vital signs. It does no good to talk to someone in a comatose state. That’s why the great emphasis on teaching in today’s churches is producing such limited results. Teaching is good only where there’s life to be channeled. If the listeners are in a spiritual coma, what we’re telling them may be fine and orthodox, but unfortunately, spiritual life cannot be taught.

Pastors and churches have to get uncomfortable enough to say, “We are not New Testament Christians if we don’t have a prayer life.” This conviction makes us squirm a little, but how else will there be a breakthrough with God?

If we truly think about what Acts 2:42 says – “They devoted themselves to the apostle’s teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer” – we can see that prayer is almost a proof of a church’s normalcy. Calling on the name of the Lord is the fourth great hallmark in the list. If my church or your church isn’t praying, we shouldn’t be boasting in our orthodoxy or our Sunday morning attendance figures.”
Jim Cymbala: Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire (50-51)

Confrontation

2010-01-06T09:32:00.009-06:00

As I read today's Zits I could not help but laugh. Confrontation seems to be an issue that many people these days deal with. I've learned that first hand this past week. I think in Zits we can see what happens when one person avoids confrontation. The Dad is obviously ready to confront his son, Jeremy. Jeremy, on the other hand, is avoiding it, figuring that once the dust settles he will talk with his dad. We can obviously see the disaster that is looming, but Jeremy thinks everything is going to be alright by avoiding the problem. I smell disaster, don't you?

When do we confront someone? It's a tough question. One that I think needs to be examined. First off, there are several types of confrontation. On Sunday I had a friend asking me how to confront someone who is living in sin. I gave her an answer that I thought was pretty good. Then I was having dinner with a friend on Monday and we got to talking, making me realize that my answer was not nearly as complete. So, let us look at confrontation of sin Biblically.

In Matthew 18 Jesus teaches on confronting a brother in sin. First off, let us look at things in context. Mattew 18 begins with the follow parable, which I have so graciously paraphrased for you:

There's this dude. He has 100 sheep, and he loves his sheep. Sheep are not smart creatures, however, and one of them has a bit of a-d-oh shiny thing syndrome and goes wondering off. Will not this dude go searching for this sheep that's on the lamb (bad pun, I know!)? And when this dude finds his lost sheep will he not rejoice over finding that one sheep more than at having the 99? In the same way your Heavenly Father does not one even one of His children to perish.

After this parable Jesus moves onto confronting someone with sin. He gives us four steps. If the first step works we are to stop there, if not, move onto the next step, and so on.

1: Confront our brother in private about this sin.
2: Bring two or three people with you as witnesses to confront the person about their sin.
3: Bring the man before the church and confront him there.
4: If he still pays no heed let him be like an unbeliever, or a tax collector. In other words, He's no longer a Christian brother.

To get a full scope on things we must continue reading the chapter. Next, Peter turns to Jesus. "How many times must I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Seven times?" I've had this explained to me that in Jewish tradition you are only obligated to forgive someone three times. So, Peter, being super spiritual, thinks that seven times must impress Jesus. Nay. Jesus replies that seven times will not do, instead seventy times seven. In essence, Jesus means a lot.

What do we get when we put this chapter together?
First, that when someone wanders away from the church we must do everything we can to bring them back.
Second, if someone is living in the church we must follow the model of confrontation that Jesus gave us, and if that doesn't work we need to ask them to leave the church.
Third, it is vital to forgive our brother and not keep count how many times we do forgive them.

I know what you're thinking. I was thinking the same thing. How does the second lesson fit in with the other two? It seems to be showing judgment, rather than mercy. For a complete answer of that I believe we need to look at Paul's words in 1 Corinthians 5.

"I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat.

What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside. "Expel the wicked man from among you." (9-13)

It might seem like Paul is being really harsh here. I don't believe he is. Think about it. If someone is living in the folds of God's love it's all good. If someone is living in the folds of the world they're ripe for God reach. However, if someone is sitting on the fence they're hard to reach because they think that they're alright. Sometimes someone needs to be told the harsh realities of their sins, driven away, so that they then be drawn back into the Grace of God.

I think there is one more important thing that must be mentioned before I end this post, and that is love. In his book "The Calvary Road" Roy Hession talks about the story where Jesus says there's this dude with a speck in his eye. Another dude wants to help him remove it, but he's got this log in his eye. The dude with a speck doesn't want to trust the dude with a log protruding from his eye! Hession surmises that the log in the dudes eye is unlove. That when we confront someone we first must examine our own hearts and make sure that there is no unlove present, and that we are confronting our brother out of the right reasons.

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. (1 Corinthians 13:1-3)

It's a New Year. So what?

2010-01-03T13:44:00.001-06:00

As I opened my paper today I did my customary Sunday tradition and read the funnies. Some made me chuckle, for instance the Beetle Baily and Dilbert. Some, Hagar the Horrible for instance, made me go "Awww". It was this weeks Buckles that made me go "now that's relevant for my life."

We have now entered a New year. The mindset of many Americans is that we now have the chance for new beginnings. We have this mindset that the snow is fresh, we can start over.

Wrong. This weeks Buckle does a great job of showing us something. We have this past sin in our lives. The belief that we have a new beginning in life does not make it so. Far from it.

The only way to have a true beginning from our past life, our past sins is through the blood of Christ.

"Come, let us discuss this,"
says the LORD.
"Though your sins are like scarlet,
they will be as white as snow;
though they are as red as crimson,
they will be like wool.
-Isaiah 1:18 (CSB)

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1 John 1:9 (CSB)

Let us start this New Year correctly. Let us examine our sin, find it, and seek God for repentance and reformation. Let us not make a New Years resolution, those are made to be broken. Instead let us find God's grace this New Year, and live a life transformed by grace.

My Revelation

2010-01-01T19:25:00.001-06:00

I had read through 1 Kings 13 during the morning. It had been stuck in the back of my head all day, sitting there, waiting to be digested. I was sitting in my seat, squirming a bit, I’d been sitting for so long! But John Piper’s words were quite good. He was talking about how we found our purpose from God in life by immersing ourselves in the Bible, and reading it until something grabbed up, something that we couldn’t let go of. Once again 1 Kings 13 was in my mind. The words kept going through my heart. I knew right then and there that I had found my new direction in life. Yes, God will fine-tune it as I go, He’ll continue to direct me, but right now I have a starting point.

1 Kings 13 follows the story of Jeroboam, the king who replaced Solomon. Jeroboam was given the same promise from God that Solomon was: If he followed God’s statues and obeyed his commandments the LORD would bless him and he’d always have a son on the throne. Well, Jeroboam gave into human nature and messed up. He was having altars set up for him, receiving sacrifices. God had something to say about this and introduced a new man into the story.

First, I’m struck with the name of the person. He is the Man of God. This Man of God speaks out against Jeroboam. As Jeroboam tries to stop the Man of God Jeroboam’s hand withers, then the Man of God’s words come true and the altars that Jeroboam have set up split down the middle. Jeroboam is astonished and pleads with the Man of God to approach God on his half for healing. The Man of God does this, and Jeroboam’s hand is restored.

Jeroboam asks the Man of God to come back to his place so that he can reward this Man. I was so struck by the words of the Man of God:

"If you were to give me half your house, I still wouldn't go with you, and I wouldn't eat bread or drink water in this place, for this is what I was commanded by the word of the LORD: You must not eat bread or drink water or go back the way you came.' “So he went another way; he did not go back by the way he had come to Bethel. V8-10

If the story had ended hear everything would be good. The Man of God would have gone on to do great things in the name of the Lord. This Man of God might have blazed a trail proclaiming the word of the Lord. Alas, this is not what happened.

In the town of Bethel there was this Old Prophet. The Old Prophet heard about the works of the Man of God from his sons and had to meet up. So the Old Prophet had his sons saddle up his Donkey and he went to meet this Man of God. I’ve paraphrased this story so far, but the Bible explains oh so more clearly what happened than I ever could. Let us look at verses 14-24

He followed the man of God and found him sitting under an oak tree. He asked him, "Are you the man of God who came from Judah?"

"I am," he said.

15Then he said to him, "Come home with me and eat bread."

16 But he answered, "I cannot go back with you, eat bread, or drink water with you in this place, 17 for a message came to me by the word of the LORD: 'You must not eat bread or drink water there or go back by the way you came.' "

He said to him, "I am also a prophet like you. An angel spoke to me by the word of the LORD: 'Bring him back with you to your house so that he may eat bread and drink water.' " The old prophet deceived him, 19 and the man of God went back with him, ate bread in his house, and drank water.

20 While they were sitting at the table, the word of the LORD came to the prophet who had brought him back, 21 and the prophet cried out to the man of God who had come from Judah, "This is what the LORD says: 'Because you rebelled against the command of the LORD and did not keep the commandment that the LORD your God commanded you, but you went back and ate bread and drank water in the place that He said to you: Do not eat bread and do not drink water, your corpse will never reach the grave of your fathers. ' "

23 So after he had eaten bread and after he had drunk, the old prophet saddled the donkey for the prophet he had brought back. 24 When he left, a lion met him along the way and killed him. His corpse was thrown on the road, and the donkey was standing beside it; the lion was standing beside the corpse too.

It took the words of John Piper to make me acknowledge the words that God was trying to speak to me. I am this Man of God. God has blessed me, He’s prepared me, He’s used me. Heck, I should be dead twice right now, but for the Glory of God I still stand here. Yet I’m following a dangerous path. I’ve been living in a life not pleasing to the Lord. Sure, I’m not a “bad” person, but I haven’t been living as a man of God, either. I still can’t get the words of the Man of God out of my mind.

"If you were to give me half your house, I still wouldn't go with you, and I wouldn't eat bread or drink water in this place, for this is what I was commanded by the word of the LORD: You must not eat bread or drink water or go back the way you came.' “So he went another way; he did not go back by the way he had come to Bethel. V8-10

God’s purpose in my life was suddenly crystal clear. I need to go a new way. I can’t go the way I’ve gone before. If I do only destruction, grief, and death await me.

In a few short days I will find myself back at Northwestern College in Iowa. It’s been a year since I’ve been there. As a student I can’t go back the way I’ve gone. I need to change my learning strategies, my habits. When I was at NWC I was in stagnicity (a new word for your viewing pleasure) with the Lord. Never again. I’m not going back the way I’ve came.

In that command from God a new purpose was laid on my heart. I have to go a new way. I need to blaze a trail for Christ. In light of this new calling from God I have made a pledge. After I graduate from college I shall spend one year of my life doing full time ministry. What this entails I’m not exactly sure. I might do a year overseas missions internship with Campus Crusade. I may find myself doing something locally in the US. I need to pray and seek God’s direction for my life.

I have to admit, I’m a bit scared about this. I have a hindrance, my body. My artificial knee can be such a burden. Normally it doesn’t bug me, but when I’m tired it gets in the way. Right now I keep thinking about spending a year in Ghana. I’m not convinced this is the Lord’s plan for my life, but I haven’t ruled it out, either. But being in a foreign country is sure to tax my knee and my body to the limit. Yet, I know that God is good, and that He will walk by my side through whatever call He lays on my heart.

I’m also so excited. At TCX I met God face to face. I have seen a glimpse of my future and I know that God is going to use me, his servant, to be a Man of God for him. I just need to be willing. Here is my prayer:

Lord, use me, for I am willing.
Lord, continue to make me willing.
Even when other distractions arise,
Make me willing to turn them aside and follow You.
Lord make me willing
To radiate your love and Your goodness.
Lord, make me willing
To blaze a new trail.
Lord, I will not go back the way that I have gone before.
Lord, I am willing.