Randy's Rants, Raves, Ramblings And Refusals To Compromise

Sell Outs And Buy Backs....

2012-02-10T13:23:00.010-05:00

Has anyone ever called you a "sell out?" It is a modern day insult that means you have compromised yourself for something momentary or counterfeit. "Sell outs" settle for less than the best. "Sell outs" can live with cheap copies and artificial versions. "Sell outs" are people who give in to experiences that are cheapened by the culture around them. They have lost their purity and have lowered themselves to standards that only the commoner would hold. "Sell outs" allow the culture to dictate what is of value.

"Sell outs" are people who have to do what everyone else does. When we "sell out," we become followers who simply get in line and copy those who are in front of us. For years, I resisted the idea of sending text messages. I felt like personal conversation was something real and pure and that communicating in 5 word bursts somehow cheapened the level of discourse. I didn't Tweet because 64 characters wasn't enough for me to express my thoughts. I said I would never Facebook because it was meaningless sharing and was superficial. Well, the other day, a friend called me a "sell out" because I had caved to the cultural pressure and created a Facebook page and Twitter account. I also got the newest i-phone.

So now, I tweet, book and instant message. I have even learned how to text on my new phone. I was once a technological "hold out" who resisted new forms of communication. Now, I am a technological "sell-out" who my friend says has "bagged the personal in favor of the impersonal."

I have lost my relational purity and my arrogant need to feel superior to the sheep around me. Now I am just another electronic fish in a sea of smart phones. I am stained by the sin of surrendering to what is fast, easy and cheap.

I am not the first "sell out." The idea of "selling out" goes all the way back to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. We all know the story. Adam and Eve were deceived by the serpent into giving in to their own selfish desire to eat the forbidden fruit. God had set a standard for how He wanted them to live. All they had to do was do it God's way. But they couldn't do it. The temptation to give in to momentary pleasures and selfish desires was to great to bear. Their desire to be equal to God and to know all the answers was too much. They just couldn't "hold out" instead, they became the first cultural "sell outs."

Christian theologians refer to this original "sell out" as the original or first sin. The use of the word "original" is a little deceiving. The only thing original about Adam and Eve's sin was that they were the first ones to do it. What isn't "original" about it is that everyone of us since has repeated the very same behavior. So the "original sin" is really "the sin we inherited from Adam and Eve" because we engage in it every day. No one has been able to avoid being tainted by the allure to give in to our own desires and will. We are all "sell outs" to sin.

Theologians claim that this original sin was unnecessary. God had created human beings to live in perfect relationship. As long as Adam and Eve followed the rules, they could live in the perfection of God's presence. But they failed to do so and got kicked out of the garden. Because of their sell out we have been infected with their fallen will and have been forced to live in a broken world. We are "sell outs" who no longer live in the perfect presence of God. The sin has separated us from the God who loves us. On our own we are powerless to get back into His good graces. There is no way for us to repair this broken relationship. We are stuck!

Many question why a loving God would separate himself from the people He created because of one mistake made thousands of years ago. The reason is that God is Holy. And Holy means that God is set apart. In other words, God cannot allow sin into His presence because He is incapable of being associated with imperfection. He is perfect and that is that. So, there is a separation.

Some theologians argue that when Adam and Eve gave in to the serpent, Adam and Eve sold themselves into his slavery and service. Satan now owns our world and has access to our immortal souls. It is a bargain God has allowed. He has given Satan first dibs on us and our world which is why Satan is often referred to in scripture as "The prince of the air," or "the prince of this world." How God and Satan worked out this deal is something we will never know or understand. But God made a deal and because He is who He is, He will not break the deal. So Satan gets a shot at all of us. He even got a shot at Jesus in the desert for 40 days.

But this is not the end of the story. In his letter to the Ephesians, the apostle Paul writes, "He is so rich in kindness and grace that He purchased our freedom with the blood of His Son and forgave our sins."

Because God wanted us to freely choose Him, He gave us the freedom to choose badly. Because of God's bargain with Satan, Satan has free reign to try to lie to us and lead us astray from God. But God has a lot more going on than Satan. God may have allowed us to sell ourselves to Satan through sin, but God has a plan to bring us back to Him through Jesus Christ.

In the 1st Century a theologian named Origen came up with the idea of that God has bought back those who have sold out to sin. Origen argues that God tricked Satan into accepting Christ's death as a ransom to pay for the souls of fallen humanity. You see, the devil did not realize that Christ could not be held in death. Satan was a bad guy, but he didn't know everything. He may have been a fallen angel, but he could not see the things of eternity or into the future God had planned.

So he took the deal and traded sinful humanity for the death of Jesus. It seemed like a great deal for Satan. By letting God sacrifice His Son, He thought he was really sticking it to God. It was great payback. It would be something he could mock God about for eternity. He could laugh, snicker and snarl for eternity over the death of God's Son Jesus Christ.

But God tricked the devil into believing that death was the end for humanity. Satan did not see and could not comprehend God's plan for eternity. He thought Christ would be dead forever. He didn't know about the resurrection plan. Once the devil accepted God's deal to buy back humanity, Justice was served and God was able to win us back from the clucthes of the devil.

This satisfied God's judgement on sin and allowed us back into relationship with Him. Jesus' death and resurrection was the act of God that brings us forgiveness. God is pure and cannot live in the presence of sin. But through blood of Christ our sinfulness is covered by the Blood shed by Jesus on the cross. When God sees us, He sees the blood and when He sees the blood, He sees His Son. He is moved to compassion and forgives us our sin and welcomes us back into His presence.

Now, I need to be clear. Many Christians do not believe in the "ransom" idea of how our sins were forgiven. They either deny the existence of Satan or they think God would never lower Himself to bargain with Him. The idea that God would "trick" Satan is also for some to accept. They believe God wouldn't use deception at any level.

But whether you like it or not, it is scripture-based. We were once "sell outs" to sin. But through Jesus Christ we have been "bought back" from the devil.

Now that seems like a pretty good baragain to me.

What Happened To Me...

2012-02-06T12:34:00.003-05:00

It's amazing how many friends I have made in the 7 plus years since I left active church ministry. Many have never heard my story and what happened to get me to where I am right now.

Here it is...

In 1993, at a Ressurection Band concert I became a Christian. What I mean is that I started to think about God. I had been raised Roman Catholic and was not a very faithful one to say the least. I never cared much for church. Anne and I had moved to Dallas where I was working in corporate sales. We were there by ourselves with no family or friends and I just got plain lonely. I complained to God and felt the desire to see about Jesus. I immediately became fixated on faith. I felt compelled to learn everything I could about God, the Bible, Theololgy and Christian Philosophy. I was hungry to know.

The more I learned the less interested in my sales job I became. One day I up and quit and decided to go into the ministry. I thought I would be good at preaching and helping people to find out about Jesus Christ. We moved back to Pittsburgh where I attended seminary and became a United Methodist Pastor.

The first 8 years were great. I served a small church in Pittsburgh, was the youth pastor of another suburban church and when I got my first full time ministry it was as an associate pastor at First United Methodist Church in Greensburg, Pa. I had a great 5 years there and felt like I was making a difference.

In 2000, I was asked to come to Lawrence Park United Methodist Church here in Erie. The pastor before me had died in a tragic accident so I knew it would be a great challenge to help the church grieve his loss and go forward. The first four years were great. The church was vibrant and began to grow. But with the growth came more people, more needs to meet and more stuff to do.

In the summer of 2005, something began to go wrong. I am the kind of person that wants to keep everybody happy. In a church that is impossible to do. But I tried and things really got bad. I tried to be on every side of every issue. If there was a disagreement, I tried to lobby both sides. When people wanted to see things changed I agreed just to make them happy. When people who didn't want to see things change got upset, I took their side when I was with them. No matter what the situation or what group I was dealing with they were right. I was playing both ends against the middle in order to try and keep peace in the valley.

It got so bad that I had to cover for my inconsistency and dishonesty with one lie after another. It got to the point where I didn't know the difference between the truth and the lies. I just said what ever I needed to say to get through the day. People that I loved got hurt. When they saw how I was being two-faced on so many things they felt hurt and betrayed. They had every right to be, because I had done them wrong.

But it became such a mess that I created a web of denial in my life where I could just pretend that nothing was wrong. I was the man of God. I was supposed to be the one who had it all together. But I didn't. In fact I was losing control. I became so depressed and anxious that I just didn't want to do anything or be around anyone. I did the best I could to keep up appearances but it was slowly becoming evident to many in the church that something was wrong. It was December 7th and we were in the middle of advent when the dam finally broke and everything collapsed.

I had gone into the office the day after a contentious meeting about the youth ministry. There was a disagreement about the leadership and people I loved were on both sides of the issue. They confronted me with the fact that I had told people on both sides that I agreed with them. I had no answer. I didn't want to deal with it...I just wanted to run away from it.

In the weeks before this confrontation, I had become severely depressed. I couldn't sleep because I just didn't want to wake up and face the problems of the next day. I began having severe anxiety attacks that caused me to curl up into a ball on the floor and cry. I felt stared at in crowds, became paranoid about what people were saying about me. I was completely delusional and was unable to deal with the problems before me. I decided that I wanted to kill myself. The week before my meltdown, on a deer hunting trip with my best friend Joel, I was sitting in the woods with a high powered rifle in my hands. I had decided that I would go into the woods but I wouldn't come back out alive.

Before I knew it, I had the barrel of the rifle under my chin, with the stock wedged against a fallen tree. I found a long, thin branch on the ground and started to push the branch against the trigger. But then I realized that I hadn't taken off the safety. I put the gun down with desperation consuming me. Could I actually take the safety off and pull the trigger. What about my family? Even though I had convinced myself they would be better off without me, I thought about the pain I would cause them. I thought of my friend Joel and realized it would be him who would find my dead body. I didn't want him to have to live with that. I wanted to die, but I just lacked the strength to do it. I came back out of the woods and went home. I said nothing to anyone about what had happened.

The next Wednesday after the confrontation at the youth meeting I spent a sleepless night trying to figure out where to go from there. In the morning, I made up my mind. Today would be the day I would die. I went over to my church thinking God would help me out of this, but people were there angry and wanting explanations. You may have noticed by now that I haven't mentioned God once when writing about this crisis. To me, at that time, there was no God. God was dead...I was dead. I had stopped believing, praying and trusting. In fact if there was a God, I blamed Him for my misery and pain. I wanted away from God. I wanted away from the church. Even if I had to die in order to do it.

After a very heated conversation with a few parishoners. I excused myself, and left the church. I got in my car and headed for home. I was in a trance and was watching myself from above, like some type of wierd out of body experience. I watched myself pull into the driveway hit the garage door opener and pull my car into the garage. I watched myself hit the door opener again and I watched the door go down. It was dark. I knew the next thing to do was to turn the car off and get out of there. But I was frozen there screaming at myself to stop. Then suddenly, I was back in my body again. I could hear the engine running and I could smell the exhaust. It was so dark. All I could do was think of this song by Pink Floyd called "Breathe in the Air." I just kept hearing the refrain over and over again. I kept telling myself to just breathe in the air and I would go to sleep and everything would be over. I felt myself fading away. Just as I was about to pass out a shock of energy pulsed through my body. I didn't hear a voice or see a vision, I just felt a huge shot of adrenaline.

I opened my eyes and came to my senses. Coughing and choking I reached up to the visor and pressed the button again. When the door started to come up, light flooded in. The air began to clear and my head stopped pounding. I staggered out of the car and fell onto the driveway. Something or someone had made me stop.

I discovered in an instant that I didn't want to die. But I was scared and didn't know what to do. So I called Anne and told her she had to come home from work. I told her that I had tried to take my life and that I needed to get some help. After about 4 hours of me coming clean with her about what I had been thinking and planning, we went to see our doctor. He diagnosed me with severe depression and told me I would have to see a psychiatrist. I quickly got sent to Stairways Behavioral Health where I saw a psychiatrist.

The first thing I had to do was sign a promise that I would not try to hurt myself again. I was allowed to go home and over the next week saw the psychiatrist several times. On the day of my last suicide attempt I took an emergency leave of absence, not telling anyone but my superintendent what had happened. I was told to stay away from the church and have no further contact with the people there. I needed time to heal.

In those first few weeks, I was diagnosed with severe bi-polar depression with psychotic episodes and extreme anxiety disorder. I began taking pills...lots of pills. I started seeing a therapist to talk through what had happened. I had been caught up in such a web of lies because the depression overwhelmed me and I had psychotic breaks that distorted my perceptions and made me extremely paranoid. I wasn't looking for an excuse, but it did explain some of the things I was doing and thinking.

After 8 weeks, I was feeling better. I felt like I was ready to go back to my church and start over. But at a meeting with the bishop, I was told that I would not be going back. A new pastor would be appointed and I was to be put on disability leave until I was declared healthy and functional. At that time I would be assigned a new church. This was not what I wanted to hear. I was devastated. My whole world seemed to collapse all over again. I withdrew away from everyone and rarely left my bedroom. I didn't want to see or be around anyone. Feelings of hatred for God and church people began to consume me. Even though my doctor and therapist felt like it would be integral to my healing to go back to my congregation and begin to repair the brokenness, no one was willing to listen. I was told to stay away from the church and the people. They were told to stay away from me. They were told by the church administrators that I needed a clean break and that by continuing to be in relationship with me they would be standing in the way of my healing.

On that day, I lost everything. My congregation, most of my friends and my career. I had been called psychotic. I knew that the bishop would never let me anywhere near a congregation again. What would I do? What would I become. I went into a hole that I did not really come out of for nearly two years. I was forced on to social security and I knew that I would never work again.

But after a couple of years, things began to change. During that dark two year period since I left ministry I had not set foot in a church, prayed or even looked at a bible. I was done with God. He had put me through enough. If He cared so much about me, why did He take everything away? I was done with Him, or so at least I thought I was.

One day a pastor friend invited me to come to his church. He told me there was a balcony there where hardly anyone ever sat and that I could go up there and watch the service without coming into contact with any of the people. He told me that He knew God still wanted to work in me. If I would just make myself available and open, God would make a move. I thought about that invitation for a few weeks, before I decided to go.

It took a few weeks of sitting in that balcony, but I finally began to open up again. After a couple of months I came down from the balcony and sat within the congregation. I asked God to guide me in what I should do and where I should go. I didn't get a definite answer, but I felt a peace come upon me that told my heart to just "be." I just needed to live and exist and figure out who I really was. I did this for another two years. I had started going to Erie First Assembly, mainly because it was large and I could be anonymous in a big crowd. No one would know I was a pastor. I was just another person sitting in a crowded pew.

I began to read the Bible and I discovered something about myself that I didn't really want to admit. I had never really been a Christian in the first place. Yes, I was a pastor and preacher who could talk about God and make others aware of Him. But knowledge was all I had. I knew about God, but I never really knew Him. I had been a Christian with my head, but not my heart. One Sunday at the assembly they had an altar call. When people began to come forward to give their lives to Christ, the pastor prayed a simple sinner's prayer. I didn't go up to the altar, but I prayed that prayer.

At that very moment I felt hope. I knew there would be a second chance for me. I knew that God had something in store for me. I knew that there was something He wanted me to do. The problem was that the four years away from the church had really caused my physical health to suffer. One of the big side effects of my psychiatric meds was that I gained weight. At my heaviest I was 318 pounds. I had developed type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and a number of other issues. After I left the church I had started smoking and could not kick the habit.

At one point, my diabetes got so bad that I was taking 9 insulin shots a day. At an appointment with my diabetes doctor, I was told that if I didn't lose weight fast, my health was really going to deteriorate. The problem I was facing was that my meds worked against my diet, and no matter what I tried to do, I couldn't lose weight. It was not long after that when I saw a friend we knew from little league and she had lost a ton of weight. When I asked her how she did it, she told me about her weight loss surgery. All of a sudden it seemed like a viable option. She had lost 100 pounds and she looked and felt great. She gave me encouragement and I decided to go to one of the seminars. That was in October 2009.

On August 26, 2010 life changed for me. That was the day I had gastric bi-pass surgery. Since then I have lost 155 pounds. I no longer have diabetes or high blood pressure. I walk 11 miles a day and I am finally starting to feel like my health is coming back. The surgery was a scary process that took months of preparation and a total change in eating habits. Although some people say that surgery is a quick fix, it is by far the hardest way to lose weight. Because of my weight issues I had four different abdominal operations: hernia, gall bladder, appendix and gastric bi-pass. Everyone of those surgeries were 100% successful. Everytime I went under I gave everything to Christ and I knew he would see me through. There is something He still hs in store for my life.

Since my surgery I have preached a few times and I have taught some Bible study. It has been a little bit at a a time. So for now, I am content to be a house husband. I have fallen in love with my wife all over again and we have a friendship that is truly rooted in God. When I was a pastor, I was an absentee father who missed many of the events my kids were in. Now I go to everything. I am there for my two sons and they know it. I am committed to God and my family and I am open to whatever God has in store for me. I am ready and waiting. I'm not worried because I know He will place the opportunity before me. I just have to keep living, interacting and healing and God will help me make the choices.

I have a great ministry being a Christian mentor and counselor to many. I am also active in helping people to explore the spiritual aspects of weight loss surgery and have tried to help people who suffer from depression and anxiety disorders. It just seems that God keeps putting people who need ministry in my path. It is amazing.

I am devoted to and recommit my life to Jesus Christ every day. One day at a time as believer, husband, father and friend. I am grateful for the journey I have taken with God and would not change any of it...not even the darkest days. My journey has made me into the person I am today. Gone is the person that knows about God but doesn't know him. Gone is the man who couldn't tell the truth from a lie. Gone is the person who was too weak to be there for friends and parishoners. Gone is the person who would take all sides of an issue to please others.

Today, I only want to please God. I will stand for what I believe, make no more compromises and share the need for all to have a saving relationship with Jesus Christ. I am a conservative evangelical who believes that the Bible is God's inspired and inerrant Word for us to know and to follow. I believe in strong marriages, responsibility for parenting and accountability for the actions and choices of life. I refuse to be a victim. I make no excuses. I am still healing. I am a work in progress.

This is my story....what is yours?

Truth Or Consequences

2012-02-04T09:05:00.002-05:00

"What's true for you might not be what's true for me." Opinion is now masquerading as truth.

"I'm o.k., you're o.k." We have convinced ourselves that any behavior is tolerable and is simply the truth of how we live our lives.

"Diversity of thinking and acceptance of new ideas makes the world a better place." Traditional values and conservative thinking is closed-minded and judgmental.

Winds of deceit are blowing through our world and we are being philosophically tossed about with nothing to keep us anchored.

The progressive ideas of relativity, toleration and diversity have done incredible damage to the fiber and fabric of our world, but are constantly being heralded as truth. And still worse, many of us have bought into these counterfeit versions of the truth to one degree or another.

Whether it is anti-bullying programs in schools that criminalize kids who make judments about other's lifestyles, or classes that insult our founding fathers calling them them slave rapers and money grubbing elitists, these forms of progressive thinking are being peddled as objective truth.

In his letter to the church in Ephesus, the Apostle Paul calls for unity of love and thought. Ephesus was a 1st century boom town where christianity had grown rapidly. With many groups meeting in homes, halls and squares, the church in Ephesus was lively and vibrant. But there were other influences swaying people's attention away from God. There was a great temple in the city devoted to the pagan fertility goddess Artemis, also known as Diana. Centered around this pagan temple were a group known as the Nicolaitions who taught that any form of excess was a virtue and that in life, truth was in the eye of the beholder. To the Nicolaitians it was anything goes. Many Christians had fallen prey to this group and it was causing problems in the church. It is to the unity of love and thought that the Apostle Paul calls the church to return to.

In the Book of Revelation, the apostle John, one of Jesus' original twelve disciples, also makes this criticism of the Ephesian church and threatens God's wrath and judgment if they do not return to the core values of the faith.

Ephesus was not unlike America is today. The psychology of self-want and self-centeredness has slowly crept its way into Christian thinking. The idea that any truth is as good as another and that Christians can interpret Scripture any way they want is a regular occurence in many mainline Protestant churches. Views about sexuality, abortion and spousal and parental behavior have all become matters of personal choice.

The solution? A clear and objective reading of the Word of God. Truth must be the anchor of life or nothing good will happen in our lives. Everything we need to know about God, ourselves and our destiny can only be found in the Bible. The problem is that we have strayed away from the traditional interpretations of scripture or have just begun to ignore them. We have read into scripture the new cultural values of diversity, relativity and tolerance in ways that totally go against the traditional and original teachings of the apostles of the early church.

But is the Bible as flexible as we like to make it? No! The truth is that we need to get back to a plain reading of the Bible in light of its original context. We have been told that Scripture is hard to understand and is mainly allegorical or symbolic so it must be interpreted for us. But the Bible generally interprets itself . It says what it means and it means what it says. It is not philosophy that is open to question, but firmly presents the truth according to God. The Bible clearly teaches virtue, morality and truth and our feelings, opinions and sensitivities cannot change the truth of the message. It is what it is, whether it challenges our way of life or not. We can accept it or deny it. But we cannot change the truth in order to justify the way we want to live.

True unity can only be achieved when there is a truth to be united around. The world offers its own versions of reality which only serve to divide us and confuse us about what is right and what is wrong.

Paul writes in Ephesians 4:14, "Then we will no longer be infants tossed back and forth by the waves and blown here or there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming." Paul wants us to know that current fads or loosend values can only serve to cut us away from our anchor.

Paul goes on to say in Ephesians 4:15, "Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of Him who is the head, that is, Christ."

In our world today diversity means that any way of living is just as good as another. Homosexuality, materialism, promiscuousness, dishonesty and lack of discipline and morality are just lifestyle choices we should not judge or question. The Bible says that this is wrong.

In our world today, toleration means that failure to accept any values and lifestyles is closed-minded, old fashioned, judgmental and bigoted. The Bible does not agree.

In our world today relativity means that every fact needs to be re-interpreted in light of one's feelings and opinions. The Bible teaches otherwise.

In order to live and express our faith, we need to be "bible-based." The scripture gives it all to us, but we have to read it to know what's in it. We need to study it, learn it and meditate on it everyday of our lives. Those who say that you can back up any opinion in scripture are usually the people who don't read the Bible.

If you want to stop the boat of life from being swamped by winds and waves of the world, you must throw out an anchor. There is no other way to know the truth and share it with others.

If you think this sounds judgmental...it is! The Truth is always judgmental, that is why so many spend their time and energy trying to avoid it. We think if we ignore it or pretend not to know it, we will be free of it. Not so!

We will be judged according to how we live truth in our lives. We will be judged according to what we believe and what we do with that belief. If you anchor yourself with the Bible you will stand firm against the wind and waves of our culture.

And if we don't start standing for something, we will wind up falling for everything.

Is Belief Enough?

2012-01-19T06:18:00.004-05:00

"You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that--and shudder."

James 2:19

(New International Version)

Just about everyone I know says that they believe in God. I think that is a good thing. Recent surveys taken have found that upwards of 70% of Americans say they believe in God. With those numbers being true, we should be shocked to see the number of churches that are failing or in decline around us. I have a friend who pastors a church made up of only 14 people. 25 years ago it had nearly 80 members and averaged about 65 per week in worship attendance.

I was raised Roman Catholic and was taught that missing worship or mass as they refer to it, was a sin which required confession and absolution by a priest. Because of this, attendance at catholic churches is probably better than churches that don't teach that absence is a sin. I know a lot of catholics who never miss mass but have never opened their Bible, worked in missions, gave money or even prayed. They went to church because they were told that they had to.

Now, I don't want protestants think I am by any means letting them off the hook or that I am picking on catholics alone. There are many protestants who only go to church on Christmas and Easter and also do not practice any of the disciplines of their faith. They merely feel less guilty than catholics because no one has suggested their mortal soul might be in jeopardy.

The truth is that both catholics and protestants who practice this type of luke warm Christianity seem to be growing in numbers. They staunchly defend the idea that they believe in God, but do little else to give evidence of their faith. So the question is whether or not there is anything to be gained by just believing in God? Does mere belief do anything to enhance our daily lives? Does it lead to better relationships, stronger marriages, more generous lives, purpose for living or a zeal to do one's work? I would say that it doesn't do much to enhance any area of life.

Why do we so easily say we are Christians if we make so little an attempt to practice or live out the faith. Many think that believing in God justifies their sense that they are a good person. They are not perfect, but God knows they have a good heart. Others say they believe in God but don't practice or participate because they are convinced that all Christians are hypocrites who do not practice what they preach. They stay away as a protest to all forms of judgmentalism or accountability. And then are those "cafeteria Christians" who simply want to pick and choose only the things of God they want in their life. They may pray before meals or at bedtime, but they would never consider going to a bible study or worship service. What all these kinds of Christians have in common is that they think belief in God is enough.

James, the brother of Jesus would say that a faith based only on belief is a dead faith. James ministry was in Jerusalem. His audience were Jews who believed that only belief and the outward appearnces of religion were all that mattered. Why not? They were good Jews who followed the law, kept the fasts and festivals and were observant of temple activities. But James is telling them that their belief and appearances cannot save them. It is only faith in Jesus Christ that can save and just believing will not change one's destiny. He says even the demons believe in God...and even they shudder, which was more than the people of Jerusalem were doing.

The crux of James' teaching is that the true test of faith is not intellectual assent or opinion, but is action. James writes, "Do not merely listen to the Word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the Word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like(James 1:22-24)." James is saying that if not lived out, our faith will be forgotten and will have no effect on our daily lives. Do we pray, read the Bible, worship and do acts of generosity and charity? Do we live authentically and truthfully? Do we honor our obligations and hold ourselves and others accountable? If we do none of these things then what impact can our belief possibly have in our lives?

Practice may not make perfect, but it does make us better. James has often gotten a bad rap because many believe he teaches works righteousness. That means that he teaches that we are saved by our deeds rather than our faith in Jesus Christ. But James does not teach this at all. He merely teaches that a good tree bears good fruit. If faith is alive in our hearts it will express itself in who we are and in what we do. When people look at you, do they see a believer or person of action who makes faith apparent in the way they live and the things they do?

Now, this is far from easy and takes time and practice. Anything truly worth having always comes through struggle. We have to be intentional about our faith and work at it. It starts with regular worship. I have heard so many people say that you don't have to go to church to be a good Christian. This is an excuse. A Christian who believes that God saves cannot help but want to celebrate Jesus with other people. Worship is not an event or a service it is an expression of the love of Jesus inside ourselves. It spills forth. Jesus gets into our lives and the first thing He wants us to do is to give him to others. He wants us to celebrate, focus on and declare our faith. This can only be done by worshipping. We go to church because we want to share this experience with those of like minds. There is no substitute for this company we share with other believers. Does going to church make you a good Christian? No, but good Christians want to go to church. Nothing we try to do in life will work when we are not declaring and celebrating Jesus Christ as the Lord of our lives. Everything flows from that.

The second thing we need to work at is our salvation. Many Christians believe that salvation is like a business transaction. They accept Jesus as Lord and he returns its by forgiving us and giving us eternal life. It is a one time transaction in their minds. Once you confess Christ, you have your salvation. Many can point to the date and even the time when they received Christ. But salvation is not just an event that occurs in one moment of your life. Philippians 2:12 says, "work out your salvation with fear and trembling." It's not the fear and trembling that is most important, it is the work. Working out your salvation means approaching every important event in your life with a new committment to Jesus. Every day should mean a new committment to put God first in our lives. It is hard and there are many things Satan has placed in our world to distract us and keep us from giving our whole selves to anything. It takes work. It means constantly re-dedicating yourself to God.

This is where prayer comes in. Many find it hard to pray because they do a lot of talking and almost no listening. We go to God with a laundry list of wants and needs, speak them and then walk away. And we wonder why our prayers aren't answered. He is not silent...we are just not listening. One part of prayer is petition...asking God for help, guidance and healing. But the bigger part of prayer is reflection. We have to give our prayers time to work. God moves mountains but usually not in a moment. God works over time through every day encounters with ordinary people. He will lead us where we need to go, put us in situations that bring healing and renewal and will send new people to us who will bless our lives. God uses prayer to create opportunities. It is only by discerning and discovering opportunities that prayers are answered. But we have to reflect. I do it by keeping a journal. I write my prayers out and then spend a couple of days just writing about what is on my heart and mind. After a few days of reflecting on what I've written I always seem to uncover an answer to a need or an opportunity to make a difference. We all have "God Moments" where the Lord places things before us. By regular prayer and reflection, we will see and sieze on those "God moments" when the Lord sends them our way. So we must work at prayer every single day.

Another thing we need to work on is knowing what God says about himself and us. There is nothing we can know about God or His plan that is not in the Bible. But Many of us claim that it is too difficult to understand or interpret. The problem is that we need to approach it with a student's mind set. We are not reading a novel or comic book, we are doing vital research. If you don't know anything about the books of the Bible, go and find out. There are study Bibles, reference books and commentaries. Most of these you can easily find on-line. The problem is that we have to want to learn. Faith brings hunger with it. God wants us to know the truth and has plainly delivered it to us, but we have to seek it out. Bible research should happen every day of our lives. You can never spend too much time with Scripture. The Bible is inspired, which means that when we spend time with it we will encounter the Spirit of God. Scripture is not complicated. Once you take the time to learn the context and background of the writing, it generally interprets itself. It is everyday truth for everyday life and it needs to be explored at some length every day.

The last part of working at our faith is giving of our time and money to the work of the Lord. We need to be busy working for the kingdom of God. We can spend time working in ministries that reach out to others with the love of God. This is not The United Way. These works are a sacrifice we make to the Lord. It can be working at the food bank, doing small fix it jobs for the elderly, making supply kits for those experiencing natural disasters and difficulty. The things we can do are too numerous to mention. If we take time to think about it there will be certain works we can participate in that are going on around us. Find one and get busy. The second part of this means giving of your money to God. Where your money gets spent is where your heart spends its time. Giving to mission projects, church offerings and regular tithing are not optional. The scriptures require it. It is a discipline we need in our lives. When you take the money you are spending on things like movies, eating out and sports and dedicate some of it to God you will be blessed. Your church will have more resources to grow and reach out to others. Our $30 may not seem like a lot, but when you pool it with the $30 of 3,000 other believers you can build a whole neighborhood of houses for people in underprivileged countries. It is the ant hill effect. One ant cannot move a mountain, but 10 million ants can. This is how churches, hospitals and affordable housing are developed in third world countries. When we make a sacrifice...God will make a difference.

James is right...belief alone is not enough. Even the demons believe. Real faith takes work. It is not easy. Nothing worth having ever is.

Get A Life!

2011-09-15T15:14:00.003-04:00

Both of my sons are on the varsity football team at Iroquois High School. Although I have supported my kids through baseball, basketball and soccer, there is something different about football. I used to watch my kids play other sports and I always cheered for them. But when it comes to football I live it while they play it. I never played football, but have always been a fan of the game at the high school, college and pro levels. Anne says that I would watch monkeys play football if it were on television. In my house, Friday night, Saturday and Sunday afternoons are about football.

In last week's game, Justyn ran for a touchdown and it was like I was the one who scored. I puffed out my chest and said,"That's my boy!" You would have thought I was the one who taught him how to play. Justyn, who is a junior, plays on every play of the game. He is a running back on offense, a linebacker on defense and he is also the punter and place kicker. He also dates a cheerleader. He is living the life that I never lived, and I am now trying to re-live my youth through him. Nobody ever cheered for me. I was never on Friday Night lights. My name was never in the paper. My other son, Brandon, who is a freshman running back was on television too. He had a touchdown run in the game against Mercyhurst Prep.

I think that we live vicariously through our kids. The word vicarious literally means "from outside ourself." We live the things that we are not able to accomplish on our own, by getting close to someone who is doing it. Believe me, I am not the only one. There are lots of middle aged, frustrated football heroes in the stands masquerading as cheering parents. What I never did in my own high school life I now experience in my forty-something life through my two sons. They run for touchdowns, they get the girls and they have a chance to get elected homecoming king. I never even got close to doing that stuff. But that's alright, my kids are doing it and it feels great. It is a selfish experience in many ways. I should celebrate my kids sports because of how it makes them feel. It shouldn't be about what I wish I could have felt.

A lot of people live vicariously through others. Others times we do the opposite which is hoping to see others fail. We get so bitter and resentful over our own setbacks, failures and shortcomings that we hate to see anybody do well. We are there to rain on their parade and shout out that their accomplishments are no big deal. That's why we like to watch reality television. We love to watch people make a mess out of their lives. It makes us feel that we are better than we really are. We love to see people get kicked off of survivor. We marvel seeing Simon Cowell pan someone who's whole dream of singing has fallen short. Remember The Gong Show? Enough said!

Vicarious living can be a positive thing if we have the right perspective. It is good to live through the successes of others, but that should not stop us from working towards are own. It should also not stop us from taking responsibility and ownership for our shortcomings. The Bible teaches us that we live vicariously through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. On our own, we are failures. We are sinners who cannot face God without receiving punishment for failing to live according to God's laws. We deserve punishment and to be condemned for our sins. God is perfect and cannot be present where sin is, so we have been banished and have no way of relating to God. We are separated by a chasm of sin and separation. We cry out for God but we are in no position to be in his presence. He is pure like snow and we are dirty because of the stain of our sin. The two of us are incompatible. God will not hang out with us in this state. Sounds pretty hopeless? Just wait.

In the Old Testament, sin is always covered by blood. At the time of the Jews being released from slavery in Egypt, God pronounced a sentence upon all the first born males in the house of Pharoah and in the houses of the Jews. The jews were told to slaughter an unmblemished lamb and spread the blood over their door post and the angel of death would pass over their home and would spare the Hebrew children. Later in the Old Testament, God sets up a sacrificial system where lambs, bulls, goats and grain and drink are offered at the altar of the Lord. Sounds kind of gross doesn't it? But all the Hebrews had was their livestock and their crops. God was only commanding them to offer their best as a sign that they were sorry for their sins and that they would again follow His laws. When God saw the blood of their sacrifice, He saw His people giving Him their lives and He forgave them. There can be no forgiveness without the shedding of blood.

The reason we don't go around sacrificing animals like the ancient Hebrews is because God abolished the old sacrificial system and gave us the one sacrifice who's blood will always cover our sins and bring us back to God. One of the most confusing things about our faith is the idea that Jesus is both human and divine at the same time. It's hard to understand but God shows us that it is necessary. If God were to be able to relate to our sin and understand our hurts and our hopes, then He has to experience the brokeness of our human condition. God has to see and hear and experience our side of the story. The fact that Jesus was fully human means that Jesus experienced every pain, stress, problem and suffering we will ever go through. He rejoiced at weddings. He grieved over the loss of those around him. He felt depressed, rejected, despised and even struggled with who He was. What has happened to us has happened to him with just one exception. Jesus never sinned. He was tempted, but never gave in. It was the God part of him that made that possible.

Since Jesus is also fully God, He can't sin because He is perfect in every way we can't be. He can go to God and interced for us even though we are way less than perfect. God is pure and cannot be in the presence of sin so we cannot go to him on our own. But Jesus died on the cross and the blood he shed is the only sacrifice ever needed to bring us to God. When God sees us, he sees Jesus' blood and and his wrath passes us over and he spares us the punishment we deserve. In fact, He is so moved by us accepting Jesus' sacrifice that he brings us forever into His presence where we can experience His love and forgiveness. Think of sin as the grand canyon. We are on one side and God is on the other. We simply cannot get to him on our own. But Jesus builds the bridge so we can come to God at any point during our lives. We accept what Jesus did, believe in it and God comes to us. Pretty simple.

What does this have to do with my living out my fantasy by watching my kids play ball? I am getting the emotional boost I need by experiencing joy through the actions of my kids. I live vicariously through them. In the same way we live out the love, forgiveness and healing that God offfers not because we know how to get to God. We do it because it is lived vicariously through Jesus Christ. Our kids make us feel what we can't feel on our own and Jesus allows us to feel what we could never feel on our own. He brings us love, forgiveness and eternal life. Not just eternal in time, but eternal quality. He offers us the best of the best. I'll remember that when I try to experience life through someone else. The only one I need to live through is Jesus Christ.

Dental Cowardice (part 2)

2011-09-15T14:35:00.002-04:00

So I went to the dentist yesterday...and I'm still alive. The whole thing about faith and prayer worked. As a matter of fact I was able to put on an academy award worthy performance as being the normal run of the mill patient. I think I pulled it off. I'd like to put the whole thing behind me, but I have a few observations to share.

First of all, I have to go back. It turned out that I need a little work done. I knew I would. It's kind of like taking your car in for inspection. You never just get the sticker and go home. There is always something that needs fixed. The same thing is true of doctors and dentists. You are never good to go. Seek and you will find. The more doctors and dentists run tests the more unhealthy you will become. I remember hearing a surgeon say I won't know for sure what the problem is until I open you up. I kid you not. In that opening up I found out I had a bad gall bladder and a hernia. I don't know why he didn't get my appendix while he was in there. I'll tell you why...I had that out in a separate surgery months later. There is no discount for repeat customers. That's why they keep you coming back.

A second observation is that no one said "open wide." The world of television has taught us that all dental professionals say "open wide," "don't bite down" and "rinse." Although it is weird to have someone elses face so close to yours staring in your mouth, you let it go. It reminds me of the people who are "close talkers." At least the dentist has the courtesy to have fresh breath and a mask on. That is more than I can say for the people who get right in your face, providing a visual and olfactory reminder of the chili dog with onions they had for lunch.

Another observation is that you always seem to leave the dentist with a goody bag. You get a free toothbrush, toothpaste, floss and other little goodies. Why do they do that? Was your exam so bad that there was actually some doubt that you even owned a toothbrush? "Thanks for the toothbrush...I usually just use my finger." I've been through a lot of medical procedures and the only thing I ever got were scars, pain medication and one of those stupid devices where you have to suck into a hose to keep a ball in the air. One surgeon actually gave me a digital picture of my surgery. I've got that one in my wallet. I break it out at banquets and parties as an appetizer of sorts.

My last observation is that the people at Family Dental Care and Doctor Johnson were great. Although I joke about the experience, It was as good of an experience as one can have with someone sticking iron hooks in your mouth. If you don't have a dentist or have a mean one, switch to Dr. Johnson. Until next time...I'm out.

Irrational Fear

2011-09-14T10:26:00.002-04:00

Today has been a really tough day. It has been a day of paralyzing, numbing (pardon the pun) and fear as pre-dental appointment anxiety has hit me like tsunami of death with waves of crushing turmoil. I have to see the dentist at 2:00 p.m. and I am scared out of my wits. I've been to the dentist before, not many times, but I recently had a root canal and a crown. I have a new dentist this time, and she assures me that she is especially accommodating to cowards like me.

Now...I am not a person prone to be nervous around doctors. As many of you know, I've had gall bladder, appendix, hernia, gastric bi-pass and rotator cuff surgery. I've gone under the knife and never lost a moments sleep. I think it's because during surgery, you get to sleep and don't have to hear the cutting, grinding and drilling that goes on at the dentist. With regular general surgery you cannot really fear what you don't experience or remember. For many, the worst part of pre-surgical anxiety is getting an IV beforehand. After that, it's mostly down hill from there. The worst part of surgery happens when you wake up and that usually doesn't involve fear...it involves pain.

But the dentist is a different ball game altogether. You may get numb, but you will still experience all the poking, pushing, sucking and grinding that goes on. You will smell the smoke coming from your own teeth as friction usually leads to fire. You will fight that suction tube as you attempt to hang on to what dignity you have left. And you will certainly find out that you are going to have to come back for more fillings, crowns and bridge work. Dentists are like everybody else...they work to get paid. And the way they get paid is to keep you coming back. Now, I am not saying that dentists go around performing unecessary procedures for personal enrichment, but teeth wear down and maintenance is never fully complete. And, I love contributing to someone's BMW payment and luxury vacation expense fund.

I think that my fear, even though it's real, is also completely irrational. The Bible says that perfect love casts out all fear, but whoever wrote that probably wasn't staring a triple root canal in the face. Fear is always irrational, but it always has a grain of truth at its core. Many fear flying because they have seen stories about planes crashing into buildings and sides of mountains or into oceans. But if you study the numbers, no form of safer travel exists. People fear heights from the safety of an enclosed building, but have seen stories of people's parachutes not opening and of people slipping while attempting to cliff dive. Some people fear elevators because they have seen movies like "Speed" and "Devil" and they are terrified of being stuck in a dark, small crowded space with no air and no inkling of when the elevator brake will give out, sending them plummeting to their death. As much as we know it is irrational, it seems more than real to us.

So how do we deal with fear? How do we keep from hiding behind our couch with our doors locked and our shades drawn because so many things in this world frighten us? Many experts say you must face your fears, but they are not the ones that have to ride in the cable car over the 10,000 foot canyon. The way we should deal with fear is through faith and prayer. First, we pray for strength to get through what is scaring us. When we pray, we cannot hide from our true selves. Nobody is capable of lying while praying. When we pray, we admit our fears and weaknesses and are forced to trust in God for deliverance from them. This reminds us that we can never be in total control of our lives and circumstances. Control is an illusion and as much as we think we have a bead on things, we are at the mercy of the pilot, surgeon and elevator car cable. We are forced to let go and seek a higher power for help.

After we pray, we need to acknowledge our faith. When we trust God and believe that he has a good plan for our lives, it is easier to step out into the unknown. Sometimes things happen and that plan will at some point involve our death, but we must hang on to the hope that our faith gives us. I have resigned as manager of the universe and have decided to let God have the job. When I truly work at this, I feel a sense of calm confidence come upon me. It is rooted in the fact that God loves me and will put me in situations that He believes I need to be in. Even if those situations involve fear, hard choices or even tragedy...God assures us that he will walk through it with us. He will give us the strength we need and the guidance to choose best for the future.

Faith and prayer. That's easy for me to say you think...but this afternoon as I am reclined in the chair of torture, I will be putting these things into practice.

Can We Handle The Truth?

2011-06-28T12:57:00.002-04:00

Those of you who follow me on facebook and twitter know that I am engrosed in the trial of Casey Anthony. It is charged by the prosecution that Casey killed her daughter Caylee because she was in the way of her living the good life. She is said to have drugged her two year old daughter with the knockout drug chloroform and then suffocated her by covering her mouth and nose with duct tape. She then left Caylee in the woods near her house to rot and decompose.

The defense is claiming that Caylee died by drowning in the family pool and her father then went and left her remains in the woods. All throughout this trial we have seen how Casey Anthony told one lie after another and changed her story of what happened several times. She made up the names of people who did not exist to create a story that Caylee was kidnapped by her nanny. She has lied and lied and lied.

During the trial the defense has tried to build case around her lies, but they are just helping the family tell more lies to cover the truth that their daughter is a murderer. It seems to me that this family does not know the truth from a lie. And now that everyone is testifying, they cannot keep all the lies straight. Jesus said,"And if you know the truth...the truth will set you free (John 8:32)."

Most everyone who knows me knows about what I have been through in the last 8 years. Bi-polar disease created in me a delusional thought pattern where I honestly did not know the truth from a lie. My illness had me hearing things that were not said, believing things that didn't happen and perceiving things that were not real. I was in so much pain and despair that my brain invented scenarios to guard me from the pain of realizing the truth about myself and others. This illness cost me my ministry, and it took me several years and several hours of therapy to heal and overcome this world my mind had created. I couldn't tell the delusional world from the real word. And I would do or say anything I had to do to protect my artificial world. I got hurt and others got hurt. It was a horrible period in my life and I am glad that God has given me almost 8 years of healing and recovery.

When I look at this Casey Anthony, I can't help but feel some sympathy for her because she is in a place where I once was. Now, I am not taking her side. I believe that she committed the murder and should be punished. But on Saturday, when her defense filed a motion to declare her incompetent, I was not shocked as many others were. According to her lawyers, she could not aid in her defense. I think that she is incompetent because she is so ill mentally that she cannot discern the truth from a lie. She is in that place where her mind is shielding her from the pain of what she did, by creating a reality that is not there. Fake kidnappings, made up people and one lie after another has created a delusional world in which she is now lost. I really don't think she knows what the truth is.

What bothers me about this is that her lawyers and family are enabling and feeding these delusions by trying to help her cover up her crime. A trial is supposed to uncover the truth, but it has only served to allow a very troubled person to fall deeper and deeper into psychosis. I realize that her attorneys are trying to save her from the death chamber, but in many ways, they are condemning her to a prison of lies where she can continue to live without facing what she has done.

The truth is important, even when it isn't pleasant. As the saying goes, the truth hurts. But the key to becoming truth tellers in our lives is to be surrounded by people who will not allow us to live a lie. In the movie "A Few Good Men," Jack Nicholson blurts out what many people in our world think when he screamed, "You can't handle the truth." The thing is that we have to handle the truth or we will end up like the Casey Anthony's of the world.

Knowing the truth means first and foremost that we must know God. God is truth and in our relationship with him, lies will not cut it. He has a way of helping us to be brutally honest about ourselves. Have you ever lied, when you were praying to God about something? Of course not because you know it would be futile. When you have lied, has your conscience had you second guessing yourself. Of course it has. God will not be part of a lie, so we must take the truth to him or we will get nowhere spiritually. But when we confess our lies to God he understands the pain and weakness that causes us to tell lies and he forgives us. As long as our confession is genuine and heartfelt. So when we admit our lies to God, he will lead us to that healing place.

We all know the truth from a lie even though it is often buried. Giving the lies of our lives to God is the only thing that can make us right. Even if it is to painful to confess to those around us, we must be honest with God. The other thing we must do is seek people in our lives to be truth tellers. We need accountability so we are not allowed to slip into a world of denial and delusion. We must be shown the truth about ourselves even when it is uncomfortable. You are not being a loving friend or family member if you help them to live in a world of lies. Truth telling will strain relationships and cause many to doubt our character, but we come back stronger and the discomfort will pass.

So give it to God and trust others to keep you honest. If you feel like you are still floundering then get help. It is out there. So for all who are in denial about the truth of their lives, start by being honest with God about one issue a day. Share it with those close to you and the experience will begin to set you free. The lies are not as powerful once they come to the surface in prayer and sharing. We can overcome the manufactured artificial worlds we often create when we do these things. The truth will truly set you free.

Repressing Depression

2011-06-21T14:51:00.002-04:00

Much has been written and said over the last few weeks about anti-depressants being the most prescribed drugs for Americans today. The implications are many. The first implication is that depression is being used as a catch-all diagnosis for people who just can't deal with life. The other implication is that anti-depressants are used like candy as a crutch for those who cannot deal with life. Both implications are common stigmas attached to depression and other mental illnesses.

While it may be true that many more people are being treated for depression now than ever before, there are many reasons why. First of all, in the past people were not encouraged to be open and accepting of the results of stress in their lives. People in my parents generation were told to grit their teath and bear it during tough times or told to pull themselves up by their bootstraps when they were sad or down. In those days, people did not openly share their problems with others. Therapy was a new form of treatment not utilized by many people and Psychiatry was still a young science. But more than that, people were taught that it was a sign of weakness or lack of character to complain about their lives or problems. They were told to keep silent about things like sexual abuse, workplace stress, personal shortcomings or weaknesses. So they were repressed and buried. There was no less depression in that generation, just more suffering. People just dealt with it privately or in silence.

Another reason more people are being prescribed anti-depressants is because the treatments work. Many don't know that depression and bi-polar are physical illnesses which are caused by chemical deficiencies in the brain or the lack of certain receptor activity in the brain. Anti-depressants in combination with talk therapy have helped lift many out of depression and given them new hope for life. I know when I was first diagnosed bi-polar, I had no idea I was actually physically ill. I thought it was all just in my head and that everybody lived like me. It took my diagnosis and treatment to help me discover that it was not just personal weakness that gave me suicidal thoughts, the inability to tell or distinguish the truth from what I made up in my own mind, insomnia and severe lethargy. I thought everybody had these things. It wasn't until I was in treatment for several motns and even years that I was able to process, admit and learn how to live with these feelings. Many people who have been affected by my illness have been quite unforgiving, mostly because they don't understand the illness. The good news is that most everybody else in my life have accepted my ilness and gave me the time, space and love to go through a healing process. The meds were a big part of the healing.

Although many primary care doctors will prescribe anti-depressants for people who exhibit symptoms, that should only be the beginning of the process. Referals to psychiatrists, therapists and other mental health professionals must be done and followed up on. Mental health is a medical specialty not unlike cardiology, orthopedics or dermatology. It takes great expertise to diagnose and find the proper therapy. What a PCP might initially see as depression might actually be seen as bi-polar, schizophrenia or anxiety disorder by a psychiatrist. The meds that deal with these specific illnesses are all different and only a specialist can provide the right combinations and dosages. The problem is that most people do not follow up. The PCP prescribes an anti-depression and the treatment stops there. Either the symptoms improve or the crisis passes and nothing more is done. But healing requires the right meds and proper talk therapy solutions to fully take effect.

The other truth is that mental-ilness once diagnosed is never completely cured. Symptoms can come and go or change and only a specialist can track the condition and make adjustments in the treatment plan. But the truth is that there is a negative stigma attached to the practice of psychiatry. If someone goes to a shrink they must be crazy or out of their mind or dangerous. But we have to overcome these misconceptions so people are not afraid to seek help.

Are anti-depressants over prescribed? I don't know for sure, but I consider it a sign that people are choosing to share their symptoms and to no longer suffer in silence and live with despair. If that is the case, then amen to that.

Just Because It Didn't Happen Doesn't Mean It Won't

2011-05-24T13:54:00.003-04:00

Saturday, May 21 @ 6:00 p.m. came and went and like you, I am still here. So much for the 2012 doomsday prophecy. Whew...we made it through another one. When added to the end of the world predictions of people like The Jehovah's Witnesses (who by the way have been wrong so many times they have officially stopped predicting the second coming), Branch Davidians, Seventh Day Adventists and various other crackpot prophecies, we are none the worse for wear. As far as I know we are safe for the next year.

But let's stop for a moment and reflect on what we do believe, because just because Jesus didn't come back doesn't mean he isn't coming back. The point is that the Bible says that no one knows the day or the time that Christ will return, but there are two things to keep in mind that the Bible does tell us about Christ's return:

1. We should be prepared so as it doesn't matter when Jesus comes back. Whenever the time comes, and it will probably not be in our lifetime, we should always have our spiritual house in order. There are several parables or stories in the Bible about being spiritually prepared.

My favorite is the parable of the ten bridesmaids in Matthew 25: 1-13. The parable tells the story of of ten bridesmaids who went with the bride to meet the bridegroom. They all took their lamps, but only five took oil to burn to light the lamp. The groom was awhile and they fell asleep waiting. At midnight they were told that the groom was on his way, and all the bridesmaids went to light their lamps, but only five had oil to do so. The foolish ones who brought no oil begged the ones that did to spare them some oil, but they refused. There wasn't enough oil to go around. So the five foolish ones decided to go and buy some oil so they left the others and went to the village. While they were gone the groom came and the five who were prepared entered the wedding banquet and the door was shut and locked. Later, the five foolish bridesmaids arrived and begged the groom to let them in. The groom replied, "I don't know you." Jesus ends the story by saying, "Therefore keep watch for you do not know the day or the hour."

The point is that we need to have oil for our spiritual lamp because no one else can give it to us. We need to have a saving relationship with God that involves confession, repentance and a committment that Jesus in the Lord of our lives. We can't earn it or ride on the coat tails of others. We simply need to believe and receive the gift of faith. That does not mean we have to be perfect. We are not given eternal life for our deeds, but because of our faith and trust in God. We are prepared for whatever happens when we surrender our lives to Christ. It won't matter when Jesus comes back because we will be prepared for eternity.

2. There will be a rapture. Jesus makes it clear that before the world enters into the pain and difficulty of the end times, the believers will be taken up to heaven before Jesus comes to engage in the final battle against the antichrist. We will be spared the plagues, strruggle and pain that the Bible tells us will happen in the end of days. In Matthew 24, Jesus says, "No one knows the day or the hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the son, but only The Father. As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and being given in marriage, up to the day that Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of man. Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left behind. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left (vs. 36-41)."

The rapture is not a doctrine of judgement against those who don't Jesus and will be left behind. It is a doctrine of comfort and assurance that God will care for those he knows and will receive them into eternity whether they are dead or alive at the second coming. Many people misunderstand this doctrine and think it makes the idea of salvation more complicated. But it helps us to see that the second coming of Christ is not an event to fear, but one through which believers will be safely delivered. If you want to no more about this view of the end times read the "Left Behind" series by Tim Lahaye and Jerry Jenkins. Although the books are works of fiction that lay out the Biblical story about the end times as taught in Biblical prophecy and in the book of Revelations.

More to come on the end times in the next post.

Rage Against The Machine

2011-05-18T08:35:00.004-04:00

"...And don't sin by letting anger control you. Don't let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil."

Ephesians 4:26-27
(New Living Translation)

I was out driving the other day when I came to a red light and had to stop. While I was waiting for the light to change, I got distracted by something on the radio and I sort of just "zoned out." During my mental wanderings the light changed, but I continued to be somewhere out in left field. The man in the car behind me began to slam on his horn. After I snapped out of it and started moving the raging driver tailgated me until the road grew into two lanes, where he sped by me and screamed at me. Because his window was shut I was unable to hear what he said. But my skills at lip reading gave me a pretty good idea. It wasn't very pretty.

I guess I have noticed a lot more lately that people seem to have a hard time dealing with their anger. Whether it is road rage, lashing out at that clerk in the checkout line, or the rising tide of domestic violence, something is making us more angry than we used to be. I think there are several reasons for this. One is our desire to have everything given to us quickly. We are used to mouse clicks that instantly serve as a gateway to information and news. We are used to instant messaging, fast food drive throughs, speedy checkouts and atomatic bank tellers. In short, we have become spoiled like small children who fall into a tantrum whenever our needs are not met fast enough. We have lost the ability to wait for anything. We used to wait for mail delivery but now we get everything by next day air. We shop online instantly and are thus impatient when we have to go to the store in person where we have to look for what we need and wait in line to go through the check out. We are in such a hurry that we speed, run red lights and yell at people because we feel that we are not getting to where we want to go fast enough. We freak out when our computer crashes because we just have to check our e-mail, facebook and twitter. Anger seems to have control over more and more people.

But how do we deal with anger in a way that is Christian? What practices can we learn that can help us control what often controls us? The first thing we need to do is stop. If we are driving and get angry, we need to pullover. If we are angry at a check out clerk we need to stop and be silent. If we are frustrated with our kids and we feel like saying something, we should stop and take a few breaths. Stopping often gives us a chance to regain control over our emotions.

The next thing we need to do is stop talking. A lot of times, we choose our words out of anger and say things that we know we don't really want to say. We need to practice the art of silence... saying nothing instead of saying something stupid. James 3:2 says, "Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way." In verse 6 of the same chapter, James the brother of Jesus goes on to say, "But a tiny spark can set a whole forest on fire. And the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself."

Pretty strong words, but we need to get the point. Silence also means not posting, e-mailing or tweeting things we would not say if we were talking face to face with others. Our computers and smartphones are a convenient hiding place where we think we have some sort of anonimity. But the truth is once we post something it is out there. The internet is forever and there is no way we can take our words back.

The last thing we can do to control our anger is to ask God in prayer to remove it from our lives. When we see the way James talks about anger in such vivid language, he is making it clear that anger is sin. It hurts others and it certainly does not honor God. When we see it as sin it is then necessary to go to God and pray for forgiveness. This act also gives us the ability to forgive those who have made us angry.

So stop, shut up and pray. This is the best way to deal with anger. But make no mistake anger is more than words or acts. It is a condition of the heart that we must allow God to change. Be patient with yourself and others. This transformation may take time. But practicing these habits can help us. Raging against the machine will only make us more miserable. We will not solve the problem making us angry and and we may get pulled into the abyss of hate. Anger is one thing, but hate is a much deeper and darker place.

So be aware of your anger and take steps to deal with it. Life will seem much more pleasant when you do.

The Truth Sometimes Hurts...

2011-05-15T11:35:00.004-04:00

"For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. They will reject the truth and chase after myths."

2 Timothy 4:3-4
New International Version

The apostle Paul saw it happening a couple thousand years ago. He saw the faith being corrupted less than one generation after the death and resurrection of Jesus. The gospel was good news, but people didn't always want to hear it.

People are no different 2,000years later. We want to hear the good news of Jesus and eternal life, but we want to believe that it is automatic and requires no participation by us. Many say, "If God is love, how can he possibly not accept me for who I am. And if he accepts me just the way I am, than why would I have to believe or act any differently than I do now?"

This is often supported by sermons preached in churches all over town. It is a watered down faith where God accepts sinners, but does not require them to try and change their ways. It is a faith where everybody goes to heaven no matter what and hell does not really exist apart from the worldy misery we bring upon ourselves. It is an easy, comfortable faith that often encourages people to do little more than show up for church on Sundays. The truth is that many churches simply tell us what they think we want to hear. They don't want be viewed as judgmental, hypocritical or unwelcoming. Many pastors have built their entire career around offending no one.

But the truth is that there is bad news within the good news of Jesus Christ. The bad news is that there are some things we must do to respond to the acceptance and love of God in our lives. We must put God first. Sometimes our churches proclaim a faith that requires no committment or sacrifice. We fail to remind people that they are not the center of the universe and should not always have what they want. We fail to remind people that acceptance requires a response. We must acknowledge our brokenness, feel sorry about it and ask to be forgiven. We then have to make some effort to avoid the sins that plague our lives and repeat themselves. We know that we will make mistakes and fall short but we will make an honest effort try to be different. We fail to tell people that our faith requires a committment to generosity and service often at the expense of our own comfort and ease of living.

Our biggest failure involves not telling people that they must take responsibility for their lives. We fail to tell them that there are eternal consequences to the choices that they make. Jesus talked about heaven and hell more often than he talked about any other subject. In Matthew's gospel alone, there are 13 different references to our eternal destiny. We are told about paradise and the kingdom of heaven. But we are also told about the sheep being separated from the goats, the place of wailing and gnashing of teeth and the place of fire. We can't just ignore these words of Jesus and say he didn 't mean it. Jesus chose his words carefully and his disciples communicated that which was most important in His teachings. We simply don't want to hear about a faith that causes us to make serious and sober choices.

As Paul told Timothy, there will be a time when people do not want to hear the truth. They will chase after myths and listen only to what they want to hear. That time is now upon us. We seem to want a comfortable and easy faith that we can deal with only when we like what we hear. God is accepting of us and has offered us new life now and for eternity. But we have to step up and claim it for our lives. Nobody can do it for us. We cannot hope for a deathbed conversion to save us in the last moments. We must put God first, repent, worship him, seek him in prayer and share his love through service and giving of ourselves. There is no other way to respond. I'm O.K., You're O.K. will simply not work.

Anybody that tells you any different is simply preaching to your itching ears and helping you to chase after myths that can never deliver what they promise.

Blow Up Your Turntable

2011-05-06T12:38:00.003-04:00

"For where two or three gather as my followers, I am there among them."
Matthew 18:20 (New Living Translation)

I was doing a little digging around in the basement this past week and I came across what would now be considered an ancient artifact: a direct drive stereo turntable. Now for those of you who have been surgically connected to ipods, mp3 players and smart phones, you probably don't even know what a turntable is. If you are a fan of hip hop music, you may have some idea.

There used to be something called a record. It was a flat disc made out of vinyl and was cut with grooves. When an electrostatic needle was run over the grooves, the music would play. At one time, these were all the rage. They went the way of the dinasour, because they had some limitations. They scratched easily, wore out after awhile and were limited to only hold a certain amount of music. The best thing about record albums was the artwork. The album covers were usually vividly decorated and some of the best art was found on these covers. Check out "Point Of No Return" by Kansas or "Brain Salad Surgery" by Emerson Lake and Palmer. I'm sure you could find the art through google.

But now the album cover is all but extinct. CD Cases are small and ipod and smartphone screens are even smaller. One of the great things about records was that we collected them. They brought us together. We would have listening parties, trade albums and brag that we had every original release of a band's records. It was awesome! But that element of getting together just to hear an album is gone in our culture as are a lot of reasons for getting together in person.

Technology is a great thing. Cell Phones, Google, internet, texting, facebook, twitter and blogging have helped us communicate with people when they cannot be there in person. Many of us spend a great deal of time with our eyes on a screen and our fingers on a keyboard in the privacy of our own room. We can get news, chat and even talk face to face on our computers. It is truly a gift which I am learning to use myself. But I also see the dangers that lurk when we surrender to much of ourselves to the technology around us.

People's computers get hacked, identities get stolen and people's privacy is often compromised. But still we subject ourselves more and more for the sake of speed and convenience. But what about the long phone conversations we used to have? What happened to getting together to talk? What happened to sharing personally our opinions and feelings with others? Now if you have something to say you tweet it or facebook it. The result is that people often become verbal bombthrowers. They post things they would never say in a group. There is a false sense of being anonymous online then there is in private conversations. People have a courage on the keyboard that they cannot muster when face to face. People are more prone to gossip, insult, ridicule, call people out and intimidate others when they are using technology.

But other things get lost too. How about the art of conversation? One night my son Justyn and his girlfirnd Lindsy were sitting on the couch together watching television. What a nice picture I thought except for one thing. They were both on their cellphones texting with other people rather than just enjoying the time together. I'm considered weird for believing that kind of behavior is weird.

Another thing that gets lost is our willingness to invest time into relationships. It is a lot easier to communicate online than it is to sit down and talk over coffee or lunch. We are less likely today to reach out, form new relationships and work to really get to know others. We are in many ways little more than impersonal hermits who do all our living while not really ever having personal face to face contact with those around us.

It presents a spiritual problem as well. Christianity is a faith based on relationships. First, it is based on our relationship with Jesus and then, upon our relationships with others. Love is not real unless it is shared. And it cannot truly be shared unless he have close, personal and meaningful relationships with others. Jesus knew that when he said that for Him to be truly present two or three must be gathered together in His name. Sometimes we view this verse as pertaining only to the church. But it really applies to every facet of life. What is personal is passionate. What is impersonal is distant. What is shared is real, while what is separated by screens, keyboards and cell phones is artificial.

Technology is great, but it is also dangerous. It can isolate us and make much of life seem impersonal and distant. That is why we should balance our dependence on technology with the effort of maintaining and engaging people in personal and authentic relationships. For every hour you spend online, spend an hour with a friend, spouse or one of your children. Go to the community sporting events. Meet the other parents of kids on the team. Rather than shopping online go to the mall with a friend. Rather than texting, call that person and talk to them for awhile. Even though the message you have may be small, short or seemingly unimportant, but the time spent talking about other things and catching up are worth the time. Being available is better than being accessable. Everybody has time for access, but very few are willing to take the time to be available.

Jesus wanted us to gather and to be together, not just with Him, but with each other as well. His love works best when it is shared through the type of love that only happens in person. He blesses us through others and He changes lives through the people He sends into our midst. Technology is good, but it it cannot be a substitute for personal time with others . Go ahead...text, tweet and post away. But use the time saved by these conveniences to be meaningfully present to someone you care about. It's the best way to give and receive blessings and it is the only manner by which God can truly change lives.

Worship Beyond Sundays...

2011-05-02T16:27:00.002-04:00

" And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to offer your bodies to God because of all that He has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice--the kind He will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship Him."
Romans 12: 1 (New Living Translation)

I love the new living translation because it uses the word "bodies" to describe how we should worship God. The word body refers to the entire person--physical, spiritual and psychological that makes no mistake letting us know that this is the only way to give ourselves to God. Many of us think of worship and what we really mean is "worship service"which refers to the hour or so we spend in church on Sundays when we are able to make it there. When we limit our thinking about worship to just one hour a week we are missing the kind of worship God really wants.

Now, I'm not saying that the hour we spend in church is not pleasing to God...surely it is. But what Paul is talking about is completely different. Paul is asking us to become a living and holy sacrifice. We know what living means, but we completely misunderstand the meaning of the word "holy." Holy does not refer to living a perfect life or being closer to God than someone else. Holiness does not take perfection it takes practice. "Holy," simply put, means that you are setting apart something just for God.

God wants our worship to consist of setting our lives apart so God will find them pleasing and acceptable. It is about worshiping God in everything you are and in everything you do. Living holy refers to a life fully given to God. We worship through the way we "represent ." Do you glorify God through the values you live? Do you live with authenticity, integrity and without compromise? Do you worship God in the way you do your job or your work? Are you the best you can be, does your attitude help others? We work for a paycheck...but our paycheck can also involve giving our best for God. Do you worship God through your relationships? Are you honorable and reliable in your friendships? Are you faithful and truthful in your marriage?

Every part of our day can be an act of worship just by the way we approach it. When we do this our relationship with God is made stronger, our relationships with others can be more meaningful and our marriage and families can reflect the values we hold most dear. Life can be full of jobs or tasks or it can be filled with acts of worship.

When you set your life apart, as a way of glorifying God, miracles can happen. You can meet that new person God wants to bring into your life, you can explore that new opportunity to work or play, and you will be put in positions where you can share Jesus whether you talk or not, with others.

Take this challenge. Do everything you do for just one day as if God were sitting right next to you. Your outlook will change and your eyes will be opened.

Does God Really Care About You?

2011-04-28T09:21:00.002-04:00

"When I see the night sky and see the work of your fingers...the moon and the stars you set in place...what are mere mortals that you should think about them, human beings that you should care for them. Yet you made them only a little lower than God, and crowned them with glory and honor. You gave them charge of everything you made, putting all things under their authority..."

Psalm 8:3-6 (New Living Translation)

We all go through times in our lives where feel that we are unimportant and that we don't really matter much. Maybe we are being gossiped about at work. Maybe our husband or wife is not giving us the attention we need. Maybe the kids won't listen or treat us mom and dads with respect. Maybe we are having lots of stress...financial troubles, job loss or inability to make friendships or relationships work. All this stuff drags us down and makes us feel like we are only a speck of dust in vast universe of people. We look at other people and wonder if they feel the same way.

In the creation story in Genesis 1:27 it says, "So God created human beings in his own image..." Does this mean that we are a mirror image of God...that we look like God? Of Course not! What this tells us is that we are intended to have a relationship with God. It tells us that we are capable of experiencing His love and that we are able to love God back in a way that nothing else in creation can. But the greatest thing these verses teach us in both Psalm 8 and Genesis 1 is that we are important and that no matter how we are feeling, we matter to God.

You might be thinking, "That's great...but how does this make my life any better!" I think it can answer three questions:
1. Who am I?
2. Why am I here?
3. What am I supposed to do with my life?

1. Who you are is very important to God. He created you to be unique and special. Being different than everyone else means that God cares about you the way you are. We are so convinced that we need to change to find happiness. If we could just lose weight, make more money and have more things we will somehow feel different than what we feel now. We often lose ourselves in trying to copy the world and be like other people. This throws us into an identity crisis from which it is hard to overcome. That is why we need to look in the mirror and see our raw materials. The best way to make our lives better is to be who we are...to use the gifts we have been given and to be real and authentic. You can't copy individuality. When we do this we will never measure up. It starts with being who God created you to be. Being honest about your limitations and strengths is the first step. Take an inventory and write down these things and pray about ways to use them.

2. So many people wonder why they are here. When we look at the universe and buy into the mythology that we are merely random accidents of a scientific process we will feel meaningless. But the Bible says that we are not accidents. It says that God has known us since the beginning of time and that he has a purpose and destiny for our lives. We are not accidents but people who have a cosmic plan that God wants to make happen in the world. There is a plan for our lives. It starts with believing this truth.

3. The hard part is figuring out what that plan is and how to make it work in our lives. This might happen in a day or develop during a life time. It is different for everybody. Most of us figure out our mission and purpose through trial and error. I have had three different mid-life crises in the last 10 years. God took me through severe depression, job loss and life changing gastric by-pass surgery to give me my health and lead me to my next step. The first key is being open. We have to look and listen because God usually doesn't explode onto the scene but usually works through the small events and encounters of life. We need to be aware of the situations we are in, the people we come across and the opportunities that are placed before us. We need to reflect and journal so that we can organize these events and relationships. Keeping a faith journal or diary that you can look back on once a week is very helpful. You see things you would otherwise miss. The second thing is that you must actively pursue a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. You need to confess your sins, pray and try to hear the spirit of God working in your life. If your faith is not being worked at through worship, bible study and prayer it will be hard to make any decisions or changes in your life. By working at our faith, we will uncover opportunities to discover our destiny. Ultimately, our destiny is tied to Christ in our lives now and into eternity. We cannot figure anything out until we are following Jesus in our lives. Faith takes work and effort. Salvation is a free gift, but purpose and destiny are things we must work at through our faith. Don't be afraid to do the hard work. It will help you find your way.

There are no easy answers except understanding that you matter to God, trying to be yourself and working at your faith. It is now your move.

Good Friday

2011-04-22T10:16:00.002-04:00

Although many people think that Good Friday is a downer and depressing part of the church year, that is really not the case. There is good news in the violence and suffering of the cross. God became human in Jesus Christ. He wanted to know what it's like to be one of us. He wanted to feel our pain, hurt, fear, laughter, happiness and lives. He did this so he could experience the ultimate human enemy: death. By dying, Jesus was in fact building a bridge between us and God. Sin had separated us from a holy God who cannot be in sin's presence, so we had no chance of a relationship with God. But His death paid for our sin so we could again be in relationship with God.

In the Old Testament, God forgave and related to the nation of Israel through a system of sacrifices that took away God's anger and judgment and offered renewal from sin. On an altar, sacrifices of grain, drink and the blood of certain animals were made to please God. The blood represents life and the offerings were what was most valuable to shepherds and farmers: crops and flocks. By giving them up, they were giving to God the best of what they had. This showed loyalty and devotion to God.

But the death of Jesus made the sacrificial system of the Jews impotent. The ultimate sacrifice of blood had been made that no crop or livestock could rival. In the historical departure of Israel from slavery in Egypt, the passover happened to spare Jews from the angel of death that would swoop across Egypt and kill all firstborn children. To protect the Israelites, God told them to slaughter a lamb and smear its blood around and over their door posts and the angel of death would passover their dwelling.

The death of Jesus does the same thing. The wages of sin is spiritual death. We needed a lamb so that death would have hold over us no more. Jesus was the lamb given to us by God. When God sees the blood of Jesus he passes over our sin and offers us forgiveness. This once for all sacrifice allows us to again be right with God.

So the cross may seem violent and painful, it was God's way of bringing us to Himself. Without the cross we would be stuck in sin and separation. But now our redemption has been offered through the cross of Jesus Christ.

Supernatural...

2009-07-23T15:55:00.002-04:00

"I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God's power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him at the place of honor at God's right hand in the heavenly realms. Now He is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else-not only in this world but in the world to come (Ephesians 1: 19-21, NLT)."

The Bible is full of examples of the incredible power of God to create, bring destruction, heal, bring demons under control, loose the power of heaven, raise the dead and do any kind of miracles. The scripture says that the power that raised Jesus from the dead gives Christ the power to do anything. God's power is without boundaries or limits.

The problem is that many in the church have tried to explain or restrict God's power. We see it in the Creation vs. Evolution. God has the power to create, but to some is not the grand designer behind creation. We see it in pastoral counseling. Anyone who has any credits in Clinical Pastoral Education knows that rather than seeking spiritual answers for those who suffer, we instead seek behavioral and psychological answers. When it comes to doing theology, we preach justice, fairness and inclusivity, but look to human institutions for remedy.

God is all powerful. God can do anything. The same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead can give new life to our mortal bodies as well. If we have a God who offers us this power to heal, change and fulfill our lives, then why do we turn to the culture and the world for solutions? When we get sick we go to the doctor because we believe in God's power to work through doctors and medecines. But God is all powerful and can also bring miraculous healing that goes above and beyond science and medicine. Why is it that when someone is spiritually tormented we look to psychology and psychiatry for the only answers? Scripture makes it clear that God has the power to cast out demons. Do we pray for such deliverance?

It seems to me that there is a willingness for us to surrender God's power to the things of the world. We have become too confident in our own ability to fix lives that we aren't looking to God for His solutions. We sometimes forget that all things come from Him and that we should give him the glory when we experience healing and renewal in our lives.

A lot of Christians have become too practical. We always look to the world when we should be looking to God. We miss an entire dimension of what it means to have faith in the process.

We shouldn't forget that God is supernatural.

The Voice Of Truth...

2009-07-09T15:08:00.004-04:00

One of my favorite Christian songs is "The Voice Of Truth" by Casting Crowns. The refrain sings "The voice of truth tells me a different story, the voice of truth says do not be afraid. The voice of truth says this is for my glory, out of all the voices calling out to me, I will choose to listen and believe the voice of truth."

There are voices calling out to us. We hear them all the time. Some are audible but most are thoughts and impulses that try to influence us everyday. Sometimes the thoughts and impulses are from God calling us to greater faith and love. Other times they come from the world calling us to be more like the culture around us. But there are also times when our impulses and thoughts are so destructive that they must come from the evil one himself.

Satan is very real and active in our world and makes every attempt to penetrate our lives and drive us away from God. I know many Christians who would disagree with this saying that Satan is only a symbolic figure, brought to life in Christian art and lore, who is little more than an imp we created to explain away and make excuses for what is human evil in our world. They would say that evil exists in the hearts of people and we need look no farther than ourselves.

But that is not what the Bible says about evil. Isaiah 14: 12-15 How you are fallen from heaven, O shining star, son of the morning! You have been thrown down to the earth, you who destroyed the nations of the world. For you said to yourself, 'I will ascend to heaven and set my throne high above God's stars. I will preside on the mountain of the Gods, far away in the north. I will climb the highest heavens and be like the most high.'

Satan was one of God's angels who rebelled over God's love for humankind and who strived to be God's equal. He was cast out of heaven and given power over the earth to try to lead us astray. In the garden of Eden Satan was the serpent who tempted Adam and Eve to try and be like God by eating the fruit of the forbidden tree. They were promised that their eyes would be open and they would be as God. The promise was a lie and cast humanity into a sinful state we could not overcome on our own.

In Job 1: 6-12 Satan is given permission to test the faith of Job to see if he will turn away from God. Job loses his wealth, his family and his livestock, but does not stray from the almighty.

In the gospels, Satan comes to Jesus and tempts him three times. First with hunger, second with promises of great power, third with the thought of testing God's power. Jesus spurns the temptation and begins his ministry and mission of redemption.

All throughout his letters, Paul names Satan as the source of evil in this world and calls us to resist his lies, temptations and false promises. He says in Ephesians 6:12 that our battle is not against flesh and blood but against the spiritual forces of darkness in this present age. There are numerous citations in scripture telling us to resist the wiles of the devil.

The problem is not just the idea that there is an evil force in the world attempting to do evil through us, but that it is often hard to distinguish the evil impulses and thoughts from the good. Johns Gospel 8:14 describes Satan as a "muderer from the beginning not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language for he is a liar and the father of lies."

Satan is not just evil. He is evil disguised. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 11:14 that Satan often appears to us as a child of light. In 2 Thessalonians 2:9 Paul tells us he will use every kind of deception to fool those on their way to destruction. You see, Satan is not just a liar he is a convincing liar who often distorts our own wants and weaknesses to make them feel right. There are times when he will approach us as a friend and advocate.

He uses every opportunity to speak lies into our thoughts and hearts. He tells us that we can be our own Gods and that selfishness, greed, lust, and materialism indulged will make our lives better. He comes to people through internet pornography, telling them a good feeling is worth the loss of dignity it brings. He urges us to have more, get more, buy more and consume more. Why should we not lead the good life like everyone else. He wants to see us use people as a means to get what we want and to believe that relationships only matter as long as we benefit. He wants us to believe we are worth it and that giving in to every passion, desire and feeling is the best way to live. Now you might not think Satan is real, but how do you explain the attacks on our thoughts and impulses that plague everyone of us?

The devil wants us to believe that God only wants to make us feel guilty about our desires. He wants us to believe that God is a moralizer looking to catch us and condemn us when we screw up. He wants us to believe that God is not anything more than an absentee landlord watching us struggle but doing nothing to rescue us. The Devil is a convincing liar who tries to pass himself of as a friend who cares about what we want.

But this is where the voice of truth comes in. We have not been left to struggle on our own, but have been given the gift of the Holy Spirit to help us in our earthly warfare. God loves us and wants us to have a life that is truly fulfilling. A life that goes beyond our weaknesses and wants and frees us from the power of earthly obsessions. God knows we will often make bad choices and offers us the blood of Jesus as the only fix we will ever need. He doesn't want to point out our flaws he wants to help us overcome them through power of love and relationship. No matter the failure, forgiveness is there when we seek to repent and come to Him.

So how de we distinguish the voice of the deceiver from the voice of God? Paul tells us in Ephesians 5:10 - 18. He tells us to resist evil by putting on the full armor of God. He calls us to put on the belt of truth. We should test every impulse we get against the scriptures. When we do this we can easily discern what is from God and what is not. If the impulse is for greed, do a study on the word greed in the Bible. See what it says. Thus you will be able to discern the truth from the lie.

The problem is that scriptural testing is lacking in today's church. Many preachers and sermons are more wrapped up in practical living advice or positive thinking. we want to affirm people and tell them we accept them as they are, but we don't want to tell them that their behavior is sinful and not to be accepted. We say to the homosexual, "We accept you into our family", but then do nothing to help them break free from a same sex life style. God may accept us for the sinners we are, but that is not license to continue to engage in destructive behavior. Instead of bending over backward to accommodate every person's world view, we need to proclaim a biblical worldview where we support what the Word says and then do everything we can to help ourselves and others repent and change. Redemption does not mean that we are saved to stay in our sin. Acceptance is not the goal it is the beginning of the Christian walk. Repentance and the ensuing struggle to resist sin leads to redemption.

Paul then tells us to put on the breast plate of righteousness. He is calling us to stand for our principles. There is a big difference between righteousness and self-righteousness. Every day evangelicals are attacked, even by other Christians, as being judgemental, close-minded, exclusivist and stubborn. The truth is that as Christians we should have certain principles over which we will not budge. Scriptural authority, a personal relationship with Christ, belief in conversion, creation over evolution, the right to life and the prophetic realities of the new heaven and earth to come are just a few. We need to stand our ground and not let our values be diminished.

Paul then tells us to take up the shield of faith. We have to believe and trust that God is who the Bible says He is. Spiritual warfare is a reality. God's power to help us win these battles is also real. But we have to claim it to be able to use it, and we need to believe it to proclaim it. Too many Christians have reduced God to an idea, ideal or symbol. To them God is progress, justice, fairness and a symbolic representation of all that is good. While God does embody these characteristics, the Bible teaches that God is transcendant, meaning that he exists above any trait we can give him. God is a personal being. Jesus was a person. God is real, not just a concept or symbol for what we deem as good and just. We have to believe this.

Next Paul says to take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit. We have to make a decision for Jesus Christ if we are to fight the temptations of the devil. When we make this decision, our sin is forgiven and we are made right with God and filled with his Holy Spirit to help and guide us. All of this is in the Bible. One cannot resist evil without being sure of their salvation. The devil is a cunning adversary who can bring doubt to the most sure believer. Imagine what he can do with an unsaved person or luke warm believer.

Finally, Paul says that we should pray in the spirit. We must fight the temptations of evil by calling it out to God. When we admit our weakness and fall before the Lord, He will give us strength. Evil thoughts and impulses must be shouted down with constant prayer, meditation and journaling. Try memorizing a scripture and praying every day for a week for God to make it real in your life. Ask for protection, cry for relief and ultimately trust only God for healing. Be honest in confronting the evil that surrounds your life and call for it to be cast out in Jesus' Name.

Look, I don't like to go around with the name of Satan on my lips. When we do that we only give him more power over our lives. But we must call it what it is. If Jesus had to endure temptation did we think we wouldn't have to? Evil has always been there and will always be until Christ comes again and we experience the new heaven and earth.

Too many of us want to explain evil away and blame it on broken people, an imperfect society or some other psychological condition. We want to believe that evil isn't real it is only imagined by us in our condition. We want to personify it so we can shirk responsibility for own bad decisions and failings. This thinking ignores the biblical record and what Scripture says about the origins of evil.

Lead us not into temptation.

The Deception Of Community...

2009-02-18T16:41:00.002-05:00

With the election of President Obama, the passing of the economic package, and the various bailouts, we have entered into a new age of mutual responsibility and collectivism. We are once again reminded that we are our brothers keeper and it is the role of community to right wrongs and distribute social justice and economic prosperity to all whether they have worked hard for it or not.

Christianity is a religion of discipleship where the indidual makes a conscious decision to follow Jesus Christ and then participate in the community. With the idea of personal salvation comes personal responsibility and accountability. This should flow from the individual life and then be reinforced in community. Faith, morals and responsibility are virtues that must be lived out personally and not just dictated by the larger community.

What I am saying is that personal choices matter in life. Government now desires to be the ones who determine who is responsible for people's well being and prosperity. Our current economic problems are not a failure of community to distribute wealth and resources equally among members, but a failure of responsibility on the part of individuals. Whether it is predatory bankers, people taking on more debt than they can afford or people trying to live a materialistic lifestyle they cannot support, the problem and blame lies with the individual.

Most of us pay our bills, take advantage of opportunities and work hard to give our families a better quality of life, but many do not. Many have racked up unservicebale credit card debt, high car payments and live in houses their income can not sustain. Now government is telling us that those who work hard and meet our obligations must now step in and pay for those who have made irresponsible decisions so they can maintain a standard of living that they cannot support on their own.

We are creating a worldview where people feel entitled to what others have, whether they will work for it or not. This is the problem with giving community the power that should be left to the individual. If someone can live in the same size house as me and have the same possessions and vehicles that I do with half the income I have, then there is something wrong. Why would I be self-reliant when I can have everything I want at someone else's expense?

God has given us all free will to make choices about how we live our lives. When we make bad choices, we should have to live with some of the consequences. When those consequences become painful, it serves to reinforce the making of better decisions. When we absolve people of their responsibility we do not create prosperity but instead reinforce dependency.

God moves in the individual heart to guide, energize and motivate people to become all they can be. To call on community to do what individuals fail to do is not genuine community. Community should reinforce individual responsibility and values rather than be a substitute for them.

A New Religion?

2008-09-19T13:58:00.002-04:00

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or the free exercise thereof... United States Constitution, 1st Amendment ratified 1791.

We have seen Christianity eliminated from the public square over the past few decades. The Bible has been tossed out of the schools, prayers cannot be offered at high school graduations, Nativity scenes have been removed from public places and for kids to pray in school, they must assemble outside in front of the flag pole.

The other day, I was at a Christian book store when I saw a necklace made out of a guitar pick with the words "pick Jesus" written on it. I thought my son Brandon might like it so I bought it for him. The next morning before school, I asked him if he was going to wear it to school. He said yes. As I was helping him put the necklace around his neck I noticed that the "pick Jesus" slogan had been blacked out with a magic marker. When I asked him why he did this he said, "I don't want to get in trouble at school...because you're not supposed to have any religious stuff."

My heart sank...and then I realized something. The school had already established in my son's mind that faith has no place at school. He has been brainwashed in 6 years of public education into believing that Christatianity is an inferior worldview than the one presented at school. In his educational upbringing so far, he has been taught about oral sex, condoms and homosexuality. He has been taught that evolution is a scientific fact without being exposed to differing views of human origin. He has seen the Christmas band concert renamed Holiday celebration and has been taught about Islam and Kwanza.

The fact is that there has been an establishment of a religion by government, despite what the Constitution says. That religion is secularism. Yes...secualrism is a religion because like Christianity it has its own theory of the origins of creation, a doctrine of humanity, a community of believers, a priesthood and sacraments.

Secularism believes in darwinism in creation, it believes that humankind is an accident, believes that the community should be assembled, controlled and regulated by the government and that humanity is weak and frail and needs to be taken care of by those in power. The priests are liberal progressives who preach diversity, tolerance and unity as if those were ends in and of themselves. The sacraments are diversity training and sex education. Their church begins in the public schools and extends into the farthest reachest of liberal politics.

The question is: How come no one is crying foul? It takes a lot more faith to be a committed secular progressive atheist than it does to believe in God. You must believe that the earth was created by accident, human beings are the result of chemical reactions and that the destiny of the world is without form or purpose. This is a belief without proof and thus a religion.

I believe that secular progressive thought is the single greatest threat to Christianity in America today. It's values are reinforced throughout public life and culture and in the public schools and by a media that that is in the tank. If they can convince my son that religion is not allowed to be expressed in the pubic school by wearing a necklace, they can convince every son and daughter.

What Is A Conservative?

2008-09-15T11:53:00.002-04:00

1. A conservative is pro-life.

2. A conservative believes that free enterprise and personal initiative have brought our nation opportunity, economic growth and prosperity.

3. A conservative supports a more literal reading of the constitution including the right to bear arms and the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

4. A conservative believes in traditional family values such as marriage being between one man and one woman.

5. A conservative believes in a smaller government that spends less and lowers taxes so individuals can keep more of their hard earned money.

6. A conservative believes in a strong national defense that keeps America safe and takes the fight to terrorists at home and abroad.

7. A conservative believes that war can be just.

8. A conservative believes that the single biggest obstacle to peace and freedom in our world is the movement of radical Islam.

9. A conservative believes that Ronald Reagan is one of the greatest presidents and embodied these values.

10. A conservative believes that Ronald Reagan is one of the greatest presidents ever!!!

Jesus And The Media...

2008-09-12T13:11:00.002-04:00

A couple of days ago on the floor of The U.S. House Of Representatives, two democratic congressman in separate speeches said the following in response to Obama and Sarah Palin: "Jesus was a community organizer...Pontius Pilate was a governer." Later that day on a cable news show democratic strategist Donna Brazile uttered the exact same phrase.

The intended meaning is obvious. Barak Obama is seen by many secular progressive liberals as the messiah for America today. For committted secularists to invoke the name of Jesus, comparing him to a presidential candidate shows how the secular progressive movement has actually become a religion. To these people, Obama is the new master providing us with teachings from the mount, seeking to unite us and give us new hope that is other worldly.

For a public figure of any ilk to be compared to Jesus is, to me, a prophecy that we must hear. There is in our world today an attempt to make sacred the secular. There is an attempt to bring spiritual qualities to that which is human. Obama is the new golden calf, created by the movement to bring spiritual qualities to that which is completely material.

This is a clear violation of the commandment to not misuse the name of the Lord. As Christians we should look carefully at the claims of any organization that seeks to invoke the divine for an earthly purpose. I think such organizations in the past have been referred to as cults.

Where Are All The Feminists?

2008-09-10T15:09:00.002-04:00

The recent nomination of Gov. Sarah Palin as John McCain's Vice President has brought forth some of the most vicious personal attacks and smearing that I have seen in my 20 years of following politics.

The idea that because she has five children, including a down syndrom child and a pregnant 17 year-old daughter, she is somehow wrong to pursue the nomination for vice president is on its face completely sexist. Questions about her motherhood and commitment to her family have been rampant.

It is the worst example of sexism I have ever seen. I wonder where the outrage from the National Organization For Women is at! The truth of the matter is that Sarah Palin appeals to American women because she has walked in their shoes. She has been in the PTA, she served as mayor of her small town, she helped her husband in his commercial fishing business and managed to raise her family at the same time. That is why the McCain campaign has received a bump and is now leading in many of the polls.

The truth of the matter is that feminist organizations are not expressing outrage because Sarah Palin is not their kind of woman. She is pro-life, pro guns, and pro traditional family values and that simply does not go over in a pro-choice environment to which most feminists are beholden. Since she does not support the radical leftist agendas of these organizations relating to abortion and family planning they simply will not come to her defense. This begs the question: Are they about the advancement of women or their own political agendas?

Continuing to "Look Up"

2008-09-04T15:58:00.002-04:00

I recently had the opportunity to view the legislation from General Conference 2008 regarding the rejection of creastionism and intelligent design. This to me is one of the most outragious things I've seen the church do in my 20 year history as a United Methodist.

The idea of creationism and intelligent design is not an attempt by conservative Christians to engage in a "mindless argument with science" as the legislation indicates. It is to uphold one of the most important realities of our faith. Am I a six day creationist...no. Am I an intelligent design follower intersted in fossile records...no. I am someone who fully believes that God created the earth and human beings and that He has a plan and purpose for our lives.

When people come to church, they are trying to answer two existential questions for their lives: 1. Why Am I here? 2. What is the purpose of my life. To suggest that our creation was an accident of chemical reactions is to say that God was not active during my creation. So when we try to answer the question for others, the church must now say that we have no purpose other than self-actualization, because the hand of God was not behind the forces of earthly or human creation.

We have been created by God for a purpose. We are to love God and worship him with our lives. God has a plan for me to fulfill a mission and a ministry. What I do in my life is no accident, it is the plan He has for my life. I am nothing apart from my call to fulfill my plan and to live in a way that glorifies God. I fear that we no longer believe in a supernatural God who can control science and nature for his own purposes. Or is God's supernatural power, shown throughout Scripture, just metaphor and example? If God is going to transform the world, we must believe He has the power to do it! Otherwise...what's the point. The church becomes just another social action group promoting justice and peace. Where are we headed?

The second thing I wanted to mention is that I recently read on Clayton Harriger's blog "Musings Of A Maverick" on our blogroll, that he was asked to put a disclaimer on his site about offensive content about abortion. Furthermore, he was asked to also put on his site that his views on abortion are not the views of The United Methodist Church. He says that he received these instructions from a member of our cabinet.

Everyone knows that blogs are nothing more than people saying what they think or feel in a forum where others can dialogue with them. To attempt to influence the content or control subject matter of our blogs is a violation of our First Ammendment right to freedom of expression. As far as I can see, Mr. Harriger is representing no one other than himself. If people do not like the content of his personal blog, they should stop clicking on it. The attempt to stifle dissent when it comes to issues of faith and conscience is scary. We should be able to speak our mind without fear of reprisals and retribution.

The purpose of Up Words is to try to be a positive Christian blog. But it is hard to ignore such fundamental principles when they are under attack from the progressive establishment of the church. I didn't hear any desire to stop those who defend the rights of Palestinians and blame Israel from publishing their views in our conference newsletter. Free speech is free speech...it shouldn't matter whether one is progressive or conservative. I may not completely agree with Mr. Harriger, but I will defend his right to share his beliefs with vigor and zeal.

To Hope Is Human...

2008-09-01T15:01:00.002-04:00

It has been said by one famous theologian, "To hope is to be human...to hope in Christ is to be Christian."

When I was watching Barack Obama's acceptance speech for the Democratic nomination for President, in front of over 80,000 people, I saw something that gave me pause. As the camera panned the crowd for reaction to what Obama was saying it stopped upon a woman who was literally in tears. It was like she was having a religious experience...but at a political speech?

It is true that Barack Obama has come onto the American political landscape and brought a fresh breath of air. His message of hope, unity and change has inspired many people to see him as the agent of these values. There is no doubt that there is a need for hope in our country. People are tired of politics, war and empty promises. They seek a figure they can get behind who they believe is truly on their side. Many are lifting up Barack Obama as such a person.

But the Obama wave may have crested a little too high. It seems like the campaign has become a sort of secular religious movement for many with Obama being lifted up as the high priest. Now I like Obama. I voted for him in the primary. But now I am reconsidering because I think his campaign is treading in dangerous waters.

Words like hope and unity are not just ordinary words. They have a religious connotation to them. They are the words used in Scripture to describe our salvation and our fellowship. They have a meaning that transcends secular usage. Hope is not something a policy can offer nor is unity something that can be brought about by elected officials.

No I don't think that Obama has sought out to lift himself up as some sort of hope guru, but that's what has happened. And who has done it...we have done it. It is our hunger and longing as people for something greater than ourselves that has caused many of us to believe that he can deliver it. There is struggle, hopelessness and separation in our nation and we need to do something about it.

But we have to look at where those feelings come from. These longings and emptiness exist because we have strayed further and further away from God. We have allowed the idols of materialism, gratification and selfishness to replace the love and worship of Jesus Christ in our lives. We have taken the bible and prayer out of schools. Kids can't even say "Christmas" without being reprimanded. We have moved away from a biblical worldview regarding issues of life, marriage and the importance of the self.

We are looking for hope and Unity. The problem is that I fear we may be looking in the wrong places for it. Do I think Barack Obama is sincere? Absolutely! But the level of captivation and frenzy over him is a little scary, at least to me. He may make a great president, but he cannot offer us the true hope and unity that we deeply long for.

"We have this hope, a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters the inner shrine behind the curtain, Where Jesus, a forerunner on our behalf has entered, having become a high priest forever..." Hebrews 6: 19-20

Doctriniunity...

2008-08-28T16:29:00.003-04:00

In the wake of the upholding of evolution instead of creationism or intelligent design I am a little perplexed. It has caused me to make up a new word: DOCTRINIUNITY. The word is a mixture of Doctrine, Trinity and Unity. They are three things very important to me.

Doctrine is important because it lifts up the authority, integrity and truth of God's Word. As our church has said, "Scripture contains all things necessary for Salvation." There are also all sorts of admonitions in the Bible about obeying God's Word in its fullness at not adding or taking anything away. It says in the Bible that God spoke creation into being. Whether He did it in six days or six million years is not important. But his initiation of creation tells me that I am not an accident...that God planned my life and has a purpose to fulfill through me. Without God acting in creation my life simply doesn't make sense.

The other thing is that survival of the fittest, if followed to its logical conclusion, says that some are not as fit as others. Didn't the Nazi party in Germany believe this. Don't the tribal factions in Rwanda live this out? What are we setting ourselves up for. Isn't the belief that some are better than others come into being when such a doctrine is exploited or misinterpreted? I am all for science...but I am also for God and the belief that all are children of God and are purposed by their creator.

Trinity is in my Word because it reminds me that God is in everything. Not only has God created and called His people, but sent His Son when we could not obey His call and covenant. So I have a meaningful past, present and future because God is one. God is in every promise, gift and inspiration I will ever receive. He continues speaking, saving and inspiring in all I do.

Unity is also in my new word because I think there needs to be unity in our church. We are all members of the Body Of Christ and thus have a purpose in the fellowship. Some are called to preach, teach, care and listen. Others are called to defend, discern and even dissent when sin enters the body. But How do I reconcile a biblical worldview, The saving work of the Trinity and the call for the church to be one? I am at a loss!

I want all these things to be alive in our fellowship, but what do we do when doctrine and unity become mutually exclusive? What do we do when part of the church says that the supernatural power of God is not operative in creation? What do we do when we are fractured and separated by core beliefs?

A pastor I talk to said that when his church heard of the resolution on evolution, several members said they would no longer support the church financially. Another pastor hopes his congregation won't even find out about the resolution because he has no idea how to explain it. When we become afraid that resolutions of the church will only do damage to the fellowship...what do we do?

I want my word to be real...but I fear that in some ways it is oxymoronic...I think that's a new word too...How do we achieve doctriniunity? Somebody help me!

The Art Of Complaining...

2008-08-25T15:33:00.002-04:00

"How great a forest is set ablaze by a small fire! And the tongue is a fire. The tongue is placed among our members as a world of iniquity; it stains the whole body, sets on fire the cycle of nature, and is itself set on fire by hell. For every species of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by the human species, but no one can tame the tongue--a restless evil full of deadly poison (James 3:5-8)."

Harsh words from James to say the least, but he makes the point so well. Of all the parts of the body, including our sexual organs, the tongue gets us into more trouble than anything else. We live in a world of babbling pundits, shock radio, reality television and blogging. Vitriolic hate speech is everywhere. We are no longer careful about what we say and what effect our words have on others. Words are powerful...God spoke creation into being and gave us His Word. Like nothing else words have the power to hurt and they have the power to heal. But they are neutral. It is not just the words themselves, but the tongue that speaks them. Behind every tongue is an attitude, a heart and an agenda. James knew this and calls us to account for the condition of heart from which our words emerge.

One would like to say that the church is above such rebukes, but it is not to say the least. When I was a pastor I heard a lot of complaints about my ministry. To some I was a poor administrator. To some I was a boring preacher. To some I was not there when needed most. These complaints hurt me and I didn't know how to put them into proper perspective so I returned the favor by complaining about my church. It didn't stop there for me. I complained about everything...the annual conference, the superintedent, the bishop and other pastors with whom I disagreed. I allowed a mindset of complaining to conquer my life.

Now that I am sitting in the pews, I hear some pretty interesting complaints. "This pastor iss not as good as the last...the last pastor was not as kind as this one... wish there weren't so many praise songs in the service...the music is too loud....why do we have to stand during the praise and worship...why are they always asking for money?" It seems like it never ends.

A parishoner approached me and asked me about a particular issue in the church I am attending. I felt like she was trying to complain about the church and its leadership and to get me to complain as well. In the past I would have taken the bait, but this time I didn't. I listened to her and took a risk. I said, "Instead of focusing on what the church isn't why don't we celebrate what it is. I went on to talk about the pastor's positive preaching, the wonderful music and the fact that I feel the presence of God in this place when I worship. The person looked at me and said, "Well...I'm not trying to be critical...I'm just saying how I feel."

Why do we have to say it at all. Why do we have to use words that are destructive of confidence, community and character? James knew that such a fire of words could burn the forest down. I have decided to try something. Every time I talk to someone I am going to start that conversation by using words to build up that person. I'm going to tell them how good a friend they are, that they are a good server or check out person, how much I appreciate what they have done for me in the past and that they look good on that particular day. I'm going to thank the volunteer firemen when I walk by the station, say good morning to the mailman and ask my neighbor how he has beedn feeling. For every negative word I use I am going to challenge myself to use three positive words.

Let us all vow to change the words that come out of our mouths. Let's try to rise above complaining, gossip and negativity and focus on the good in people and in every encounter we have. Words have power and we must make a choice to speak from hearts of compassion and fellowship. That doesn't mean that we should be less than honest about certain people or situations. Sometimes we have to say things that people might not want to hear, but we have to temper those words with encouragement and reconciliation in mind. It's not the tongue, but the heart from which the tongue speaks. Let's not forget Jame's call to tame our tongues.

Praising Through The Pain

2008-08-21T14:02:00.002-04:00

Ever Since I was diagnosed with depression and stepped down from my ministry I have felt sorry for myself. In fact, I often wallowed and swam in my own self pity. Why did this happen to me? Why do I have to suffer so? Instead of walking towards God...I walked further away. Yeah I still believed but my relationship with Jesus was strained to say the least.

But when I had this latest health crisis of a heart event and major abdominal surgery, I made the decision to believe that God would heal me more each and every day. I was not going to feel sorry for myself...I was going to praise God for seeing me through. It was hard because there was so much fear, pain and uncertainty. Was the disease in my liver cancer...or was it just an absess or infection? I started reading the psalms starting with the first one and began to underline everytime David or the psalmist praised God through raging emotional and physical storms. My Bible is now full of yellow magic marker.

In the human psyche, there is an inclination to close ourselves off when we are enduring emotional or physical distress. Like the turtle and the armadillo we hide within ourselves hoping to emerge again when things get better. The problem with this is that when we choose to close ourselves off, we are putting ourselves in a position where God cannot bless us. When we close ourselves off in self pity or fear we are not in a position to receive or respond. We are simply waiting for the storm to pass.

But it is in the midst of struggle that like David we should praise God in the face of our enemies. Whether it is by worshiping, singing to Christian music, studying scripture or just praying for help, we must stay in a position where God can break through. When we are praising God we are saying, "I am ready for your blessing...I want your best for me...I believe you are going to make a difference.

I have found that by doing this I have learned much about what God has in store for me. I have learned that I needed to change my approach to life. I have discovered that to see where God is leading I must always be looking up. When I bury my head in the sands of self-pity and fear, I cannot see where God wants me to go or hear Him tell me what he wants me to do. We need to praise God even when we are in pain.

Simple right? But easier said than done! We have to make it a habit and daily practice in our lives so when trouble comes we have a foundation upon which to see the blessings of healing and hope that God has in store for us. It has worked for me...maybe it can work for you.

Boy...Have I Made Some Mistakes...

2008-08-14T12:30:00.003-04:00

I have screwed up a lot of things in my life. I squandered opportunities in ministry by trying to be all things to all people instead of being faithful to God. I have screwed up relationships in my life by not being honest with people or with myself concerning my motivations. I have allowed my insecurities and fear to cause me to be negative, hateful and discouraging to others.

When we hear the word "repent" we think of things like being sorry for what we've done or turning from our sin. The emphasis seems to be on dwelling on what we've done or how we've fallen short. We need to confess our sin to God...that is a given.

The root of the word "repent" means to turn around. To me this is a new understanding about how I seek God's forgiveness. When I "turn around," I put the past behind me and put myself in a new position to receive God's plan, purpose and blessing for my life. So much of the time we get stuck dwelling on sins for which God has already forgiven us. We keep turning back around to the negativity and we lose confidence in God and in ourselves.

Repentance is about putting ourselves in a new and fresh position where we can experience the new thing God has in store for us. We made mistakes but we cannot change what is already done. We cannot go back and get a "do over." It reminds me of the passenger side mirror on my mini van that has the message "objects in the rearview mirror are closer than they appear." That's life for many of us. The past brokeness and negativity of our lives is always closer than it is in reality. But God wants us to ignore that message on the mirror. Those things that are behind us need to seem farther away. We need to leave our sin behind and turn around and put ourselves in a position for a new movement of the Spirit.

So let us not just be sorry for our misteps...let us do more than turn away from our sin...let us put ourselves in a different position that leaves the past behind and discover the next blessing God has in store for us.

A New Awakening...

2008-08-13T15:32:00.002-04:00

It has been a long time away from blogland for me. The truth is that I was wallowing in fear and negativity. All that changed about two and a half months ago when my heart attacked me on a Wednesday Night while watching television. Pain shot through my chest, down my arms and into my jaw. Cold sweat poured down my face. I was sure I was going to die.

On the ambulance ride to the hospital, while nitro glycerine burned the bottom of my tongue, I was busy making my peace with God and a feeling came upon me that God was with me and that I was going to be seen through this trial. For the first time in a long while I was glad to be alive...really glad...and that my life was a gift that I was to cherish and live to the fullest each day. Life was something to be joyful about and to be savored. I realized in those few minutes that I had not been living God's best for me. I had been jammed up by depression, negativity and fear.

After a couple days in the hospital, I was told I had an unstable angina event. Worse yet...tests showed that I had a badly diseased gall bladder, liver infection and a hernia. I would live through the heart stuff with just medication, but I would need to have major open abdominal surgery to take care of the other stuff.

When I was in the hospital someone gave me a book by Joel Osteen called "Become A Better You." I knew him as the positive preaching guy who smiled alot on television with the slowly spinning globe behind him on stage. I wasn't going to read the book because I was convinced it would be "hokey" and not deeply theological. But I decided to read it anyway. It had a wonderful impact upon me.

It reminded me that I was important to God. That God wanted to bless me and I was allowing a lot of junk to keep me from God's best. I was looking for the worst in myself and the worst in others. Then...when I was at Kingdom Bound in New York I was listening to the music of this worship guy Robin Mark when it hit me. It was up to me. God would supply my needs and put me in situations to be impacted and to impact others. I simply needed to prepare for the rain of blessings He wanted to bestow on me and on others through me. I decided to embrace this and make some changes in my life.

I'm back at Wesley UMC with a new attitude. To build up and encourage others to receive the best God has to offer...to see the best in people rather than their shortcomings...to see every minute as an opportunity to be positive about God, myself and others...to seek God in every area of life, relationships and trials. I want to be blessed by God and be a blessing to others.

God has blessed me. I came through my surgery and am recovering well. I was able to witness to my doctors and nurses and all who came to visit by being positive about my healing, my future and my faith. It's amazing how almost losing your life can help you find it again. I thank God for the experience and hope that my future postings will be meaningful.