Resurrection

I hope everyone had a happy Easter! I am just recovering from the seven services this past weekend that we had on the Gilbert campus at Central. What a long weekend it was!

In the Easter spirit, I stumbled across a video that Rob Bell just released on the resurrection. It is thoughtful, inspiring and free to download.

Check it out (click the lower right icon to make it full screen):

Resurrection: Rob Bell from The Work of Rob Bell on Vimeo.

more info at:
https://www.robbell.com/resurrection/

"everybody believes something
everybody believes somebody
Jesus invites us to trust resurrection"

Divine Patience

In the last few weeks I have had to read through the books of Joshua and Judges for my Hebrew Prophets class. I must say that there are some crazy things that happen in theses books. To be honest, if I didn't know any better I would not think this stuff would be found in the Bible. Have you read these books lately? War, genocide, scandals, apostasy, etc... It is phenomenal just how raw and uncut the Bible really is.

The difficulty that I wrestle with is that some of what I read seems to contradict the words and teachings of Jesus. It is hard to make sense of the stories we read and the journey that God has the early Israelites on. In the end I guess we just have to realize that God's ways are beyond our understanding.

Another thing that just completely baffles me is how unfaithful the Israelites are. Time after time God gives them second chance after second chance, yet they still turn aside and worship "Baal" and "Asherah" who were gods of the Canaanites. Why? Why does God remain so faithful despite Israel's prostitution?

For class I am also reading a book called Deuteronomic History by Terence Fretheim. In it he shares some great insights into God's judgment of Israel and what Fretheim calls the divine patience of God. Here are some quotes:

"It becomes apparent quickly in this text [Judges] that God's purposes are not annihilation, but that on the far side of the experience of judgment there might be restoration of relationship which God intended."

"...what comes through is the divine patience: God continues to save them from the hands of their enemies in spite of continued apostasy."

"This makes it very clear that the divine judgment is not considered to be an end in itself, as if God had no concerns beyond judgment. Judgment there must be; evil must not be allowed to go unchecked in the world. But judgment is not the end of things for God. Once that judgment has been experienced, and indeed in the midst of the very experience of judgment, God is working graciously for deliverance. Deliverance is what God truly desires for the people. But, finally, it is only in and through the experience of oppression and death, that the experience of deliverance is possible. There can be no direct move from apostasy to deliverance, except through judgment. And so the judging activity og God is finally motivated by gracious purposes. And the degree to which one discerns repetition in these texts with regard to the sin-judgment-deliverance cycle is finally a witness to the incredible mercy of God in desiring life, and not death, for the people."

"God's people, again and again, exhibit patterns of life which threaten their existence. God's response is remarkable in its variety and flexibility, in order to accomplish salutary purposes. A highly personal divine response is revealed, which values mercy above retribution; we see a God who chooses to experience suffering rather than visit the people with the finality of death; we are surprised by a God who finds ways of working in, with, and under very compromising situations in which people have placed themselves in order to bring about good. In the midst of unfaithfulness, the faithfulness of God is revealed, a God who never breaks covenant. Only in such a God is hope to be found."

The Covenant of Yahweh

I'm taking a class right now on the Pentateuch [first five books of the Bible] and I came across something in my reading that was so profound. To me, it fully captures the beautiful relationship that God wants with His people. It comes from a book called Reading the Old Testament: An Introduction by Lawrence Boadt.

"Berit [covenant] is a term so rich it captures the heart of Israel's religous befliefs: (1) they are bound to an unbreakable covenant-union with their God; (2) he has made known his love and his mercy to them; (3) he has given them commandments to guide their daily life; (4) they owe him worship, fidelity and obedience; (5) they are marked by the sign of that covenant-bond. The covenant created the unity of the nation Israel, based not on blood relationship but on submission to the divine will and the confession that he alone is God. In turn, God pledges himself to be Israel's personal protector and helper, not only against foreign enemies, but against sickness, disease, and chaos as well. Most of all, he will be present whether it is a time of prosperity or of failure, for he has laid claim to his people as his own. Yahweh is a personal God who demands personal loyalty. He gives no guarantee that his protective love and help always involves victory in battle, wealth in possessions, or increase of territory; it may at times include such gifts, but more often it describes the blessing that trust in the Lord will bring: freedom from fear in the promised land, the fruitfulness of children and crops, permanent peace and the joy of knowing God is near."

Great Quote

"No matter how discouraged we get, God has not asked us to do the impossible."
- George Grace

The Call

I am 12 chapters in now in my study of Jeremiah. So much good stuff, but it's hard to blog because there is so much detail. However, lately I have been able to relate with Jeremiah's call from God. Through current circumstances in my life I've often found myself praying, "No God, not me..." Yet God has always guided and directed my path, even in directions I didn't want to go. My only responsibility is to humbly and obediently follow. It's not so easy though. At times it seems impossible. I am sure this is how Jeremiah or Moses felt.

In the verses above God calls Jeremiah to a massive task - to be God's ambassador to His people and to the nations. Jeremiah's response? "Not me God! I am too young! I don't speak well!" Have you been there? I sure have - many times. There is hope when I read these callings because I can see that even the heroes of the Bible struggled with confidence and faith. In Exodus 3, Moses is a flat out whinny wimp. I love that! Then you see the journey that God took him through. It's amazing! I can only have faith that the journey God has me on, no matter how treacherous it seems, will be well worthy it.

I think that many times the only obstacle in following God's call is ourselves. Both Moses and Jeremiah wanted to make it about themselves, choosing to focus on their shortcomings. God's emphatic response was that it wasn't about them - it was about Him working through them. How many times has God told me, "Don't be afraid. I am with you!"? Probably too many.

One of my professors in college used to always say a quote that I have kept near to me and used as a constant reminder:

"God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called."

AMEN!

Doom and Gloom

I recently finished studying the book of Matthew and wanted to turn next to the part of the Bible I least understand - The Hebrew Prophets. When I have read books like Isaiah, Jeremiah, Habakkuk etc. I find myself lost. This is manly due to the fact that these are mostly filled with prophetic speeches (sermons basically) to a specific group of people long ago in a land far, far away. It is impossible to read these prophets and understand them unless you look into the history of what was going on at the time. I have only ever barely scratch the surface of this history and never taken the time to really know the context. With that said, I have decided that it is finally time to do that and I am going to start with study the book of Jeremiah. And oh, I am excited!

One of the most famous verses people memorize from the Bible is Jeremiah 29:11.

"'For I know the plans I have for you', declares the LORD. 'Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.'"

Not only is this one of the most famous, it's also a verse that is usually taken way out of context. Yes, I am sure that God has plans and a purpose for you and me, but this verse was not written to us individually. It was actually written in a very dark time to a nation, Israel, who was God's nation. That nation happened to be in exile, taken captive because of their massive disobedience. Jeremiah spoke these words to encourage God's people that there was still hope even though the judgement had came. Oh, and you know that hope and prosperous future that he talks about? Yeah, that will come after 70 years in Babylonian captivity, so hold on Israel. I bet they didn't tell you that in Sunday school when you memorized that one.

There are some pretty crazy things that happened in Israel's history during the time of Jeremiah. In the midst of this, God calls Jeremiah while he's still a youth to be his mouth piece to the people. The only problem is that God's message is not a pretty one. It's a warning of doom, gloom, destruction, and judgement. How's that for a purpose and plan for your life? Sucks to be that guy.

I could go on and on, for there is a ton of detail to Jeremiah and the times he was living in, but if you are interested I have a few quotes from some of my preliminary reading that I found to be rather insightful. Enjoy some history if you choose. There will be many more posts to come about Jeremiah and the history of Israel.

From John Bright's History of Israel

"The persecution that such words earned Jeremiah, and the agony it cost him to utter them form one of the most moving chapters in the history of religion. Jeremiah was hated, jeered at, ostracized (chs.15:10f, 17; 18:18; 20:10), continuually harassed, and more than once almost killed (chs.11:18 to 12:6; 26; 36). In thus dooming state and Temple, he had, as the official theology saw it, committed both treason and blasphemy: he had accused Yahweh of faithlessness to his covenant with David (ch. 26:7-11)! Jeremiah's spirit almost broke under it. He gave way to fits of angry recrimination, depression, and even suicidal despair (chs. 15:15-18; 18:19-23; 20:7-12, 14-18). He hated his office and longed to quit (chs. 9:2-6; 17:14-18), but the compulsion of Yahweh's word forbade him to be silent (ch.20:9); always he found strength to go on (ch15:19-21) - pronouncing Yahweh's judgment. Yet when that judgment came, it brought him the deepest agony (chs.4:19-21; 8:18 to 9:1; 10:19f)."

From Elmer Marten's JEREMIAH: Believers Church Bible Commentary

"We read a book like Jeremiah for its message and insights. This book has a weighty message. It may shock us into reassessments and realignments; it will almost certainly change our values. The story in this book may strike us as dark and dismal. We shall hear about Israel's failures, her fascination with substitute deities, her disregard for just dealings. We will hear passionate appeals for change, admonitions, laments, exhortations, and threats. We will also hear promises. The underlying message has two faces: God disciplines people and punishes them; yet there is also forgiveness - the promise of new covenant. The gospel of Jeremiah reads: 'I have loved you with an everlasting love' (31:3)."

"For all its difficulty, the book of Jeremiah has great charm and power. 'No Old Testament prophet used a wider variety of literary forms or showed more artistic skill than Jeremiah' (LaSor: 418). The book touches issues of life and death. It depicts the love of God in the face of the sin of the people; it shows the sin of a people in the face of the love of their God. It is a book of exclamation marks. Like a Picasso painting, it yields its contents slowly - but with what force!"

His Last Night

I had the honor of going to Jerusalem a couple of years ago and it was hands down the most amazing experience of my life. I can't even describe to you the feelings and thoughts that flood your mind as you literally walk where Jesus once walked. It is a feeling of wonder and awe, yet eerie at the same time.

As Easter approaches, I am reminded of one of the most impacting things I saw there. I will never ever forget the heaviness of my heart when I walked into an underground holding cell just outside of the walls of Jerusalem. Nothing off course is certain about where exactly Jesus spent his last night, however, archeologists and scholars are pretty convinced that this is where prisoners were taken to await trial the next day if the city was closed down for the night. The dungeon is just a mile or so away from the garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus was arrested.

Below are some pictures I took of the dungeon and the garden. This is where Jesus spent his last night on earth before he was crucified.

This is the roof of the holding cell where they would lower prisoners in through.

This is the cell room.

Here is the Garden of Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives.

Here I am on the roof of the building where the dungeon lays on. Above my head, slightly to the right you can see the Mount of Olives, where the garden of Gethsemane is.

Matthew - The Record of Jesus the Messiah

If you read my previous post you are aware that I have been thinking a lot about the Bible lately. I have realized that it's been too long since I have really dug into the Bible and studied it in depth. Furthermore, through recent discussions I have also came to the conclusion that I need to touch up on my knowledge of Jesus and the gospels. So that is what I'm going to do. I started studying the book of Matthew, verse by verse, a couple of days ago. It has already proven to be a huge refreshment for my soul. If any of you are feeling the same way I am then I invite you to join me as I look in depth at the "record of Jesus the Messiah." I will be posting my thoughts on the gospel weekly and I welcome any comments or insights that I may have missed. Below is my reading plan.



I wanted to get some some context for Matthew so I did a little bit of research first. One of my favorite commentary series for personal Bible reading is "The New Daily Bible Series" by William Barclay. His commentary is both pastoral and scholarly, yet he writes in a way that anyone can understand. If you are interested in any of these just search his name at www.amazon.com and you can find his commentary for every book of the New Testament.

The book of Matthew along with Mark and Luke are called the Synoptic Gospels, which simply means "seen together." They get this title because they are very similar in their content and structure
while each of them have some unique additions and omissions. Even though they are similar they each have a different audience. For Matthew, his audience is the Jewish community. Barclay says, "It is Matthew’s primary and deliberate purpose to show how the Old Testament prophecies received their fulfillment in Jesus; how every detail of Jesus’ life was foreshadowed in the prophets; and thus to compel the Jews to admit that Jesus was the Messiah."

Throughout Matthew's gospel the Old Testament Law is held in high esteem. This would be huge for a Jew because the Law was everything to them. Jesus says that he did not come to destroy the Law but to fulfill it (Mat. 5:17-20).

Matthew is also very interested in the Church. It is the only Synoptic gospel that even uses the word Church at all! Only Matthew says that disputes are to be settled by the Church (18:17). By the time Matthew was written, the Church would have been a very important part of the life of a Christian.

Barclay says that Matthew's dominating idea is that Jesus is King. We see that from the very beginning of the gospel that he demonstrates the royalty of Jesus. In fact the genealogy is simply to prove that Jesus is the Son of David. You have probably heard that title of Jesus before and Matthew uses that name for Jesus more than any other gospel. Matthew's picture of Jesus is of the man born to be King!

Like Honey on my Lips

Psalm 119:97,103,105

97 Oh, how I love your law!
I meditate on it all day long.

103 How sweet are your words to my taste,
sweeter than honey to my mouth!

105 Your word is a lamp to my feet
and a light for my path.


I absolutely love the Bible. It is the most beautiful and confusing book of all time. I believe wholeheartedly that it is God's Word that He inspired through individuals to be a testimony of two things: 1) Who God is, and 2) How to have relationship with Him.

I say it's confusing because there is a lot more to the Bible than we tend to think. It's simply not as cut and dry as many people believe. In fact, it is nearly impossible to just pick up the Bible with the assumption that it will be clearly understandable. Why is this? Why would God not make His word clear? Perhaps it is because God wants us to look to Him, and not only His Word. Maybe just maybe the Bible has the potential of becoming an idol if we aren't careful to handle it properly. Maybe God doesn't want us to have it all figured out, and so somehow not to have any need for Him in our daily lives. I know I am guilty of going straight to the Bible for things instead of praying to the living God who promises to be dwelling in me. I don't know. Just a thought...

The problem I see is that we can twist and skew the Bible to make it say whatever we want it to say - within reason of course. Ultimately, the Bible has caused more divisions, more church splints, and created more denominations and religions than anything else. Wait? Did I say the Bible has done this? Maybe what I mean to say is that people's understanding of the Bible have created these things. It is not the actual Bible that creates any division, but rather it is what people claim the Bible actual says that is the author of such division. It is this fact that makes my heart heavy.

The reality is that we all have certain lenses in which we view the Bible. Each person that picks up the Bible and reads it, interprets it through their own worldview. It has been said that once the Bible is read it ceases to be God's Word and becomes the reader's interpretation of God's Word according to their own values and convictions.

So what's the point? Should we not even attempt to read the Bible because it's impossible to understand? I don't think that's the case at all. I think the important factor to helping us understand the Bible is historical and cultural context. The Bible must be read with the knowledge of who the original audience was. For example, when we read the book of Colossians, we are reading a letter from the Apostle Paul to the Colossian church. This letter and others like it were written to a specific group of people, in a specific point in time. To ignore audience and the historical/cultural context would be pointless. Too often we read it and think it is talking directly to us within our 21st century world. I do believe that God uses the Bible to teach us and guide us, but we must be open to what it is actually saying and who it is saying it to.

There is mystery to the Bible and there is mystery to God - something that our minds can't fully comprehend. But thank God that He doesn't require us to have it all figured out. To me that is the beauty of the journey. Let us jump in and continue to strive towards more understanding of God and His Word. After all, it is honey to our lips.

Finally Here

Many of you have asked when I am going to blog again, if ever, and here it finally is. I apologize for the hiatus, but many of you know I recently went on a global connections trip to Northwest Africa for two weeks. Though I have been back for two weeks, I am still processing my experiences and did not want to blog on anything else until I talked about my trip. Thanks for being patient :-)

I feel like I learned a lot on my trip and I am definitely still processing things to this day. People are always asking me, "how was your trip?" I never really know how to answer that question. It's just impossible to put an experience like this into words. Nevertheless, I have attempted to do it. The following is a journal entry of mine that I wrote when I got home. Hopefully it will give you a glimpse of what God taught me in Africa.

February 22, 2009

The theme I adopted for this trip was "to see the world how God has to see it everyday" [this will make more sense as I explain]. Going into this trip I knew a few things. First, we were going to be in an extremely poor area - one of the poorest regions in the entire world. It is also considered to be 100% muslim and hostile to Christianity. We would be going into a world of spiritual darkness and extreme poverty - a reality that God sees and is heart broken over each and everyday.

I have been to many places in the world and have seen poverty, but this time it was different. This time, God spoke to me and simply said:

"you have been greatly blessed with many things and I have opened your eyes to the reality of the rest of the world. As you have seen and have now witnessed, you have a responsibility to help be the solution."

God's voice was clear. I kept hearing "you have a responsibility," as I walked the dirty streets filled with trash and filth everywhere, complete with smells far less than pleasant. "What will you do to bring my Kingdom to earth?" This is a scary question for me and I have no elaborate answers yet. However, I know that I must do something. And no, I'm not talking about being some sort of heroic savior like the Western World often see;s itself as. I'm not talking about selling everything and moving to Africa either. But, there must be something more that rich, wealthy, healthy disciples of Christ can do to bring God's Kingdom of hope, peace and restoration to ends of the earth.

I read Brian McClaren's book, The Secret Message of Jesus, while on the trip and I believe it was not a coincidence. In it, he suggests that Jesus' sole message is that the Kingdom of God is at hand - that Jesus came to bring life to the full, not for the future, but NOW! His intention was never that "eternal life" would be limited to "life after death" where we just wait around till it came. He gave us the Holy Spirit as a guide to a new way of life, life to the full, that is Christ in us the hope of glory, in order that we may experience the Kingdom of God HERE and NOW. God wants to restore His broken world NOW. He has a SOLUTION and it is "Christ in YOU." God is not wanting to bring us up in to heaven right now. He wants the Kingdom of Heaven to invade the earth.

God wants to work in and through us. It is a big responsibility! Again, I don't entirely know what it means specifically, but it means we must do something. Going to church, singing praises, soaking up messages, giving our tithes is not enough. Jesus commands:

"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

"and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it."

Will we be the solution?
Will we be the light to the darkness?
Will we be the hope for this hurting world?
Will we bring the Kingdom of Heaven to the earth?

God has given us an incredible opportunity to partner with Him in the restoration of the world. He wants to use us. He is choosing to need us to bring His Kingdom to earth. He wants us to become like His son. The apostle Paul knew and understood this, saying "I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings, becoming like Him in his death, and so somehow to attain to the resurrection from the dead." (Phil. 3:10-11)

Excelling in 2009

A friend asked me the other day if I made any New Year's resolutions and at first I went blank. I have never been big on "New Year's Resolutions" but the more I thought about the question, the more I realized that I do have some goals and aspirations for the big 2009.

I am definitely a visual person and need to "see" my goals in order to keep focused on them. I also like to be neat and organized, although I fully admit that it is difficult at times. If I am messy it means one thing - I'm stressed and overwhelmed. All that is to say, I am choosing to create habits this year that will help me focus on the goals I want to achieve. So meet my new best friend - X.



Excel is a program for my personality. You can make lists, charts, graphs and formulas to serve your purpose, whatever that may be. Right now I'm a novice at best with X, but I'm hoping that will all change this year. As I learn it, I know it will help me focus on what I want to accomplish and EXCEL in life (no pun intended).

To start, I made a simple and somewhat generic list of goals and things I want to do in 2009. This is only the beginning. My plan is to add to this and build more and more "action steps" to help me excel in them. If you have read my blog in the past, you know that DISCIPLINE has been a key word for me. It will continue to be in '09. But I just don't want to be discipline. No, I want to EXCEL in everything I do.

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men."
- Colossians 3:17

Click image to make bigger

John

I just finished reading the Gospel of John and I found this Wordle (a word gallery) of John.
This is pretty cool! Click the image to make it bigger.

Two Encounters

I've been participating in the 3F Daily Bible Readers group, which is a group that is going through the New Testament in 90 days. Right now, I am reading in the book of John. I have enjoyed John so far, as it is different from Matthew, Mark, and Luke. John tells some unique stories, two of which grabbed my attention:

Jesus' encounter with Nicodemus (John 3:1-21)
Jesus' encounter with a Samaritian woman (John 4:1-45)

There are some extremely interesting contrasts to these two stories that I think are intentionally put there by John. These are fascinating!

1] GENDER
Nicodemus was male
Samaritan woman was obviously female

2] ETHNICITY
Nicodemus was a Jew
Samaritan woman was obviously Samaritan

3] MORALITY
Nicodemus was a Pharisee and a member of the Sanhedrin - aka He was "blameless" & Law abiding
Samaritan woman was an adulterous woman who had 5 husbands and was sleeping with another

4] TIME
Nicodemus came seeking Jesus at night
Samaritan woman met Jesus during the middle of the day (the sixth hour, which would be noon)

5] EDUCATION
Nicodemus was an expert in the Law
Samaritan woman was uneducated

6] ISSUE
Nicodemus needed to be born from above
Samaritan woman needed the Living Water

7] PLACE OF WORSHIP
Nicodemus worshipped at the Temple (Jerusalem) - to the Jews this is the only place to worship
Samaritan woman worshipped on Mt. Gerizim where all Samaritans worshiped

8] RESPONSE
Nicodemus' response was meditative with no immediate action
Samaritan woman's response was energetic and she immediately began sharing the Good news

9] CONFESSION
Nicodemus called Jesus Rabbi
Samaritan woman proclaimed that Jesus was the Messiah

What do we learn from these encounters? For me, it shows that Jesus meets each individual where they are at and speaks to them on their level according to their own issues. Nicodemus misunderstood what Jesus was saying by being reborn, but in reality he was simply just having a hard time accepting what Jesus was saying. He was a Pharisee, an expert in the Law so the concept of a spiritual rebirth would not be foreign to him (OT prophets speak a lot about that).

Jesus broke all the rules in talking to the Samaritan woman, but he didn't care. I think he sent his disciples away so that he could speak to the woman alone. John tells us that Jews didn't associate with Samaritans - strike 1. On top of that, women were not to speak to men in public - strike 2. When the disciples came back they were shocked that he was talking to a Samaritan woman. However, Jesus found it too important to dismiss her for some lame cultural rules. Because of their conversation the whole town came to know Jesus as the Messiah. Pretty cool if you ask me!

Discipline - Do You Not Know?

Since reading Lone Survivor, I cannot stop thinking about and wrestling with the concept of discipline. I don't know about you, but the "D" word kind of scares me. Somehow I believe Jesus intended his followers to be a whole lot more disciplined than we realize. I hear much more talk about being blessed by God today than I do about being stretched by God. I mean, think about it for a moment. In today's consumeristic society do we [the Church] focus too much on what we receive as Christians? We want so much to be the recipients of God's love and grace and forgiveness. We want Him to bless our lives and make us prosper. Don't get me wrong. All these things are gracious gifts that God freely gives to us. But what is our response to these amazing gifts? A simple 'thank you very much'? Or is there a responsibility to respond in obedience and commitment? Well duh! We all know the answer to that is a resounding "YES!" Why is it so hard though?

Growing up, sports were my life. I am so thankful that my parents kept me active as a child and taught me the simple disciplines that would later make me successful in life. I did everything as little kid. I remember wrestling at the age of 4 and up. I remember playing competitive golf when I was so young that our tournaments were only 3 holes long! I participated in BMX racing. I was on the Plantation Swim Team (still have my iddy biddy speedo :-). I played soccer, little league baseball, YMCA basketball, and of course Pop Warner football when I was finally old enough! Football was my favorite. I remember as a kid I had it all planned out. I still remember sitting in Skipper's, my favorite seafood restaurant in Boise, Idaho and laying out my future plans to my parents. "I'm going to USC to play for the Trojans and then get drafted to the Buffalo Bills." That was the plan and it was going to take a lot of hard work, dedication, and a lifetime of discipline.

I did continue to play sports in junior high and high school, choosing to focus on football and track. One thing God gifted me with is speed. I didn't really have the size for football (5'9" and a buck thirty), but I had speed. I had the fastest forty yard dash time on the Mountain View football team, my personal best time being 4.43 seconds. Again, if I really wanted to see my NFL dream come true, I would have to be more disciplined than I could possible imagine. If there was a place for discipline, it was at Mountain View High School.

Mountain View had a huge reputation for their sports program. They were the best at everything. It wasn't quite as hardcore as Navy SEAL training, but it sure was close - at least to a 16 year old. I remember getting up at 5:30 and hitting the track and running till some guys would puke their dinners up from the night before. I remember being in the weight room every day, pushing our bodies to the limit. Day after day. It was rough and there were times when I wanted to quit, but I stuck with it. While I was at Mountain View we went 40-1, winning two State Championships. The one loss came in triple overtime of the Semi-finals my senior year. Discipline? I will tell you those few years of my life were the most discipline years I have ever experienced.

God got a hold of me my junior year of high school and convinced me that the NFL wasn't truly my life's dream. Honestly, I never would have made it to the NFL anyway, but you can't fault me and every other young guy for wanting that! Nevertheless, on the spring break mission trip to Mexico building houses, God revealed to me that our world is full of broken and hurting people. He needed some more workers and asked me if I might consider joining His team to bring His Kingdom here on earth. That is when I heard the call. I responded. "Lord, take my life. It's is Yours."

The rest is history.

Sorry for the long explanation, but now that I am a pastor I am sitting here wondering where the discipline went? If there was some sort of spiritual football or Navy SEAL training, would I have what it takes to make it through? Honestly, I think a lot of times my approach to the Christian life is that I have accepted Christ as my Lord and Savior and now it's just time to enjoy life and coast on cruise control. This is not how the Apostle Paul saw the Christian life.

"Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.

Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize."

This speaks to me. I know what it is to run a race. I know what it means to compete in a game. Do I view my life as a disciple this way? Paul did. William Barclay writes,

"Paul was always fascinated by the picture of the athlete. An athlete must train with intensity if he is to win his contest; and Corinth knew how thrilling contests could be, for at Corinth the Isthmian games, second only to the Olympic games, were held. Furthermore, the athlete undergoes this self-discipline and this training to win a crown of laurel leaves that within days will be a withered chaplet. How much more should the Christian discipline himself to win the crown which is eternal life."

I want to wrap this up and I apologize for this going on, but this is where I am at. I can't get this word discipline out of my mind. Part of me hates it because I know it means pain. But we all know the saying, "no pain no gain." Thus, please help me as I seek to live a more disciplined life. Let's help each other as we spur one another on towards living godly lives. Here are five things in my life that I am choosing to be more disciplined in. Pray for me and keep me accountable to the 'strict training' that is being a disciple of Jesus. Thank you in advance!

Five areas I am disciplining myself in:

1) My relationship with God - uninterrupted quality prayer, daily time in the Word, listening to Him speak and guide me

2) My ministry and relationships - taking the time to give myself to people (family, friends, the broken and the hurting)

3) Education - reading and listening to podcasts to learn more and sharpen myself
(I made a goal this year to read 25 books...so far I have read 15)

4) Honing my musical skills - taking voice lessons and working on improving my guitar skills

5) Physical fitness - running 3-5 times per week, working out, and eating healthy

NOOMA She | 21 Rob Bell

I don't know if you know what NOOMA videos are, but the newest one is now out. You can watch it until tomorrow at 9am for free on facebook. NOOMA videos are 10-13 minute teaching videos by Rob Bell, pastor of Mars Hill Church in Michigan. He is one of my favorite preachers/authors.

To watch it, click here

This one is dedicated to all the mothers out there. What would we do with out their compassion, their love and their deep care? Thanks Mom! :-) And how much more is the love of our God who cares for us like a mother to her children? What an awesome God we have!

I hope you enjoy this video. Hurry and watch it before tomorrow!

Solitude

In this busy, chaotic, fast-paced world we live in I am reminded of the dire need for the discipline of solitude. Though we find it hard to be alone and away from matters that keep us occupied, it is in that place that God can intimately shape us. Solitude can be the best remedy for the weary soul.

"In solitude I get rid of my scaffolding: no friends to talk with, no telephone calls to make, no meetings to attend, no music to entertain, no books to distract, just naked, vulnerable, weak, sinful, deprived, broken, nothing." - Henri Nouwen

The Language of God

This past April the 3F team went to the Q Conference in New York City. One of the presenters was a scientist named Francis Collins. Collins was formerly the director of the Human Genome Project, but now has resigned on August 1st to pursue writing and other opportunities. After hearing Collins talk about evolution and how it fits into God's plan of Creation, I knew I had to read His book called The Language of God to hear this heretical idea.

The Language of God is Collin’s argument that science and faith are compatible and complimentary to each other. For hundreds and hundreds of years the debate of science vs. belief has been met with extreme contention. Through historical evidence, scientific data, and some supernatural mystery, Collins attempts to bridge the gap.

I was blown away by some of the things I learned about evolution and biology. I willingly admit that this was a tough read and that a significant amount of the scientific data went right over my head. Nevertheless, the information I was able to grab a hold of was extremely insightful.

The biggest intellectual transformation for me was my view of evolution. I used to think that this was a naughty word. Growing up as a Christian I was taught that evolution was an atheistic theory to prove that God does not exist. It is true that many people hold to this strong of a view. However, there is a more balanced view of evolution, which Collins lays out in this book. Collins claims that God is indeed the Divine Creator, yet somehow in His own infinite way He uses the process of evolution within his plan of creation.

I learned so much about how the scientific world works and how theories like evolution have evolved (no pun intended ☺). This book has opened my eyes and has burst my “Christian Creationist bubble.” I feel enlightened, really confused, somewhat frustrated, but most of all reassured that there is a Divine Creator who is so powerful and far beyond my understanding.

I did not agree with a lot of Collins views by any means, but it did open my eyes to the science world. Some of the scientific evidence simply cannot be ignored, even when it contradicts Christian tradition. Ultimately, there is no way to prove many of the things that science claims. Though scientists try to have "everything" figured out, no one can comprehend the mind of God - not even close. He must laugh at some of the "theories" and "facts" we come up with.

Here are some interesting things Collins says in his book that I wrestled with:
- The universe was created with the Big Bang approximately 14 billion years ago
- The Earth came into existence approximated 4.5 billion years ago
- Homo Sapiens start showing up around 500 million years ago (I don't quite know what to do with the fossil records)
- Human beings evolved from apes and share a common ancestor with Chimpanzees (yeah right!)

If you are interested in some of this scientific stuff, here are some links that will help you in your journey:

God and Science
Human Genome Project
Theory of Evolution
Reasons to Believe
The Hubble Site

Two Books Worth a Read

I recently read two works of fiction that were simply "can't put it down" reads. I would recommend that all followers of Christ read these books. They bring such a fresh perspective to life, love, and relationship to God.


The first book is called The Shack. This is about a guy named Mac who has been plagued with a few traumatic circumstances. Because of this, he finds himself having a supernatural experience that will leave him changed forever.

The thing I appreciate most about this book is that it deals with real life issues. It also addresses many misconceptions about Christianity. Through Mac's weekend away at a shack, he has an encounter with God and is forced to face a past that is filled with guilt, fear and plenty of doubt. I give this book a 5 out of 5!

You can even get a free copy of the book at papaslove.org.



The second book is called Redeeming Love. It takes place in the late 1800's and is a loose retelling of the book of Hosea in the Bible. It's technically a romance novel, but I didn't know that going into it :-)

What would you do if God asked you to marry a prostitute? This story will send you on a roller coaster of emotions. The thing I appreciate about this book is how it captures God's heart for His people. I give this book a 5 out of 5 too!

God of Wrath

So I definitely waited in line last Friday morning at 6am for the new iPhone and it was well worth it. Along with the amazing GPS tracking and other really cool 3rd party applications, lifechurch.tv developed a Bible application that gives me 15 different translations at the touch of my fingertips. In the program there are three random chapters selected per day for daily reading. Today as I was waiting for a meeting I decided to read one of them. It was Jeremiah 4 which doesn't happened to be a very positive and uplifting passage. Here is how it starts off:

1 "If you will return, O Israel,
return to me,"
declares the LORD.
"If you put your detestable idols out of my sight
and no longer go astray,

2 and if in a truthful, just and righteous way
you swear, 'As surely as the LORD lives,'
then the nations will be blessed by him
and in him they will glory."

3 This is what the LORD says to the men of Judah and to Jerusalem:
"Break up your unplowed ground
and do not sow among thorns.

4 Circumcise yourselves to the LORD,
circumcise your hearts,
you men of Judah and people of Jerusalem,
or my wrath will break out and burn like fire
because of the evil you have done—
burn with no one to quench it.


This is a plea to RE-TURN. Return to what is true. Return to what is good. Return to the source of love and joy. "Return to me," says the LORD. God is giving Israel a chance to turn around and leave their idols. He is pleading for them to come back to Him. My favorite part of God's plea is for them to circumcise their hearts. Circumcision was a physical sign that Israel belonged to God. Yet, on the inside these people were completely unfaithful to Him. This just reiterates that God is interested in our hearts not our outward appearance.

It is easy to look at Israel and think they were a bunch of idiots, which they were. Time and time again they were unfaithful to their God despite all His patience and forgiveness. Yet, we are just like Israel whether we will admit it or not. Sure we don't have statues of idols displayed in our living room, but we do have idols - things we chose to value over God at times.

We find out that Jeremiah's warning is not heeded by Israel and that God does indeed bring wrath on His people. In 586 b.c. Israel loses everything. God uses a pagan nation, Babylon, to humble His people greatly. It is the consequence of their actions and their lack of trust in Him.

Many people write-off stories like these because it is soooo "Old Testament." I mean, we are living in the New Covenant now right? Jesus has come and conquered sin and death. The cross has given us forgiveness from our sins, so there is no more wrath of God right!? Somehow I don't think it is quite that simple. Jesus says, "small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." He also says, "If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned." That sort of sounds like what happened to Israel when they didn't trust God and follow Him. Maybe we too are still held accountable for our actions. Maybe we need to try and understand what Proverbs means when it says that we need to have "The fear of the Lord" in us.

Yes Jesus died for us. Yes He has washed our sins away. However, that does not free us from the responsibility of trusting and obeying Him. That is why Philippians urges us to 'continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling.' This is not an easy road to travel, but it is well worth it!

Who is the Customer?

I recently went on the Junior High summer camp trip in beautiful Malibu, California. It was so nice and refreshing to be near the beach and feel the cool ocean breeze. I also really loved hanging out with junior high kids again. They are wild, crazy and just fun to be around. Oh, and man can they have fun worshiping God! Jumping, shouting, singing to the top of their lungs....My favorite time was doing Crowder's tune, "We Won't Be Quiet" and having them just shout it out! Like Crowder, I used a megaphone on that song and it was fantastic!

As fun as the trip was, there was one thing that I really wrestled with. I will borrow Bill Hybel's term "holy discontent," to describe the uneasiness that I had through out the week. I came to the realization that sometimes Christian adults can be rather ruthless. Now I am the first to admit that kids (especially Jher's) need discipline. However, what approach do you take with kids who have had no exposure to the church and with Jesus? We are talking about kids who come from broken homes and who have little or no positive influence in their lives at all. Yet, we expect even these kids to be polite and respectful. Maybe just maybe they don't know what that looks like. Maybe we are the only example of that they will ever see. Somehow, yelling at kids and forcing them to behave might not be the best approach.

I think of Jesus with the woman at the well. He had such a marvelous way of exposing her sin yet affirming her at the same time. He even plays dumb a little bit in order not to come across as superior. Jesus found a way to speak the truth in love. I think that we can do the same it just takes a few things to get there. It would require us to slow down and be patient, kind, caring, and altogether interested in the human beings we come in contact with. Jesus wasn't in a hurry, but rather he stopped to sit with this woman. Through His words and actions, He communicated to her that she was the most important thing to Him at that moment. Jesus gave her His full undivided attention. This is what it means to love your neighbor - something I willingly admit that I am not good at.

So who is the customer? Think about when you go into a place like starbucks or a restaurant. We naturally expect to be served. And don't just serve me but, I want service with a smile. Oh and I want my coffee in 12.045 seconds. But when it comes to relationships and more specifically interactions with non-believers, a lot of times this attitude of service is not present. Not that Christianity is a product to be sold, but we have a job to present this hope we have in Christ as something that is freeing, not burdensome. How are junior high kids ever going to know a better life if they are constantly talked down to and told to follow a certain set of rules? After all, they are the customers. People are customers who are looking for something to follow and they will choose whatever option they think is best. What can we offer them? Grace and freedom and hope and peace and rest from the burdens of life through Jesus Christ. I think before we can expect someone to behave like a Christian they must first need to understand the good. They need to first know what we are for, rather than what we are against. Consider what Jesus' says in Matthew 23 to the religious people of His day. May we never fall into this trap!

Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: 2 “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. 3 So you must obey them and do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. 4 They tie up heavy loads and put them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.

13 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to.c

15 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are.

16 “Woe to you, blind guides!