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Showing posts from 2010

Did you have fun?

So I'm driving with my family in the car out to Cooperstown Bible Camp and my wife is talking to her mother on the cell phone. In such confined quarters, I can't help but overhear my wife's part of the conversation, and one of her comments seemed to slap me in the face. She said, "Are you having fun?" I know that's a common expression we use all the time. We ask our children, "Did you have fun today?" I asked my football players after their scrimmage on Saturday, "Did you have fun?" You probably have asked friends after they returned from a vacation, "Did you have fun?" We use the expression all the time, but the phrase really struck me that day in the car. I wondered, "Is that our primary goal as Americans--fun?" My deeper question was whether this Epicurean mentality of Americans had consumed the American church. Is the issue of fun the ultimate issue? Do you ever hear parents ask their children, "How was your day

Appointment with God

Don Postema wrote, "I used to write in my daily calendar '7-7:30 a.m.: Prayer.' But many times I passed that up. It was one more thing to pass by that day. Now I write '7-7:30 a.m.: God.' Somehow that's a little harder to neglect." http://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/search.html?type=keyword&query=%22Fear%20of%20God%22&start=41 I thought about that and the idea of an 'appointment with God'. Oh sure, I've heard the phrase used many times, but I'm afraid I've glossed over the significance of that phrase in the past. I have meetings and appointments with people weekly. Someone may have an issue they want to discuss, so I'll set up an appointment to meet with that person at such and such a time. When I have an appointment, I try and make sure I keep it unless an emergency arises. Let's say that someone stops by to simply chat, but I have an appointment in fifteen minutes. I will usually cut that time of casual chatti

Why Does God Allow Suffering?

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That question has been around since the day God’s curse fell upon the earth because of sin. Suffering has multiplied over the years through famines, diseases, wars, and the wickedness of man. Children are abused and die of starvation. Women are raped and forced into prostitution. Men are beaten and made slaves in some parts of the world and terrorists kill their fellow humans in brutal fashion simply to make a point. Tragically, Keenan Cooper (the son of a friend) lost his life on account of such evil. Then there is the slow, miserable death that cancer inflicts upon its victims. My wife’s aunt battled with cancer for years, as we slowly watched her waste away and eventually succumb to that evil disease. Recently, a dearly loved resident in our town also lost her battle with cancer. In both instances, people were praying and trusting in Jesus to heal, yet the healing people looked for never came. How can we as Christians shout, “God is good all the time!” when we see the tremendous suf

Preaching to Myself

Fortunately, in my ministry career thus far, there hasn't yet been a Sunday where I was the only one that showed up at church. I have had some Sunday's that came pretty close, but I have never had to preach only to myself on a Sunday morning. However, there have been many times when I realized that I was preaching to myself along with preaching to the rest of the congregation. The Sunday of our men's fishing retreat at Lake of the Woods was just such an occasion. The LORD used my own mouth to convict me. I shared about Andrew and Peter's calling to discipleship and how Jesus transformed them into fishers of men. That is one of those passages you have to consider from the culture of the day versus the American culture. Most people in America think of fishing as a hobby or recreational past time. We fish because we enjoy it, not because our livelihood depends on it. Andrew and Peter, however, were fishermen by trade. They provided for themselves and their families throug

Faith in what?

Faith. It's a name we give to children. It's a theme of ancient hymns as well as contemporary pop songs. It's even used as a comprehensive term for a person's religious beliefs (e.g., "What is your faith?"). As believers, the very term that identifies us stems from the word 'faith.' "To believe" is mereley the verb form of the noun "faith" in the Greek. So believers are essentially people of faith. But what does that phrase mean in society today? Last night the President gave an address from the oval office dealing with the BP oil spill crisis and the administration's response to it. At the close of his speech, he made some remarks to inspire hope to Americans. However, his words highlighted the subtle tragedy concerning the "faith" of many Americans. He stated, "It’s a faith in the future that sustains us as a people. It is that same faith that sustains our neighbors in the Gulf right now." After a brief ref

A Change of Heart

Well, I'm extremely overdue in my posting. I could make excuses like "the dog ate my blog," but that wouldn't exactly fly in the computer age. However, if you've read my earlier post about my dog, maybe I could get away with that excuse. But I will refrain from the excuses and simply dive into a new (overdue) blog. I was praying this morning and thinking about how I can most effectively help people grow in their relationship with Christ when the phrase "As a man thinks, so is he," popped into my head. So I did a google search. As a result, I found a similar phrase in scripture. In the NASB , Proverbs 23:7 states, " For as he thinks within himself, so he is ." The KJV translates the verse in a similar fashion , but other versions translate it differently. You would read in the NIV , " for he is the kind of man who is always thinking about the cost ." The Hebrew term translated 'thinks' or 'thinking' refers more accur

Are you a beggar?

I have some experience in begging. In college, Christy and I had another friend that we would do things with that was at least as crazy as I was. We were on a college meal plan that limited what we could get for our weekend evening meals. So one weekend evening we had a craving for tacos and no money to get them. [CORRECTION: I shared this blog with our college friend and she thought it was pizza that we wanted to get, so I'll trust her memory on that point more than mine.] We decided to hit up every person we saw for some food funds. Our friend would feign starvation and I would passionately plea with my fellow classmates to spare whatever change they could to aid my starving friend. I think Christy stood off to the side pretending she didn't know us during that time. One fellow student, in his desire to show Christ's love (it was a Christian college), offered us his credit card. As a side note, that dear brother in Christ also literally offered me the shirt off his back o

Daniel and the Sea Serpent

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I think it was about three years ago that I and my family were returning from a vacation. My sons asked me to tell them a story to occupy the time as we traveled. So I started telling them about a boy named Daniel and his encounter with a sea serpent. Each night they asked for a little more of the story and continued to ask for it after we returned home. As I thought about the story, I realized it would make a fun and exciting youth novel. After many, many hours of writing, numerous rewrites, critiques and edits, I finally have published Daniel and the Sea Serpent . Christy and I are planning to use any royalties we might receive (I realize that's a big MIGHT, since people actually have to buy the book) to help pay for the adoption that we are pursuing. We'll see what happens. I hope through the book that young people and adults discover the importance of trusting God's Word. God's Word has fallen into disrepute these days and many view it merely as a humanly composed

Karen's Doing What?

With graduation near, I decided to post this short story just for fun. You won't find any profound spiritual insights, but perhaps you'll get a laugh, and that's good medicine according to scripture. I hope you enjoy it. “Hey, Karen. So what are you going to do now that you’ve graduated?” John asked, fully donned in cap and gown. “Well, I really want to get into clothing design. I was thinking of applying for a position at Columbia Sportswear.” “Oh, that’s cool. I’m going to be the next American Idol.” John raised his chin and struck a pose as if anticipating a wave of cheers. “I’m driving up to Jersey for auditions next month.” Karen raised her eyebrows and with a quirky grin replied, “Good luck with that.” “No luck needed,” John said as he caught a glimpse of Steve out the corner of his eye. “Hey, I gotta talk to Steve. See ya later, Karen.” John rushed toward his partner in classroom crimes. “Steve, we did it man.” The clap of their high five faded into the roar of conve

What are you worried about?

It's amazing how quickly life can change, isn't it? I had the opportunity to visit my family and an old friend from high school this past week. I hadn't seen or spoken to my high school friend in about twenty years. We reconnected a couple of years ago on F acebook and we were finally able to visit face to face. It was great seeing him again, meeting his children, and reminiscing about the past. I realized that either my memory is not what I thought it was or that my brain has an auto suppress feature that enables me to forget my less glorious acts as a human being. Unfortunately, my dear friend didn't have that same feature and reminded of some activities I had long forgotten. There was one event he recalled that I still can't fully remember. I have some vague recollection of the event buried deep within my memory banks, but it is cloudy at best. However, considering what I know I did as a teenager, I am not surprised that I also carried out this particular juve

Oh, No! It's Tax Day!

Well, did you get your tax forms filed today? I think I did. I remember signing the forms, and I think I put it in the mailbox, but I'm not 100% sure. I'll probably need to call my tax preparer to double check. Everybody has an opinion about paying taxes. Even in Jesus' day people had their opinions on taxes. Rome ruled the then known world and required all of their subjects to pay taxes. Roman citizens, however, were exempt. Many Jews of Jesus' day didn't feel they should pay taxes to Rome, because Rome was an occupying force in their land. God had given Israel the land and they shouldn't have to pay a foreign oppressor. Rome didn't share those beliefs and would often have soldiers stationed with the tax collectors to make sure people paid. Corruption abounded as well in Jesus' day. Tax collectors made their wealth by collecting more tax than what was required. Zacchaeus may have hinted at this practice by indicating that he would pay back four times th

Guess Whose Coming to Church?

I had a wonderful (albeit busy) Resurrection Weekend. I hope you did as well. The president and his family also attended a Resurrection service this past Sunday at Allen Chapel Church in southeast D.C. neighborhood. When the early word got out that the president would be attending, people started lining up outside at 3 a.m. to get a good spot in the 700 seat sanctuary. I've heard of sunrise services, but that's pretty early. Late comers who maybe hadn't heard the president would be there were turned away because the sanctuary was full. I have a friend who use to attend the church where Cris Carter's family attended in the Twin Cities. They had children the same age and he would visit with his wife. One Sunday I told the congregation I was serving that Cris Carter would be coming to speak at our service the next week. I told the people about my friend who went to Carter's church, which allowed me to make the connection. I put a flyer in the bulletin about it and peop

I Can Hardly Wait

Last night was the start of Passover. We celebrated with a Messianic Passover meal at Ebenezer Lutheran church. Passover is one of three festivals that God Himself instituted for His people and required all the males to go to Jerusalem to celebrate. I love the history of the celebration, dating back to over 3000 years. I also enjoy the picture of God's redemption and the Messianic symbolism in the service. The meal ends with a Messianic expectation. You open the door in anticipation of Elijah to come as the forerunner of the Messiah, then you drink the fourth cup. As believers, we recognize that Elijah has already come in the person of John the Baptist. And Jesus the Messiah also has already come once to earth. We wait instead for Jesus the Messiah's second coming. When Jesus celebrated His last Passover with His disciples, He said He would not drink the Passover wine again until He drank it anew with them in His kingdom. He had finished drinking the third cup (the cup of redem

You Are What You Speak

So what is the deal with politicians and obscenity? The latest media buzz concerns vice-president Joseph Biden's uncensored comments made after his introduction of the president. He had just finished introducing the president at yesterday's health care reform signing ceremony, and as the president stepped up to the podium Biden leaned over and said to him, "This is a big (expletive) deal." The microphones picked up every word of his comments. Sadly, the White House secretary, Rober Gibbs, tweeted about the comment in an affirmitive way by writing, "And yes Mr. Vice President, you're right..." Why does such obscenity seem necessary to politicians or to anyone? I know when I was a teen I thought it was cool (that term may date me, but oh well) to swear and use obscenities. I thought it made me sound tough. However, my 'toughness' quickly morphed into meekness when I accidently slipped up and used Biden's expletive to my mom. I turned from a tou

May the force be with you?!?

Have you heard about the gentleman who filed a religious discrimination complaint against an employment office in England? The staff of the office asked Chris Jarvin to remove the hood over his head while he was in the building. He refused based on religious reasons and the management had security escort him out of the facility. He immediately filed a complaint against the local office and three days later received an apology from the manager of the office. You see, Chris is a member of the international church of Jediism (yes, 'jedi' as in the Star Wars movies), and they believe that you should be able to wear hoods wherever you choose to. (source: http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2010/03/17/uk-job-office-apologizes-anti-jedi-discrimination/ ) Believe it or not, the church of Jediism is actually growing; however, most countries don't recognize the Jedi as an official religion yet. In a recent New Zealand census over 20,000 individuals marked their religion as Jedi. That was

We are in little...

...what we will be in much. What on earth does that mean? Well, Jesus said something similar in Luke 16:10, " He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much .” (NAS) In other words, how we handle situations on a small scale will be how we handle situations on a large scale. Sometimes people feel if they just had more money they would be able to give to God. However, if you are not giving to God with the money He gives you now, you won’t give to Him if you get more. It’s like a number of lottery winners who end up filing for bankruptcy after a few years. Many experts estimate that approximately one third of all lottery winners eventually declare bankruptcy. One group of financial advisers estimated that about seventy percent of all lottery winners will squander away their wealth in a few years. They may not file for bankruptcy but the wealth will be gone. Why is that? Since these peopl

I Found It!

No, this isn't actually 'part 2' to my previous post. However, I did like the connection in the titles and it does deal with something lost and my wife. But before I divulge any more information, I need to mention that my wife has given me consent to share the information that follows. Any and all such uses of this information by others are solely the responsibility of the user. I can not be held liable for any such use that may bring her embarassment. Remember, she has consented to my use of this information. Frankly, I think the story that follows is a fitting ironic balance to my extolation of her ability to find items in the previous blog. So without further adieu, here's what happened. Tuesday evening Christy asked me if I knew where her cell phone was. I knew exactly where it was, but I rebuked her for having lost something in the first place and needing to ask me where it was instead of finding it herself. No, I didn't actually do that (and if you read my pre

I Missed It!

"Christy, do you know where my keys are?" I rummaged around the bedroom and scurried to the living room in a frantic search. "They're on your dresser," Christy replied in a calm and assuring way. I scuttled back to the bedroom to look on the dresser again, growing more agitated with every lapsing second. "They're not here," I hastily asserted. "I've looked here already." Christy entered the room, with a sense of calm but also an expression that says, "When will he learn?" She headed straight to the dresser, moved a pair of shorts that I had left there, and 'Ta-da,' my keys appeared. Now I know I looked thoroughly for my keys, but somehow I missed them. Let me just mention something here as a side note. Wives, don't get upset when your husband asks you where something is before he has even looked for it. He is merely trying to be as efficient as he can with his time and energy. He knows that even if he looks for a

WARNING! Read at your own risk.

I think there should be a warning label on some of A.W. Tozer's writings. Something like the following: WARNING! The reading of this material can be harmful to those satisfied with the spiritual status quo. Those that proceed with reading this material may exhibit conviction and spiritual hunger pains. Read at your own risk. I'm reading a compilation of Tozer's writings called The Best of A.W. Tozer , compiled by Warren Wiersbe. In the chapter "Born after Midnight," Tozer wrote, "It may be said without qualification that every man is as holy and as full of the Spirit as he wants to be. He may not be as full as he wishes he were, but he is most certainly as full as he wants to be." Chew on that for a while. Many believers long for spiritual power and significant experiences with God, but few are willing to accept the sacrifices that may involve. As American Christians we treat our spiritual maturity like we treat the American dream. We may wish for it, bu

Far from the Profound

I posted an update in my other blog Full Circle about how God is working in our lives regarding adoption. You can check it out if you like. For this blog, I decided to paste a short fictional story in connection with the passage I'll be preaching out of this Sunday. I hope you enjoy it. “What happened?” screamed Nathanael’s wife. Nathanael was kneeling in front of the stone wash basin scrubbing his hands furiously. Blood tinted the water and rag he was scrubbing with, yet his hands and tattered cloak remained stained. “It was an accident, Miriam.” Nathanael’s voice cracked and shook. His tone and expression begged for mercy and understanding. “I was just chopping some wood, and the axe head––it flew off. . .” Tears streamed down Nathanael’s face cutting their course through the dust and dirt on his cheeks. He turned his head and focused again on the seemingly hopeless task of scouring the stain from his hands and the sorrow from his heart. Miriam rushed to his side and kne

Life Lessons from Lucy (yes, that's my dog)

I love my dog. Really. OK, maybe I don't love her, but I like her. Well, maybe that's even stretching it. Let's say I tolerate her and leave it at that. I try to excuse some of her behaviors by the fact that she has a small brain. I even tell her that sometimes and she doesn't seem to mind. She greets me with a wagging tail when I come home, stays out of the kitchen when we eat, and has even learned a few tricks. What amazes me the most is how she desperately wants to be with us (her pack). If we pack up to go somewhere she panics fearing she'll be left behind. If we do leave her at home she can't wait until we return (at least that's how she reacts when we do come back). She just doesn't want to be away from us. Okay so now here's the convicting part. How do I respond to my Savior? Am I eagerly awaiting His return? Do I desperately want to spend time with Him? Do I obey His word? Sadly, there are many times I probably don't act as loyal to Chris

Ditching Devotions

Vacations can be a blessing and a curse for me. I love the opportunity to get away, spend time with my family, and break out from the day to day routine. Yet, therein lies the curse. Part of my routine involves a quiet time of prayer and reading God’s word, and when I’m on vacation that time is “hit and miss” (and frankly more miss than hit). So, I tragically ditch my devotions on vacation. That happened just recently on a short get away to my in-laws property. We enjoyed some family time and I got in a little ice fishing as well (and actually caught some). Unfortunately, I didn’t have my quiet time those two mornings. Now I could give excuses like, “The cabin was too crowded,” or “I didn’t want to be antisocial,” etc. But the fact is that I could have had my quiet time if I chose to. But I didn’t. So what’s the big deal, right? I missed a couple of days. God still loves me; I’m still His child. Why worry about it? Well, when we got in the van to leave Tuesday morning, the

Olympic Gold: Was it worth the sacrifice?

Some of you may have witnessed the historic moment as Shen and Zhao skated to Olympic gold Monday night in Vancouver . They accomplished what no other Chinese figure skating pair had ever accomplished, and they did it under the tutelage of Yao Bin. Yao experienced disgrace as a figure skater back in 1980. The Chinese were infants in the sport at that time and his first pair performance resulted in laughter from the crowd and a last place finish. After that humiliating episode, he determined to transform Chinese pairs figure skating into the best in the world. Last night he fulfilled his dream. Unfortunately, that accomplishment included a high cost. NBC aired a video bio on Yao ’s journey during the figure skating competition. The video vignette mentioned that Yao ’s commitment to transforming Chinese figure skating kept him away from home for years at a time. Yao admitted that he didn’t even recognize his son when he saw him, because he had been gone so long. Yet, he persisted in su

Silly Putty and Valentine's Day

Silly Putty! That's right, it was silly putty. If silly putty had not been invented I don't know where I would be today. Silly putty changed my life. O.K. maybe I'm exaggerating a little bit, but silly putty did have an impact on me. I cleverly utilized silly putty as a decoy that allowed me to slip my fingers around Christy's for the first time and hold her hand. "Silly" isn't it (pun absolutely intended)? You probably remember the first time you held a girl or boyfriend's hand. A rush of exhilaration coursed through your body. You probably didn't say much, because you were worried if the other person noticed your palm was sweaty. So you just sat there in that phalangelical embrace (I know the phrase won't catch on, but I just had to use it. And in case your wondering, it has nothing to do with angels or evangelicals). Early in dating, every moment with that person thrills you. Everything is new and fresh. You can't wait to spend time with

Have you learned to laugh?

Alright, I'll do it. I'll give you one of my embarrassing moments as a minister. I can do that now, because my readership of this blog is quite low. So here it is. At my first church I was preparing to begin the adult Sunday School which met up in the sanctuary. It was a small Sanctuary and we would gather together as a class on one side. I stood up and sorted my notes for the class looking out to make sure everyone was ready. Everyone was seated and we were just about ready to start, when one of the older ladies leaned over and whispered to her husband. However, her whisper carried in the small sanctuary and I at least heard it. Whether others did, I don't know. She said to her husband, "Tell pastor his zipper's down." (NOTE to young minister's starting out in the ministry, always check your zipper before going up front to preach, teach, or do a ceremony. Double or triple check if necessary. And if your still paranoid, discretely check while standing behi