There has to be a reason

You know that passage in Romans where Paul says he doesn’t do what he wants to do (in other words, he sins even though he doesn’t want to), and he basically explains that he wants to do good, but he can’t carry it out.  (Romans 7:14-20)

I think the bad part is, we just read that and take the wrong message from it.  I know I’ve read this and often thought, “Well, good.  That’s the Apostle Paul who wrote a ton of the Bible, so if he struggles with sin, then I don’t feel as bad about myself.”

I don’t think that’s the point, though.

I’m reading a book called “One.Life” by Scot McKnight and I’d like to share a few questions he poses that probably amplify what this thing is all about.

I don’t know about you, but I can really relate to the part in bold below.

Why do we want what we know is best,
what is good, what is loving,
what is peaceful, what is just
and what is wise…
but can’t find the energy, the resources, the willpower,
or the ability to live them out on a day-to-day basis?
Why are you holding back?
What are you holding back?

Reading about this today, thought I’d share.

Hi friends.  Ever read these words of Jesus?

 

“If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. - John 15:18-20

Yea, and ((((all))))) that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. - 2 Tim 3:12

I just sort of randomly visited the website persecution.org this morning as I was drinking my first cup of decaf (lame, I know) for the day and watched the first video on the page, called “Your Bridge to the Persecuted Church.”  If you care to do so as well, here it is…

I have seen this website around in various places, but never really stopped to look at it.  A couple years ago, I was listening to a sermon by Jim Nicodem, pastor of Christ Community Church in St. Charles, IL and he said that he goes on this website either every day or every Sunday before he preaches.  The site is dedicated to awareness of and helping Christians around the world being persecuted.

 The second time I heard about this website (and organization) was in reading the book “Radical,” by David Platt and it challenged me to become a Christian who cares about all nations.

Some questions that came to mind as I read this.  No need to make a comment (unless you want to), but just things to think about and maybe actually (gasp) apply to our lives and checkbooks.

- What emotions, ideas, thoughts come to mind to us as we read these verses and watch this video?

- Go to this site and see the 6 major areas where this organization provides assistance.  Do any of these areas stick out…?  Would you be more passionate about helping one area than another?

- Do ((((we)))) really suffer any kind of persecution at all?

Heaven and eternity, and stuff

My wife and I were talking today about the concept of eternity and heaven, and how it’s kind of…well…scary sometimes.

Here’s what I was thinking…it is kind of scary…and I think the main reason is that we don’t actually know what to expect.  And while we’ll never truly know what to expect as eternity rolls on, I think it’s a pretty good idea for us pay attention to this.  Here’s why.

I think there’s a real danger that we could ignore ideas about eternity and heaven simply because it scares us a bit.

 In this ignorance, we might be tempted to focus too much on our earthly surroundings, which then causes us to be deceived or preoccupied in regards to what life is really about.  Does this make sense?

I just finished listening to a very relevant and encouraging, thought-provoking, clarifying message series on this issue from Cross Point Church in Nashville.  It’s all about Heaven and what the Bible actually says about it.  It helped clarify some thoughts on what Heaven is and more importantly, what it ISN’T.  (That’s what the series did for me).

Definitely worth the time invested.  After all, we’ve got a lot of time in the big scope, right?

One of my favorite prayers

I was just sharing this prayer with my wife.  It’s one I keep in my iPhone as I feel the words are so meaningful.  And, as confession is such a necessary part of each Christian’s life, especially my own…it’s handy to have around.

Gracious God, our sins are too heavy to carry, too real to hide, and
too deep to undo. Forgive what our lips tremble to name, what our
hearts can no longer bear, and what has become for us a consuming fire of judgment. Set us free from a past that we cannot change; open to us a future in which we can be changed; and grant us grace to grow more and more in your likeness and image, through Jesus Christ, the light of the world. Amen.

From the PCUSA Book of Common Worship
Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 1993; p. 88

Thinking cap

So I recently said something on the radio about how we should be members of our local church who serve  and not just consume.

Well, a young man (junior higher) called after that to ask what I meant because he heard at his youth group last night that Jesus calls us to serve “to the ends of the earth.”

I explained the whole concept of “Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth” concept about how we should take God’s word everywhere, not necessarily one place to the exclusion of the other.  It made sense to him.

I love it when people listen with their thinking caps on, especially young adults.  That is pretty cool.  Thanks for calling, my friend.

 

This might surprise you about me

One of my all-time favorite songs is “I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues” by Elton John.

Bernie Taupin, Elton’s lyricist, recently said, ”I would never write the lyric ‘I simply love you more than I love life itself’ today. That’s not real.”

 

He says that’s not possible.  That bummed me out to hear that.

It made me think of Psalm 63:3 that says, “Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you.”

What do you think?  It is really possible to love someone or something (even God) TRULY more than you love your own life?

What a blessing it is

If you work in ministry of any kind, you understand what I’m about to say.

I work at a Christian radio ministry called Joy FM in St. Louis.

I got an email in my inbox last week from a guy crying out for help.  He hates his job and says he just doesn’t feel like he can get out of bed in the morning.  Have you ever had pain in your life that made you feel like that?

He said at one point he even tried to take his life.  And it sounded as though he might try again sometime.  But he told me something that I’ll never forget:

He said that two things are holding his life together right now.  The word of God…the Bible…and Joy FM.  He literally told me that he didn’t know what he’d do without this radio station.

God knows this guy…and his pain.  And he also knows you and whatever you’re struggling or going through today.  I hope you realize that.

 

Definitions

Good morning, kids! In honor of opening day at Busch Stadium today, I thought I’d run through some quick baseball terminology for those of you who aren’t quite up to speed.

Cubs fan: One who roots for the Cubs
Cards fan / Sox fan: One who puts the Cubs down more than they enjoy rooting for their own team

Prayer for this week

This prayer is courtesy of Scot McKnight, with whom Pastor Casey Tygrett and I got to share some time this week. If you haven’t prayed a “written” prayer in a while, try this on for size. Consider starting each day this week with:

 

O Lord, you have taught us that without love whatever we do is worth nothing: Send your Holy Spirit and pour into our hearts your greatest gift, which is love, the true bond of peace and of all virtue, without which whoever lives is accounted dead before you. Grant this for the sake of your only Son Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Think Different

Have you ever wondered why you have so much stress or difficulty in life.

Maybe one of the reasons is that you’re trying to “fit new wine into old wineskins.”  Maybe a lot about you has changed, but your surroundings haven’t.  And our advice is to not try to force new things about ourselves onto old surroundings.  It’s the whole “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks” thing. I think of two things I’ve heard recently about this:

(1) “No one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins, the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins.” (Luke 5:37-38)

(2) “New always creates momentum” – Andy Stanley

So the idea is, maybe if you approach the way you do things differently, instead of the same old way, you’ll be able to update your surroundings to match the person that you have become.

There are things you CAN change and things you can’t.  It’s better to focus on what you CAN change for the better, then do it.