That's called "Doubting" and it's a Point Against.

Wham!  A punch lands on the back of my right shoulder. "Slugbug white!" 


My son Trevor can spot a  Volkswagen from two block away in the dense fog and, as I have learned that the rules have changed to include all Volkswagens not just the Beetle. In that case you would not have to use the preface "Slugbug".  So yesterday we were driving down the road when I get whacked again and I hear, "Silver one!".  I look around and see Fords, Chevys, Toyotas, and a shiny black Lexus but no Volkswagen.  "Where?", I cried out in protest.  Trevor responded with this:


"Dad, that's called 'Doubting' and its a point against but since you didn't know the rule it won't count against you this time."  

"So you're telling me that I just have to trust that you're telling me the truth when you say, 'Slugbug or silver one'?"


"Yep!"


"Hmmmm"


"That's the rule Dad."


"OK, I won't doubt any more."


"Cool."


OK, I was a "Doubting Thomas" but so was Thomas.  He was the original, the poster child of doubt.  Jesus had appeared to the Apostles in the upper room a week earlier and when they told Thomas he was like, "No way! You guys are full of bologna.  Jesus is dead." (My paraphrase).  The NIV translates it this way:


"Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord!" But he said to them, "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it." (John 20:24-25)


A week later, with Thomas now in the room, Jesus entered and said to him, "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe." Thomas said to him, "My Lord and my God!" Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."


It's kind of like Peter, James, John, and Thomas are driving along with Thomas in the front passenger seat when Peter (the aggressive one) punches Thomas in the arm and exclaims, "Jesus!" and Thomas says, "Where?"  Peter says, "That's called 'Doubting' and it's a point against but I won't count this one against you because you didn't know the rule."


I know it's hard to believe in Jesus and have faith especially when you can't see him and even more difficult when the road you're on is treacherous and you are afraid.  I understand that there are times when you look around and you see no sign of God (at least you don't notice them) but this is where faith comes alive.  You don't need faith to walk ahead when you are healthy, your bank account is full, your stomach is full, and everyone thinks you're something special but when you're holding the biopsy results, watching your spouse move out, or seeing the bank take back your home that's when Jesus' words mean something more.


I don't want to be trite and discount the fear, anxiety, and even despair that comes in these desert times.  I have been in a few myself.   But I know that God is God 24/7 and his Word is true.  I know that the Apostles suffered and had times of severe testing.  I know Jesus cried out from the cross, "My God, my God.  Why have you forsaken me?"  But I also know that in the end "All thing will work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose."  Jesus said, "Stop doubting and believe."  In rough seas Jesus calmed the waves and in death told Lazarus to "Come out!".


If you feel like you got punched in the arm (or maybe in the head) and you are looking around for Jesus but can't seem to see him I want to pray for you today:


"Lord, today (Insert your name)  can't seem to see you and is afraid, tired, and maybe even full of despair.  Please give him (or her) a fresh portion of faith today.  Let (your name) spiritually feel the nail marks in your hands and the hole in your side.  Place a solid rock beneath his (or her) feet and grant him (or her) grace sufficient for the day.  Give (your name) sunshine in the darkness, living water in the desert, and hope in the storm.  Help (your name) to see any sin that may be hindering their relationship with you and give him (or her) the humility and strength to repent.  Hear (your name's') cries and even if he (or she) can't form the words of a prayer I trust you know exactly what (your name) needs.  Thanks in advance for your faithfulness even when we say, "Where?".


In Jesus name.  Amen.


Peace (your name),


David

Christianity - So What?

I've been thinking a lot lately about Christianity and what it means to follow Christ.  I've been trying to come to grips with the many faces of the "church" especially in the West. It really hit me when I received an email from one of my closest brothers in the faith.  He has been diligently pursuing his degree in theology hoping to pastor a church but recently became convicted about what he saw around him.  The words that came to his heart were, "So what?"  So what if he showed up every Sunday and preached a message and then the people went about their lives like they always have.  So what?  What's the point?


He wasn't questioning the point of Christ's death and resurrection or the power of the gift of salvation through Jesus but was questioning the day to day, month to month, function of the church.  It just seemed that there was a blah, blah, ineffective, routine to it that wasn't pleasing to God. We talked about it this week and I agreed that the Lord put this on his heart not because preaching the Word is futile but because if we aren't careful it can become futile through us.  The church and the Word preached through it can be the power of God unto salvation or it can be a powerless social club that is merely a gathering place for people putting in their obligatory religious time. It can also become a place were the truth is blurred or blatantly contorted. 


Here is what struck me about the phrase. "So what?"  


I have encountered many people including a number of Christian pastors who say that all paths lead to God and that Christ is one of many ways to God.  I have heard comments like, "Jesus is the way for me but others have their way and those who claim Jesus is the only way have put God in a box."  If following Jesus is optional then I have to yell from the mountain tops, "SO WHAT?!!"  Why follow Jesus?  Why not just live life to the fullest, pursue financial wealth, meditate twice a day to decrease stress, be a nice guy, and pay my taxes on time?  Why in the world would I want to follow Jesus?  At least not the Jesus of the Bible.  The Jesus of the Bible said some crazy things about following him.


I think I've figured it out.  If we pick all the really pleasant, easy, and uplifting things Jesus said and did and form a religion around them we can sell it as a really nice way to live.  We can blend nicely with the world, with Zen, and with all the world's religions.  The answer to the question, "So what?" to them becomes: "Because it feels good and is a really good way to live."  But what about the real Jesus?  What about these scripture verses:

"Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me." (Matthew 24:9)

"For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him." (Philippians 1:29)

"For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it." (Mark 8:35)

"Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life." (Revelation 2:10)

If Jesus was right, following him might not make my earthly life better but drastically worse.  If Jesus was telling the truth then following him might lead to persecution, imprisonment, and even death.  History seems to show that he was right.  Christians have been fed to lions, used as fuel for Roman Tiki torches, burned at the stake, flogged, beheaded, crucified, and stoned.  So why in the world should anyone follow Jesus if we can be happy, safe, comfortable, and content without him?  If Jesus was fibbing when he said, "I am the way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the father except through me." then the answer becomes, "It's ridiculous.  No way!  It's a difficult road that need not be traveled. Time to take a detour to easy street."

But if he was telling the truth and the only possibility for peace with God and eternal life is through him the answer then becomes, "Because it's a matter of life and death."  Why preach with passion, truth, boldness, love, and conviction?   Because God has given us the privilege of participating in his plan to save people from the penalty of sin.  

Paul said it this way in Romans 1:16 

"I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile."

The point I'm trying to make is this:  The reason we preach, the reason we suffer for the name of Jesus, and the reason we lose our lives to live is because Jesus Christ is the only name under heaven, given to men, by which we must be saved.  It is through Him we receive the crown of life.  When we see the urgency of it and the stakes involved, we won't be satisfied with just going through the motions.  We won't be tempted to reshape Jesus into a more palatable holy man who walks hand in hand with Mohammad, Krishna, the Dalai Lama, and Buddha. We will preach because we love and we will love because God first loved us.

Peace,

David

Exhausted? Three Keys for Running to Win in Life

Are you tired?  Does it feel like you’ve “hit the wall” in life and can’t go on?  Does it feel like your faith and your spiritual energy is completely depleted?  If you’re in a place like this now or have been before read on.

The vision is still clear in my mind.  It was the Boston Marathon, I think sometime in the 70’s, and a female runner is nearing the finish line when her legs start to wobble, her path is no longer straight but swerves to the left then to the right, and she’s looking disoriented.  It appears that she has little control of her own body.  Then she loses control not just of her voluntary muscles but also of her bowels and her bladder.  It’s a pitiful site.  She falls and tries to get up.  After a race of twenty-six miles (over 140,000 feet) he is now less than a couple hundred feet from the finish line unable to go on.  She has “hit the wall”.  Two runners slow down, pick her up, and carry her across the finish line; not pretty but she finished and she receives the medal (and probably some serious medical attention).

A number of years ago I trained for a 25k race (about 15.5 miles) and I remember hot, spring days when, after eleven or twelve miles, I felt I couldn’t go any further.  I pushed myself but never really to “the wall”.  My mind quit before my body really did.  It is the same when lifting weights, you get to that rep. that you think is your very last when the trainer gets in your face and yells, “Don’t you quit on me!” and somehow you pump out one or two more reps.  Our endurance is not just physical it’s emotional.  Actually it’s not just physical and emotionally but it’s spiritual.  This is especially true in the race we run as disciples of Jesus Christ.

I want to share with you three things that will help you carry on and finish the race; one is your responsibility, one falls on those who love you, and one belongs to God.

Your part:

The Apostle Paul wrote these words in the ninth chapter of 1 Corinthians, “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 game 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 a slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.”

Paul made two points here that we need to see.  The first is that you can’t run a real race if you don’t train.  Paul didn’t just say training but “strict training”.  It’s the difference between the guy jogging a mile a week in cut-off jeans, dangling a cigarette from his mouth and the one putting in five to twelve miles a day for three months.  If you’re not in the Word and truly spending time with the Father you will not be ready to run.  You get what you put into it and when you get to a big hill if you have filled yourself with Spiritual protein (the Word of God) you will get up the hill but if not, the hill may be insurmountable.

Paul also gave us a word on focus.  We have to run with direction.  If we run in circles we get nowhere and if we punch aimlessly into the air we won’t hit our target.  What is our direction?  We have two choices: God’s or ours.  If we seek to do God’s will every day, ask for his direction, and then yield to the prompting of the Holy Spirit we will run a good race to the finish line, otherwise we will get lost.

The Part for those who love you:

In Exodus chapter 17 we read of the battle between the Israelites and the Amalekites.  Joshua and his men battled the Amalekites while Moses stood at the top of the hill.  The Word says, “As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning.”  The problem was that this battle lasted until sunset and Moses’ arms grew weary.  He just couldn’t hold them up any longer.  But help was near, “When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it.  Aaron and Hur held his hands up – one on one side, one on the other – so that his hands remained steady until sunset.”  How awesome!!  His friends held his hands up when he couldn’t do it himself.  I will tell you that if you are trying to run this race alone you’re missing out.  Look to people who are in Christ for support.  Seek out a brother or sister who can hold your arms up when you grow weary or pick you up a hundred feet from the finish line and carry you over.

God’s Part:

I could quote most of the Bible for this one but here is the deal.  God created you and he loves you.  If you are walking outside of God’s grace and are walking in rebellion to him you will never finish the race let alone win the prize.  Seek God, trust in Christ, and grab hold of these promises:

You can do “all things through Him who gives you strength”

His “Grace is sufficient for you”

Those “who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”

Your part, their part, His part.  If you’re tired my friend start with your part, lean on your fiends, and cling to the God who spoke the stars into existence with just a word from his mouth.

Peace,

David

Keep Your Eyes on the Ball - Keep Your Eyes on Jesus

My eight-year-old son was getting ready to step into the batter's box during the first inning of his Little League baseball game this past Saturday when his coach yelled out, 

"Hey Trev, what's the most important thing in baseball?"

Trevor yelled back, "Keep your eye on the ball!"

When I was learning to drive about thirty years ago my mother must have worn out her vocal cords saying, "David! Keep your eyes on the road." Then there was my fourth grade teacher who had a really sweet trick for keeping our attention and for assuring our behavior.  She had three small bean-bags on her desk and when I was fooling around I could count on one of those bean-bags sailing across the room, safely over the six rows of well behaved kids, landing upside my head followed by the words, "David, I've got my eye on you!"  I don't think that educational tool would fly today but it sure worked wonders in 1974.  It seems like most things of value require keeping your eyes on them.  You must look at them and pay attention to them.  

Fastballs, fourth graders, and the road you're traveling are all good things to keep your eye on if you're a baseball player, a teacher, or a driver respectively but here is the most important thing to keep your eyes on:

Jesus

Why?

Jesus said, "For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life and I will raise him up at the last day."

In Deuteronomy chapter 4 we read, "But if from there you seek the Lord your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and soul."

Now, I personally did a lot of looking around before I came to know God in a saving way but most of it wasn't searching for God specifically. I looked for happiness, satisfaction, accolades, success, and I guess in some ways something spiritual to make it all look good but surely not God with all my heart and soul.  So I guess that in God's sovereignty he supplies even our ability to look.  He calls us and gives us eyes to see but we can still choose to look away and not believe.  If we look to the Son and believe God promises that he will never let us go.  Earlier in the sixth chapter of the Gospel of John Jesus says, "Whoever comes to me I will never drive away." and  "This is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day."

God calls us and gives us the ability to see but it's our job to "look to the Son" and "Look for him will all our heart and soul."  In the account of Saul of Tarsus' experiencing Jesus on the road to Damascus you might recall that Saul was a murderous man bent on seeing Christians killed or imprisoned when, in a blinding light, he met the risen Christ. But, Saul never saw Jesus on the road that day because he was blinded.  It wasn't until three days later when God removed "something like scales" from Saul's eyes that he could see again.  But here is where he could have picked up his belongings and gone back to his life of persecuting Christians but instead he spent the remainder of his life (until he was martyred) looking to the Son.  I think that the scales not only fell from his eyes but from his heart.  You see, even if your physical eyes can't see, you can still have a heart to see.  There is a song we sing at church called, "Open the Eyes of my Heart" and I think this applies.

Saul was given a new name that day, "Paul” who became the greatest preacher of the Gospel who ever lived.  He is the writer of Romans, 1 and 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, 1 and 2 Timothy, Titus, and possibly the book of Hebrews.  Paul was a new creation in Christ Jesus!

The writer of the book of Hebrews (Possibly Paul) wrote these words, "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."  You see, the penalty for sin has already been paid for on the cross at Calvary where Jesus endured the pain and scorn for us.  We need only look to the Son in faith to receive the gift provided.  We will receive new spiritual eyes with which we will be able to see ourselves and others and we will be able to recognize our sin and our need for a savior.  We will be given a heart with which to repent of our failures and a heart that can worship its creator.  It's like a caterpillar that becomes a butterfly.  No one really knows how is happens but it is truly a miracle of God.

If you’re here today it's no accident and I believe that God is calling you, giving you spiritual eyes to see, and giving you a heart that is able to seek.  It's up to you whether or not you will choose to look to the Son and have eternal life.  If you choose to look to him he will make you a new creation as well.  He will not only be the author of your faith but as you continue to fix your eyes on him, he will perfect your faith until he brings you home.  Maybe you already have your eyes fixed on Jesus,  if so then, AMEN.  Pass it forward!  

"Hey, what's the most important thing in life?"

"Keep your eyes on Jesus!"

Peace,

David