Lent 2020 | Day 28: “Believe”

No one can believe for you. We all have to believe for ourselves.

One of my favorite scenes in the movie Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. In the scene, Indiana Jones must decide if he believes in his own worthiness to accomplish the quest. he has to ask himself if he believes that there is a way across. All the options are removed except one: take a step. So he does.

I know all the theology is not “right” in the scene. And while I don’t subscribe to the view that Biblical faith is a blind leap, the scene does help us understand everyone has to reach their own point of decision. No one can believe for you. We all have to believe for ourselves.

Lent 2020 | Day 27: “Heard”

You don’t have to be a religious person to have your belief system built up or destroyed. All it takes is for you to accept what someone says as being true for you.

In the midst of this global crisis, I have found myself looking and listening to voices that are focused encouraging others.

The Bible reveals a power principle related to the way that every person develops faith. Let me start by saying something about faith. We are too often tempted to define faith as only religious belief. This is not an accurate understanding of faith.

Faith is a fundamental aspect of the human experience. Every single person who lives on this earth is shaped by what they believe. And how to come to those beliefs impacts how they will behave.

You don’t have to be a religious person to have your belief system built up or destroyed. All it takes is for you to accept what someone says as being true for you.

Here is the principle: Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.

Let’s take both sides of this in turn. First, Faith comes by hearing.

There is something about the way we are made that when we hear something we are not able to stop what we feel or think about it. The externality of the spoken word is received before we can restrict its entry. This is why what we say to one another can have such powerful effects.

Solomon said “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits” (Proverbs 18:21 ESV). Why? Because we can’t help but hear what someone says. Once those words escape our lips they will enter into another persons ears and mind. If we are constantly cutting people down they will eventually begin to believe they are worthless. But, if we are encouraging and building each other up, then we begin to believe that too.

I am not talking about saying things that are not true. We can’t lie to others or ourselves. If we do, when we are confronted with reality we will find ourselves wrecked by the lies we believed. And the reason we will be discouraged by those lies is because we will have based our lives on something that is not real or true.

The second part of the principle is that the hearing we do must be by the Word of God.

Let me say this simply. The Word of God is the surest and truest thing anyone can ever hear. There are no substitutes. And nothing is more potent.

To hear and believe the Word of God is to ensure that what you hear will correct and not crush; encourage and not cause to despair; to give life and not death.

As a Christian and a pastor I have to remember that my words, ideas, and concepts are not what give life to a hurting and lost soul. Only God’s word can do that.

As we draw ever closer to Easter morning, I want to ask you one simple question: What have you heard from God’s word today?

Lent 2020 | Day 26: “Live”

The great challenge of life on this world is discovering early that while life on this earth may come to to an end, there is still another chapter to be opened.

There are times in life when we are confronted with the realization that life has an expiration day. However, unlike the products we buy in the supermarket or the cars we drive, we know that eventually our trips around the sun will come to an end.

The great challenge of life on this world is discovering early that while life on this earth may come to to an end, there is still another chapter to be opened. As a Christian, I believe that life does not end. I believe that on the other side of death there is another life. A life that will either be lived with God or without him. And the time I have been given to make how I will live is now.

As I was thinking about this reality, the words “choose life” came to mind. So I did a quick search and found that these words are found in the book Deuteronomy. Let’s look at them now.

11 “For this commandment that I command you today is not too hard for you, neither is it far off. 12 It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will ascend to heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ 13 Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ 14 But the word is very near you. It is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can do it.

15 “See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil. 16 If you obey the commandments of the LORD your God that I command you today, by loving the LORD your God, by walking in his ways, and by keeping his commandments and his statutes and his rules, then you shall live and multiply, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to take possession of it. 17 But if your heart turns away, and you will not hear, but are drawn away to worship other gods and serve them, 18 I declare to you today, that you shall surely perish. You shall not live long in the land that you are going over the Jordan to enter and possess. 19 I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live, 20 loving the LORD your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for he is your life and length of days, that you may dwell in the land that the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.” (Deuteronomy 30:11-20 ESV)

God is calling his people to obedience. He is reminding them that he has made promises and that to reap the benefit of those promises we had to recognize what was at stake. What is interesting is that God puts the choice in terms of “life” and “death”. It is not comfort and suffering. Not peace or war. Not riches or poverty.

From God’s perspective (and his is the only one that really matters!) the choice we all will make will be between obedience and disobedience. Between life and death. This just mind-boggling. And yet, this is the reality we have to confront today.

Do you want to live? Then obedience is the only wise and prudent choice.

Do you want to enter into the land of promise? Then obedience is the only wise and prudent choice.

Do you want to experience the experience the fullness of God’s blessing? Then obedience is the only wise and prudent choice.

To live is Christ. That’s what the Apostle Paul said.

To live eternally is to die to self and surrender to the purposes of God.

As we draw ever closer to the glorious commemoration of Jesus’ resurrection, I am challenged by the fact that in the end, there is only one choice we must make. Will we choice life? Will we choose to live?

Do We Look More American than Christian? Part 5

Part 5: The Numbers Game

We’ve seen a conversation in politics recently around whether the popular vote should matter more than the electoral vote. That debate reveals an ever present desire in our society to focus our attention on high-populated areas as if they are “more significant” than less-populated areas.

I think the farmers who provide significantly for our country have a valuable opinion about this topic…

I don’t think it’s unrelated that some of Jesus’ most important explanations of the spread of the Gospel and how the kingdom of God shows up on earth are agricultural. Here are a couple:

Matthew 13:3-9 – “He told many stories in the form of parables, such as this one: “Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seeds. As he scattered them across his field, some seeds fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate them. Other seeds fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The seeds sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow. But the plants soon wilted under the hot sun, and since they didn’t have deep roots, they died. Other seeds fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants. Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted! Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.”

John 15:1-8 – “I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me. Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father.”

Farms & Gardens Matter

It’s fascinating that over the last generation many kids in the suburbs and urban areas are having to be taught where their food comes from. Since the advent of modern supermarkets and grocery stores, many people in high populated areas have become more and more disconnected from nature and the way things were created by God to work.

So now, classes take field trips to farms and there has been a whole push for community gardens and gardening at schools. Why? Because we recognized that we cannot get everything we need as humans from the commercialized life. In fact, the commercialized life is really only viable as long as an agricultural life flourishes…

The question then becomes: Is the same true of the spiritual realities for the American Church? Is the commercialized model of church lacking something that agricultural models of churches still understand?

The Church Superstore

Let’s be honest about a perception in the modern American Church: We have started to believe that what happens in the highly populated areas is more valuable than what happens in the less populated areas.

Why is it that the voices, models, leadership styles, etc. that come out of churches in those areas garner greater attention?

Why do the pastors of those churches end up on conference stages at a higher rate?

Why do we glorify the numbers of those churches (when percentage wise they may not necessarily be reaching people at a higher rate but many times just have more numbers to count)?

But here’s a question in response to this trend:

What do we still have to learn from a Messiah who remained relatively obscure for 30 years and spent 3 years with a small number of committed disciples before He even accomplished His own purposes?

Small Town Jesus

Honestly this focus on numbers doesn’t surprise anyone, probably not even Jesus. I mean, he was born in Bethlehem and not Jerusalem… (Micah 5:2 – “But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, are only a small village among all the people of Judah. Yet a ruler of Israel, whose origins are in the distant past, will come from you on my behalf.”)

The problem isn’t inherently with large churches. It’s in value-based assumptions concerning small churches. Many great movements of God in America have started in smaller contexts (See You At The Pole). In fact, the Methodist Movement (during the Second Great Awakening), which transformed our country during the 1800’s, found much of its most rapid growth thru circuit riders who went into pioneer communities.

Maybe there’s a reason for that. Maybe we should be asking the leaders of small churches what ministry should look like and looking to the smaller contexts for answers about the Christian life. Maybe we’ve overlooked some of the most important lessons of what the Messiah is doing in the small villages because we are too busy looking for Him in Jerusalem…

So as we reflect on Lent and the events coming up as we get closer to Easter, let’s remember that most of Jesus’ own disciples deserted Him as He accomplished His mission – and certainly the crowds did.

Our desire to gather crowds, and our glorification of the models which do, must end at the cross. Our focus must be on the mission of multiplying disciples. And that sort of a movement usually starts with smaller groups of believers. There is no “trickle down” effect for spiritual awakening – actually, it’s usually the opposite as you track historic moves of God.

Read the Rest of Series

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7

Lent 2020 | Day 25: “Go”

The irony of today’s word focus is not hard to notice!

The world has virtually stopped. What was once hustle and bustle has now become still and quiet. This is the world ruled by an invisible adversary.

And yet, in the midst of all of this God has called us to be a people who go. Go the extra mile. Go for the sake of others. Go into the highways and byways of the world. God to the least of these.

Just because we have to be more aware of the threats around us does not relieve us of the charge to go. We may have to get more creative. We may have to do things we never thought we could. We may even have to step far outside our comfort zone. But the admonition to go is about making an assessment of our own hearts. Are we willing to consider others before ourself?

It can be quite challenging to serve one another. It can even be down right difficult to serve a stranger. But, the call to go is at its core a call to serve. What many of us don’t realize is that we will discover the assignment or task when we get moving. Not before.

God wants to see us get up and move. Then he can see if we are being serious. Not everyone is ready to take a step like that. But, I think only difficult step is the first one. After that I just becomes a habit.

Until we see that the biggest issue with going is in the heart, we will find ourselves worried about the where we will be sent. Don’t worry about it. If God is in it, you will never be alone.

Lent 2020 | Day 24: “Awaken”

The act of hearing is not just allowing the sounds hit the eardrum. The idea is that we are supposed to be engaging our ability to reason.

On several occasions as Jesus taught, he would say to the people, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear” (Matthew 11:15).

The act of hearing is not just allowing the sounds hit the eardrum. The idea is that we are supposed to be engaging our ability to reason. In the process we are able to learn, to reason, to make sense of what we have heard.

As we think about our focus for today, this was what came to mind. We live in a world that has been working on us. Trying to create a lifestyle of distractedness. Of not focusing on what matters. Of not paying attention to choices we are making or the life we are building.

Into this environment God is calling us to awaken. He is calling us to get up out of our slumber and engage in the world we live in. We are not supposed to allow live to happen to us. We are supposed to live our lives. Filling each moment with life. This is an active reality. It is something we must do intentionally. If we don’t, something will come along and try to take it for its own purposes.

As we continue are march toward Easter morning, I don’t know what is causing you to be distracted. But, I know this. You must ask God to help you snap out of it. I believe that God desires for us to be awake, alert, and making ready for the return of his Son.

Lent 2020 | Day 23: “Glory”

As we continue our devotions through Lent, I feel the weight of the shift that has taken place. The world wide pandemic has really altered my perspective. It’s not that I wasn’t aware of the realities I’m addressing. It’s they have taken on a new texture and significance. I really feel like the way I see the world and my faith and God has changed. And I can honestly say it is in a positive direction.

I can’t really explains it. I’m not really trying to. I just know that after this whole thing is behind us, I know I will have been changed.

In a weird way, this is what glory means to me. In almost every instance I can remember in scripture, when glory is referenced it usually means God’s glory. And when God’s glory is in view, we are usually seeing it in its fullest expression. The glory of God is wonderful, if you can withstand it. But no sinner can. And so for us there is a sense in which God’s glory is horrify rather than edifying. The funny thing is that regardless, something will change when you encounter God’s glory.

As we continue drawing closer to Easter, I would encourage all of us to prepare to behold the glory of God. That way, when we come face to face with him we will rejoice and not cower.

Lent 2020 | 4th Sunday in Lent: “Celebrate”

Let us celebrate today, for He is good and in all things he is faithful to us.

Today’s the 4th Sunday in Lent. Every Sunday in Lent is not technically a part of the season of Lent. It serves as a reminder of the glorious resurrection of Jesus Christ because every Sunday is a celebration of what the gospel proclaims. So this Sunday, and every Sunday in the season of Lent, we will celebrate what it means to have been saved. So, rather than an extended devotion, I would like to offer you a song that can help us to focus our attention and to give worship to God for the sacrifice, ministry, mission, and purpose of His Son our Savior, Jesus Christ, as we celebrate the renewed life that we have in him. Let us celebrate today, for He is good and in all things he is faithful to us.

Lent 2020 | Day 22: “Listen”

Regardless of the thing that has increased this awareness, what I have noticed is that we are listening more.

With everything happening, it has been interesting to see what people have become more aware of. For some people it’s their relationships. For others it was how much time was dedicated to one activity or another. For some it has been how unprepared or how prepared they were for a hardship.

Regardless of the thing that has increased this awareness, what I have noticed is that we are listening more. Not just half-heartedly paying attention. That is still happening I’m sure. But I find that more people are actually listening to friends, family, their heart, and most importantly God.

One of the greatest challenges in life is to be present in the moment. And now that the majority of the world is being asked to stay indoors we are not being distracted as often as we normally are. There is only so much you can do when you are confined to you home. You have to get creative. You have to really pay attention to what you really want, not just to pass the time. But to fulfill you soul. You can only do this when you listen.

As we continue preparing for Easter morning, I would encourage us to be more intentional in our listening. To really make an effort to do the hard work of staying in the moment. If we do, we may just learning something we have need to learn for a while. But never gave ourselves the time to accept.

Lent 2020 | Day 21: “See”

Sometimes our vision is impaired by something that is right in front of us but remains veiled for some reason.

Do you remember that time that Jesus spit on a blind man’s eyes?

Yeah… Jesus did that.

It is one of those stories that has to be true, because if it wasn’t, why would you put it in there. It is not something I would think to do. But that is exactly what we find in Mark 8:23.

Apparently, some people brought this man to Jesus and asked him to heal the man’s blindness. Jesus led the man out of the village and then spit on his eyes. He asked the man if he could see. The man answered yes, but that the picture wasn’t very clear. He could see people, but they looked like walking trees.

Jesus then touched the man’s eyes and his vision was completely restored.

This really is a curious story. Why did Jesus go through the trouble of only “partially” healing the man the first time, only to finish the job with a second effort? I think it has to do with the instructions that Jesus gave the man.

After the healing, Jesus tells the man to go home, but not to go back to the village. You see, there was something about that village, something in that village that causes Jesus great concern. The healing did not take place in the village, but outside the village. And after the healing was completed the man was sent away from the village. But there was an intermediary step. Jesus revealed something to the man about the people in the village. He called them walking trees.

Now, I am not going to make up some meaning as to what Jesus could have wanted the man to know, but the man seemed to heed the warning.

At least on the surface of things we can say that trees aren’t supposed to walk. But these did. That would imply that there was something unnatural going on there. Something that would have been an obstacle to both the man’s healing (therefore his removal prior to “partial” healing) and his growing faith (as revealed by the question after the “partial” healing).

We all desire to see. To know what is going on around us. But, sometimes our vision is impaired by something that is right in front of us but remains veiled for some reason. Because of this, it takes a “partial” removal of the problem to expose it.

In this season of uncertainty, we are being confronted with a global blindness. We do not know what is happening or why. But for those of us who trust in Jesus we must ask ourselves, what is God revealing to us in this intermediary step? What are the walking trees that are being exposed that we must walk away from?

In this season of Lent, let us pray that as we prepare for the completion of the healing Jesus promises, we take notice of what God is trying to help us to see.