What’s Your Angel's Name?

What do you put on the top of your Christmas tree as a topper? Chances are, it is either a star or an angel. I have to admit, I enjoy putting our dominant, yet exquisite male angel on top or our tree. In the book of Hebrews, the first chapter, God has a few things to say about those heavenly winged (Are they winged?) beings. During this time of year we are reminded of the angels as they seem to come out en masse in every type of Christmas venue there is. They were also part of the mass celebration the night Christ was

 born on this earth.


Hebrews 1:4 explains that angels are spiritual beings created by God and are under his authority. They also help carry out God's work on earth by bringing God's messages to people ( Luke 1:26, Revelation 14:6-12, etc.), protecting God's people (Daniel 6:22, Matthew 18:10, etc.), offering encouragement (Genesis 16:7ff.), giving guidance (Exodus 14:19), carrying out punishment

(II Samuel 24:16), patrolling the earth (Zechariah 1:9-14), and fighting the forces of evil (II Kings 6:16-18, Revelation 20:1-2). Most, if not all, of their duties take place in the spiritual realm. Because of all the descriptions here of what angels do, is it any wonder that we have images in our heads of angels as mighty warriors fighting for God’s Kingdom? They are very active, even though we don’t physically see them (or maybe we have), their presence to the enemies' forces would be unmistakable. Don’t you wish you could see into that spiritual realm and witness this war going on? Maybe not!

The angels are ministering spirits who are sent from God to care for those who will receive salvation. How many times have we heard stories of miraculous proportions about someone who, all of a sudden, has miraculous powers to come to the rescue in a certain instance or situation? Some of us might believe that this could be a case of being “touched by an angel”? Or on a person’s death bed an angel appears to usher them into the presence of God. There seem to be many examples in our lives of possible angel sightings.

The first chapter in Hebrews does address the subject of people worshipping angels with more dedication an appeal than they were worshipping God. Why such a big deal? Angels were hot back then and today they seem to have lost some of that emphasiss Angels bring messages to us. Should I be seeking a message from an angel? Angels  protect us. Should I expect and be praying for more protection? Realizing that angels are present all around us, give us encouragement, give guidance, one wonders how is all this possible? Should we be asking them for guidance? As they carry out punishment, patrol the earth, fight the forces of evil, they are involved in all forms of warfare on our behalf. Why shouldn’t we put more emphasis on our “guardian angels”? I can see why it would be so easy to get trapped into thinking these angles are worth our worship. However, the angels' purpose is to serve while Christ's purpose is to reign. Amen.

At that same time we shouldn’t ignore this aspect of God’s plan as well. When we feel unloved or forgotten, we should remind ourselves that the angels are always there ministering to us. Because of God's love toward us, He dispatches His angels to help us out. I probably don't realize or comprehend it enough that those of us that will be saved probably actually do have guardian angels all around us. How awesome is that? As much trouble as I get into, sometimes there are probably a whole legion that follow me around.

There are many questions that swirl around in my mind concerning this topic. Lord, does you Holy Spirit use angels all around us as a way of ministering to meet our every need? Lord, should I be seeking, looking for, or asking for more assistance at times from your angels? Lord, how many angels surround me? Lord, do the angels assigned to me have names? How long, Lord, have these angels been with me? Do they come and go depending on the assignments you give them? Lord, can we pray for you to send more angels to others, not only for protective purposes? Should we be praying for signs, given to us through angels?

I am so thankful, Lord, that you do send ministering spirits to assist us, your children. Help me to be more conscious of their presence, and possibly appearances. If I need to learn more about these ministering spirits, Lord, please make it evident to me. Thank youfor all the times these angels have assisted me and will continue to assist me in the future. Help me overcome my acedia by being more aware of the spiritual realm that we are all involved with. Help me to hear the bells around me this Christmas season, as it might be an indication that another angel (It’s A Wonderful Life) just got his wings. Do angels have wings?

Leadership Summit

Last year, after the Leadership Summit organized by Willow Creek Association, I wrote about different presenters. This event has gotten bigger and better and is now called the Global Leadership Summit. I would highly recommend and encourage you to be a part of this event next year (August 11-12, 2011), even if it is via satellite which is how I participated.
 

Bill Hybels, the Sr. Pastor at Willow Creek Community Church, in South Barrington, IL, was the first presenter. His topic was straightforward and simple -- The Fundamentals of Leadership.

Fundamental #1

“Leaders move people from here to there.”

The challenge is, people like it here. It is familiar here, safe here.They decide we are staying here. What do we do when peoplesay we are staying here? We usually crank up the vision and burn ita bit hotter. We try to convince them that staying here is awful, butif we move to there it will be wonderful. The people say, “Why can’t we just stay where we are if it is working good here?” We just needto be persistent and keep building the case, point after point thatwe cannot stay here. This is important when it comes to vision casting. Staying here breaks the heart of God. Our job is to convince people we cannot and will not stay here. God has told us to go to there. Everything will be better when we get there!

Fundamental #2
“It takes fantastic people to move from here to there.”
One of greatest joys of leadership is assembling this team of fantastic people to get from here to
there. In team building, these individuals must have character, competence, chemistry and culture. When hiring, we are looking for that person who meets the four C’s. We need to get better at attracting and developing fantastic people who will flourish in our culture. The holy challenge of assembling this team is, do we view this as a privilege that God has given us?

Fundamental #3
“Mile markers and celebrations.”
How do we inspire people to stay with us on this journey from here to there? The part of the journey where the whole vision could be impaired is not the first three or four miles or when the end is in sight. The challenge is in the middle of the race. People in the middle forget how bad it was back there and they can’t see there. To get people to hold onto the vision we will need to keep refilling the vision bucket. Keep in mind that every person's vision bucket leaks. You have to celebrate every mile marker on the way to the destination. What keeps people on the journey is the sense that they are going to get there someday. We need to turn setbacks into celebrations, any type of progress celebrate!
 

Fundamental #4
“Hearing the whispers from God.”
We need to hear from God enroute or none of the first three fundamentals will happen (John 10:27). Every leader needs to be an incurable reader of the Bible. As we read we need to be listening for the voice of His Spirit. The Spirit puts thoughts in our minds that are not our thoughts. These are whispers from God! What would we miss if we blow off those whispers? If we are hearing these whispers it would change the face of leadership on this planet. If we would follow through in what God is telling us, it would change the face of leadership. God could be whispering in your ear. Don’t quit. Step up. Take the risk. Apologize now. Make the tough decision. Get help. Stop running from God. Slow down. Show your heart. Let others lead. Feed your soul. Bless the team. Do something more impactful. Come clean. Embody the vision. Celebrate the victories. Speak the truth. Pay the price. Count your blessings. End the secret. Check your motives. Set the pace. Give God your best. Serve your spouse and kids. Pray and humble yourself. Can we say, "Speak Lord. Your servant is listening."

There you have it, four basic fundamentals of leadership that will help us and the people we lead overcome acedia. Good luck on the implementation of these God given principles.

Do you like or pay attention to trends?

Being a person who grew up in the 70s and is now 53, Retro seems pretty cool to me. In fact, in a recent remodel of our kitchen, a pumpkin spice orange paint was applied to a couple of walls. With Ice Mocha as our new linoleum of choice, pretty cool.


Then there is Hipster Faith. Recently Christianity Today featured many articles on this topic. The Trends Journal - trendsresearch.com,  has some very interesting facts concerning forecasting for the future. Gerald Celente, for example, predicted the 2007 Great Recession.
Trend Hunter Magazine, on the web at trendhunter.com, would be more concerned with pop culture, technology, and fashions. I was really impressed with the turning signal backpacks for bicycle riders. People like Thom Rainer, at thomrainer.com, LifeWay Research, and George Barna - barna.org, have always provided the Christian Community and the Church with interesting facts and trends that effect the way we do church and also give us insight into Christian behavior and practices. Thom recently came out with the Five Major Trends For Churches in America.

Let's look at these and the impact they might have on all of us in Church. Since these trends are the result of American demographics, we must not transfer the implications beyond our own borders.

Trend #1

Our nation will see the emergence of the largest generational mission field in over a century. That is because only 15% of the Millennial generation (those born from 1980-2000) claim to be Christian. There are 80,000,000 of them - the first and only generation to have more people than the Baby Boomers (those born from 1946-1964) at 78,000,000.

Trend #2

The dominant attitude of the Millennials toward Christianity will be largely indifferent. Only 13% of this generation would consider spiritual matters important to their lives. Are they angry at us or the church? No, they simply ignore us because we are irrelevant and have no meaning in their lives.

Trend #3

Senior adult ministries in churches will experience a steep decline. Us proud Baby Boomers will resist any suggestion that we are senior adults no matter how old we get. Unfortunately, many churches are slow to adapt to new realities. The church will not be able to do ministry here as usual, unless they want to experience a train wreck.

Trend #4

However, the Boomers will become more receptive to the gospel. We will tend to become more interested in spiritual matters in general and Christianity specifically. This is counter to typical trends that tend to point out the older a person gets the less receptive they will become toward the gospel. This generation has  

spent it’s whole life looking for hope and joy outside of Christ and come up empty. They may be more than ready to find the only thing that could fill their lifelong vacuum, Christ!

Trend #5

Family will be a key value for both of these large generations. Family is the most important value for Millennials. Eighty percent of all Millennials would list this as the most important issue in their lives. The Millennials also reported that they have very healthy relationships with their parents, who for the most part are Boomers.

Some churches say they are family friendly, but few actually demonstrate that value. Churches that reach these two generations will have to become churches that foster healthy family relationships.

Trend projecting is a meaningless exercise unless the Church attempts to Overcome Acedia. Each church must study these predictions and be led by the Holy Spirit to best meet the needs of these two largest and most dominant generations. These two generations will determine what the church will look like for decades to come!

Please, No Leftovers

What is your opinion of leftovers? Do you enjoy them or detest them? Would you serve company leftovers? I have heard of one family that throws away all their leftovers, never eats them. Have you ever been to a church garage sale? I heard someone talking about this the other day and they stated, “Our church is not going to have garage sales anymore. I am tired of charging people for the 'junk' that our church people dump off and try to get rid of.” Ouch!

How about the refreshments at some church welcome centers? Now here is an area that could use some improvements! I have tasted some welcome center pastries that were at least a day old. They were too hard to even be used as good dunkers in coffee. Have you tasted the coffee that some churches serve up? Okay, I didn’t fight in any wars and I am not used to syrup in a cup that is as bitter as kissing a lemon. Not all church coffee is bad, but the issue that poor church coffee raises is deeper and far more troubling. The issue is, much of what we do as churches can often be described as substandard, second best, mediocre, or weak. Does God want our best, or is He happy with our leftovers?

We’ve all come across signs of slackness in church life: the 1950s decor still prevalent throughout the building (Green shag carpet is now back in. Don’t tear it out.), a computer used to run the PowerPoint presentations that has a Windows 98 operating system, what about notice boards still advertising Christmas services in February, no answering machine (If they do have an answering machine, no one returns your call.), ministers who are underpaid, live in crumbling, damp houses and drive cars that are so old you can’t find used parts for them anymore, worship teams that don’t practice and can’t sing on key and church websites that crash when you click on them, or haven’t been updated in 6 months? You know what I am talking about.

I'm not criticizing poverty in churches. There are many small congregations where few people are employed yet they somehow manage to do the very best with limited resources. And I'm not complaining about ministers who, through lack of resources, have to do more than anyone ought reasonably to expect. I still believe the hardest job in America is a minister that is the only staff person in a church of less than a 100 people. If you don’t think so, try it sometime. Have you ever tried to wear 50 different hats at once?

What I'm concerned about is a casual attitude to church life that accepts second best as good enough for God. This can happen in any church but is particularly troubling in churches where wealthy members seek quality and excellence in every other area of their lives. I have stayed in homes where God has really blessed this

family, but I then arrive at the church they attend and am transported to the slums. I believe Solomon invested much more sweat equity into his own house than God’s temple. The litmus test could be, would we live in the parsonages we supply for our ministers or in the churches we attend? I was personally so embarrassed one time for a minister because of the parsonage the church let this family live in, I was ready to tell the elders off before I left town!

Why do we have a quality problem?

In some Christian circles there is still a belief that nothing should be enjoyable, especially church. We were created to suffer and pick up our cross daily. Anything that smacks of pleasure is viewed with suspicion. In this perverse view there is virtue in hard pews, out-of-tune instruments and rambling sermons. Such things – and poor coffee – are supposedly good for the soul!

Today there seems to be an undervaluing of the local church. Today the local church is no longer automatically high on a Christian’s priorities. I tell people always lease space to meet in. Why build a building? You can’t get anyone to clean it or mow the grass. There are even some who consider the local church to be irrelevant and dispensable.

Do you know what your Spiritual gifting is? What is your passion? What skills do you have? What type of personality has God blessed you with? What has God called you to do for His church? Oftentimes we don’t achieve quality because we aren’t evaluating to determine what ministry God has wired us to do. Putting round people in square ministries will never bring out the quality that God has blessed them with and therefore bless His Kingdom. (For that matter, being round people isn't giving God our best, either, just our stomachs.)

When is the last time your church evaluated itself? Evaluated its ministries, its facilities, the ministers, and its leadership? How do we know if we are achieving quality if we don’t evaluate what we doing as a church? Is VBS working? Is our worship music attracting? Are the ministers calling and engaging with the culture? Are the carpet, chairs, paint, or decor worn out in our facility? Do the shepherds actually shepherd anyone? 

All of the above is not exhaustive, but should get our brains thinking about some of the quality problems we might have in the churches we attend or minister at. The question then becomes, “Why should we pursue excellence?”

In a classic book by Bob Russell, “When GOD Builds a Church,” he dedicates a whole chapter (4) to excellence. In fact the subtitle of that chapter is, “Do your best in every area of service!” He lists Eccl. 9:10 and Col. 3:23-24 as scripture references for this chapter, along with a Southeast Christian Church slogan, “If it bears His name, it is worth our best”!
 

We worship a God who demonstrates excellence in all He does. He created the entire universe and then made that simplest and most satisfying of quality control statements: what He had made was good (Genesis 1). When faced with solving the problem of a human race that had rebelled against him, He chose the most costly of solutions: sacrificing His only Son. It is very simple, if we want to overcome acedia in this area of our lives, all we have to do is remember His Creation and the Cross!

Off With His Head

The president ended General McChrystal’s command in a meeting that lasted only 20 minutes. According to one aide, the general apologized, offered his resignation and did not lobby for his job. This meeting was a result of an article in Rolling Stone magazine in which General McChrystal made statements that were critical towards the current administration’s efforts in the war in Afghanistan.

After a seesaw debate among White House officials, “there was a basic meeting of the minds,” said Rahm Emanuel, the White House chief of staff and a major player in the deliberations. “This was not good for the mission, the military and morale,” Mr. Emanuel said. I guess there is a time and a place to air dirty laundry and a public magazine article was considered not the time and the place. I have to admit, I have gotten myself in trouble with announcing truth in an unfavorable atmosphere. Must one know when to politicize something and when not to?

Mr. Obama has forced out officials before, including the director of national intelligence, Dennis C. Blair; the White House counsel, Gregory Craig; even General McChrystal’s predecessor, Gen. David D. McKiernan. Maybe the president now has the right man for the job, someone that he can put his thumb on, someone who will agree with his agenda, someone who might not be so critical if the mission is not being accomplished? The question is, is this healthy, is it right, is it Biblical?

I am not trying to pick on the president; Lord knows there are enough people doing that, including Christians (What about Romans 13:1-6?). However, I would like to address this dilemma of making sure people on leadership teams, boards, staff, ministry

teams, and elderships always think alike -- that these teams would never challenge the status quo -- that people who are accountable to a group of leaders, to the best of their ability will always make sure to get individuals on their team -- that will always agree with them and never challenge their ideas, thinking, or actions.


Why do we seek a bunch of yes men for the team? Are we insecure? Is it a case of too much pride? Maybe we don’t need counsel, because we are always right anyway. I know that is true in my case. Ha ha. How would we process new thinking and new ideas, which would challenge our outdated thinking and old ideas? “I am in control and I am in charge here, no one can tell me what to do or what to think.” In reality, whether we like it or not we are all under authority and for us in the Christian realm that authority is ultimately God.

The high priest might even slap you in the face for such thoughts. Are we afraid of opposition that might cause us to think outside of our own box? Maybe we choose and formulate rah rah teams, because we just don’t want conflict, even though the Bible guarantees us that the storms of life will come?

I am responsible to a group of nine guys on my board, and ultimately, I am answerable to God. The latter frightens me more than the former. I am safe to say that because my board members never read this blog. Ha. We don’t all think alike, that is healthy. They don’t agree with everything I say. There is wisdom in counsel. I do accept their advice and guidance even though at the time it might make me angry, but as I swallow my pride, God really did use them to help NPEA become a holier ministry. I would not want to be responsible to a bunch of robots that always thought the same way and never challenged what we do here at NPEA.

I have also in my experience seen the negative flip side of a board always trying to keep the status quo and avoid conflict at all cost, never addressing the elephant in the room because of the fear that it might sit on them, and kill them, even though they are allowing it to kill the organization they are a part of. Why does a group of leaders do nothing when the leader is not following through with his/her obligations to the organization? Why does a group of leaders not make legitimate demands on an individual that is not doing his/her job? Why do a group of leaders seldom and sometimes never evaluate the individuals that work for them?
 

It is ironic that the business world probably does most of the above as far as boards are concerned. Most of the lack of follow through seems to take place in the Christian realm. Why shouldn’t God’s Kingdom have just as much integrity in this arena as the business world, if not more?

The ultimate answer to overcoming acedia is that we seek to develop and establish healthy, Biblical teams. Teams that work together to accomplish the mission that God has put on our hearts.

Teams that value accomplishing the mission more than they value making sure that we all stay friends. Teams that are secure and comfortable in their faith, which will allow them to be critical if needed in a loving manner (speaking the truth in love). Teams that aren’t afraid of conflict. Teams that will attack conflict and resolve it in a Biblical manner. Team members that will be loyal to the team at all times. Team members that will sell out to the goals and objectives of the team even though they might not have agreed with everything. (Once a decision has been made in the war room, whether we agreed or disagreed with it, our task now is to get behind the decision and accomplish the mission.) Teams that sincerely do love and care about each member on the team, so no matter what happens you won’t lose your head.

Basin, Water, Sponge, Towel in Hand

Have any of you ever had someone write on your car windows' dust, “Please Wash Me”? The summer months tend to bring out the bugs at night on the road we travel. Don and I will get home from traveling on one of our adventures to present this ministry and the whole front bumper of the Buick will be lined with bug road kill. We haven’t figured out which state is the worst for leaving bug residue on our front bumper. Maybe you could send us your comments on this, if you believe your state could be the winner?

So you drive to the car wash and attempt to scrub these nasty little dead bodies (that are sometimes very colorful) from the front end of your car. Where I go sometimes to get the car washed the attendant will spray some hot cleaner on the bumper first and let it soak in. Then he takes the spray wand and puts in on maximum power and two inches away from my bumper and sprays away. It is so intense I don’t know how the paint stays on -- in all rights it should be coming off with the bug debris.

In Jesus’ day, washing people’s feet was relegated to slaves. Since this was a culture in which everyone walked everywhere on dusty roads and trails (with no $12 wool hiking socks) I am sure that some of these feet looked like the front bumper of the Buick. You could write the words, “Please Wash Me” on both soles of your feet as you removed your sandals. Not only were these feet dirty, but have you ever taken a whiff of your feet after you have walked for a day on a dusty trails with no socks on? The aroma might cause one to pass out or faint from the stench.

John 13:4-5 -- “so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.” Here was the King of Kings and Lord of Lords performing a

common slave's service -- washing the feet of His followers. Why? The answer comes later on in the chapter: verses 14-17 -- “Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.” Amen.

Jesus washes feet, we should go and do likewise. As Jesus’ followers, have we come to serve, to wash others' feet? This could be a stinky dirty job, sometimes, unless, of course, we are selective about whose feet we wash. The grime on some feet might take days to remove. Do we have the patience and perseverance to hang in there and keep washing? How many feet have we been washing lately? What kind of feet do we tend to wash?

I got back from a recent trip on the road and was convicted at the church we presented in, that I didn’t do anything like foot washing. I believe I walked in, took off my sandals, propped my dirty feet up, and said, “Okay, you slaves take care of me. Meet my needs.” There was no foot washing on my part. “I am an Assistant Director of a Church Planting organization, don’t you know. I am entitled to be washed." There didn’t seem to be anybody there more important than me (in my own eyes). If there had been, I might have stooped down just a little to do the standard wash. The special wash or deluxe wash would have to be reserved for someone with a bit more esteem and prestige.

Do we do enough foot washing at home? I know I don’t (as my wife reminds me from time to time of how selfish I am). What about the sons and daughters that live with us? Is the prodigal getting washed as often as those that are riding high on doing God’s will? Then there are grandkids, aunts and uncles, your brothers and sisters, our parents and, even the dreaded mother-in-law. The homefront can

sometimes be more challenging than anyplace, as far as getting those dirty feet clean. A stooping servant's heart is what God demands of us, not a haughty self-serving heart!

Lord, I pray you would help us develop a better attitude about being a foot washers. Help us to take on the bondservant attitude in our hearts so it will carry over into actions in our lives. Instill in us the attitude that this is not about us, it is about your Kingdom, and bringing you honor and glory and praise. Lord bring into our minds whose feet we could wash this week, this month, this year. Help us, Lord, to overcome acedia by stooping down, picking up a sponge, a bowl of warm water and washing the feet of those in our lives.

And that this act would bring a renewed sense for relaxation and refreshment to those that our hands would come into contact with.

Recharge Our Batteries

My current quiet time finds me in the book of John. I would like to concentrate on the following verses from John, chapter 1 (NIV):


:9 The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.
:4 In him was life, and that life was the light of men.
:5 The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.


Have you ever experienced a room that was pitch black, and you couldn’t even see your finger if you placed it directly in front of your eyes? I remember doing this as a kid and coming away with the thought, “How could you not see your own finger if you put it one centimeter away from your eyeball?” I didn’t realize how pitch black darkness can be! It becomes so frightening that even the slightest bit of unrecognized sound emits pictures in our minds worthy of the SciFi channel! Darkness, in a Biblical sense, represents ignorance and sin. It is an active rejection of God’s will. It is a picture of unregenerate humanity under the influence of the world forces of this domain of darkness. There are people who not only do not accept the light. They often resist it in their lives. Those that are in darkness reject Christ, His light, and His followers.

How much darkness do you see around you? Is there evidence of it on our planet? How has darkness reared its ugly head in your community? Has it appeared like a vapor seeping under the door of your church? Have you noticed it creeping up your leg, gripping you, getting a foothold? Darkness is everywhere, but it cannot extinguish the light! No matter how black or how menacing the darkness, even a small light can drive it back. You light a small candle in a darkened room and there is instantly less darkness. Darkness cannot prevail where light is present.

The power of Christ's light overcomes any darkness in the world. Believers no longer walk blindly in sin, rather his light shows sin and the need of forgiveness, gives guidance, and leads into eternal life with him. John notes one of the greatest tragedies: the world —humankind— did not recognize its own Creator. They were blinded and could not see his light. When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12).


How can you not recognize the light? It seems so obvious, especially in our time. The Jews didn't recognize the light. The world is not recognizing its creator. How many people today follow false gods or no God? How do people become blind and unable to see the light? Were they born blind (inherited in some way) or did blindness strike them at a later date? Even though it only takes a little bit of light to offset the darkness, if people are blind and cannot see the light, how can we help them see again? In a dark room even a little bit of light would penetrate the darkness, even a sliver of light would get the one in darkness to acknowledge its presence. I believe this would cause a person to be more curious about seeking more light.

May the Lord help us realize how just a little light could convince someone in the darkness, to consider the existence of more light. What can we do that puts off just a little light? This isn’t rocket science and I don’t believe it would take anything spectacular on our part. A kind word or a kind deed might be the only light someone would need to see. The light can penetrate any darkness. This is a refreshing and comforting fact. "Lord, help us to share this good news with those in darkness." We rejoice and are thankful that nothing can extinguish this light; nothing can put it out. "Thanks, Lord. Lord help me to increase my prayers that people of this world, people I come into contact with would not be blinded by the darkness and unable to see the light. Help that light to shine beyond a doubt to those who are having trouble seeing it."

How will we be lights in the darkness this June? Pray that God will motivate us to turn the switch on. Get rid of dead batteries.

New Moon, Same Lies

The Twilight Saga just produced it’s newest book in the Vampire-crazed literature scene -- New Moon, which is also the number one selling DVD in America. Before that we had the book Twilight and after New Moon will be Eclipse, then Breaking The Dawn. There is one thing true about capitalism -- if there is money to be made, we will exploit it and keep making the product. A Bing search of the word vampire produces 51,400,000 entries compared to Jesus at 101,000,000. At least the good guys are still ahead. From TV shows, to movies, to books, to blogs, to Facebook, to costumes and vampire paraphernalia, this fascination with vampires has bombarded our society like a lethal mine field that is killing, possibly millions of people. I am writing about this in view of the fact of the mass hysteria that has been created by the subject and because of a recent article I read from a woman who was one of the most prolific vampire writers -- Anne Rice, http://www.annerice.com/.

I said was. She started to write Christian fiction after the death of her atheist husband, Stan, who died of cancer in 2002. My recollection of her story was that she was the second daughter from an Irish Catholic background before her marriage. She says the fact her husband was an atheist did have an effect on her choosing to write vampire literature. I have personally

listened to her first two Christian books, Christ The Lord: Out of Egypt and Christ The Lord: The Road to Cana. I recently read her most current Christian fiction novel entitled Angel Time, which is the first book in a new series she is entitling Songs of the Seraphim. I am in no way debating her theology -- keep in mind these are books of fiction, but writing about God and His Kingdom versus Satan and his kingdom is a vast improvement.

In a recent interview, Anne confesses there is no rest and no peace without God. For 38 years, Rice was a “Christ-haunted atheist,” she says in a recently posted “I Am Second” video http://iamsecond.com/#/home/ Rice is the latest celebrity to give a video testimony on “I Am Second,” a movement which seeks to lift up Christ by declaring that He is first and we are second. Other celebrities who have given testimonies include former NFL Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy, former lead guitarist/co-founder of the metal band Korn, Brian “Head” Welch, and Major League Baseball Texas Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton.

Rice gained fame and wealth from her vampire novels (her books have sold 100 million copies, making her one of the most widely read authors in modern history), but internally she was increasingly dissatisfied with “the world in which salvation was not a possibility.” And the reason for the dissatisfaction was simple: “I really believed in God,” she says in the video. “Not only did I believe in Him but I loved Him and I wasn’t admitting it.” Her vampire novels were a reflection of her internal struggle living in the godless world she created. The vampire, she says, is a metaphor for the outcast and the person who feels cut off from God.

As mentioned earlier, Rice grew up in a Catholic home, but she rejected her faith when she was 18 to gain freedom and search for knowledge. "I felt that there were so many things forbidden to me as a Christian … I felt a desperate need to be free,” she recalls.

In the “I Am Second” video, Rice says she was reminded again and again “that as long as you are denying God you will not know any rest. You will not know any peace. You can’t save yourself through art. You can’t save yourself through music. You can’t do it through travel. You can’t do it through wealth,” Rice shares. “All your attempts at saving and transcending through other means will ultimately fail. You save yourself or God saves you when you turn to Him.” And since we can’t save ourselves, I will use a title of a movie that was made from one of her vampire books, we will be The Queen of the Damned and King as well.
 

After nearly four decades of denying God, Rice says she was finally ready to surrender to Him. “I surrendered the doubts,” she says. “Imperfectly and contrite, I went back.” And returning to Christ has changed everything in her life. For one, she no longer feels she can work with the vampire metaphor. “I wasn’t a person in a godless world [anymore], far from it,” she says. Now Rice devotes her time writing books that are “directly to God and devoted to Jesus Christ. I have changed and I have to do this,” she says with determination. “I have to write for Him.”

Hear this all you New Moon fans, no one is ever cut off from God! That is the same lie Satan has been telling since the beginning of time. Jesus loved the outcasts of His day (Read Matthew, Mark, Luke or John. See it for yourself.) as well as today! If we desire to overcome acedia in this area of our lives, then we must come to the realization that there are not outcasts in the world we live in. Jesus said, "the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out." (John 6:37) The Church has to do a better job ministering to the unclean. So why the vampire craze? Could it be a testimony of all the lonely hearts searching for acceptance and love yet not finding it? It’s time to shine the Light on this problem and watch the vampire craze slowly melt away.  

Are You In Need Of A Healing Service?

When was the last time you attended a "healing service," or have you ever? I remember, a while ago, attending a new church service and the pastor offered healing, afterwards, to anyone who would come forward and receive it. A friend of mine attended the service with me and had the faith to go forward to be rid of a nagging knee problem that he had from an old athletic injury. (If I would have gone forward, talk about old athletic injuries! He would have spent the day praying over this old body.) My friend still has the knee injury. Maybe it was because of his lack of faith, or maybe God wasn’t in a good mood that day and just didn’t want to heal him? Or maybe it was not a valid, biblical expectation to have of God. It’s amazing how we all want to be healed of something.

The above healing service wasn’t like the one held in Jesus’ day, previous to Mark 1:44, where Jesus performed yet another healing miracle (The person was actually healed.), yet didn’t want it advertised. There would be no mass marketing to advertise the amazing powers of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Jesus didn’t endorse radio and TV ads proclaiming His miraculous powers. He didn’t even create a website and start a virtual church. He told the man that had been cured of leprosy to hush up now, or was it a little stronger admonition? After everyone found out Jesus was the real deal when it came to healing others, He could no longer stay in towns and speak in synagogues, because people would flock to be healed and the crowds were simply getting too big (lest we forget the 10,000 people on the hillside for the fish and chips dinner).

My first thought is - why wouldn’t Jesus want this man to go be a blabbermouth? Free advertisement. Think of the crowds Jesus could draw. Eighty some percent of people who attend your church service are invited by members. There would be more people to hear the message. The bigger the crowd, the more opportunities for people to be saved. While we might think so, Jesus knew better (Jn 2:24-25). Jesus’ mission was to preach the Good News of the Kingdom of God. If crowds descended on him to see miracles accomplished, or to benefit from his power, they would not be  

coming with the heart attitude needed to hear and respond to the gospel. They would just be seeking to have a physical need met through healing, instead of the much more important need of being healed spiritually. Jesus did not come to this earth to be a miracle worker in a sideshow. He came to save our souls. 

How often do we pray for physical healing when, in reality, it is a cleansing of one’s soul that needs to take place? When I preached in Long Island, NY, the state medical facility (I believe in Suffolk County) invited clergy to participate in a group of meetings where the health officials not only entertained the thought, but actually believed, that some mental illness (like March Madness?) could be attributed to demon possession or oppression. These medical professionals were more progressive in their theology than preachers were in the churches back then. They realized maybe what some of these people needed wasn’t physical healing (aka, more meds) but actually needed to be spiritually healed to be cured of this dreaded physical disease. Can you imagine if we actually started believing more and more that He is the Great Physician?

In Mark 5:34, we read about Jesus healing the woman who had been hemorrhaging for 12 years. The doctors couldn’t fix her with all their methodologies. The word “healed” in the Greek actually means "saved." Here both physical healing ("be freed from your suffering") and spiritual salvation ("go in peace") are meant. The two also appear together in Mark 2:1-12 and 3:1-6. To be both healed physically and spiritually at the touch of Jesus!  He would be the only one someone could touch and accomplish this feat. I take that back. The first century apostles also performed such twofold miracles. We need to understand and comprehend that spiritual healing was part of the process of being healed, not just a physical healing. Oftentimes we are supportive of missions or people that just meet the physical needs of individuals without addressing the true need - spiritual healing. Jesus is shows us an example where both types of healing need to be done for a person to be truly healed.

So how do we go about overcoming acedia in this area of our lives and in our churches? I think we need to get back to the priority of preaching the Gospel for salvation. We need to realize that what a person might need first is to be freed from sin, before we can address their physical needs. I am not advocating we forget about their physical needs. It’s just that I believe Satan has convinced us that if we just meet their physical needs they will be okay and become interested in what we can offer them for their spiritual needs, and we wind up investing too much in the former and neglecting the latter.  But, no one is truly okay unless they have accepted the Good News and are truly healed spiritually! This has to be what God's people are to be about, first and foremost.

 

How’s The Whitewash Holding Up?

Have you ever walked through a graveyard at night? You remember back in your high school days when someone just dared you to stay in the graveyard all night? Kind of spooky wasn’t it? Every little noise and our imaginations ran wild. Every little movement, we caught with the corners of our eyes. It could get worse, especially when you can’t see the gravestones and trip and fall because of the darkness, and then you’re lying on top of a dead person.

In Jesus’ day they used to whitewash the tombstones so they would be more visible, especially at night, because if a person stepped on a gravestone they became ceremonially unclean (Numbers 19:16). So the outside looked good, but obviously the inside was filled with dead man’s bones and many things that were ceremonially unclean.


In Matthew 23:27-28 Jesus gave the religious leaders of His day the “woe treatment” (I wonder if this treatment would work today. Did it "work" for Jesus?) for being hypocrites. They looked good on the outside (When the religious whitewash was working, they appeared to be righteous.) but on the inside, and in reality, they were full of wickedness and hypocrisy.

But, what happens, if like me, you don’t look good on the outside (As most of you know, I have no receding hairline, because I have no hair. There are plenty bald, ugly guys that inhabit the earth.) or the inside - a  “double dilemma”? You can always use some whitewash (or Rogaine formula) on the outside.


Do you know what whitewash looks like? Could it be a religious checklist we go through each week, without having a relationship with Jesus. Could it be that we tithe, but then we beat our wives? Could it be that we are involved with a small group where marriage enrichment is the topic, but we are having an affair with another man? Whitewash is a cheap imitation.

As a the song entitled, "Stain Glass Masquerade," by Casting Crowns states, in a part of the lyrics, “Am I the only one that is trading in the altar for a stage." Sunday masks are a very popular item worn by all kinds of people in all kinds of churches. Since I am a pretty straightforward guy, sometimes in our travels somebody will ask me on a Sunday morning at church the famous check up question to determine my current spiritual status, “How are you doing?” If I don’t give the typical “fine” answer, people are simply lost for a response.


The truth is, there are times when I am not fine, not fine at all. And masks, don’t you get tired of wearing one? Jesus knows our heart. Why the dress up game? I know you’re a leader, or a leader's wife. You know spiritually mature people are supposed to be sinless, no problems? Right?


If I stopped and considered what I whitewash in my life, there would be quite a laundry list! I can whitewash my overeating, or better yet, eating too many sweets. (I do like those Casey donuts.) I can put the brush to my ability to put down other people and emotionally abuse them. I can get out a roller and really put a good coat of whitewash on when it comes to being judgmental towards others and other ministries. Whitewash kind of sounds like hogwash. (It’s the Iowa kid in me.)


How do we overcome the acedia in this area of our lives?


Honesty, humility, integrity, and being real! Let’s trade in the whitewash for some honest-to-goodness, godly turpentine! God says He can clean us as white as snow. That takes on real meaning where I live! Whitewash on the outside or made white by God on the inside. No comparison.

Are You Ready To Eat Rattlesnake?

Don (my travel companion) and I recently got back from a trip to Hugoton, KS. We visited its First Christian Church and were invited to take part in a Wild Game Feed on Saturday evening -- a men only event (comparable to a baby shower?). Besides the food being excellent, I was asked to give a presentation on Leadership. In this case I addressed the Leadership Dilemma we have in the church, or should I say our Lack of Leadership Dilemma?

Anyway, back to the food -- wild game, possible road kill, etc. -- for a second. I ate, for the first time in my life, two items that were on the menu (which included many different varieties of wild game: elk, deer, salmon, walleye, various stews, etc.). The two new items for my palate were rattlesnake, and something known as "sheep fries" by those in the wild game feed venue. The rattlesnake did not taste like chicken (a common association of taste, made to anything that you have never eaten at a wild game feed) but more of a bland non-distinctive tasting item. The sheep fries were excellent! I can’t describe the taste other than they were excellent. Sheep fries (the nice generic name for this dish), which are actually . . . okay, don’t read the rest of this unless you want to be grossed out . . . this is a man’s thing -- sheep testicles were quite tasty. To eat such things, one has to be a bit radical.

Speaking of radical….
Matthew 4:19-20 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” At once they left their nets and followed Him.” Jesus calls and without praying, without seeking advice or counsel, without checking their calendars for upcoming fishing competitions, the disciples were radical and just followed Jesus. Radical discipleship, how would you define it? And once you defined it, would you qualify? And along with this radical obedience came a radical adjustment of their attitudes toward reaching out and sharing the Good News with the people they came into contact with. Evangelism was at the heart of the call, which would be radical in a lot of churches and disciples that we run into in our travels. Radical discipleship is further exemplified by the Master himself.

As I continue my reading in Matthew I find out as you would that Jesus did not hesitate to become “unclean” in performing miracles. Jesus does this on numerous occasions (just to mention the few I touched on in Matthew 7), the leper, and going to the home of a Roman centurion. Then you have to personalize the question, do I hesitate to become “unclean” when doing ministry, or when being a radical disciple? What does becoming “unclean” look like in practical terms? Becoming unclean in Jesus’ days were doing things that where culturally prohibited for the Jews. You would be looked down upon, scorned, and rejected. I don't think I have ever done anything that would lead me to become "unclean" within my cultural context how about you?
 

What would be some examples of personal actions we would perform that would be “unclean” within our personal cultural context? A Christ follower, giving his whole pay check to a homeless person in need? A Christ follower, giving a kidney away to save a complete stranger, who was gay? A Christ follower, selling his house that is worth $250,000 and moving into a house that cost $100,000 and giving the profits to God’s Kingdom? A Christ follower, praying for and loving His enemies? A Christ follower who would…. It just dawned on me that to become “unclean” in Jesus day would mean that we would break the law, the Jewish law.

Does that mean for us to become “unclean”

 in our culture we would break the law of the United States?

 How can we overcome acedia and become more radical disciples of Jesus Christ? I don’t think that eating rattlesnake or sheep fries would be against the law, but are you ready to try some?