The Ten Virgins - Preparation by Intimacy

I'm reading through Matthew 25 - it and the surrounding chapters give us Jesus' teachings on his impending return. In this chapter I see three sections that teach us how to be prepared for Christ's parousia; the first is preparation by intimacy.

All ten virgins brought lamps to light the way for the coming of the bridegroom. However, five brought oil only for the expected amount of time that it would take for the procession to occur, while the other five realized that the bridegroom could be delayed (this could be a long process) and prepared by bringing extra oil. In the darkness of the delayed return, the foolish five ran out of oil and the wise five had enough.

When we choose to be disciples we do not really know how long, hard and lonely the road may be that Christ calls us to travel. Many followers fall away in the dark hours before they reach some intended destination. Why? Because they did not prepare for those hard times. I want to be like the five wise virgins who went about their duties in the wedding party with careful preparation. How can I be prepared to finish well? How can I be ready to weather the dark nights of this faith journey? I have to build within my life a habit of drawing near to God, learning to hear his voice and being filled by his Spirit. I cannot wait until my lamp runs out in the middle of the night to try and acquire oil; I must learn to stock up on a regular basis, knowing that I can easily run out. I cannot rely on my own strength to take me through the hard times; I must rely on the Holy Spirit, and learning to do so is quite a process!

I do not want to burn only when others are looking and run out when the journey becomes unexpectedly long - Jesus, teach me to gather the oil I need for the long haul!


Matthew 25:1-13

New Playlist: The Indie Rock Sing-Along

Nothing is as sweet as an indie rock tune sung at the top of your lungs at every red light between home and work... here are 30 of my favorites. They're not the most polished tunes, just the most singable!

1. Tournament of Hearts - The Weakerthans
2. Cruel - Farewell Flight
3. Elephant - Page France
4. And We All Return to Our Roots - The Forecast
5. Promise - Pedro the Lion
6. Cannon-Fire Orange - Poor Old Lu
7. Underwater - Switchfoot
8. When I Learn to Sing - Starflyer 59
9. Tow Truck/Vacancy/Chicane Cardigan Smile - Blenderhead
10. When They Really Get to Know You They Will Run - Pedro the Lion
11. Smooth Death - Danielson Famile
12. A Friend I Had - Aaron Sprinkle
13. Young Businessmens Psykick Makeout - Soul-Junk
14. Simple Green - The Merbabies
15. Taxidermy - Sappo
16. Joy I Had Was Joy I Sold - Poor Old Lu
17. Glorietta - Mourning September
18. Coin-Laundry Loser - Twothirtyeight
19. At This Particular Moment In Time - PlayRadioPlay!
20. Chem 6A - Switchfoot
21. Simple Economics - Pedro the Lion
22. Freak Show - Pep Squad
23. Plea from a Cat Named Virtue - The Weakerthans
24. Ring True - Poor Old Lu
25. Stars and Stripes Forever, Baby - Veterans Radio
26. Haunted Church - Rose Blossom Punch
27. Aside - The Weakerthans
28. Jesus - Page France
29. Twenty-Four - Switchfoot
30. Skin - Vigilantes of Love

OK... so some of the songs drifted out of purist indie rock territory. Their singability factor justifies such departure! Also, "Stars and Stripes Forever, Baby!" isn't the easiest to sing along with, but it's an INCREDIBLE indie rock song... one of my all-time favorites. I won't mention that I played guitar in Veterans Radio (oops... did I write that out loud?) I didn't play on that recording, though.

Graduate Already! (The Church, the Holy Spirit and the Disciple)

As my understanding of discipleship and the simple life is developing, I feel the leading and providence of the Holy Spirit to certain resources, passages of Scripture and discussions with friends. Over the last week I came across a Messianic Jewish website called RabbiYeshua.com that gives some great insight into first century discipleship. I also came across an article by a fellow named Robert Brow on the role of the Holy Spirit as teacher or rabbi in the life of a Christian disciple. Both of these resources were very insightful, pointing my thoughts down the road of first-century discipleship as a context for understanding our mandate to follow Christ today. (However, I know very little about either of these sources and do not endorse or necessarily recommend them.)

A few days ago I searched for "Celebration of Discipline" on iTunes and found it in audiobook format and also discovered a sermon by its author, Richard Foster, given at a chapel service at Seattle Pacific University in the late 70s shortly after the book was written. The message was INCREDIBLE (I do highly recommend getting it - it's under the podcast section of the iTunes store). I began to search the digital library of SPU chapel services and found a message by Rob Wall entitled "Scripture and Jesus," given recently. In this message, Rob teaches from John 13 & 14 and gives great insight into the disciples' struggle to understand Jesus' impending departure and the gift of the Holy Spirit as an indwelling teacher (or rabbi).

I wrote all of that to give the back-story to my current thoughts and to assign credit where it is due. Now on to my thoughts...

What is the role of the church and the Holy Spirit in the life of a modern-day disciple? Rob Wall painted a gripping picture of the anxiety that Jesus' disciples must have felt when he announced his leaving; they were to become disciples without a rabbi, learners without a teacher. They had given their whole lives to follow one man, sacrificing their reputations and laying aside the normal responsibilities of life to align themselves with this radical teacher. What were they to do without him? Who would be the rabbi for this group of orphaned students?

Jesus had a plan! "I will not leave you as orphans..." Our Savior needed to leave so that the next stage of their discipleship could begin. Until this time, they followed a physical person in attempts to garner wisdom from him and live life as much like him as possible. Their three years of following Jesus were riddled with frustrating moments for their rabbi; often he would say things like, "How much longer do I have to put up with you?" or "How long have I been with you and you still do not know me?" The disciples were trying their best to follow Christ but had not developed "eyes to see and ears to hear" what God was doing in his kingdom. Rarely one of them would have moments of revelation; when Peter identified Jesus as the Son of God, the Savior replied "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven!" Jesus was eager to initiate his disciples into their next stage of learning because they would receive a new, much needed type of instruction - learning from a teacher within. Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit who would remind them of all he said and lead them into all truth. This teacher would take them to places they had yet to go (and would not be able to go) following an earthly rabbi. This was the beginning of the best...

Believers today long for the opportunity to follow Christ as the disciples did. "If I could spend three years with Jesus I would really get things right!" There is a stage of discipleship that requires a season of following an earthly teacher and, in Jesus' absence, the Body of Christ fills that role. Christians rightly look to the church (local and universal) to lead them in learning about God and all things spiritual. However, we make a grave mistake when we see the church as our primary source of spiritual learning. Jesus intended for the twelve to graduate to a new level of discipleship and he intends the same for us today. There comes a time when we must wean ourselves off of the church as our substitute rabbi and lean primarily on the indwelling Teacher that Christ died to provide.

This concept can be frightening for both the disciple and the church leader. What might happen? Will people stop attending services? Will error creep in as people seek to find truth "on their own"? Yes, these things will happen to some (hopefully slight) degree. However, the power of Spirit-led discipleship is explosive! Imagine an army of Christ-followers who are united as a body but dependent primarily on the Holy Spirit (not the pastor) to lead them into truth! Imagine the impact as we follow Christ in pursuit of the lost, listening to his Spirit and living by his Word!

What role does the church play in helping disciples graduate to the next level? That's another post...


John 13:36-14:31

The Ministry of Philip

"The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, 'Follow me.' Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, 'We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.' Nathanael said to him, 'Can anything good come out of Nazareth?' Philip said to him, 'Come and see.'" John 1:43-46

I feel like I am called to the ministry of Philip. After meeting Jesus and being called as his disciple, Philip found Nathaniel to share the news of Jesus. He not only "evangelized" but also urged Nathaniel to come and see Christ for himself. Philip did not attempt to become Nathaniel's teacher but, instead, wanted to personally introduce him to Jesus so that he could "taste and see" the Lord's goodness first-hand.

I love to teach and I enjoy preaching, but I feel that my calling is to urge others to meet Jesus personally, to experience him for themselves and to answer the call to discipleship by which I myself am challenged. I am learning who God wants me to be - a disciple-maker in the model of Philip.


John 1:43-46

Ready to Learn (The Simple Life)

"Seeing the crowds, [Jesus] went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying..."

Jesus served in the role of rabbi in his Jewish culture. Rabbi means "great one" or "teacher"; Jesus is most definitely the supreme fulfillment of both of these titles! A rabbi called to himself a handful of disciples or "learners" who would follow him for a season, setting aside other interests or commitments in order to learn from the teacher. For this group of disciples, daily life would become a classroom in which they learned spiritual truths as the rabbi lead and taught them on a continual basis.

A rabbi would sometimes draw a crowd interested in hearing his presentation of truth. When the teacher wanted to address a large crowd, he would find a location where the large number of people could see and hear him well. As a signal that official teaching was about to begin, he would sit down. This was a more formal method of presenting truth than the "live and learn from me" format in which his closest disciples engaged. This is the model we see in "The Sermon on the Mount."

As disciples taught by the Holy Spirit, we experience both teaching environments: the classroom of life and the formal teaching time. As we walk through our daily routines we need to practice the presence of God, listening to the Holy Spirit, having "eyes to see and ears to hear" in every situation so as to glean the truth of God in the classroom of the normal. However, we also need to make an effort to approach Jesus in a formal sense, to seek him out for the purpose of putting aside the mundane duties of life to sit and listen to what the teacher has to say.

When Jesus saw the crowd forming to hear from him, when he became aware that the people were ready to learn, he sat down and began teaching. Today Jesus is looking for those who would seek him out as a rabbi, those who would gather at his feet and give him undivided attention. What can I do to show Christ that I want to learn from him? How can I posture myself so Jesus will "open his mouth" and teach me?

Some type of formal time with Jesus is necessary for the simple life to flourish. What should it look like? This formal teaching time has been referred to in the Christian community as "quiet time." However, this moniker carries connotations of quickie, tip-of-the-hat devotional readings and prayers that don't really posture us well to receive from Christ. Here are some suggestions I offer from my own struggle to develop this discipline in my life:

1) Make a daily appointment.
Like the children of Israel gathering manna every morning, we must gather fresh strength and truth from Christ on a daily basis. We cannot go for days without posturing ourselves to learn from God and expect our spiritual lives to be fresh and growing; we will become rotten and full of worms!

2) Find an environment that you enjoy that is free of distractions.
What is your favorite alone spot? I vacillate between the table in my backyard (during warmer times of the year) and the counter in my kitchen. My recliner does not lend itself well to a learning posture; it's more specifically designed for a sleeping posture!

3) Choose disciplines to practice.
Try different disciplines in different seasons - solitude, fasting, journaling, silence, worship, study, meditation, etc. Find a good book on spiritual disciplines and experiment. Incorporate the practice of a discipline in your time with God. Some disciplines may become regular elements in your time with God (I journal almost continually), while others will gain your attention for a while only to fade off for months and return to the surface at a later date.

4) Pray.
Regardless of which disciplines we are experimenting with, we must pray at all times. Prayer is less of a spiritual discipline and more of a survival tool! We must be in constant dialogue with God. Talk to him! However, don't forget that prayer is as much about using your spiritual ears as it is your mouth!

5) Change it up.
If your time with God becomes uninteresting or less fruitful, try something different. Read from a section of the Bible that you don't frequently go to. Find a new location for your learning time. Try a different time of day. Change your routine; if you normally start with prayer, begin instead with journaling or worship.


Matthew 5:1-2


RECOMMENDED SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES RESOURCES

Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster


Ordering Your Private World by Gordon MacDonald


The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence


Secrets of the Secret Place by Bob Sorge

What is a disciple? (The Simple Life)

Tonight my family had a discussion during Bible study about discipleship. I asked Lexie, "What is a disciple?" I absolutely loved her answer! She replied, "A disciple is someone who loves God. Jesus teaches a disciple to live like him."

In The Great Commission, Jesus presents us with a clear responsibility to go and make disciples. This process has two parts; 1) baptize them in the name of the Trinity and 2) teach them to obey his teachings. In other words, we are to help others cross the line from darkness to light, from death to life and then to help them learn to walk with Christ in daily life.

How am I a disciple? How am I following Christ? Am I learning from Jesus to live like him? Am I teaching others to do the same? I love Jesus, but I want to learn more from him about following in his steps. I want to learn to grow in faith and engage the world the way that he does. I definitely want to learn to live like Jesus. I want to be a disciple.

The Simple Life

For years I have heard God speak the word "simple" to my heart and I have understood it to be an invitation to a lifestyle of intimacy with God and influence in a world that needs him. I feel a distinct call to be a disciple and to lead others down the path of following Christ in daily life. As I work to become more obedient as a disciple and work to teach my family and others to do the same, I will take note of thoughts and experiences with the hope to eventually publish it in some sort of book. The title of the book will most likely be "The Simple Life" and the premise would be "Following God is not easy, but it doesn't have to be complicated." I don't have a clear outline for this project; just a general direction.

Eyes to See (Matthew 18)

As we read through scripture our minds break the passages into bite-sized chunks and remember them by particularly poignant or colorful content. However, God has arranged his Word with incredible wisdom to teach us through over-arching themes and lessons. Matthew 16 contains one such lesson.

This chapter contains four sections that all point toward the same idea: we need eyes to see what God is doing in his kingdom. The Pharisees and Sadducees have aligned themselves to eliminate Jesus and approach him with a request for a miraculous sign. Jesus responds, "You don't have eyes to see who I am!" Jesus asks his disciples how others identify him, following with a pointed question; "Do you have eyes to see who I am?" When Jesus outlines the events of his death, Peter rebukes him and the Lord responds, "You don't have eyes to see what the Father is doing in his kingdom!" And finally, Jesus challenges his disciples, saying "If you want to follow me, you cannot see things with an earthly perspective. You need eyes to see what it takes to make it in the Kingdom of Heaven!"

My heart is drawn to Jesus' warning to avoid the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees. These two Jewish sects held vehemently to opposed views on particulars of their faith. Each group had become so sternly focused on non-essential tenants of Judaism that they were completely unaware that Yahweh was standing in flesh before them. I'm sure their obsession with their favorite religious details started innocently enough. However, the leaven of the non-essentials grew in each sect to the point that their members' identities were built on these distinctives.

In the same way, the Church and we as individual Christians need to be very careful to avoid the leaven of the non-essentials. Sadly, it seems that we may have already become victim to it on a corporate level. By nature, denominations are what they are because of non-essential differences. Why do I describe them as non-essentials? Because the only true essentials in Christianity do not allow for any variance. If you don't hold to the essentials, you're not practicing true Christianity! The essentials are a precious few beliefs (i.e. salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone), whereas there exists a myriad of non-essentials from which Christians choose their favorites to align by (i.e. "once saved, always saved" or speaking in tongues). As a Church, we have divided ourselves and become so focused on non-essentials that we often completely miss what God is doing in his kingdom. This is an ailment that the Body of Christ desperately needs to see healed by the Holy Spirit in order to regain her health, intimacy with God and "saltiness" in the earth.

Jesus, give us wisdom to distinguish between essentials and non-essentials. Help us have eyes to see what you are doing in your kingdom, unobstructed by things that don't matter!

"Unity in essentials. Liberty in non-essentials. In all things charity."


Matthew 16

Object Lesson #2 - Tool Shed Demolition

I spent several hours today demolishing an old tool shed in the bottom of our back yard. The building was old and leaky and had become a haven for pests. The demolition process was painstaking and frustrating, taking it apart piece-by-piece, salvaging the good material and tossing the useless into a pile to burn or discard.

Recently Alan Wright (author of "Shame Off You") returned to our church for a mini-conference. During a lunch appointment with the staff, he spoke about an unhealthy or ungodly paradigm as a "house of thoughts" that has been built in a person's life, a way of thinking that has developed. God combined my tool shed and Alan's house of thoughts to communicate a truth to me. From time to time I may find a house of negative thoughts constructed in the bottom of my mind/heart/psyche of which I wasn't fully aware. How did it get there? When was it built? What is it made of? This house resembles my shed, providing sanctuary for unwelcome squatters in an otherwise modestly healthy environment. Though it is leaky and old, this house will not be demolished easily. No, God takes me by the hand and begins the slow process of deconstructing this house piece by piece. He is a master at finding the good material in my negative situations and redeeming it for his purposes. He also pulls out every rotten board and rusty panel to discard. Oh, how I wish he would back his heavenly Hemi to my shed, hook up a chain and pull it all down in one quick tug! Instead, the demolition of my "shed of thoughts" takes time (a lot of it), painful work and patience. However, when it's all done, my heart is healthier for the process.

Object Lesson #1 - Dirty High Chair

Two object lessons came to mind as I was going about my daily stuff today; one involves a dirty high chair and, the other, an old tool shed in the process of being demolished.

DIRTY HIGH CHAIR

We all have pet peeves, certain things that must be a particular way for all to be right with the world. One of mine is Holton's high chair after a meal. Of course, our one-year-old makes a glorious mess when he feeds himself. In the process of cleaning the kitchen, Vanessa usually leaves the chair as the last project and often ends up called away by more urgent needs before she gets to it, thus leaving it dirty longer than I would like. When I see the high chair in a mess, it makes me feel sick. I can't handle it. I want it clean before the food dries and I most DEFINITELY don't want anyone to see it in such a state. Initially I would fuss about the dirty high chair. However, I have found that if I want the high chair cleaned immediately after a meal, it works best if I am the one to clean in.

We all see areas in life that need work - in our marriages, jobs, churches, etc. These are real needs that we are keenly aware of and they need to be addressed, but for some reason no one else is making an effort to fix them! Could it be that God has opened your eyes to that particular need? Others may not see it so clearly or feel the urgency of addressing the problem, but God has gifted you to be aware of it. You have "eyes to see and ears to hear." With that awareness comes responsibility. It may be your job to wave the flag for the need you see, but most likely it is your calling to actually do something about it. Don't wait around for others to see the need, criticize them when they don't and move on to another marriage/job/church when the need remains unmet. You see the need, you meet it. It could be divinely appointed that you're the right person for the job!

Pursuing the Withdrawing Lord (Matthew 14:13-21)

In order to withdraw and deal with his own pain, Jesus left his ministry to the masses. However, "when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns." The crowds were in such need of Jesus that, even when he withdrew his presence, they chased him. As he traveled by boat to a desolate place, the crowds beat him there on foot around the shore of the lake. What did the crowds hear that motivated them to follow? Did they hear about Jesus' reaction to John's death? Were they trying to comfort their leader? Or did they simply want more of his presence and touch? Regardless, they would not be deterred when the presence of God withdrew. They did not stand around and bemoan the lack of God's touch - they chased him!

"When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick." Jesus was moved by the pursuing crowd. Like the judge with the persistent widow or the sleeping tenant with his midnight visitor, Jesus responded to tenacity.

There are seasons in the Christian life where the presence and activity of God are almost tangible. However, there are seasons in between these experiences when God seems all but absent - if it weren't for his promise that he would never leave or forsake us, we would be certain he was an absentee landlord or distant clockmaker! When Jesus withdrew, he did not do so because he was tired of the crowd, displeased with the people or unconcerned with the details of their lives. In our seasons when God seems distant, we tend to interpret his aloofness in many ways, and rightly so! We must take inventory of our lives when the Spirit doesn't seem to be moving. However, there are times that God withdraws and, like a father playing Hide-and-Seek with his children, he longs to be chased after and found. He is not playing a divine version of "hard to get," but he does at times withdraw so that his children will exercise their spiritual muscles and chase him.

Jesus, help me to pursue you in the times when you feel distant. Help me to meet you where you are going.

Matthew 14:13-21
Luke 18:1-8
Luke 11:5-10

Ministry in Desolate Places (Matthew 14:13-21)

I was caught recently by two events in Matthew 14 - the death of John the Baptist and the feeding of the five thousand. They are in the same chapter but, in my recollection of them, I did not realize the connection between the two. From this chapter I gleaned two major lessons that have ministered to me in the past few weeks. One is "Ministry in Desolate Places" and the other is "Pursuing the Withdrawing Lord."

Jesus' response to the death of his friend, cousin and ministry partner colors the feeding in such a human way. When we think of our Savior's expressions of human emotion, a certain few events come to mind - the death of Lazarus, his weeping over Jerusalem and the Garden of Gethsemane. However, Jesus was also deeply moved by the death of John. When he got the news, the scripture says, "he withdrew from there in a boat to a desolate place by himself." The blow of such tragedy effected Jesus and he felt the need to get alone and deal with it. The emotional pain that Jesus was feeling was represented by his withdrawal to "a desolate place." Jesus was in a desolate place on the inside, so he retreated to a desolate place physically in order to mourn.

The crowds followed Jesus (see "Pursuing the Withdrawing Lord") and, when Jesus saw them, "he had compassion on them and healed their sick." As the day grew late, the disciples came to Jesus and said, "This is a desolate place, and the day is now over; send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves." Jesus was moved by the needs of the people in their sickness; the disciples were now moved by the needs of the people in their hunger. Notice the phrase "desolate place" coming up again. The disciples saw the need but felt ill-equipped to supply it. However, Jesus' response challenged them - "They need not go away; you give them something to eat." When the disciples protested that they had only meager supplies (obviously not enough for such an incredible need), Jesus said "Bring them here to me." And we know the rest of the story...

We are surrounded by people in desolate places; pain abounds in our world. Two things from this passage are incredibly encouraging when facing the reality of our current desolation.

1) Jesus finds himself in desolate places. He is not immune to our pain but, instead, "in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin." He did not simply mimic humanity; he was (and is) completely human in every way. "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses..."

2) Jesus will use what little we have to minister to others in their desolation, even when we are there ourselves. Like we often do, the disciples felt dramatically unprepared to meet the needs of the masses. However, their supply didn't determine their ability; their Savior did! Certainly the disciples were also hungry, feeling their own needs in this desolate place. However, when they gave their supply to Jesus, he was able to minister to the crowds.

As we find ourselves in desolate places, let us be encouraged that Jesus is with us in our desolation and he longs to use us to minister to others in the same place. "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God."

Matthew 14:13-21
Hebrews 4:14-16
2 Corinthians 1:3-4

New Layout

I just spent a couple of hours designing a new layout for this blog. This post is a test to see if new entries will work correctly.

Advent Devotion Excerpt - Love

This is my submission for Heritage Church's 2007 Advent Devotional. Hope you enjoy!

This year in Heritage Youth we are studying the gospel of Matthew chapter by chapter. We ended out 2007 with the theme "On A Mission from God," and we recently discussed Matthew 12:1-8. As I studied this passage and let its truth settle in my heart, I became very passionate about the simplicity of the life God longs for humanity to live. We all desire a sense of purpose, an assurance that our days have impact and meaning. However, in our attempt to live "On A Mission from God," well-meaning Christians work themselves into a frenzied busyness and often burn out, all in an attempt to please the Lord. I'm positive this isn't God's plan for us; he promised us abundant life, not flash-in-the-pan faith.

As you read today's passage, you probably wondered, "how does this have anything to do with love or Christmas?" It's all in the details! Jesus and his disciples are walking though a grain field on the Sabbath, fulfilling the ultimate "Mission from Go," the one around which all of human history revolves. These guys are literally in route to save the world! While doing something that seemed insignificant, the religious "giants" of the time approach Jesus and lambast his disciples for "doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath." The Pharisees were indicting them for "harvesting" on the holy day. I love Jesus' response - "I tell you, something (someone) greater than the temple is here." This statement alone makes me want to jump out of my skin! He goes on to quote from Hosea 6:5-6, "I desire mercy, and not sacrifice."

The Pharisees' approach to God could be compared to an awkward first date. Do you remember how it feels? The guy think he knows who his date is, feels that he may like her a bit more than the rest of the girls and hopes beyond hopes that the feeling is reciprocated. That's how he ended up on this knee-knocking night on the town in the first place! From his limited knowledge of this girl he has done everything he can think of to please and impress her - detailed the car, ironed his clothes, put on cologne, bought flowers and made reservations at the most expensive restaurant his wallet could handle! "Love" makes a guy do crazy things! How disastrous and disheartening would it be if, after all he'd done, his date comes to the door in a T-shirt and jeans, informs him that she's allergic to most pollen-producing plants and would rather eat at Wendy's than the downtown bistro! He thought he was in love but found that he really didn't know his girl at all!

The Pharisees were certain they knew what God wanted from them and had spent years perfecting their religious process to make him smile down on them. However, when they met God face-to-face in a grain field they were unable to recognize the divine spark behind his eyes. The Pharisees were sure they were on a mission from God, but in fact they were just doing "church stuff" and had missed God altogether. Jesus was on a mission from God too (for real), but his agenda and actions were totally different from the established religious community. He was chided for hanging with sinners, befriending immoral women, breaking religious rules & traditions and claiming authority to forgive sins. How could two missions, both aiming to fulfill God's will, look so different?

All the Pharisees wanted to do was please God, but they had not taken the time to find out what God really wanted from them. They became so passionate about their mission that they lost contact with their Maker. When detailing the Great Commandment, Jesus instructed us to 1) love God with all we are and 2) love our neighbor as ourselves. These are two sides of the same coin, but one comes before the other. We must love God first and love his people (and his mission) second. If we become zealous for God's work and forget to seek God's heart, we will become modern-day Pharisees and we will - let me emphasize, WE WILL - miss God when he shows up on the scene.

This Christmas season, remember that God's mission is all about love - loving God first and loving people as a result. In the hurriedness of the season, in the hustle of well-intentioned life in a happening church, remember that there is one who is greater than shopping, food, family, church, charity or presents. Don't forget to seek his heart in this season that reveals it to us so clearly. There are a lot of good things we can do during this time of the year, but let's take the time to be with God instead of just doing good.

The man doesn't choose the mix; the mix chooses the man.

That's the title of my newest iTunes playlist. I love it, so I thought I'd share it with you:

1) Junkyard Hello Dear Wind - Page France
2) Mouth Like a Magazine - Showbread
3) Destruction, Destruction - Farewell Flight
4) Wake Up Early - Starflyer 59
5) Perfect Obligation - The Myriad
6) Compliment Each Other like Colors - PlayRadioPlay!
7) The Cure for Pain - Jon Foreman
8) With Love from Me to You - Watashi Wa
9) Big Trucks - Pedro the Lion
10) One Hundred Percent - The Forecast
11) Photobooth - Death Cab for Cutie
12) You Feel Like - Denison Marrs
13) Every Gun Makes Its Own Tomb - The Forecast
14) We Are Nowhere and It's Now - Bright Eyes
15) Call It in the Air - Discover America
16) On Standby - Farewell Flight
17) Trouble Is - Jars of Clay
18) Sovereignty - The Merbabies
19) Crash - Michael Knott
20) I Am Always the One Who Calls - Pedro the Lion
21) Confines of Gravity - PlayRadioPlay!
22) Par Avion - Rose Blossom Punch
23) Dead by Dawn - Showbread
24) Sturdy Jive - Soul-Junk
25) Underneath - Starflyer 59

Relentless Pursuit

(12/04/03 journal entry)

It is impossible to have clean hands and pure hearts unless we are actively involved in seeking the face of God. The only way to worship is to worship every day - if we become slack or hit-and-miss with our pursuit of God, we become soiled by the dirt of everyday living and it becomes difficult to enter into the presence of God. The natural pull of depravity draws us away from God and his holiness into the mud of "normal" life. The Christian life that seeks God has to fight to do so. I want to have the character of the company of God's people that seek him - not that of those who just know him. There is so much more and I want it.


Psalm 24:3-6

Fill My Vision

(12/04/03 journal entry)

I have allowed my vision - the vision of my heart - to be filled with many things other than God. In a way, I've allowed my focus to shift off of God; or maybe I've not zoomed in on him as I should. As he's taken up less of my vision, other things have crept into the margins. Peripheral things don't like to stay in the peripheral - they fight to gain my attention. So, this morning I've done a lot of confessing and putting down my idols.

My prayer is for God to completely fill my vision. That's worship - when our hearts zoom in so closely on God that everything else is pushed out of the picture. As I write, I'm looking out of the window watching the sun rise over the beautiful Rocky mountains. Vanessa and I will leave in a few minutes to see the Grand Canyon. These things are so huge and so wonderful that my eyes can't really see all the majesty they really possess. My Father, the great Creator that designed both the sunrise and the Grand Canyon, is so much more majestic than what he has created. Lord Jesus, fill my vision until everything else is pushed out of the picture.

Daily Grind Faith

(10/27/03 journal entry)

The nature of healthy Christianity is very simple. It is not glamorous, flashy or trendy. What brings depth and growth? Prayer. Bible study. Time with God. Day-to-day ministry. Visiting the sick. Witnessing to the lost. None of this is revolutionary, but when it happens in the life of a believer, the result is a spiritual revolution. The kingdom of God is SO upside-down! The last is first and the meek inherit the earth!

I desire a simple relationship with God that is real and that is characterized by the fruit and power of the Holy Spirit. I want a daily-grind faith that produces results.

The Cross

(10/15/03 journal entry)

Nothing holds the power that is contained in the cross. Nothing compares to the change it causes, the freedom it brings, or all that it reveals about God. He has chosen to hinge all of history and our understanding of Deity on this one thing: Christ and him crucified. So many spiritual chasings draw our attention but only one thing brings true change.

Paul was fixated on the cross. When I went to the Southern Baptist Pastors' Conference in Jacksonville a few years ago, I was struck by the centrality of the cross in the messages delivered by these great pastors. I need the cross to be central in my own life. I need the dying to self that it encourages, the grace that it provides and the freedom from sin that it promises.

There is something deep and hidden in the cross that is incredibly appealing - always more to be revealed. Lord, show me the cross anew today.

The Impotency of Man, the Potency of Prayer

(05/28/03 journal entry)

There is a place where you understand with incredible clarity your own inability to achieve anything of eternal significance without the imposing guidance of the Holy Spirit. Maybe it comes through God's teaching in the area of pride and humility. Maybe it comes from trying over and over again to make spiritual things happen without the power of the Holy Spirit and watching those attempts flop again and again. Regardless of where it comes from, it is a sobering mindset to possess, understanding that any attempt of my own to cause a movement of the Spirit in someone else will just end up fumbled and will turn incredibly ugly; knowing that the most valuable, powerful and effective thing I can do for someone else is to constantly bring them to God in prayer. The act that seems the most boring and impotent is the very thing that causes the most change in the spiritual realm.