Coffee and Christianity

For most of my life I've been a morning person. I like to sleep in from time to time but by and large I enjoy getting an early start on the day. Sometimes I hear people say things like, "I've never seen the sun come up, I can't imagine getting up that early!", while I simply can't imagine not seeing a sunrise. Things are still quiet, you have a chance to think about the day, to consider what needs to be accomplished, and hopefully spend some time in the presence of the Lord. Nothing like early mornings. And one of the things that makes early mornings so enjoyable is a good cup of coffee. I don't think there's another time of day that coffee smells better than first thing in the morning. Nothing like brewing up a good cup and watching the sunrise. Which brings me to one of the most frustrating things about mornings; my inability to brew coffee consistently. I know, it isn't rocket science; you put the coffee in, add the water, and push the button. A monkey could figure it out. Unfortunately, I'm apparently not as smart as a monkey. Because some days I'm able to brew as fine a cup of coffee as you could drink. No kidding around, I'll brew some stuff that is just fantastic. But after a couple days of fine java, I brew up some tar water. Just bitter, nasty tasting brown water that would gag a maggot (you're welcome for that visual image, btw). It's just frustrating being unable to consistently brew a good cup of coffee.
I've discovered the same frustrations as I try to walk with Christ. Some days I do pretty well. I turn from immorality and embrace righteousness. I walk close to the Lord, surrendering to His leadership in my life. I'm willing to go out of my way to try and minister to someone, eager to obey my King. But there are other days where I fail miserably. And it's so frustrating because I can't seem to figure out what's causing the incongruity. I think I'm doing things the same way each time, but sometimes I get good results, sometimes not. But here's the good thing; I'm not accepted by God based on how well I perform. I'm accepted by God based on how well Jesus performed. See, sometimes we get this idea that God will only accept us if we're good enough. But the Bible says we can't be good enough. Isaiah 64:6 says, "But we are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags..." That means the best I have to offer God is no better than filthy rags. In fact, the word used here refers to menstrual cloths. What a shocking choice of words for the prophet! He says that the best we can offer God is unclean, unacceptable in His sight. And that's why Jesus came to live in our place. The best I could offer God would never be good enough. God's standard is absolute perfection, and I could never be perfect. So Jesus came to be perfect in my place. And when I bowed my knee to Him as Lord and Master, when I repented of my sins and asked for His mercy, the righteousness/perfection of Jesus was credited to my account. 2 Corinthians 5:21, "For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." The righteousness of Jesus was applied to my life. It's just as though I lived the perfect life that Jesus lived. And so even when I fail, even when I sin and fall short of God's standard for my life, I'm still acceptable to God. Because the basis of my acceptance isn't what I do; it's what Jesus did for me. That's good news. That will make you have a great day; even when you brew lousy coffee.

Father, thank You for Your mercy. Thank You for saving me even though I didn't deserve it then and don't deserve it now. Thank You for Your patience when I fail You. And most of all, thank You for robing me with the righteousness of Jesus Christ. Help me to walk worthy of Your calling for me, and help me to always bring You honor and glory. Amen.

Kenya Dig It?

So I probably should have updated the blog before now. I know that when you tell people you've gone to Africa, they immediately want to hear all the stories. And I've got stories, believe you me. But at the same time, spending a few days in Kenya, preaching the gospel and ministering in churches is a unique experience. You come home very conflicted. On the one hand you're incredibly grateful for the things you have, and the lifestyle you can enjoy. On the other, your mind drifts to new friends who have so little, and you wonder about the apparent disparity of it. And of course there are all the amazing times we spent in worship services together. And truth be told, coming home can be a bit of a let down. In the churches we ministered to, the minimum amount of time spent in praise and worship was at least an hour. Then the sermon needed to be at least that long. In fact, the services began at 6 on Sunday morning, and didn't conclude until about 1:30. And the amazing thing is how it flew by; being in God's presence with passionate worshippers made the time pass so quickly. And then you come home and church is most often the opposite of that. And sadly, you immediately find yourself falling into that rut again. You let yourself be ruled by the clock, or by what others may think. And that's terribly unfortunate. I ought not come back and return to who I was; I ought to come back reflecting the things God taught me, the things He did to me and through me.
I'll have more to post in the future; stories that will break your heart, and stories that will make you smile. But for now, know that God was glorified this week. God did what He loves to do; He took an unworthy vessel and used it for His honor and His glory. His church was strengthened; people professed their hope in Christ as their savior. We were protected and blessed and filled and strengthened and challenged and encouraged and broken and lifted up and exhausted and sustained and troubled and happy and a million other feelings/emotions. Thanks to those who checked in on us, and those who prayed for us. Your prayers sustained us, and your partnership with us was such an encouragement. Sola Deo Gloria.

Lessons from the Timer

One of the joys of living in a home with 3 women (other than the exercise I get while treading water in a bottomless sea of estrogen) is being constantly amazed at how long they can take in the shower. Seriously, I think Global Warming isn't happening from carbon or any of that other stuff; it's happening because of all the steam escaping from homes where women spend so much time in the shower. And I've discovered that this isn't limited just to adult women; it's a trait that's shared by women-in-training as well. Like Lily. I love my Lily-bug; coolest kid around. But she could spend all day in the shower. It was getting to be quite a problem because she likes to shower in the mornings rather than the evenings but was taking so long she was consistently late for school. And it's hard to explain to teachers why your kid is late when you only live 2 blocks from the school. So we finally settled on a solution; the good old fashioned kitchen timer. We set it when she gets in the shower and it when it goes off, she knows it's time to get out. The first few times were kind of tough, especially since she still had soap in her hair. But we told her to toughen up and she would be fine.

As I was setting her timer this morning (and yes, we have to set the timer for her as she isn't fully awake until about 20 minutes after her shower), I was struck by the thought that we're all on a timer. There is a limited amount of time we're given. And the funny thing is, we don't know how much time it is. It would be nice if we knew how many minutes were on our timer, wouldn't it? I don't mean in a morbid way, I just mean that we would be more focused on what matters. We would give ourselves to the things that have significance rather than wasting some of our precious minutes and hours on stupid, inconsequential things.

In Psalm 90:12 we read, "So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." Wisdom comes when we learn to number our days; not try and affix a specific amount of time to our lives, but realize we are given but a finite time here. This life will not last forever. And so the choice before is simple; what will we do with the time we have? And don't misunderstand, this isn't a "You better repent before you die" kind of post-although you should. This is just a reminder that the years we're given aren't infinite; that the moment you're in your life won't last forever; that the season you're in will one day pass. One day my kids will be grown and gone; some days I wish for that. But when that day comes, will I look back on how I spent my time with them and be proud? Or will I look back with regret? Will I look back on how I treated others and be content? Or will I be filled with remorse for stupid words and thoughtless actions? And most of all, when I look back on how I regarded my Savior, will I be able to say that I kept the faith and ran the race? Or will I look back and see that I shamed my King?

Our lives are on the timer, so to speak; you may have decades yet to live, and I hope you do. I hope I do. But I may not. If not, what am I doing today that matters? What am I doing now that will last? Am I numbering my days? Or am I wasting them?

Father, thank You for the gift of life. Thank You for granting me the years I've had. Help me to remember that those years are finite, that there will come a day when the timer of my life will run out. Help me to live in such a way that when that day comes I won't be ashamed, I won't be sad. Rather, I'll be able to rejoice in Your provision, and look back with gratitude on how You led me to spend my days wisely. Help me to do what matters in regards to my family, my church, and most of all, in regards to You, my King. Amen.

Cold Feet and Selfish Hearts

The other night Lily and Emma had a classic fight, one that's been had by anyone who's ever had to share a bed with someone who has really cold feet. First, a little background. When we lived in Hermitage the girls shared a room but had separate beds. We had stackable bunk beds and for a while that worked great; it stopped working great the day I walked into their room and saw Owen, who was 1 at the time, standing on the top bunk, with his back towards the ladder. Needless to say, the stackable bunks were quickly unstacked. When we moved to Gurdon, though, there wasn't room in the girls' bedroom for both beds (one was a twin bunk, the other a futon). So we just let them share a full size bed-an arrangement with which Emma was thrilled and Lily, being way too cool to share a bed with her kid sister, hated. Nevertheless, here we are.
So as I was tucking them in, fixing covers and all that, Lily said, "Emma, get your feet off me!" Apparently in place of feet, Emma had two toddler size blocks of ice attached directly beneath her ankles. Emma replied, "But my feet are cold and you're warm!" Who hasn't had this argument, right? Cold feet are pulled, as though by gravity itself, towards a source of warmth-which is generally the person with whom you share your bed. Kelly and I have had this argument on several occasions (by the way, she's got the coldest friggin' feet in history; some nights I think she dips them in liquid nitrogen before coming to bed-love ya, babe!)
Now here's the point of this seemingly incoherent rambling; Emma and Lily's spat demonstrates the selfishness that resides in all our hearts. Outwardly we can be pretty good, can't we? We can say the right things, do the right things, smile when we're supposed to, cry when we're supposed to, etc. But inwardly, we are wicked. We fit the description that Jesus used of the Pharisees when He called them 'white-washed tombs'-pretty on the outside, full of decay and rot on the inside. And don't misunderstand; putting cold feet on someone isn't a crime worthy of death or anything, but it demonstrates the way we want to put ourselves first. Emma gave no thought to the discomfort she might cause Lily; her only concern was herself (I'm not bashing my kid, by the way, so keep your comments to yourself; she's 4, she's learning; I'm just illustrating a point). And that's exactly how many of us live. Our only concern is ourselves. We want what's best for us and we want it right now.
Don't believe me? Think back to the last time you got stuck behind someone who was going about 20 miles per hour below the speed limit, and wouldn't move over so you could pass. Did you think, "I'm sure they have a good reason, perhaps they don't notice me; I'll simply be patient"? Or did you begin to conjugate new verbs, and wish a pox and pestilence on them? We focus on ourselves, don't we? And that's the opposite of what Jesus has commanded us to do. In Philippians chapter 2, we're implored to think of others first. Verses 3-4 read, "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others." Now what's remarkable is that the very next verse tells us to have the same attitude as Jesus; which means that vs3-4 describe in part what that attitude was. No matter what you think about Jesus and Christianity, you've got to admit that the world would be a much better place if everyone did that. Imagine a place where we thought of others first rather than ourselves. That's exactly what we're called to do. How often do I obey this command (and it is a command, by the way, not a suggestion)? How often do I instead focus on myself? Jesus calls me to a life of self-denial; to put the needs and desires of others above my own. Will obey? Or will I continue to put my cold feet on others?

Father, forgive me for my selfishness. Forgive me for putting my self above others. Forgive me for not following Your example. Help me to have the mind of Christ regarding others. Help me walk in Your ways rather than my own. And by my obedience, may the world get a glimpse of Your incredible, self-less love; a love that led you to the cross to pay for my sins.
Amen.

When Do We Matter?

Maybe you heard about this story that broke a couple months ago. Seems that a man in Belgium was in a car accident and doctors found that he was in a coma. He remained that way for 23 years, in what his caregivers called a "persistent vegetative state." One problem; he wasn't actually in a coma, he was paralyzed. If you haven't read the story, here's the link: http://http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1230092/Rom-Houben-Patient-trapped-23-year-coma-conscious-along.html . Anyhoo, the reason I mention this is that for 23 years nobody knew this guy's story. Nobody had every heard of Rom Houben. If a news reporter had gone to the hospital and seen him there, he wouldn't have written a story about him. This poor man wasn't deemed important until he 'woke up', so to speak, from his coma. Until he did something, no one took notice of him.
That's often the way things work in the world, isn't it? Until you do something, you don't matter; until you make some sort of impact, you're just another face in the crowd. I don't know about you, but I'm so glad God doesn't work that way. I'm so glad that God didn't wait for me to do something before I mattered to Him. In fact, according to scripture, I mattered to God before I ever did anything; I mattered to God before I was able to do anything. Ephesians 1:4 says, "...He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world..." Isn't that an amazing statement? God chose us before the foundation of the world. Before He said, "Let there be light!", He had set His affection on you. He had chosen to love you, to redeem to you, to irresistibly draw you to Himself.
And that's a good thing. Because the Bible says that I was dead in sins; if God had decided to wait for me to do something before I mattered to Him, He would still be waiting. He didn't wait for me to do something, He gave me life and made me able to do something. I was like Lazarus, dead in the tomb. Lazarus didn't decide to wake up and live again, Jesus had to call to Him. In the very same way, I didn't decide to live; God called to me and granted me life. And He did this before the foundation of the world.
In a world that demands that you perform in order to have worth, in a world that screams, "What have you done for me lately?", isn't it good to know that we serve a God who says, "I have chosen you not because of anything you did or would ever do; I chose you because it pleased Me to do so"? Today, rest in the fact that you matter to God; and you've mattered to Him for longer than time has existed.

Father, thank You for choosing us. Thank You for choosing us in spite of who we are and what we do. Thank You for setting Your affection on us. Thank You for giving us worth. Help me to always find my contentment in obeying You. And just as You set Your affection on me, help me set my affection on You. Amen.

The Obligatory New Year's Post

It's the time of year to make the obligatory end-of-old-year, first-of-new-year-post. And I sort of went back and forth about what to post because frankly, you can go to a lot of different places to read about what resolutions you ought to make, what things you ought to focus on, etc. And I don't want to just rehash someone else's words. Instead, I thought I'd share something that has been rolling around my head for a couple days.
As we fly into this new year, you hear so many people talk about "a fresh start", or "a chance to start with a clean slate", etc. And I get what they're saying. But in reality, the new year offers none of that. When I woke up on the 1st, I had the same problems I had on the 31st. There was no magical slate wiping or any of that stuff. If you have any doubt about that, call your credit card company and see how clean the slate it.
Now I'm not saying all this to be Johnny Rain-Cloud or anything, but celebrating a new year has just brought back to mind that the only way to really get a fresh start, the only way to really start with a clean slate is to experience the redemption that God offers through Jesus. According to God's word, we need a fresh start. According to scripture, we need to have a clean slate. Problem is, we can't clean the slate. In fact, we don't even want to. We love our sin. We love to fulfill the lusts of the flesh, we love to be selfish and prideful and hateful and wicked. And that presents a major problem; God demands holiness while I embrace wickedness. And the end result of this tension is death; spiritual separation from God.
But here's what makes the Good News so stinking good; when I come to God in faith and repentance, I get a fresh start. I get my slate wiped clean. The Bible says that if I confess my sins to God, God is faithful and just to forgive me of my sins. And just to make sure we don't misunderstand, the Bible goes on to say that God cleanses us of all unrighteousness. That means that if it's bad, it goes. Ever sinful, wicked, unclean, bad, and immoral thing I've done has been wiped away. In fact, the Bible says that when a person is united with Christ through repentance and grace, that person becomes a new creation. Everything that defined them before Christ dies; everything is then remade, recreated in the image of God. That means that when God looks at me, He sees Jesus Christ. Now that's a thought that will melt your little noodle, isn't it? And that's a real fresh start. God has given me a 2nd chance; and a 3rd chance, a 4th chance-as many chances as I need. All my sins have been washed away by the blood of Christ; my heart of stone has been replaced with a heart of flesh. I was like Lazarus, dead in my sins. But when Jesus stood before me and called my name, I came to Him; though I had been dead in my sins, Jesus breathed the breath of eternal life in my nostrils. Life flowed into me; I was remade, recreated in the image of my King. And I was given a fresh start.
When you hear people talking about starting the new year off right, remember that only through Jesus can we start off this year or any year right. Only in Him can we have forgiveness of sin and be restored to a right relationship with the Father. This year, look to Jesus for your fresh start. Come to Him in faith and repentance; bow your knee to Him as Lord and Master and receive His mercy. And even more, receive a fresh start. Happy New Year.

Father, thank You for Your grace. Thank You for Your mercy. Thank You that though my sins are like scarlet, they can be white as snow. Thank You for provided a true fresh start for me. Help me to prove this new year, by my life, that I have been remade in Your image; that the old person has passed away, has been crucified with Christ, and that I've been raised to walk in newness of life with Jesus. Thank You for wiping all my sins away. Help my life to bring You glory and honor as I walk in obedience to You. Amen.

Greater Than the Holy Places

A few years ago I said something dumb to Kelly. Actually I say dumb things to her pretty often, but the specific dumb thing I have in mind was said a few years ago. We were talking about our wedding day, how special it was, etc. And Kelly mentioned what a fun day it was with all the make up, getting her hair did, all that girly stuff. And, in an attempt to be sweet, I said, "You looked as pretty to me on our wedding day as you do first thing in the morning." Now of course I meant that I think she's a knockout whether she's made up or not, that I'm just completely taken with her. That's not quite how she heard it. She heard her loving husband saying that on her wedding day, she looked like she had just rolled out of bed. Needless to say, my words didn't have the desired effect. But a few days later she calmed down and everything was OK. The point of that story is this; first, I'm apparently not the silver-tongued devil I always thought I was; and second, I was trying to get across that I love my wife for who she is. I love it when she gets all gussied up; but that's not why I love her. I love it when she has on her favorite outfit and knows how good she looks in it; but that's not why I love her. I love it when she takes care of things around the house and I don't have to worry about them; but that's not why I love her. I didn't marry her because of how she looks when she's dressed up, or for what she does around the house; I married her for her. And the reason I say all this is not just to score brownie points. It's because of a verse I read this morning. It's easy for me to say that I love my wife not for what she does but for who she is; but can I say the same things about God? Do I love God for who He is, or for what He does?

Look at David's words in Psalm 68:35: "O God, You are more awesome than Your holy places." In this Psalm he has referenced the 'mountain of God', an incredibly holy place for those in Israel. And as awesome and majestic as this place was, David says, "God, you are more awesome than this holy place." We could imagine David thinking of the tabernacle, the place where God met with men, where sin was atoned for, and God's holy wrath was satisfied. But as incredible as such a place was, God was more awesome than that. And what this verse caused me to think about is this simple question: Do I think God is more awesome than His holy places? Or asked another way, do I think God is more awesome than the things He does for, the things He gives me? How often do we hear Christians talking about how blessed they are, and then begin to list all the things God has done for them? Nothing wrong with being thankful for God's blessings, but if the gifts are good, how much greater must be the Giver? In your mind, is God more awesome than His holy places? Do you desire God more than the the things God can give? Our satisfaction, our fulfillment must come not in what God does, but in who He is. And the embodiment of who He is was revealed to us in the person of Jesus Christ. My highest aim, my greatest joy, my soul's deepest satisfaction must come from a personal knowledge of, and interaction with, Jesus Christ. If not, I've turned Christianity into an exercise in selfishness. Is Jesus Christ your greatest joy? Is God greater than His holy places? Paul said in Phil. 3:8, "Yes indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ..." Paul wanted Jesus. Not things from Him, just Him. He was enraptured by, caught up in the grandeur of King Jesus. Sadly, my focus often falls far short.

In his book, "God is the Gospel", John Piper asks this question: "The critical question for our generation-and for every generation-is this: If you could have heaven, with no sickness, and with all the friends you ever had on earth, and all the food you ever liked, and all the leisure activities you ever enjoyed, and all the natural beauties you ever saw, all the physical pleasures you ever tasted, and no human conflict or any natural disasters, could you be satisfied with heaven if Christ was not there?" Powerful question, isn't it? Our answer reveals where our heart lies. God is greater than His holy places. And knowing Jesus is the greatest experience we can have. Let's make sure our lives demonstrate that.

Father, forgive me for putting the things You give me above the One who gives them. Forgive me for finding my satisfaction in anything other than you. Lord, help me see Your greatness. Show me Your glory, that I may fall at your feet and worship You in spirit and in truth. Let me desire to know Jesus more than anything. And let me be satisfied with nothing but You. Amen.