is the Bible alive? (the sequel)

OK, how bout a little game of word association?

Bible

(here are some words that popped into my head:)

inspired. historical. accurate. toolbox. instruction guide. user's manual. story book. non-fiction novel. the Word. letters. poetry. context.

What words come to your mind?

I was raised in an environment which encouraged believers to affirm that the Holy Spirit's REAL job was to inspire the writers of the Bible... that the complete and total revealed word of God, then, is the only way the Spirit moved... that His job was completed in the late 1st Century.

And, that there was no such thing as 'biblical interpretation' or 'hermeneutic'. I believe an honest appraisal of our treatment of scripture will reveal that we do interpret (think about a cappella singing, holy kiss, women covering their heads and remaining silent, etc... the examples are endless)... After all, if we took the Bible literally (no interpretation), we would live diametrically differently than we do today... and once you cross that 'belief-line', you must ask the question: whose interpretation is correct?

If your background is anything like mine, the words you would come up with in our little 'word association' would look a lot like mine... and one word which would likely be missing is...

ALIVE

Is the Bible a living, breathing document? Does context matter? Are there cultural and traditional shadings which must be considered to truly understand it? Or are the truths found within its pages truly 'timeless' and 'eternal'?

Again, like Pavlov's dog, we are conditioned to want to be really careful right here... because it doesn't take much imagination to see "where this kind of thinking might lead..."

For all my life, I have been steeped in a tradition where WE are supposed to be in control...think about it: we say that ours is the only interpretation of Scripture because it gives us the illusion of being in control.. and, at 45, I am making a concerted effort to truly live like I am not.

God has, time and time again, reminded me that He is at the helm and I am not. So I pray everyday that God will continue to lead and prune me into truly believing (and living like) He is the boss... and that I have NO CONTROL!

And here's the truth: God wants us to be wide-eyed and awed. He wants His children to be adventurous and discovering... The Bible is at once simple and rich and multi-layered... begging to be discovered.

and that does not describe a dead book or a lazy spirit or a sleeping god....

Blessings!

The work of Salvation - our motivation

Why do you do what you do? What drives you to behave the way you behave? I suppose there are many sources of motivation for the actions of people...

Guilt. Fear. Love. Duty. Ought. Money. Praise. Instinct. Habit.

I could list hundreds... but the one driving force behind anything I do that is good should be gratitude.

When I was saved at age 9, I knew what needed to happen in order for me to be saved. As I was baptized that night, I understood 'what I needed to do' to be 'added to the Kingdom'. I had read the Acts account of Pentecost... I recited the 'hear, believe, repent, confess and be baptized' for my daddy... But as a 9 year old, I had no way of truly understanding the 'work' of salvation...

I don't know if any 9 year old child can grasp the fact that the work of salvation was accomplished once and for all on a rough Roman cross almost 20 centuries before my birth. Why did I walk down the aisle that night? I don't remember what Mid McKnight said during his sermon... I don't remember what our preacher Bill Richardson said to me as he dunked me... I remember eating a hot dog for supper and telling my daddy I wanted to be baptized.

I knew I didn't want to go to hell... not then and not ever!

And I know that's ok... I realize now that most people don't fully realize the enormity of accepting the gift of salvation until many years after they accept it...

I just want to encourage us all to check our motivation... when I attend worship... when I extend a kind deed or speak an encouraging word... when I volunteer... when I help someone... may my motivation never be guilt or ought or habit...

May my reason for doing everything be because I am beginning to understand the real work of salvation that Jesus performed for me... and the work He continues to do in and through me...

Blessings!

is the Bible alive?

So a friend of mine gave me a book to read. I like books that open me up. I like books that reveal me and stretch me and make me draw closer to God...

So far, 'Velvet Elvis' is that kind of book. It is really entertaining and well-written and thought-provoking. And I believe it is all these things on purpose. I don't think the author purports to have all the answers.... early in the first chapter, he candidly admits that he has more questions than answers, and that every answer seems to beg 2 questions.

The book's premise seems to be that the Bible is a living, breathing body of work which must be taken in context; several inspired letters and other writings tied together by a common theme and intended for its original audience as well as every breathing human who has lived since.

It is very challenging on several levels. The most challenging idea so far (I am only in the 5th chapter) is that the Bible is not a volume of 'timeless truths', but more a collection of inspired stories which are intended to reveal to us the heart of our God and the nature of Jesus...in a way, that's a hard one to swallow... especially for a person who has been taught from his earliest recollection that the Bible is indeed chock full of timeless truths which transcend culture and tradition and...well... time.

Viewed more as the latter and less as the former, the Bible will have to be understood as a living, breathing thing. According to Velvet Elvis, it is folly to believe that Biblical interpretation does NOT go on... furthermore, we should embrace the fact that everyone 'interprets' the Book. And, that everyone brings their own historical, cultural and traditional baggage to their own personal hermeneutic. Again, for someone who was raised very conservatively, that can be a difficult concept.

Being honest, however, even I must admit that the author is dead on with his point. Everyone DOES interpret the Bible. And, yes, even the most honest seeker will see the scriptures through his own lens.

So, where does that leave us? I am not sure... I would suspect it kinda 'rocks the world' of a lot of people who were raised like me...

Stan Little was our guest speaker at Riverside yesterday morning... he had some really good thoughts, and one line from his lesson jumped out at me... I wonder if his point doesn't speak to this issue of timeless truths and our own interpretation and doctrines...

The smaller your theology, the larger your fellowship;

the larger your theology, the smaller your fellowship.

Oh, well... may God bless us as we continue to try to show Jesus to those around us today.... and as we try to understand His will for us...

more on the subject next time...

time for a revolution

In a scene from one of my favorite movies, Benjamin Gates (played by Nicolas Cage) says:

"A toast? Yeah. To high treason. That's what these men were committing when they signed the Declaration. Had we lost the war, they would have been hanged, beheaded, drawn and quartered, and-Oh! Oh, my personal favorite: and had their entrails cut out and burned... So... Here's to the men who did what was considered wrong, in order to do what they knew was right... "

Gates' quote from this scene in National Treasure is spot-on-accurate... the signers of the declaration were, indeed, committing high treason. They risked everything to do what was considered wrong in order to do what they knew was right.

And, without getting too deep into the historical and political perspective of the events surrounding the American Revolution, it is fair to say that ever since these founding fathers were dead and gone, our government has systematically set about to defend itself against the very thing on which this Republic was founded: freedom...

if you don't believe that, then tell me this: can you envision a group of rebels like the ones whose names appear at the bottom of the Declaration doing what they did.... today? It seems to me it would be nearly impossible to do today what those brave men did over two centuries ago... it's at least a bit ironic, right? ...that our government has intentionally made it so that nobody else could ever 'do' what these guys 'did'... Anyhow, perhaps a discussion for another blog....

But there are parallels between that revolution and the one which Jesus and his band of 'rebels' incited over 2o centuries ago... and the resultant wall-building which we 'religious people' have done to prevent another such revolution is eerily reminiscent of the barriers our politicians have erected over the last 230 years.

I mean, let's face it: anytime anyone has suggested it's time to overhaul our American government (again, a subject for another time), he is branded as unpatriotic and marginalized as a trouble-maker. As a result, most people are relegated to sitting on the sidelines, complaining about the wasteful spending and freedom-sucking legislation which has become the norm from our government... well, that's not the way those 56 courageous declaration-signers behaved...

Similarly, anytime anyone suggests it is time we overhaul our 'religion', they are looked upon as divisive and branded as heretics... as a result, most of us are relegated to sitting on the sidelines and complaining about the leadership of our church... we even change our language: we say 'they' and 'them', instead of 'we' and 'us'... yet that's not the way Jesus and his ragtag band of followers behaved.

Incidentally, anytime we change our language to 'they' and 'them', we are lazily abdicating our responsibility to engage and forge necessary change... you see, 'religion' (like government) was never intended to be a spectator sport. I implore us all to maintain the healthy language of 'we' and 'us'...

So we must take an example from Thomas Jefferson and his 55 friends... we have to imitate Jesus and his followers! We cannot allow 'them' (whoever 'they' are) to steal the freedom God gave us and Jesus died for....

It will take courage. We will be vilified. But we cannot, must not be bullied into submission by anyone who endeavors to build their own walls around 'their' kingdom...

Another Ben Gates quote from 'National Treasure' goes something like this:

"Of all the ideas that became the United States, there's a line here that's at the heart of all the others. 'But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and provide new Guards for their future security.' That means that those who have the ability to defend freedom have the responsibility to defend freedom..."

Think about that: does that sound like the description of a spectator sport to you? I would submit that our Christianity is much the same... and if we sit idly by and watch as our Freedom is stolen, we probably deserve the result....

May God Bless us as we always defend the freedom for which He sacrificed His Son!

Thanksgiving

Well, one of my very favorite days of the year has passed... I love being with family and eating June's turkey and dressing and watching football.

And I'm thankful... very thankful. I have a beautiful, healthy wife and three adorable and healthy daughters... we had a terrific day!

I hope you had a great Thanksgiving and a wonderful weekend!

God Bless!

blustery day in Nebraska - simply beautiful

I woke up this morning to a pretty dismal weather day in Nebraska... it is cold and rainy, well sort of misty... kinda miserable... until I look up and see how the conditions are just right so that the droplets of water hang on the branch just a minute longer than usual before they fall to the wet grass... there's a sort of serene beauty in that...

anyhow, in a few minutes I will have the privilege of joining the students at Chapel, the daily praise and devotional time every student attends here at York... as I think about that, it occurs to me that this one feature of the Christian College environment may be the most compelling reason for wanting my girls to attend Harding or York or ACU or OCC...

I mean, think about it: every day of the school year, each student devotes a half hour or so to upward thinking. Each day these young adults spend a little time in devotion to and recognition of the Creator of the universe... that's pretty awesome!

And to my friends who say they prefer state education for their kiddos to a Christian institution, I say 'you've got to be kidding me!' OK, go ahead and extol to me the virtues of attending a more prominent college or university... the better instructors, the higher level of instruction, the more valuable sheet of onion skin, yada yada yada... hogwash!

And to my young friends who bemoan the mandatory-ness of attending chapel every day, get over yourselves! Your moms and dads (if they have any sense at all) would give their eye teeth to 'have to' spend a half hour a day in devotion to our God. Most of us parents rarely if ever even give a passing thought to things spiritual, much less devote 30 whole minutes to concentrated praise and worship every day!

So I need to take a cue off of my beloved Christian colleges and universities and set aside (intentionally and every day) a period of time which I count as 'mandatory'... inviolable... during which I will do nothing other than commune with the one I profess to love and follow...

Simply put, it will make me a better person... it will cause me to cause others to want to follow Him.

Blessings!

P.S. - I also get the blessing of watching the Lady Panthers play their last game before Thanksgiving tonight! Go Caitlin! Go Panthers!!!

waiting in line

OK, I am not the frequentest of flyers.... but I do fly commercially about 15 times a year... and I have to admit that I love Southwest Airlines' business model and its ingenuity; they practically invented user-friendly flying! They are easy to fly and they make you want to fly with them again... and the reason this intrigues me is they did this very very intentionally. But enough about my admiration for an airline...

Here's the deal: while I love the company and its business model, I am not a big fan of the 'arena' seating they offer. I yearn for the old days when you got your seat assignment and absolutely KNEW where you were going to sit. As far as I know, every other airline still assigns seats when you check in; Southwest, however, gives you a letter... you are either an 'A', a 'B' or a 'C'.

So instead of boarding when your 'section' is called, then going directly to your assigned seat, with Southwest you board in the order of when you 'checked in' (and most folks do that online), then proceed to the aircraft where you choose whatever seat is open. Sort of a first-come-first-served situation (more reminiscent of a bus ride than an airline).

It's OK if you don't mind standing in line for 30-45 minutes, but it is completely different than how it used to be....

So right now, at 6:00 am, I am sitting (but about to be standing) at Gate 9 in the Little Rock airport, waiting for that first person to start forming the line. Then, like cattle, everyone will stand up and jockey for position in line...

And it makes me think (which is really dangerous); have you ever thought of the entrance to heaven as a gate with St Peter as its sentry... with a long line waiting to 'get in'? I know we can't imagine heaven, and I understand God used language we could understand when He inspired men to write about it. And even in my wildest imagination, I will not come close to 'getting' it... even when I finally see it, I suspect I will spend the first million years simply gawking at its sheer splendor...

Having said that, I can't get past the picture of some long line leading up to the pearly gates... and it makes me think of the line which is now forming at the 'A' sign by the gate leading to the jetway.

Since I absolutely hate lines (and any other form of waiting), I truly believe there will not be a long line getting into heaven....

Maybe heaven's entrance will more closely resemble the boarding process at, say, American Airlines... maybe, since 'salvation's work' was finished at Calvary, my 'seat assignment' has already been confirmed.... perhaps my 'boarding pass' is guaranteed, so I don't have to wonder 'where' or even 'if' I am to be 'seated'... OK, if I'm getting weary of the metaphor, you've got to be sick of it!

But that's what I'm thinking at 6 am as I wait for the line to start forming.... maybe when I actually wake up, I'll re-read this diatribe and delete it... or maybe not...

Blessings! Good Morning...

bringing good news to prisoners

I don't know what it's like to not be free. I was born into a free family within a free society in a free country, and I have never known anything else... I have traveled to many places where freedom has a different definition, and I have been inside maximum security penitentiaries and minimum security jailhouses... but I have never had my God-born freedom taken from me.

This afternoon a few of us will begin what I hope will be a very long-lasting and meaningful ministry in our local jail. We hope to touch some lives and help a few people understand what Jesus did for them; I pray we can show each of these men that God's love is unconditional, and that He loves us all no matter what we do.

Mainly I want them to know that someone cares enough about them to spend a little time with them talking and listening. I know God will bless our time with these precious souls, and I hope we can say and do the right things to convey His love...

Please pray for the hearts of these men and for the hearts of those who are going to spend an hour with them today.

God Bless!

it goes by very very fast

So tonight my youngest daughter has her fourth grade program... and it makes me remember our very first fourth grade program, 9 years ago this month.

Caitlin was our first child, and her fourth grade program was precious! I have no doubt that Cassie's will be equally wonderful... there are some differences, however....

I think back 9 years, and I recall that we were very nervous... we all got there before the doors opened, packing all manner of photographic and videographic devices: Camcorders, digital cameras, tape recorders, our old 35 mm camera (as a backup) and tripods for each... we tried to sit down front and fought to get the best seat... we were angered by the guy who walked in front of our gear during the show... we were just a bit uptight...

Tonight, we will eat dinner and mosey over to Dunbar Auditorium a few minutes before showtime... I plan to carry no photographic or videographic devices... I will buy the DVD from the school...

my, how times change... or is it the people (me) who do the changing?

oh, well, I can't wait to see her program tonight... (I am just as excited about this one as I was about the one 9 years ago... just in a calmer way)

I just keep thinking... man, time marches on.... and it sure goes by fast!

Blessings!

He Stood Up

(I know I have made this observation before, but I cannot remember if I have made it here - on my blog... I shared this with the patients at the Christian Clinic last night, and I thought I'd share it here... so, if you've heard this before, please read it again!)

One of my favorite stories in the Bible is recorded in the 7th chapter of Acts. Yep, I know, that's the story of Stephen's sermon to and subsequent stoning by the San Hedrin... and I know it may seem really odd that, of all the stories in the Bible, the martyrdom of Stephen would rank as one of my favorites... so let me explain:

After being brought before the San Hedrin (jewish rulers; the equivalent of today's supreme court), Stephen engaged these self-righteous religious leaders in a conversation which quickly turned into a very harsh indictment of their historically poor treatment of the prophets... the impromptu sermonette then convicted them of murdering Jesus, culminating in his calling this austere group a 'stiff-necked and uncircumcised' bunch who, like their forefathers, were guilty of 'resisting the Holy Spirit'.

Then the meeting got really ugly... the Bible says the members of the San Hedrin 'gnashed their teeth' at Stephen. It is this next part of the story which makes this one of my favorites:

Just before they rushed him and dragged him outside the city gates and stoned him to death, Stephen looks up into heaven and, thank God, reports to the San Hedrin (and to us) exactly what he sees...

"Look," he said, "I see heaven open and the

Son of Man standing at the right hand of God."

Did you catch it? Did you notice the 'posture' of Jesus? I have read and re-read and studied this passage for my entire life, and I just now got it...

You see, Jesus is described 12 times in your New Testament as being at the right hand of God... but in EVERY CASE, He is SEATED!!!

Now do you have chills? Stephen looked up into heaven and saw Jesus STANDING at God's right hand! It's as if Jesus, who in every other description is seated beside the throne of God, saw what Stephen did...

and stood up.

May I suggest that Jesus gave Stephen a standing ovation? May I further submit that Jesus 'stands up' for you and me as well?

It reminds me of the description we read about in Hebrews 12... how the heroes of the faith who have gone before us are 'cheering us on' as we run our Race. I picture this 'great cloud of witnesses' giving us a standing ovation of encouragement... how cool is that?

So next time you think of the story of the stoning of Stephen... I want you to remember that Jesus' reaction is unique and remarkable and, well.... so..... 'Jesus':

He stood up.

wow

today's a special day

My lovely wife celebrates her birthday today! She will not be happy that I mentioned it here, but, oh well...

I could type from now til the end of time and not adequately describe what a blessing she is to everyone around her. To say that God has blessed me (which I do often) with her presence in my world would indeed be a vast understatement. The best mom and wife and prayer warrior and servant I have ever known... I am happy to share my life with her.

And as I consider another milestone, it occurs to me that time just keeps marching... and since I like routine and order, that usually does not sit well with me. I do look forward to what God has in store for me every day, and I am learning (very slowly) to embrace whatever new challenges He presents to me...

But, on balance, I am pretty OK with the now... the problem with people like me is we get so thoroughly addicted to the now that when it becomes the then, it freaks us out a little... or a lot...

So I pray that God will help me to continue to learn to live in the now and not dwell on the past... but that He will prepare and prune me to be ready for every next challenge, and be watchful for every opportunity to show Him to others...

I know this: I am much better equipped to face whatever comes with my wonderful wife by my side... and that makes me smile.... a lot.

Happy Birthday, Sweetheart.

does it make any difference?

I know this particular can of worms is highly charged (forgive the metaphor-mixing), but here goes anyhow:

Does it matter where I worship? The very fact that there are 127 church listings covering almost 3 full yellow pages in my local phone book would suggest that most folks believe that it matters where (and probably how) we worship...

I am assuming, of course, that the differences between these 127 churches lie in what they 'do' in their sanctuaries during their 'church service'... for the moment, let's make that assumption. (I happen to believe, sadly, that that's exactly where most of the differences lie...)

For instance, if I polled the 127 churches on their beliefs, I feel confident that the vast majority would respond in the affirmative to the following questions:

1. do you believe in God?
2. do you believe Jesus is His only Son?
3. do you believe in the miraculous virgin birth?
4. do you believe Jesus actually lived on earth and died on the cross for your sins?
5. do you believe He rose on the third day and now sits at God's right hand in Heaven?

So, what is it then that divides us? our various stances on Baptism? I gotta say, speaking honestly, that the same vast majority who answered the previous 5 questions in the affirmative would also say they believe in baptism... some will quibble over the reasons for and immediacy of the baptism act, but I would say most believe that baptism plays a central role in the salvation experience...

so, what divides us? I would say that 99% of what divides us surrounds our "building-centered" activities... do we interact with each other in our worship, or do we sit and digest what one man has to say? do we have two services, or do we add a balcony? do we use instruments or sing a capella (in the chapel style)? is 'high worship' more acceptable than a more casual approach? what songs should we sing? how should we dress? who is the pastor? who leads the youth program?

If you don't believe these are reasons why there are literally 127 different church buildings in my town of 11,000, please enlighten me!

OK, here is where I am going. I know there are many reasons why I choose to worship where I worship... I realize you have strong feelings about worshipping where you worship... some would count it a blessing that we have so many choices...

(incidentally, I am not sure it is such a blessing to have 127 choices in my little town to choose from. And I'm quite certain that our allergy to cooperating with each other does not jive with all the "Unity" language Jesus employed in His 3-year preaching-and-teaching-and-living-and-loving tour...)

Every time I consider this subject, I keep hearing the words of Jesus when He responds to the Samaritan woman at the well...

"Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem... a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks."

So, if I were to 'shop' for a church, what criterion might I consider? Here are some I have heard:

• a strong youth program
• a vibrant outreach program
• a great preacher/pastor
• good facilities: gym, daycare, etc
• a good number of young married couples

According to Jesus' words in John 4, I might do well to find a church whose worshippers worship in spirit and in truth... THAT'S where I want to be! THAT'S the group I want to gather with!

So, in answer to my own question.... yeah, I'd say it matters where I worship!

May I encourage you to try using Jesus' measuring stick to judge whether you are worshipping 'at the right place'? Look around next time you are worshipping on Sunday... do you feel His Presence? Are you (and those around you) worshipping The Spirit-God in the way He prescribes: in spirit and in truth?

At the end of the day (to put Jesus' words in today's terms):

"the day is coming and is now here when it does not matter where you worship.... you can worship in a cathedral or in a canyon; you can worship on a beach or in a synagogue; you can gather on a mountain or in a sanctuary; with hands raised or stuffed in pockets, with faces upturned or heads bowed... the 'where' will not matter! The 'in spirit and truth' part matters..."

I suspect if we concentrated on that one 'feature' of our worship, we would have less time and energy to worry about all the differences...

oh, well, I can dream...

God Bless!

Four Roaring Lambs

When Bob Briner wrote his 'Roaring Lambs' books, he caused tens of thousands of Christians to rethink their idea of 'mission work'... I was one of them.

Having been on the mission field in 6 countries on 4 continents over the last decade and a half, I always figured that these 1-week-to-10-day-stints constituted great mission efforts.... that I was satisfying my 'great commission quota' and truly doing God's work spreading His gospel. And I still believe that sort of effort is very vital Kingdom-building work.

As a matter of fact, I believe anyone who ever aspires to have a more well-adjusted Christian world view MUST get out of the Bible Belt and travel to a place where evangelical Christians are in the minority (one church in Atlanta requires that anyone wishing to serve on staff or as an elder or deacon MUST have foreign mission experience).

I am a firm believer in the statement Eddie Cloer coined (or at least made famous in my mind) when speaking to our congregation 20 years ago:

"Everyone deserves to hear the gospel once

before anyone deserves to hear it twice"

That said, I have to say that the more 'daily' missionary effort we must undertake is not what most people used to think of as missionary efforts... yeah, the great commission certainly speaks to the need for foreign missions, but the work we are all (each) called to is simply living Christ in front of those with whom we daily interact... I know, not very exciting-sounding, is it?

Cotter Schools is quadruply blessed to have Doyne Byrd, Rocky Dodson, Holly Smith and Airl Cheek employed in their school district. Doyne coaches the girls basketball teams; Rocky coaches the boys basketball teams; Holly teaches special needs kiddos, and Airl is the elementary principal.... while I am certain there are others in that district (and our other local schools as well) living Jesus in front of those students, I know first hand what these four roaring lambs do...

None of these four are superstars (sorry Doyne)... each has different ways of communicating to their charges... I know at least two have been on foreign mission trips... but it's the mission work they each do each day which has a lasting kingdom effect on those around them. Are they perfect? they would laugh at that notion. Do they make mistakes? daily. But are they making a positive impact on those precious souls they touch? undoubtedly!

I doubt any of them carry a Bible every where they go (though I bet their sword is not far away at anytime), but each of them lives it out in front of their students... I daresay none lead their students in prayer every morning before school or before practice or before meals, but each of them have prayed silently for God's guidance as they minister to these souls.... and each of them will pray with any of their students who ask... and they do ask...

I am no greek scholar, but I know a couple... and they tell me that, in the original greek, the first few words of the great commission are more accurately translated "as we go" instead of "therefore, go..."

"As we go, let us make disciples of all nations..."

Sheds a little different light on the command, doesn't it? God Bless all the roaring lambs who just live Christ in full view of their co-workers and families and employees and, yes, students....

What a mission!

"Move That Bus!!!"

Ty Pennington's "Extreme Home Makeover" show has achieved an almost 'household word' sort of fame since it began a few years ago... the show's premise (for the 17 people who have never seen it) is simple:

They find a very needy family and send them off on a couple week vacation while the team renovates (or, more usually, razes and replaces) the family's house into a new dream home. One of the show's trademarks is the 'unveiling' of the new home to the family... they actually park the show's 'tour bus' in front of the house and place the family on the opposite side, obscuring their view of their new home... then, on the count of 3, everyone screams "Move that Bus!!!"

Invariably the family is completely blown away by the new home. They are swept up in the gracious gift these strangers have provided... last week, the single mom whose family was the beneficiary of this kindness actually collapsed when the bus was moved... her knees literally buckled at the sight of her new home...

Extreme Home Makeover truly is a picture of serving 'the least of these'...

As I watched that episode the other night, I thought of a couple things:

First, how cool would it be if, at the moment we accept Christ as Lord, we could see in one glance our spiritual bankruptcy contrasted with how glorious our 'saved selves' appear! As the chorus of "Move that Bus!" echoes and our bus-ful of sins disappears behind the cross, we would see the glory of God and the power of His saving mercy.

How 'knee-bucklingly' grateful we are when we grasp the immensity of the gift.

Second, I wonder if, when we arrive in heaven, God Himself will be giddy with excitement and filled with anticipation as He prepares to show us our new digs... as we take in the incredible sights, is it too corny to imagine that we might say, "God, Move That Bus!"..... then, as we shed this earthly vessel and begin to enjoy the glory of heaven, would we ever, in a million eternities, be able to absorb all that our new home is?

What will that 'unveiling' moment be like? Will we collapse with the overwhelming sense that we have received a gift which we could not possibly deserve or afford?

Bart Millard (Mercy Me) imagined what it might be like, and shared it with the world in his powerful anthem-ballad "I Can Only Imagine":

Surrounded by Your glory, what will my heart feel
Will I dance for you Jesus or in awe of you be still
Will I stand in your presence or to my knees will I fall
Will I sing hallelujah, will I be able to speak at all
I can only imagine

When He welcomes us to eternal kinship and friendship and fellowship with Him, what will that be like? I can only imagine...

Forgive me if, somewhere in my imagination, I see a big bus and a giddy gift giver...

Blessings!

warning: closed for snow

So I was in southern California last January on business, driving in 6-lane-one-way-traffic between LA and Bakersfield on 'the 5' (I'm still trying to figure out why people from the west coast insist on putting the word 'the' in front of their highway names - the 5, the 405, the 101, the 280, etc), when I noticed a flashing sign on the roadside warning of a road closure ahead...

I didn't pay much attention to it and kept on trucking up the interstate as the sun disappeared into the ocean behind me... all the while, I continued to notice the occasional 18 wheeler parked on the side of 'the 5' (ok, I'm warming to the habit now).

Then another sign telling about a road closure ahead... wait, did that say 'because of snow'??? This is Southern California! Surely I am seeing things... it's 60 degrees! So, I continued headlong toward the 6,000 foot-high Grapevine Pass (well, yeah, in hindsight I probably should have put 2 and 2 together... but you have the benefit of hearing the story told after the fact!)...

The further along I traveled, the more big rigs I noticed parked along the side of the highway... then I noticed that the 6-lane-one-way-traffic had trickled down to one car - me!

Finally (as I passed literally hundreds of 18-wheelers parked along the roadside) I came upon an exit which I was forced to take because police officers had blocked off the interstate... So I pulled off and asked one of them what was the deal... he explained there was a snow storm which dumped two feet of snow on the Grapevine 20 miles ahead, and they had closed 'the 5'.

I stopped at a hotel by the exit and planned to make the rest of my trek the next day... turns out the road was closed when I got up at 5 the next morning, so I had to take quite a detour to get to my appointment in Bakersfield...

I wonder how many times I ignore warning signs? Everyone else can clearly see the danger, but I continue along my 'planned route' headlong into a situation I should avoid... Aren't we like that sometimes? People we should trust and rely upon are trying to tell us about the 'snow', and we rationalize our stubbornness til, hopefully, someone in a position of authority forces us to change our plan...

Many times I have ignored warnings, and God has not stopped me from experiencing the consequences.... so I rush headlong into one of life's 'snowdrifts'. However I am confident that, many times, God has redirected my path so I more closely follow His will and miss the drift...

May God's Spirit continue to guide us daily... and may we all pay attention to the road signs!

Blessings!

The sect of Pharisees

I am reading a very intriguing book called 'beware the leaven of the Pharisees' by David Chatwell... My friend Dallas gave it to me, and I am fascinated by the historical perspective which Chatwell brings to the subject matter...

I believe it is incredibly well-researched and well written, and it chronicles the story and 'evolution' of the Jewish sect known as the Pharisees.

One particularly interesting passage from Chatwell's book lists several attitudes/activities which caused Jesus to speak harshly to and about their hypocrisy:

1. They bound burdens on others which they themselves refused to accept
2. Their controlling motivation was a hunger for praise and honor
3. They deliberately prohibited people from entering the Kingdom
4. They made artificial, meaningless religious distinctions
5. Their concern for minutia obscured matters of grave importance
6. They were concerned about the appearance of purity, not about being pure

As I read these descriptions of the Pharisees (which are, incidentally, supported by scripture), I get a chill... because so much of my religious upbringing was shaped by men whose attitudes were similar if not identical to the ones attributed to this sect. My own attitudes and actions have, in the past, been very Pharisaical!

you know, when they came into existence as a group, the Pharisees did not set out to be hypocritical or pious or self-righteous... according to extrabiblical history, they began with pure motives... they sought to return God and His word to prominence in the Hebrew culture and society. They were the restorationists of their day!

But, much as we sometimes forget purpose in favor of man-made structure, they (as a group) forgot WHY they were restoring... they forgot WHAT they were restoring...

and for their trouble, they were roundly blasted by the Son of God. He did not give them credit for the effort; He didn't say 'well, their intentions were good'... He called them hypocrites, blind guides, sons of hell, self-indulgent, blind fools, greedy, snakes, vipers, and my favorite: whitewashed tombs!

This is indeed a cautionary tale! Whatever these people were, we should try our best NOT to be.

May we aspire to live so that the opposite would be said of us:

1. They bound nothing on others which was not bound by God
2. Their controlling motivation was a hunger to know the risen Christ
3. They deliberately, purposefully invited people into the Kingdom
4. They dropped artificial, meaningless religious distinctions; instead they lifted up Christ
5. They gave weight to weighty matters and left room for disagreement on unimportant matters
6. They were concerned about keeping themselves pure and helping others be pure by showing them a pure life

God bless! (from one recovering Pharisee to another...)

Carried to the Table

One of my very favorite stories in the Bible is that of Mephibosheth. It is a beautiful picture of reconciliation and mercy, as David literally seeks out the offspring of his deadly (and dead) rival, the late King Saul. When David finds the lone surviving heir to Saul, he does an incredible thing: he saves him!

Though David would likely have been expected to kill off any remnant of his mortal enemy (and possibly be justified in doing so), instead he found the grandson of Saul - the son of his best friend Jonathon - and had him carried to his table. The reason Mephibosheth was carried to the table was because he was crippled in both feet...

Think about that for a minute. This crippled, broken, poor man was shown unfathomable mercy by the very one who had the power to extinguish his life. Sound Familiar?

While we serve a star-breathing God who could speak our little speck of stardust called earth out of existence just as easily as He spoke it into existence, He chose instead to sacrifice His only son to reconcile us to Him... he saved us.

Wow... wow.

Leeland wrote a song which we heard them sing a few weeks ago as they 'opened' for Casting Crowns... it is entitled "carried to the table". The chorus goes like this:

I was carried to the table - Seated where I don’t belong

Carried to the table - Swept away by His love

And I don’t see my brokenness anymore

When I’m seated at the table of the Lord

I’m carried to the table - The table of the Lord

It is the story of Mephibosheth... but the reason it brings tears to my eyes is that I recognize it as the story of Tim.

It's the story of you...

Blessings...

York and back in 38 hours

OK, I know I have said this a lot lately... but I am too old for this!

Saturday morning at 4 am, Kelly and I headed 9 hours north to York, Nebraska to watch our oldest daughter play basketball... It was her first home game as a college player (they played at Blair, Nebraska a few days ago and she tallied a double double during her first official college game - woo hoo!), and we had committed to being on hand...

She played pretty well, though not as well as she did last Tuesday... but we were really glad to see her play! Very exciting stuff!

We had time for dinner, then retired to the hotel for some much-needed rest. We worshipped with Cait at East Hill Sunday morning before grabbing a bite and heading back home... one saving grace was the time change...

Now that is a whirlwind trip!

Blessings!

Diverse City

OK, if you know me at all, you know I love music... all kinds... I love a great jazz piece, I am very moved by most classical music (one of my most treasured 'musical' memories was when Kelly and I sat in a hall in Vienna, Austria and listened to the Vienna Boys Choir - I still get chills when I think about it...), popular music, country music, metal (some of it), classic rock... I like it all!

I have recently been exposed to the music of Toby Mac... the song I have fallen in love with has, like, a "70's funk meets rap" sort of groove... (I know... but I really like it!)

the song is Diverse City, a song which talks about the differences between brothers and sisters in Christ... and how they all can praise and worship God together, as the body of Christ... here's the chorus:

They call us Diverse City

we're colored for good

It's like a freak show in your neighborhood

So, if you wanna praise you can come on down

'cause this freak show is leaving the ground

The deeper meaning, of course, is that God does not see us the way we see each other... "God does not judge by external appearance" is how Paul said it in his letter to the Galatian churches...

My favorite line in the song describes, I believe, God's plan for us:

"...put your hand in the hand of mine,
we'll spread this love like dandelions"

As I think of our Riverside experiment, it occurs to me that one of the most challenging things God will do with us is to erase our idea of what a 'christian' looks like... and one reason I really love this song is it stretches me... and, hopefully, makes me desire to see people as God sees them.

When He changes my vision to see people the way He does, then I will begin to share His Son like I should...

God Bless!

the impact of words

Words mean things... and they should be used with care. They should be used on purpose, and we should always try to think about what we say before we say it.

Those of you who know me are laughing your heads off right now thinking, "That's rich coming from him!!!"

and you're right. it is. I am the world's worst at thinking through something before it tumbles out of my mouth... Though I am better than I used to be, I still say things from time to time which were not very well-considered...

At my house, we refer to something called a blither filter. It is that mechanism through which our thoughts are supposedly strained before they hit our vocal cords and become words. We all know people who possess no such filter, or whose filter is broken... which makes them prone to blither on and on... and, finally, to be labeled 'a blithering idiot'.

Nobody really enjoys being around a blithering idiot. Conversations with them are usually very self-absorbed, and very much one-sided. And, on occasion, this b.i. (blithering idiot sounds so harsh!) will say something hurtful.

The point (and I do have one, I promise) is this: words mean things. A harsh word can ruin a person's whole day or week. And a kind word of encouragement can completely turn a person's day around!

So don't blither. And don't say the first thing that pops into your head (yes, I'm trying to listen to my own advice here).

Speak intentionally... Say things on purpose. And say things to people which will make their day!

God Bless!