World, what will I do with you?

From tyrannical leaders in Africa and an 11-year old getting the death sentence in Pakistan to Americans turning a deaf ear to more deaths in Afghanistan while dealing with needless deaths of young people seemingly every day.  Nothing makes real sense any more.  What about the fact that solid, sensical, biblical standards are being treated like garage sale clothes ("they don't fit" or "they're out of style")?

Is there any hope any more?  What do we do with all of this disturbing news and trying issues?  The way I see it from my limited perspective, it seems that we have one of four responses:

• Ignore it and live in our own little world.
• Escape it through pursuing pleasures.
• Combat it by using all our resources to make it better.
• Embrace it by submitting to the Higher Authority.

However you choose to live your life in this world, it'd be best to know how you will deal with all the crud that goes on.  If you choose to live in your own world, you can claim ignorance, be happy in it, and hope for the best.  Can we really live in a bubble, though?  Can we CHOOSE to not be affected by what's going on around us?  Good luck with that.

The second option is similar to the first, but instead of choosing ignorance, your choosing numbness.  Overloading your world with so much busyness, pleasure, and/or addictions that there's no time or energy to think about what's going on.  Are you ready to ignore your most important relationships?  Are you ready to accept the consequences of putting all your eggs in the "what the world has to offer" basket?  Please don't trust the world with all that.

Third, you could get into politics, social movements, or devote yourself to philanthropic adventures with the noble intentions of making the world better.  Though this sounds like a great option, certainly more satisfying than the first two, it is dependent on a wishy washy element - YOU!  Don't get me wrong, I'm certainly a wishy washy element as well - we all are.  Plus, WHEN we fall short, how do you get up again and put your whole heart into another effort.

Finally, I suggest that we each realize that all of this crud is part of the package that comes with living in this world, on this side of heaven.  Again, we're not giving up or helplessly fighting it, but we are submitting to God Almighty, doing His bidding, and leaving the results to Him.  Rather than fixing the whole system, we're giving hope to those broken by the system.  This hope is that the love of Christ came into the world, rescued us from the world's crud, and is still alive and well inside all followers of Jesus Christ.

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness.  He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.  But the day of the Lord will come like a thief.  The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.  2 Peter 3:9,10

Take Heart!  This world is not all there is - something much better is coming.  In the meantime, join the One who has all the answers and give your life to Jesus Christ.

Obedience IS attractive.

Obedience is just not an exciting word. No one will get much press writing on or expounding on or hosting a talk show where the subject is obedience. How many books have you seen with the title having "obey" in it? How many magazine covers feature articles on "new ways to learn obedience"? It's only something that you associate with dog training or little children (and only for their safety, at that).  How in the world do you live a life of obedience when obedience is seen as a weakness?

When I was watching preseason football yesterday, the word obedience was illustrated quite often.  Most specifically, I thought of a player that is trying to make the team.  They want to be in there for as many plays as possible, yet they don't beg the coach to keep them in the game when they're taken out.  They know they only have so much time to make an impression, but they submit to the coach's plan regarding how many plays they're in.

Maybe obedience is simply the smartest way to live a healthy and fulfilling lifestyle.  The question is . . . to whom (or to what) are you obedient to?  Our answer to this question will determine how healthy, joy-filled, and successful we really end up being.  For example, some of the most obedience people in the world end up living crime-filled lives (gang members, etc.).

If you choose to submit yourself to another person's plan for your life (or another philosophy), it better be a proven, 100% reliable authority.  In my brief time on earth, the only authority that falls in this category is our Creator, God Almighty.  Obedience to God and to His Son, Jesus Christ, brings life, joy, peace, and the ultimate in a successful life.  That's right, you will be doing exactly what you were created to do - bringing attention to Him while benefitting greatly from His care for you.

Obedience CAN be attractive, though it'll never be fashionable.  Would you rather live a successful life while others mock your choice to follow Jesus or would you rather look good pursuing something that leads to an empty life or even death?  Hmmmmm . . . it's often a daily choice, isn't it?  Choose Jesus, He never fades.

Receiving is harder than giving

Drought is being experienced by most of the U.S. as we speak. There's been some relief lately in the form of lower temperatures and some rain, but by the looks of the crops and the feel of the ground, the word "drought" still very much pertains. Up here in Minnesota we have not really experienced the extreme lack of rain. Though we've gone weeks without, our temperatures have not stayed high and we have had some good downpours recently. One such downpour was this past Wednesday morning. I was just finishing a little morning jog when it started coming - what an incredible feeling it was! I was in need of a quick cooling down, so I stretched out on my driveway while the rain was pouring down all over me. Rain certainly is thorough, isn't it? I was covered and was completely washed over. And you know what I had to do in order to have all that done - RECEIVE. Why is it so hard to receive? Whether it's a gift or a favor or a simple kind gesture of someone opening the door for you, receiving can be hard to do. Our natural tendencies, for the most part, are to fend for ourselves and not inconvenience others. The irony of this is that, by maintaining this stance (either practically or just theoretically), we are becoming more and more selfish. We are communicating to others, "I don't need you, it's really all about me." The way we are made is that we need to be able to give of ourselves to others (see Ephesians 2:10 and Mark 10:43,44). In order for all this giving and serving to take place, there must be people who receive all of this goodwill. Just like our midwest fields, this country needs to learn to RECEIVE. Just like the crops and fields cannot try any harder to receive the rain, we must stop "trying harder" to earn our own way or to come up with a better way to live life. The first step to becoming better receivers is to receive the grace gift of eternal life from our Lord Jesus Christ. We need to humble ourselves before our Creator, trust His way to live life (obedience to His Word), and receive is unmerited, unconditional, 100%-from-God-0%-from-us, GRACE. In many ways, receiving IS harder than giving, for we're dependent on His way, trusting His timing, and admitting that we can't do it on our own. It's a great and freeing life, actually, for everything is on Him and my job is simply to trust and obey . . . for there's no other way . . . right? Before we can give with the right heart, we need to be able to receive with a grateful and humble heart.

Vacation is over

It's been a month since I've posted, but not a day has gone by that God is not clearly pushing me forward. Some days He is literally pushing against a force (me) that doesn't want to be moved. Other days His loving, gentle nudge is enough to send me over the edge (in a good way) and into His plan for me. Always, though, I am a willing participant in His methods and tools to make me a better person for Him. It's always difficult to return from vacation. Though I need it, my family needs it, and I have been blessed with two incredible weeks of getting away this past month, I find myself in a funk. That's right, though I'm back at work writing sermons, planning meetings, and being with people, my mind is still on the dock with a fishing pole, or sitting by the campfire, or longing for a few straight days of NO SCHEDULE. Rather them heaping guilt on myself for feeling this way (which I'm very good at doing), there are two truths that come to mind that help me through this transition time: 1. It's a good thing to long for time with family, both on vacations and during a regular week. These relationships are my most important in this world, so don't take them for granted or neglect them. 2. Work is normal and life is supposed to be work. God created in us the capacity to do work and the satisfaction of doing a good job. The most important things of this life will be the most difficult (see John 16:33 and Matthew 10:22) and anything worth having will be hard to maintain (for example, U.S.A. ideals and mistakes that each of us has made). With school starting around the corner (OK, I know, for us Minnesotans, that's still four weeks away), what is important? In the midst of a Fall season that's filled with new things, I don't want to neglect the ONE who has given me the biggest NEW thing - A brand new life through Jesus Christ (read John 3:16-21)

A Real Campfire

I am definitely old school when it comes to building a campfire. Although there are much quicker ways to do it, the point of a campfire is not a quick fire (unless your only meal option is over the fire and everybody is HUNGRY), but rather it should all be a part of the slow-moving, relaxing, pace of camping. Our family has chosen to stick with tents throughout our camping life. This summer, though, we experienced for the first time camping with no help and no electricity. We actually did pretty good, I must say. We didn't go hungry, we didn't get bored, and we even left wanting to do it again sometime. Plus, I was able to make two campfires with nothing but a match and the resources we had on hand. It took some time, it took lots of attention, and it took quite a few moments of "encouragement." Then, after it was going, I received some advice from my wife that helped it get even hotter . . . "put the wood closer together." It worked! Then, after we were done with the fire, we wanted to save some of the wood for a fire on another night, so what do you think we did? That's right, we separated the wood and the fire died quickly. Just like a REAL campfire lends to a REAL camping experience, we can take lessons from this definition of a REAL campfire in order to live lives that are REAL and alive. First and foremost, we cannot live our lives in isolation. We need others to spark our God-given talents and roles in life. In the midst of these relationships, we need to invest time, give lots of focused attention, and do lots of encouraging. Then, once it's burning good we need to continue to stick together so that the flame of the love of God can burn hotter, brighter, and longer. Second, the motivation of our unity must be focused on the right kind of fire. If it's a fire to destroy (gossip, slander, destruction, etc.) the unity is evil and temporary. If it's a fire to keep warm or to make a meal (mutual respect, love, forgiveness, and lifting up) the unity is good, productive, and long-lasting. Both fires must be fed more of the same to stay burning. How will you keep the right campfire burning in your lives, family, and church?

Interview questions

I once met a man who beat out many other applicants for a job because he knew how to interview well. Now, this man was very smart, he did his research, and he probably knew which questions he had to answer well. You know what these questions are, right: What are your best characteristics? What are your weaknesses? How would you handle certain scenarios? Unfortunately, he interviewed so well that they really didn't hire HIM, they hired the person that interviewed. Clearly, they did not ask the right questions. It's one thing to mess up an interview process for hiring someone. It's a whole nother thing to ask the wrong questions when it comes to life in general - asking the wrong questions will lead to a life (and eternity) full of regret. What are the most important questions, then, to ask in life? I came up with two that I asked a good friend of mine, then he added another that needs to be asked before the other two are asked. My two questions were as follows

What's going to happen to you after you die?

and

Why am I here on the earth?

. My friend followed that up with this one that should be answered correctly before the others can even be tackled:

Is there a God?

Of course, these are HUGE questions that cannot simply be answered by simply thinking about it really hard. We need a powerful, authoritative, accurate voice that we can listen to, depend on, and tell others about. We do have such an authority in our lives - it's the Word of God - His Bible written to us, to bring us to Him. Do you want a "cheat sheet" for those questions that you will need to know and need to know well? Do you want to be able to answer those questions with conviction and clarity, like they are a part of who you are? Or do you simply want to get by with sounding like you have the right answer? Your creator wants you to LIVE your purpose, LOOK FORWARD to your eternal destiny and KNOW this God that certainly does exist. Enjoy this process as you dive into His Word.

Thank God for standards!

This summer, already, has been full of nasty thunderstorms and wind here in the middle of Minnesota. Our trampoline has been through some trials already so we have to be more creative in keeping it grounded. While listening to the weather radio and watching the sky, I am repeatedly thankful for the builders of the home we are in. I know that they used levels and squares. I know that they used sufficient screws and nails. I know that things were done according to code. I can tell all these things, partly, because of how easily it stands up to what nature has to offer. I can also say these things because I know that the codes are enforced and that local builders are well-respected. If it wasn't for these standards, who knows what our house could stand up to? Similarly, without standards for living life, we would be without foundation, susceptible to folding under any pressure, and have no ability to stand up to anyone or anything. These standards that we are given are all around us. Like the physical standard of gravity, if we choose not to obey these standards, the consequences could be deadly. These standards are outlined nicely in the Word of God. As our Creator, He knows what's best and He loves us most and He is, quite literally, in charge. I know these standards are there because of how sturdy the lives of Jesus-followers are and how unsturdy I would be without them. I also know the validity of these standards because of the character of my God and the consistency of Scripture. So keep up on God's standards and you can be an "expert builder" of what it means to live a godly life. If you don't already have a place in the Bible you'd like to read, let me suggest the book of Mark or the book of Joshua or the book of James. Each will challenge your thinking regarding what's right, what's wrong, and why submitting to the the God of the universe is the best option for a life well-lived. Finally, let's thank God for these standards. If it wasn't for God revealing Himself through Jesus Christ and through His Word, we could look like our poor trampoline.