A War of Words

Every day, I get lots of emails. There are devotionals that really lift my thoughts to God. Then there are updates on websites I read frequently. Of course personal emails from friends are part of the mix. And then there's spam.

People I'll never meet share the details of their medical and financial condition. (Is everyone in Nigeria sick?) Others want to have me purchase the latest pharmaceuticals. (I rarely take aspirin, so fat chance.) Still more want me to refinance my home, take a trip, or meet new people. Thank you, but no.

But what about those spam emails you get with what seems like crazy prose or meaningless words put together out of any context? What are those about? Well, they have nothing to do with ethics - just the opposite. Those words are designed to overload your email programs spam filter with so many real words that it just gives up and lets anything through. It's a war of words.

Sometimes they use snippets from a dictionary. Other times they lift from fiction. But the idea is to so clog the spam filter with words that would be considered good - that the bad sneaks by.

Jesus was teaching His disciples one day when the Pharisees and some Sadducees walked up and asked for a sign from Him that he was real. By this point Jesus had done so many miracles which they had ignored that he told them no. Then He turned to His disciples and said:

6 "Watch out!" Jesus warned them. "Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees."

Matt 16:6 (NLT)

The disciples didn't understand.

It was a war of words. The yeast is the active ingredient in bread dough. Though there's a lot of other ingredients, and the quantity of those are far greater in volume than the yeast - if the yeast is bad, no matter how much other stuff you put in the mix - the result is bad bread.

At the "yeast" level, they did not believe that God's Word could change anyone. But if they threw out enough words - enough rules - then people would have to do right.

Friends, it's not about rules.

It's about relationship - about whether you are living in relationship with God through His Son. He's sinless - completely Holy. You're not. No amount of words, no amount of forced obedience, no amount of looking good - will change that. Only a heart yielded, a will surrendered, a life offered daily to Him in obedience... matters to Him.

Ask yourself how often you think about Jesus.

Are you losing the war of words?

Make your life a prayer, a running conversation with Him.

Grace!

David

--
Visit with me at my blog:
http://davethepastor.livejournal.com/
Or visit New Hope!
http://www.newhopevalp.org/

Just Another Day?

On July 15th, 1920, on the wrong side of the tracks down on Roff Avenue near "Mr Willingham's Textile Mill", a little girl was born to Henry and Bertie Bowden. Her parents were millworkers who had moved from the farm to the city in search of a better life. Each had lost a spouse to death before they met each other, and the family was a blend of Fosters and Bowdens.

The little girl grew to adulthood in that shotgun house, becoming the first of her family to get a high school diploma. During those years, she saw a sister die in a fire, a brother killed when his car stalled on the railroad tracks that ran parallel to the road. When she was 12, her father was hit by a car and died the next day. Hurt came often to Roff Avenue. The family grew tight - they had to. Somehow the widow "Bertie" raised all their kids and another couple of girls besides. Lodie was the big sister now, and she went to school and worked in the mill too. Whatever it took to help, she did.

She met a young man who lived in the same mill village, and just as World War Two began, they married. He was sent away, and in a year or so, she enlisted herself. They saw each other once during the War, in Manila.

After the war, they had both changed. Everything had.

They divorced, and then love found them again, and they remarried.

One day they got the news she was pregnant with twins. Nine months later they got the news the babies wouldn't survive. Delivered, they lived less than a week. But a couple who had seen so much pain and held so much heartache, just wouldn't give up hope. One year later, I was born - the young woman was my Mother - Lodie Marie Bowden Wilson.

She passed away 15 years ago. But today would have been her 86th birthday, and I remember her on it. No other person had more influence on who I became than she. Not one day in the years we shared on this earth did I not awake knowing that my Mother loved me deeply.

When you are the recipient of love, like a Mother's love, most of the time you are blind to it. Days come and go, sacrifices are made for you. Some you might realize but poorly comprehend. Others you miss completely. When your children come along, understanding does too, and then when the giver passes away, the gifts are made visible in the loss of the one who gave them.

I cannot give her anything now. All I can do is give to others as I have been given to. When I was reading Philippians the other day, I came across this. Those of you who read it, do as I have done today and think about your life, and what someone years after you are gone will write about it in review. Will it be God-honoring? Will it be praiseworthy? What will be your legacy? Will you have pointed your family to Jesus? Can you write as Paul does here?

Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. Philippians 4:9 NIV

Remember, we love, because He first loved us.

It's called...

Grace!

David

--
Visit with me at my blog:
http://davethepastor.livejournal.com/
Or visit New Hope!
http://www.newhopevalp.org/

Barna's Revolution - Not

Amazon.com: Revolution: Books: George Barna

I've read George Barna's work since "The Frog In the Kettle". Frequently, I've made use of his groundbreaking research into the culture and the church. As a researcher, I'd give him high marks, but as a theologian and a prophet, he flunks.

The book chronicles Barna's look at an emerging force he calls "Revolutionairies". These are people who according to Barna possess an active faith and who choose to operate outside the established church as they fulfill their mission. He claims the church as we know it is on its last legs as these people leave. And he applauds it!

I've done "house church", and I've done solo Christianity. And I'd add I have yet to come across the hordes of people living out their faith and growing in Jesus outside a community of faith. I don't buy Barna's premise, and I was awfully glad I didn't buy this book.

I got it free and it was worth every penny.

technorati tags:pastor, Barna, church, revolution

Blogged with Flock

Yes! Jonny Lang Coming to Mobile - Outspoken About His Faith

Jonny Lang readies new album, adds dates

Jonny Lang Tour Dates: Jonny Lang readies new album, adds dates >> liveDaily

Lang co-wrote the 14 songs on "Turn Around" with collaborators that included Grammy winners Drew Ramsey and Shannon Sanders, as well as five-time Grammy winner Steven Curtis Chapman, who is the most awarded artist in the history of the Gospel Music Association.

"I'm very honored to have had the privilege of writing with Jonny for this record and our friendship has shown me that he's a man that's passionate about his faith as a Christian and is committed to reflecting that in his music," Chapman said in a statement.

I've admired Jonny Lang's music since I first heard him. AS a 14 year old guitar phenom, he held his own with Buddy Guy, B.B. King, and others, in fact B.B. said "if he's this good now, how good will he get?" So to hear that he's coming within easy driving distance AND to hear that this album will reflect his faith and his artistry - sweet!

Needless to say, I'll be there on Oct 27th at the Saenger Theatre.

Blogged with Flock

The B-I-B-L-E

Stanley Hauerwas, when asked in an interview (I think at “the Door”), “what do you mean when you say ‘the Bible is true.’”? Stanley replied, “I mean I would die for it.” He then reminded us that the word “witness” to the truth comes from the Greek root, martyrion, or martyr.

Maybe this is the best way to explain to people what we believe about whether the Bible is inerrant, true, or authoritative . When we say the Bible is true, we believe it sufficiently, live it so absolutely, that we’d be willing to die for it.

Daily.

1985 all over again

In 1985, my wife and I joined Mount Zion Baptist Church in Bolingbroke, Georgia. We were immediately made to feel like we had always been there by the families who really had - for generations. I'll always be grateful for that, and for them. I learned a lot there, surrendered to the call to become a pastor, and first laid my eyes on a book about the rapture called "1985 Reasons Why Christ Will Return in 1985" It turned out to be a long running sequel series, for later while rummaging around in the old Baptist Bookstore, I found "1977 reasons why..."

I bring this up because today I received the latest CBD catalog. When God really got busy in my life, the CBD catalog became on of those bits of mail we looked forward to receiving. Not only did it have the latest and greatest tools to study your Bible, but it had a closeout section that contained real bargains. Like those books I was just talking about.

Today when the catalog came, I was struck by how many offerings on the DaVinci Code that there were, and wondered how long it would take until they found their way into the closeout bin, alongside "2002 reasons..."

Is it marketing prowess, or are Christians just that gullible?

Slow Down!

Our friend Allan was with us Wednesday night at supper, and he brought a new friend with him - a doll that when you squeezed his hand - talked. I never did hear what the doll said, because Allan had it glued to his ear most all the time. He was laughing at whatever it said though. Yesterday when I tried to get him to tell me what the doll said, he was speaking so quickly that my ears and brain couldn't keep up. "Slow down, Allan. Speak slower", I asked, but he just kept on.

Trying to grasp what he was saying made me think about how much we miss as we rush through our lives. You're reading this on the Internet, one of the greatest blessings we've received. But the sheer volume of information and our efforts to grasp it don't always seem to coincide. With the net, TV, radio, books, newspapers, mail, and personal interaction, we are inundated with words and images, and in as much danger of drowning as a toddler on his or her first visit to the ocean. It's a rude awakening when you step back and look at the volume we try to comprehend.

Let's take yours truly for example. Your mileage may vary, don't try this at home, slightly higher west of the Rockies, and with people capable of extreme multitasking. (Had to put that in for the lawyers)

Yesterday I (based on my laptop's history) visited 133 separate domains and on some multiple pages. Most of this was in background research on sermons in Mark, and in particular on a Jewish group in the time of Jesus called the Sadducees, on Jewish understandings of the afterlife, on rabbinical disputes of the period, and on heaven in general. Some of the sites were bible.org, walkwiththerabbi.com, scripturetext.com, Itanakh.org, biblegateway.com, ministryexchange.com. A rough estimate would be 200 pages since some I skimmed and some I read completely. I read, both for personal enjoyment, personal growth, and for research on upcoming sermons and teaching, approximately 425 pages of text in books ranging from the historical nonfiction book 1776 (highly recommended BTW), To Be A Jew, commentaries on Mark (probably 4 or 5), Zondervan's Illustrated Dictionary of the Bible, Life In Bible Times, Jesus and His Disciples, the biography of Vance Havner, one of my favorite preachers, and Mark, Philippians and Galatians in the Bible.

When I was between books and the computer yesterday, I watched about an hour of TV, ranging from ESPN Sportscenter, the reality show Rockstar Supernova (last 20 minutes), and a snippet of the news. Part of the evening saw me catching up on world events through the blogs I read each day - about 20, and checking email. Since I moderate a local yahoo group that works on keeping stuff out of landfills by giving it away, I'll sometimes have a few of those to reply to. Then there's the Great Dane emails, the emails from pastor friends, to and from church folks, and all totalled maybe a 100 go through everyday. I try to check and answer in regular intervals, but not sit and wait for the next one. I wrote about ten pages of notes, and reread 60 or so more I had made previous to yesterday.

Uh huh... like drinking from a fire hose.

Did I learn? Oh yeah - ask me anything about the Sadduccees, first century politics, Jesus' use of logic and rhetoric, Henry Knox's role in the New York campaign during 1776, or what Tommy Lee's hair looked like during last night's program.

But here's the point.

I cannot honestly say that the majority of what I read, looked at or listened to brought me more in conformity to the likeness of God's Son - Jesus.

What would I point to? This passage of Scripture that I read solely for the purpose of meeting with Jesus yesterday. No agenda, no sermon-seeking. I read Philippians because I want to be Jesus' disciple like Paul was - to be able someday to write like this.

7-9The very credentials these people are waving around as something special, I'm tearing up and throwing out with the trash—along with everything else I used to take credit for. And why? Because of Christ. Yes, all the things I once thought were so important are gone from my life. Compared to the high privilege of knowing Christ Jesus as my Master, firsthand, everything I once thought I had going for me is insignificant—dog dung. I've dumped it all in the trash so that I could embrace Christ and be embraced by him. I didn't want some petty, inferior brand of righteousness that comes from keeping a list of rules when I could get the robust kind that comes from trusting Christ—God's righteousness.

10-11I gave up all that inferior stuff so I could know Christ personally, experience his resurrection power, be a partner in his suffering, and go all the way with him to death itself. If there was any way to get in on the resurrection from the dead, I wanted to do it.

12-14I'm not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don't get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I've got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I'm off and running, and I'm not turning back. The Message Phil. 3

"So that I could embrace Christ and be embraced by Him."

That's what thrilled me yesterday.

To think of my Lord and Savior allowing me, a sinner so easily distracted, drawn away, and so prone to failure to embrace Him in His holiness...

... and to feel His arms close tightly around me.

At that moment, just as it did again when I typed these words, everything slowed down. Just me, and Jesus.

Try it. Read His Word.

Not to make it through the Bible in a year, not to finish your Bible Study, but just to find, through His incredible Holy Spirit - A Glimpse of New Hope - in Jesus.

Grace!

David

--
Visit with me at my blog:
http://davethepastor.livejournal.com/
Or visit New Hope!
http://www.newhopevalp.org/

Slow Down!

Our friend Allan was with us Wednesday night at supper, and he brought a new friend with him - a doll that when you squeezed his hand - talked. I never did hear what the doll said, because Allan had it glued to his ear most all the time. He was laughing at whatever it said though. Yesterday when I tried to get him to tell me what the doll said, he was speaking so quickly that my ears and brain couldn't keep up. "Slow down, Allan. Speak slower", I asked, but he just kept on.

Trying to grasp what he was saying made me think about how much we miss as we rush through our lives. You're reading this on the Internet, one of the greatest blessings we've received. But the sheer volume of information and our efforts to grasp it don't always seem to coincide. With the net, TV, radio, books, newspapers, mail, and personal interaction, we are inundated with words and images, and in as much danger of drowning as a toddler on his or her first visit to the ocean. It's a rude awakening when you step back and look at the volume we try to comprehend.

Let's take yours truly for example. Your mileage may vary, don't try this at home, slightly higher west of the Rockies, and with people capable of extreme multitasking. (Had to put that in for the lawyers)

Yesterday I (based on my laptop's history) visited 133 separate domains and on some multiple pages. Most of this was in background research on sermons in Mark, and in particular on a Jewish group in the time of Jesus called the Sadducees, on Jewish understandings of the afterlife, on rabbinical disputes of the period, and on heaven in general. Some of the sites were bible.org, walkwiththerabbi.com, scripturetext.com, Itanakh.org, biblegateway.com, ministryexchange.com. A rough estimate would be 200 pages since some I skimmed and some I read completely. I read, both for personal enjoyment, personal growth, and for research on upcoming sermons and teaching, approximately 425 pages of text in books ranging from the historical nonfiction book 1776 (highly recommended BTW), To Be A Jew, commentaries on Mark (probably 4 or 5), Zondervan's Illustrated Dictionary of the Bible, Life In Bible Times, Jesus and His Disciples, the biography of Vance Havner, one of my favorite preachers, and Mark, Philippians and Galatians in the Bible.

When I was between books and the computer yesterday, I watched about an hour of TV, ranging from ESPN Sportscenter, the reality show Rockstar Supernova (last 20 minutes), and a snippet of the news. Part of the evening saw me catching up on world events through the blogs I read each day - about 20, and checking email. Since I moderate a local yahoo group that works on keeping stuff out of landfills by giving it away, I'll sometimes have a few of those to reply to. Then there's the Great Dane emails, the emails from pastor friends, to and from church folks, and all totalled maybe a 100 go through everyday. I try to check and answer in regular intervals, but not sit and wait for the next one. I wrote about ten pages of notes, and reread 60 or so more I had made previous to yesterday.

Uh huh... like drinking from a fire hose.

Did I learn? Oh yeah - ask me anything about the Sadduccees, first century politics, Jesus' use of logic and rhetoric, Henry Knox's role in the New York campaign during 1776, or what Tommy Lee's hair looked like during last night's program.

But here's the point.

I cannot honestly say that the majority of what I read, looked at or listened to brought me more in conformity to the likeness of God's Son - Jesus. It helped me get ready to help other people, and it provided me with information, education, and some enjoyment. But it didn't give me a sense of intimacy with Christ that had the potential of changing my actions. But something did.

What would I point to? This passage of Scripture that I read solely for the purpose of meeting with Jesus yesterday. No agenda, no sermon-seeking. I read Philippians because I want to be Jesus' disciple like Paul was.

7-9The very credentials these people are waving around as something special, I'm tearing up and throwing out with the trash—along with everything else I used to take credit for. And why? Because of Christ. Yes, all the things I once thought were so important are gone from my life. Compared to the high privilege of knowing Christ Jesus as my Master, firsthand, everything I once thought I had going for me is insignificant—dog dung. I've dumped it all in the trash so that I could embrace Christ and be embraced by him. I didn't want some petty, inferior brand of righteousness that comes from keeping a list of rules when I could get the robust kind that comes from trusting Christ—God's righteousness.

10-11I gave up all that inferior stuff so I could know Christ personally, experience his resurrection power, be a partner in his suffering, and go all the way with him to death itself. If there was any way to get in on the resurrection from the dead, I wanted to do it.

12-14I'm not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don't get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I've got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I'm off and running, and I'm not turning back. The Message Phil. 3

"So that I could embrace Christ and be embraced by Him."

That's what thrilled me yesterday.

To think of my Lord and Savior allowing me, a sinner so easily distracted, drawn away, and so prone to failure to embrace Him in His holiness...

... and to feel His arms close tightly around me.

At that moment, just as it did again when I typed these words, everything slowed down. Just me, and Jesus.

Try it. Read His Word.

Not to make it through the Bible in a year, not to finish your Bible Study, but just to find, through His incredible Holy Spirit - A Glimpse of New Hope - in Jesus.

Grace!

David

--
Visit with me at my blog:
http://davethepastor.livejournal.com/
Or visit New Hope!
http://www.newhopevalp.org/

What and When?

Last night, in the class I teach in which participants are coming with me through the entire OT, we approached the end of Exodus 20 with a bang.

18 All the people witnessed the thunder and lightning, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain [surrounded by] smoke. When the people saw [it] they trembled and stood at a distance. 19 "You speak to us, and we will listen," they said to Moses, "but don't let God speak to us, or we will die."

20 Moses responded to the people, "Don't be afraid, for God has come to test you, so that you will fear Him and will not sin." 21 And the people remained standing at a distance as Moses approached the thick darkness where God was. ^{Exodus 20 HCSB}

^{Since we had finished the ten commandments, I handed out a quiz which gave them 15 choices for the ten, including "you should not smoke", "be kind to the poor", "you should obey God instead of man" and a couple others. Several found 11. Others got very quiet which always means they know they don't have it. BTW, this was a KIDS SUNDAY SCHOOL TEST.}

^{The question I'm asking myself this morning is "What should a follower of Jesus know about what His Word says, and when should they know it?" If we are genuinely "studying to show ourselves approved", then we have a majority that flunked the JCAT. (Jesus Comprehensive Achievement Test)}

^{I know from painful experience that orthodoxy (knowing what is right) doesn't always lead to orthopraxy (doing right). Some of the most hateful people I've ever met have been church members who had Masterlife'd, Navigated, and experienced God their hearts out... err off. However, how can you follow God increasingly closer if you do not gain understanding of His will through His Word?}

^{We're SBC. That means there's a legion of programs that Lifeway will tell me I should be doing that like Clearasil for the soul will clear this right up. I'm not buying it, simply because it goes deeper than that. There has to be a constant, desperate desire to know Jesus more. In my example, I had just gone through the ten commandments - not new information to anyone in the room. I had spent several weeks there. And yet...}

^{When we let someone become a citizen of the United States, the applicant has to study, even memorize some of the basic documents of our nation. They have to learn, and they do, because they want to be an American. So why aren't we who aspire to make an eternal difference in this life not serious about doing the same?}

^{Church culture.}

^{In the immigration example, there are clearly defined facts that must be committed to memory in order to assume basic competency and understanding of what it means to be an American. Baptist have none. Sure we have the Baptist Faith and Message, but I defy anyone to tell me even the article's headings without looking. We need a Baptist catechism. Something to unite us in a shared understanding of what we believe. Right now we could easier be identified by what we are against. We need "We believe that God created the universe and all that is in it" type doctrine with verses that back it up - memorized.}

^{We need accountability. Once the average Baptist joins the church, that's the end of their pursuit of God. Discipleship - that working out your faith with fear and trembling - never takes place. They might be faithful attenders of SS, but all that means is that they can hold a quarterly (if they can find it) and can endure 30 minutes of lecture after the Braves and the weather are discussed ad nauseum. We need people on people discipleship. Paul and Timothy type. The stronger and the weaker meeting to share lives and growth stories and struggles.}

^{We need to decide on a discipleship path for children on up and for adult converts. A child should progressively understand and know the doctrines of our faith and when presented at adulthood, we should test then recognize them as a member of the community of believers that is ready to mentor others as he or she was mentored. For adult converts, we need an accelerated version of the same thing, lasting perhaps two years or until the mentor felt comfortable.}

^{Bottom line? We need help - fast.}

^{We need help.}

Jesus The Radical Pastor: JESUS' ISRAEL: MORE BLOODY THAN BLESSED

Jesus The Radical Pastor: JESUS' ISRAEL: MORE BLOODY THAN BLESSED

Every time you think you have a clear handle on the cultural context of Palestine in Jesus' day, someone comes along and shatters your illusions.

John Frye, in looking at a book by Robert Horsley, paints a word picture very different from that most followers of Jesus understand.

Yet it is that context not only in the area treated by Horsley, but of the setting, cultures, idioms and well... life of the everyday person of OT and NT times that opens the text up in a way far more illuminating than even the NIV Study BIble or Life Application notes ever did. (tongue firmly in cheek)

I'll add this to the list of "stuff I wasn't taght in seminary" and to the list of stuff I'll make sure the people I teach know.

Shalom,

David

First Things First

For the last twelve years, our family has been involved in moving into our new home. Okay, it's only been 2 weeks, but it seems like years. One of the things you realize when you move is that you have more stuff than you ever imagined. Much of that - is useless, or has outlived its purpose. So you toss it, give it away, or sell it. After all, the object is to move only that which you want or is necessary.

All throughout the process, whether consciously or not, you are setting priorities. The very first day, you make sure the beds are up and together, because you really, really, really want to rest. Then you look to see where the food went, and that which you didn't consume because of your ravenous work-induced appetite is placed right where you'll be able to find it a little while after supper.

Then you work out where furniture goes, where clothes are hung - and so on.

If you had to describe the key to the whole event it would be "First things first."

Today marks the beginning of the July 4th weekend. People from all over are headed to our area to enjoy the beautiful beaches and help us celebrate the birth of our nation. We'll all be caught up in grilling, fireworks, and enjoyment very soon, so I wanted to place a thought in our minds and hearts today.

What made America different? Why, among all the nations that have come and gone, is she looked to as a model - a lighthouse to the world - that "City on a Hill"?

You can look over the incredible beauty of our land. You can see the works of the hands and the warmth of the hearts of our people. You can measure our strength and the valor of those who serve her. But first things first.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. --That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed...

As the men who "pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor" wrote their explanation to the world in the form of a "Declaration of Independence", setting out on a course that would lead to America - before they unpacked their grievances with Britain, they found within them something pure and God-given.

Before one single battle was fought, before any laws were passed, before the first coin was struck, before a flag was flown, America wanted to be known as the nation who recognized that some things surpassed preferences, local culture, or national identity. "We hold these truths to be self-evident..."

First things first.

So how can we incorporate that in our busy and hectic lives? How can we make sure we are living purposeful lives? That we are putting our energies into what matters, and holding as convictions those things that place us into the center of God's will?

19 "Don't store up treasures here on earth, where they can be eaten by moths and get rusty, and where thieves break in and steal. 20Store your treasures in heaven, where they will never become moth-eaten or rusty and where they will be safe from thieves. 21Wherever your treasure is, there your heart and thoughts will also be. Matthew 6 (NLT)

"Wherever your treasure is..."

A friend of mine in California has five kids - all boys under 15. They play every sport known to man and some that they just make up. He lives in a nice neighborhood where people take great pride in the appearance of their homes and their yards. The wear and tear on his yard doesn't help him keep up. One night after agonizing over what to do about it, he went back inside and walked past the bedrooms of his sons as they slept. Looking at them for a minute, he left and went into his garage and went straight from there out to the lawn.

The next morning, his neighbors who passed by noticed the new sign.

"We're raising sons now. Grass later."

First things first. Make God the center of your life. Look to Him and through His Word at your life, your values, your desires. Set your priorities based on nothing other than your love and devotion to Him. If you love Him, you'll hold His truths to be "self-evident" and your life as the "evidence" of His love.


Grace! And May God Bless America.

David

--
Visit with me at my blog:
http://davethepastor.livejournal.com/
Or visit New Hope!
http://www.newhopevalp.org/

Fig Trees, Mountain Moving, and Jesus

This Sunday past, I tackled one of those passages in the Bible that seem to make little sense. In this passage, Jesus curses a fig tree because it's not bearing fruit. Then He heads to the temple, cleans the worship space of buyers and sellers, and basically curses it.

Why?

In each case it was because the purpose God gave for the item wasn't being carried out.

The tree had leaves. That meant it should have had fruit. But it didn't. It looked awesome, but looking good wasn't what being a fig tree was about. If you're a fig tree, you produce figs.

The temple - was for worship. That was the reason God chose Israel - to be "a light to the nations." Yet the Jews, though they had the temple, the priests, the sacrifices - it looked as though they were a people who were holy and productive for God - weren't.

They looked like they believed, but their lives showed no fruit, AND they were preventing the Gentiles from coming near to God. So Jesus cleaned house.

I'm a pastor. That means I'm supposed to care for the needs of the "sheep". I'm to protect them from harm, and make sure that they receive what they need to grow stronger. Every single sheep commands my attention and has my heart. So when they don't care about growing, or pretend they aren't God's - it bothers me a great deal.

To love someone means wanting the best for them. And the absolute best is Jesus.

When Peter saw the results of Jesus' cursing of the tree, he was shocked. But his question revealed that he wanted to know more about the how than the why. So Jesus blew away his light question with a heavy dose of doctrine "Have faith in God." Jesus then said that if you had that, trees were easy - you could even move mountains. His point was you had to begin - and stay - intimate with God - trusting Him with all your life.

I'm really determined that whatever time God allows me to have will be spent in a clear focus of making disciples. I do not want to have to explain to Jesus why the people He entrusted me with look "good" but aren't making any difference for the Kingdom of God.

Got Fruit?

I'm working in the orchard every day.

Grace!

David

Where the Rubber Meets the Road

A kid took his life yesterday.

And our kids knew him. So into the mixture of cultural affection, peer relationships and their on again off again relationship with God they throw this - death.

For some, narcissim demands that they wail about how this is going to affect their world. "Who am I going to prom with? How will I ever make it through 5th period?" Then there are those who hold back, wondering. "Is this what it comes to? You are here and then... gone?"

A kid took his life yesterday.

The picture I saw was of him in his ROTC uniform. It looked good on him, and someone said he was looking to go to Annapolis someday. But that affirmation - that goal didn't provide a reason to stay and see how life would work its self out.

A kid took his life yesterday.

Apparently he was involved in a church to some extent. No doubt the folks there are trying to see what could have possibly gone so wrong in his life without their notice. Someone's probably beating themselves up over it right now. Should they?

I don't know. Suicide is a personal act. We do a lot of stupid things in our lives, make poor choices, bad decisions, but almost every one don't irreparably harm. But suicide ends any do-overs.

He might not have been able to stop. But our kids should know how to cope with the hard times that befall us all. They should be able to see Jesus working in them through hardship - through pain. Gathering a bunch of people and telling them about Jesus is great. Seeing them make decisions to trust Him is awesome.

But if that's all you do - if you never spend the time in relationship to disciple them - then what you might call evangelism, I call spiritual abuse. You wouldn't send a toddler to play in traffic. But sending kids out into a hard world without training them the truth of how all things work together for good...

isn't good.

A kid killed himself yesterday. I pray for his family. I pray for his friends. I pray that people like me will do a better job training and modeling others in discipling babes in Christ.

Grace!

David

Catching Up

Well, we've moved to the new location and I lost a week somewhere. Even though I just hung around at church last week, I still saw some things happen that I need to bring you up to speed on.

First - our chairs are in and our pews are gone. Initial reports say that the chairs are much more comfortable for our folks with bad backs, and once they all are here, we'll be able to shoehorn some more people in our way too small sanctuary.

Second - I received a financial report update and while skimming it noticed something cool. Corinne Quinnell, all 45 lbs of her (if that) contributed the first dollar toward new tables for the fellowship hall.

Finally - It was Father's Day last week, and at the close of the service, one of the ushers prayed one of the most sincere and open prayers I have ever heard. He asked God to forgive him for the years he lived when he wasn't a Christian - and confessed that he had hurt his kids spiritually because of his stubbornness and sins. I love that man's heart. My prayer was that God in His mercy would give him peace.

So, we head into a normal weekend with me preaching both services. Tally Ho!

Obey Your Thirst

It's hot! It was 95 degrees here the other day, and my greatest temptation was to leave my office and go play in the sprinklers Jim Quinnell had set up to water the grass... err sand. There's no way that any vegetation can live without water. The ancient Israelites knew that, and they knew that people and livestock needed water too. Thirst was a powerful motivator.

1 God—you're my God! I can't get enough of you!
I've worked up such hunger and thirst for God,
traveling across dry and weary deserts.

2-4 So here I am in the place of worship, eyes open,
drinking in your strength and glory.
In your generous love I am really living at last!
My lips brim praises like fountains.
I bless you every time I take a breath;
My arms wave like banners of praise to you. Psalm 63 (The Message)

So the idea of using water as a metaphor for what God could supply was always in the hearts and minds of God's people. The rabbis in Jesus' day were thought to give "water" to their disciples. If the "waters", or in other words their teachings, were good - then the disciples could drink from God's waters. If a rabbi gave poor teachings he was "exiled to a place of evil waters, and the disciples who come after him will drink and die."

So when Jesus met a woman, even a Samaritan enemy, even a woman little better than a prostitute - He looked past her present situation to her deepest need.

Thirst.

11-12The woman said, "Sir, you don't even have a bucket to draw with, and this well is deep. So how are you going to get this 'living water'? Are you a better man than our ancestor Jacob, who dug this well and drank from it, he and his sons and livestock, and passed it down to us?"

13-14Jesus said, "Everyone who drinks this water will get thirsty again and again. Anyone who drinks the water I give will never thirst—not ever. The water I give will be an artesian spring within, gushing fountains of endless life." John 4 (The Message)

When Christ approaches a person, He offers more than cheap self-help. He's not in for the quick fix or the easiest way out of where you find yourself. It's not about fixing your marriage, or your finances, or helping you deal with a troubled kid.

All those things can happen to you again, even after you become a Christ-follower. So if you came into a walk with Jesus expecting Easy Street, you really need to retrace your steps and begin again - at the cross.

Your need - your deepest need - to be clean before God and possess His Spirit within - is completely satisfied in Christ.

Obey your thirst. Trust in Jesus.

Grace!

David

--
Visit with me at my blog:
http://davethepastor.livejournal.com/
Or visit New Hope!
http://www.newhopevalp.org/

It's Past Time

Walking back in from getting the mail today here at church, I saw an official envelope of the United States Postal Service. Within the window on the front of the item, I could see the back page of a copy of "The Answer." Not the whole of the pamphlet - just the remains of the back page. New Hope sent a copy of that publication to every home in Valparaiso for a year. But that was two years ago.

So I flipped it over and read the envelope's message. It said..

WE CARE

Among the rest of the verbage was this line.

"We are aware of how important your mail is to you. With that in mind, we are forwarding it to you in an expeditious fashion."

I laughed out loud. So it's undelivered, two years late, and missing 90% of what it is supposed to be - but "WE CARE".

Then I wondered about the organization that I'm responsible for. Do we over promise and under deliver too?

The mission of the US Postal Service is to deliver the mail. That's their business.

The mission of every church was given by Jesus in Matthew 28:18-20

"Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the threefold name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then instruct them in the practice of all I have commanded you." (The Message)

So our business is to build bridges to those outside the family of God and when they draw near, to help them along the Way of Christ. Then we identify them by a good old-fashioned baptism.

We measure the marking well. The only thing Baptists love more than fried chicken is baptizing new believers.

But how are we doing in training and instruction? That's much more difficult to measure, because now we're talking about life. That means we need to know where each person is on the journey with Christ and actively help them move forward.

I believe that many who fall away from their walk with Christ do so because they were left to find their way alone. That's not fair to them, not good for the church, and not pleasing to God.

So we're really seeking to turn the heat up in discipleship at New Hope to help everyone who wants to know Christ deeper, and reflect His love better - grow. It's the best kind of "advertisement" we can do - to have people with changed lives telling about the One - Jesus - who made their life brand new, and their life meaningful.

Pray for us as we go forward in this.

Grace!

David
--
Visit with me at my blog:
http://davethepastor.livejournal.com/
Or visit New Hope!
http://www.newhopevalp.org/

You Only Fail When You Quit Trying

After Katrina's full impact was revealed, and the local government's failure to provide leadership for their people's safety was obvious, the federal government sent Lt. Gen Honore to take charge of their efforts to help. This was a general in every sense of the word, and he hit the ground running and had everyone else scurrying to do - something - anything - right. His words when asked about the magnitude of the failure will live forever. "Some people are just stuck on stupid."

Well, after a flood of reality about just who our youth at New Hope really are, and what they believe, today I shared with our youth team my heart for change. Kids in my era did stuff, but we were cloistered in our neighborhood or in our schools. But now the internet and MySpace and the like, coupled with this generation's desire for everyone to know them for the geniuses they are have given me a long dark look into their souls. And it ain't pretty.

So we're dealing with it by going back to basics - discipleship, accountability, relationship.

It should be odd if a regular attending member at New Hope isn't growing in their faith - not the opposite. It should be odd if a member at New Hope - whatever their age - is caught in a sin - not the opposite. Yes, we seek to be different - not conformed to this world.

1-2 So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you. Romans 12

We've allowed the culture to be dragging our kids down to its level of immaturity - even at church, and even in our homes. That must end.

Opposition is already building within. Pray for me, that I declare the gospel fearlessly, as I should, and that I help people grow deeper and move away from the world.

Who Are You?

Today I met some people for the first time. The first was a couple who came to pick up some old hymnals we had been storing for them for at least 7 years. The other was our new insurance agent. During the conversations with them, I learned about their backgrounds, their jobs, their families, and how they enjoyed life here.

Great people, and I really enjoyed our conversations.

Tonight though as I reflect on the day and those conversations, I realize how we humans work so hard to get our "publicity work" done. In almost every initial conversation, we all seem to work to make sure the people we're talking to know who we are. Yet - think with me here - there are a lot of ways we could say who we are, and not all of them are equal.

It starts early.

Karrin Quinnell is an adorable little girl who blesses New Hope with her boundless energy, and terrifies us with her ability to disappear without warning. We used to call her "Kezzie", one of the cuter nicknames I had ever heard, and one that fit her perfectly. Last night she brought me a plastic plate with a plastic egg on it, and an empty toy cup. I said "thank you Kezzie", I love eggs and coffee. She said "it's hot chocolate, and my name is Karrin." Mmmm... hot chocolate and fried egg.

It's still tempting to call her by her nickname, and sometimes like last night I slip up, but she sets me straight. Karrin is how she wants to be known.

She could say she is the daughter of Robert and Stacy Quinnell, or the granddaughter of Jim and Mary Quinnell. And she will later on, but for now, she's Karrin.

My prayer is that one day, all that will change.

When I was reading the Bible today, I stumbled across something that I never really noticed about the apostle John. Now I've read John's gospel dozens of times, and his letters frequently. In that gospel, and in those letters, John wants people to know Jesus. In them, even though he's John the theologian, John the apostle, John the evangelist, John the teacher and John the leader of a community of faith, how does John want to be known?

One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining next to him. John 13:23

It hit me tonight that there are a lot of ways to identify yourself to others, but being someone Jesus loves trumps them all.

John later, reflecting on this himself must have been as amazed as I was to think of being loved by God.

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! 1 John 3:1

There's no better way to be identified. Who am I? One of the people Jesus loves. If you know Him as Lord and Savior, you are too. And my prayer is one day Karrin will come and tell her pastor that "I'm the one Jesus loves."

What a difference that love can make.

Grace!

David
--
Visit with me at my blog:
http://davethepastor.livejournal.com/
Or visit New Hope!
http://www.newhopevalp.org/

On Worship

This morning, while preparing for the events of the week, I stumbled across an article by a man named Bill Hull. I was gathering materials about discipleship (Bill's God-called focus), but since we are seeking God's person for worship leader here at New Hope, the paragraph below really spoke to me. We are looking for someone who will help lead us to exalt Jesus. Here's what Bill wrote:

(When we focus on anything other than Jesus) Worship becomes about us, about our tastes, likes, and dislikes. I love the story of the person who came out of a church service complaining, "I didn't really care for that." "Good," said a friend, "because we weren't worshipping you."

The drive within us to see ourselves at the center of every song, every sermon, every event, every conversation, and every problem reminds us of our own problems. Humility removes self from center and puts God in the middle. We become a supporting player, the world and God's plan is not in orbit around us.

Jesus was a man for others. As his disciple, then, my life is about others—only then will I find myself. As Bonhoeffer said, "The church is only the church when it exists for others." I am his disciple when I celebrate him, not me. The gospel is about how to live, the means to learning to live is learning to die. Once you have life, Jesus says, "Now I will teach you how to give it up."

"I am His disciple when I celebrate Him, not me."

Friends, we need to take that statement to heart, and our hearts to Jesus. That means giving Him our all - because that's what He's due.

Lipstick on A Pig

We've come a long way at New Hope in becoming more open to people outside the family of God. On balance, we're providing a great "front porch" that people can come and hang out on until they get some of their questions answered or are confirmed in their faith.

Right now, I'm challenged by the reality of what happens after someone comes into the family.

In one area, thanks to some sleuthing, I've been able to see what some of our folks act like among their friends. The language used, and the situations described aren't consistent with what a follower of Christ should be doing. In another area, I have a couple trapped in a "Groundhog Day" cycle of revival and ridiculous behavior. In still another, I have people who should know better not practicing discipline.

It's made me realize that drawing a crowd, even running people through 101 into membership doesn't seem to give you any more chance of their proceeding into true discipleship than before. Claiming you are doing well by counting the crowd doesn't change the fact that our mandate is to make disciples.

In youth, I'm going to suggest we turn away from games even as icebreakers into Bible Study. To turn away from topics to exposition. To get serious.

We'll lose some of the social fringe kids during the week. But maybe we'll strengthen those who get it enough to help them become mature followers of Christ.

In adults, we need to keep small groups going and expect growth.

I know in the seeker sensitive world I'll become anathema. But I don't care. I have to answer to Christ for every single soul.

Learning the Law of Love


1-3 Live creatively, friends. If someone falls into sin, forgivingly restore him, saving your critical comments for yourself. You might be needing forgiveness before the day's out. Stoop down and reach out to those who are oppressed. Share their burdens, and so complete Christ's law. If you think you are too good for that, you are badly deceived. Galatians 6:1-3

Yesterday was the day set aside by our nation to remember the sacrifices of men and women down through history. In this military town, every day is memorial day. For almost every family knows someone who has paid the price, or is in harms' way right now. For those who gave that "last full measure of devotion", we give thanks and remember.

Back home, there are battles aplenty too.

Families are under incredible pressure and some are showing the strain. People who are prone to wander away from the path God has laid out for them find themselves trapped in a "Groundhog Day" life experience. They seem to make progress, then they fall away. Others are facing the uncertainty of finances or health concerns.

So when Paul wrote the Scripture above to the people in Galatia, he was just sharing what every pastor since would like to say to those who seemingly are untouched by the "war" going on.

Find a way to love people.

They'll frequently disappoint, occasionally amaze, and sometimes break your heart into a million pieces.

Love them anyway.

That's what Paul was saying you have to do to learn Christ's love of love.

Go ahead, get it out. I know you are reading this with a real need to say... "Yeah, but.."

Okay, here's your disclaimer -

There but by the grace of God go you and I.

My deep desire is that our church become a group of people who love each other fiercely from the heart. There's too many places where people are eager to point out what's wrong with someone, and not nearly enough places of refuge where people who know what it means to be broken help others become whole.

So folks, let's stoop, let's reach, let's do whatever it takes to practice Christ's law of love.

Grace!

David Wilson

--
Visit with me at my blog:
http://davethepastor.livejournal.com/
Or visit New Hope!
http://www.newhopevalp.org/

All You Ever Wanted To Know About Marriage

If you've gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if his love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care— then do me a favor: Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends. Don't push your way to the front; don't sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don't be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand.

Phil 2:4-5

It was a hectic day and we were both wearing down. In the middle of preparing for a move in two weeks, and juggling carpet measuring, paint inspecting, and checking on a dog that was sick earlier, one of those moments that makes marriage great happened.

Bunny was about to take a load of clothes out of the dryer, and asked me to do it, because she was too hot. So I took the clothes out and placed them in the basket. I then began to take them into the bedroom. "I do them in the other bedroom" she said, so I headed in there. I began folding towels. She looked at my attempt and picked a towel up and said "I fold them like this."

"Right, but I fold them like this, always have."

She grinned and said, "Well, in the years we've been married, I have folded thousands of towels. You are up to... 8 or so. So since they fit in the closet better, let's do them this way."

We did.

We laughed. It wasn't because anything was especially funny.

It was because we're still in forever love.

One of the tougher passages for people outside the family of believers in Jesus, is the whole concept of mutual submission in marriage. The scripture isn't exactly written in a way that appeals to people in today's culture. But really, anyone whose purpose in life is to gratify themselves, and make sure they get what they want will have a problem with most of the New Testament.

Our Leader, Savior, King - God's Son - is Jesus. He came to serve. He could have had everyone laid out as His feet - instead He washed His closest follower's dirty feet. If you had to put a slogan to His work here on earth, a good start would be "Whatever It Takes". That takes a special kind of Christ-led heart. It means forgetting yourself, long enough to lend a hand.

Or fold a towel.

That's what servant-leaders, male or female do. And it goes a long way toward having a great marriage if you both are committed to following Jesus - loving Him first, loving each other second, loving yourself third.

Stay tuned though, as soon as I find something I've done for her thousands of times that she hasn't, I'll make sure she does that MY way. Don't wait up. :)

Let's get our hearts ready to lift God's glory high this weekend as we worship together.

Grace!

David

--
Visit with me at my blog:
http://davethepastor.livejournal.com/
Or visit New Hope!
http://www.newhopevalp.org/

How Do The Blind See Jesus?

I don't often read Relevant magazine. Not because I'm not relevant, but because they often walk father down that path than I'm comfortable. Today though, I read an article from Matt McDonald called The Language of the Church He describes himself as a first year adult. I liked that. But I liked this more. After talking about "what if's" like "What if God had made the sky orange instead of blue?", he rolls out the big guns.

I have another favorite "what if." If a person is born blind, having never seen anything in their life, how do you explain color to them? Having never seen anything, the word "blue" would be meaningless to them. "Shade,"hue,"darkness,"light,—none of these things could be communicated to someone who has never seen anything. They would have no point of reference for understanding such concepts.

That person who was not raised in a church environment-—that person who grew up in a world where God did not exist and Jesus was never an option, —what do they see when they come to Christ? When they find Jesus, when they experience salvation, what do they associate with it? They surely don''t see church. They don''t hear church language and quote church slogans and catchphrases. "Holy," "hallelujah,"glory,—these words might have no meaning to them. How do the blind see Jesus?

However it is, that is what I want. God existed before church did. I want to see what He looks like without looking through the lens of a well-crafted service or message. But to truly do that at this point in my walk would take more than a strong-willed mind. I would have to rewrite the language that I have learned. For us to see God that way, we would have to stop talking about Him the way we do and start doing things differently.

I needed to read this today, because I'm praying hard about what the next wave we at New Hope send out from our body of believers into the community should be. We gave away three Bibles last night to people who had never had one before. We had people yesterday as a result of the messages I didn't want to bring - on the DaVinci Code's distortions and the Biblical truth - get exposed to how we really got our Bible and why we can trust it. Sometimes, I'm blind. Because I'm immersed in church. Because I hang out with church people.

I'm blind.

But I want to see... people come to know Jesus.

I want to be around people more who don't know Jesus - who don't know the Bible - who don't even realize what's missing from their life is - LIFE! Somehow, someway, we have to build more bridges for people to walk across to find Jesus. Our church, our people have to live like they are in a culture that doesn't share our values, or even approach truth as we do.

Why? Because God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever would believe in Him would have eternal life.

So thanks Matt, for helping me think about how the blind see Jesus.

Grace!

David

--
Visit with me at my blog:
http://davethepastor.livejournal.com/
Or visit New Hope!
http://www.newhopevalp.org/

The Hardest Part

I was just reading a story about a 7 year old boy who successfully completed a swim from Alcatraz to San Francisco's shoreline this weekend. Yes, you read that correctly, a seven year old boy. Braxton Bilbey has had that feat as a goal ever since he read about a 9 year old doing it last year. So he trained, got the right equipment, and lined up a support team. Everything was in place for him to succeed.

When they asked Braxton what the hardest part was, he said "the swimming."

LOL

I was reading today how the religious people in Jesus' day had developed a series of rules - 613 of them in fact, to "help" people please God . When pressed by them to give His understanding of what someone should do who wanted to please God, Jesus said:

29-31Jesus said, "The first in importance is, 'Listen, Israel: The Lord your God is one; so love the Lord God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence and energy.' And here is the second: 'Love others as well as you love yourself.' There is no other commandment that ranks with these." Mark 12 (The Message)

What's the hardest part of all of that?

The loving.

It's not easy to sustain all your passion and prayer and intelligence and energy, is it? And there's the fact that to love people you have to... well, love people.

It might sound impossible, but remember, nothing is impossible with God. Give Him your everything, and you'll lack for nothing. Including everything you need to live a life pleasing to God.

Grace!

David
--
Visit with me at my blog:
http://davethepastor.livejournal.com/
Or visit New Hope!
http://www.newhopevalp.org/

How Do The Blind See Jesus

I don't often read Relevant magazine. Not because I'm not relevant, but because they often walk father down that path than I'm comfortable. Today though, I read an article from Matt McDonald called The Language of the Church He describes himself as a first year adult. I liked that. But I liked this more. After talking about "what if's" like "What if God had made the sky orange instead of blue?", he rolls out the big guns.

I have another favorite “what if.” If a person is born blind, having never seen anything in their life, how do you explain color to them? Having never seen anything, the word “blue” would be meaningless to them. “Shade,“hue,“darkness,“light,—none of these things could be communicated to someone who has never seen anything. They would have no point of reference for understanding such concepts.

That person who was not raised in a church environment-—that person who grew up in a world where God did not exist and Jesus was never an option, —what do they see when they come to Christ? When they find Jesus, when they experience salvation, what do they associate with it? They surely don'’t see church. They don'’t hear church language and quote church slogans and catchphrases. “Holy,” “hallelujah,“glory,—these words might have no meaning to them. How do the blind see Jesus?

However it is, that is what I want. God existed before church did. I want to see what He looks like without looking through the lens of a well-crafted service or message. But to truly do that at this point in my walk would take more than a strong-willed mind. I would have to rewrite the language that I have learned. For us to see God that way, we would have to stop talking about Him the way we do and start doing things differently.

I needed to read this today, because I'm praying hard about what the next wave we at New Hope send out from our body of believers into the community should be. We gave away three Bibles last night to people who had never had one before. We had people yesterday as a result of the messages I didn't want to bring - on the DaVinci Code's distortions and the Biblical truth - get exposed to how we really got our Bible and why we can trust it.

I want to be around people more who don't know Jesus - who don't know the Bible - who don't even realize what's missing from their life is - LIFE! Somehow, someway, we have to build more bridges for people to walk across to find Jesus.

So thanks Matt, for helping me think about how the blind see Jesus.

That's One Way To Handle It

I read a lot of blogs everyday thanks to Google Reader. It doesn't mean I spend that much time on it, since the reader presents me with a snippet and I can then decide whether it's worthy of further review. Wade Hodges is one of those bloggers I read. He's just like me - Northern, Church of Christ, emergent... Ok, he's nothing like me. But I like him - He's about enlarging the Kingdom of God too.

Today, he snipped a post from Patrick Mead with an exchange probably every pastor friend of mine and his brother wishes he had experienced.

A couple was furious with our church. We had gone to see what happened to them after someone noticed they'’d been gone from our worship assembly for some time. "“We aren'’t coming back,"” the husband said. "“That is an unloving, cold church that claims to care about people but doesn'’t."” I asked him on what basis he made that judgment and he replied, "“We were gone four weeks from that church before anyone there even noticed. What kind of church doesn'’t even notice something like that?"”

Mead's response - priceless:

I replied, "“What kind of person are you, that you could be gone for four weeks and the no one in the church could tell?"” They were shocked by this "‘attack"’ so I pressed on. "“What work suffered because you stopped your ministry? What mission work ground to a halt because you withdrew your funding, prayers and support? Could it be '— just imagine with me a moment '— could it be that you never really were a part of the church? Could that be why your departure was unnoticed?"”

Friends, every single organization I have ever been a part of whether sacred or secular, ranging from the Boy Scouts to Procter and Gamble, has always made it clear to me what my responsibilities were, and saw that I carried them out. No sports team has ever "carried" me - I had to produce. No company has ever let me slide - I had to do my part.

People who have the attitude of the couple that Patrick was writing about were the subject of a sermon I remember by Chuck Swindoll many years ago. Don't remember it all, but I do remember the main three points. People not invested - not involved in the life of the church over time progress in this fashion. They begin by sitting, checking out the church. Then they soak up the teaching and the fellowship. But if the culture of the church and its leadership do not challenge and expect them to be involved in ministry themselves, they then sour.

Sit, soak, sour.

So Patrick Mead, I hereby declare you a fellow cat herder of the highest rank. May your tribe increase.

Dan Brown and the Briar Patch

I hope to visit you soon, but just in case I'm delayed, I'm writing this letter so you'll know how things ought to go in God's household, this God-alive church, bastion of truth. This Christian life is a great mystery, far exceeding our understanding, but some things are clear enough:

He appeared in a human body,
was proved right by the invisible Spirit,
was seen by angels.
He was proclaimed among all kinds of peoples,
believed in all over the world,
taken up into heavenly glory. 1 Timothy 3:14-16 (The Message)

Friday, the Da Vinci Code begins its run at theaters all across the nation and around the world. For months now, I've been receiving snail mail and email concerning first the book's and now the movie's potential impact on Christian faith. And yet I cannot help but think that somewhere in heaven, someone is laughing out loud at the latest feeble assault on our faith.

The more I've studied the book and it's claims, the more I'm certain that someone laughing isn't alone, that there might be a whole angelic chorus of laughter. In fact, Brown's book reminds me of another work of fiction, by Joel Chandler Harris.

"I don't care what you do with me, Brer Fox, says he, "Just so you don't fling me in that briar patch. Roast me, Brer Fox," says he, "But don't fling me in that briar patch."
"It's so much trouble to kindle a fire," says Brer Fox, says he, "that I expect I'd better hang you," says he.
"Hang me just as high as you please, Brer Fox, says Brer Rabbit, "but for the Lord's sake, don't fling me in that briar patch," says he.
"I don't have any string, " says Brer Fox, "Now I expect I had better drown you, " says he.
"Drown me just as deep as you please, Brer Fox," says Brer Rabbit, "But please do not fling me in that briar patch, " says he.
"There's no water near here," says Brer Fox, says he, "And now I reckon I'd better skin you."
"Skin me Brer Fox," says he. "Snatch out my eyeballs, tear out my ears by the roots," says he, "But please, Brer Fox, don't fling me in that briar patch, " says he.
Of course, Brer Fox wanted to get Brer Rabbit as bad as he could, so he caught him by the behind legs and slung him right in the middle of the briar patch. There was a considerable flutter when Brer Rabbit struck the bushes, and Brer Fox hung around to see what was going to happen.
By and by he heard someone call his name and 'way up on the hill he saw Brer Rabbit sitting cross-legged on a chinquapin log combing the tar pitch out of his hair with a chip. Then Brer Fox knew he had been tricked.
Brer Rabbit hollered out, "Born and bred in the briar patch. I was born and bred in the briar patch!" And with that he skipped out just as lively as a cricket in the embers of a fire.

Friends, you can trust the Bible. And you can trust God to turn the most clever attacks from any source to His advantage. As Paul wrote to Timothy, we cannot possibly understand everything about God, but some things are clear enough.

So here at New Hope we're going to "Dialogue With Da Vinci" the next couple of weeks. For a serious student of the culture, context, and writings of the New Testament era, it doesn't get much more fun than this.

Don't throw me in that briar patch. :)


Grace!

David

--
Visit with me at my blog:
http://davethepastor.livejournal.com/
Or visit New Hope!
http://www.newhopevalp.org/

Do You Get Paid?

One of our loosely attached middle schoolers was out front of my office yesterday when I left to come home. Out of the blue he asked me a series of questions.

"Are you the only one who works here?"
"Why"
"Do you get paid?"
"Why"

It was kind of funny really. I stopped and tried to explain how we as a church Body all had different roles to play, and that mine was to be a pastor to everyone as they each did their part.

"Everybody works here - God has given each of us talents, gifts, and abilities. My job then is to help people find God, and then find out how to use what He's given them to serve Him by loving people. To do that takes time, and so everybody here gives me that by paying me enough so that I can focus only on that. I read, study, write, call, visit, email - do everything I can to help people find God and stay close to him."

I paused, because I know how short his attention span is, and I was afraid that he might not have understood.

"Cool", he said and walked away.

"Yep, way cool."

Questions

I was watching the TV the other day, and a well known failure as a presidential candidate was being interviewed. The reporter was trying to get an answer to a specific question about a particular policy, and the politician was evading it. It was remarkable at how skilled each of them was at it. The one, in rephrasing and coming back again, and the other at evading while hoping to not seem to be.

It went on for a few minutes until I, the viewer got so frustrated I literally wanted to shout at the screen.

Will you just answer the question?

Last night, I was teaching on the fourth commandment - the Sabbath. We had covered all the heavy lifting last week and this week I was hoping to connect it to life today through Jesus' experiences with the religious authorities. So we talked a bit about exactly what a Jewish Sabbath looked like. In a room filled with women (just worked out that way with about 8 people missing), I tried to stress how Sabbath was a time to renew relationships with God and with family - through spending time. That despite what it later came to be - rigid, inflexible rules - it was about the heart.

So then when I moved on to Jesus, they could understand why He talked about the "rules" of the day by saying "You have heard it said, but I say..."

"Why do you think He did that?", I asked.

A woman who hasn't been coming long, an Air Force wife whose little boy was coloring in a chair next to her said "Because with Jesus, it is always about the heart."

Bingo.

We closed with the Rob Bell video, "Sunday" in which Rob makes some of the very same points. I know that a lot of us who were trained to study, to produce and then deliver the information tend to just drop the material in people's laps. Questions slow us down, and we have to manage the responses.

But think about it the next time you watch a politician dance - if we can create in the hearer a desire - a hunger - for the answer, we've done what Jesus was so skilled at.

Ask. You will receive.

Upon Further Review...

Was sitting here on a Monday thinking about yesterday's services at New Hope. Had just read a guy on the Pastors.com forum questioning on the basis of one Sunday morning's visit and a perusal of the church's bulletin, whether that church should have received the "Healthy Church Award" given by Rick Warren's group. So I wondered, what would he have seen at New Hope?

There was a young man visiting Sunday School classes, telling us about Matt Kenseth's oil leak problems in the race this weekend.

There was a young woman in 2/3 of a red dress.

There was one baby who cried during the service, another young one who vomited during lunch.

Then that night, the pastor led the music, having only the need to help, not the skills.

A healthy church?

Well, that young man updating the Nascar news is Allen, who is mentally challenged. He calls New Hope his church, calls our RA leader his grandpa, and gathers groups of us to sing "Oh How He Loves Me".

The young woman... what was thrilling about her visit wasn't the dress, it was that she was in church and was welcome. Her choice of clothing was the best she had.

The babies - one was accompanied by her unwed mother, who could have felt she wouldn't have been welcomed back into our hearts. The other was the son of our departing worship leader, and after a message on servanthood, I got to clean up vomit. (Just call it an extended sermon) :)

The evening music. Yes, it could have been better. No argument there. But we'll see what God has for us.

So had someone come to New Hope looking for perfection, I'm afraid we would have been sorely lacking. But if they were looking for God - He was there!

Grace!

David

Like Holding Water In Your Hands

Well, today was the last day at New Hope for our worship leader. He came to us three years ago with no experience, just a call, and over that time, he and we grew a lot. The expectations now are much higher.

New Hope isn't just a job, and I'm not looking for someone who wants one. I want to find a person who loves what we are trying to do and wants to dive in. We're nontraditional in the extreme - we dress casual, we sing newer music, but we preach through the Bible and are deadly serious about making disciples - not just converts.

We're at odds with most of our SBC brethren in a lot of ways, and not nearly cool enough to be considered a "contemporary" church (whatever that means). So to find someone who can afford to live here, who has the skills to do the job, and who buys into the New Hope vision...

Means we have to depend on God... again.

Just as we did three years ago.

Stay tuned.

Leaving the Past Behind

When did you realize you believed in Jesus? Was there a moment you can look back on when you realized that it wasn't just the facts about Jesus that you believed, but that you believed in Him? For some, they can remember the day and the time when they became a follower of Jesus. For others, it was a gradual coming to faith. Over time they moved closer and closer to Jesus until one day they realized - I'm with Him!

Today I was reading Mark 10 in preparation for Sunday's sermon and I read ahead to the story of Bartimaeus.

46And so they reached Jericho. Later, as Jesus and his disciples left town, a great crowd was following. A blind beggar named Bartimaeus (son of Timaeus) was sitting beside the road as Jesus was going by. 47When Bartimaeus heard that Jesus from Nazareth was nearby, he began to shout out, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"

48"Be quiet!" some of the people yelled at him.

But he only shouted louder, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"

49When Jesus heard him, he stopped and said, "Tell him to come here."

So they called the blind man. "Cheer up," they said. "Come on, he's calling you!" 50Bartimaeus threw aside his coat, jumped up, and came to Jesus.

51"What do you want me to do for you?" Jesus asked.

"Teacher," the blind man said, "I want to see!"
52And Jesus said to him, "Go your way. Your faith has healed you." And instantly the blind man could see! Then he followed Jesus down the road

So when did it happen for Bartimaeus?

Well, we know he was a beggar, who sat alongside the road that was filled with pilgrims headed to celebrate the Passover in Jerusalem. Day after day he sat there, helplessly pleading for people to give alms as they passed. If they didn't, he didn't eat. Now Jesus is near, and he cries out, and is told to come.

That's when it happens.

Bartimaeus threw aside his coat, jumped up, and came to Jesus.


That coat, or cloak as some versions call it, wasn't just clothing. Beggars wore over sized poncho like coats that they spread out before them to catch the money people gave. So when Bartimaeus decided to trust that Jesus could do what he needed, by leaping up and tossing aside his cloak... He left his past behind - the way he had made a living... trusted His Savior - and found life!.

Have you?

Grace!

David

Ivory Tower, Or Workshop Floor?

No one else knew. No one else would understand. He had everything, and it wasn't enough. Everyday as he unlatched the door to the synagogue and prepared for Torah school, he felt as if he was just going through the motions.

As hazzan of the assembly, he was involved in every aspect of worship and teaching. It was he who blew the shofar to begin shabbot when the first three stars were visible in the sky. He was the one entrusted with the Torah scrolls and it was he who danced with delight as he placed them in the ark. On the outside, it was all about God - but inside, what begin as a sliver of dissatisfaction had become a cold and lifeless life.

Looking at the young boys as they eagerly listened to him explain about the majesty and wonder of Yahweh, as He led His people from slavery, he was gripped with envy "If I only wanted to know God like they do", he thought.

He walked over to one pupil who was seated next to the window opening to the courtyard. Laughing and smiling, he explained yet again to Simon's son that placing the yot over the aleph in that position would change the whole Law. Simon stomp his feet in frustration and tipped the bench over.

As he picked it up, he glanced outside and saw... Jesus and his talmidim. They looked to be leaving town. He might never get another chance.

"Continue practicing your aleph and bet boys, class dismissed." He raced out the door and caught Jesus just as he was rounding the corner.

He dropped to the ground in front of him while looking intently in Jesus' face "Good Teacher, what must I do to get eternal life?"

Jesus said, "Why are you calling me good? No one is good, only God. You know the commandments: Don't murder, don't commit adultery, don't steal, don't lie, don't cheat, honor your father and mother."

He said, "Teacher, I have--from my youth--kept them all!"

Jesus looked him hard in the eye--and loved him! He said, "There's one thing left: Go sell whatever you own and give it to the poor. All your wealth will then be heavenly wealth. And come follow me."

The man's face clouded over. This was the last thing he expected to hear, and he walked off with a heavy heart. He was holding on tight to a lot of things, and not about to let go.

Maybe it happened much like I've written (and Eugene Peterson's Message relates). I'm just making a best guess based on what I know about the passage, the culture, and the work of a typical synagogue ruler or "hazzan".

But here's the thing.....

Bunny, Sean and I were talking last night about how learning more about the Jewish context and culture of the Bible has been a big help for us in understanding the Scriptures better. Bunny had just shared some insight she had found about one of the Psalms that stood the way she had always looked at it on it's head.

"See, that sort of stuff needs to be in the notes or something," Sean said. "It really helps you understand, but you have to be a scholar to know it."

That's been bugging me ever since.

At first, I thought about a classic American quick fix - everyone just needs study Bibles. But then I remembered that the contextual studies are not really done in most of those. Then I thought, "well, you just need to teach more on that." But that just means the problem that Sean identified continues.

The answer is for each follower of Jesus to learn more about Him and His culture. We're not just separated by language. There's time too. But with today's resources available for free via the Internet, we can know Jesus and His culture better.

And that puts us right where God wants us - able to understand His Word, discern His will, and do the things He's planned for us that will glorify His name.

So friends, get to work. Here are some links to get you started.

http://www.menorahministries.com/Scriptorium/JesusThruJewishEyes.htm
http://www.ancient-hebrew.org/
http://www.followtherabbi.com/Brix?pageID=1458
http://www.itanakh.org/

Shalom,

David

Let's Roll

There's been a lot of buzz this week so far about Flight 93, the movie that describes that fateful day when America was attacked and in the case of that plane, the passengers fought back and prevented even more death and destruction.

From what I've seen of the clips, and from what I've read about that group of people, they were very normal, average Americans. Yet on that day, that horrible day, they were asked to be more than they ever had been, and to give what Lincoln called on another field not too far from the impact site "their last full measure of devotion."

I've just read another pastor's blog tonight. He's in that swirling cloud of discouragement that arises when people decide not to grow. He's confident in the call he received from God, sure of the vision given for that Body of believers, skilled and able.

But he's being worn down.

Stuart Briscoe wrote, "These are the minimum qualifications of a pastor: the mind of a scholar, the heart of a child, and the hide of a rhinoceros."

He's on target with that, but protecting that child's heart from harm takes help. The pastor is assumed to be above injury, but by the very nature of the job, you place yourself over and over again in harm's way - if you care.

And he cares.

So lift a prayer tonight for all those men and women who care for the flock by laying down their lives every day.