Distractions...

My wife often jokingly rebukes me about my love/hate relationship with football. She laughs when I get mad because my favorite team loses or does something stupid. She gets mad when I yell while watching the game, because in my excitement I awakened her "nap time". She also "gently" reminds me that I can spend 3 hours watching a game and totally ignore her. I emphatically try to reassure her that I've not ignored her for 3 hours, but then I inevitably get hit with a question that I can't answer. As I sit there pondering the reality that I just wasted 3 hours on something that is ultimately meaningless, I find my heart remorseful because I could have chosen something much greater in value. No matter how hard I try, I will never get that time back. In regard to time, regrettably, there are no "do overs".



The immediate temptation is to then go spend time with her, but if I am honest it isn't because I desire to be near her and to enjoy her company, it is usually guilt based and condemnation driven. When I am with her, I am reminded of all the reasons I love her and why we are best friends. Why didn't I just keep focused on her and not lose sight of what was important?



As I see the current state of the Church, I believe that many Christians are faced with this same issue...distractions. We know we have a "Lover" that is dying to spend time with us, but for some reason we are consumed with a distraction called "life". We're involved in many extra-cirricular activities with our children, church activites, and the responsibilities of home. We so easily set aside our intimate time with Him in order to take care of these obligations, and even more often set aside our time with other believers to take care of these. We then realize how empty we are and wonder why we don't "feel" part of the Church. Sometimes, this leads us to question why we even go to church and what is the point of being a part of it.


What is intended for our enjoyment and pleasure will soon turn into an idol if it becomes the priority of our lives. As Jesus walked this earth, that had to go through His mind. All the things He created were more important to the people than He was. He cried out for them to come to Him, but they were too distracted...I wonder, do we hear Him calling out to us? I sure hope so because I couldn't imagine how much it would hurt for Him to see us love His creation and merely tolerate being with Him.

My prayer for The Church is that we would lose sight of this world and its distractions, by catching a glimpse of Him....

Losing...

From a young age, I have had a tremendous disgust with losing. Although I have had my share of losing, and have learned from much of it, I still hate to lose. I have had to allow God to taper me in this arena, and He still is, because even a family board game can become very competitive! Last night, I was watching my favorite football team play. As the other team kicked a game winning field goal as time expired, I felt a disgust enter my mind and I just started shaking my head and analyzing all the mistakes that were made during the game. Interceptions, fumbles, dropped passes, and sloppy play allowed a team that is not quite as good to win the game. I must admit, that as thrilled as I am when I win, I am equally disgusted when I lose.

This causes me to wonder, does God feel the same way?

Can you imagine the joy that floods God's heart when we, His children, obey His commands and His Holy Spirit works through us to accomplish something as amazing as leading someone to become His disciple? What about the joy that makes Him stand up off of His throne with rejoicing when someone is set free from their bondage and falls in love with Him?

Could you also imagine the agony and disgust that floods His mind when we, His chosen people, “fumble" the power and victory He so brutally purchased for us because we chose to do what we want instead of what He wants?

Yes, in this life football is just a game and there aren't really any repercussions to losing except a little damage to our pride. But, what is at stake if we "lose" in this battle we call life? I believe in God's Kingdom there is no room for sloppy play and half-hearted effort because it just might cost us more than the superbowl.

I encourage you with Paul's words in 1 Cor. 9:24... "Do you know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it!

I pray we can run and win this for our Savior...

Trembling...

When is that last time you were fearful of something to the point that you actually were shaking? Was it while watching a movie? A friend who scared you? Perhaps a car accident? As a self-proclaimed adrenaline junky, I get a kick out of forcing myself to do crazy things that cause my mind and body to react. I also get a kick out of scaring people. I love to see the sheer panic on their face for a second and then the realization that they are ok. Most people hate me for this, including my wife, but for some messed up reason, I like it! I once hid behind the door of the kitchen at my office and when our secretary opened it I jumped out and screamed at her. As she simultaneously clutched her heart, screamed, and her eyes tripled in size, I began laughing hysterically. After a moment of regaining her composure, I followed her back to her office. As she sat down, I could see her hands were shaking. I scared her pretty good….

As I read the scriptures and see how people reacted in the presence of God, or when God spoke to them, I see a similar reaction. Look at the Israelites at Mt. Sinai, Isaiah in the temple, or maybe David when Uzzah was struck down. What about the Roman soldiers when they came to arrest Jesus in Gethsemane? What about John in Revelation when Jesus appeared to him? What about Paul on the Damascus road?

When God speaks to us, do we tremble? Does our countenance change?

In Isaiah 66:1-2, God, using His wonderful rhetoric, makes it know exactly who He is and what He looks for.

“Thus says the Lord: ‘Heaven is My throne, and the earth My footstool. Where is the house you will build for me? And where is the place of My rest? For all those things My hand has made, and all those things exist,’ says the Lord. ‘But on this one will I look: On him who has a poor and contrite spirit, and who trembles at My word.”

With all the sermons, opinions, and actions that we label “from God”, I must ask, “Do these evoke a response of trembling in us?”

My friends, I encourage you, as Hebrews 12:26-29 says, to “Let us not refuse Him who speaks….whose voice then shook the earth…and let us serve God acceptably with reverence and Godly fear…”

Powerful Words

Powerful Words

The power of the atom. A sacrificial act of love. The overwhelming size of the Grand Canyon. The horrific atrocities people commit on one another. These are just a few “things” that cause people to awe, and inevitably evokes a reaction of a sense of pride of accomplishment, or humility as we realize we’re not as good, big and strong as we thought we were. Even more than these “things”, I believe words have the power to evoke even more awe, emotion, passion, hurt, joy, and effort than the sights we may behold. Every human alive can remember when someone spoke a kind word to them, they can remember when someone hurt them deeply by something that was spoken out of anger or frustration. We can remember the first time someone said “I love you”, and we can remember times when someone said “I don’t like you.”

Have you ever wondered why words are so powerful? Here are some thoughts I have….

….John 1:1, the Bible clearly states “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was God.”
….Genesis 1 – God spoke creation into being…. “And God said, “Let…”
….John 1:3 – “All things were made through Him (the Word), and without Him nothing was made that was made…
….Isaiah 55:11 - So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please….

Would it be safe to conclude that the very nature of words are found in the nature of God Himself?

We as Christians, who have the very Spirit of God living in us, should understand how powerful our words are to be if we they are the words of God? Do you think that maybe this is why Jesus states in Matthew 12:36, that “for every idle word men speak they shall give account of it on the day of Judgment.” The word “idle” here means lazy, unproductive, not working. Do you think Jesus was saying that whatever we speak should accomplish something? We live in a society that is full of words but little in action. Where has this discrepancy come from? Why do we see this discrepancy in the Church as well? As a Pastor, this thought causes a great deal of fear.

Let me leave you with one more thought. In Jonah 2:4-5, it says that Jonah spoke the word of the Lord and the ENTIRE city of Ninevah believed God. Oh, that our words would be the Word of God, and have the same results. I pray that you and I together would be bold enough to stand in this day and time and speak the life giving, truthful words of God, and see this world respond as Ninevah did.

The Purple Cow

The little town I grew up in Montana is home to a unique little family owned restaurant named the Purple Cow. They have t-shirts and there is even a poem composed many years earlier about the purple cow. I have never heard of another restaurant named like this until recently, but I have found that most anyone who passes by Hardin, MT on the interstate takes notice of this restaurant amid all the other chains that are present. The purple cow poem by Mr. Burgess goes as follows: "I never saw a Purple Cow, I never hope to see one; But I can tell you, anyhow, I'd rather see than be one."

Those who have a marketing background understand the Purple Cow principle that was written by Seth Godin. The principle of this analogy is that in order to be successful you must find a way to stand out from those around you. By standing out, you will arrest people's attention and cause them to look at what you offer.

As I read about my Jesus, my Rabbi, I find that he was the "purple cow" among the herd of Rabbis in His day. As I read about him choosing his disciples, I wonder what it was that caused James, John, and Peter to notice him and to leave all they had previously known? In Matthew 7:29, it says that "...people were astonished at his teaching, because he taught as one having authority, and not as the scribes." What was it that caused their attention to be arrested? Jesus goes on to teach in John 13:35 that "...ALL will know you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." He expects our actions toward one another to arrest people's attention and cause them to identify our actions with His. Lastly, we see in Revelation 1 where His glory arrested the attention of the 'disciple whom Jesus loved', yet we are promised in Haggai that the glory of the latter will be greater than that of the former. We, His Bride, His Church, His Chosen are supposed to be “purple cows”!! We are supposed to stand out and arrest the attention of the world, who is comatosed by lust, greed, and evil. We are meant to be seen!

I wonder, do people take second glances at you and I? Do people see us any different than the others they see every day? My heartfelt prayer is that we, His Church, would no longer try to look like the world, but that we would have the courage to be like our Rabbi and stand out from among everyone else. Truth is, I would like to see a "purple cow" in our society, but I pray, even more, that I could be one - just like my Jesus.