A Birthday Musing

Today I turn 34. It's time for me to make a difference.

According to tradition my lifespan has surpassed that of Jesus' time on earth in the form of a man. I cannot help but think, "What have I really accomplished in that amount of time?" I have been reading a biography on the German martyr, Dietrich Bonhoeffer. By the time he was 34 he had earned a doctorate, began a church movement that rebelled against the Nazi-sanctioned German church, spoke at international conferences condemning the Nazi party and completed his masterful book, "The Cost of Discipleship."

I know, it's not fair to compare myself with the Lord of the universe (although He is the only One we ought to compare ourselves with), and Bonhoeffer's example is an exemplary one that few can measure up to. But still, I feel the weight of Paul's commands to 'make the most of every opportunity' (see Galatians 6:10 and Colossians 4:5 for a couple of examples) as I grow older. None of us know how many trips around the sun we get to take. Bonhoeffer would never live to see his 40th birthday, and yet he left an indelible mark on this world for the cause of Christ. Whether I live to be 40 or 100, I want to spend every moment pursuing Christ and His plan for me. I want to accomplish great things for His glorification. I want my life to matter.

Today I turn 34. It's time for me to make a difference.

Book List

I get asked all the time about what I'm reading and what I've read lately that's helping me to develop my ministry and myself. Obvious answer #1 is: (drum-roll please) THE BIBLE! But I believe God has gifted many people with the gift of writing to edify and encourage others, so I decided to compile a list of books that I have read in 2010 that I found helpful. These aren't all the books I read last year, they are just the ones that I found beneficial in some way. And they are in no particular order. So without any further ado:

The Simple Life by Thom and Art Rainer, B & H Publishing
Think by John Piper, Crossway Books
Respectable Sins by Jerry Bridges, NavPress
The Faith Once for All by Jack Cottrell, College Press
Transforming Church in Rural America by Shannon O'Dell, New Leaf Press
You Are God's Plan A by Dwight Robertson, David C. Cook Publishing
Desiring God by John Piper, Multnomah Books
Renovation of the Heart by Dallas Willard, NavPress
The Christian Atheist by Craig Groeschel, Zondervan Publishing
Outlive Your Life by Max Lucado, Thomas Nelson Publishers
The Hole in Our Gospel by Richard Stearns, Thomas Nelson Publishers
Wild Goose Chase by Mark Batterson, Multnomah Books
Radical by David Platt, Multnomah Books
Starving Jesus by Craig Gross and J. R. Mahon, David C. Cook Publishing
Just Walk Across the Room by Bill Hybells, Zondervan Publishing
Living With Confidence in a Chaotic World by David Jeremiah, Thomas Nelson Publishing
Everyone Communicates, Few Connect by John Maxwell, Thomas Nelson Publishing
Why Men Hate Going to Church by David Murrow, Thomas Nelson Publishing

The following are books that I strive to read every year because of the great message within them:

Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire by Jim Cymbala, Zondervan Publishing
The Cost of Discipleship, by Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Simon and Schuster
Mere Christianity, by C.S. Lewis, Simon and Schuster
Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster, HarperCollins Publishers

Hope this helps. Feel free to comment and tell me what you are reading to help you grow in your walk with Christ.

Simplicity

I have a confession to make. I know it may come as a shock to some, and a disappointment to others, but to those who know me best, this confession has been a long time coming.

I... am... a... clutter-bug.

Whew! I said it! It's now out in the open for all to see. It seems wherever I go clutter surrounds me. Even now as I type, my desk is cluttered with books, papers, paper-clips, two empty cups (why do I need two?) and scraps of paper with various tidbits of information scrawled on them (often on both sides). Beside my recliner at home is a stack of books (I can never read just one at a time), a magazine or two, remotes, a stack of mail from the previous couple of days, and if memory serves me correctly, a screwdriver (don't ask me why, it's just there.) When you add four kids to the mix, a busy life with all sorts of demands and a hobby that requires lots of painting and drawing supplies, what you get is a mess.

But lately I've been wrestling with the idea of simplicity. Some of the early church leaders considered simplicity a spiritual discipline. So what is simplicity? My take on it is this: paring down your life to only the things you use regularly. You could even take it a step farther by paring life down to only the things you need. The discipline part of this is easy to understand, especially to someone like me who is able to function amidst the detritus of a cluttered life. It takes discipline to put things away, to not buy new things to add to the mix and to throw away things you no longer need or use. But what part of this is spiritual?

Let me rewind a couple of weeks. God blessed my family this year with a very good Christmas. The kids got all sorts of stuff from parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc. I got a brand new recliner and we were able to give generously to our parents who have given us so much. But as I looked at all the stuff my kids got, it occurred to me we would need to get rid of older things to make room for new. As my wife and I began organizing and sorting old from new, used from neglected and superfluous from the necessary, we decided we needed to do the same with our things. Initially this decision was made to wage war against the materialistic demons that wage war in our culture. Things are great to own, but too often we become owned by them. But as we have continued to 'downsize' throughout the house it occurred to me, the more stuff I get rid of, the more room I have for God; the louder my proclamation that He is my sustainer and I need nothing apart from Him. It was one of those 'Ah-Ha!' moments as I realized what God has been trying to tell me over the last several months.

So as I threw away the 10-year old Sports-Illustrateds (the ones with the Yankees celebrating another World Series), and the stack of ball-caps that I had not worn in the last 3 years, and as we packed up clothes to donate, we did so as an act of worship. It was, and is, our declaration of dependence on God and God alone.

Now, I just need to clean off this desk.

Slave by John Mac Arthur

John Mac Arthur's books have always been hit or miss for me. I either love them or really don't get anything out of them. This one, Slave: The Hidden Truth About Your Identity in Christ, falls into the 'love it!' category. MacArthur takes great care in uncovering a truth that has been lost in many modern congregations. In his own words, "The current of mainstream evangelicalism is driven by pragmatic concerns, not theological ones. Church growth gurus worry about what draws a crowd, not about what the Bible says... prosperity preachers make man the master, as if Christ were some genie in a bottle... Even within some conservative circles, pragmatic worldly methods... and almost boundless adaptations of the worst of worldly music are aggressively defended as long as they get visible results." (see p. 74)

What is this lost truth? It is the idea of God as our master and we are his slaves. MacArthur begins with a thorough word study of the Greek words 'kurios' ('master' or 'lord') and 'doulos' ('slave' or 'servant'). He rightly teaches that 'doulos' always means a slave, but that to avoid confusing first century slavery with British colonial slavery, translators have opted for the less offensive term, 'servant.' MacArthur follows this through with practical applications for how Christ is not only master over the Church at large, but also master over us as individuals.

Following Paul's pattern in Romans 6-8, MacArthur then points out how we are mastered by either sin or by grace. For several chapters he shows the tyranny of being enslaved by sin, and in his concluding chapters he artfully teaches the oxymoron that there is freedom in slavery to God. Throughout the book is a call for all Christ-followers to submit to Jesus as our master. He owns us and uses us at His discretion, and we, if we are true slaves of God, have no choice but to obey Him, and through this obedience discover true liberty.

A great read that I highly recommend to any Christian or anyone thinking about becoming a Christian. MacArthur helps us to count the cost and to choose whom you will serve.

Casting the Vision

There she was, my eleven-year-old daughter trying on her first pair of glasses. Not only was she looking way too grown up for my taste, she was looking. As we walked around the store later her eyes were wide with wonder as she was able to read clearly that which was but a few moments before a blur. The fascination continued in the car trip home. She constantly marveled at the signs she could now read and the details she could now see. Vision was restored, and she didn't even realize how poor her eyesight had become.

That's the way it is with many of us. We often need vision revealed to us. It doesn't come naturally or easily. We need someone to correct our sight and re-focus our eyes on that which really matters. God has done this throughout my life. He has used parents, grandparents, professors, ministers, my wife, and even my children to adjust my vision. But His greatest tool has been His Word. When I am in the Word daily, my vision is clear. But if I miss a day, or two, or fifteen, the vision returns to a weakened state. That which should be clear is fuzzy, and I get very nearsighted, focusing only on the things that immediately affect me.

As we start a new year, my prayer is that my vision is His vision, and that I keep my eyes open to it. As a preaching minister, part of my ministry is casting a vision for the congregation I serve. It is a daunting and humbling task. Only after much prayer and consultation did I move forward, and even then it was with the nervousness of one who is about to attempt something he is not quite sure he is capable of completing. But that's the point! I am not capable. Thus, when the vision is achieved, God, not I, gets all the glory and praise.

My hope is that you realize God's vision for your life and for your local congregation. 2011 holds much potential, but it will only be realized when we begin to see it clearly.

Aftermath- Looking Ahead

Torn scraps of colored paper litter the floor. Boxes, bows and ribbons are strewn throughout the room. Debris from ripping through packaging material are all that remains. Toys are in the rooms. Electronics are being played with and gadgets are being tested. There is relative peace, because Christmas is over.

I remember as a child it seemed Christmas was over all too quick. All the anticipation and build up was over after just 30 minutes of unwrapping presents. The mysteries of what was in each box were revealed and the puzzle of figuring out what was in that odd-shaped package was solved. Now all that was left was the clean-up (and the playing with the gifts of course). I can remember some years feeling a let-down, as if the end was anti-climactic compared to the waiting.

Now this doesn't mean I didn't have good Christmases growing up. Just the opposite. I had parents who gave us not only what we wanted, but what we needed, as well as unexpected gifts to help us pursue our passions or hone our hidden talents. It's just there were times, especially when I got older, that it seemed the excitement far outlasted the temporary happiness that each gift brought. And now, as an adult, the aftermath of Christmas means bills to pay (though we are fairly good at not going into debt for Christmas) and paring down of older things to make room for new things. It means the taking down of decorations and the constant reminding of children to put their new toys away. It means getting back to work and back to routine. Usually by mid-January Christmas is a distant memory and life plows on, ever-faster; ever-relentless. Surely this isn't what Christmas is all about?

As I think about this, I think about the disciples and what they must have felt after Jesus ascended into heaven. The long-awaited Messiah had come, and for three years ministered to the Jewish people. Now he was ascending into heaven. No political kingdom had been founded. No government coup had taken place. Caesar still ruled, taxes still had to be paid and the Sanhedrin still ruled the Temple with a legalistic tyranny. I wonder, as they waited in Jerusalem for what Jesus had promised (see Acts 1) what their conversations must have been. They had been on an adventure for three years, now what? Was it over? What was next? Surely this was not what they had anticipated.

Oh to be there on that day of Pentecost! When the senses were brought to life with the sound of a violent rushing wind and the sight of a flame coming to rest upon each one in that upper room. Oh to be there when the Apostles began to preach in a myriad of languages and to see 3,000 souls immersed into Christ! What a fulfillment that must have been! The Kingdom had come, and it came with power.

You know, that same Holy Spirit works within the Church today. He still moves and compels the people of God into a life of adventure and fulfillment. That doesn't mean it will be easy, but it will be an adventure. So as you put away the tree and wrap up the lights, remember, Christmas has always been, and will always be a beginning of an adventure, not merely a fulfillment of ancient promises. God has more in store for you and I!

The Marble

Our bedroom looks like the gift wrapping department at a major retail store. Ribbons, bows and paper cover every available surface. Unused boxes sit in the corner, open and waiting to be filled with a thoughtful gift. Scraps of paper, too small for use on a medium sized gift, but too large to be thrown away, litter the floor. The kids are constantly trying to find ways to sneak into the 'forbidden zone' in hopes of catching a glimpse of an unwrapped toy.

The living room shows the fruits of this gift-wrapping chaos. Beneath the tree, neatly packaged and decorated with bows of green, red, silver, and gold, are the presents. Some small, some large, and various ones in between. Since most of the wrapping goes on after bedtime, the kids have been greeted several mornings with another gift or two under the tree. Last night, as I went to place the latest stash beneath the boughs I saw a wadded up piece of newspaper. I picked it up thinking it mus be something the cats have been playing with. But inside I could feel something hard. I slowly unwrapped it to discover a marble.

Now I must pause to tell you the significance of this marble. This was not just any marble. This was Savannah's marble. This particular marble had been residing in the top drawer of Savannah's dresser for several months. The top drawer was a place of honor. It was a place of distinction. From the top drawer Savannah's favorite trinkets and toys resided in relative safety from curious sisters and clumsy little fingers. And it was from within this top drawer, that the marble had been taken from it's place of honor to be wrapped in a piece of torn newsprint, to be placed beneath a tree.

I went to Savannah the next day to ask why she placed her beloved marble under the tree. Her answer was reflective of the heart that is sometimes hidden by her spunky attitude, "I wanted to give you something for Christmas, but I didn't have any money, so I gave you my favorite thing."

The story is so familiar isn't it? God, who has no use for money, went into his 'top drawer' to pick out His most valuable possession to give to us. This gift did not come wrapped in the fanciest, most colorful of garments, adorned with gold and silver, but it was wrapped in the swaddling cloths of a poor Palestinian maiden. Nor was it put in a place of honor. In fact, this gift would not be placed under a tree, but upon one. And through the whole story we hear God revealing His heart to us, "I wanted to give you something, so I gave you my favorite thing; I gave you my Son."

As I hugged Savannah, I couldn't help but smile because with her child-like heart she showed me once again, what Christmas is all about.