The Reluctant Servant

A week of opposites.

That is what last week was to me.  We had breakfast at dinner-time and dinner at breakfast time.  We ate desserts first and main course after.  We walked in lines backwards and turned the daily schedule on it's head.  Why?  To illustrate that Jesus wants us to live 'backwards' and 'upside-down' to the way the world teaches us to live.  As far as Sr. High weeks at camp go, it was one of the most effective I have been a part of in quite some time.

Rewind about a week.  I didn't want to go to camp.  My schedule was packed, and I had moved out of the area this camp served two years ago.  But as a favor to a good friend, I agreed to help out.  When I pulled into camp on Sunday night I found my self wishing I had turned my friend down.  There was not an air-conditioned building in sight.  It was hot, humid and buggy.  The mosquitoes in Delaware are so thick you can see them in clouds, and the horseflies double as F-16s when they are not busy terrorizing the foolish camper who left his bug repellant at home.  And the sand.  Because of the camp's proximity to the beach, sand is everywhere.  It's in the dorms.  It's in the showers.  It's in the beds.  It's in your cereal.  Grit and grime become routine at this Christian camp tucked away in middle-of-nowhere, Delaware.  I found myself sorely tempted to look up the number to the local Holiday Inn.  But I am a man of my word, so I stayed, and I'm glad I did.

God specializes at using the mundane to do the extraordinary.  In His book shepherds kill giants and crucified carpenters save humanity.  So I should not be surprised that at a small, remote and run down camp God decided to show up and make His presence known.  The week was filled with incredible moments.  Baptisms stirred the pool on three different nights.  Tears of repentance, mourning, and healing were shed throughout the week, as old lives were left behind for new ones.  Then came Thursday night.

The theme was to lead you must serve, and to illustrate it the dean brought out a tub of water and washcloths.  Kids partnered up and began to wash each others feet.  At first there were nervous smiles and anxious laughter.  But as the worship leader began playing old hymns on the piano, the voices of dozens of teens began to fill the pavilion.  Immediately, I could sense that the Holy Spirit was moving as the teens began to seek out the adult volunteers to wash their feet.  I hung out in the back.  I don't like anyone touching my feet due to being extremely ticklish.  That, and there was something inside of me that said I didn't deserve such an honor.  However, eventually a young woman found me and insisted that she wash my feet.  I protested, but she would not relent.  All she said was, 'If you are to serve others, you must be served.' 

I didn't realize just how much cleansing I needed.  Fifteen years of carrying the burdens and heartaches of others washed away as the water poured over my feet.   Wounds received in serving God's army began to heal as I felt the washcloth scrubbing away the grime from my soles.  If it wasn't for the fact that I was trying not to laugh at the tickling sensation, I would have been weeping like a baby.  In that moment, I was restored.  In that moment God renewed my strength.  After the ceremony I was emotionally spent, but I was spiritually invigorated.

As I drove away from camp the next day, I couldn't help but feel a sense of loss.  I was leaving a place that had become holy that week because it was visited by the Holy Spirit of God.  There was part of me that wished that I could stay there forever.  But just as certain as it was God who restored me, it was God telling me now it was time for me to serve others.  Now is my time to be a servant with a basin and rags.  Now is my time to take the message of Christ to others, and to help them bear their burdens and wash their wounds.  Now is my time.

Now is also your time.  Go.  Serve.  Wash some feet.

No He Can't by Kevin McCullough

I typically steer away from getting mired down in politics.  Even now, I am not sure why I picked this book to review from booksneeze (maybe there was a limited selection, or I was momentarily entranced by the eye-catching 'O' logo of Obama's).  Either way I picked it, and now the onus is on me to review it.

The Good
McCullough is a talented writer.  The information is presented in a clear and easy to read name.  Even the chapter titles are catchy.  Even a novice to American politics would be able to follow the points and reasoning of the author.  While it is clear he is no Obama fan, McCullough does raise some salient questions that get the reader thinking and reasoning.

The Bad
The book is your typical political read.  It shows the clear bias of a conservative journalist.  I am sure that are several 'clones' of this book out there, as well as rebuttals written by journalists who lean more to the left.  The biggest problem in all of this:  politics is not what the world needs!  I was hoping that a book coming from a 'Christian' publishing house would steer us away from the muck and mire of American political theater, and steer us toward the cross of Christ.  While I am not ignorant of politics, I don't put my trust in them as a cure-all for societies ills.

Overall, A Good Read
If politics is your thing, give this book a read.  Use it as a discussion with friends.  But don't let it create such a division that evangelism becomes impossible, whether you are evangelizing to the left or to the right.

Max on Life by Max Lucado

Max Lucado has long been a favorite author of mine, though admittedly I read him more to 'borrow' illustrations for sermons and lessons than for any other reason.  When 'Max On Life' came out I was so excited to give it a read  I was hoping for perhaps a more intimate look at Lucado's life and personal insights form his experiences.  Granted, there are some personal stories and illustrations throughout the book, but it left me feeling like I had just read a 'best of...' featuring some of his more memorable passages etc.  The book is arranged by questions, some deep, some very surface-level and Lucado responds with usually a one to three page response.  The problem is that some of the deeper questions he really seemed to just skim the surface of while other questions were answered with a re-hash of a previous writing.  Lucado often suffers from the criticism of 'if you've read one Lucado book, you've read them all.'  Unfortunatley, this book does nothing to dispel that critique.  If you love Lucado, give it a read, but don't be surprised if you've heard it all before in some other date with a book.

What If the Lunatics are Right?

Harold Camping is just the latest in a long list of doomsday prophets who have fallen flat on their faces.  As I watched the aftermath of his failed prediction I was struck by the sincerity of some of his followers.  Sure, they were gullible and easily led astray.  And yes, it's easy to look at them with total bewilderment as we see all that  they sacrificed for a false prophet.  ABC news profiled one guy who spent his entire life savings (nearly $150,000!) on billboards, pamphlets and posters.  When asked why, his answer was something along the lines of "I wanted to do everything I could to save as many as I could."  Was he misguided?  Absolutely.  Is there something we can learn from his example of total sacrifice?  Absolutely.


A Long Line of Lunatics
Have you paid attention to just how many 'lunatics' there are on the pages of Scripture?  What I mean by this is, just look at how many characters were willing to do crazy things to get the message of God out to the masses.  These guys, if they existed in our culture, would be mocked by the media, estranged by mainstream Christianity, and thought of in the same vein as the sidewalk preacher who hands out the 'You're Going to Hell' tracts.  Here's a list of just a few:

• John the Baptist-  Yeah, he attracted a huge crowd, but I wonder how many were just curious bystanders who wanted to look at the quack country preacher with long hair, itchy clothes and who ate bugs.  Let's admit it, he would be the preacher that everybody says is just too 'out of touch' with modern culture, especially with that whole repentance message he had.
• Hosea-  This guy married a whore!  No, really, he did.  Can't you read the headlines now, "Preacher Marries Prostitute: 'God told me to do it!'"  Never mind the laughability, now he's got no credibility among the religious right.  And things are just going to get worse when he starts explaining that his marriage is a picture of God's people selling out to lesser idols rather than remaining true to God.
• Jeremiah-  As far as lunatics, this guy owns the franchise.  During one series of sermons he walks around town with an ox-yoke on his shoulders (that will garner some unwanted attention).  But that's nothing compared to his let's-preach-naked stunt.  He would be on all the cable news shows for being locked up for indecent exposure, not to mention being sued by the naked-cowboy guy in New York for trying to steal his unique performance gimmick.

Our faith has been handed down to us by some radically different characters.  Men and women who were absolutely unyielding in their devotion to God and unwavering in their commitment to Him.  Unfortunately, such commitment and devotion is not only rare today, it is looked down upon by many within the Church.  And the sad thing is, I am just as guilty of looking down my nose at those who are willing to do whatever it takes to share the gospel.

A Confession
Earlier this week, NBC news did a story on a woman who was taking a year off of work to do something different.  She was going to walk from her home in Utah to Washington DC.  What made her unique however, was that she was going to carry a ten-foot tall wooden cross the entire way.  I'll be honest, my first reaction was religious snobbery.  'That's not going to be effective,' I mused pridefully to myself.  'She's just going to be a joke to 90% of the people she meets.'  My snobbery was reflected in the faces of the news anchor who had that raised eyebrow smirk on his face.  But then the Holy Spirit started to do it's work of convicting me.  I began to ask myself all sorts of questions, 'What if she is called by God to do this?  Who am I to question such a calling?  How many conversations is she going to start on this 2,000 mile journey?  Would I be willing to take a year off of work to do something radical for God?  Am I as devoted to Jesus as she is?'  Needless to say, I spent the rest of the night repenting, and being challenged by a woman I never met, that I don't know what her religious background is and that I initially thought of as a loon.  I guess her walk wasn't in vain.

What About You?
Are you as dedicated to Jesus as Mr. Camping's followers were to his false teachings?  Are you willing to give up everything you have to see others come to Christ?  Would you take a year off of work to do something radical if God called you to do it?  The 'lunatics' may be misguided at times, but their devotion should serve as an example of what Christ expects of His disciples.
For those of us who are leaders, are we leading by example?  What are we doing to cultivate an absolute devotion to Jesus Christ in our followers?  Are we, as C.S. Lewis pointed out in The Weight of Glory, "half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us..."?  As Lewis concludes, I sometimes wonder if, "we are far too easily pleased."  Let's get radical with our message.  Let's go to people no one else will go to, preach the truth that no one else will preach, and love those that no one else will love.  We may be branded as lunatics, but at least the message of Christ will be spread.

Rejoicing and Mourning- My feelings on the death of a Terrorist

It is tempting to cheer, and at first I did.  Hands went in the air triumphantly at the news that one of America's greatest foes had fallen.  Justice was served.  The innocent blood of thousands was avenged, and I rejoiced.

But in my heart something broke.  Beneath the jubilation was a great sadness, a mourning of sorts.  Yes an enemy was defeated.  A murderer had his own blood shed.  But the Spirit within me would not let me cheer with the others who chanted 'U-S-A' outside the gates of the White House.  My heart was too heavy to share the jubilation of those who gathered in Times Square in the early morning hours of May 2, 2011.

Osama Bin Laden was dead.  Terrorist.  Murderer.  Hate-filled propagator of evil.  Image-bearer of God.  It's the last one I struggle with.  How can one filled with so much hate, who has killed and wounded so many, bear the image of God?  Yet, I cannot deny that this is what the Bible teaches, and my spirit wrestles with the fact that one made in God's image appears to have died outside of His grace.  So I attempt to answer two questions that many Christians are wrestling with today.

Is it Wrong for me to feel a certain amount of Joy at this News?
In short, no.  Now before I get any 'Amens' from those who have rejoiced all day, and before my fellow believers who feel saddened that another soul has crossed the threshold of Hell cast any stones, let me explain.  The Bible is full of examples of those who rejoiced when God's justice fell.  Ranging from Psalm 58 to Revelation 19 we see examples of the righteous rejoicing when God's justice falls upon the unrighteous.  We serve a God whose justice will not be denied.  The Psalmist says that God is known by His justice (9:16), that He loves justice (11:7; 33:5) and that His justice is as deep as the oceans (36:6).  We can rejoice that God is vindicated in this matter.  We can rejoice that His justice has been meted out.  We can rejoice that good has triumphed evil, that a murderer was brought to justice and that God can and will be glorified in this.  We can rejoice that thousands of families will be brought closure by today's news.  We can rejoice that New York City has taken a giant step towards healing today.  So yes, it is okay to feel a certain amount of joy at this news.

Should I feel Sorrow that Another Soul has Died Outside of Christ?
Yes, but no more than you should for any other soul that has perished outside of God's grace.  Why should Bin Laden deserve more grief than your neighbor?  Should we not be sorrowed by every death of every unbeliever?  If anything, this has reminded me that I do not grieve the lost enough.  Many 'good' people die outside of Christ everyday.  Why do I not mourn for them the same way so many are saying we should mourn for Bin Laden?  It is to my shame that I do not shed tears for every soul in my community that perishes without a saving knowledge of Jesus.  My heart should feel this weight every day, and I should feel more compelled than ever to share the good news as effectively as I can with as many as I can.   I dare not mourn this man any more than any other lost soul, and I fear I do not mourn the lost as I ought.  It is my prayer that the Holy Spirit makes me more aware than ever before of those who need the Gospel of Jesus Christ proclaimed in a real and tangible way.

I pray that this historical event does more than stir feelings of patriotism.  I also pray that it does more than cause us to be saddened by the death of an evil man.  I pray that it raises our awareness of two things, (1) God's justice is sometimes slow, but it always comes and (2) Because of God's justice, we need to share the Gospel with all who will listen.

I end by echoing the words of Paul in Romans 12:15, 21: 'Rejoice with those who rejoice and mourn with those who mourn... Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.'

What I learned from building a Fence

Our dog had puppies.  Five adorable, food consuming, poop producing puppies.  This was not a planned pregnancy (our pooch was not even a year old when she lost her innocence to a rag-tag scoundrel of a dog that lived across the street).  No, this is not a post about puppies having puppies (although I highly recommend spaying your pet).  Nor is this a PSA for birth control (although I will be writing about a 'barrier' method of sorts).   This is a post about what I learned in building a kennel for the dog and pups.  I wanted an area large enough for all the pups to run and play (until we found good owners for them) and big enough for momma, a highly active Australian shepherd-miniature collie mix, to exercise while I was away at work.  The most cost effective way of doing this was to build a fenced in area that measured approximately 20' x 20'.

Now I must admit, I don't have the foggiest idea about how to build a fence.  But it can't be too hard, right?  Just sink some posts in the ground and wrap some fencing material around them and 'Voila!' you have a fence.  Fortunately for me, one of the deacons in my congregation is a fence-builder by trade, and when he saw my fence posts sticking haphazardly out of the ground he offered his services to help.  When he came over I learned some very important principles on building a fence that can be applied to our walk with Christ, and I thought it would be good to share these fence-building principles with my readers.

Principle 1:  Start with the Corners
The first thing we did was set the corner-posts of the fence.   My deacon friend, Pete, took great care in sinking them to a proper depth, making sure they were level, square and plum.  He then set them in cement, and once the cement cured, he tamped the dirt in around the post.  Pete explained to me that a fence's strength comes from the corner-posts.  They act as the 'foundation' of the fence.  They keep the lines true and level.  They determine where the other posts will be set and how flush the fence will set against them.  If you don't set the corners correctly, the fence will not be as strong or effective.

What are your corner-posts?  What are the things you give primary attention to in your life?  If your corner-posts aren't strong enough to handle the stresses of your life, then your defenses won't hold up when the storms of life blow.  There are many different things people rely on for strength, but most of them aren't sunk deep enough, or not cemented down, or they aren't square with the rest of their lives.  Things like wealth, politics, pleasure, patriotism and even family are things we try to build our lives on, and while they offer varying levels of strength and security, they all prove to be too weak and too temporary to be adequate.  Wealth can be squandered or lost.  A politician's language is usually whatever is expedient at the time.  Pleasure is fleeting and always leaves us wanting more.  Patriotism, while noble in it's intentions, has yet to find an earthly country that lasts forever.  And while we love, honor and protect our family, there is nothing that can wound us more deeply or bring us to our knees quicker than a family member.

There is only one corner-post, or 'cornerstone' that we can trust to be strong enough to withstand and endure everything that life can throw at it.  In fact this cornerstone is often rejected by men, but God has made it 'the' cornerstone (see I Pet. 2:7-8) for His kingdom (the Church) and His people (Christians.)  Jesus said those who built their lives on it would never fall in the midst of storms (see Matt. 7:24-25).  What is this cornerstone?  Actually the question should be 'who' is this cornerstone?  He is Jesus.  Only Jesus is capable of serving all the purposes of a corner-post.  He can make sure the rest of our lives are straight and true.   He can determine where we sink in the other 'posts' of our lives (things like how we use wealth, politics, pleasure and family).  He is strong enough to withstand any and every assault that prevails against us.  In short, only Jesus is adequate to serve as the corner-post of our lives.

Principle #2:  A Fence's Weakest point is the Gate
As Pete continued to set posts, he took great care in measuring and re-measuring the opening for the gate.  He made sure the gate-posts were sunk to the same depth.  He took great care in reinforcing them in concrete and keeping them level so the gate would hang properly.  Why all the extra-attention to this part of the fence?  Because just as the corner-posts are the strength of a fence, the gate is it's weakest point.  Because the gate moves it is more prone to be dug under, left open, or coming unlatched.  If it is not hung true, it may not close tight enough to latch securely.  The gate determines what enters and what leaves.  It is vital that the gate be hung securely and fits snugly into place, or else you might as well not have the gate up in the first place.


You might be expecting me to ask what is your weakest area.  You might expect me to equate that with your 'gate.'  Instead, I want to encourage you as to who should be the 'gate' to your heart.  He can keep the predators out and the good things protected.  Again, He is Jesus.  I take great comfort in Jesus' words when He says, 'I am the sheep-gate' (John 10:7ff.).  The weakest point of the Christian's fence is Jesus!  Our weakest defense is the God of the universe!  It is little wonder that Paul writes in Romans 8, "If God be for us, who can be against us!"

Principle #3: A Fence Depends on Unity for Strength
As Pete finished setting the posts he gave some pointers on how to put up the actual fencing material.  He told us how to stretch and anchor it securely to the corners and how all the posts will be strengthened by stapling the fence to each individual post.  He encouraged us to run planks along the top and bottom, making the entire fence one, cohesive unit instead of four individual walls, independent of each other.

How united is your worldview with that of Christ?  Do you manage your finances according to the principles Jesus outlined in His teachings?  Do you interact with your family the way Jesus encourages you to?  Have you subjected every area, or fence post, of your life to the teachings, or fencing material, of Jesus?  If you haven't then you have some weak points that need to be addressed before they are infiltrated by the enemy.

Principle#4: A Fence Serves Two Purposes
Purpose 1: Keep Things Out
The reason I built the kennel was to keep out other dogs and predators.  By keeping those things out I can ensure the safety and health of momma and her puppies.  By making sure the fence is strong and secure, I can rest at ease knowing that hungry mongrels aren't stealing food or territorial males aren't mauling pups.   If your life's fence is not strong, you will be prone to attacks.  Satan will exploit every opening and every weak-point.  He will invade every gap and attack every breach.  Only a strong fence, with the proper corner posts will withstand such an attack.

Purpose 2:  Keep Things In
It doesn't matter how strong your fence is if you let the wrong things inside.  I could build the Fort Knox of dog kennels, but if I allow a predator inside the fence, the damage will be the same as if I had never put one up in the first place.  Rather, I must take great care of what I place inside my fence in order to protect those things that are dear to me.


What do you let inside your fence?  Do you let friends who have a negative influence on your life inside?  Do you allow anti-Christian philosophies to take residence inside the fence of your heart?  The most dangerous attacks are those that originate within the stronghold.  We can claim Jesus as our cornerstone, but if we don't allow Him to guard the gate also, we can be destroyed from the inside-out and our fence will fail us.

I must give thanks to Pete, my fence-building friend.  Not only did he build us an outstanding dog kennel, he is a reminder of how God can use any profession to remind us of the truths of scripture, and I know he lives his life according to the principles of the fence.  Won't you do the same?

Handing Down my Inheritance

Last Friday was a great day for me.  We had a full week of revival and Friday night was our final night.  A fantastic choir from a local church sang spirituals and that was followed up by a great message on the nature of Jesus Christ.  But that's not what made the night great.  As we stood and sang our hymn of invitation I looked up to see my oldest daughter coming to the front.  Immediately my mind went into 'sappy commercial' mode, and instead of seeing a beautiful pre-teen young woman, I saw Ellie as a toddler, taking her first steps in a new world.  It took me a verse-and-a-half to regain enough composure to sing.

As we stood in the baptistry, I took her confession of faith, and I realized, I gave her the most valuable thing I could ever give.  Just as my parents handed down their faith to me, and their parents handed down their faith to them, and their parents handed down their faith to them, I handed down my faith to my daughter.  I know that it's the Holy Spirit that convicted her heart, and that it was the blood of Jesus that washed away her sins, but the Bible places a high priority on parents teaching their children.  In Deuteronomy 6 God instructs fathers to teach their children God's statutes 'as they rise up, as they eat, as they walk along the way.'  In other words, we are to teach our children as we do everyday things.  Chores can teach responsibility.  Repairing things can teach good stewardship.  Meal time can teach family values.  And woven through all of these there must be the word of God serving as the foundation.

So as my daughter came up out of the water, I welcomed her as my sister in Christ.  I also realized, just as when a child is born, my work was just beginning.   But it's a work that I undertake with great joy, as I watch her become a young woman after God's own heart.