“Scientific Research Proves First Corinthians 14:14 is True!”

"For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful."

OK, I made up the headline. But that seems to be the fascinating conclusion of recent research, as reported on ABC’s Nightline for Thursday, March 20th.

Here’s an excerpt from the online edition…

At the University of Pennsylvania, Dr. Andrew Newberg has been conducting a scientific study of the phenomenon for a long time. According to an ABC report, Newberg found that brain scans show quite different results with Christians praying in tongues compared to Buddhist monks meditating and Franciscan nuns praying. The frontal lobes—the part of the brain right behind the forehead that's considered the brain's control center—went quiet in the brains of tongue-speakers.

"When they are actually engaged in this whole very intense spiritual practice...their frontal lobes tend to go down in activity. It is very consistent with the kind of experience they have, because they say that they're not in charge. [They say] it's the voice of God, it's the Spirit of God that is moving through them," said Newberg.

"Whatever is coming out of their mouth is not what they are purposefully or willfully trying to do. And that's in fairly stark contrast to the people who are—like the Buddhist and Franciscan nuns—in prayer, because they are very intensely focused and in those individuals the frontal lobes actually increase activity."

You can read the entire article and access video at:

http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/story?id=2935819&page=1

"Stuff I Wish I'd Said..."

New regular feature, quotes and articles that make a good point in a compelling way...

Priscilla Brown Jamora writes a funny and thought provoking piece in today's Lafayette (IN) Journal and Courier. Here's an excerpt:

[A]s a society we used to reserve clapping for major accomplishments, such as Mother Theresa winning a humanitarian award or the Boston Pops at their famed July 4th concert, complete with canon fire. Soldiers in a ticker tape parade returning home from battle.

Let's look at what we now congratulate. The list includes, but certainly is not limited to, the following:

Little Danny's first successful trip to the potty.

Anything Oprah says.

Anything Oprah's dog trainer says.

Every single member of our child's little league team who swings and misses the t-ball every time. (No wonder they miss. Our clapping confuses them. They think missing is the whole point of swinging.)

Emeril's addition of garlic to any recipe

Can we please get back to making clapping actually worth
something?

Read the article at http://www.jconline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070324/OPINION/703240309/1144/OPINION

Friday Fluff n' Filler

My Peculiar Aristocratic Title is: Imperial Majesty Scott the Implacable of Buzzing St Helens Get your Peculiar Aristocratic Title

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Last night we experienced the particular joys of The Sixth Grade Variety Show. "Variety" was accurate: Wisecracking emcee's... kids who sang surprisingly well (the young man who sang "Drift Away" really blew it out)... some funny skits... dance routines (one involving nuns, but you're better off not asking)... and a couple of instrumental solos... All being dutifully recorded for posterity - and YouTube - on matchbox sized camcorders.

We assured our 6th grader that he and his buddies pantomiming and dancing to "Numa, Numa" was the highlight of the evening.

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The blogroll will be expanding as I locate more interesting and diverse blogs. I'll try to feature one of them on Friday's...

Chuck Warnock's blog documents his small church's adventures of being "missional" in a small town. They are doing some amazing stuff, and he certainly challenges those of us who begin a lot of sentences with "Well, a small church can't..."

Be sure to read "Catch Every Ball" for Johnny Bench's opinion on Pete Rose and the Hall of Fame, and "Here's What We're Doing".

http://chuckwarnockblog.wordpress.com/


Shout out to "William" for the link!

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That's it for now. Have a great weekend! You preachers preach it like it's hot!

Doughballs, Plastic Worms and Spinners (or "Getting Over 'Outreach Outrage'")

Right up front, let me be clear – I believe that the preaching of the Cross is the power of God unto salvation. I believe we need to lift up Christ, who said He would draw all men unto Him. I believe we must "preach Christ crucified" to see genuine life change in the people we minister to.

I don’t give 'talks' on how to have a better marriage, advance your career, or raise happy, shiny children. I preach expository messages from scripture – which, by the way, provides us with God’s principles and directions for doing all the aforementioned and much more…

If anything you read from here on causes you to think otherwise, please re-read the first two paragraphs.

I’m just getting really tired of Christians picking on other Christians because of how they do 'outreach'.

It happens anytime a church does something different. Maybe it’s a very contemporary, or even edgy, advertisement… A sermon series on a controversial or provocative topic… An unusual method of appealing to unsaved and unchurched.

And the hounds of protest begin to howl…

It cheapens the Gospel…
The Gospel has held up pretty well the last 2000 years even though it’s been ridiculed, rejected, and ignored. I think it can endure church coffee shops.

What you win them with you win them to...
This could actually be true, but only in the absence of good teaching and preaching that lifts up Jesus. I’ve seen families get involved in church because they first came to a church-sponsored Easter egg hunt, and they don’t show up every Sunday with baskets in hand looking for jelly beans and hollow bunny handouts.

And the silver bullet, it’s worldly…
Yeah, there are some places in outreach that I’m not going to go. There are some current forms of “evangelism” that I find tacky, silly, and distasteful. My solution? I don’t do those things in my church, and I resist the urge to throw a brother or sister under the bus because they do.

So what if they’re doing it wrong? When Jesus’ disciples got upset that someone who wasn’t part of their circle was doing ministry, Jesus said, "He who is not against us is with us." Paul said of those whose motives and methods were suspect, “The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached.”

Of course, part of the problem is that often the assumption is made that Christ isn’t being preached in a church that’s stooping to such unseemly methods. And if we’re going to make such assertions, we’d better be sure we have full knowledge of the content of sermons, Bible studies, and children’s ministry materials used in those churches.

Every fisherman has run into that guy who knows how to fish better than you do and isn’t shy about telling you. He’ll criticize your bait choice, your equipment, your location, and your casting style. He’s a nuisance, but at least he only treats you like you’re stupid, and not like you’re a sleazy, worldly sell-out.

(And yes, I know the arrogance and disdain is on both sides of this issue. Often, those in “cutting-edge” churches act like everybody who doesn’t do it like they do is hopelessly out of touch and outdated. That attitude stinks, too.)

Instead of critiquing the bait, let’s get excited that folks are fishing, and pray that the hook will always be the Gospel.

Expiration Date

The magazine section of Saturday's paper included a fascinating article on life expectancy, and included a link to http://www.livingto100.com. On the website, I completed a "life expectancy calculator." It asked questions about diet and exercise... home life and family... job related stress... personal hygiene (you can add up to fours years to your life by flossing your teeth everyday!)... family medical history - then used this information to calculate how long I could expect to live.

I was "okay" with my result, at first. It is older than the current ages of my parents, and longer than any of my grandparents lived. It did torque me a little that Vicki will apparently outlive me by six or seven years...

Then I started thinking... About how old my children will be at the "check out date" I was given... About things I want to see and do with my wife... About ministry and mission work I'd love to be involved in...

Suddenly, my expiration date seems to come way too soon.

So, a couple of thoughts...

Because we have no guarantees of how long will live, our focus should be on how we live. In the Scriptures there are a handful of verses from Exodus and Deuteronomy that promised long life to the Children of Israel if they kept the Law. Apart from that, the thrust of the Bible message on age and length of life is focused on quality, not quantity.

How would we live if we could know when our "number" was coming up? I suspect I would try to make each day count... My wife would never doubt how much I love her, need, her, and support her... My kids would be well prepared to face life with a foundation of faith... I would be serious about sharing the Gospel with the lost, befriending the lonely, offering hope to the hurting...

I guess I've had the sobering realization that I won't live on this earth forever, and most encounters with other people are more significant than we know. I want to really live, and not just mark time on a calendar. I want to spend my remaining days on this planet - however many or few there might be - in such a way that eternal life will just be a change of venue.

I gotta go floss...

Working On It

Working on some improvements around here. More regular blogging... links to some fun and interesting stuff... a "blogroll". Blogger has added some help for tech-mo-nology dummies like me, so it should be a little easier to do what I set out to do with this place.

Anyway, any helpful comments or constructive criticism would be appreciated. In other words, the "mean stuff" will never see the light of day.

To give the illusion of gravitas, I will close with a quote from the eminent philosopher, Homer Simpson:

"Look, the thing about my family is there's five of us. Marge, Bart, Girl Bart, the one who doesn't talk, and the fat guy. How I loathe him."

Unthinkable

My cousin's son's death in January... a couple who lost their son in the war... the death of high school students in the tornado in Alabama... the bus crash that killed the members of a college baseball team this morning. I sit with tears in my eyes as I recoil in horror at the thought of losing a child. No matter the reason or cause of death, the pain is unimaginable and unthinkable.

A ministry friend and I were talking with a man in our community who lost a son in an automobile accident twenty years ago. His voice still catches and his eyes still get moist when he speaks about his boy. "No one can know what it's like," he whispered to us.

My friend replied, "The Father knows."

The Father knows. He lost a Son. Not in an accident or on a desert battleground, but purposefully on a cross. The One died for the many because His rebellious creation had sinned themselves into a corner they could not escape without bloodshed.

God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8 NASB)

We have a great circle of friends. Some of them have walked with us through some very tough times, and we love them like brothers and sisters. But if we were told that one of our sons would have to die so that all of our friends could live... I'm sorry, but we couldn't make such a sacrifice.

And yet, that is what the Father did, And He did it for enemies, not friends. God was willing to bear the searing pain of loss so that His enemies might live.

Amazing love, how can it be, that You my King would die for me?

Jubilee

A very unusual natural phenomenon occurs in Mobile Bay in south Alabama. From time to time, and only just before daylight on warm summer nights, sea creatures will swarm the shores of the Bay. Blue crabs, shrimp, flounder, stingrays, eels – so many of them swarm the shallows that the water seems to be boiling. People living near the shore ring bells and knock on doors and call out to alert their neighbors so that everybody can rush down to the water with washtubs, gigs and nets, and gather a huge and easy to gather harvest of seafood. The atmosphere becomes a celebration, a community beach party, and folks start fires and cook right there on the beach and share food and fellowship with their neighbors. It’s known as a “Jubilee…”

When Jesus said in Luke chapter 4 that He’d been sent to "proclaim the year of the Lord's favor" – everyone who heard that knew He was talking about the Year of Jubilee.

Jubilee was established in the Law in Leviticus 25 – it said that every 50th year from the time of the release of Israel from slavery in Egypt: Any property that had been sold reverted to the original owners or their heirs; Slaves were released from captivity; All debts and obligations to another were cancelled.

And the process through which all this took place was called “redemption”.

What Jesus was really saying was, “I am Jubilee! Through Me, your debt of sin is forgiven, you are set free from bondage and captivity, and the enemy has to return all your stuff!”

Everything in the Old Testament points to and foreshadows the coming of Jesus. Jubilee was a "type," a physical symbol of the spiritual reality of the grace, mercy, forgiveness, and goodness of God made available to us through Christ. Jubilee foreshadowed the day when Jesus would provide for our redemption!

Jesus calls us to share that outrageous message with others! It’s the good news that in Christ there is hope, and not despair… forgiveness, and not condemnation… life, and not death! No matter the amount of the debt or obligation, no matter how deep in a hole we find ourselves in, redemption is ALWAYS available!

On Mobile Bay, failing to share the news about the seafood Jubilee is considered very bad form, a severe breach of etiquette! It’s bad manners and means you’re a bad neighbor if you don’t let everybody know that Jubilee has come!

Being like Jesus, doing what He did, means we share the message of Jubilee with everyone we know…

A Chance to Make a Difference

Pastors know pornography is a problem in society and in the church – somewhere in the neighborhood of 40% of pastors admit to struggling with porn THEMSELVES! Nearly half of all Christian men admit to viewing pornography in the recent past. Porn has been called “a cancer on Christendom”.

I first met Steve Siler a year ago. He is the adult son of a couple who are members of our church. Steve is an award winning Christian songwriter who has worked with some of the industry’s best known artists.

Five years ago Steve, concerned about using his music and projects to minister to real needs and hurts, started Music for the Soul. Based in Nashville, the ministry uses recordings that combine spoken word, scripture and music to address issues including suicide, breast cancer, and marriages in crisis.

(Here is a link to a newspaper article on Steve and Music for the Soul: http://www.tennessean.com/local/archives/04/02/47312694.shtml?Element_ID=47312694 )

The “Somebody’s Daughter” project addresses the issue of pornography. It is beautiful and is effectively used by pastors and counselors across the country to minister to those caught in porn’s insidious grip.

Recently, Music for the Soul has embarked on a project to make a broadcast quality DVD of “Somebody’s Daughter” that can be used in men’s meetings, conferences, and on television. Steve recently told me his vision for the project is that it be of a quality that could be used on “Oprah” or “Dr. Phil.” To accomplish that, the project will cost $100,000.

Will you prayerfully consider being one of 1000 individuals/churches that will give $100 to help make this project a reality? Consider it an investment in a “salvage and rescue operation” that has the potential to save marriages, families, churches, pastors, and ministries.

You can help in this way:

1. Follow the link above to an article from the Nashville Tennessean about Steve and Music for the Soul.
2. Read the letter below from Steve describing the project and asking for your support.
3. Follow the link to the “Somebody’s Daughter” project in Steve’s letter.
4. Pray, and then,
5. Make the best gift you can.

Also, if you are a pastor, would you consider forwarding this information to other pastors you know who might be willing to help with this important project? Steve would also be happy to answer any questions you might have - feel free to call him at 615-297-8927.

Thanks for taking time to read this and God Bless you richly!

Dear friend,

Music for the Soul has pledged to create a music video/documentary for 2007 based upon Somebody’s Daughter to fight pornography.
http://www.musicforthesoul.org/somebodys.html

Pornography is a $13 billion industry in the US and takes in more money every year than the NFL, NBA, and major league baseball combined. (Source: Family Safe media)

The project will cost roughly $100,000. Less than 7/millionths of 1 percent of the amount pornographers make in America every year!

Music for the Soul is asking for 1,000 churches and/or Christian individuals and/or businesses to give $100 each to help us create a DVD to fight pornography.

Gifts will be acknowledged at our website and may be given in honor of someone, ie: in honor of the youth of your church, or your children, or your grandchildren, etc. Additionally, every one who gives will receive a copy of the DVD once it is completed. (Givers can also designate if they wish for someone else to receive their copy)

Please consider asking your church, or church men’s group to make a year end gift. This is a minimal investment that will pay huge dividends. Please reach out to a minimum of ten people. If you have access to networks of churches and/or pastors or are part of a large organization please consider sharing this opportunity with them. It is by unifying as the body of Christ that we can make a difference!

Music for the Soul is a 501 (c) (3) so all gifts by individuals are tax deductible.

You can make your donation online or send your donation to:

Music for the Soul
P.O. Box 159027
Nashville, TN 37215-9027

Thank you!

Steve Siler
Director, Music for the Soul

Losing Sleep over Confessions...

Book recommendations are tricky. Too many times I have had someone come to me all excited about a book that supposedly set their hair on fire, and I read it and go “Ho. Hum. I wonder if there’s a King of the Hill rerun on…”

So, I’m taking a major step out here. If you decide to read the book I’m going to recommend, and it does nothing for you, please do two things: 1. Check your pulse, and then, 2. Don’t sweat it, because as I said, we’ve all been there…

Only a couple of times in my life has a book kept me awake all night. I picked up a copy of Confessions of a Pastor by Craig Groeschel the other day. (BTW, Groeschel’s last book, Chazown, was one of those “you’ve-GOT-to-read this” deals that made me yawn, but back to that night…) I started reading it about 9 o’clock that night, and I finished it and turned off the light at 2:30 the next morning. I would have finished a little sooner, but I was frequently weeping so hard that I couldn’t see the print on the page. I started reading it again mid-morning the next day, but put it aside because I had to finish my sermon for Sunday.

I am still processing it, but I have the strong sense that God is using this book to make some foundational changes in my life and ministry.

Groeschel is pastor of the mega LifeChurch.tv in Oklahoma. The book grew out of his realization that he had become a full-time pastor and a part-time Christian, and chronicles his journey to authenticity and wholeness. The table of contents is what grabbed me…

Introduction: I Had Been Living a Lie
Chapter 1: I Can’t Stand a Lot of Christians
Chapter 2: I Have to Work Hard to Stay Sexually Pure
Chapter 3: Most of the Time I Feel Incredibly Lonely
Chapter 4: I Hate Prayer Meetings
Chapter 5: I Worry Almost All the Time
Chapter 6: Sometimes I Doubt God
Chapter 7: I Feel Completely Inadequate
Chapter 8: I Stink at Handling Criticism
Chapter 9: I’m Afraid of Failure
Chapter 10: One Last Confession

So there it is. If you read it and it speaks to your heart, let me know. If it doesn’t, well, we're still brothers and sisters.

Fallen

When the news about Ted Haggard broke on Thursday, so did my heart. I have read, referenced, and enjoyed his writings and ministry for several years. Today, we know that Brother Ted has admitted that at least “some” of the accusations are true. The whole sad, sordid story will undoubtedly play out in the media in the days and months to come.

“All have sinned,” Paul said, “and fall short of the glory of God.” Reaching for glory doesn’t mean we attain it. Ted Haggard… the pastor in his family room on the internet at one o’clock in the morning who clicks over to the porn site… the youth minister who finds himself fantasizing about sex with a girl from his youth group… The only difference among them is we would only recognize one of their names. And the only difference between us and them is that most of our sins are still hidden from everyone but God.

I have spent this morning praying, for Ted Haggard, for myself, and for my friends and colleagues in ministry. I’ve also read and re-read 1 Corinthians 10:11-13

Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall. No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.

Ted Haggard's life will bear the scars and consequences of whatever part of the accusations proves to be true. He also serves a God who hears our confession, is moved by our repentance, forgives, and restores. Hallelujah!

Maybe Brother Ted didn’t look hard enough or long enough for that way of escape. I pray to God that I always do.

Redemption Drama

The woman was not a penitent. She was terrified and certain she was going to die a gruesome death. She most likely pleaded for her life and promised not to do “it” again. But repentant? Not hardly.

She is dragged, kicking and fighting and possibly nude, to the feet of the rabbi.

The men are cocky and confident. If they didn’t have to drag a naked, spitting, screaming woman they would be swaggering or doing a George Jefferson-style strut. “This deal is airtight,” they thought. “He’ll trip himself up this time and we’ll have him right where we want him…”

The woman is being dragged to what she knows is a death sentence. Wide-eyed, wild-eyed, stomach-churning fear wraps itself around her like her missing clothes.

The men rush to vindication and victory. Soon this troublemaker will be out of their hair and the status quo will be restored. Glee is the order of the moment.

They are all stopped cold by the Master.

“Rabbi, we caught her red handed… in “the act”, if you know what we mean… Moses said we could stone women like her. What do you say?”

The Master says…nothing. Instead, he stoops down and begins to write in the dirt. We are not told what he writes. There is much speculation – the names and/or sins of the men, the law they were referring to. Whatever he writes, it has no affect on the crowd. They keep asking, “What do you say? C’mon, tell us what you think we should do?”

The Master stands up and brushes the dirt from his hands. “The sinless one among you can throw the first rock.” Not quite what they expected. The mental calculations begin, as the Master stoops again to write in the sand.

“I can’t throw a rock – that guy over there knows that I…”

The rocks are dropped like they’re hot, and one by one, the men suddenly remember urgent tasks, appointments, and important responsibilities that require them to be anywhere but here.

The Master and the woman are alone. She’s not sure what to expect, doesn’t know she’s in the presence of the only man ever qualified to throw a stone at her. But instead of a rock, he throws her a lifeline. “Where are your accusers?” the Master inquires. “They’re gone,” she replies. “I’m not going to punish you," the Master declares, "Go, and pursue a life free from sin.”

The blunt force grace of the Master’s statement hits me hard. I have lived two roles in this little drama.

I have been brash and self-righteous, confident that God was on my side in the fight and was in fact holding my coat. I have put on stolen judge’s robes, ignoring the ill-fit as I pronounced certain judgment on those who deserved it.

The Master’s words have stung me. “If you’re sinless, go ahead, pass sentence and carry out the punishment.”

I have been naked and terrified, exposed in my rank iniquity for all to see. I have been convinced that this was the last straw, all the Master could stand from me. I have been sure that the stones were about to fly.

The Master’s words have soothed me, saved me. “No condemnation. Go, and don’t sin anymore.”

We need both the words that expose our judgmental folly and the words that heal and forgive. It is the truth of our sordid condition and the liberating reality of our salvation that gives us hope.

Back To School - For The Very First Time

Max Lucado once said he learned more about God by being a father than by reading any theology book. More than once these past 16 years, I've pondered that wisdom and generally concurred.

Something utterly new occurred in our household today - I drove two of our boys up to a public schoolhouse door, wished them well and waved goodbye. We have homeschooled for 11 years and today was the first day any of our children stepped a foot in a public school.

We've wrestled with this decision for well over a year. Our 14 year old freshman is a pretty good athlete, and wants to get involved in high school sports. Our 11 year old sixth grader is a "social butterfly" who had a couple dozen of his closest friends urging him to give their school a try.

It came down to a couple of "deciders" - Their needs, other than academics, for involvement and participation in things that were getting harder to do in a homeschool setting; and the fact that we are in a small town with a smaller school and have gotten to know a number of the staff. The timing just seemed right.

I admit, Vic and I were probably more nervous than they were about the whole thing. For the first time, they are on their own for a significant portion of the day. But in a sense, they are not alone. They will draw from a well filled with good things we have poured into them through the years. Chances are - and I may just be wishful thinking here - flickering across their minds at critical moments will be the thought, "What would Mom and Dad want me to do/say/be in this situation?" I believe - rather I desperately hope - that our boys are secure. They know that good or bad, pass or fail, win or lose, Mom and Dad will always love them and desire the best for them.

We rest secure in the knowledge that The Father, and I mean THE Father, has made His deposit in us - His Holy Spirit, His Living Word, His promise of guidance, the "way of escape" in times of temptation... And above all, His promise that nothing can ever separate us from His love. The imperfections of my love for my sons impresses me all the more with the perfect love of the Father.

"Dang, Newfangled Music..."

Sometime you read something that just perfectly expresses your own thoughts. That's what this little piece did for me...

I like all kinds of music. But when it comes to church music, I confess I like the oldies best. I prefer the old songs because they put me in a nostalgic comfort zone. They bring back memories to me.

For instance, I love the song, “How Great Thou Art.” It was sung at the funeral of both my parents, and every time I hear it, I think of them. But is that necessarily good? When I sing “How great thou art” I should be directing my praise to God rather than thinking about my parents.

I’m sure there are memories you have attached to certain familiar songs. That’s why we like to sing them. They’re like a comfortable pair of slippers. That’s why there’s so much opposition to new music in church.

I came across an interesting article written by a leading clergyman who compiled six reasons for opposing the trend of new music in the church: (see if you agree with his observations)

1. It’s not as melodious as the more established style.
2. This new music creates disturbances and causes people to act in an indecent and disorderly manner.
3. It places too much emphasis on instruments rather than on godly lyrics.
4. The lyrics are often worldly, even blasphemous.
5. It is not needed, since preceding generations have gone to heaven without it.
6. These new musicians are young upstarts and some of them are lewd and loose persons.

If you’d like a copy of that article, you may want to know it was written in 1783 as a statement against the use of hymns. (Including “Blessed be the Name” and “O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing”)

If we aren’t careful, we will start judging the value of praise and worship songs based upon how they make us feel rather than whether they direct praise to God. So here is a very valuable WORSHIP TIP: The goal of worship is to honor God, NOT to please the worshiper

(From Pastor David Dykes - Green Acres Baptist Church)

Found, and Still Lost…

There’s a widespread problem in the Body of Christ – I know, I know…There’s more than one! – We tend to place all of the emphasis of Grace at the point of our initial forgiveness, but almost none on the ongoing work of transformation of life where it is so desperately needed.

We get saved and then immediately take control of our lives out of His hands and plunge right back into “making it” by our own efforts. We assume that we must live a life pleasing to God as a "thank you" for redemption, a type of repayment for the cross and eternal life in Heaven.

But we have one insurmountable problem – We are not capable in the slightest of pulling off the "look how godly I am now" life. We know we need to live a Godly life after we have experienced Christ – I mean, if we act just like everyone else, doesn’t that mean He has made no difference? And doesn’t that place our salvation in jeopardy?

At the end of the day, we're too often left confused and full of spiritual self-loathing as the consequences of our repeated noble, but vain, attempts to live “the Christian Life”. We’ve reduced Grace by making it just about the forgiveness of sin, and disconnected it from the transformation of our lives, with frustrating results.

God not only gives us our salvation, but He's the only one who gives us the power to actually change and live a holy life through his Grace. Note, I didn't say perfection – but there's a difference between "imperfection" and the conscious choice of sin that testifies that we are still in bondage to the very things that dominated us before we ever knew Christ.

In the book of Romans, Paul says that it is by faith that we have access to Grace, and it's by Grace that we stand. Grace begins with mercy, but it’s more than mercy. Grace is also the outworking of God's power in our life to transform us by the renewing of our mind.

But we never really seem to grasp that truth. Too often, we don’t take seriously the reality that God can deliver us from the very things that have owned us for so long. As a result, we just keep trying, failing, crying, hiding, and repeating, all the while hoping that maybe Jesus will return on Monday morning between 1 am and 6 am before we've had a chance to mess up the forgiveness we just re-pleaded for on Sunday night. We've given up on the power of God being able to change us.

May I offer an alternative? Let’s get alone with Father and say something like this: “God, it’s by Grace that I’m saved. Thank You for the love, mercy, and forgiveness You provided for me through the death of Jesus Christ. I realize if I’m going to live this life You’re calling me to, I also need massive amounts of Your Grace to do it. Thank You for the Grace by which I’m saved, and the Grace by which I stand. I want Your Holy Spirit – the ‘Christ in me’ that is my ‘hope of glory’ to transform me and lead me to life more abundantly.”

Amen.

(Thanks and props to Ray “Roman” Wayne for the original thoughts on which this article was based.)

"Going Once..."

I went to an auction recently. It was a household auction, with lots of furniture, pots and pans, and tons of miscellaneous stuff. I spent $20.50, and came home with an iron that cost $70 brand new, an antique floor lamp that an experienced dealer said he could sell for $50, and a box of “junk” that contained copies of Look and Saturday Evening Post magazines from the early 1960’s. I think I did quite well.

There is an undercurrent of sadness at most "household" auctions. The surviving family watches as the bits and pieces of their childhood are sold to the highest bidders. Maybe they remember eating from a certain dish, or sleeping in an old bed, or how the nick in the antique dining table got there. There are usually some teary eyes when “mama’s” this or that is going, going, gone.

There are two aspects of an auction that are most striking to me.

The first is watching things that were purchased, sometimes at great price and with money earned through hard work, being carted off by someone who just paid a few cents on the dollar of the original purchase price. More than once I overheard people saying they had bought a box full of goods in order to get one particular item, and that they would sell, give, or throw away the rest of the stuff. Possessions that had once been highly valued were now disposable, sold for “give-away” prices.

The other aspect is the high value placed on certain other items. Some things that had been bought for very little money bring premium prices. Furniture that had been hand-made, or that had been purchased for its practical use is now “collectible”. A piece of glassware that had been bought for a few cents at a five-and-dime fetches a hundred or even a thousand times its original price. The bidding reflects how desirable items that had once been “everyday” have become.

And so it is in life. Some of the things we work hard to achieve and accomplish will, at the end of our days, be revealed as having very little lasting value. Indeed, much of it will be, according to the Scriptures, “burned up” and destroyed! At the same time, “common, ordinary” things we have done will be proven to be priceless in eternity.

Knowing how to tell the difference is the stumper, isn’t it? The Master provided us some clues during His life, including when He said, "I tell you the truth. What you did for even the smallest of these people you did for me. They are my brothers and sisters."

Ultimately, the lasting value of life won’t be determined by possessions, perks, or power. It will be measured by how we have treated the people – anyone we saw who had a need we could help with – that God brought into our world.

Our God Reigns

Someone passed along an awesome video clip that illustrates the "fierce grace" of our great God.

It's from a recent service at The People's Church in Franklin, TN. The clip is about 8 minutes long.

Listen to it here: http://www.fourthavenuechurchfamily.org/pc.wmv and be blessed!

The Necessity of Pain

6 year old Ashlyn Blocker literally feels no pain. Ashlyn is one of a handful of people in the world with Congenital Insensitivity to Pain, or CIPA, an extremely rare genetic disorder that prevents her from sensing pain.

“You might think that’s a good thing,” says Ashlyn’s mother Tara, “But it’s not. Pain is there for a reason.”

We humans will do anything to avoid pain in life. In some Christian circles it’s become quite standard to teach, explicitly or by not so subtle inference, that “faithful” Christians are immune to or exempt from pain. Nothing could be further from the truth, or more injurious to our Walk.

In the first chapter of the book of James, we are told to “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.” And the Apostle Paul talked in 2nd Corinthians of being afflicted, persecuted, and “struck down”, but NOT being crushed or perplexed in the face of it all.

“Pain is there for a reason.”

Pain indicates that something is wrong in the body. Ashlyn’s parents live in fear that she will develop infections with no outward symptoms. Such illnesses could progress rapidly to the point of being deadly. Pain in our lives lets us know that something is going on that’s not quite right and needs attention, needs to be fixed.

Pain helps a person avoid unhealthy behaviors. When her baby teeth came in Ashlyn chewed her lips, tongue, and fingers until they were cut and bleeding. Her teachers have to put ice in Ashlyn’s chili at lunchtime – otherwise she will gulp down scalding hot food. Sometimes we have to experience pain in life to learn that some behaviors are hurtful and dangerous.

Pain helps the body heal. When the brain senses pain, it triggers the release of healing agents that rush to the injured area and begin the body’s natural healing process. Ashlyn’s childhood bumps, scrapes, and bruises sometimes take months to heal. With the realization of pain in life should come the understanding that healing also comes.

Pain causes a hurting person to seek help. An injured child will run crying to mom or dad. Ashlyn “is not phased by” pain, according to Tara. When she was 3 years old, Ashlyn severely burned her hand on a pressure washer. Tara found her staring impassively at her blistered palm, oblivious to the hurt. The pain of life should drive us back to the Father for help, comfort, and healing.

Ashlyn’s mom worries about not being able to explain CIPA to her daughter in a way she can understand. “There’s only so much you can tell her - If she sees blood, she knows to stop.”

That’s good news for all of us. The blood – shed by Jesus Christ as he suffered pain and injury for us – reminds us that God’s care and comfort are available for all who suffer from the pain of sinful lives. And the blood holds the promise of a life in glory, where there will be no more pain.

Good Little Calviminians

I've been involved in some good discussions lately about theology. The conclusion that has been reached in most of those discussions is that there are very few "pure" Calvinists or Arminians.

Most of us are "Calviminians" - with beliefs that reflect some of both and all of neither.

Not too long ago I put together the 5 Points of Calviminianism to serve as a starting point for discussing what I believe. I offer it here, with no claim to originality of thought...

The 5 Points of "Calviminianism"

1. Total Depravity...and Free Will
Man is totally depraved, spiritually dead and blind, and unable to find his way to God by his own efforts. God must initiate the work of repentance. Man is a sinner who has the free will to either cooperate with God's Spirit and be regenerated, or resist God's grace and perish. God wants everyone to be saved, but will only save those who call out to Him.

Romans 3:10-11 "There is none righteous, not even one. There is none who understands, there is none who seeks for God."

2 Peter 3:9 "The Lord is . . . not wishing for any to perish, but for all to come to repentance."

Romans 10:13 "Whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved."

2. Conditional Election
God's election is based on His foreknowledge. He chooses everyone whom He knew would, of their own free will, respond to the gospel and choose Christ. God knows ahead of time who will want to be saved, so he chooses them based on that foreknowledge

1 Peter 1:1-2 ". . . who are chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father . . ."

3. Unlimited Atonement
When Christ died on the cross, He shed His blood for everyone. He paid a provisional price for all but guaranteed it for none. Jesus died for everyone, but only those who come to Him in faith will receive His salvation.

1 John 2:2 "He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for the whole world."

4. Resistible Grace
Saving grace can be resisted because God won't overrule man's free will. Man is born again when he believes and receives God's grace. Although God offers His grace to everyone, many people will refuse it.

John 3:18 "He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already . . ."

Matthew 22:14 "For many are called, but few are chosen."

5. Perseverance of the Saints
God preserves the elect so they persevere to the end, so no chosen person will ever be lost.

John 10:28 "And I give eternal life to them, and they shall never perish, and no one shall snatch them out of My hand."

("Eternal" and "never perish" means than no genuine child of God can lose his salvation.)

Walk

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. Ephesians 2:10 (NASB)

Right after one of the most familiar verses in the Bible (y'know "saved by grace through faith"...) is this little gem. Several thoughts come to mind...

We are created in Christ for good works and not by good works. In other forums I've expressed this idea by saying we don't do in order to be, we do because we are. This is more than just word-play. We can exhaust ourselves trying to do things for God, hoping that we can earn a little love and acceptance. Or we can rest in the fact that we are already loved and accepted - as much as we could ever be - and let that motivate us to serve with joy and gladness.

God prepared the works ahead of time. Dare I say it? He created us for a "purpose"! Omniscient and eternal God knew all about us - personality, appearance, relationship style - and prepared good works for us ahead of time that would teach us, stretch us, and fulfill our purpose in this life.

We "walk" in the good works. Stay with me on this... When God looked for language to describe the outworking of the good works in our lives, He used a word that described one of the most natural things we do: He chose walking. If I want a book that's on a shelf on the other side of my study, I don't say, "O.K. what did they teach me in that 'Walking in 7 Easy Steps' class? Do I have on the right shoes? Now, I stand up and extend my right leg before setting it down 14 to 16 inches in front of..." Instead, I get up and go get what I need, without thinking about it.

ATTENTION: LIFE APPLICATION POINT APPROACHING>>>

Too many believers approach "good works" with a "saving the world" mentality - Our good works must be bold, risky, and exciting. But I think good works - the kind we can walk in naturally - might also be things like loving our spouse and kids, showing kindness to a neighbor or stranger. In other words, every time we treat another person with respect and dignity, and extend the same helping hand we would want extended to us in similar circumstances, we are walking in good works.