Seven Habits of Wealthy Pray-ers

An article was just published revealing the 7 habits of the wealthiest people to see what traits they all had in common. I found it interesting the 7 qualities could also be applied in the area of prayer.

1. They're Persistent 
This one is easily carried over to prayer. Jesus Himself was the one who taught concerning prayer, that persistence is a key rule (Luke 11:9, Luke 18:1-8). To pray and keep on praying is a trait of those who would grow in the life of prayer.

2. They Set Attainable Goals
Sure, we all feel the conviction of singing "Sweet Hour of Prayer" but we struggle to do so. Sometimes we reach too far. If you have not established a regular discipline of prayer, starting with an hour may be a reach. Set attainable goals to reach that hour mark. Start with 10 minutes. But once you reach the hour, what will your next goal be?

But I think there is another application of this principle. I believe a factor in growing in prayer is praying for measurable things. How many of our prayers fall under the umbrella of "Lord, bless Grandma"? When you can you mark that prayer as having been answered? What is more discouraging than a never ending prayer list? Part of the problem is we are not specific in our requests - they are not measurable. The results are not "attainable."

3. They Find a Career Mentor
Who is teaching you how to pray? This is what the disciples asked Jesus to do for them (Luke 11). Who is teaching you how to pray? I can remember when I was a teenager and a new believer spending hours with my youth pastor, Joe. We prayed. I learned so much from those hours spent - sometimes a small group of us huddled in the back of a van in the park - just praying together. Since then, I have been trying to maintain someone in my life who would teach me to go deeper in prayer.

4. They Are Positive

Does this mean we never have "rough prayers"? I mean, the Psalms are filled with prayers of lament and complaint. Yet one thing you will see over and over in these psalms is that the writers end in praise and trust in God. Do you pray in faith? I am not talking about "name it and claim it." What I am talking about is a subtle pitfall of praying. Namely, that regardless of what we pray, what we are actually saying to God is, "This is what I am asking, but I doubt you will do anything about it." Our prayer lives end up being nothing more than a time of complaining which end in our continued discouragement.

5. They Educate Themselves
Do you read books on prayer, about prayer, and great men and women of prayer? To date, I have read nearly 100 books on the topic of prayer but many biographies about men of prayer. And I have a long list of books waiting to be read. I want this to be a life-long education on prayer as I read books from a variety of backgrounds and theological camps. You may not have the time or desire to read quite that intensely, but there are some basics that would be a marvelous help to you. Anything by or about George Mueller. Leonard Ravenhill and E.M. Bounds are powerful voices on prayer, especially to pastors. A.W. Tozer is a great voice calling us to seek after God. Some of the links on this site are also intended to direct you to ministries like Harvest Prayer Ministries which have abundant resources to help and encourage you in prayer.

6. They Track Their Progress
If you want to lose weight, you may count calories. If you exercise, you track your progress - how much did you lift, how many reps, how many miles on the treadmill, etc. There is a saying in business that what gets measured gets done. For years, I have tracked my spiritual disciplines. This may sound legalistic, and it can be tempting to fall into that trap. But I have found that if I track my prayer time and my Bible reading I am more consistent and have grown more than when I don't. It's kind of like trying to lose weight without counting calories. This is just my pattern. A more widely embraced discipline, which I also embrace, is journaling.

7. They Surround Themselves With Success-Oriented People
What does this look like in prayer? Easy - surround yourself with people with a passion for prayer. Don't shy away from prayer meetings! Or, if the one at your church is boring, find a few friends with a passion for prayer and start your own. This will keep you sharp and keep the prayer-fires burning. And don't be afraid to not be the most spiritual person in the room. Be willing to be in a group where you are the least sophisticated in your prayers. Pray out loud in groups!

When Shall My Song Rise to Thee?

Are you a morning person? Does your soul swell in singing with the great hymn, "Early in the morning my song shall rise to Thee"?  If that is you, God bless you. That IS NOT me. I spent years living with a sense of

guilt because so many super saints were declaring the spirituality of rising :a great while before day" just like Jesus did. I always leaned to the fact that while all others went off, Jesus stayed in prayer into the night.

First of all, I stand firmly convinced that it does matter what time of day you set aside to meet with the Lord. I see no Biblical mandate for a certain time of day. For me, I believe it is more important that you give God your heart and attention. For some, that will not be at 5:30 am. Whether because of personality or life circumstances, arising early is just not an option. I mean, would God rather see me give Him undivided attention at 3 pm or give Him a sleepy, sluggish attempt at 6 am?

Second, I do not think that we need to separate our time with God to just one set time of day. Yes, that is an important discipline, but we must also be ready to walk with Him and pray without ceasing all throughout the day.

Sometimes we allow ourselves to be governed by the legalistic standards set by others. But it is crucial that we be directed by the Word of God in our relationship with Jesus. Legalistic standards can have the form of godliness - I mean, who can go against the words from such a hymn as "Holy, Holy, Holy"? Let the Spirit of God lead you according to the Word of God. Until you find a verse commanding that New Testament believers pray at a certain time of day, let the Lord direct you in setting your time with Him. Maybe that will be 5 am. Maybe that will be 4 pm. Maybe 10 pm. What matters is whether you are spending time with Jesus.

You Really Need a Jar

In Exodus 16:33, Moses tells Aaron, "Take a jar, and put an omer of manna in it, and place it before the
LORD to be kept throughout your generations."  The passage goes on to tell us that Moses is doing so in obedience to a command from God.  The reason for this jar of manna is so that future generations can see the bread that God provided His people in the wilderness.

Often in the Old Testament, we see similar things happening.  Whether it is a jar of manna, a stone of remembrance or an altar, God called His people to set up a way to remember His faithfulness in their lives.  What a helpful way to encourage faith in the dry seasons!

Do you have your own jar of manna?  A stone of remembrance?  An altar to the Lord?  Something that will remind you of what God has done and how He has answered prayer, so that when the hard times come your faith can be encouraged in the Lord?

I have been journaling for years - not as consistently as I would like, but I still journals filled with stories of my spiritual journey.  Stories of God's faithfulness, provision, and answers to prayer.  I don't have to read the journals to be reminded - sometimes just seeing them reminds me that they are filled with stories of God's faithfulness.

At our church, we started another type of jar of manna.  I got the idea from another pastor that I know.  We have one jar in which people can put in their written prayer needs and things they are asking God, by faith, to do in their lives.  Next to that we have a glass jar and a basket of colored rocks.  Whenever we see God specifically answer prayer, we celebrate that and remember that by putting a rock in the glass jar.  It was a little risky at first.  I mean, what if the glass jar stays empty for a month...a year?  Talk about a faith discouragement!  However, the Sunday after we set the glass jar out, we already had a rock go in!  And rocks continue to go in the glass jar.  Just about every week, at least one new rock is added to the jar!  It has been a wonderful faith builder to tangibly see testimonies of what God is doing!

However you go about it, set up a jar of manna for yourself.  Maybe start with a journal.  Maybe set out your own glass jar.  Let your faith be encouraged!

A Tale of Three Places (Part 1)

Place One 

You pull into a parking lot.  It is more crowded than you thought it would be.  Maybe you should just go home and try another time.  After all, you feel a little tired today anyway.  But, Joe at work has been inviting you for months and you keep blowing him off.  You have to at least go once to get him off your back.  You find an empty spot in between two minivans.  You find those things annoying, but you have to take the spot since you are late as it is. 

You make your way through the front entrance, unsure of where to go or where to find Joe.  You walk by several people who look at you and say hello.  A few give you the “what’s up” nod.  Seems like a friendly enough place, which both puts you at ease and makes you a little nervous all at the same time. 

It’s not the nicest place you’ve ever stepped foot in.  It could definitely use a paint job.  The carpet seems stained and dated.  The seats don’t look overly comfortable either.  But you realize that none of that seems to bother anyone.  They all seem to be having fun.

Out of the corner of your eye, you see Joe waving with a wide smile on his face.  He makes his way through the crowd and greets you.  He guides you over to where he is sitting and introduces you to his friends – Sam and Eric.  They both extend a warm and sincere greeting to you. 

As you sit down, Joe starts telling Sam and Eric more about you.  They take a genuine interest in your story.  You are surprised at how quickly you open up to them.  They don’t recoil as you share some of the struggles you have been facing in your personal life.  They don’t seem taken aback when you tell them you are separated from your spouse.  They understand.  You suddenly feel like you are part of the “group.”  As you prepare to leave, everyone expresses how good it was to meet you and sincerely extend an invitation to come back again.  You find yourself looking forward to coming back. 

You get in your car and before you pull out of the parking lot, you look back at the building and say to yourself, “Bob’s Tavern – I could get used to this place!”

Place Two
You pull into a parking lot.  It is more crowded than you thought it would be.  Maybe you should just go home and try another time.  After all, you feel a little tired today anyway.  But, Joe at work has been inviting you for months and you keep blowing him off.  You have to at least go once to get him off your back.  You find an empty spot in between two minivans.  You find those things annoying, but you have to take the spot since you are late as it is. 

You make your way through the front entrance, unsure of where to go or where to find Joe.  You walk by several people who look at you and say nothing.  A few look at you and seem put off by what you are wearing.

It’s not the nicest place you’ve ever stepped foot in.  It could definitely use a paint job.  The carpet seems stained and dated.  The seats don’t look overly comfortable either.  But you realize that none of that seems to bother anyone.  However, none of them look overly excited to be there either.

Out of the corner of your eye, you see Joe waving with a wide smile on his face.  He makes his way through the crowd and greets you.  He guides you over to where he is sitting and introduces you to his friends – Sam and Eric.  They both extend greetings to you. 

As you sit down, Joe starts telling Sam and Eric more about you.  The more they hear, the more they seem to be creating a list of things they need you to do.  You start wishing Joe would shut up.  They seem to recoil when they find out that you are separated from your spouse.  You quickly realize that you are far from being a part of the “group.” 

As you prepare to leave, everyone expresses how good it was to meet you.  But you can’t shake the feeling that they have an agenda behind their interest in you.  You find yourself looking for a reason you won’t be back next time. 

You get in your car and before you pull out of the parking lot, you look back at the building and say to yourself, “First Community Church – I hope I never have to go back there!”

To be continued…

Dealing With the False

It is hard.  As Christians today, we are experiencing something that no other generation of Christians has had to face before.  What is it?  Access to all sorts of teaching - both good and bad.  In the New Testament, house churches dealt with false teachers either trying to gain access to the gathered believers, or professing Christians from within the church trying to spread false teaching that picked up somewhere from someone.  For generations, the level of threat was basically the same.

Things may have become more complicated over time as churches became more established.  Maybe you visit a church with bad teaching.  Maybe a new church comes into town teaching things contrary to the Gospel.  Today, however, any and every teaching is at our fingertips.  Whether through radio, TV, or online, you can access just about any and every Bible teacher in the world.

On the one hand, this is a blessing.  I do not have to travel to access sermons by some wonderful preachers. I can listen in every week to Tullian Tchvidjian, Alistair Begg, and even consume sermons by great preachers like Leonard Ravenhill and A.W. Tozer, now gone on to glory.  On the other hand, there are at least as many bad teachers in the world who can be accessed just as easily.

The New Testament presents us with a timeless principle for handling these issues.  Consider Jesus.  Jesus was blunt in confronting the Jewish leaders.  In fact they are really the only people that Jesus "beats up on."  For the most part, all of the Epistles are written for the sake of teaching - either confronting wrong doctrine that has crept into the church (such as Galatians) or confronting sinful behavior that has overtaken a church (such as Corinthians).

What can we learn from these examples.  First of all, the Bible does not recommend that we ignore false teaching.  However, it does give us an example of how to deal with false teaching.

As we look at Jesus, it is interesting to note that He is only harsh with the Jewish leaders.  Now, most of the people Jesus interacted with were influenced, to some degree, by the religious leaders.  But Jesus never deals harshly with those people.  Rather, He teaches the truth of the Kingdom of God.

Do we see this same principle played out in the Epistles?  Yes and no.  On the one hands, Paul can be more harsh with people in specific churches over the acceptance of false teaching.  But, even with that, his focus still leans more heavily on teaching what is true.

So, how does all this apply today?  There are many who seem to make it there primary of pointing out all the bad teaching that is in the world.  They feel it is their duty to "name names."  There are some who mock and ridicule false teachers.  There are some who beat up and condemn people who like these false teachers.  And there are some who don't care and ignore the situation completely.

Let me start by saying that just because someone is a false teacher, it does not give me license to mock and ridicule them.  The fact that they are teaching something contrary to Scripture does not make it OK for me to do something against Scripture in the way I talk about them.  If their teaching is as bad as I think it is, I should be deeply concerned for them and those who listen to them.  If their theology is like a sickness, my making fun of them wouldn't be much different than making fun of someone with cancer.

So, what about "naming names?"  Is it my duty to call out, by name, anyone who is teaching something false?  It depends.  What is my motivation?  Am I just looking for a chance to take a stab at someone?  Am I going to condemn someone who may enjoy this teacher?  There is a popular preacher who denies the Trinity and holds to a belief called Modalism.  Namely, this teaching is that God is either Father, Son, or Holy Spirit, but never all at the same time.  I know many Christians who enjoy this man's books and sermons.  However, I also know that these believers hold to an orthodox view of the Trinity.  My guess is, they just haven't seen this or heard this from the preacher.  Should I condemn them for following this preacher?  No.  Is it OK to give them the heads up about his belief concerning the Trinity?  Yes.  Do I have to mock the preacher?  No. Have I been guilty of doing this?  Yes.  Do I need to exhort the person to have nothing to do with this preacher ever again?  Not necessarily.

Well, that doesn't sound right!  Here is the problem.  Where does this slippery slope end?  In order to be consistent in this, I need to be fully aware of every preacher.  I cannot do that.  Also, am I in the position of being the theology police?  Or, do I teach the people under my care the truth of God's Word and allow them to compare that truth with what they are reading?  And what best fosters an attitude of openness within the church?  If I make known my top 10 list of bad preachers, I have now shown the door to anyone who likes any of those preachers.

As I look back on my 25 years as a Christian, there have been preachers who I listened to or authors I read who would now be on my "list" as someone to avoid.  But somehow I survived my exposure to them.  In fact, I can see ways in which they actually were used in my journey of growth.

That being said, let me explore one other scenario.  If there was a false teacher/teaching that was being widely embraced within my church, I would take a different approach.  Yes, I would name that specifically.  I would make mention of what was false, but more than anything, I would build a foundation of what is true.  Beyond that, I cannot get into the practice of policing everyone that is being listened to or read.

The old example is with money.  In order to identify counterfeit, experts study what is genuine.  Then, knowing what is genuine, they can easily spot what is false.  To take the other approach would be to point out every specific way in which money can be counterfeited.  That is an endless and hopeless cause.

But, isn't the most loving thing we can do for a believer to point out what is false?  I don't know about "most loving" but certainly it is loving.  However, we must be careful how we define love.  Let's say Sam is a man in your church who is reading an author that you would identify as a false teacher.  What is the loving way to address the situation?  To make them feel stupid in public for liking that author?  Is it to talk to them in a way that basically comes off as, "You idiot, how can you not see that person is bad?"

For a long time, I heard some people warn me to stay far away from N.T. Wright.  So much so that I fault naughty when I actually started reading one of his books.  It was even to the point where I was telling people not to read him without actually knowing why.  I read a book by N.T. Wright.  And, you know what?  He actually makes a lot of good points.  Does he make some points I disagree with, or feel he takes too far?  Yes.  Is he is the greatest danger to the church today?  No.

So, going back to Sam.  If I know Sam is reading a book by an author I have concerns about, sure I can bash the author or make Sam feel bad for reading the book.  Or, do I love Sam enough to say, "I've heard some concerns about that guy.  But would you mind if I read the book along with you and we can talk about what we see that is good and what we see that is concerning?"  Maybe I find that Sam doesn't agree with everything the author says, but has found some things in the book that have helped him grow as he wrestled with the issues.

Let me address one other issue before I close.  Many use Matthew 18 as their mandate for exposing false teachers.  They say, "I sent an e-mail to their ministry first, but they did not respond or refused to repent."  Well, in all fairness, that probably wasn't the best approach.  That preacher probably gets hammered every week with hate and fan mail.  And if you e-mail was "strongly worded," they were defensive from the start.

So, what should you do?  Pray for that teacher.  Pray that God bring someone into their life who can teach them and help them see their error.  The reality is, you are unfortunately not in a position to have an impact on that person's life and teaching.  But, God by His Spirit through prayer is able to do a better job than you could have.

Next, don't be paranoid about Sam.  If he is reading a book that denies that there is a hell, buy him a book that teaches the Biblical truth about hell.  One of the best experiences I had was going to Bible college and seminary.  Not because of what I was taught there.  Rather, because while I was there I was exposed to a variety of beliefs on issues.  Many warned me not to go to the seminary I went to because it was seen as leaning to the liberal side.  Between the two schools, I spent 7 years with some very conservative and very liberal professors.  I read some solid books and some liberal books.  I wrestled with some issues personally.  And after 7 years, I had a more conservative theology than when I started.

The question for me is do I trust God's Spirit in a believer or do I trust my own policing efforts?  False teaching is serious.  Doctrine is important.  There is a healthy way to deal with it and there is an unhealthy way to deal with it.  There is a way to teach the truth in a way that leads people to trust you and your view and there is a way to deal with it that gets under peoples' skin and causes them to keep their mouth shut around you.

I am not trying to say "do this" and "don't do that."  I am trying to invite you to wrestle with which extreme you may be falling into - ignoring false teaching or trying to control everything that everyone is exposed to.  Where is the healthy balance?

Encountering God - Week 2

This week, reading through the Gospel of Mark, my heart was overwhelmed by the works of Jesus.  Mark presents Jesus as the Servant.  In particular, I am amazed at the spotless Lamb of God who took His pure and divine hands and touched lepers.  He didn't have to do that.  He could have healed them from a distance.  Rather, He did what no one else has done - gave them a loving touch.  I was challenged by the nature of my love for others.  Do I sacrifice for them?  Do I go above and beyond to minister to them - to touch them?  Is my life lived in such a way that people can see Jesus in and through me?  I could comfort myself that I will never be perfectly like Jesus.  Or, I can be challenged to surrender more of myself today so that Christ may live in me and through me.

Church, Arise!

As a parent, and as a human being, I am writing this words with a severe heaviness in my heart as I watch the reports regarding the shooting in an elementary school in Connecticut.  Right now they are saying 18 of the deaths could be children.  The country is grieving together with the Newtown community.  If that town is anything like Chardon, Ohio, the community is banding together in a powerful way and trying to find ways to help each other through this painful crisis.

Days after the shooting in Chardon, I was there with some friends to try and minister to the community and we returned at a later time to share the Gospel.  Upon our arrival there the first time, just walking in the town felt like walking into a funeral home.  The grief was tangibly heavy.  My experience there taught me a lot.  And I hope I can pass on some exhortation to the body of Christ anywhere near this community.  For that matter, we never know when a tragedy like this could happen in our own neighborhoods.

While civil and government organizations are scrambling to find ways to meet the physical and emotional needs of the Newtown community, what is the Church doing?  I cannot speak for any church in that area.  I am speaking on a broader scale.  A brief scanning of Facebook gave me a glimpse of how the body of Christ is reacting.  I am not pointing fingers, because I responded in much the same way when tragedy reared its head in Chardon.

Of course, there has been a call to prayer on Facebook.  That is good.  I hope we are all sincere and will, in fact, be praying for this community today and in the weeks ahead.  But, calls to prayer were quickly followed up with:
-comments on the role of the sovereignty of God
-jabs at a nation that has kicked God out of the classroom
-what, if any role, talks about gun control need to be had
-calls for speedy deliver of the Gospel
-the wickedness of this nation

First of all, "Where was God on December 14th?" is a question people will be asking.  But not today.  If there are asking it, I am pretty sure they are doing more to express emotion than they are asking for a serious theological discourse.  Secondly, the role of God in the public classroom is a small issue.  It is an easy horse to beat on, but it is not the primary issue.  Gun control is not going to stop tragedies like this from happening. If we want to have the discussion, great - but that will neither prevent future tragedies, nor change what happened today.  Is this nation wicked?  Sure.  But I would go beyond that and say that anyone who walks into a school to shoot little kids is not mentally or emotionally stable.  Besides, shaking our fist at the wickedness of a nation will not bring back the children who were lost today.

The other issue - the speedy delivery of the Gospel, is the one that most stands out to me.  Of course, the Gospel is the greatest need of any person whether they are facing a tragedy or not.  But I will ask offending some by saying that there will be a time for the Gospel to be shared with these hurting families.

I have been apprehended lately by the thought of the Church being the reflection of Jesus to the world today.    When Jesus was questioned about a tragedy, didn't he say, "Unless you repent, you likewise will perish."  All I will say is go back and check the specifics of that account - it is not the same as what we have going on today.  Think more along the lines of Lazarus.  Jesus goes to his tomb knowing full well that He is going to raise Lazarus from the dead.  But what does He do first with those gathered?  He weeps.

We know that sharing the Gospel is the most loving thing we can do for a person.  I agree.  But consider it this way.  A husband and wife celebrate their 20th wedding anniversary.  A big milestone.  The husband takes his wife to a romantic dinner and presents her with a small box.  Her eyes widen and her jaw drops.  With great excitement she opens the box to find a gift certificate for a week at "fat camp."  She is quite overweight.  Now, if a husband loves his wife, what should be more important - giving her a necklace on their anniversary or helping her get healthy and save her life?  Obviously, the more loving thing is concern for her health.  But there is a time, a place, and a way to handle that.

After my Mother died two years ago, I felt like a chunk of my soul was ripped out of me.  I had people surrounding me with theological truths - "She is in a better place" - "You know she is with Jesus" - "God had a reason" - and on and on the comments went.  All of them were 100% true.  Honestly, for a time, it didn't matter to me if they were true or not.  I felt like I had been stabbed with 50 swords through the chest.  I was hurting.  While the most loving thing for people to do was to make sure my theology stood the test, what I needed at that moment was to weep.  I am grateful that God put many in my life who allowed me to do that.

I pray that there are believers on the front lines of what is happening in Newtown right now - sitting with grieving families.  Sitting with families whose kids made it out alive but are in shock of the reality that their child could have been shot.  Is there a church rallying to put together some food for people who, by now, have not thought about eating lunch?  Does the mayor of this town see the churches as the city's greatest ally in meeting needs right now?

If Jesus was physically in Newtown right now, what would He be doing?  Passing out tracts?  Standing on a street corner with a sign?  Open air preaching?  All of these things are fine ministries.  But I think, today, He would be with those hurting families and doing what He did in John 11 - weeping with those who are mourning.

I am not calling for us to abandon the preaching of the Gospel.  I am calling for truth AND love.  If Newtown is anything like Chardon, for the next several days, it will be a community that is hurting and grieving and lives feeling on the brink of emotional collapse.  Today, they need the loving presence of Jesus from His people.  In the days ahead, they will need to hear the hope of the Gospel.  May the Church in that area arise!
 

Divine Mystery

I love the zoo.  Especially this time of year when it is a ghost town during the day.  It is a great place to get away and spend some good time in prayer.  In my most recent prayer trip to the zoo, I stood at the lion exhibit.  While I was there, the male lion was pacing around and walked right up to the glass where I was standing.  As it walked slowly passed me, he tilted his head just slightly enough to make eye contact with me.  I have to admit, I felt a little uneasy having this massive, powerful creature give me the skunk eye so close - protective glass or not.  But, by contrast, there is the petting zoo where you can find some sheep.  Talk about an opposite reaction.  Apart from the meerkats and koalas, the sheep may be the least threatening animal there.

Why do I mention this?  While I was watching the massive lion walk by me, I was reminded of Revelation 5:5, "behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered."  Jesus is described as a lion. Aslan, from The Chronicles of Narnia, has been an analogy to help us with this image.  In Revelation, especially, it is easy to see Jesus as the lion - the great, powerful, massive Lord before whom we tremble and stand in awe.  At His feet we will fall in humble worship.

But the passage continues.  The next verse says, "I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain."  A lamb.  A sheep.  In one verse, He is presented as one of the most powerful and majestic creatures one can see at a zoo.  In the next verse, He is presented as one of the least threatening.  The wonderful song How Great is Our God reminds us of these two components of Jesus: "The Lion and the Lamb, the Lion and the Lamb - how great is our God, sing with me how great is our God!"

Is Jesus a lion?  Yes.  Is Jesus a lamb?  Yes.  Is He holy?  Yes.  Is He loving?  Yes.  Is He powerful?  Yes.  Is He gentle?  Yes.  Our typical pattern is to bounce to extremes.  We can over-emphasize His greatness and power to the point where we have a cold and distant relationship with Him.  But we can also over-emphasize His love to the point where we talk about Him like He is our girlfriend, or our "homeboy."

We must avoid the trap of extremes.  Part of the divine mystery is that Jesus is both the Lion and the Lamb.  He is powerful and majestic AND loving and gentle.  He is the Holy One to be feared and worshiped.  He is also the loving One to be adored.

Power of the Holy Spirit

"I sometimes wonder, if the early Christians were around today, would they even recognize what we call Christianity?  Our version is blander, almost totally intellectual in nature, and devoid of the Holy Spirit power the early church regularly experienced.  How much loss do we suffer because we don't expect the Spirit to show up as promised?  Everything we read about the church in the New Testament centered on the power of the Holy Spirit working in the hearts of Christian believers.  Sadly, for many of us, this has not been our experience."
-Jim Cymbala, Spirit Rising 

Through Their Eyes

I recently drove to the east side of Cleveland for a meeting with some dear brothers and sisters in Christ.  It was a rough neighborhood - a place where a white, middle-class suburbanite is not typically welcomed with open arms.  As I drove to the church, I quickly realized that this particular community has a very different political worldview than I do, based on the yard signs all around me.  Even when I arrived at the church, I noticed a few people sporting campaign buttons for a candidate I know I will not be voting for.

For me, the issue of abortion is very high on my list of priorities when it comes to casting my vote.  It is hard for me to comprehend a Christian voting for someone who aggressively defends and promotes abortion.  To be honest, there are times when that can become a point of division.  Some might even question the salvation of someone who could vote in such a way.

My recent trip gave me a moment to take a step back.  Please don't misunderstand me - I have not changed my political outlook.  However, I see my brothers and sisters in Christ in a different light.  You see, I have the luxury of making morals and values my driving concern in an election.  I don't hear gun shots going off while I sit and watch TV at night.  I don't have drug deals taking place in front of my house.  I send my kids off to school every day without fearing that I will never see them again due to gang violence.  My hopes for my kids include college, marriage, and a satisfying career.  A lifetime of struggling and poverty are the furthest thing from my mind for them.

If all that changed, I can't help but wonder if wanting a better life for my kids might not become my highest election priority.  Again, all this doesn't change my stand on abortion or its importance.  All I am saying is I need to have extend a little more grace and understanding to someone who has daily concerns of which I can't even pretend to understand which impact their choice of a political candidate.  We can have strong position on issues, but it would also do us well to try and understand that the person voting differently than us is doing so for a reason that is urgently important to them.

Searching Scripture

Pick a verse, any verse, and build an entire philosophy of ministry around it.  Sadly, that is kind of what has been happening in Christianity for at least the past 20 years.  No matter what literature you read on how to conduct ministry, you will find that everyone has a list of verses to support their position.  So, what is the problem?  The sides not only don't agree with each other, they use Scripture to make the case that the other group is dangerous in their approach.  Huh?  Group A uses Scriptures to support their case and clearly show how group B is wrong.  But Group B has Scriptures to show why they are right and why Group A is wrong. I'm so confused!

If you have ever found yourself in this situation, my encouragement to you is to search the Scriptures!  But here's the catch - by that, I don't mean cross-reference the verses each side is using.  Go beyond that.  Let me use an example based on something I have faced in my own life.  I have a group of Christians whom I greatly respect saying that if you want to do evangelism the way Jesus did, you have to do it this way.  They show several Scriptures to confirm what they say.  They can also use Scriptures to show why other approaches are dangerous.  Yet, I have another group of Christians that I respect telling me that doing evangelism the way Jesus did involves doing what the first group said is bad.  And they also have Scripture to verify their approach.  Tired of the battle in my own mind and heart, I began to search the Scriptures for myself.  And not just checking a list of cherry-picked verses.

I began by going through all 4 Gospels and writing in a notebook every example I could find of Jesus sharing the Gospel, proclaiming the Kingdom, or generally interacting with the unconverted.  What I found is that both groups who had my ear had a point.  However, both, in certain ways, were a little unbalanced.  I saw that the imbalance came in from fear.  Each side was afraid of the extreme examples of the other side.  One group was over-afraid of friendship evangelism that never shares the Gospel, or compromises the Gospel.  The other group was afraid of over-the-top offensive hell-fire preaching.  From that fear, they ended up pushing themselves out of balance.

Granted, the balance of speaking the truth in love is hard.  It is easier to just pick an extreme.  It is harder to careful keep yourself walking in balance.  In can be a bit uncomfortable, as well.

The point is, no matter what the issue, search the Scriptures.  We live in a world hotly divided.  We are in an election year after all!  We can fall victim to the "we are right and they are wrong" thinking.  But if you pull out of that and check the facts, you find that both candidates are airing deceptive and inaccurate commercials.  Whatever theological or spiritual issue has you torn, commit yourself to a long-term project of searching the Scriptures and seeking the truth.  You can be torn for the next 5 years, or take the next year and do more than check cherry-picked verses.  See what the entirety of Scripture says about the issue, then come to a conclusion consistent with the whole counsel of God.

Are You Listening?

Have you ever been in the humbling position of someone catching you daydreaming?  Doesn't feel good, does it?  You suddenly realize that your mind was somewhere else and you have no idea what the other person was trying to say to you.

Do you ever daydream with God?  Not in a good way.  I mean when you are reading your Bible and you have absolutely no idea what you have been reading.  Just like a conversation, you heard words, but nothing sank in.  In the same way, our eyes can see words on a page but they never sink in.

One problem in us may be that we aren't expecting to hear from God through His Word.  We are reading just to read.  One way to remedy this is to have a pen and notepad with you any time you open His Word.  This helps create an expectation that He has something to say to you.  Be attentive and open to what He is trying to say, and when that verse comes, write it down and take a moment to pray about what He has shown you.

Revival Series

What's Your Secret?

I recently had an opportunity to see some friends that I had not seen in a while.  That means another round of something I don't like - people make a fuss over me.  "Wow - you look good!"  "You've lost weight!" and so on.  Not a big fan of attention.  Anyway, someone asked me, "Do you have any secrets to share?"  For some reason, we are fascinated with secrets, tricks and gimmicks.

In the past year, I've lost 50 lbs. and almost 7 inches off my waist.  Any tricks, gimmicks, or secrets?  No.  As you may know, the majority of that weight loss has come since March 5th when I began the Insanity workout program.  So, the past two months have been being careful and intentional about what I eat along with working harder than I could imagine and dripping in sweat every day in my workout.  That's it - nutrition and exercise.  No secret.  No gimmick.  No trick.  No fad or diet of the month.  The same two things that work every time they are tried.

What does this have to do with our spiritual lives?  We want a deep relationship with Jesus Christ.  And to get it, we try everything except what has proven to work over and over.  The new book at the Christian bookstore gives us a buzz for a few weeks, then it's a mad search for the next.  Maybe a conference or seminar will be the answer.  Well, for a few days it is.

The New Testament did not have a local Christian book store.  They did not have conferences and seminars.  They did not have SermonAudio or SermonIndex to download hundreds of hours of sermons.  What did they have?  In Acts 2, we see that they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching, fellowship, the breaking of bread and prayer.  For us, the Word of God, fellowship, obedience, and prayer.

Spiritual growth does not happen automatically over time just because we are Christians.  It doesn't happen because we want to spend time with God.  It happens when we actually do spend time with God.  No secrets.  No gimmicks.  No tricks.

God is Good

A couple of things happened yesterday that left me pretty discouraged.  Just a little bit ago, I was out running errands and praying while driving.  I asked God if He would help me see His hand at work and to be aware of what He is doing.  Literally, not even 3 minutes later, I walked into a store to check something.  Now, anytime I walk into a store, I am pretty focused on the task at hand and can be oblivious to what is going on around me.  As I was walking through the store, someone said, "Hi Paul!"  It took a bit to realize that maybe they were talking to me.  I turned around and saw someone I hadn't seen in several years.  In fact, I had wondered if I had done something to offend them.  But now they were the one initiating the hello to me and we had a wonderful few minutes getting caught up.  Was it an earth-shattering moment?  Maybe not.  But, for me, it was exactly the encouragement I needed in the moment and was blessed to re-connect with this fellow believer.  Thank You, Lord!

Good Friday

On this Good Friday - turn your heart again to the cross of Jesus.  Don't let it be another day.  Don't just say, "Well, I think about the cross every day."  That is like saying, "I don't do anything for my spouse on our anniversary, because I express my love everyday."  You should do both!  May the cross of Jesus dominate your day.  Listen to worship songs that point to His sacrifice.  Attend a Good Friday service.  Maybe even watch The Gospel of John or The Passion of the Christ.  The more you make of His cross today, the greater your celebration of His resurrection will be on Sunday!

Easter Week

I can't believe it is already Easter week!  Easter always presents its own set of challenges, not unlike Christmas.  This my 16th Easter as a pastor.  So, how do you communicate the truth of the death and resurrection of Jesus in a different way than the previous 15?  How do we keep this central event from becoming so common that is becomes meaningless?

Well, I think part of the problem is thinking that we have to communicate it in a new way.  Sometimes, keeping it simple and basic is exactly what we need.  My message for our Good Friday service is called, "Jesus Paid it All" and Easter will be "He Has Risen."  Unoriginal?  Very.  Yet those combined 7 words are the most important 7 words we can wrap our hearts and minds around.

I pray that this week will be filled with your own deep reflecting on those 7 words.

The Christian Hunger Games

Everyone is buzzing about the new movie The Hunger Games, based on the three-part series of bestselling novels by Suzanne Collins.  The basic premise of book one is an evil government, seeking to keep its people oppressed, forces every community to send one teenage boy and one teenage girl(Tributes)  into the Hunger Games, a brutal fight to the death, where only one can emerge as victor.  Friends and allies are forced to kill one another in order to be the one victor.  

Sadly, what comes to mind is the current state of Christianity in many circles.  The latest victim in these Hunger Games is Kirk Cameron.  For the past several years, Kirk has stood alongside of Ray Comfort in rallying the Church around the world, especially in America, to return to a Biblical Gospel and to increase our boldness in proclaiming that Gospel to a lost and dying world.  But some of the other "Tributes" have now taken their arm at him in response to his new film, Monumental.  Even his eschatology has come under fire, not that he made any definitive End Times stances in the film.  He has even been called to give public repentance.

In The Hunger Games, some of the Tributes are downright nasty.  You can understand when they are taken out.  But when allies begin turning on each other, you are left pained.  There has been a movement among Christians to begin bringing awareness of the bad theology being promoted by certain American "preachers."  But that no longer seems to be enough.  It would seem the "game" has turned to a point of attacking allies.

Where will it stop?  There was a time when two Christians could disagree on speaking in tongues and still fellowship in unity.  They could hold different views on the End Times and peacefully stand together.  Not any more.  It would seem they must now be taken out.  Now we must label them a heretic or call their salvation into question.

I, for one, have never met two Christians who perfectly agreed on every single last point of theology.  I fear, with that being true, there can only be one victor.  All others must then be heretics and unsaved.  Maybe only one living Christian will be in heaven.

Without being Mr. Spoiler, the lesson of The Hunger Games is nobody truly wins.  There are some battles that need fighting, but The Hunger Games is not one of them.  Some theological battles need to be fought.  But we have made everything into a fight.  And nobody really wins.  

No matter where you fall on the issue of Calvinism, someone is waiting to pounce on you.

No matter where you fall on the issue of speaking in tongues, someone is waiting to pounce on you.

No matter where you fall on the issue of End Times, someone is waiting to pounce on you.

No matter what Bible translation you use, someone is waiting to pounce on you.

No matter how you share the Gospel, someone is waiting to pounce on you.

And we don't understand why non-Christians claim that all Christians do is fight among each other.  Where could they possibly have come up with that?  In The Hunger Games, the whole nation watches on TV.  In the Christian Hunger Games, our culture is also watching.  Before you take your next aim, stop and think carefully about whether you should proceed.    

Fitness and Spiritual Maturity

One year ago today, I was about 31 lbs. heavier than I am now.  I was feeling the need to lose some weight and get in shape, but struggled with motivation.  Just at that moment, a brother in Christ laid down the challenge I needed.  I began to be more careful about my food choices, and several times a week was doing cardio workouts on DVD.  I lost about 20 lbs. by the end of the summer when I was ready to have my tonsils removed.  In the two weeks following surgery, as I ate nothing but popsicles, I dropped an additional 10 lbs.  But, when I went back to solid food, about 8 lbs. found their way back.  I seemed to hit a wall over the winter - not gaining any more weight, but not losing any of it, either.  The workouts were no longer pushing me as hard as I needed and I knew I needed to kick it up a notch.

One day I caught (for about the 100th time) the commercial for the Insanity workout program.  Again, I was doubtful that the results were as good as promoted.  But I couldn't help feel like this might be the extra push I needed.  My wife and I agreed it was a worthwhile investment, so I made the order.

It arrived on March 5th, and I didn't see a reason to wait to start.  I immediately knew I was in for something brutal.  Let's just say the commercials make it look easy compared to what you actually go through.  This has pushed me like nothing has since I went through all-day football practices in the drought of 1988.  Each workout leaves you in a collapsed lump on the floor, dripping in sweat.  Between the workouts and following the nutrition plan, I lost 5 lbs. in the first week and about 3 more the second week.  I am know 1 lb. under my post-surgery weight and starting to feel in the best shape I've been in for years.

Do I do this to plug Insanity?  No.  But it is unlike any workout I have done before.  I say this all as a disclaimer to what I am about to say.  We should be careful about judging by external appearances.  I have seen people look at overweight preachers and they draw conclusions about the preachers spiritual life.  We can do the same about other brothers or sisters in Christ - assuming certain things about their spiritual maturity based on their physical fitness.  As a pastor who was, and still is, overweight, let me explain something.  Many pastors work 50, 60, 70 or more hours a week, plus seek to stay active with their family, AND seek to maintain a strong walk with Jesus Christ.  The pressures can be demanding, the stress levels high, and some weeks find you constantly on the go from one thing to the next.  Not by choice, but to save time, meals often become a trip to the nearest fast-food drive-thru.  That is not a recipe for physical fitness.  In the end, whatever the reason, one's physical appearance may or may not reflect as much of someone's spiritual life as we may assume.

With that, now entering my third week of Insanity, I have seen another reality.  keeping myself disciplined in doing the workouts each day, in addition to following a set nutrition plan with 5 meals a day has been quite time-consuming.  I have seen over the past two weeks, the temptation of keeping a disciplined fitness routine from crowding out a disciplined prayer life.

Am I saying all of this to excuse being overweight?  No.  That is something that is between you, God, and your family doctor.  There are thin people who are unhealthy and there are heavier people who are pretty healthy.  What I am saying is that we cannot allow ourselves to go too far in drawing spiritual conclusions about someone based on their weight.  Moody, Spurgeon and Luther were not slender men, based on pictures, but they were men of God.

What made me decide to get serious about my weight?  Three reasons:

1) I wanted to be up to whatever God wanted for me.  I did not want to live as a victim of having no energy for the work God has for me.  I also didn't want to be another 50-year old pastor who has to be sidelined or scale back in ministry because I suffered a heart attack.  So, to avoid that, I need to start now.

2) I wanted to be a good steward of the body God has given me to use for Him.  I didn't want my appetites to rule me.  I didn't want to be a slave to food.  And I now see food differently.  It is no longer all about what tastes good, but what will best fuel me for the work God has for me and the Insanity workout that awaits me every night.

3) I wanted to do it for my family.  I wanted to set an example of being healthy.  I didn't want to be the overweight Dad that my kids are ashamed to have show up at a school function.  I wanted the energy to stay ahead of my kids rather than lazily always dragging behind them.

So, I'll let you know how my trip through Insanity goes.  Pray for me.  And, instead of assuming spiritual laziness from those you consider overweight, hold off on a judgment that you cannot truly make.

My Story (Part 14) - Return to the Love I Had At First

Read Part 13

There is so much more that could be said about how God has worked in my life over 24 years.  So many other keys moments and events.  But this series of posts has sought to give a testimony of the life-adjusting seasons that God has brought me through.  I am confident that He who began this work in me will continue it until the Day of Christ Jesus.  But, as I am "up-to-date" on the story, part 15 is going to have a wait.  But, as I reflect back on the last 24 years, there are definitely some things I have learned.

JEMED Bracelet

First of all, our Christian lives are about one thing - Jesus.  Everything else comes under Him.  Seems obvious, I know.  But my journey so far has seen me getting caught up in other things - putting ministry ahead of Him.  Putting evangelism ahead of Him.  Putting theology ahead of Him.  Instead of His Word drawing me to Him, I put learning Biblical facts ahead of Him.  Years ago, I wore a bracelet that said "JEMED."  A friend from church helped make it more solid.  It is interesting that I eventually put that one away for others - ones that reminded me to share the Gospel and other things.  What is "JEMED"?  It was my own little thing that I came up with to remind me of something, and replacing the bracelet ended up being symbolic that others things had replaced the meaning of the bracelet.  Quite simply, "JEMED" is Jesus, Every Moment of Every Day.  That's where I want my focus.  That's what I want the drumbeat of my life to be.

The second thing I take away from the last 24 years is the importance of God's people.  I need Christians in my life, especially those who will help sound the drumbeat of Jesus.  I found myself beginning to shut certain people out of my life over secondary things.  My heart has been crushed over the past two years by the blood bath happening online over issues like predestination, Bible translations, the End Times, and other issues.  Are these important issues?  Yes.  Are they worth breaking fellowship over?  No.  It amazes me how long I went in my Christian life without knowing the ins and outs of these issues and that people cared so deeply about them.  I have seen the charge of heresy thrown around more in the past two years than I ever have in my life.  State your case - fine.  But the spilling of "blood" between the brethren has to stop.  I know these fights are seen as a battle over truth.  But God's Word talks about speaking the truth in love and how God's servant should not be quarrelsome, but patiently teaching.  Too many of these debates are marked more by what Galatians lists as "works of the flesh" than they are by the fruit of the Spirit.  While we are busy fighting over a pile of theology books, the enemy continues to have his way in the world.

The third thing I have most learned over the past 24 years is the vital role of prayer.  The times where I have seen God's Spirit most moving among a group is when prayer is the backbone.  And I have seen it among Arminians as well as Calvinists.  Leonard Ravenhill said, "No preacher is worth his weight in salt who doesn't pray for at least two hours a day."  I could care less where someone falls on the predestination debate.  What I want to know is how is your prayer life?  Everything springs up from the well that is dug in prayer.  If the well is shallow, evidence of the flesh is sure to follow.  If the well is deep, everything that follows will be filled with the life of the Spirit.  This was the repeated message of Leonard Ravenhill.  It is something I drifted away from, but God is bringing me back.

The next lesson that has most stood out to me is the need to do something with urgency for God.  In many ways, the past 24 years have been a blur.  They have gone so fast and time only seems to be speeding up with every passing year.  I don't want years to go and look back wondering what I did for the Lord.  I want to serve Him every chance I get.  But here falls another trap.  I have seen my zeal to do something for God become my running ahead of God.  I feel I have done that a number of time, even in my evangelistic zeal.  Again, everything must flow from prayer.  And just doing more and more for God is only good so far as I am doing the things that God is asking of me, and not just what I think is good to do.

There is so much more that I could say, as God has been so good to me and has taught me so much.  But that is probably enough to get caught up to speed and now to move forward in the Intentional Spiritual Life.  Would you come with me as we seek Him together?