Surprises

12-9-11


Dear Friends,


Have you ever noticed how much God seems to like surprises? There's Abraham, who is invited to, "Go . . . to the land I will show you." There's Noah, who is told to build an ark, when the people on the earth have never seen flooding. There's Peter, who steps out on the water to walk. And we experience this today: we think our lives are headed a certain direction, and—surprise!—God changes the plan. Isn't it good to know that God only operates with our best interest in mind? His surprises aren't always easy, but they're always good—because He is good.


We've got a surprise! Last week, the President of Josiah Venture asked us to pursue a new role within the organization. Instead of continuing with our plans to join the team in Croatia, he asked us to serve as Country Leader of another country within Josiah Venture. We said, "Yes!" We see God's fingerprints all over this change. Let me tell you why:

• It's a chance for us to grow in faith. Shaping the vision and leading the team for an entire country will stretch us in really good ways, and we're excited. We have an opportunity to sharpen our skills, stretch our abilities, and—most importantly—trust God more.
  
• It fits who God has designed us to be, and what God has designed us to do. We'll have the opportunity to provide leadership for a movement of God in an entire
  country. We’ll recruit, equip, and lead teammates. We’ll develop partnerships and train nationals. Those who know us best say, "This fits. This really, really, fits."
  
• It was a mutual decision. We appreciate Josiah Venture's commitment to team synergy. One of Josiah Venture's core values is Dynamic Community. We'll be working in one of the spiritually darkest places on the planet, so it's really important for our team to truly fit together. As we ministered in Croatia this summer, we all realized that our team wasn't an optimal fit. This was hard to realize, and we’ve spent the time since this summer in prayer and processing. We love Stevo and Sarah, and after months of reflection and conversation, we all agreed that it would be best for us to remain friends, and serve on different teams.
  
• It expands God's kingdom. We were so excited about ministering in Croatia. And we still deeply love the land and people of Croatia. But we see this as an opportunity for God's kingdom to expand. Three of the four countries we're considering don't currently have any Josiah Venture ministry. By stepping into a greater leadership role, we have the opportunity to take the gospel to new places in new ways. We can hardly wait to see what God will do in one of these places as He grows His kingdom. We're excited to get to be part of it!

So, what now? Well, like Abraham, we get to follow God to an unknown land. As soon as we receive our remaining support, we'll buy plane tickets and move to Europe—hopefully in January! The current plan is to set up ‘base camp’ in Romania, and do scouting trips into Macedonia, Moldova, and Bulgaria. We'll meet with national pastors, explore places to live, develop strategic relationships, and listen for God's voice. As soon as He makes our new calling clear, we'll settle in, and begin the process of partnering with nationals to reach a country for Christ. We'd like to host interns and lead evangelistic camps this summer. Please pray with us towards that end!


We know that news like this can carry many questions. If you'd like to know more about this decision—the process, our future, etc.—please contact us. We'd love to meet over coffee, talk on the phone, or reply to an email.


With love,
Rob, Liz, and Caleb


PS—We have good news! As of this email, we have just $495 per month remaining in
ongoing support, and $7700 in outgoing support to raise. It’s Josiah Venture policy
that we cannot buy tickets until it’s in. So, as soon as it arrives, we'll go to Europe! If
you're already supporting us—thank you. If you'd like to send us by giving towards our monthly support or giving an end of the year special gift, please fill out and send in the attached response card. (We’ve also included an EFT form if you prefer automatic withdrawal.) Thank you for your kind generosity and partnership in this ministry/work. We’re thrilled to be so close to joining God’s movement in Eastern Europe.
PPS—We have a Europe “wish list” on Amazon! If you’re interested in buying us any of the final things we need for Europe, check it out here: http://amzn.com/w/HV46LOPI2LJY 

Lessons on a 747

One man's face showed utter disgust. It was clear that I had somehow dramatically inconvenienced him. Another showed complete annoyance. Some were muted, showing no reaction at all. And many were full of delight, complete with smiles, giggles, and exaggerated expression. Can you guess what I was doing?

 

You may have guessed it: I was walking Caleb up and down (and up and down, and up and down) the aisle of a 747 as we flew across the ocean. Traveling with a baby requires thick skin. Caleb travels very well (so far), but even the best young traveler is an inconvenience to those around. They cry out. They talk loudly. And they move. Even adults hate sitting for an entire 9-10 hour flight, but for a 13 month old full of energy, it's simply an impossibility. And so we walked. Down the aisle. Up the aisle. Part way down. Part way up. Stopping to look at stranger's faces. Hoping to evoke a reaction, a smile, a silly face . . . anything. You can tell a lot about a person by how they respond to children.

 

Little children are a strange thing. In terms of output, they're absolutely worthless. In terms of productivity, they're a net loss. In terms of improving your value in the eyes of others, they don't accomplish much. In fact, if your goal in life is to please yourself, better yourself, and climb the social/financial/whatever ladder, please don't have kids. You'll either ignore them or manipulate them, but you won't appreciate them. Because kids are nearly worthless. You can tell a lot about a person by how they respond to children.

 

I get it that some people are 'baby people' and others aren't. That's fine. Some people gravitate towards children and some don't. That's fine, too. But we learn a lot about ourselves when we relate to children. We learn a lot about ourselves when we're called to love those who have nothing to give in return. So, I suppose, not just kids. I learn a lot about myself when I'm invited to love someone who stinks so bad my stomach hurts. I learn a lot about myself when I have the opportunity to care for someone so poor that our relationship will always be 'one-way.' I learn a lot about myself when my friend with mental handicaps comes my way, and I have to decide if I'll take the time to talk with him. We learn a lot about ourselves when we relate to those who can give nothing back.

 

That's what Jesus had in mind when he rebuked His disciples for keeping the little children away. Yes, "Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world." Yes, all the stained glass images of Jesus with kids on his lap are appropriate. Yes, every children's ministries director in the world should feel good that they work with people that Jesus loves. But the message for the disciples was different than that. Bigger than that. They were keeping the kids away because they thought Jesus was too busy and important to waste time on those who had nothing to offer. But Jesus flipped the tables. He said everyone must come to Him like a child, with nothing to offer but our love. You can tell a lot about a person by how they respond to children. And Jesus welcomed children—us—into His arms for love.

 

What did the disciples learn that day? They learned that having a heart like Jesus means loving the 'unimportant.' They learned that having a heart like Jesus means loving those who have nothing to give in return. They learned that having a heart like Jesus means taking time for those whom everyone else rushes past. They learned that Jesus' kingdom is upside down. You can tell a lot about a person by how they respond to children. And how they respond to everyone else who has nothing to give in return. Jesus, give me your heart for those whom the world ignores.

My list of enemies

I've been making a list of my enemies. I'm tracking those who hurt me. I'm tallying those who left wounds. I'm noting those who bother me. I'm "making a list, checking it twice . . . ."
No really, I am.
I wonder if we have a wrong strategy for dealing with enemies. I'm not talking about national enemies, like countries, or enemies of state, like tyrants. I'm talking about personal enemies. Like the person who wounded you with their cutting words last week. Like the boss at work who tells lies behind your back. Like the girl at school who spreads painful rumors about you. Or even the guy who cut you off on the freeway last night. Who are your enemies?
"But those aren't enemies," you say, "They're just people who annoy me, or hurt me a little. I'd never be so unchristian as to call them enemies." And therein lies the rub. Because if they're annoyances, we can just ignore them. If they hurt us 'a little', we can just be angry 'a little.' If they do something a little hurtful, we can just gossip about them. But if they're enemies, we have to love them. And that is something altogether different.
Jesus gives two heart-tests for His followers that are especially potent to me. One is our willingness to give time to 'unimportant, unpowerful' people. (See Luke 18:15-17, or Matthew 25:34-40) We know we are beginning to share God's heart when we willingly give our time and energy to those who will not benefit us in any way. The second test that grabs me is the 'love your enemies' test. I've been memorizing that passage, and—honestly—I don't like it. But here it is:
"But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you." (Luke 6:27-28)
Later, He says:
"If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' lend to 'sinners,' expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because He is kind to the ungrateful and wicked." (Luke 6:32-35)
Did you catch that? One way to know that we are children of the Most High is if we love and share and give and do good to our enemies. Because that's what Jesus did—and does—for His enemies. For us. "While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."
So why am I keeping track of my enemies? Because I want to be done with merely tolerating those who hurt me. Because I want to be done with petty wars with those I dislike. Because I want to be done with bitterness in my heart. Because, according to Jesus, I either hate stuff or I love it. And I either hate people or I love them. I've got to admit who my enemies are so that I can love my enemies. I've got to admit who my enemies are so that I can actively strategize about how to do good to them. I'm learning—with baby steps—to go out of my way to serve those who have hurt me. I'm learning—again, baby steps—to bless those who curse me. I have a long way to go, but I'm 'making a list, checking it twice . . .' No, I'm not fixated on it—that would be unhealthy. But I'm trying to get honest with myself, so, as Abraham Lincoln said, I can "destroy my enemies when I make them my friends."
This isn't natural for my heart. I don't want to love my enemies. But my heart is no longer natural. Yours isn't either, if Christ has changed it. It takes a supernatural heart to love enemies. It takes the heart of God to love enemies. I want my heart to become like God's heart. Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, will you help me to identify and love my enemies—like you do?
(By the way, if you receive a kind word from me, or a card in the mail, or a gift, it doesn't necessarily mean you're my enemy . . . I try to do that for friends, too . . .) :-)

One-Trick-Pony

His tone was charged with accusation, but his lips curled with a flickering smirk. He had stood in a long line of parents, waiting to question me—the 22-year-old who was interviewing to pastor his kids. I had already fielded an hour-and-a-half of group questions, and now had worked my way through the parental line. Six weeks after marrying my high school sweetheart, and just 4 months after college graduation, I was trying to land my first full-time career job. "You just said the same thing all night" he continued. "You're just a one-trick-pony. Every question they asked you gave the same answer. It was just all about love, love, love. Do you really think that love is all there is to life? Don't you have any other ideas?"

It's a fair question. Maybe it was just the naiveté of a 22-year-old fresh out of college. Maybe as I got older, and wiser, I'd realize that love isn't trustworthy. I'd realize that Hollywood has corrupted love. I'd figure out that real Christianity is about good doctrine, or discipline, or obedience, or . . . something more measurable than 'love'. I'd discover that love isn't trustworthy because sometimes you just have to obey God even when you don't want to, and that it's ok to not like someone but still say that you love them. Maybe when I got out of the idealism of college and into the reality of 'grown-up life' I'd realize that love is just a superficial thing that mature Christians have moved beyond.

The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself." (Galatians 5:14)

Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." (Matthew 22:37-40)

"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." (John 13:34-35)

. . . for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law. (Romans 13:8)

And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:17-19)

God is love. (1 John 4:8,16)

We love because He first loved us (1 John 4:19)

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. (1 Corinthians 13:13)

The rant continued, and I thought, He might be joking, but if he isn't—and I treat him like he is—I'm in trouble. Better take him seriously. I was starting to get nervous. But, he was right. I am a one-trick-pony. I really do think that everything—everything—ties back to love. That even judgment and wrath and truth and justice are all expressions of the love of God—of the God who is love. I really do think that God lives in perfect relationship as Father, Son, and Spirit. And I believe that perfect relationship is why He is love. Not just loving. Not just a lover. He is love. And, I really do think that everything comes back to love. I mean, isn't that what Jesus says? "All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." So yes. I am a one-trick-pony. I do tie everything back to love. And so does Jesus. That puts me in good company . . .

I started to explain myself yet again when the flickering smirk won out over the accusatory tone. Turns out he was joking—and that he agreed. Love is the answer—always. He even titled a book after it—One Trick Pony (by Phillip E. Long). You should pick it up—it's a good read.

But the real question is—what's your 'one-trick-pony?' What driving force in your life motivates what you do? Has the love of God won your heart? He is love.

@#$%&! patience

My one-year-old son, Caleb, is not a very patient person. If I'm making him food to eat, he'll often cry, because he isn't already eating the food. If we're riding in our truck and just 5 minutes from home, he'll whine, because he wants out of his car seat now. If he's ready to go somewhere and I'm not quite ready, he'll fuss, because my timing doesn't match his timing. He has no sense of perspective. It's almost like he can't see a big enough picture to wait for just a minute. It's almost like his sense of time and perspective is so limited that he doesn't recognize the absurdity of his impatience. It's almost like waiting any amount of time is waiting too long. And yes, I'll say it before you can: he comes by it naturally.

Who's got time for patience anyway? I don't. I mean, let's be honest—patience isn't exactly a 'hot topic' around most people's dinner tables. Some of us confuse patient people with boring people (they're just 'patient' because they have nothing to live for), or we just think patient people lack motivation (sure, you're patient—that's why you never get anything done—and why I have to do it all). Patience isn't exactly breaking news (pardon the pun). We celebrate lightning fast computers, bigger faster cell networks, faster internet providers, faster news feeds . . . the list goes on and on. When was the last time you saw an ad that was marketing patience? Do you value patience?

I don't. Or at least I didn't. You know how you interview for jobs, and people ask, "What's your greatest strength, and what are your greatest weaknesses?" and then, you try to find a weakness that is really a strength? ("I admit, I really struggle with perfectionism. I just can't stop until a job is done right . . .") When I was interviewing for youth pastor positions 6 years ago, I got a Christian version of that: "Which of the fruits of the Spirit are you strongest in, and which do you struggle most with?" Of course, you remember the options: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Immediately, my mind raced, asking, What are the 'safe' answers to that question? I replied, with honesty, that I struggle with patience. I'm often too eager to see progress happen now. In both cases, they offered me the job. Can you imagine how the interview would have gone if I had picked some of the other 'fruits' of the Spirit? I really struggle with gentleness. When I get angry, I just like to hit people. Or, Self-control just isn't my thing. If something tempts me, I just do it. Or, I'm really just not a very kind person. I sort of think kindness is overrated. I'd probably still be job searching! But patience—that's kind of a safe answer. It's ok to be impatient. People think, "He's just driven." And so, patience gets swept to the side as another personality-driven virtue that only certain temperaments can be expected to have.

That's how I thought of it—at least deep down. Of course, no one is dumb enough to actually say that patience is worthless—we just live that way. We just don't pay any attention to nurturing patience or wishing for patience. It's a forgotten virtue. But that blew up in my face a month or so back. I was outlining 2 Timothy, and noticed that Paul describes himself as patient. Paul? Patient? Mr. Driven-Personality? Mr. Urgency? Mr. Accomplishment? Patient? If Paul is patient, then patience surely isn't slowness. It's not passivity. It isn't shirking responsibility in the name of 'trusting God.' It isn't absence of stress or an unwillingness to push hard. None of those things describe Paul.

So, what is patience? I asked some friends for help. If you'd like to join me on my journey, here's what I'm thinking so far:

• There is 'big-picture' patience and 'in-the-moment' patience. 'Big-picture' patience has to do with major life circumstances. For me, right now, it's my desire to be in Croatia. 'In-the-moment' patience has to do with immediate circumstances. For me, those are times when I'm running late, when others are late, or when someone's behavior is difficult to deal with (like a baby crying . . .).
• Patience is about trusting the God who truly loves you. Like everything (!), patience is an element of loving God and loving others (Mt. 22). My confidence in God's love for me frees me to wait for His movement. I can rest, knowing He loves me even more than I love myself. Many friends talked about having 'faith to be at peace with God's timing' or 'trust.' ('Big picture' patience)
• Patience is about caring for the person you're waiting for. My friend says, "I think of John 21... Jesus appearing to his disciples on the lake...waiting for them by a fire...guiding Peter...wanting his "kids" to get it. This was the third time he appeared to them." My love for others causes me to be patient, even when it disrupts my plan or timeline. Another friend said, "I think patience is, one of many, acts of selflessness. So it would be a result of "love God, love people" for the purpose of putting someone else's needs (time, your attention, kind words, encouragement...) above our own, because Jesus did it first." ('In-the-moment' patience)

I'm really not very patient. Liz and Caleb can attest to that. But here are some ways that patience is working into my life:

• We are so excited to get to Croatia, and are so emotionally 'done' with support-raising! Yet, we need to be at 100% support before we leave for summer ministry. We know it's God's will for us to go. But, we don't see the timing from His perspective. My confidence in God's love for me frees me to wait for His movement—even if it doesn't match my timing.
• I'm terrible at waiting for late people. (And, of course, sometimes habitually late people need to be challenged to grow for their own good.) But remembering that 'caring for others is more valuable than my happiness or timeframe' helps me focus on the person that needs love, not my schedule.

I'm starting to think that this is the key: Patience isn't just a belief or a state of being. It's a relational force, based on who/what you most love at the time. Patience is 'loving enough to wait' for God's timing. Patience is 'loving enough to wait' for people. Patience is loving enough to wait.

How about you? How is patience working into your life? What values and beliefs can you share with the rest of us as we seek to join God's heart in this area?

(Thanks to all of you who joined the 3/2/11 conversation on Facebook—super helpful!)

Ambushed

I was ambushed. My day felt ruined. A dark cloud hung over everything, and for all my efforts, I couldn't see daylight. Down seemed up and up seemed down. My heart hurt like a loser of the 'running of the bulls', yet nothing was really wrong. I was simply dropping Bailey (our 3 year old dog) off for 'minor' surgery—a spay and a teeth cleaning. What had happened?

It was pretty simple, really, and sort of complicated all at the same time. You see, 13 months earlier I had really been ambushed. The time had come to put Josh, my dog since 8^th grade, to sleep. I knew it would be hard. I knew it wouldn't be fun. But I had no idea how much it would turn me inside out—after all, "he's just a dog, right?" Choosing when to let go ambushed me in a way that I won't soon forget. It was super hard. I felt low for days afterwards. And it was over a year ago.

So why, upon entering the same vet clinic 13 months later, did I suddenly feel like it was just yesterday I had lost a faithful friend? Why did the smells, surroundings, bandages, and wrappings all evoke an emotion in me that I haven't felt for months? Why did this outward environment affect me so much? Why? Because our hearts remember things. Our hearts store things. Our hearts are lastingly shaped by the experiences we force upon them. This world imprints our hearts.

I think we often treat our hearts as if they are made of stone—as if we can do or experience anything, and our hearts will stay the same. Of course, a heart of stone isn't anyone's goal! We want to have hearts of "flesh" (Ezekiel 36:26). But the problem with a heart of flesh is that it is imprintable. Our hearts react to the world around us. Events stick to us like dried oatmeal on a hot day. Images etch themselves into our memory and then resurface at the most inopportune times. Experiences shape us in ways that feel so natural that we don't even notice. The people we're around—they shape us. The activities we choose—they form us. The music we enjoy—it steers us. Because it imprints our hearts.

"Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life." (Proverbs 4:23) Above all else, guard your heart. "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things." (Philippians 4:8) Quite a filter!

Our hearts are fragile—and absolutely priceless! The point isn't rule-following or law-keeping. The point is freeing our hearts to love truly the One who loves us first! How do you choose to guard your heart? And, what things are shaping your heart that shouldn't be? How are you being imprinted?

My Life Without (gasp!) . . . Television

The story of how our family lost its TV was quite ominous and mysterious to my little mind. It had happened before I was born, and we'd never had a TV since. Evidently, the amount of time spent in front of the 'tube' was concerning to my mom, and she began to pray that it might be, uh, removed from our household. Soon thereafter, our TV began to smoke. Literally. In my little mind, I could picture black smoke rising up out of the TV. (Since then, I've always tried to stay on my mom's good side . . . !) They took it to the repair shop, but never got it back. To my young mind, the evidence was clear: God had acted, and TV was bad.

I still remember the day when we finally got a TV. We had gone the first 16 years of my life without one, and I was firmly embedded in the belief that I was better for it. I did all sorts of other things. As a young guy, afternoons found me with a few buddies, out in the back pasture, pretending to be Daniel Boone and Davy Crocket, complete with fake long guns. As I got older, real hunting replaced fake hunting. Sports were a big part of life. I also learned how to lose myself in a good book—a habit I still have to this day. Most of all, I used my imagination, and that provided plenty of entertainment. But one day, we got a TV and a VCR. I think I remember it so clearly because it seemed so . . . strange.

I adjusted quickly, however. Soon, I was finishing each day with Sports Center, or whatever else was on ESPN. We started renting movies and watching shows and everything that 'normal' families do. We were pretty tame in our choices, but I do remember that a family division started to arise. Maybe your family has it also. As kids, there were movies that we all watched, and movies that "Mom and Dad probably wouldn't like." Funny thing was, we weren't really watching anything too risqué. But with Mom and Dad being part of the older generation and everything, they were just a bit more sensitive in their consciences than we were. We didn't want to watch anything with them that might, you know, offend them or something. Sometimes the realities of life can be a little shocking to those who aren't young and relevant, and we wouldn't have wanted to spoil their naiveté . . .

You know those moments in life when you realize up is down and down is up? I sure was surprised when I found out that Mom and Dad avoided certain movies to protect us, not themselves! What a novel idea! Here I was, sure that they would have been shocked by all of the 'mature' issues these films were dealing with, and they were avoiding them to protect me! Hmm . . .

Soon I left for college, and encountered a strange phenomenon: Guys would stay up all night to shoot aliens and zombies on a TV screen, when there was a real world right outside the men's dorm. Some of these same guys (who I deeply love to this day) struggled intensely with internet pornography, but insisted on the need to watch most of the latest movies so that they could stay 'relevant.' Might there be a connection? Many of them finally lived out Jesus' words to 'cut it off' and decided to be more careful with what filled their minds. I wonder if sometimes our ability to distinguish between reality and fantasy starts to become handicapped . . .

I remember sitting around with a group of guys one night and quoting nearly every line from a popular movie . . . and afterwards wondering how our world would be different if Christians knew their Bibles that well . . .

I've been out of college for a few years now, and my love/hate relationship with media continues. Although I've never gotten in the habit of watching anything really rotten, I have watched some of the mainstream shows. I've started to question the imprint that media makes on my heart. And I've started to be much more careful about what I watch and listen to, because I wonder if our hearts aren't nearly as tough as we think they are. I wonder if we are far more susceptible to the imprinting of the world than we think. I suspect that we are far more influenced by the world of make believe than we admit. I think our hearts are sensitive—and we should guard them. I wonder—what things 'imprint' our hearts, and where do they come from?

Is lust really just a lost battle for every man—or do the seemingly safe movies we watch stir us more than we think? Is greed something that all Americans struggle with—or do the advertisements we sit through impact us more than we admit? Do all people struggle with comparing themselves to others—or is this a result of watching abnormal people live out unrealistic lives on television? Gossip? Swearing? Ungodly ambition? The list goes on . . .

I haven't gotten rid of my TV just yet, (nor have I canceled my subscription to Netflix), but I'm choosing to be much more careful about what I watch and listen to these days. Jesus often links the eyes and the heart (Mt 6:22). Paul tells us to guard what we think about (Phil. 4:8). And in Ephesians 5:3, Paul says, "But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people." The old standby question still works—would I feel comfortable watching that show with Jesus as my viewing partner? I don't think Jesus is 'out-of-touch' or 'extra-sensitive'—but He is HOLY . . . and I'm called to be also. Not so that I can impress anyone. Not so I can miss out on the rest of life. Not even to 'follow the rules.' No, it's to guard my heart. Because my heart isn't as tough as I used to think it is. Maybe the older generation isn't so naive after all! Does your TV need to start smoking?!!

Try Hate for a Change . . .

There it is again. It just won’t go away. Every time you turn around, it’s there. Lurking. Leering. Inviting. As soon as you get rid of it, it just reincarnates. The more you try not to think about it, the stronger it pulls you. It’s timing is always terrible, and it ambushes you when you least expect it. You know what I’m talking about . . .


War is hard enough when the enemy is another country. It’s hard enough when you’re fighting against another person. It’s more difficult still when it’s against an invisible enemy (Ephesians 6:12). But war against yourself? That’s something different altogether.

“For in my inner being I delight in God's law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members.” (Romans 7:22-23)

You know the war Paul’s talking about. When we come to Jesus, our ‘inner being’ is changed to ‘delight in God’s law’, but our body—our flesh—is still ‘programmed’ to sin. We’ve practiced sin for so long that it is simply part of our natural response. Maybe it’s deep seeded arrogance. Maybe it’s out-of-control insecurity. It could be gossip, lust, anger, bitterness, dishonesty . . . . We all know the list. And we all know our list. And according to Paul, it’s a war.

Notice that Paul didn’t say two things. He didn’t say that we’re all just ‘forgiven sinners’ who will never achieve any form of godliness this side of heaven. That’s just giving up on the war, and Paul isn’t recommending that. He also didn’t say that the war is already won—that we’re already perfect if we just have enough faith. Yes, ours sins are completely forgiven. Yes, “we have all we need for life and godliness.” But, he said that we’re at war . . . against ourselves.

In sports, we’re told that ‘the best offense is a good defense.’ I don’t know if it is really true, or if coaches just struggle to get kids excited about defense. But in the war against sin and Satan, it’s false. Sure, we’ve got to guard the home front, but when it comes to sin, a good defense doesn’t get us too far. We’ve all failed at the “don’t think about a pink elephant” trick, and yet we try to engage the same strategy with sin. Don’t think about how much you hate that person . . . Don’t think about that girl . . . Quit being so #@!& angry! . . . It’s a losing battle, isn’t it? The more I try not to sin, the more I think about it.

In Luke 6, Jesus says “But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” The command itself is worth noting, but did you catch the strategy? He says, “Give up on trying to ‘not hate’ your enemies. Turn it over. Love them.” I wonder if that same strategy applies to other areas of sin. Give up on trying to ‘not gossip’—spend your energy finding something uplifting to say. Give up on trying to ‘not be angry’—find a way to express genuine kindness. Give up on trying to ‘not be proud’—find a way to serve someone. Give up on trying to ‘not be greedy’—give your money away. Give up on trying not to sin—love! The war within us is a war of competing loves. Merely subduing our bad loves doesn’t work (love of self, love of power, love of wisdom, love of riches). We must replace those loves with proper love—play offense!

Jesus makes it very clear that love and hate work together (Matthew 6:24). In our pluralistic culture, we don’t like such talk as “You must love the one and hate the other.” But that’s how the war goes. We can’t ‘dislike’ sin and love God. It doesn’t work to ‘want to get rid of’ sin and love God. Our affections for God demand a hatred of sin. For the past couple of years, I’ve slowly gotten in the habit of asking God to help me hate my habitual sin. It’s an amazingly effective prayer! And, I’ve been intrigued by how God causes me to hate my sin. He always draws me to see the relational consequences of my sin—in other words, how my sin is hurting those I love. Am I struggling with pride? He’ll show me where my arrogance crippled vital friendships. Am I struggling with anger? He’ll show me episodes in recent weeks where my hard-hearted silence shredded close friends. Am I struggling with my words? He’ll show me how my simmering irritation is wounding those whom I count dear. Don't you hate it when you realize that you have caused a major reaction by some stupid thing you've said or done? You want to turn back the clock, vow you'll remember not to do that again—especially in marriage when you used to having the sweetness of oneness and you've wrecked it for a day or two. Aaahhh, so painful! It’s amazing how quickly I hate sin when I see the immediate relational consequences!

The war goes on. Relief won’t come until heaven. In the meantime, we must remember that sin is a relational problem, and a love problem, which demands relational and love solutions. Guard your heart (Prov 4:23). Wash it in the Bible (Eph 5:26). Let it be made holy by the Word (John 17:17). Hate sin. And love!

Did you succeed today?

What do you think about at the end of the day? When your head hits the pillow, do you ponder successes made? Do you contemplate opportunities lost? Did I think well today? Were my strategies good? Did I properly discern the problems of the day? Or, Did I accomplish my goals for the day? Did I make good progress on my to-do list? The more ‘spiritual’ among us might ask, Did I speak about Jesus today? Did I live with great faith? Or, Did I serve with passion? Did I sacrifice for others? Do you see how the questions we ask ourselves today direct our actions tomorrow? How do you evaluate yourself?


What measurements do you use to decide whether you have succeeded or failed? When you look back on a moment, week, season, or year, what determines your sense of victory or defeat? When you find yourself sighing in discouragement, or celebrating a job well done, what makes the difference? How do you evaluate yourself?

I wonder if this is what Paul is driving at in 1 Corinthians 13. You know how it goes:
“If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.”

Before you gloss over this passage because of its familiarity, take a second look. Can you imagine what it would be like to “speak in the tongues of men and angels”? Wouldn’t it be fantastic to “fathom ALL mysteries and ALL knowledge”? We’d all like to have “faith that can move mountains”. And surely no one can criticize the person who gives all they have to the poor and then gives their life for the gospel!

Paul does. He criticizes it—if it’s done without love. In fact, he says that it is all going to go away (v.8). He says that our knowledge and wisdom can’t be trusted (v.9). He says only love will last (v.13). And it’s interesting to note that Paul believes that these great things can be done without love. In other words, great actions are not always good indicators of a loving heart. Scary.

To be clear, I’m a huge fan of right talking, good thinking, sacrificial serving, etc. I’m not ready to give up on any of those things. Don’t worry—I’m not jumping off the post-modern cliff of total relativism! It’s just that these things are all fallen. Just as my heart and body were damaged with sin in Genesis 3, so was my mind. So are my actions. But if “God is love” (1 John 4:8), and God’s Spirit lives in us (Rom. 5:5), then the truest expression of God in our lives is love. Love defined His way.

Love gets a bad rap in our Christian circles. Perhaps we’ve been too inundated by Hollywood versions of love. Perhaps we’re rightly suspicious of the consistent Disney message to ‘just follow your heart’. Perhaps love feels to ‘soft and cuddly’ to be trusted. So we’ve swung the pendulum and gotten rid of love altogether. (For an excellent blog post on this, see Peter Mead’s Valentine’s Day blog at http://www.cordeo.org.uk/fluffy-love). We’ve decided that we can’t trust the fluffy feelings of love, and we’ve emphasized the more measurable aspects of our faith, like right thinking and good actions. The problem is, in 1 Corinthians 13 Paul declares those to be of secondary importance. He declares love to be on top.

To be clear, we’re not free to define love in whatever terms we desire. The Bible doesn’t describe Hollywood love as the answer. Equally important, it doesn’t simplistically reduce love to a ‘decision’ of the mind and will. If you doubt that, read Hosea! Rather, love is truly an affection of the heart. We respond to God’s love with our love—a whole body, compelling, life-changing love. It means we really get to love God and love people, in a way that captures all of us—heart, soul, mind, and strength (to quote Jesus). All of Scripture displays what that love looks like.

So, when my head hits the pillow, I want to ask, Did I love today? I know my life will move in the direction of the questions I ask myself. Did I love today? Did I love my wife with my attitudes and internal conversations? Did I love my son and make time to spend with him? Did I love my co-workers, my classmates? Did I spend my money lovingly? Was my day orientated around the things that matter? Why did I do what I did? Did I love today?

How about you? How do you know if you loved today? How do you evaluate yourself?

Love Letters, Part 2

I’m skipping my Bible reading to write this blog post.  Kind of ironic, isn’t it?  Well, I’m not skipping it in its entirety—I read a couple chapters this morning.  But, I just wasn’t fully ‘into’ it.  My mind was on other things, and my heart couldn’t seem to engage the Scriptures.  What to do?

It’s funny how controversial Bible reading is.  Some people claim it as one of the essential ‘spiritual disciplines’.  Others largely dismiss it as ‘just one of many ways to get to know God’, which carries the implication that it isn’t one of ‘my’ ways to get to know God.  Some treat it as a necessary evil, as evidenced by their need of ‘accountability’ to get it done.  Still others claim, “I’m just not a reader”, and move on to other things.

I wonder if we have a focus problem.

I wonder if we expect the wrong things.

It seems like wrong expectations of the Bible can have cataclysmic results.  Like, missing the heart of God.  Or, missing our Savior.  At least, that’s what Jesus says in John 5:39-40: “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me; and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life.”  Did you catch that?  Many in this audience would have had Genesis through Deuteronomy memorized.  Some would have labored to be able to recite the entire Old Testament.  And yet somehow, amidst all of that, they had missed the main character, because they expected the wrong things.  When you read the Bible, what do you expect?

Might it be that we find what we look for?  Do we ‘mine for gold’—looking for tidbits and tokens?  Maybe we search for data—looking for interesting facts and doctrinal proof texts.  Or, we might anticipate being proven right—looking for those verses that reinforce our preconceived ideas . . . .  When you read the Bible, what do you expect?

Or, better said, When you read the Bible, who do you expect?

Did you notice the solution Jesus offered?  “It is these that testify about Me.”  Dr. John Mitchell used to say, “When you read the Bible, look for Jesus.”  It’s almost as if we’re supposed to read the Bible like it’s transparent, like it’s a set of fantastic optics made to bring the living God into focus—up close and personal.  It’s almost as if we’re supposed to read the Bible for the sake of the author, not just the sake of the information in the text.  It’s almost as if we’re supposed to read the Bible to gain the heart of God, not just the right application.  It’s almost as if we’re supposed to meet the Living Word through the written Word.  Maybe . . .

Don’t get me wrong.  I’m all for studying God’s Word for meaning—I do that every time I teach.  I’m all for outlining books—I’m working on Titus right now.  And, I don’t expect to have an out-of-body experience every time I read the Bible.  Some mornings, I’m too distracted, or too tired, or too ‘whatever’ to read effectively.  I just can’t seem to expect the right thing—or the right person.  And I read anyway.  But when all is said and done, I want to be a person who knows my Savior well.  I want my heart to beat with His heart.  I want to laugh at what He laughs at, and cry at what makes Him cry.  I want to smile when He smiles, and sigh when He sighs.  I want to ‘hang out’ with my Savior, so that He ‘rubs off on me’, and I become like Him.  Not just in actions, but in affections and attitudes.  When you love someone, you spend time with him.  Him.

So, how does someone read the Bible relationally?  How does someone open the Word, expecting to meet the Living Word?  Here’s a few thoughts to get us started:

• Invite the Holy Spirit.  It is the Spirit who makes the Word of God “living and active.”  We need to invite Him to show us God’s heart in God’s Word.
• Try ‘just’ reading.  Sometimes we spend so much time ‘dissecting’ Scripture that we lose the heart.  Reading it aggressively keeps us moving, and allows God to ‘underline’ His heart on our heart.  It’s part of the “washing of water with the word” that Paul talks about.
• Read it conversationally.  Ask questions of God/Christ, debate, argue, disagree—respectfully of course . . .
• Read it personally.  Put yourself in the story, in the text, be one of the disciples, watch what Christ does, be Paul, "mediating" between Christ and the congregation . . .
• Set the stage for ‘a date’.  We don’t try to do good communication with people with the TV blaring while we try to pay the bills (or, at least, we shouldn’t!).  We have to make room for God in our day.  A bit of quietness and calmness helps the conversation.
• Recognize the privilege.  The living God has pursued us with a love letter.  God is a communicating God.  He’s a pursuing God.  We simply get to respond to His pursuit.  Wow!  Millions of God-followers who have gone before us call us ‘blessed’, because we get to have a Bible on our shelf.  It’s a privilege.
• Expect to meet with Jesus—and ask Him to meet with you.  Let’s open our hearts for surgery, expecting to be cleansed.  Let’s open our minds for renewal.  Let’s put our lives and character before the King, ready for transformation.  But most of all, let’s expect to meet with our Savior.  He loves us!  He loves to meet with us!  He yearns to share His heart with us!  What a privilege to be a friend of the Savior!

So, what do we do about our ‘Bible reading problems’ that we mentioned earlier?  I’m sure there is no magic bullet.  But, I will say this—some of the most captivated Bible readers that I know hate to pick up any other book.  They wouldn’t read a novel if someone paid them.  But they read their Bibles, and they experience the life change, because they expect to meet with Jesus—and they do!  It’s not a ‘spiritual discipline’—it’s a date with Jesus.  How about you?  When you read the Bible, who do you expect?

Better go finish my quiet time . . .

Love Letters . . .

I almost made a big mistake the other day. A really big mistake. You know the kind—the oh-my-gosh-I’d-never-make-that-up type of mistake. I was online and decided to visit an old email account. It is one that has become inactive, and in a spirit of organization and cleanliness, I decided I should just delete the account. Just as I was in the process of erasing the account forever, I thought, I should check to make sure there is nothing important here. Oh my, was I glad I did! Because that account is full of love letters.


Maybe you grew up in the era where love letters happened with a pen and paper. Or, maybe you’re growing up in the time where love letters happen on Facebook or in a text. But for me, most of Liz’s love letters came by way of hotmail.com. Years ago, that account became so overrun with spam that I quit using it. But it still has all the love letters. Over the first 2 years we dated, Liz wrote me 144 emails to that account.

Do you remember what it is like to get a love letter? I do. One summer while we were dating, I was interning and she was working a ‘normal job’. I was halfway through a 14-day stretch on the Salmon River when one of my friends came up to camp. He had in his hand . . . a love letter! It was like a cold drink of water on that 112-degree day! Hurriedly, I found a private place to read it. With eager anticipation, I ripped open the envelope. At first, I read the whole letter, scouring for precious tidbits of updates and information. Then I re-read the letter, soaking in the parts that touched my heart. I read it again the next day, and again the day after that. Why? Because it was a love letter! That’s what you do when someone loves you!

Have you ever noticed that you don’t analyze a love letter? That you don’t consciously look for ‘the meaning’? You don’t outline, you don’t chart, you don’t even really ‘study’. You don’t marvel over the grammar, or gush over the syntax. You just absorb. You just allow—even urge—your heart to notice the right things. Because it isn’t about the letter, is it? It’s about the author—your lover. It’s about doing whatever it takes to know your lover better. The author has already captured your heart, and this letter is a delightful opportunity to meet with your lover.

It’s a love letter. Everyone knows how to read a love letter. Or do we?

(Part 2 next week . . .)

Better go make sure that email account stays active!





Who do you trust?

It’s possible that this isn’t a noticed struggle for you. Lucky. You may be the type of person that just doesn’t have too much of an issue. Your temperament, personality, and drive just don’t push you toward this pit. Maybe.

Or, it could be that you struggle and don’t know it. Selfish ambition is something we’re good at disguising. We live in a world that glorifies in-your-face pride, and sometimes we feel pretty good by comparison.

Either way, I’ve been defining it wrong.

And how we define things influences how we live.

I first really wrestled with the issue of pride and humility when I followed it as a theme in my Bible read-thru one year. Well, at least, that was when I decided to acknowledge my wrestling. Pride has always been a temptation for me. As a young child, my mom had me memorize a verse in Proverbs about letting others compliment you—because I was a little too good at complimenting myself. As I got older, I got smarter. I’m sure the pride seeped out into the open sometimes, but it mostly resided in the hidden-from-others areas of my heart. After all, out-in-the-open pride isn’t too acceptable in the Christian community, but hidden pride is. We just call it ‘drive’, or ‘competitiveness’. But, I never liked pride. I knew it wasn’t such a good thing. So I followed the idea in my read-thru one year and it changed my life. I realized that pride isn’t only wrong—it’s stupid. We serve a God who is so big that any accomplishment I make is trivial in comparison. I realized that Paul wasn’t exaggerating when he said that he would only boast in “Christ and Him crucified.” So I defined (and taught) humility as “seeing yourself accurately in the sight of God.” I wasn’t asking us to pretend that we’re not good at things (false humility), nor was I defining humility in terms of personality. It seemed like a good definition, and I attempted to live by it.

But, there were a couple of problems. For one, I discovered that “seeing myself accurately in the sight of God” wasn’t always enough to stop a bout of pride. When I am drunk on grandiose thoughts of myself, imagining myself from God’s perspective doesn’t always cut through to my heart. Sometimes, I just don’t care. I also discovered it was a wrong definition. Well, actually, one of my students discovered it for me.

I love it when people I’m discipling start to disciple me. Sky Henderson began to question my definition of humility. His basis was 1 Peter 5:6-7: “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.” He told me that the Greek grammar links humbling ourselves and casting our anxieties on God. In other words, humility is an act of trust, not just a change of perspective. It’s relational. Zephaniah 3:11-12 make the same connection, stating that humility is about the focus of our trust. In other words, pride is about self-trust, and humility is about God-trust.

But, if pride and humility are a matter of trust, how do I know who I trust? What are the evidences of my trust focus? I’d love to know what you think, and here’s a few to get us started:
• Peace—It’s no coincidence that Jesus follows His teaching on treasure with teaching on worry, because what we worry about shows us what we love. If God is our source, we can be at internal peace.
• Credit—If God is the source of my trust, than He gets the credit for anything good. But if I trust myself, than I take the credit.
• Simplicity—I love to strategize, and I would never want to confuse simplicity with laziness. But, if God is in charge, I can rely on His strategy. If I’m in charge, I have to agonize over every detail of my strategy, believing that the results depend on me.
• Prayer—If God is my trust focus, than wouldn’t I want to talk to Him about what is going on?
• Relationship—I don’t think it is coincidence that the Bible declares Moses to be “more humble than anyone on the face of the earth” (Numbers 12:3) and the only man “whom the LORD knew face to face” (Deut. 34:10). If I want to be humble, it will be a result of the presence of God inside me, not a result of my human effort.

How does this affect how we live? If pride isn’t pretending we’re less than we are, or seeing ourselves ‘smaller’, or simply a change of perspective, than we’re free to dream big dreams. We’re free to recognize the drives, gifts, and abilities God is shaping in us. Rather than spending our energy defending against pride, we can pursue the trust that comes with a well-nourished relationship with God. Rather than hesitating to engage because of fear of feeding our pride, we can leap to pour ourselves out for others, knowing it is God who does the work. And, rather than holding back because we fear we have nothing to offer, we can engage and relate, knowing that we can only offer Christ.

How about you? How does selfish ambition creep into your heart? How do you shift the focus of your trust back to Christ? What evidences do you see of the focus of one’s trust?

Primary Questions and Secondary Questions

Questions. They rattle through our heads like a string of cans tied to a scared dog’s tail, bouncing, crashing, skipping around erratically. The more noise they make the faster our mind goes. . .
What questions do you ask?
Will I have enough money in 2011 to pay my debts from 2010? Where should I go to college? Will that business deal come through this week? Will that person ever like me? What am I going to do with this medical situation?
For me right now, its
Will we have enough money? Is our house going to sell? Will we move to Croatia in time for summer ministry?
Questions. I wonder what questions you and I ask. And I wonder how those questions control our stress levels, our faith level, and, ultimately, our actions. What questions do you ask?

In Numbers 13, Moses sends a group of 12 guys into “The Promised Land”. When sending them, he asks some questions:
See what the land is like and whether the people who live there are strong or weak, few or many. What kind of land do they live in? Is it good or bad? What kind of towns do they live in? Are they unwalled or fortified? How is the soil? Is it fertile or poor? Are there trees on it or not? (v.18-20)

Now, I have no idea whether Moses was following the Holy Spirit or not, (and, of course, I trust the sovereignty of God), but you probably know the ‘result’ of these questions. The 12 guys come back and give an accurate report:
We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey! Here is its fruit. But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large. We even saw descendants of Anak there. . . . We can't attack those people; they are stronger than we are. . . . The land we explored devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size. . . . We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them. (v.27-33)

You know the rest of the story. The Israelites packed their bags to head ‘home’ to Egypt. God had miraculously led them out of Egypt. He had parted the Red Sea. He had provided for their every need. Here they were, sitting on the edge of “The Promised Land” (the title should have provided a hint!), and they wouldn’t go in. All because they asked (and answered) the wrong questions. What questions do you ask?

God was the one who had sent the men into the land: The LORD said to Moses, “Send some men to explore the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites.” (v.1) But, He had already answered THE question. THE question should have been, Lord, do you want us to go? THE question should have been, God, will you be with us? And God had already answered that question.

It comes down to primary questions and secondary questions. For me, our finances, our house, and our timing are all secondary questions. God already answered the primary question when He called us to Croatia with absolute clarity. What are the secondary questions that rule your life? What are the primary questions that God has already answered? What questions do you ask? And what do those questions reveal about your heart?