Hope - C.S. Lewis

"Hope is one of the Theological virtues. This means that a continual looking forward to the eternal world is not (as some modern people think) a form of escapism or wishful thinking, but one of the things a Christian is meant to do. It does not mean that we are to leave the present world as it is. If you read history you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were just those who thought most of the next. The Apostles themselves, who set on foot the conversion of the Roman Empire, the great men who built up the Middle Ages, the English Evangelicals who abolished the Slave Trade, all left their mark on Earth, precisely because their minds were occupied with Heaven. It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this. Aim at Heaven and you will get earth 'thrown in': aim at earth and you will get neither." -- Page 134; Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis

Kirk Cameron's Happy Birthday Picture

Happy B-day Kirk!

You may or may not have heard about the recent viralexplosion surrounding Kirk Cameron’s birthday picture.  In almost every circumstance or situation itis being called “Kirk Cameron’s Sad Birthday” or something to that affect.

If you don’t know who Cameron is, he was the teen star of the1980’s television hit Growing Pains.  The show enjoyed a prosperous run on ABC andsince its finale Kirk has moved on to pursue a career more in line with hisvalues and beliefs.  He is now theco-host for the TV show Way of the Master.

The picture that is gathering so much attention was snappedby a coworker at a small, private, office party for the 41 year oldactor-turned-evangelist.

I guess what catches me so off guard, and prompted me toblog about it, is the fact that pretty much every news outlet reporting on thisis talking about it in a negative light. It calls me to point out the true sadness in this situation.  The media keeps hammering on his fall fromstardom and all of that kind of thing, but he made his decision to walk awayfrom Hollywood years ago.  He lives ahappy life, is a successful minister, and has a nice nuclear family.

Of course these days, society and media do not measuresuccess by joy, but by dollar signs and attention.  I wonder, who’s life is full of morecontentment, Kirk who is living the life he chose, doing the things heenjoys—or someone like Lindsay Lohan and Charlie Sheen, who’s Hollywood successhas driven them to such a self-destructive lifestyle.

Cultural or Real Christianity?

There is a permeating stigma upon the nature of Christianity. Some are only now starting to realize this. Some will forever refuse to accept this notion. Further more, a great deal are all too happily oblivious to the existence of this stigma. It is with this notorious lot that the problem lies. Every day now we hear more and more about how much society disdains our Christ (in a nation where the majority of the populous still claim to serve him.) Every day we hear about new laws being charged up the judicial ladder. Atheism, humanism, occult, sexual perversion, and idolatry seem to be the order of the day.

Why?

Because many of the people who attach the name of Christ to their lives have no idea what they are saying. They are buying into a cultural idea of our nation as a Christian nation. It once was, but that day has long since passed. This cultural Christianity in America is the same sort of nonsense that sparked one of the greatest travesties in human history, The Crusades.

Cultural Christianity teaches us that it is acceptable to conduct yourself in whatever manner you deem appropriate. Cultural Christianity is based on loose rules, or in many cases no rules whatsoever. Cultural Christianity is a false precept that disillusions people into believing they are bound for heaven simply because they are a "good person" or they went to church one time.

Cultural Christianity is an empty, hollow, defunct, maniacal, and preposterous shadow of the truth that God intends for his people. It creates strife, greed, and malcontent in our churches; and breeds bitterness and condemnation upon those we are called to reach out to. It abandons the truth for emotion, discipline for comfort, holiness for relativism, and love for selfishness.

Real Christianity demands love, produces righteousness, and alters lives forever. It is not something that can be earned, won, or lived up to. It is a sovereign gift. Real Christianity involves usurping an individual from the throne of their life and kneeling at the feet of the waiting King.

Cultural Christians are all too happy to serve superficially while they are "blessed" and it coincides with their goals. There will be a complete lack of the spiritual disciplines.

Real Christians happily serve and are therefore blessed, all the while serving goals far exceeding their own meager imaginings. Theirs' will be a life full of divine guidance. For God is not content to change us into the kind of people we wish to be. He has always longed to return us to himself in a way that is much closer to the original design. Only the truth of Jesus Christ and a genuine relationship with him will lead you down the path of Real Christianity.

A day will come when those who are content to strive for the middle of the road will find that it did not lead where they thought it would.

Why do I go?

Why do I go? Why do I believe that a chief component of my relationship with God is reaching out to people who don't know Him? After all, if He is all knowing and all powerful, what does He need me for anyway?

"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." - Matthew 28:19-20

The easy answer is, we go because He said "go". There was no part of that passage that is formed like a suggestion. No, it is a command. Go, go to the poor, the hurting, the destitute, the hungry, the sick, the confused. Go, go across the street, across the room, across the hall, across the world. Go. Make. Disciples.

If Christ is our Lord, and He said "go", do we really even have a choice? The question then isn't, why do I go, but rather, why wouldn't I?

Does God Punish Us?

The following is a conversation I had with a student through facebook chat about some questions that were bothering them following our discussion last night about evil and suffering in relation to God. I have edited it to protect their identity, however, they did give their consent for me to post this.

S = Student, N = me

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S: im here

N: how about that. me too :P

S: lol

N: to answer your question... "does God punish us for our sin?" it's a complicated answer. yes and no. it depends on a number of things.

S: lol. well that may be a starting point.....to maybe make things more simple....my question was going to be where does the asking for forgiveness and repentance come in...and u guys may of discussed that

N: ok here we go. Punishment for sin comes in a variety of ways. There are instances in the Bible where God directly punished people for sin. those were known as Judgments in the scriptures
we talked a little about judgment tonight. judgment was God's direct punishment for wickedness and is always preceded by a warning from God in some form. sometimes sin does not result in direct punishment but it may still result in consequences that are bad. like if a person decides to get drunk and then drives their car off a bridge.

S: lol. nice example.....this is a bit more complex than i had thought.

N: God didn't make them drive their car off a bridge. they made the choice to get drunk and it inhibited their ability to drive.

S: and this is where free will comes in play?

N: yes, it's our free will that gives equal opportunity for good or evil but the original design was for good with a capacity for evil. when God created Adam and Eve they were perfect and good. they didn't even know what evil was. the tree they ate from was the "Tree of the knowledge of Good and Evil".

S: ok.....alright. so, lets say someone gets drunk, gets arrested for dwi,...the person makes a drastic life change, repents...God promises to forgive and not hold it over us as long as we repent.......but there are still the earthly consequences....right?

N: Usually yeah

S: ok

N: but there are rare occassions when we are spared from those as well. for example: i knew an addict who got instantly delivered from drugs by God on the spot when he prayed for salvation and he was miraculously spared from nasty withdrawals.

S: right. so, do you think the reason a lot of people view these pain and suffering is simply of earthly consequences, not as some form of punishment from God....like the current economy for instance?

N: yeah, i believe the current economic state is a natural result of man's sin and not a result of God punishing us. at the end of the day, we're usually our own worst enemy.

S: but people can't realize a difference in punishment from God and natural consequences....and its easier to say that we have an unjust God, rather than taking accountability.....as could be said for many things.

N: bingo, always remember this... People refuse to accept responsibility for their actions.
it started with Adam. when God asked him why he ate of the forbidden fruit, adam responded, "it's that woman you put here with me, she gave me some of the fruit and i ate of it." Adam was trying to shuffle the blame off to Eve and even God himself. we always like to paint ourselves as innocent.

S: ahh ok. im getting my head around this now

N: yay! :)

S: ok cool. well i was most confused about where the purpose of forgiveness comes into play in the whole situation. but now seeing a distinct line between God’s will and earthly things, i understand....

N: sure, let me address forgiveness and repentance real quick then i'll hop off of here.

S: go for it

N: once man sinned we created a rift between us and God. before that time God showed up physically as a presence to be with adam and eve. genesis says "he walked with them in the garden in the cool of the day."

N: the only way for God to repair that union is by offering forgiveness and the only way for us to attain his forgiveness is by repentance.

forgiveness is at it's core, when an offended party does not claim their right to payment from the one who is indebted to them.

repentance is the act of recognizing your offense against someone, and pledging not to perpetrate that same offense again.

S: i like the clarification

N: the mistake people make when they start talking about forgiveness is in thinking that there is never a payment made for the wrong that was committed but ultimately, God doesn't outright punish us. he accepts the punishment that Christ took on our behalf as his payment. it's the core reason why arguing that evil and suffering are a result of God is such a feeble argument.

S: makes sense. thanks for the discussion!

N: no problem. i really hope that helped. God bless!

*********************************

I hope this helps somebody.

Psalm 103

Praise the LORD, O my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.

Praise the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits-

who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,

who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,

who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

The LORD works righteousness
and justice for all the oppressed.

He made known his ways to Moses,
his deeds to the people of Israel:

The LORD is compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger, abounding in love.

He will not always accuse,
nor will he harbor his anger forever;

he does not treat us as our sins deserve
or repay us according to our iniquities.

For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his love for those who fear him;

as far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

As a father has compassion on his children,
so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;

for he knows how we are formed,
he remembers that we are dust.

As for man, his days are like grass,
he flourishes like a flower of the field;

the wind blows over it and it is gone,
and its place remembers it no more.

But from everlasting to everlasting
the LORD's love is with those who fear him,
and his righteousness with their children's children-

with those who keep his covenant
and remember to obey his precepts.

The LORD has established his throne in heaven,
and his kingdom rules over all.

Praise the LORD, you his angels,
you mighty ones who do his bidding,
who obey his word.

Praise the LORD, all his heavenly hosts,
you his servants who do his will.

Praise the LORD, all his works
everywhere in his dominion.
Praise the LORD, O my soul.

Authenticity or Acceptance

What's your aim in life-- authenticity or acceptance? What's the difference between those two?

To aim for acceptance is to live your life by the question, "How far can I go and still call myself a Christian?" You want to seem to be a Christian, but you also still want to be accepted by your peers, without seeming weird or fanatical. Authenticity requires a different question, which can be stated like this: "How holy can I be?"

This isn't to say that we can ever attain a measure of holiness that impresses the Father. We shouldn't dare to be so presumptuous. But the glorious effort of striving is a marathon ran in the name of the One who bought and paid for you in full with the blood of His Son.

Life throws curve balls nearly every second of the day. The authentic person judges the pitch and makes a choice. The accepting person sees the flashing of the stadium lights, the multi-bazillion dollar contract, and the lofty endorsements. Above all though, they hear the roar of the crowd, and without a thought as to just what might happen... they swing.

It doesn't really matter where the ball goes. If it's a grand slam in the bottom of the ninth the crowd loves you and you’re everybody's hero of the week. If it's a foul ball you've got a few more tries before they set you down. But, by then it doesn't matter. You've made your choice and acceptance owns you.

The authentic person seeks the greater cause than them self and their gratification. They are spent in glorious worthy effort. My prayer is everyday that Christ would use me as He sees fit and spend me as loose change at His very whim. What's your prayer?

Nursing Home Prayer

Recently I've been going back through some old writings that I haven't shared on this blog yet.  This one struck a profound chord with me this evening.
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What kind of thoughts do you have at midnight when you can't sleep because you inadvertently napped the previous afternoon? My midnight meanderings are often random at best and distracted as much as anything else, but-- as of right now I am stuck somewhere between reflection and affection, contemplation and nostalgia. The last month has been strange for me.

Generally, I am not the type of person that is prone to an abundance of sentiment in my emotional diet. I am not without compassion, and have a deep love for people, I just don't always choose to thrust it into the limelight and parade it around for the world like a bleeding heart liberal during election year.

A visit to the nursing home the week before Jamie's grandmother passed dealt a heavy blow to that emotional fortitude. If you have ever witnessed a loved one in a nursing home you may well understand. It is not easy to see someone you love and admire lying in such a state. Though I never knew her during her years as the mighty minister of the gospel so many had to come to cherish, she was still important to me as a part of my family--and the sight of her condition elicited an emotion which surprised me. I was angry.

It wasn't her sickly unresponsive condition or the state of the facility caring for her which affronted me. Rather, it was the general overall situation which assaulted my worldview. Like many before me who have been confronted by something that seems unnecessarily tragic I took my raw emotion to the only destination which could not be affected by my temperament, God.

I remember several things very distinctly about that moment. Jamie stood just in front of me by the bed side stroking her grandmother's hair and telling her how much she loved her. I stood just behind her with one arm around my bride and one hand on her grandmother's arm praying. It probably wasn't the kind of prayer that you would hear from behind a pulpit or read about in very many of those "How to Pray Effectively and Make Sure God Hears You" type of books, but it was real, it was honest, and I'm just as certain that He heard me then as I am that He has heard any other prayer I've ever prayed in my life.

We can't have been in that room for more than ten minutes and I spent the better part of it praying, but I remember the general unfolding of my prayer, if not the words-- and more importantly what I felt when we left the room some minutes later. I preceded to tell God, in a hushed inaudible voice, how mad I was at Him for letting such a seemingly miserable situation befall such a faithful servant. I went on to recount to Him how He had a responsibility to make it better and I continued to reiterate my point. In hindsight I realize I must have felt a bit like Jacob as He wrestled with God, except instead of trying to elicit a blessing I really just needed some peace to smooth over my lack of understanding in the face of perceived injustice. As I stood there, simultaneously praying my angry prayer and attempting to comfort my weeping wife, something happened.

I am not so haughty or pompous as to sit here and write that I completely understand what took place or the theological implications for it, but I do know that God immediately began to minister to both Jamie and myself. Like any loving father He listened to my (albeit silent) prayer and began to comfort me, all the while showing me truth and correcting some of my misconceptions about His nature. Jamie, He comforted as the hurting granddaughter who would dearly miss her cherished grandmother. Myself, He approached with what I could only describe as a counter accusation. "Don't you trust me? Don't you think I know what is happening?"

As we drove away from the nursing home that day I remember feeling several mixed emotions. For one, I was still a little angry, although by this point my anger was not really pointed at God. Secondly, I remember feeling a bit like Job must have felt when He puffed up and went after God with the only thing He still had left, pride. Did God judge me or punish me? No. He corrected me like the loving Father He is.

He showed me that we do not suffer, we do not endure tragedy, hardship, or injustice alone; because He who was without sin became man--suffered tragedy, hardship and injustice alone on the cross so that we might know Him and make Him known.

As a man in the ministry, everything always seems to boil down to one simple verse for me.

"Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him" - Job 13: 15a KJV

Be Encouraged

Encouragement

1. to inspire with courage, spirit, or confidence: His coach encouraged him throughout the marathon race to keep on running.
2. to stimulate by assistance, approval, etc.: One of the chief duties of a teacher is to encourage students.
3. to promote, advance, or foster

This is an important word. Where do we take our encouragement from? Where should we find encouragement? Is our encouragement derived from people, places, possessions, or prosperity? Does our socioeconomic standing or cultural perspective align us to a preconceived sense of self-encouragement? Can a man/woman be their own encouragement?

For Christians the answer to this question is relatively simple, even if it does not always seem so simple to practice. Encouragement comes from two sources.

Primarily, it is God Himself who is our constant source of encouragement.

"God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope offered to us may be greatly encouraged." - Hebrews 6: 18 NIV
Secondly, it is our brothers/sisters in Christ who should be another source of encouragement.

"I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong-that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith." - Romans 1:11,12 NIV

Where/How are you being encouraged?

What is God inspiring you to do/be? Are you confident in that?
How is He helping you to achieve that end? Have you sought the approval of your Heavenly Father?
What is He fostering within you? How is He advancing your life according to His will?

Just some things to think on.

Grilled Cheese as Proof for the Existence of God

The slighty browned golden crisp crust crumbles in a symphony of crunchy-buttery delight. Your taste buds descend upon the feeble frame of the delectable sandwich. Your incisors pierce the glorious boundaries as you are met with the heavenly flood of gooey golden goodness which breeches its breaded borders. Mmmmmmm.

Cheese sandwich, grilled cheese, hot cheese ... this delightful dish has taken many names. Many of those who enjoy it have probably named it something aptly appropriate for reflecting their appreciation of the joy it brings them. And why not? Few things so seemingly normal can provide such a wonderful treat.

Take a few regular household items from fridge or pantry. Whip them together. Give a little time, attention, and heat--Bibbidi-bobbidi-boo--the result is as grandiose a goodie as ever graced your gullet.

Who first thought of a grilled cheese? Where did they come from? Was it by happenstance or accident that ancient Babylonians drafted the original? Does it hearken back to the days of pre-history?

How could something so incredibly ordinary offer such sensationally amazing results? How did a multitude of millennial mishaps yield the unquestionably astounding result we now know as the grilled cheese sandwich?

Friend, if you can answer that I'll let you have my grilled cheese sandwich. Yum.

Commodity of Faith

Magazine covers and billboards, TV ads and internet pop-up distractions—they all convey a similar message.  The party responsible for the media seeks to corner your undivided attention.  Promises are made; invest here, try this, wear that and all the issues that make you, both uncomfortable with self, and inferior to others will dissolve in a beautiful cornucopia of capitalistic spending.  Only all the while we are being duped; tricked by the swaggering shenanigans of irresponsible advertisers preying upon our irresponsibility.

It might be unfair to state that everyone is entirely tricked by these familiar ploys, but we are, all of us, saturated by them on a daily basis.  And it doesn’t stop at the sly presentations promoted by the marketing masses.  This exchange of promotion for promise is a way of life, it is our culture, and it is our American Dream.  Only somehow, like a dream, it has become ethereal.

We see glimpses, we strive for attainability, and we position for resources and opportunities only to find that all the maneuvering and wanton social fidgeting has left us remarkably short of our goal, our prize.  For many, life seems to become a bottomless box of Cracker Jacks with a plastic prize forever out of reach.  A cycle reciprocates.

We see.  We want.  We spend.

Sometimes we spend money or resources, often we spend time, but always we spend ourselves—and especially our hearts as the modern commodity of trade.  What do we have to show for it?  Perhaps we fashion an impressive display of real estate, investment holdings, or career milestones—all of these displayed in a glass case of human pride like trophies in a high school showroom.

What is the ultimate cost of these, our most treasured possessions?  What value do we place upon all of this, stuff?

I find that these are questions we could all stand to ask ourselves in this age of chasing dreams.  The day has long-since passed when the dollar was simply a monetary unit of transaction backed by a stockpile of natural wealth.  It has become a unit of faith.  We are all too quick to trade this unit of faith to those who offer easy answers masked by shallow promises.

Culture would tell a woman that she is not as beautiful as she was meant to be and so believing the lie she will spend her faith in an effort to attain a beauty which is neither real nor satisfying.  Society will show a man that he can be his own king and in an effort to conquer he gives his faith over for a crown of self-assurance that never seems to fit.

Now, don’t read this and think I mean to say that all of our pursuits to make our lives better are meaningless and empty.  We are certainly within our rights to do so, and failure to better ourselves is foolish.  However, like so many things in life answers can be found and clarity discovered when we strive to better understand why we do things rather than what we do.

So, faith being the unit of currency that ultimately we are trading that then leaves us with two fundamental questions: Why are we spending our faith? What do we spend our faith on?

There is no maybe.

Commit to stuff that matters and stay committed.  Like never before it seems that people areunwilling to commit to things of actual importance.  They go absolutely nuts over their favoritesports team or band, investing ludicrous amounts of resources into proclaiming ultimatedevotion; but rarely are they willing to commit to things outside the areas of theirfrivolous passions.

I see this as a result of our society’s constant shift topander to our every whim and want, and it’s not a good thing.  Facebook brought this to light for everyonewith the infamous “maybe” option on event attendance; but people want options.  They don’t want to be locked in to doingsomething that they may change their mind about at the last minute.  They might be feeling a bit lazier the day theevent arrives than the day that they agreed to participate in it.  Even if they do actually say that they’ll dosomething, which used to mean committing to do it, there’s no real guarantee thatthey’ll actually do it.  Often as not,when the moment arrives the fickle nature will kick in and commitment isbroken.

I’m not saying we should be quick to jump into things.  It is always prudent to use good wisdom and judgmentwhen committing to something.  However, oncecommitment is made shouldn’t that mean something to us?

More and more I see a society afraid to; commit responsibly,follow through unconditionally, or accept the outcome of their choices.

There is only yes or no.  There is no maybe.

Stuff I've Learned 1

I have an incredibly interesting job.  I once heard a dear friend, and long-timecampus missionary, describe it by saying, “I’m not really sure what I do, but Isure do a lot of it.”  He was joking ofcourse, and referring to the constantly evolving nature of campusmissions. 

Even in the dynamic state of “everflux,” as I like to callit, there are constants.  I will alwaysbe tasked with reaching people with the good news of the Gospel and there willalways be hurting people who look to me for counsel.

I don’t have any Bible verses or great words of deeptheological insight for you in this little blurb; but that doesn’t mean youwon’t find Biblical precedence for these things. What I have instead is alittle bit of helpful, practical, stuff I’ve learned along this interestingeight-year journey in campus missions.

1)     Speaktruth in love.  If people are asking youradvice you owe it to both of you to lay the truth out there in the most direct,and loving way possible.  Don’t pull yourpunches and confuse the issue, but don’t be mean about it either.

2)     Becomfortable in your own skin.  It’sincredibly helpful when communicating with people to have a healthy opinion ofyourself.  That means honestself-evaluation that reveals the good and the bad.  Whether you’re up in front of a crowd or justtalking to a friend; it’s a lot easier to talk about deep issues, and not sodeep, if you don’t take yourself too seriously all the time.

I’ll have a few more over the next few days.

You Are Never Alone

And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. - Luke 9:23

Living out this passage is sometimes simply beyond us. Actually, the means to do this is always beyond us. We don't have it in us to carry the cross daily.

Thankfully, for those of us that have experienced salvation, we do have Christ in our hearts. That makes it easier you see, because He's already been there. He already carried the cross up the hill. And guess what? He had help too. Simeon had just showed up for the yearly sacrifice, but was ordered by the Romans to assist Jesus in carrying His cross.

One of the greatest lies of the enemy is his attempt to make you think you're in this alone. You're not. You never were. You never will be.

I will never leave you, nor forsake you. - Hebrews 13:5b

Some days the cross you carry will feel like grace. Some days it will feel like a 300 pound block of wood. Some days it will feel like freedom. Some days it will feel like an archaic torture device. No matter the feeling, just know that you never carry your cross alone.

Timing

When? Right now please. As in immediately. Like, I wanted it yesterday.

Sound familiar?

It should. This is our typical western approach to pretty much everything. Want a burger? No problem, that restaurant has a hole in the wall so you can just drive by and grab it. Looking for a new song? Hey, just download it. Want to know what that book says? Don't bother reading it. Someone else already did and will share the info in bite sized chunks for the right price.

Even our news distribution is radically changing to work within this frame of mind. Monthlies gave way to weeklies; which turned into dailies; which were replaced by 24-hour news; and that rolled into web news, which is even being 1-upped by social media.

We are an impatient "right-now" kind of culture.

This invades our spiritual life in dangerous ways sometimes. We pray for something and become immensely disappointed because we don't see results that fit our time-table. We don't like to wait and we exhaust ourselves with a sense of over anxious anticipation.

God wants something different for us. After all, at the end of the day, we either believe He is sovereign or we don't. Either He has it all under control or we are on our own.

I'm glad to know that God's timing is better than mine. He offers me what I can handle when I can handle it, and not just when I want it.

Next time your stuck waiting on something from Him, don't be so anxious...

Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. - Isaiha 40:28

Pling Pling

Matt R. is still to this day simply the greatest guitarist I've ever known. I look back on the years we spent together in a praise band and wonder how in the world that ever happened. He could make that Fender guitar produce the most beautiful cacophony of awesome your ears could ever hope to withstand. And there I was standing beside him every week with my one-trick-rhythm and power chords.

The disparity in our musical talent was only highlighted by the differences in our personality. He had the musical makings to be a legendary guitarist, and a humble spirit that you just had to see to believe; whereas, I was a cocky showboat with almost no talent to speak of.

I still remember when he produced his first album how excited we all were for him. And it was pretty much incredible. I copied it over to my hard drive years ago and every once-in-a-while I still bust it out to show young musicians I meet. The mix of the speed metal electric craziness and unbelievably complicated classical acoustic flair are rare, and magical.

The height of that album for me was "Pling Pling." It is a song that highlights Matt's insane melodical craftsmanship. The coolest part is a real standout moment during the refrain when he would reach above the saddle of the guitar neck and strum twice just below the tuning keys... "Pling Pling."

What strikes me, still after all these years, is that his total mastery of his instrument allowed him to wield rarely harnessed aspects of the guitar to make beautiful music. But this mastery wasn't something he just decided to do one day because it sounded cool, it was the culmination of thousands of hours of extreme discipline, dedication, and learning. Matt did more than play the guitar, Matt made music.

Sometimes I wonder if you and I are trying to just play at being Christian. I wonder what would happen if we poured ourselves into it with the kind of supreme devotion a master musician has to his instrument? Would we continue to be just a bunch of noise those around us are trying to filter out? Or, would we begin to offer something so completely beautiful, authentic, and majestic to behold that everyone had to stop and take note?! I for one am tired of being another source of noise. I say it's time to make music. Pling. Pling.

Pick Up the Sword

The large majority of Americans are incredibly spoiled. This shows in every aspect of our existence, and especially in our faith.

The simple truth is that many believers just take their faith for granted. What we believe, why we believe, and what we ultimately must do about it seems to get lost somewhere--buried by the blistering pace of a life lived for self.

This is often taken so far that we all-together ignore some of the most basic tenets of Christian discipline. One of these that is so often neglected is the reading of the Bible.

Every year my pastor initiates what he calls Bible Sunday, if memory serves me correctly it should be just around the corner. This Sunday morning service is a public challenge to our entire congregation to read the entire Bible in a year. For the last several years I've accepted this challenge, and completed it.

I've been reading the Bible for most of my life. I started reading it regularly around the age of twelve. I started studying it as well in my teens. But for these last few years, challenging myself to read and study it with such an enthusiastic goal in mind has propelled my faith into brand new territory.

My passion for the Word is higher than ever. My devotion to sharing the eternal truths contained within is stronger than ever. My hunger for understanding is more heart-felt than ever. My capacity for Christian love and the fruits of the Spirit is more authentic than ever. My faith is better than ever.

So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. - Romans 10:17

To be the kind of creature God created us to be; we must pick up our Sword. We must learn it. We must love it. We must live it.

H is for Heaven

The final piece of the plan of salvation, one that allChristians will one day experience, is eternal life.  Jesus spoke often of it during His publicministry.  One of my favorite passages isChrist’s verbal exchange with the woman at the well in John chapter four, buthere are a couple more of His shorter words concerning heaven.

The thief comes onlyto steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have itto the full. – John 10:10

And if I go andprepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that youalso may be where I am. – John 14:3

Do we understand everything about heaven?  Of course not. Nevertheless, the Bible declares to us the reality of this eternalplace.  I’m so glad to know that we havean eternal home.

T is for Turn

Being reconciled to God along His plan of salvation meansthat at some point one must make a change. In other words, you must eventually turn away from the habitual failuresof the past to embrace a forgiving future life endowed by the Father.  Unless this turning to God takes place, thereis no salvation.  A commonly used wordfor this act of turning to God is “repent”.

I tell you, no! Butunless you repent, you too will all perish – Luke 13:3

To turn to God is to embrace the realization that you needHis forgiveness, you recognize it is available; you know it is impossible apartfrom Him, and you are desiring a new life.  I find it incredibly humbling that somethingwith such far reaching affects can be accomplished with such ease.  One need only do as described in Romans 10:9to find salvation.

If you declare withyour mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him fromthe dead, you will be saved. – Romans 10:9

Turning means to walk away from sin, and selfishness, toembrace Christ alone.

I is for Impossible

Sin separates man from God. You need only to go back and read the third chapter of Genesis for thesad account of Adam and Eve and their failures in the Garden.  As a result of their actions God foreverremoves them from his presence.  A conditionwe all face prior to salvation is our eternal separation from God.

As it is written: “Thereis no one righteous, not even one” – Romans 3:10

It is impossible for God to allow sin into heaven.  God is loving and just, his judgment isagainst sin, and we are all sinners.  Howthen can a sinful person enter heaven, when God allows no sin?

Mercy triumphs overjudgment. – James 2:13

Just as we are inclined to communicate the necessity offorgiveness and it’s availability; it is also of upmost importance that we realizeaccess to God is impossible apart from God’s own means.