Crash the Future

So, I went ahead and placed a few new items on the blog.

First, I updated my favorite book list. It has links to get some reviews and summaries and such. The one thing I would say is that "Starship Troopers" really is much more than what the title, cover, and summary would suggest. It's actually a treatise on civic duty in novel form. It's a really good book and a fast read. I would make it part of any class, high school or college, that I taught on government and civics. So in this instance the proverb, "Don't judge a book by its cover" is accurate.

Also, I placed two playlists on the sidebar. I always have music playing, even if only in my mind, and thought it might be a little fun to share some samples of the music I've enjoyed as of late. As a point of clarification... no, not all the bands are "Christian." However, they are all bands that operate from a Christian worldview. In the words of Lacey Mosley, the lead singer for Flyleaf, when she was asked if they are a 'Christian band'... "We all share the same faith. And so when we deal with the whole 'Christian band thing,' we kind of think about something P.O.D. says, like, 'If you're a Christian, it affects everything in your life. So if you're a plumber, does that make you a Christian plumber?' I don't know the answer. We're a band, it's part of who we are, so it comes out in our music, and it's the fuel for what we do. And finding faith saved my life. So I'm not ashamed of it at all. And most of our album reflects that."

MAN... I hope more bands come out with that mindset, whether they're writing praise songs or jsut some fun stuff to listen to! (Oh, and if you're interested in some other music that is a variety of mellow stuff that has a little different vibe, check out the playlist on my wife's blog. It's some good stuff, too.)

Anyway, I thought I'd also include for your reading enjoyment the lyrics from one of the songs that many of you are less likely to have heard. (It doesn't really get play on either mainstream radio - lyrics, you know - or on your average KLOVE Christian radio station - beat, you know.) It's the song "Passion" by Kutless.

Within my mind's eye
Flickering from the past
Come images that terrify and calm
A paradox in me

Nail pierced hands they run with blood
A splitting brow forced by the thorns
His face is writhing with the pain yet it's comforting to me

He chose to give it all
Jesus endured the pain
Paying a debt I owed and created a paradox in me

Nail pierced hands they run with blood
A splitting brow forced by the thorns
His face is writhing with the pain yet it's comforting to me

And in my heart I know that you're the only one
Who could of came and died, a sacrifice
As your God's only son

Nail pierced hands they run with blood
A splitting brow forced by the thorns
His face is writhing with the pain yet it's comforting to me

Over the last 6 weeks I've been leading two different application groups for our church. The application groups have been part of a program we're doing this year at our church as we go through the book of Acts. These groups, in particular, are intended to aid people in Recognizing and Responding to the Holy Spirit. Over the 6 weeks we introduce different spiritual disciplines centered around Scripture. It's been a fun experience through which to lead two seperate groups of people. Each week we would journal and then come together to discuss things we saw in Scripture, circumstances, and conversations. As I have looked back over the last six weeks something hit me profoundly.

In the last few months (since mid-summer) God has been convicting me heavily about sharing my faith. It's as though I was regularly confronted with the need to share the gospel any time I would read Scripture. I would hear a sermon and the need to share the gospel would beat me over the head. Conversations I had with other believers would challenge me to step up in this area of my life. And that was really just the stuff that started it all.

In the last month and a half several cool but crazy things have happened in this area of my life. The end result is that I currently have several neat opportunities to talk about the gospel with various people. We just had a couple of Jehovah's Witnesses stop by. This was the third or fourth conversation we've had with these particular people. Today we were talking a bit about whether or not Jesus was God or claimed to be God. (They know I'm a pastor, but they keep coming back.) Likewise, three Mormon missionaries stopped by just a day or two ago. They'll be coming over for dinner with us in about a week and a half. They know that I'm a pastor as well, but Sarah let them know that we've love to let them practice their presentations on us, talk with them about Jesus, and discuss our faith. I think it has the potential to grow into a really cool dialogue, and who knows how God will use it. Additionally, I was emailed by a Roman Catholic gentleman in Missouri a month or so ago. He had some questions about how a "Scripture only" person would understand certain doctrines. We've since been emailing back and forth discussing various issues of Church history, doctrine, and the gospel. It's been an interesting exchange that seems likely to continue for quite some time yet. And finally, just this week I got an email from a friend of mine who is an atheist. We haven't talked about matters of God and faith in about a year, but he asked me a question, based on a recent sermon I preached, and we've been discussing it briefly the last few days. I have been VERY thankful for this last exchange, and it has also provided some food for thought.

My friend looked at Christians in general and is turned off by what he sees. In particular, he has a hard time believing that many of us actually believe that Jesus is the only way someone comes to know God. After all, he argues, how would our lives look if we really believed it? He wrote, "What would change in my life if I really believed what you say you believe? My answer would be, "Everything"... most Christians' answers, "Just enough." That pierced my heart because sadly its often true.

If I truly believe in the reality of God and Hell, and I truly believe that Jesus Christ is the only distinction between the two, then why am I sometimes hesitant to clearly share the gospel with someone. If I'm honest there's only two possible solutions. 1) I don't actually believe the truth of the gospel. or 2) I don't actually love other people. I'm just selfish and love myself, so I'm more concerned about their opinion of me than whether or not they ever truly experience life with God. Either option is rather disturbing. Option #1 means I'm a massive hypocrite. Option #2 means I'm self-absorbed and unloving. Either way, those aren't pleasant options.

I suppose the only right answer is that I'd better not try to sit on the fence. Either the gospel is true, or it's not. And if it is, then everything in my life should look different than it otherwise would. Which reminds me of a quote that I'll close with. (It's from Renovation of the Heart, by Dallas Willard, and I'm quoting from memory, so please forgive me if you know the quote and it's not worded exactly right.)

"We don't believe something merely because we say we believe it, nor do we believe something just because we believe we believe it. We believe something when we act as though it were true."

Charlotte has been a thumb-sucker for most of her life. But now she is approaching 6 years of age, and we are determined to break this habit. The problem is that Charlotte has spent the vast majority of her life forming a certain way of coping with being tired, but this isn't the way that Sarah and I want her to be. We've tried a variety of different things to help her break this habit (e.g. putting socks over her hands and taping them in place as she falls asleep). However, nothing has worked as well as the regimen we just began... Tabasco Sauce... or as she and Liam call it Tobacco Sauce.

We have been putting this wonderful stuff on her thumbs the last few nights as she's fallen asleep, and it drives her nuts. In fact, she just told me, "This is the stupidest food in the world! Why would anybody eat this stupid stuff! Tobacco Sauce is gross!" So far it's working.

Here's the thing. I look at my daughter and I am realizing the power of habits. How we spend our time and order our lives sets down a pattern of life that is very difficult to break. As I look at my life I think of various habits that are my version of "thumb-sucking"... habits that I really need to break and replace with new ones. As I realize this I have to ask myself... what am I doing to make sure that I am forming the right sort of habits?

Recently I've been spending a bit of time studying spiritual disciplines... things like Scripture memorization, journaling, prayer, meditation, fasting, etc. These are things that will help me break negative habits that I have. They will also help me to rewire my mind and my life to build new habits more in accordance with God's desires. The more I spend time in prayer, talking to God... the more frequently I memorize Scripture... as I fast, training my body not to be ruled by needs and desires... I am training myself for dependence on God. And the thing is... I NEED that. I am definitely someone who struggles with maintaining a consistent relationship with God. And that only convinces me that I need to be breaking the lazy and negligent habits in my life, replacing them with those that will pull me closer to God. And hopefully God won't have to use Tabasco.

Today was a historic day! It will be interesting to see what God has in store for the next few years. And I cannot help but take a moment to make a few observations.

First, it speaks VOLUMES about our country that we have finally come to the point where we have our first black President-elect. MLK Jr's I Have A Dream speech comes to mind.

Second, there seems to be a disproportionate level of despondancy among some segments of American Christians and a disproportionate level of elation among other segments. In response, I would simply ask, "In what do we place our trust... a political office, or the gospel?" Just a question. (I would point out that when offered all the kingdoms of the earth Jesus declined. He seemed to think ultimate victory was not determined by political power but rather by the power of the gospel to transform hearts and lives. Additionally, I don't remember political office being listed in the armor of God. I also think I remember something in Corinthians about how the real war is not for political office, but against philosophical strongholds, arguments, and worldviews set up against the knowledge of God. I digress...)

Third, regardless of whether you are happy because "change is coming" or you're down because it's not the change you were hoping for, I would simply point out that the Bible seems to make it pretty clear that before the end things are going to get MUCH worse than they have been over the last eight years or will be in the next four years in America. With that in mind... no matter how bad it gets before the end, I simply encourage you to remember the message of Revelation... Ultimately... Jesus wins!

Anyway, I'll leave those of you who read this blog to either keep partying or to continue your mourning. Of course... maybe it's more important to continue our praying and sharing of the gospel.