Day of Praise

Th, 10/31/13, "Day of Praise"

"And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them." - Genesis 3:21

I've seen some good Halloween costumes in my years.

There was the year that my sweet daughters, about six and four at the time, were dressed as Dorothy and Toto from "The Wizard of Oz." They were absolutely adorable.

There was the year that I'm sure that I saw both Jabba the Hutt and Herman Munster. Whew!

And then there was yesterday, the day before Halloween, mind you. I was sitting in my car, finishing a call in a parking lot, when this guy walked by me in a "pants-on-the-ground" costume. The strange thing was that this guy had a 3-inch Ace elastic bandage wrapped around the outside of his right, blue jean, pant leg from his shin to his thigh. I'm sure. I am absolutely sure that if it hadn't been for the Ace bandage that I would've been hearing Ray Stevens sing "The Streak." But even with the Ace bandage, the poor guy's "costume" was totally, uuuuuh, shall we say, inadequate.

Kinda like, the first man and woman who ever lived.

That first man and woman were doing just fine living "un-costumed" until they decided that they knew more than Almighty God himself, who made them, and they decided to eat the forbidden fruit, which was the fruit of wanting to be their own God. Their tragic decision exposed them. And, unable to find a Walmart or ToysRUs in those days, they put together a costume of fig leaves so as to hide themselves, which is what a costume is for, is it not?

But their fig-leaves costumes were altogether inadequate, not because the costume didn't cover their bodies, but because the costume didn't cover their shame.

Shame, mind you, is feeling bad about who you are, which is altogether distinct from embarrassment, which is feeling bad about what you've done. Embarrassment always eventually wears off because it's only on the outside, like an invisible costume. But shame? Oooooo! Shame goes deep within our soul and challenges our very self-worth, along with challenging our will to even continue on in life since shame whispers to us that we're worthless and no one would even notice if we were gone.

Shame cannot be covered with a costume.

Shame can only be truly covered in blood. That's why "the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them." (Genesis 3:21) In essence, God covered the first people with animal skins, which were the first blood sacrifices. But even those animal-blood sacrifices and coverings were inadequate and had to be repeated year after year.

That's why God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for us. Jesus's death was an everlasting blood sacrifice. That's why God's Word, in Romans 13:14, says, "But put on the Lord Jesus Christ." All who put on the Lord Jesus Christ will truly be covered forever and have their shame removed.

Everything else is just a costume.

"And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them." - Genesis 3:21

Praise God!

Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

We, 10/30/13, "Day of Praise"

"Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words." - Romans 8:26.

So, I'm helping my 14 year old son, Caden, study for a big World History test. In this particular study session, I'm asking him questions from a quiz that his teacher gave to help the class get ready for the big test. The quiz was pages and pages of stuff that Caden had written out. My job was to take each of Caden's written quiz answers and turn them into spoken questions for Caden to answer aloud.

About halfway through our study session, I got this thought to be silly.

So, with a huge smile, I said to Caden, "True!" And, of course, I thought he'd say, "Ah Dad, c'mon. Give me the rest of the question."

Instead, without missing a beat. Caden said, "True, Cromwell was open to the idea of religious toleration."

I about fell on the floor from amazement, not to mention gladness, because Caden really needs to do well on this test. And I said, "How did you know that from all these pages of stuff?" And he said, "I told you, Dad; I've been studying!"

Which is a great parable to today's Bible verse. Just like I barely gave Caden anything to work with when I said, "True," sometimes we barely give God anything to work with when we pray because "we do not know what to pray for." (Romans 8:26).

But even though I barely gave Caden anything to work with, he knew the answer because he'd taken time to study and know the material. So too, even though we barely give God anything to work with sometimes in our prayers, God knows the answer because he's taken time to study and know us.

So be encouraged, y'all!!! Yes, it's good to have nice, eloquent, smooth-flowing prayers. But when things come up that baffle you, as they do everyday, and a nice, eloquent, smooth-flowing prayer is nowhere to be found in your heart, then just groan or grunt or squeal out whatever you can to God.

God already knows the rest.

And he's on it.

Because He loves you.

We know this in Jesus Christ.

So go into today, and know that your grunting, groaning, squealing, sighing, mumbling, bumbling prayers are heard. And they're blessed!

Praise God!

Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

Tu, 10/29/13, "Day of Praise"

"The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned." - 1 Corinthians 2:14

We laughed!

And laughed!

And laughed!

One person said, "Is it true that if a jellyfish bites you that you should put tea on it?"

The other person said, "Why would you put tea on the jellyfish?"

The first person said, "On the bite, Silly! On the bite!"

We laughed and laughed and laughed.

Let's face it. Sometimes we get our wires crossed. And understanding comes not so easily. And you just have to laugh.

But there is something that's not so good to laugh at. And that would be "the things of the Spirit of God." In today's Bible verse, God says "the natural person" sees the things of God's Spirit as "folly," which is Biblical wording for "foolishness" and "something to be laughed at or mocked."

God neither wants us laughing in an unbelieving mockery, nor does God want us laughing in a "believing" resignation. A "believing resignation" is when someone says, "Aaaah, I'm not that smart. I just can't understand."

God wants us all to understand "the things of the Spirit of God." God plainly tells us this in today's Bible verse as God says the issue of understanding the things of God's Spirit is not about the size of your I.Q. or your score on a standard college test like the ACT.

The key factor in understanding the things of God's Spirit is whether you're a "natural person" or a "spiritual person." And let's get clear on "spiritual person" real quick because we have a country full of people who say they're "spiritual people" who don't go to church and don't read their Bible and don't tell anyone about Jesus and don't have the first twinge of longing for people who don't know Jesus and who, therefore, are in a heap of trouble when Jesus comes again.

A truly spiritual person cares about other people who don't know Jesus and who are spiritually dead. The truly spiritual person cares because God cares about people who don't know Jesus and who are spiritually dead, which is why God sent His Son, Jesus, and poured out His Holy Spirit!

I'd dare say that the books of the Bible are the books of the Bible because all sixty-six of them record God saying what Jesus says to Nicodemus in John, chapter three, which is that we all must be born again to understand the things of God's spirit. What's born of flesh is flesh. What's born of the spirit is spirit.

The flesh and the natural person says, "I'm so smart that I'm a spiritual person without ever spending time either with God's spiritual things or the Spirit of God."

The person born of the spirit, the truly spiritual person is smart enough to recognize and confess, "I don't stand a chance of understanding anything that matters forever if I never spend time with the God of forever. Teach me, Lord, teach me."

And God teaches us through His Word through which God gives us His Spirit (Ephesians 6) through which we are able to understand and "spiritually discern" (1 Corinthians 2:14).

Dear God, please help us so that today and everyday we might be born anew by your Spirit! Make us hungry for your word both to know you more personally and also so we can feed others who are hungry for your Spirit, too! Amen!

Praise God!

Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

Mo, 10/28/13, "Day of Praise"

"And Jesus in pity touched their eyes, and immediately they recovered their sight and followed him." - Matthew 20:34

My daughter Calley wrote this one that she's entitled "Eyes on Jesus."

Way back a long time ago when such establishments existed, my dad and I were walking around Blockbuster. Looking down the rows of movies, I saw one about the life of Christ and yelled, "JESUS!" My dad spun around, this incredible look of excitement on his face, and asked, "Where?!"

A number of years later, though still a while from today, there were sounds of loud explosions outside our house. My mother ran outside looking up into the heavens. When I ran out after her, she said, "I thought it could be Jesus coming back!"

Well, in fact, it was just a movie called "Jesus" that I had seen, not my Savior. And it was not the second coming making explosive noises; it was the neighborhood's grand opening of the pool house, celebrating with fireworks (which happened to be echoing off the houses in a strange end-of-the-world way). 

These moments could easily have been lost in my mind or vaguely remembered with a little laugh. Recently, though, I have thought on the treasure that each of these moments holds. 

Oh to be so in love with the God of All...

What would you have thought? I can ashamedly say that I am not sure if my immediate thought would have gone to my Lord in either of these cases. Of course with the "JESUS" one, maybe, but still....

Do I expect my Lord to come at any moment? Am I ready to bow before the Glorified Son? When I am at a Redbox (to draw a parallel with modern application) going about my weekend, am I preparing my heart for Him to come at any moment? 

I am, of course, in no way going to start preaching that the world is ending in approximately a month and a half. As Christ himself speaks in Matthew 24, only the Father knows the exact time He shall come back to Earth. I do however want to grab the beauty that comes with living in the certainty that Christ WILL come again. That could be soon. Relatively speaking, soon could be 4 years or 45 years (relative to God that is...I guess if we're gonna go there we could say 45 THOUSAND years!) 

I think the most practical application is this: Christ is the forefront of our thought every minute, second, instant. Then when He does come, we don't waste a second getting our thoughts to HIM. They are already there. 

Him as the forefront of our mind is not a burden, though it does take some adjusting to. I could understand how it may be difficult to see how one thinks about every day life when also considering the magnitude of the Cross. That's why we work for the Cross to become the lens in which we live all our life through. All our being through the Cross. 

All our being through the Cross. 

This is my prayer. 

All our being through the Cross. 

Praise God!

Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

Sa, 10/26/13, "Day of Praise"

"Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'" - John 14:6

Ya know those puzzles where you have two different words? The puzzle challenge is to find the way for the two different words to become the same word. The way to do it is by changing one letter at a time in one of the words to make it a new word. Ooooooh, let me just show you the way.

Here's the puzzle. What's the way for the word "rear" to become the word "Lord"? Here's the way. You start with "rear". Then change "rear" to "read". Then change "read" to "lead". Then change "lead" to "load". Then change "load" to "lord." Those are the steps along the way for making "rear" to become "Lord."

Jesus also shows us that knowing the way and steps along the way is important. He actually tells us in today's Bible verse that he himself is the Way. He also spends time with his followers, who are called his disciples, so that he can teach them the steps for leaving behind being an immature disciple and becoming a mature disciple.

For example, I can look at my life and see that I once thought that being a Christian was "knowing the Bible and being nice."

Then, God, through the Bible, showed me that being a Christian certainly includes knowing God's word, like the Bible, but it's more important to know the God of the Bible. And Jesus says that the Way to know the God of the Bible is by getting to know Jesus. So "knowing the Bible and being nice" became "knowing Jesus and being nice."

Then Jesus showed me that being a Christian certainly includes being nice. However, Jesus showed me it's more important to help other people take steps toward knowing Jesus. And many times helping people know Jesus feels, to them, like we're not being nice because coming to know Jesus always changes our lives and sometimes those changes hurt. The way to knowing Jesus doesn't always feel nice because it includes a cross and various forms of suffering and rejection. So "knowing Jesus and being nice" became "knowing Jesus and helping others to know Jesus."

So just like "rear" became "Lord" by changing one letter at a time, God showed me that he's changed me one "letter" at a time so he can shape me into being a follower of the Way, who is Jesus. "Knowing the Bible and being nice" became "knowing Jesus and being nice" which became "knowing Jesus and helping others to know Jesus." And I thank God for every step along the way.

I encourage you to think about and thank God for how he's blessing you by shaping and changing you one step, one "letter," at a time so that you can know God and His Son, Jesus, too.

Praise God!

Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

Fr, 10/25/13, "Day of Praise"

"And [Jesus] told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart." - Luke 18:1

Even as football season is barely half over, basketball is getting cranked up. One of the most colorful basketball people in my lifetime was Coach Jim Valvano. Coach V, as he was fondly called, died of cancer. However, before he died, one of Valvano's most memorable motivational speeches was delivered February 21, 1993 at Reynolds Coliseum on the basketball court of North Carolina State University during the ten year commemoration of the University's miraculous, 1983 NCAA men's basketball championship. It was during this speech, celebrating the team he coached, that Valvano stressed the importance of hope, love, and persistence, which included his famous quotation "Don't give up, don't ever give up."

Jimmy V's oft-seen-and-quoted speech is universally celebrated as one of the greatest-ever encouragements, even challenges, that people ought to never, never, never give up.

His speech was less about his overachieving, underdog, championship basketball team and more about battling overwhelming illness, as was his cancer. And his speech was a call to live life with joy and hope, even when circumstances are insurmountably difficult.

But let's be honest.

There is only one way to have the spirit and strength that Valvano referred to, and that's through faith in Jesus Christ. When Jesus told the disciples "a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart" (Luke 18:1), Jesus was calling them not to dig deeper into the extremely shallow and helpless human soul. Instead, Jesus was calling the disciples to believe in the infinitely deep love and grace of God, which is perfectly revealed in the cross and resurrection of Jesus.

Friends, what is overwhelming and seemingly insurmountable in your life? To be sure, like Coach V said, "Don't give up; don't ever give up." But you will find the strength and spirit to do that, not by looking in yourself, but by looking to God and God's Son, Jesus Christ, who will give you God's own strength to hope and endure because God himself will not give up. God will never give up on you!

Praise God!

Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

Th, 10/24/13, "Day of Praise"

"No one can say 'Jesus is Lord' except in the Holy Spirit." - 1 Corinthians 12:3

One of my favorite movies is the Disney flick, "Holes." And in the movie, "Holes," one of my favorite lines is from Sam the Onion Man when, multiple times, he says to Kissin' Kate, "I can fix that."

Whether it's your auto mechanic or roofer or Geek Squad guy, "I can fix that" is a great thing to hear. But there's, of course, no greater fixer than The Great Fixer himself. Though many of you have recently shared some painful, broken realities in the relationships and finances in your lives, take heart. All sorts of things can get fixed and are possible in Christ by the power of God's Holy Spirit. After all, in Mark 9:23, Jesus said, "All things are possible for one who believes."

Here are some examples: Jesus can make us clean, washing away skin diseases (Luke 5:12), as we witnessed at our church with a woman who came to our monthly healing service.

Jesus can heal despair, cure loneliness, and untangle confusion, doing things that remind us that God is with us. (John 3:2)

Jesus alone can take an old, tired, broken-down life, (which sadly can often belong to a very young person), and deliver us, like new-born babies, into a new life in the kingdom of God. (John 3:3)

Jesus alone can make it possible for us to be in accord (which is to be in one mind in truth, peace, and harmony) with God the Father. (John 5:19)

Jesus alone can make it possible for us to seek and hear the life-giving will of God the Father. (John 5:30)

By actually being our strength to endure and our courage to press on, in spite of overwhelming physical or financial or mental or emotional obstacles, Jesus alone makes it possible for us to follow a path to new life. (John 13:36)

Jesus alone can lay a sure foundation for our lives so that our lives don't fall apart at the first sign of trouble. (1 Corinthians 3:11)

Jesus alone can pour out the Holy Spirit so we can have insight into complications and mysteries that are otherwise overwhelming and incomprehensible. (Ephesians 3:4)

What's messed up in your life? What needs fixing?

Believe! Jesus, even better than Sam the Onion Man, can fix that!

Praise God!

Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

We, 10/23/13, "Day of Praise"

[Jesus said,] "So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near." - Luke 21:31

Seen yesterday when I took my son to the dentist:
Miss R,
I am sorry that I was ugly. You are a good teeth cleaner Lady.
Love,
jb

What did Jesus mean when he said, "when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near" (Luke 21:31)? What things will we see? In context, Jesus is clearly saying we'll see new life springing forth from stuff that previously looked dead.

So let's start with what looks dead. Let's start with "jb" and the letter above. When jb was being (to use his mom's, er, I mean, jb's term) "ugly," do you think he thought he was being ugly? My heavens, no! Nobody thinks they're being ugly until after they're done being ugly. And even then, they may not think they were being ugly.

I mean, seriously, I've got a long, long, long list of people who have been ugly to me in my life, and they still don't think they were being ugly. There are so many people who've been ugly to me that they could all start apologizing right now and the line still wouldn't be done when Jesus comes again.

I know you know what I mean. Aren't there a whole bunch of people who owe you an apology for being ugly?

And that's exactly what dead looks like.

What dead looks like is a world full of people who are walking around each day, waiting for the long line of people to form who owe them an apology. And I know some people who are going to be waiting a really long time like a person who recently replied to my apology by telling me that I didn't apologize the right way. There's a lot of "jb"s out there who don't think they've been ugly. It's just everybody else.

But Jesus says that we should stay hopeful, that one day what's dead will spring forth with new life. Jesus says that leaves will start popping out of fig trees. He might as well have said that apology notes will start coming from jb.

Ya see, what beautiful looks like is a world full of people who are walking around each day, not waiting for the long line of people to form who owe them an apology, but instead are starting to address the first person in the long line of people that, (I'll own it), I owe an apology to. And who cares if they apologize back to me. If the only reason I apologize to them is to get them to apologize to me, then I should keep my stinking apology that really is no apology at all.

Hey, y'all, I'm not feeling really bad about something and using all of you to have some dump-my-emotions, healing session. All I know is that I took my son to the dentist yesterday morning, and I saw the note from jb: "Miss R, I am sorry that I was ugly. You are a good teeth cleaner Lady. Love, jb." And it made me smile. And it felt good. And I thought, "I need to write some notes to some people about me being ugly and them being a good teeth cleaner Lady or whatever they're good at."

So, it's your choice whether or not to join in, but I'm declaring today "National Do-like-JB and Apologize-to-Somebody Day." I myself know a long line to whom I should apologize. And if enough people participate, we should be seeing lots of leaves and life springing forth, ya know, seeing lots of smiles, probably seeing lots of tears, and, God's word promises, seeing the kingdom of God a lot more clearly than the day before.

[Jesus said,] "So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near." - Luke 21:31

Praise God!

Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

Tu, 10/22/13, "Day of Praise"

"Whoever believes in [Jesus] will not be disappointed." - Romans 10:9-11

I love football. It doesn't matter when or where it is. It can be my 14-year old son and his friends playing in our neighborhood cul de sac. It can be little kids playing flag football. Or it can be High School, Pro, or the best, College football.

I'm rarely disappointed when I watch or play football. It's not because my team always wins. Instead, I'm rarely disappointed because of what I'm hoping for. When I watch football, what I hope for is that I'll see a bunch of kids or adults who want to win. I hope to see people who try to win. And even after a win is not possible, they keep playing to the end as if a win were still in reach. In other words, the players believe that if there's time on the clock, then there's still time to try. If there's still time on the clock, then there's still time to give your best and have fun doing it.

That's exactly what I saw last night: ninth grade boys, Oak Mountain versus Hoover, every one of 150 boys, 22 at a time, trying their hardest and giving their best until the very last second ran off the clock, believing that any time to play was a great time to play, even though the winner had been determined with three-fourths of the game remaining.

That's the way it is with those who really, deep in their hearts, believe in Jesus. Any time to play is a great time to play. Until the very last second runs off the clock, life is worth living, not on cruise control, but trying hard and giving your best and encouraging others to believe the same, that any time to play is a great time to play, that any time left on the clock of life is a great time to live life, trying your hardest and giving your best until the very last second runs off the clock.

That's exactly what I saw yesterday midday: a bunch of, let's be honest, old guys, whose average age was like the numbers of football linemen, 60's, 70's, 80's. They meet weekly to pray and try to figure out how to get others into the game and how to get others to come together as a team and how to care and give your best until the very last second runs off the clock of life. But remember, they're not meeting about football. They're meeting about people, and life, and the living of life. Right to the end.

And the constant solution is Jesus. Getting people to know more and trust more in Jesus is how to get others into the game and how to get others to come together as a team and how to care and give your best until the very last second runs off the clock of life.

So these guys, in their 60's and 70's and 80's keep playing to the end as if a win is still in reach, namely the win that is winning a soul for Jesus Christ. In other words, these guys believe that if there's time on the clock, then there's still time to try. If there's still time on the clock, then there's still time to give your best and have fun doing it.

And they pray for you and try to reach out to you, hoping that you will grow in believing the same!

And maybe even join their team.

After all, "Whoever believes in [Jesus] will not be disappointed." - Romans 10:9-11

Praise God!

Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

Mo, 10/21/13, "Day of Praise"

[Jesus said,] "Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart; and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." - Matthew 11:29-30

It's like an Easter Egg that's staring you in the face in the annual Easter Egg Hunt because it's easily overlooked by so many. But it's clearly right there. Jesus says, "Learn from me" almost at the very start of today's verse.

Learning from Jesus and finding rest in Jesus clearly go hand in hand.

My daughters' God-dad, Tim, is a great example of this. He's done all sorts of projects for us, helping us to finish basements, rooms, and other projects. As Tim works, he not only takes on the yoke and does the heavy lifting, but he also imparts some lofty wisdom. Tim has tasted all sorts of twists and turns in life and always manages to come through with a positive and gracious outlook. So whenever you get to work alongside of him, whenever we're yoked together, he not only leads the way in the project, because he knows what he's doing, but he also imparts wisdom that's priceless for all of life.

This is the way it is with Jesus. To be yoked to Jesus not only takes the load off of us and gives us relief through a hard season that Jesus knows how to guide us through, but while Jesus is guiding us through the specific difficulty, he also imparts wisdom that's priceless for all of life.

Bottom line, whatever pops up today, or any day for that matter, call on the Lord, Jesus. Trust him, and listen for him. He will yoke himself to you, helping you to carry the load, and also speaking words of hope and wisdom that will bless you down the road!

Praise God!


Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

Sa, 10/19/20, "Day of Praise"

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 4:6-7

Years ago, a friend introduced me to the American adventure writings of Louis L'Amour. My friend told me to note two things in each story. First, he said that L'Amour always has a good guy, a bad guy, and a girl. Second, he said that L'Amour always has the good guy sit with his back to the wall in saloons and taverns because the good guy doesn't want anyone sneaking up on him.

It's the second concept of "back-to-the-wall" that's connected to today's Bible verse. Basically, God is telling us that he wants to "guard our hearts" both by giving us peace and also by keeping us from anxiety when we tell him in prayer what we see in front of us.

The reason God wants us to tell him in prayer what we see in front of us is because God is covering everything that's behind us. God has our back! God's literally covering our rear, just as God tells us in Isaiah 52:12, "For you shall not go out in haste, and you shall not go in flight, for the Lord will go before you, and the God of Israel will be your rear guard."
No "haste" and no "flight" equals no anxiety because God is leading us forward and guarding our "rear."

So practically speaking, what does this all look like?

First, trust God's promise that God has both your back and your past covered. Stop looking over your shoulder, and let go!

Second, trust and obey God's command, "with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God." In other words, thank God for dealing with your stuff even before you ask, and then tell God everybody and everything that you can see in front of you.

Finally, experience God's peace, and listen for God to speak to your heart. Doesn't it make sense? If God has your back, and if you've told God everything in front, then everything is in God's hands! And if it's all in God's hands, then what is there to worry about?!?! Nothing.

There's only peace, coupled with the voice of God speaking to your heart with words of life.

Enjoy!

Praise God!

Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

Fr, 10/18/13, "Day of Praise"

"For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified." - 1 Corinthians 2:2

Life is funny. Just when you think something is a sure thing, then you come to see that maybe you shouldn't have been so sure.

As a general example, sometimes things that look bad become reasons for someone to step up and do something. And sometimes things that look good become the ruin of the one who got the good thing. Life can be funny. Things aren't always as they seem.

As a specific example, yesterday's Day of Praise used a football and dirt example. I thought for sure that I'd hear from the mass of guys who receive Day of Praise because guys stereotypically like dirt and football. But life's funny, and every single reply that initially came back about dirt and football was a beautifully-worded response from a woman. Only a little later did a few guys chime in. Life's funny. Things don't always turn out as you initially think.

Even as I began today to write about life being funny, I looked at my daughter Calley's blog, and she had written the following about life being funny: "I love seeing God's sense of humor in all the places: life, relationships, scripture, weather, and so on." (www.voguemind.blogspot.com)

In the end, for all the things that we think we know, there is one absolute thing for certain and for sure. And that one thing is this: God loves us. Almighty, sovereign, everlasting God loves us. And we know this with utmost certainty through his Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Specifically, we see God's love for us completely poured out from his heart when Jesus is rejected, suffers, and dies on the cross.

That's why St. Paul wrote: "For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified" (1 Corinthians 2:2). In essence, St. Paul was saying that life is funny because just when you think something is a sure thing, then you come to see that maybe you shouldn't have been so sure. Therefore, Paul was saying, "I'm going to stick to the one thing that truly is for sure: Jesus Christ and him crucified." For in Jesus and his cross, we have assurance of the one thing we need for sure, namely, that we're loved with the everlasting love.

Praise God!

Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

Th, 10/17/13, "Day of Praise"

"Do nothing from selfishness or conceit, but in humility count others better than yourselves." - Philippians 2:3

I have no idea what got into me.

It must have been the same thing that stirs in us everyday since the first people messed up, namely, it must have been selfish, conceited sin.

It was the summer before my Senior football season in high school. I had received some honors after my Junior season, so I guess I felt like I needed to be a "leader". I was a linebacker on our defense, and Darin was a running back on our practice team offense.

The play began. The ball went to Darin. I tackled Darin. And that's where it should've stopped. But it didn't. I was over Darin, and his head was facing the ground. Suddenly, I had this brilliant idea to literally rub his nose in the dirt. Ya know, the Senior showing the younger player who's boss.

Well, as quickly as I did the literally dirty deed to Darin, Darin said, "C'mon, Chris! You're better than that." It may as well have been God himself telling me I had sinned because I was cut to the heart and moved to apologize immediately. Interestingly, do you want to guess Darin's last name? Yes, his last name was Christian.

Ya see, the reason God counsels us in today's Bible verse to not be conceited, "but in humility count others better than yourselves" (Philippians 2:3) is because we're not "better" than anybody else.

And yet, we all are lifted to heights of love and esteem because Jesus, the Son of God himself, was not selfish or conceited but in humility counted us better than himself. In fact, you might say that Jesus rubbed his own nose in the dirt by choosing to die for us and being buried in the grave that belonged to us.

And just like Darin Christian had his nose rubbed in the dirt by my misdeed, yet his words from the dirt woke me up, so too Jesus Christ had his nose rubbed in the dirt by our misdeeds, yet his words from the dirt woke us up.

Today, friends, somebody is going to rub your nose in the dirt. Be ready! Be ready not to give them the same, but instead help them remember that they are above doing that because Jesus (and even a young football player named Christian) showed the way.

"Do nothing from selfishness or conceit, but in humility count others better than yourselves." - Philippians 2:3

Praise God!

Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

We, 10/16/13, "Day of Praise"

"If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty's hand." - Daniel 3:17

I love the radio advertisement for foster parents that has the message that you don't need to be perfect parents in order to be great parents.

In the same way, you don't need to have a perfect day in order to have a great day.

Consider the three teenage boys in today's Bible verse. It was hardly a perfect day. The king was about to throw them into the blazing furnace. But in what could have been the origin of the oft-quoted saying, "Don't tell God how big your problems are, but instead tell your problems how big your God is," the boys tell their problem (the king) how big their God is. With utmost confidence, the boys say, "The God we serve is able to deliver us from [the blazing furnace]."

Something is going to go wrong with our day today. Our day will not be perfect. But "the God we serve is able to deliver us from" whatever problem stirs up the heat and turmoil in our day.

So if we'll all follow the lead of those boys long ago and tell our problems how big our God is, (he's the God who, in Jesus Christ, overcame death, sin, and the grave), then our day will be as great as our great big God!

Praise God!


Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

Tu, 10/15/13, "Day of Praise"

(At the end of today's DoP, after the "Praise God!", there's a cut and paste from my brother for you to text to a friend.)

[Jesus said,] "Whoever belongs to God hears what God says." - John 8:47

I hear things.

Based on what I hear, many people hear many of the things that I hear. Especially at night, after my kids have gone to bed, I hear the train that's miles away, the ceiling fan that's whirring on another floor, the refrigerator that's doing whatever refrigerators do to stay cool, and, best of all, my kids adjusting in their beds and breathing. A lot of people hear those things.

But I hear things that are probably a little strange to hear. Do you? At my church, I can walk in the education building and tell you if a bathroom light and fan is on. I can walk in the preschool building and tell you if a toilet is running on and wasting water because the bowl flap didn't close. I can walk in either worship space and tell you if the sound system wasn't turned off. I know it's a little quirky. But hey, we all, well, we all have our quirks.

I hear things.

But, quite frankly, it doesn't bother me that I hear things or to tell you that I hear things. It doesn't bother me, as long as I hear the best thing. In today's verse, Jesus said, "Whoever belongs to God hears what God says." (John 8:47)

God wants all of us to hear what God says, but it can be a challenge since God often speaks in a whisper (1 Kings 19:12) and since the devil is often roaring like a lion (1 Peter 5:8) and since we hear things like refrigerators, trains, and ceiling fans, not to mention music, televisions, and screaming sports fans.

But we want to hear God because God's word works life and faith in us (1 Thessalonians 2:13) and brings us hope and good news (Colossians 1:23) and gives us God's Spirit and miracles (Galatians 3:5) and bears fruit and grace through us (Colossians 1:6) and warns us of the anti-christ (1 John 4:3).

So how, in a noisy world, can we hear God's word that we sorely need so we can have abundant life? Well, I bumped into an old friend today, and I asked if he could sit down for a few because he looked like he had the weight of the world on him. I asked how he was doing, and he calmly and quietly told me all the noises that were claiming his attention. I really had to listen because he spoke so softly. Then I asked how he was being fed. And a soft voice turned to silence. But his eyes and therefore his heart were crying out. We made a deal that included quiet time with God, putting time into having and being a spiritual friend, finding a spiritual mentor, and going to church for worship, fellowship, study, and service.

Only tomorrow will tell if the beggar will show up for his bread. But he looked much stronger at the mere sound of it.

Because his ears were now tuned to the best thing...God's word.

May your ears be tuned there, too.

[Jesus said,] "Whoever belongs to God hears what God says." - John 8:47

Praise God!

Here's a cut and paste for you to text to a friend:
I thought you might enjoy this verse.
David said to Solomon his son, "Be strong and courageous, and do it. Don't be afraid, nor be dismayed; for the LORD God, even my God, is with you. He will not fail you, nor forsake you, until all the work for the service of the LORD's house is finished." - 1 Chronicles 28:20

Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

Mo, 10/14/13, "Day of Praise"

"The apostles said to the Lord, 'Increase our faith!' [Jesus] replied, 'If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, "Be uprooted and planted in the sea," and it will obey you.'" - Luke 17:5-6

So a new week is starting, and everyone is looking for an extra boost to start the week off right. In today's Bible verses, the apostles believe that such an extra boost will be found in a faith boost.

They're right.

But notice what that means.

Notice what it means for God to give and for us to receive a faith boost to start the week off right. Jesus is basically saying that God is eager to answer the request to boost our faith so we can start the week off right. The question is are we ready to receive it.

Jesus says that receiving the faith that God is eager to give is directly tied to speaking with faith in the power and authority that comes with being a Christ-one, i.e. a Christian. Speaking with faith is tied to receiving the faith because speaking in Christ's power is a faith proposition. I mean, who in the world would talk to a mulberry tree, saying, "Be uprooted and planted in the sea"? Only a fool.

Or a Christian.

Who would be crazy enough to speak God's word when you know it's going to get you flogged (prophet Jeremiah), ridiculed (prophet Ezekiel), burned at the stake (John Hus in 1415), excommunicated and outlawed (Martin Luther in 1521), imprisoned (St. Paul), stoned to death (Stephen in Acts 7:59), or crucified (Jesus Christ)?

Only a fool.

Or a person who wants to live out of more than their own strength. A person who wants to live out of the strength of the Living and Almighty God.

No unbeliever is ever going to speak God's word. Why? Because speaking God's word is a faith proposition.

Every believer, though, must speak God's word. Why? (Same reason that an unbeliever won't!) Because speaking God's word is a faith proposition.

Come on, trust Jesus, and you can do this. In fact, it's still a faith proposition if we all do this together. Let's all do together what my brother, Ben DeGreen, Jr., does every day. Each day he sends a text to selected folks with a simple greeting and a simple Bible verse. Here's an example:

"I thought you'd enjoy this verse: Exodus 14:14 - The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still."

Let's all ask God for whom we should cut and paste that greeting and verse into a text or email, and send it to them. Sure, they might do what some people have done with me with this daily devotion, namely, reply to you, telling you, well, very unkind things. That's what makes it a faith proposition in that somebody might reject not only your text with a Bible verse, but they might also reject you!

But the vast majority of humanity is looking for an extra boost to start the week off right. When you send them a simple text like the suggestion above, then they will get the extra boost they need.

And so will you!

Put your faith in Jesus, send the text, and see!

Praise God!

Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

Sa, 10/12/13, "Day of Praise"

"For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son so that whosoever believes in him would not perish but have eternal life." - John 3:16

What a funny and interesting world God loves!

I personally witnessed all but one of the following:

Exhibit A - A person is talking to me on their cell phone when their land-line rings. They pick up the television remote control and talk into it for 20 seconds or so, thinking that it's a phone.

Exhibit B - Hymn title seen in a church bulletin: "Gladly, the Cross-Eyed Bear". (Get it? It's supposed to be "Gladly, the cross I'd bear.")

Exhibit C - Rural Alabama. We pass "Jerry's Processing". The big city person says, "I wonder what companies they do papers for." (Uh no, that would be Venison (deer-meat) processing.)

Exhibit D - Seen in a church bulletin one summer: "As the Hart Pants for Cooling Systems". (Uh, the hart pants for cooling streams, not air conditioning.)

Exhibit E - The dear, regally-dressed, senior ladies near Alex City, Alabama clearly had it all under control as they're driving west-bound on 70-mph Hwy 280 East. As casually as taking tickets at the gate of a football game, the little bouffant-haired (http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4045/4369355264_d2db3cc668_m.jpg) ladies were driving smack down the middle at fifteen mph, pointing at each of the more than twenty oncoming cars, and directing oncoming traffic as to how to drive around them. (P.S. - I didn't hear one horn honk in frustration.)

Have a great day!

And have a sense of humor!

God sure does!

Praise God!


Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

Fr, 10/11/13, "Day of Praise"

"But what about you?" [Jesus] asked. "Who do you say I am?" - Matthew 16:15

Curly hair. Sweet little smile. Who doesn't love a little kid?

Have you ever heard a little one sing "Jesus Loves Me"? It is absolutely one of the top treasures in life.

Because it's all about Jesus.

It comforts a child to tell others, to sing to others, who Jesus is to them. 1) Jesus loves me. 2) Jesus makes sure that I know that Jesus loves me. 3) The book about Jesus tells me that Jesus loves me. 4) Jesus has claimed me as his own. 5) Jesus is strong for me because I'm weak.

If Jesus asked a kid, who knows the good song, "Who do you say I am?" (Matthew 16:15), then the child would just sing the good song.

Because it's all about Jesus.

So what happened? Why is it that when we leave childhood behind, we also leave our child-likeness behind? If Jesus asked a kid, who knows the good song, "Who do you say I am?" (Matthew 16:15), then the child would just sing the good song that's all about Jesus. If Jesus asked an adult, "Who do you say I am?" (Matthew 16:15), then the adult would not sing, but they'd tell you, "Well, for one, I believe in Jesus. And I pray to Jesus. And I worship Jesus. And I read books about Jesus. And I give money to help Jesus."

See the difference? The kid's talkin' about Jesus. The adult's talkin' about, well, the adult.

Maybe that's why Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." (Matthew 19:14). Maybe, as much as kids need to be around Jesus, the adults need even more to be around kids who know the good song.

And why might that be true? Because no matter how much I might do in my adult way of doing in order to show that I love Jesus, Jesus loves me even more.

I mean, any kid knows that!

Praise God!


Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

Th, 10/10/13, "Day of Praise"

Jesus said, "In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples." - Luke 14:33

I'm standing next to the copy machine with my friend, Neal. I stick some papers into the feeder to make copies and push "print". The machine kicks into action, but my papers don't move into the feeder. However, a copy does pop out, but, of course, it's blank.

I looked at Neal and matter-of-factly said, "Well, there's tomorrow's Day of Praise." Neal looked at me and started laughing. I said, "Hey, that's a great parable for how much of Christ we image to the world when we're not engaged. Nothing."

And it's true. Just like the papers were laying there on the copier feeder but weren't touching the "grabber" that the papers needed to touch and therefore the image that came out was a blank, so too when our lives are full of religious activity but aren't touching the "grabber" (the Holy Spirit) that our lives need to touch, then the image the world sees is a blank.

That's why, in today's verse, Jesus says, "In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples" (Luke 14:33). When we're not engaged to Jesus and his work of pouring God's word into others and breathing the Holy Spirit into others, it's impossible for us to produce an image of him and his life-giving work.

The reason we care about our lives producing an image of Christ and his life-giving work is that God made us for that very purpose, as God attests in the very first chapter of the Bible, Genesis 1, and in countless places in the Bible after Genesis 1. And since God made us for it, our hearts are starving to live lives that produce an image of Christ and his life-giving work.

So what are we to do?

Start by acknowledging that you know you're not engaged with Christ as you ought to be (because who of us sinners is?). But then, thank God for showing us (by Jesus pouring out every drop of blood on the cross and then by pouring out every ounce of the Holy Spirit after the resurrection) that God is fully engaged with us. And then ask God to do what it's impossible for us (or a copy machine) to do, namely, produce his image and reflect his glory in and through our lives by pouring us out and filling us with himself. (And repeat, over and over, until Jesus comes again.)

Jesus said, "In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples." - Luke 14:33

Praise God!

Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

We, 10/09/13, "Day of Praise"

"But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold." - Psalm 73:2

Have you ever had a close call? Ya know, an "Oh, I can't believe what almost happened" moment?

Yesterday, I'd parked in the short driveway of a young family next to the large van that's a work vehicle for him. After our visit, I was backing out very slowly but couldn't see because of the work van. I'd barely pulled back toward the sidewalk when, in my right rear view mirror, I saw two very small children flash past on the sidewalk merely inches from the back of my car. "Oh, I can't believe what almost happened!" My heart almost stopped as the near-tragedy flashed through my mind. God alone could be thanked for the horror that didn't happen. Barely.

In today's verse, the psalmist is inspired to tell of their "Oh, I can't believe what almost happened" moment. In their case, the horrors were constantly happening, namely, those who did wrong were prospering while those who did right were scraping by. And then, the psalmist got so wrapped up in how unfair life often is that he almost tasted a worse tragedy, namely, he almost gave up faith in the power and goodness of the living and almighty God. "Oh, I can't believe what almost happened," says the psalmist, "But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold" (Psalm 73:2).

The psalmist continues saying that all the unfairness of life "troubled me deeply till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood" (Psalm 73:16-17). In other words, when the psalmist surrendered to the nudge of the spirit (instead of quenching the spirit) and he went to God's house, the sanctuary, to worship God, then the near-tragedy of renouncing the faith and giving up on God was averted.

The real, but lesser, tragedies of unfairness in a fallen, sinful world had still happened, but the greater tragedy of giving up on God was prevented and warded off.

So, what would have happened if the near miss had happened yesterday? What would have happened if I'd accidentally hit and brought injury or worse to those three and four year old kids who innocently zoomed past on the sidewalk? Would I have kept faith? Would their parents have any faith to draw on? Or would the wrongs and pains of a broken world break us down? We'll never know in that one case.

But near misses sadly hit everyday. People are hurt or worse everyday.

How do you deal with it? How do you endure? How do you keep from becoming bitter? How do you walk with a friend who already has?

God says, "Come to my sanctuary! Run to me and my word! Call on my name, believing! Speak my word of hope to another!"

Through God and his word alone is the ultimate near-miss averted.

Run to him, friends. Pursue him. Worship him. Listen to his word. And find the strength and the hope to press on.

Praise God!

Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

Tu, 10/08/13, "Day of Praise"

"So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner." - Matthew 20:10-11

Football. Baseball. Basketball. Soccer. Sports teach lots of lessons.

There's one lesson, though, that I don't remember learning and that I rarely hear much about. It's the lesson on the power of a loss to invalidate time.

Take this past sports weekend, for example. On Saturday, my favorite college football team lost on the very last play of the game. On Sunday, my favorite pro football team lost on the very last play of the game. On Monday, my favorite pro baseball team lost on the very last at bat of the other team. Though I didn't watch the whole game of any of those three games, they were a combined twelve hours of the best contests that any sports fan could ever hope to see. But because of the power of a loss to invalidate time, that twelve hours turned into the biggest waste of time a human being could ever experience. The power of a loss to invalidate time says that time slipped away because of my team losing.

That's the tragedy in today's Bible reading. The workers who were hired first worked twelve hours that day. Clearly, in the parable, they should have been the most glorious twelve hours that a human being could experience. But in creeps the power of a loss to invalidate time. The workers who were hired first and worked twelve hours saw that those who got hired later and worked a lot less got paid what the first workers were promised they'd get paid. So when the first workers saw that they got paid exactly as all the others, then the first workers felt that they'd lost, and that loss totally invalidated the time they'd worked in the garden.

Lesson: No it doesn't. A loss at the end doesn't invalidate all the great things that preceded it.

My three favorite teams lost in the end, but the loss does not invalidate the fact that they played amazing games that both my son and I will remember forever. The Atlanta Braves suffered one of those losses! and it ended their season, but the loss doesn't invalidate the fact that they had a terrific season. The first workers in the parable thought they might get more in the end, but their perceived loss of pay does not invalidate the fact that they had a wonderful day in God's garden.

Too bad they refused to see it that way.

Friends, sometimes the ending is not what you had in mind to start with, but God sees to it that the loss at the end doesn't invalidate the good things that preceded the end.

Hey, my marriage ended in divorce three years ago, but the sour end doesn't invalidate a lot of great things in those 23 years, especially my three most amazing kids. A forced retirement or job transition doesn't invalidate all the good work that you did over the course of your career. A failed test doesn't invalidate the things that you did learn, (but you probably need to learn a wee bit more before the next test. :-) )

And Jesus's death on the cross doesn't invalidate all that he revealed and taught, along with all the people that he saved and healed before he was crucified. In fact, his loss on the cross opened the door to a victory for us which gave eternal life now and everlasting time with God.

Do you see the irony? In Jesus Christ, the power of a loss or bad ending (the cross) is the power both to validate all that preceded it and also to give back even more time to those who will believe.

So, come what may today, remember that a bad ending doesn't invalidate all the good things before it, and, as we see in Jesus, that bad ending may just be the beginning of something better.

Praise God!

Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

Mo, 10/07/13, "Day of Praise"

"What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?" - Romans 8:31

If things get tough today, remember this: God is for you!

We had Holy Communion instruction for our parents of fifth graders and older at church yesterday. Holy Communion is a reminder of two things. First, Holy Communion is a reminder of Jesus's death on the cross where Jesus showed us that God is totally for us. Second, Holy Communion is a reminder from Jesus himself that God's promise to us in Holy Baptism is still true, namely, God is totally for you.

It's not just that God is giving us something that we must respond to. Ya know, like, "Here, ya go. This is for you." No, in Holy Baptism and Holy Communion God is saying, "Hey Kiddo, I not only have something for you, but I myself am for you!"

Knowing that someone is for you makes a difference. Knowing that God is for you changes everything.

I still remember a boy named Brandon on a little boys tee ball team that I coached in a recreational league one summer in college. He played for us at shortstop, which, at that age, means he's the best at fielding the ball. But he missed a ball on one play and was pelted with criticism from a family member. Even as a little boy, Brandon had latched onto the truth and called out to his critics, saying "Coach would say that I did a good job even getting to the ball!" In essence, if I know my coach is for me, I don't care who is against me.

When we are for each other, believing in one another and passing on genuine affirmations, the people around us walk in unheard of confidence and can stand up respectfully to the harshest of critics and the hardest of trying matters.

So how much moreso is it true? When God is for us, believing in us through Jesus's death on the cross and passing on genuine affirmations in Baptism and Holy Communion, well, then who can legitimately be against us?

Walk tall today, friends, walk tall! And if things get tough today, remember this: God is for you!

Praise God!

Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

Sa, 10/05/13, "Day of Praise"

"Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister." - Romans 14:13

So, I go into the bank, fill out my cash withdrawal slip, walk through the Disney World line, walk toward the inviting teller, and put my driver's license and withdrawal slip on the teller's counter. He pulls both my license and the slip towards himself with the slip being closer to himself and my license placed right above it, like he's dealing a hand of Black Jack. He says, "So you'd like $50 from checking [as I see on the slip], Mr. DeGreen [as I see your name on your license]?" I respond affirmatively.

But then (we'll call him) Travis says, "Could I see your I.D. please?"

And now I'm confused. So I look at him with my world-famous I-look-dumber-than-I-usually-do look. Then (we'll still call him) Travis wakes up and says, "Oh, I'm sorry. I don't know what I'm thinking. I have your I.D. right here."

Well, I know what he's thinking. We'll still call him Travis is thinking that I'm just like everybody else, namely, nobody ever shows I.D. without being asked.

And y'all know that this has nothing to do with me wanting to win a "Best Bank-Customer" Award. It has to do with the fact that "oh we of little faith" start pre-judging people at an early age; (we'll still call him Travis could not have been over 22). At a very early age, we taste things that irritate, annoy, or hurt from a person or two or ten, and we start saying, "Oh, everybody's that way."

And, because we start lumping people together (because it's easier), we miss out on a whole lot of blessings.

The worst of it is when a person or two or ten does something that irritates, annoys, or hurts us, and we throw God into the lump. Ya know like, "Eeeehh, people always have ulterior motives, so God does too. People use ya, then they leave ya, so God does too. People can't be trusted, so God can't either."

What are we doing? We're judging God, and lumping God in with everyone else; we're lumping God in with sinners. And in so doing, we miss out on the blessing that's right under our nose, namely, seeing the face of God with us in the face of Jesus Christ...

which, by the way, is a whole lot better looking face than the one that was under let's still call him Travis's nose. :-)

But, let's be clear, not judging God so we can see the blessing of his face starts by not judging others so we can see the blessing of their face.

"Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister." - Romans 14:13

Praise God!

Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

Fr, 10/04/13, "Day of Praise"

"When [Jesus] saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd." - Matthew 9:36

Friday, Fun-day, Food-day, Faith-day.

Maybe some of you are going out to eat tonight. When my kids and I go out to eat, we sure don't know how to pronounce every food, but we get quite tickled when we hear what we're pretty sure are hack-jobs.

Courtesy of the following web page (http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/blogs/editor/2013/02/the-10-most-frequently-mispronounced-foods.html) here are my six favorite most frequently mispronounced foods:
6. Bruschetta: (broo-sket-tah, not broo-shedda),
5. Espresso: (e-spres-oh, not ex-presso),
4. Chipotle: (chi-poht-ley, not chi-pottel),
3. Beignet: (ben-yay, not beg-net),
2. Gyro: (yee-row or zheer-oh, but not ji-ro),
1. Quesadilla: (key-suh-dee-uh, not kwes-ah-dilla).

To hack the pronunciation of a menu item is like saying to a waiter, "I don't even know what I'm asking for. But I'm trusting you to figure it out."

It's a lot like the people in today's Bible verse. They came to Jesus really not even knowing what they were asking for, but they trusted Jesus to figure it out. So Jesus had compassion on them. In the comparable passage in Mark 6:34, it's written that Jesus showed them compassion by "teaching them many things."

I don't know. Maybe he was teaching them how to pronounce the six spiritual foods that many people don't even know are on the menu:
1. Manna (ˈmænə): the food in Deuteronomy 8:3 that God uses "to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord."
2. Tithe (taɪð): a wise friend reminded me yesterday that sometimes people need to come to their own conclusions, and so it is with the tithe. Read Malachi 3:10 for yourself, and see how the whole tithe is clearly referred to as a food that every human being should be sure to both eat and give away because of the promised blessing that's within.
3. Obedience (əˈbiː.di.əns): again, read it for yourself in John 4:34, "My food," said Jesus, "is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work." It is a rare, but blessed person, who sees doing God's will as a way to get fed and energized.
4. Righteousness (ˈraɪ.tʃəs-nəs), specifically the righteousness worked in us by God's grace and received in faith. Such is the only conceivable food that Jesus could be referring to in John 6:27 when he says, "Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval."
5. Holy Communion (kəˈmjuː.ni.ən): the food where Jesus gives himself, along with the benefits of forgiveness, victory over the power of sin and the power of death, and abundant life in the kingdom of God. This feast is what Jesus offers in Matthew 26:26 where "Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, 'Take and eat; this is my body.'"
6. Prophecy (prɒk.ləˈmeɪ.ʃən)/Proclamation (prɒk.ləˈmeɪ.ʃən): God's life-changing word is a food so sweet to your tongue when you speak it, but it might turn your stomach sour, especially when people don't want to hear God's Word, except in the tone, style, substance, and frequency of their choosing. I'm just telling you what God says in Revelation 10:9: "So I went to the angel and asked him to give me the little scroll. He said to me, 'Take it and eat it. It will turn your stomach sour, but "in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey."'"

So there you have your food choices from the menu that is God's Holy Bible. Think of God's food as you have fun trying to pronounce and fun listening to others pronounce some of your favorite foods on Friday, Fun-day, Food-day, Faith-day.

Praise God!

Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

Th, 10/03/13, "Day of Praise"

"For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain." - Philippians 1:21

Car communication is often hilarious. Yesterday, I was stuck behind a sweet ride going twenty-five miles per hour in a forty-five zone. Their license plate said, "Hustln". Get it? Irritatingly slow-moving car (or was it a dangerous car?) that proclaims to be hustling!

Well, even if you don't get the irony with that license plate, it's usually the bumper stickers that make us laugh anyway. I've seen a bumper sticker that said, "I Go Where I'm Towed". Since I own two cars with a combined 525,000 miles, I really chuckled at that one. Or how about this? "As long as there are tests, there will always be prayer in schools!" And then there's the municipal vehicle with this: "Touching wires causes death: $200 fine".
But every once in a while, I'll see a bumper sticker that makes me laugh and also compels me to talk back to the driver of the car. Like yesterday, the bumper sticker said, "I'd rather be at Camp McDowell." And even though I've been to Camp McDowell and was richly blessed by my Cursillo Retreat there, I couldn't restrain myself, so I said, "But you're not!"

I mean, is there anyone out there reading this right now who would rather be someplace other than where you are? Maybe you're at work, and you'd rather be, well, anyplace else. Maybe you're in school taking a test, (then you shouldn't be reading this right now!), and you'd rather be at lunch or P.E.! Maybe you're in Thursday, and you'd rather be at Saturday. Maybe you're in Detroit, and you'd rather be in Florida. But you're not!

This is exactly what the Holy Spirit inspired St. Paul to address in today's Bible verse. A lot of people were losing a lot of life by wishing it away, saying "I'd rather be, well, elsewhere." So St. Paul responded by basically saying, "I understand. In fact, my situation is so bad right now that I'm tempted to just want to die. To die would be gain! But since I'm here and not somewhere else, I might as well make the best of it. So Jesus, do your thing through me. To live is Christ!"

In essence, Paul was staking his claim on Jesus's promise, which were Jesus's last words recorded in the Gospel of Matthew, "I am with you always, even to the ends of the earth!"

So, you may want to be someplace else, but you're not. And Jesus is with you right where you are. So, do like Paul, and appeal to Jesus to do his thing through you. Then as Jesus does something wonderful, the next thing you know, you'll probably be glad you're there.

Bumper sticker: "I'd rather be right where I am, right here with Jesus!"

Praise God!

Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

We, 10/02/13, "Day of Praise"

"Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. 'Simon,' he said to Peter, 'are you asleep? Couldn't you keep watch for one hour?'" - Mark 14:37

Today is Wednesday. At twelve noon, you will find yourself as far as one can be from the rest and renewal that is known, for most, as the weekend. At noon Wednesday, the weekend will be both two and a half days behind you and also two and a half days in front of you. Yes, it's a simple thought, but it calls us to think about both our hunger for rest and also what we might do when rest is far, far away.

In today's Bible verses, Jesus is as far from rest as he'd ever be. Jesus's primary source of rest and renewal was in relationships, and yet Jesus was beginning to taste a growing distance from three key relationships: 1) the Twelve disciples, 2) humanity as a whole, and 3) most of all, God the Father. Moreover, as Jesus begins to move toward his death on the cross, he finds himself at the point where 1) the disciples have literally started to fall asleep on him instead of hanging in there with him, 2) the sin and unfaithfulness of all humanity are beginning to weigh on Jesus as the full force will then crush him on the cross, and 3) the consequence of our sin will require that Jesus, God's Son, will taste being forsaken by the Father as Jesus will cry out, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"

Jesus is far, far away from rest. And he's tasting it in the weariness of isolation.

As a pastor, I hear people talk about their own extreme weariness and isolation. To be sure, people are around, but to many, it feels like friends are "falling asleep," and humanity is in its "I've got my own troubles" mode, and God seems, well, distant. Rest seems, and is, far, far away.

I hear this not just from people who live alone and not just from single parents but also from "well-connected" people and from married couples, who speak of sitting in the same room but feeling miles and miles apart.

The worst part, as Jesus experienced in today's Bible verse, is when no one cares to listen and no one seems to care.

What are we to do? We're to do what Jesus did. We're to stop and remember, "Hey, this is why I'm here!" For Jesus, it was being the light of the world, a light shining in the darkness. As he says in John 8:12, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." For us, Jesus says, we're to let the light of Christ shine through us, as in Matthew 5:16, "In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven."

If life in the world can be wearying for the Son of God, who became like us in every way except without sin, then life in the world can be wearying for us. But as rest seems far away, let us look to Jesus, who, even in his weariness, is both light for our darkness and a reminder of why we're here, namely, to shine the light of Jesus into a world that sorely needs it.

May God bless you today! Jesus, your rest and your light and your strength, is near!

Praise God!

Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

Tu, 10/01/13, "Day of Praise"

"But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed." - Isaiah 53:5

In one short little verse, God says that transgressions, iniquities, punishment, and the need for healing are the things that belong to us. And in that same verse, God says that there is one who will be pierced and crushed for us in order to bring us the peace and healing we need.

How might we understand this?

I remember consciously thinking and telling people how I'd never had one stitch in my first eleven years of life. And then in the next ten years, it was like it was inevitable, and I got more stitches than, as they say, you could shake a stick at: a surgery in my midsection, another surgery in my midsection, a huge gash in my left shin from jumping a fence, another gash in my thigh from falling out of a tree, surgery on a badly broken ankle, surgery on a badly broken cheek and jaw, multiple broken noses, multiple broken ribs, stitches over my right eye, then my left, and then my right again, and a feeling that stitches and I just were born for each other.

I became so thankful for a mother who bandaged, a father who provided medical insurance, and doctors and nurses who knew how to stitch up my accidental, but still real wounds.

And so it is with sin and the need for a healer of the soul.

We might have a run where we feel really good about our thoughts, our decisions, and our actions; ya know, we feel like we're good people, and we've got this sin thing conquered.

But it's inevitable! Spiritually speaking, here comes a punch in the gut, a kick in the shins, the jumping of a boundary fence that plainly said "stay out", a falling from our high horse, a broken heart, various other wounds to our pride, a plank in our right eye, a splinter in our left, and then a poke in the right eye again, and an overall feeling that the need for spiritual stitches and us were just born for each other.

Ever since the first man and woman, way back at the beginning, used their God-given freedom to think and decide and act in ways that wounded their relationship with God, all us people are all under this condition called "depravity," which means both that we're totally helpless to avoid sinning and also that we're certainly helpless to stitch up and heal our soul and our God relationship. It is the human condition. It is inescapable. We can't get out of our own way. We are sinners to the core. And it is good for us not to deny but to understand ourselves as sinners in this way because Jesus himself said in Matthew 9:12, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick."

To deny our sinfulness is to deny our need for a healer.

And, boy oh boy, do we need a healer. Maybe not for a season when you're feeling good about how good you are and how good you're doing and how good things are going.

But it's inevitable and inescapable that we will see the truth plainly again.

We need a Healer for our every wound.

And that's just what we have in Jesus Christ and the wounds he bore unto death on the cross.

"But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed." - Isaiah 53:5

Praise God!

Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson