Calling All Prayers

I'd like to ask, something I've often been loathe to do, for the help of those whose eyes and minds tread on this space. I'd like to ask for a few prayers for myself and those around me.

The singles ministry in which I serve at church, (little "c"), is going through some great new changes. I have opportunities to serve therein in leadership capacity, as do nearly 50 to 100 others who have seen the cast vision of this new environment. I also, having taken a season off from leading a small group, am leading a new weekly group of 8 guys for bible study, accountability, and prayer, or as we say "doing life together". I also have a job. A bit more than a job, really - a career opportunity wherein I have the chance to grow in my current skill set, develop a new set of skills, and allow the ebb and flow of pressure and time at God's direction, to mold me in the man He has envisioned.

I cannot do this alone.

I covet your prayers for leadership, courage, self discipline, and purity as I step into the gap that He has made visible to me. Would you pray that I would be attuned to His will, desire to know His loves and concerns, so that I can test and approve what His will is and respond as a servant leader of the Leader of leaders? Would you pray that I could stand in the face of fear, not desiring for fear to go away, but that I would press on in spite of it, because He is with me and I with Him? Would you pray that I would love my Lord not only with my words and songs, but with my actions, doing what needs to be done dutifully, yet out of respect and love for the God who has made them all possible? And last, would you pray that I could continue to be "man without mixture", pure in my heart, will, and body in respect for the righteousness I have inherited as a child of God through Christ?

For those of you that are not "followers of Christ", this may seem like a whole lot of God-speak, and it is. But, I would ask you for purposes of taking our debate and relationship to the next level that you would verbalize these thoughts, even silently, and ask them in the name of Christ. I guess I'm asking you to "try it, you'll like it" of the ancient Thinker that I believe to be the one, true, living God. This may seem a bit strange. I appreciate that, and thank you all the more for stepping out of your comfort zone.

Pray, also, for His blessing over this blog (even more wierd, huh?), that the conersations that come from He to me would continue to be loud and clear and that I may effectively communicate them in this cyberspace. Pray that my plans for updating this internet real estate would coincide with His plans and that I would create enough margin to approach it without hurry or a lack of care.

Be well, and may the love of Christ be a stone in your shoe until the truth that irritates your foot causes you to run to him for relief.

Peace.

Aarron

Brief Hiatus

As you have noticed, there have been no posts for the month of August, and a few missed Fridays over recent months. Due to a variety of reasons, I am taking the month of August off. Feel free to check in from time to time, just in case inspiration and timing happen to collide unexpectedly, but it is my intention to start fresh after Labor Day.

This may also mean the new look, new plan, and new collaboration I've been mentioning, as well, but only time will tell. For now, take some time to review some old posts you've not yet commented on, comment on a few, and surf my brief blogroll for something else worth reading. There's plenty to go around.

Enjoy the rest of your summer and we'll see you in September.

Grace and peace,
Aarron

Leadership - Let's Start with Followship

Just read an interesting exegesis at Pastor Jon's blog. It's a wee bit long for my taste, but has a fair bit of application for those who feel called to pursue Christ. For those who don't, it will give you a behind the scenes look at some of the strange things we believe as Christians and the ways we ought to, but often fail to, live our lives as those who have been ransomed from death.

I like the fact that he makes a point to say that being subject to does not equal passive. His quote from Briscoe is poignant, considering the level of debate often heard between believers and non believers in the majority of our media outlets. (Christianese: "believer" - one who believes that man and God are separated by sin but rejoined relationally through faith in the substituionary sacrifice of Jesus Christ's death on the cross and resurrection thereafter.)

Please, drop him a comment, when you get a chance.

Choosing Sides

The phrase "The Lord is with them/him" appears more than a dozen times in the Old Testament. Popular culture and leaders striving to motivate the masses often tout the phrase "God is on our side..." I'm asked from time to time - "What will you ask the Lord when you see Him in heaven?"

What about being "with the Lord" or "on God's side"?

Don't get me wrong, I believe the Bible to be the inerrant word of God. I just don't understand yet what He wants us to learn from the repetition of that phrase from that vantage point. He has expressed often that He desires relationship with us, that He is perfecting us into the image of His Son, so shouldn't that phrase be the other way around?

Anyone who understands the original Hebrew, could you shed some light on that for me?

Preciate ya.

Holla back.

A

You Are What You Think...

Many years ago, a mentor introduced me to a book called "Think and Grow Rich", written in the early 1900s by Napoleon Hill. He was a young man who studied some of the most wealthy people in the nation over the course of about 20 years to write this book. In it, my mentor pointed out, was the difference between the J. Paul Getty/Nelson Rockafellers of the world and the average week to week, paycheck to paycheck folks. He discovered that the key difference between those who were successful financially and those who weren't was their belief system.

20 years, hundreds of people, multiple millionaires and he comes up with "Rich people just plain think differently.

A decade later, I look at the wealth I would like in my life and I discover that it's not all measurable by dead presidents. Where do you want to earn your millions? In relationships? In wisdom? In emotional stability? In fitness? Paul teases out one of the same principles Hill discovered in the 1900s, only Paul got it from God and wrote it down 1800 years before.

"...whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things." Phil. 4.9

Hill was right - thoughts are things. What you think is what you become. We are what we know, we become what we learn. So, do you take this verse like I did, like God was just trying to snuff out "fun", or is it possible that the Great Designer has better plans for us than we have ever imagined and is just waiting for us to get our act together before He unleashes a tsunami of blessings on our lives?

Relationships that Strengthen and Encourage?

For those of you who understand my home church's philosophy on "big church", this will be more obvious. For those who don't, understand that the church I attend weekly is considered one of those churches... those megachurches (insert diabolical villain music here) Not only is it large, but it is growing extremely rapidly - multiple campuses, multiple church plants, multiple "strategic partnerships". And yet, it still manages to maintain a certain intimacy, even among the timid and softspoken. The mission: "To lead people into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ by creating environments that encourage people to pursue intimacy with God, community with believers, and influence with outsiders" sets the stage for a thriving community of "small groups".


These groups of 5-8 men, 5-8 women, or 4-7 couples, meet weekly for accountability, Bible study, and prayer. And you know what? I just don't have time for that.
I've never had time for it, even when I wanted to know God and walk closely with Him. But, that stubborn Spirit of God that urges us to do the right thing, make the wise choice, stand in the face of danger, pushed and pushed and pushed me to make time for it over three years ago, and I can't explain in a hundred posts what impact it's had on me and my walk with the God we believe asks us to call Him "Father".
Over time, I have experienced weeks of just being "slammed" at work - no margin, no rest, no breaks, frustration, abundance, dry spells, and dam breaks that have left me drained, exhausted, depressed, or just plain overwhelmed. Those are the nights I just want to drive straight back home and drift into a coma until the alarm goes off again. Sometimes, when things aren't going my way, I just don't want anyone to see me "off". (You know what it's like, being "on" all the time, right?) These are the times that I can hear God's voice, ever so clearly steering me away from temptation.

So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night.

Funny, God knows us so well. When we're depressed, exhausted, overwhelmed, we often just want to let the night do its magic - to shut down, reboot, and see a new sun the next day. The enemy longs to lead us into the lie that "I just shouldn't/can't/don't want to be/am too X to be around people right now. And, we have a great propensity to believe the lie. God has wired us to thrive, yes, even introverts, on the accountability, belonging, and care of the Church, that is, the body of Christ.

Chipper Jones is only batting about one in three as of today. But imagine him trying to bat by sitting in the dugout and just sending his arms to do the work while he watched from the side. Chipper Jones - batting .336 (7/19/06)We individual body parts work best when we are attached to the body. (To the Red Sox Nation: I am only using a Braves player to appear relevant to the offline community here in Atlanta. My ATL audience already know I am a die hard Sox fan. They are so blinded by Satan that they believe that the Braves actually have a chance this year.** That's why the evil empire of Atlanta Police towed my car at the Sox game three weeks ago here at Turner Stadium, not because I was illegally parked with the other 9 people who got towed that night.)

Moral of the story - get connected. If you're already connected, stay connected. If you're tired, angry, depressed, busy, too scattered, too upset - re-connect. Don't let the enemy convince you that solitude will get you out - the worst things can happen when we're alone at night, sleeping too much, drinking too much - how would your life look if the last thing in your mind before bed was a controlled, deliberate, intentional prayer, thought, or meditation, versus haphazard, random thoughts with no connection to your long term direction?

Need to get away? You may be right. But, staying away never solves the problems that have driven us there, muchless shaped us or our character the way God is forging us during those difficult times. Leverage the relationships God has given you to keep yourself strong and plugged in.

Therefore, encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. 1 Thess. 5.11 (NIV)

Do you know someone who is depressed or angry and needs to reach out or be reached out to? Someone who knows they need to be around people but has grown reclusive? Would you please send them this link and ask them for their opinion on it?

** for those who have a tendency to react with anger, disgust, or confusion to overrighteous Christians, please re-freakin-lax. I'm being sarcastic here. The Sox rule, I am not implying that Braves fans or players, or Atlanta's finest are in league with Lucifer (That's Johnny Demon you're thinking of...) or that there's some cosmic conspiracy going on in the world of worldly sports. I'm just being a boisterous fan. Get over it and enjoy some Biblical truth, yo.

Oh, and Go SOX, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Dessert Before Dinner

Tonight (yes, it would be nice if Wednesday's post came out more than an hour before it were no longer Wednesday...), I'd like us to have a little fluff before we get to the meat. I was over at Tall Skinny Kiwi, another blog I need to blogroll and visit more often, and saw this post on how to fold a shirt. I promise, that while bringing you the truth about what God has revealed to us, helping us to sort through the lies of the enemy with the sword of the spirit, that I will also inform you of other, extra-Biblical nuggets of applicable wisdom from time to time.

Here is one.

Enjoy.

I Wanna Be Like Mike

Thinking like God is both a noble desire and a dangerous quest. When we read the circumstances surrounding what separated us from God in the first place, it was the enemy who chided Eve - "You won't die if you eat that fruit, God's just holding out on you because He doesn't want you to be like Him..."

Wherein is the lie? Does God not want us to know His ways? Does God not want us to think like Him?

If the Bible is truly God revealed to us, then the answer must be "yes, He wants us to know His ways and to think like Him. More than 30 times in the course of the 66 books we call the Bible do we see the phrase "your ways". Each and every time, someone is talking about the distance between who we are and who God isn't. In other words, God is righteous and holy and majestic and omnipotent and we are not. The Bible also makes it clear in 1 Cor. 1.30 that we are only righteous, or "good enough", because of the substitutional sacrifice of Christ on the cross.

But, if being like God was what got us in trouble with Him in the first place, why is His word so insistent on the theme of making our ways more like His?

Adam and Eve's sin wasn't over thinking like God. I believe that it was because they wanted to think like Him for selfish reasons. The enemy broke the trust and planted a selfish thought in their hearts. Think about it, these two were walking with the God of the universe in the Garden... everyday. If they just wanted to be like Him, they'd have asked Him. Instead, the enemy sold them on the idea that God was holding out. This distrust got in the way of them consulting or confronting God on this issue.

So, today, as we lead people at work, as we lead people in marketing, sales, accounts payable, server station 2, kiosk number 5, Wal-Mart 527, or CEO roundtable 12, we must lead not from our own selfish, untrusting desire, but from a zealous, thankful, and trusting heart that understands God's ways, yet is in alignment with them also.

Where do you slip up? Where do you see selfishness get in the way of serving the Lord? If this whole Bible thing is true and God is as great as He says He is, and a God that great is worthy of being worshipped, followed, and honored, then why do you and I so frequently get stuck on what "we" want instead of what "God wants"?

Show Me Some Love

No greater love...

Is there anywhere in the world another faith whose central teaching is that to love and follow the Creator, one must be willing to die for their friends? Is there another faith anywhere in the world wherein the Creator would die for His creation?

I don't have much more to ask you today. I'm just occupied by the thought that Christianity - not the religion, but the act of following Christ, the lifestyle of pursuing the God of the Bible - is not about a lifestyle. It's about an event. It's about a sacrifice, a resurrection, and leaning on that event with one's whole soul. It then follows, that the only logical lifestyle is to love others. I still think I'm lousy at it, but that cross, that cross, that rugged old cross - it keeps bringing me back to the fact that that guy who just cut me off, that girl who's completely immodest, that sales force from a competitive company, I ought to love them as Christ did the church.

"just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her to make her holy." (somewhere in Ephesians 5. I'm tired. Look it up, I dare you...)

Can you imagine loving God so much that you're willing to love your competition, the lost, the difficult?

Why Are You Here?

Lately, I've been wrestling with exactly why I am on the path that I'm on. Am I here because of the challenge my job presents to my skill set? Am I here because of the money I'll make this year? Am I here to help members of my company's staff grow in their own walk with Christ? Am I here so that 6 months from now I could be making a sales call and hear something in conversation with my prospect that leads to a conversation that leads them to church that leads them to the Word that leads them to the Lord?

Paul's introductions always bear out that he is doing the Lord's work. Whether to the Ephesian church, the Roman church, the believers at Corinth, he was always prefacing his letter from the standpoint of why he was there.

At dinner tonight, some friends and I wrestled with what it looks like to live for God - do you have to work at a church, in ministry, as a missionary? So many of the examples we have of those who serve God are the "pros". People who "do God stuff" for a living. But, what about just being an Account Rep, a Sales Manager, an Accounts Payable Director, a CEO, a CIO, a PhD in XYZ?

No, I don't have a point that I'm driving at today, just wanted to stir up some fo the mud that's settled in our collective brains to see if we're on track or off track. No matter what you do, are you doing it for the Lord, not for men? For the Lord, not for the Benjamins? For the Lord and not for the recognition? Check yo sef.

Field Trip - Precious or Porn?

Wednesday is our day to bring up issues or purity or relationships. For our field trip today, we're going offsite to an Albert Mohler article, I'd like to direct your attention to the slippery slope of "erotica" versus "pornography". First, I believe that if we read the Bible cover to cover, regardless of whether we take it seriously or not, we see that "sexual immorality" could most cogently be described as "anything that points toward sex outside of marriage". This definition in mind, there is no difference between erotica and pornography - neither have any place in front of my eyes.

What grieves me today is the article linked below. There are a handful of artists who insist that there is a very clear line between erotica and pornography, all the while blurring the line between decency and disgust. There is nothing graphic in this article, but I still find it disturbing.

The Ever-blurring Line Between Art and Sick...

All jokes about Alabama aside, I think their court system may have gotten this one right. No, I'm sure they got this one right.

Your comments appreciated, as usual, especially if you think I'm a conservative, fundamentalist, right wing psycho bent on conforming society and the government to some narrow-minded first century philosophy.

Deadlines...

What do you do when you're under the gun? Focus or fold?

Christ told a story one day that confused the poo out of His followers. He was very good at that, you notice? One day, He starts telling them this story about a guy who's going to lose his job as a CFO. The CFO realizes he's about to be out of a job and so does the proper Christian thing: starts planning for his next career move. (Okay, was that sarcasm?)
He starts calling in debtors and cutting them the "settled in full" deal on what they owed his boss. Christ points out that though this may have been a dishonest maneuver, it created cash flow and showed initiative and craftiness. The CEO's praise of his soon to be fired cashflow manager was not for his dishonesty, but for his "pour on the steam and make something happen"-ness.

If God is our creator, truly a loving Father, and desires for us to live a life unfettered from our own weakness, laziness, and self deceit, do you think it's possible that He knows us better than we do? Why do you think He put that lesson in His word?

When I walk away from this verse, what stays with me is a distinct sense that He wants me to develop a keen sense of the amount of time I do or do not have left here on earth and to act as if it could all be over tomorrow.

How do you react when you know you absolutely, positively, have to get it done right away?

Naturally Speaking

Josh Justice is a smart fella. I hear I am, too.

Both of us proved this wrong on Sunday because he told me he started a new blog about purity, chastity, abstinence, and he never bothered to tell me the URL, nor did I bother to demand it from him.

So, here I sit, ready to post about purity, and have no link to publish, and Josh hasn't yet returned my call. I'm publicly holding us both accountable for being more intelligent than that.

***Update*** I'm the lone moron, now. As I was posting, Josh was eMailing and sent me the aforementioned link. Your blogging homework has doubled, dear reader. Now, I am happy to introduce a controversial new blog by Josh Justice:
Glorious Gain. Read on...

***We now rejoin our blog post already in progress...***

Therefore, all I have to say today is-

Flee!!!

If you've never heard me say it before, look it up. And get serious about it. If you don't believe in God, just pretend that He exists for a moment, He loves you as an individual, and wants you to experience maximum freedom in the arena of sex. Unfortunately, we have been taught that maximum freedom in sex means "anywhere, anytime, with anyone." More unfortunately, that's akin to saying that maximum freedom with a lawnmower is "anywhere, anytime, with anyone."

The lie we believe is that "it's natural". Yes, sex is natural. "Animals do it." Yes, they do. But, we are capable of much higher thought and emotion, vis-a-vis intimacy. And, as long as we look at sex as an event, a thing we do, a moment, we miss the value and intimacy that God intended it to have. In fact, as long as we separate sex from intimacy, or fail to make the connection, we're cutting our lawn with a dull blade and a missing wheel - sure, the lawn is shorter, but it just "don't look natural..." Furthermore, we're not getting highest and best use of an amazing invention!!! What a waste of time...

We don't have time to get into the spiritual side of sex, but let's just throw this question out there to stir things up:
If sex is more than physical, more than emotional and mental, but spiritual, too, what are we missing when we consistently fail to tap into one whole side of it? The Bible teaches that we live in a broken world and what is natural after The Fall of man is really a warping of what God had originally intended. That is to say, "natural" doesn't necessarily equate to "beneficial" or "holy". What's natural about sex for sons and daughters of Adam and Eve is the union of all pleasures - physical, sexual, emotional, mental, and spiritual in the process, not event, of sex. What's unnatural is when the enemy tells us through direct counsel, media, or peer pressure, that the separation of urge and state is more fulfilling than God's "whole enchilada" approach.

When I began to discover this, I got very angry. I don't like getting ripped off. How about you?

That's all I've got for today. For now, think it over. Pray about it. (If you don't know how to pray, but feel moved to do so, just start out with "God..." and fill in what you're feeling. It's customary to end with "amen.")

When you're done with that, follow this link, and you'll be happy you did.

Measuring Your Maturity

It's easy to tell the truth when things are going your way. But, when money is tight, times are hard, relationships are strained, and the only difference between success and failure is so small that only you and God would know the difference, that is when your character, your integrity, your trust that God is big enough, will be put to the test.

"When a man makes a vow to the Lord or takes an oath to obligate himself by a pledge, he must not break his word but must do everything he said" (Numbers 30:2 NIV).

Today, our task is simple - look for the moments when things aren't going your way. You may be in one right now. If so, ask yourself: "Is what I am saying exactly what I would say if everything were going perfectly?.

When the answer is an unqualified "yes"
and only then
open your mouth and speak.

I got so good at telling "white lies" for so long that I began to lose sight of the difference between truth and fiction. Today, I struggle with that area of spiritual maturity. And now, I win, but not without God's help and the loud, clear, admonishing voice of the Holy Spirit. Do you realize, because I didn't at the time, that your lie is a vociferous broadcast to the God who loves you, that you think He's big enough to handle eternity, but not big enough to handle the critical areas of your well-being?

The battle over integrity is never about what we would gain in the moment, but about what we would lose long-term in the habit of spreading falsehood over and over. It's like an investment in character - miss a payment to your Roth IRA one month, no big deal. Fail to invest over a five year period, and you're a million and a half off your goal in the end.

It doesn't mature. Character is the same way.

So, there's the question, and a possible answer - "Are you mature enough in your character and relationship with Him to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?"

Weaker Than Who?

While Peter is busy scratching away under the influence of the Holy Spirit, words come out that have offended the feminist movement for ages...

"In the same way, you husbands must give honor to your wives. Treat her with understanding as you live together. She may be weaker than you are, but she is your equal partner in God's gift of new life. If you don't treat her as you should, your prayers will not be heard." 1 Peter 3.7, NLT

I think the NLT gets the Greek word "time" right here - it is often translated "respect" or "value". But, "honor" is a word often used reciprocally in reference to the relationship husbands and wives should have. But, there is no need for offense. This is not a "barefoot and pregnant" command. This is not in any way meant to be misogynistic. Hard to believe?

Let's give credit where due - we men, as a whole, tend to be rough, brash, more focused on logic and solutions than women. Oops. Just lost credibility... Am I painting with broad strokes? So was Peter. Does he leave room for exceptions? Clearly. However, as a general rule, if you were God for a moment and you knew how stubborn men were on the whole, and you had seen them screw up this relationship thing over and over, wouldn't you give them a clear and clamorous caveat about their bumbling approach to relationships?

Boys, what do we do when carrying an object of great value? I'm thinking a Ming vase filled with water. Are we a bit more careful where and how we step? Do we take into consideration every edge, corner, and surface of the objet d'art we hold in our hands? Notice, though, that Peter urges us in indefinite terms first and then comes back to definite status "she may be weaker... but she is your equal partner". In other words, "you are equally yoked, but will have a tendency to pull at different speeds - in emotional situations she will walk more steadily than you (broad strokes, again), but you may have a tendency to drag her through logic when she really needs nurturing. Take care - heed her mood, read her mood, lead her mood in the way she needs her mood to be lead, and then you will avoid unnecessary relational damage, scars, and bruising - your prayers will not be hindered."

Am I reading too much into this? Are these generalizations degrading to women? What if God knew something ages ago that we still struggle with and stumble over to this very day - that men and women are different and we must learn how to treat each other to avoid the relational chaos that so permeates our broken, selfish world? If He didn't know that, do you think He'd have put so many pairs of relational counsel in His word? Notice how often advice is given first to one sex and then to the other?

We have the potential to come together with the word of God between us, or to let our misunderstandings of it divide us. But, if God's greatest commands are to love Him, and love others as ourselves, wouldn't it make sense that his warning to men would be - treat her tenderly, with honor, value, and respect, as you would if she were a weaker partner or your hard, unflexible heart will connect to me like a bogged down DSL connection in a busy chat room?

Simply stated: "Treat her as if or I'll make you wish you did." - God

Or, in the words of my favorite Haiku

"Oh, she wants me to
love her just like she would love
her if she were me..."

Wait... WAIT?!?!

The Bible is full of passages that talk about trusting in God and waiting on Him and "His timing" and "working all things for the good..." And, in an ideal world, that just sounds so nice and warm and fuzzy, doesn't it? But, we live in a broken world, where crime, disease, dishonesty, depression, chaos, financial "oops!"es seem to violently lock answers with these so-called "truths". But, God is beyond optimist - He is beyond pragmatist - He is God. He is supernatural and can make anything happen that He wants.

But, He doesn't. He doesn't make us love Him. He doesn't make us follow or obey Him. He is gracious enough to let us choose or deny those opportunities. And yet, in the balance hang the desires of our hearts. He gives us boundless opportunities to go after them the right way, while the enemy entices us with boundless times 1,000 ways to get them the wrong way.

Being beyond optimist, He also gives us the opportunity to grow and become more and do more, but only through believing more first. I firmly believe that as it is written Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."

We are granted the opportunity to see the glass as half full or half empty - to see something in our minds that our eyes can not perceive. What does that tell us about God? What does that tell us about us? Will you think about that today? What is it that you want deep in the core of your heart that God has not yet delivered? What could happen if you verbally committed to the statement: "God, this is Yours. I'll do everything I can to achieve it or get it, but I'm trusting you to fill in the gaps."? What if all you have are gaps? Do you believe in a God who is big enough to bring in an Africa sized dump truck to fill in those gaps?

Trust in the Lord...

You know, I've heard that verse about "trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding... and He will make your paths straight."

Tonight, I trusted that regardless of lousy pitching, the Lord would deliver the Red Sox into victory. And He did. I also trusted that He gave me a very cool parking space at Turner Field. But, when I returned to that very cool parking space, I found several people on their cell phones with the same look on their faces. It was the "dude, where's my car" look. Yes. We had all disobeyed a rule that we had never even seen and they towed probably a good 25 cars, among them, mine.

This does not seem like a straight path to me.

But, then again, whose eyes am I looking through to see the path?

And, dare I ignore the Lord's counsel? Heck, no. If scripture is true, there's likely something amazing waiting for me on the other side of this!

After walking 2 miles back to where my friends could pick me up, I found out that the 24 hour impound does not allow you to pick up your car without paying for the release at the Atlanta Police Station... and that doesn't open until 8:00 AM. So, why was I so calm?

I'm not sure it's anything I did that made me that way. But God has been stamping into my heart and head that it's not really my car or my stuff in the first place. It's all created by Him, owned by Him, and loaned to us for a moment in time.

We don't own it, we're just lucky to manage it for a while. So, suck it up and trust in the Lord. Is it possible that making our path straight could bear striking resemblance to creating a more proactive character that looks out for "too good to be true" scenarios? What if God is dragging you through some unintelligible mess to prepare you for an impending tragedy?

World Ends at 10, details at 11.

Splitting headache tonight. I'll keep it short.

If there are five love languages, is it possible that there are five anger languages, too? I mean, if people whose love language is "quality time" know they are loved when people spend quality time with them, is it possible that people whose anger language is "fits of rage" only know that others are angry when they throw fits of rage, even if the other party's anger language is "reserved introspection"?

Anyone?

"Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouth, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." Eph. 4:26-27, NIV.

It's Not What You Say...

John Maxwell and Jim Dornan put together a great book called "Becoming a Person of Influence". Right from the outset they make it clear that regardless of what we want with influence, we all have it with others. Some have it on a much larger scale than others, but we all influence people: in work, at home, in shopping, in driving, in all we do - we show a bit of who we are and what we believe is appropriate to do.

In Ephesians, chapters 4, 5, and 6, Paul gives us clear instruction on how we are to live. What examples does God want us to give to the world through the way we live our lives? If we are sent by our boss to a convention, a meeting, or a sales call, what will people think of our corporation based on our conduct? If we are sent to another nation as an ambassador of our country, what impression do people get based on how we carry ourselves?

It's an easy picture to draw, but, let's take it a step further. What if we had a camera crew come out to visit us at work, in school, in traffic (uh-oh...) and they were going to film us on a live simulcast to 180 nations around the world? What if, they had publicized this event for months in advance so that the world, indeed, would be watching? And what if, moments after they began filming, we were struck dead by a massive stroke? What, aside from our untimely death, would be the last words uttered from our mouths? What would the last thing we did, be?

A kind word of encouragement to a classmate? An act of selflessness for a co-worker? A one-finger wave and curse yelled at the idiot with his turn signal off? A word of condemnation to that subordinate that "just won't learn"? A "piece of our mind" to that professor who doesn't teach the way we learn?

Like it or not, we are all role models. We model what role we believe to be acceptable behavior given the circumstances around our actions. Whether people chose to follow that example is much farther removed from our control.

So, what do you want your last moment to be? How do you want to be remembered? How are you being remembered right now?

Can I Ask You a Question?

Wisdom calls aloud in the street, she raises her voice in the public squares; at the head of the noisy streets she cries out, in the gateways of the city she makes her speech:

"How long will you simple ones love your simple ways? How long will mockers delight in mockery and fools hate knowledge?

If you had responded to my rebuke, I would have poured out my heart to you and made my thoughts known to you.

But since you rejected me when I called and no one gave heed when I stretched out my hand, since you ignored all my advice and would not accept my rebuke,

since they would not accept my advice and spurned my rebuke,

they will eat the fruit of their ways and be filled with the fruit of their schemes."
Prov. 1:20-25,30-31

It almost seems as if there's no commentary needed here.

Unfortunately, that's just not the case, because while we all, Christians or not, alike, look at this passage and say "Yeah, that makes sense." we're still prone to glossing over the truth that lives within the text. We would all stroke our beards (those who have one) and say "wisdom is sooooo important..." But, the Bible classifies people in 4 different ways, repeatedly -
1) the righteous - those who heed the word of God in humility
2) the simple, or naive who just don't know what they don't know
3) the fool, who believes they are beyond consequence
and
4) the mocker, or scoffer whose attitude is more "I know, I just don't really care what you say..."

This is where one of my favorite questions comes in:"In light of my past experiences, my current circumstances and responsibilities, and my future hopes and dreams, what is the wise thing to do?"

A very secular question, but when applied through the lens of a relationship with a God who calls us His children and who has a plan for our lives, it's a bit weightier than the average "What's the right thing to do in this situation?" kind of question, isn't it? Honestly, with the weight of Divine appointment, eternal treasures in Heaven, and the eternal future of those God tells us are lost without Him, can you feel that question grow heavier in your hands?

So, there's the question for the day:
Not only, "what's the wise choice?", but in light of your relationship, or lack thereof, with a personal God, how much more valuable is that question in evaluating the many decisions you face today, this week, this month?

Running Lapse

Sorry, to all of you loyal readers. Last week was a bit mad with a lapse in internet at my new location, too much work to blog before or after work, and more chaos than I could shake a stick at.

"And runnin', runnin'; and runnin', runnin'; and runnin', runnin'..."

Pray that this week is no easier, rather, that I get better at managing it and saying "no" to low level tasks.

Back to the regular schedule, starting now.

Grace and peace,

Aarron

What About the Good Guys?

I'm not going to use a concrete example of the folks who are doing things wrong with money in God's name. It's unnecessary - as soon as I mentioned the concept, you already had a picture in your mind of the people who you know that have done this. There are well over 2,000 verses in the Bible related to money and posessions. They all point to the wise use of the resources God has entrusted to us as well as the anger of God when His people misuse His power for their purpose.

Christ called Satan "the father of all lies" who speaks in the native tongue of Liarsville - Lies. Where do you think the "Liar, liar, pants on fire" thing came from anyway? Alright, that's silly, but the point is, Paul tells us that we are in the midst of spiritual warfare. There is a war raging everyday, not in the typical, action movie style we love to watch in HD, DTS 7.1 surround sound. It is one in which the enemy does all he can to discredit the God who allows us to call Him "Father".

Today, let's take a moment to Google ministries that are doing things right with the money collected in God's name. Start out at The Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability, and take a few moments to celebrate those who are using the resources God has entrusted to us to reach those who are lost from Christ. Take up the shield of faith and extinguish the flaming arrows of the evil one with the knowledge that God has called us to do things wisely, righteously, in His name and for His glory. Fight back at the lies with the sword of faith that there are a great many who have answered this call and done so with integrity.

What's It Going to Take?

So often God has encouraged us in His word. So often did Christ urge us to make the wise choice. So often did Paul, James, John, and others tell us about the great things that will come if we walk upright and show our love for God vis-a-vis our love for others.

And yet...

So often has he had to discipline us - to bring loss and pain front and center in our lives in graphic, personal, relevant detail.

Of the two scenarios, which makes us move faster, more urgently, with more passion and concern? Unfortunately, our Creator knows that we are often lazy. Without the threat of being run over by the carriage we're pulling, we may lose interest in the ever elusive carrot on the string.

So, who do you know that needs encouragement? And, if you've been only encouraging them with the carrot, is it possible that God will move their hearts only when you show them the possibility of the pain of the carriage in clearer, pertinent detail? I've never seen the Bible tell us to spur one another on to love and good deeds by threats and baseball bats. However, have you noticed that people rarely jump up out of their seat when the thumbtack on their cushion is pointing down?

Just a thought that's been plaguing my mind.

What Would Jesus Do?

I'm always bothered by that question. Yet, I see so many followers of Christ using that as a litmus test for how to live their lives.

It sounds noble. It sounds wise. And yet, when you look at how Jesus handled the "tricky" situations the Pharisees surrounded Him with, you begin to track with me on the same path...

Luke 20.19-26 is a depiction of the Pharisees trying to trick Jesus into taking sides. But, as my pastor often says, "Jesus didn't come to take sides, He came to take over. Christ sees into the hearts of men and cuts them off at the intellectual pass. Often, his opposition would be thinking something and He, knowing their hearts, would answer the question they hadn't yet posed.

Now, I'm all for being wise, reading people, and asking the questions that really get to the bottom of the issue at hand, especially when it is a complete strawman. But, I'm not sure I have the gift of telepathy or heart-reading. Do you ever get confused in those WWJD situations?

What would Jesus do in this situation?
"Uh, read their minds and ask them the real question..."

Is it theologically sound to answer the question with a confident "I don't know"?

Talking Behind Your Back

I've commented before on James 5.19-20 and Psalm 27.17 before.

They are favorite portions from God's word that urge His followers to constantly challenge each other when someone is drifting and to challenge each other even when not drifting. In short, "If you love someone, set them free" falls secondary to "If you love someone, don't let them be." But, all the active discussion and leadership by example will be wasted if we fail to talk about them behind their backs.

Huh?

Yes, that's what I said, but not what you probably heard. In John 17, Christ prays for His disciples - asking God, the Father, to protect them, to sanctify them, and that they may be made like Him. He often went off on His own to pray but the Bible is sketchy on what He prayed for. Do you think He prayed for them from time to time? Said things to God about them to ask His Father to continue to stretch and grow them? Again, sketchy, but a fair assumption.

What do you think His conversation and prayer were like on the day that Peter stepped out of the boat, becoming the only man to sink next to Christ, because He dared to walk on water, too? Do you think He shared with God how great He is for pushing Peter's buttons far enough to get him onto the water in the first place? Do you think He was Peter's greatest cheering squad? The prayers we know nothing about are likely the prayers that manifest themselves in "A-ha!" moments wherein we notice the fruits of previously unnoticed sowing and growing.

Bottom line, growth doesn't happen only from sermons and examples - the encouragement of prayer, unbeknownst to the prayee - catalyses change. So, who are you praying for? Who are you celebrating because of the little victories in their life? Who are you encouraging to God? Who do you care enough about to talk about when they aren't there?

talk to them about them - find out where they are
talk to God about them - ask Him to push them further down the path.

Guest Appearance by Andy Stanley?!

Well, maybe not. But, Catalyst recently published a great article Andy wrote that addresses both of our Monday topics: Leadership and Work. Here it is, printed without permission. Here is the link to the actual article. Further, I've added Catalyst Monthly to our list of "gotta read it" blogs, even though it's a newsletter and not a blog. Is that so wrong?!


Trust is the currency of relationships. Great leaders cultivate a culture of trust, and thus a culture where relationships thrive. But how do you foster trust between members of your team?

For some, trust is not the intuitive choice. However, I believe it is just that. A choice. In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul says that along with forgiving, enduring, and bearing all things, love believes all things. We must reconcile the scriptural charge to believe all things with the fact that it is not always easy to do. If we believe it is possible for us to choose to love, or be kind, or be patient, then we must also believe we can choose to trust.

But the gap between what we expect of people and what they actually deliver makes it hard to trust. We can either fill that gap with trust or with suspicion. How we handle these opportunities is the greatest determining factor in the success or failure of the relationships in our organizations.

I started by saying that trust is the currency of relationships. Currency implies an exchange of one thing for another. Relationally, we give trust, and we expect trustworthiness in return. But trustworthiness is not a synonym for perfection. Trust is not built on flawless character, but on authenticity. I will extend trust to people who will admit their imperfections. It is people who defend their infallibility who make me suspicious.

There are situations that merit suspicion. What's important is how we handle them. When over time a person's actions erode our trust, and we believe those actions leave the organization vulnerable to harm, we have a responsibility . to talk to that person about it, (not the rest of the team), to address the gap, and give that person the opportunity to re-establish their trustworthiness. Trustworthy people will address the suspicion they've created.

I wish this principle were easy to implement. It's not. But it is crucial for building a strong team. Here are three things to keep in mind when a trust versus suspicion issue surfaces:

1. When there is a gap, choose to trust.
2. When you see others filling the gap with suspicion, come to the defense of the suspect.
3. If what you see continues to erode your trust, go to the person directly.

Great leaders create a culture in which people have learned how to trust. Modeling biblical trust as outlined in 1 Corinthians 13 is one of the greatest leadership strategies you can employ. Biblical trust is not denial - pretending that you don't see behavior that erodes your trust. It's not withdrawal - refusing to confront. The key is to choose to trust. When it becomes impossible to fill the gap between expectation and behavior with trust, ask for clarification.

Trust is the currency of relationships. Trust is a dynamic your team cannot afford to be without. Model it. Extend it. Choose to trust.

Friday: Time and/or Money...

I had a great opportunity last fall to meet Tod Bolsinger. Very aunthentic and decent guy. And he loves the Lord.

I say with embarrassment that I have not read his blog It Takes a Church... in several months. He is quite perceptive and understanding. On this time or money Friday, I want to defer to him to talk about something we've looked at before: rhythm in life....

Not too long ago, I read a lengthy article about the legendary track coach from the University of Oregon, Bill Bowerman. Bowerman was to running, what John Wooden was to college basketball. Indeed, it was Bowerman’s genius that led to the modern running shoe, as he used his wife’s waffle iron to create the first wide waffle-soled shoe. He was also one of the co-founders of Nike.

Back in the day when all training for running simply meant logging as many miles as hard as possible, Bowerman was convinced that it was impossible to reach your potential as a runner unless you also built in regular, committed, disciplined, dedicated periods of NOT running. He used to gather his new recruits to the university together at the beginning of the season and tell them:

“Gentleman, take a primitive organism, any weak, pitiful organism. Make it lift or jump or run. Let it rest. What happens? A little miracle. It gets a little better. That’s all training is. Stress—recover—improve.”

I believe that without even recognizing it, Bowerman was pointing to the rhythm for all living the way God intended it to be.

Stress, recover, improve.
Stretch, relax, change.
Work, rest, grow.
Trial, trust, transform.

Listening with the Heart

"He who has ears, let him hear." Mt. 13.9

I bet the disciples were confused when Jesus told this story about seeds that were planted - "Some fell on this ground, others on rock, others grew up, some never took root...He who has ears, let him... What the heck is that all about!"

It just seemed so out of place until He explained further that some people just don't listen. Some people's hearts are as fertile for new ideas as a rock sown with seed. Sales is teaching me a lot about listening skills. It's also teaching me that you often have to repeat yourself or people will listen but not hear.

It's also teaching me that I'm not immune to having deaf ears or a hard heart...

Where does God want to transform you? What parts of your heart have you closed off to people you just have had enough of? Christ lets us know here that not everyone will hear God's truth willingly. Perhaps we all need some brokenness to break down the harder, less fertile parts of our souls...

Don't Worry, Be Happy?

Cast your anxiety on Him.

I've glossed over that verse so many times without paying attention to the fact that God gives us advice on what to do with our anxiety and worry. Worry comes up in the Old and the New Testaments - always in the negative: "Do not worry..." Have you conformed to the pattern of the world that sells the vision of success as the wrinkle free life? Do you believe, like many Christ-followers mistakenly do, that to follow Christ means no fear, no worry, no anxiety?

What's your vision of success? Flawless living? No arguments, no fears, no cares?

I think we fail to read the context in which those things do not exist - that's in heaven that we lose all the worry. I think that God is telling us that worry is normal. It will come into our lives. It will invade our space. It will seek strongholds in our brain. But, when that happens. Don't try to be the hero and fight it. (Is that scripturally sound?) Instead, deposit it at the cross. God calls us to give those thoughts over to Him, to replace those thoughts with "my God is bigger than these things".

Worry always leads to regret. That's my vision of success. That's God's vision of success for our lives. No regrets. Remember, we get to review our movie in heaven with the Director Himself. How will you account for your performance?

So, today, I rejoice in the fact that God is the god of worry. He can take it. He will take it. He wants you to give it to Him.

No more worry. No more regrets.
Praise Christ.

Give It Away, Give It Away, Give It Away Now

Let's be frank about this - I grew up with a "healthy" degree of skepticism when it came to giving money to the church. I mean, in my denomination, it was all about robes and big hats, stained glass windows and hundred thousand dollar organ lofts, and pomp and circumstance out the wazoo. It just seemed a bit suspect, you follow?

So, it follows naturally, that whenever I looked into scripture and saw commands to give money to support the high priests or saw one of those bible thumpin guys on TV talking about "God wanted me to have a Mercedes..." I was further turned off. Can you relate at all?

So, when I read this piece of scripture, it caught me a bit off guard -

For God is the one who gives seed to the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will give you many opportunities to do good, and he will produce a great harvest of generosity[a] in you. Yes, you will be enriched so that...

So that, if you pray to God and obey all the rules and do a good deed or two when it's convenient, God will rain down that Mercedes and 7,000 square foot home on Lake Lanier just for you...

Wouldn't that be the line that the TV preacher would quote you? Doesn't the Bible say that everything you ask for, God will just give it to you because He made the mistake of giving you the Aramaic Express Black card - "Whatever you ask for in my name..."? I mean, it's His fault. He gave you carte blanche to ask and receive, too bad He didn't know you'd be asking for that 1,001 hp 16 cylinder Bugatti sport.

How big is your God?

The last half of that verse is so crucial. It's not about what you want. read this over once or twice:

Yes, you will be enriched so that you can give even more generously. And when we take your gifts to those who need them, they will break out in thanksgiving to God.

He gives to us, knowing our hearts. What do you think He's looking for? I believe angels are betting whole galaxies that you'll succeed at using your abundance wisely. I believe demons are tempting us constantly to trick us into believing God gives to us for us. In reality, He's just testing to see how trustworthy we are with a little before He gives us more than we can handle.


Thought for the day, all this in mind:
Take advantage of your advantage to give advantage to the disadvantaged.

Field Trip!!!

Click here to take a field trip for today over to "Gospel Driven Life". An article on relational health, God-style.

I only disagree with Mark on one point. I don't believe the gospel writer means that we confess to God and have fellowship with each other. I think it's more like "confess to each other and have fellowship with God". I say this for two reasons - first, Matthew makes it clear that God's desire is greater that we are reconciled to each other than to make sacrifices of atonement to Him. Second, we are the body of Christ, we as a close knit group are a semblance of God. When we are all reconciled to each other, our fellowship with God becomes seamless.

This point aside, I think Mark's hit this one on the head. What do you think?

So, What Do You Do?

For everything in the world — the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does — comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever. (1John 2.16-17)

In some contexts, "kosmos" means "a place where people live". In others, it refers to a system that opposes God. There are three clues he gives us to show us when we are off the God track and stuck in the world's rut - the cravings of our sinful nature (rebellion, in the sense of "I know it's wrong, but I'm going to do it anyway), lusting after "stuff", and the tendency to equate who we are to what we do - title, fame, glory.

Steven Covey and I depart on the point of the divinity of Christ, but are in accord when it comes to a very Biblical principle: the private victory. Fighting the temptation to hang my identity on what I have and do is so counterculture that even mature Christians - those who have followed Jesus, well, for a long time - find themselves giving in to this both accidently constantly. When people ask what you do and what you do does not match what you've always wanted to do, does that voice in your head convince you to polish it up? Do you go from being a mild mannered waiter to "Executive Guest Liaison to the Culinary Staff"?

John is very in your face about this - what you do and what you take pride in in this life will wither and die. The Bible teaches us that this is all going to be burned up some day (Rev. 8.7). Someday, it will all go away. The car you worked so hard for, the awards and accolades from your peers, all that stuff that the world teaches as vital will be gone. Our only fig leaf will be that which we have done in His service.

Gonna be a lotta folks wandering around butt-nickett, that would, believe it or not, be happier dressed to the nines.

Alone?

Isn't it interesting that after days and days (or ages, depending on your interpretation of Genesis), of creating, saying "it is good", creating, saying "it is good", that God would say that something as terrible as "it is not good"? Rob Bell pointed this out to me - the Garden was not perfect. There was something wrong within God's perfect creation: not an imperfection of what He made, but something created by the enemy.

It is not good for man to be alone.

What are you doing in your day to day activities to make sure that those who look up to you are being fed compassion and belonging? What are you doing to support them and guard them against lonliness?

Homosexuality...

Today, I defer to the wise and well spoken Brian McLaren.

The Homosexual Question

God & Geometry, Part II

Trust in the Lord and lean not on your own understanding and in all your ways he will make your paths straight.

I can't help but think of what the angels were thinking while Moses wandered through the desert for 40 years. I mean, is it really that long of a trip? Let's say the desert were many times larger than it is, say, the size of the continental US. Would it take you 40 years to go from Miami to Seattle? How about Portland, ME to San Diego?

Clearly, the nation of Israel was violating this crucial axiom while it corkscrewed and figure-eighted through the barren wasteland from Egypt to the land of milk and honey. Forty years!!! Are you freaking kidding me?! Even if we only walked 2 miles per hour for 6 hours a day, six days per week, we'd still make our destination in less than a year!!! Okay, they couldn't stop at the McMatzah's for a Moishe-burger and Gefilte fries, but even at 3 hours a day, we're only talking 85 weeks or less to travel 3000 miles.

The Bible tells us in many places that God wants to prosper us, to grow us, to stretch us beyond who we are or ever could be without Divine intervention. With this in mind, is it any wonder why every time we grumble and rebel against Him, we automatically stretch out the amount of time between us and our eventual destination? Is it any wonder why we find ourselves wandering in circles with little to sustain us in dry, empty wilderness?

There's more to teach about, but so little more that needs to be said - Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. (Mt. 6.33, ESV)

I think it's very easy for us to suffer from "Small God Syndrome". Instead of imagining God as huge, complex, and wise, we see His discretion and timing as if He is out of control - too small to give us what we want, deserve, or "need". Our path wanders around like Moses and the grumbling Israelites in the desert. A small child is distracted by a small toy and easily gives up what is in their hand for something less valuable. Or, is that you and I? Do we misplace our trust for God and trade greater things for lesser because we are so headstrong on the path to what we want that we miss what we need?

What if we gave God the space to be God - to be large and in charge - and guide us on the most direct path to His ultimate destination for us? Is it possible we might look back one day and discover that He had pulled all the other things we desired to us? Is it possible that we may one day see in our wake the greatest life we could have lived because we sacrificed the lesser for the greater?

Only if our God is big enough.

Ends vs. Means, Part 1

"Perhaps" is such an interesting word for today. It expresses the truth that we are uncertain and hope that something will occur. In this context, it sounds like insanity - 2 men against thousands. Erwin McManus took me on a walk this week through the background music of my thoughtlife - a haunting, ever present descant that reminds me often that while God has a plan for all of us and promises to deliver us, He never promised a safe ride.

No, the God who spoke the universe into being has a more elaborate and convoluted plan than we could ever hope to understand. But, as He is God, and God is the epitome of greatness, why would anything less than God be His priority? I've heard Louie Giglio talk over and over about how God is righteously and rightly "stuck on Himself". That frightens us, at least to some degree.

But, we are urged to do something - anything - the next right thing. And that is what Jonathan does in that passage - as Erwin says, "chasing daylight". Asking the Switchfoot question "this is your life: are you who you want to be"? How would you live if you knew you'd be dying in a week? What kind of chances would you take, thoughts would you think, and how obedient would you be if you knew that God was not letting you off the next plane alive? Could you live for Him? Could you still point to Him, trusting His judgement?

Some of you have already left - walked away, because you blame Him for where you are or who didn't make it. But, this ignores the opportunity with which you have been presented: "Do you trust Me? Will you trust that through the bad, the ugly, and the terrible, I can make it right?"

All men die. Not all men truly live.

What will you do?

Hard to be Selfless...

I just caught a glimpse of an oft quoted and preached verse in Matthew 6. Verses 3 and 4 have this to say about why we do what we often do:

When you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret.

John Ortberg once reminded me about "impression management" - how often we say things to position ourselves as more important or less awkward or more intelligent than we really are. I just did it right there, nonchalantly dropping his name as if he spoke this as a reprimand to a longtime friend who has permission to speak wisdom into my life, when in actuality, I read it from a book he wrote. Don't I seem connected, respected, relevant?

But, herein lies the dilemma: when we seek spiritual growth and transformation, are we seeking a victory that we share with only ourselves, building our own ego, our own self image, or is our audience the God who commands us to be made new in the attitude of our minds? (Eph. 4.23) Do we seek personal growth or Godular growth? I mean, who are we trying to please? Did you give that homeless lady your shirt to impress your girlfriend, make your parents think you're "getting this God thing", or to please God? Or worse, are you doing it because God tells you to and you're just trying to get in with Him? Just storing up treasures in Heaven...

Treasures for who?

I'm accusing us as being selfish in our selflessness. Do we seek to do God's will or do we seek to get his attention, respect, or favor so we feel better about ourselves, so our circumstances improve? At the root, we all have a tendency to do things, "selfless things" because of what it will do for us. It is so hard to separate ourselves from this pattern.

I think this is where the Holy Spirit comes in and comes in handy - relying on Him to move our hearts toward a decision not because it seems "right", feels "good". If we think for ourselves, we often do just that: think for our selves. We know something is rright, wrong, good, evil, etc. because of that little barometer that goes off in our hearts when something doesn't seem right or something makes sense (caveat: Jeremiah 17.9). Rather than relying on feeling, we are urged to listen for the voice of God through His Messenger. This can help us separate God's will for us from our selfish acts of selflessness.

Are you listening or are you building the biggest stack of bling in Heaven? Is that bling for your glory or His?

Pray hard.

Exposing the Truth: None of my business...

So many times I hear the question - "If God were so good, why would ___?" I've even asked it from time to time. It's a bit of a loaded question, though, isn't it? When we look at the situation, we assume that God allowed it to happen almost in a vacuum. We assume that there is no war going on and that there are to be no casualties. Aren't we sort of assuming that God wins every battle? Wouldn't be much of a contest, would it?

Imagine, the Pittsburgh Steelers, or better, the New England Patriots go marching down the field with their fistfuls of Super Bowl rings, but there's no opposing team!!! It might be fun for New England fans for about the first 3 or 4 touchdowns, but after a while, it's not much to look at, is it? For some reason we all get tragically offended to think that we are part of a game on a field, and I can appreciate that. I'm even with you for a good portion of that angst. But, when we look at the context for life in the world (Greek: kosmos - system of belief, rules, a matrix or philosophy from which a worldview is sourced), which is more fierce than a game - it is a struggle, a battle in no uncertain terms.

The basic Biblical explanation is that when sin entered the world through Adam and Eve, it brought with it a whole host of other junk - death, disease, depression, the need for disinfectant and deodorant. Alright, facetiousness aside, we - the traitor race - betrayed the God who walked with Adam and Eve in the garden. We broke the one and only rule and set loose a chain reaction that a good and righteous God could not let go unpunished. (If He did, He wouldn't be righteous, would He?) And so, with it, sin always brings consequences, shrapnel, as I like to call it. Nothing that's bad in the world can not fall into the category of shrapnel.

Some of us know this because we work around it every day. There are people on our team, above us or below us, who are doing something unethical, incorrect, or just plain wrong. I recommend a very important verse for all of us to meditate on from time to time: My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins. (James 5.19-20) Some of us have a serious ethical dilemma to face "do I turn them in? Do I say something?"

So often, our answer ranges on the weak side of courage where resides justification and rationalization. You know, "It's none of my business.", "It's not hurting anyone...", "It's making us more money, forget about it..." How blind are we to our own fear or rejection?! If it's not your business, explain that to a guy with 25 years in at Enron and all his retirement stacked up in company options when the plug got pulled. BOOOOOM!!! Shrapnel. Could someone have made it their business years before that bomb went off? Nope. It was none of their business. What about the guy who's chatting online with some girl who's not his wife, gets caught by his wife in bed with someone else who's underage, now you've got three months of 70 hour weeks doing his work while they find a replacement. None of your business...

I'm going to encourage you to think selfishly on this one for once - because Jesus would, too. He's thinking about the shrapnel that kills you when you make the unwise or unholy choice, but just as importantly, those around you who will bear the pain and scars from the shrapnel you may emit when your life explodes. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. (Phil. 2.3)" Consider others. Would you? It's not necessarily about what one individual is doing that's "harmless", but the long term and short term consequences by their behavior. What would Jesus do? Would he explain away or expose the truth?

Here's our work for the day, the week, the life: "have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them... (Eph. 5.11)"

A Horse With No Name...

The song goes: "I've been through the desert on a horse with no name. It felt good to get out of the rain. In the desert, you can remember you name, because there ain't no one for to give you no fame..."

Catchy tune. Catchy lyrics. Yet, we lose the meaning in the midst of our hurried lives. Christ so often went to the desert or a solitary, remote place before a major event or undertaking - did He know something about unplugging from the hurried life that we have failed to notice? Is it possible that a temporary break from status, titles, fame, and the rain and flurry of activity with which we are barraged could help us to recharge?

Yes, this is fairly intuitive. Nothing we need to take notes on, eh?

Or, do we forget? Do we talk ourselves into believing that we are above the laws of nature, society, and physics (all God-given laws) and the "just this one time" principle won't come back and bite us in the butt? How often have you bought that lie? Are you keeping holy the Sabbath? This isn't a look at legalism and you, it's a look at "why did God put that rule out there?" Why would the Sabbath Day be so high up on the list of "only 10 things you need to know from God"?!

That song, by America, is catchy, but what if they recorded it with random tempo changes? How catchy would it be then? Rob Bell explains that God has a rhythm. God. Yes. He worked 6 days and rested 1. He told us to work 6 days and rest 1. Why? Should He really care, or is He just looking to lay down some rules because He wants to toy with us and rule over us? Consistent rhythm is far more impotant than the pace at which we work. Clearly, the Bible insists we work with vigor and urgency but, more importantly, it commands we maintain an even, urgent, 6 on 1 off rhythm.

So, how are you doing? Are you taking inventory of which cars are in the two lanes in front of you so you can plan which one is going to proceed through the stop light fastest? Do you take time to intentionally go to the desert, take a day off, and recharge? Do you take time to reflect on where you are going regardless of your title, status, and other factors that unwittingly drag you down?

Do what you must, but I say detatch once a week, throw your Crackberry in the freezer, forget all the accolades, and recharge. Sabbath. Take a sabbatical from the wolrd. Dedicate yourself to a consistent 6 and 1 rhythm and see how catchy your tune becomes...

Cleanest Common Denominator

"You were taught with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires, to be made new in the attitude of your minds...(Eph 4.22-23) NIV"

I am divorced. I believe that the scriptures do not make provision for a man or woman to remarry while both are still alive. It is a very unpopular, but biblically sound standpoint. It also causes tremendously heated debate. For this reason, I have remained single and gratefully turned down opportunities to date for the past three plus years. Scripture's clearest and wisest path for my life (given current circumstances), is to "seek first His kingdom" regardless of whether or not "all these things will be given to" meMt.6.33.

Teasing this out means - the wisest path for me to take is to continue to work on who I am through renewing my mind with God's word and becoming he best that God would have me be. Should my ex-wife predecease me, then I may take steps toward dating, but only after wise counsel and prayerful consultation with the Lord..

While quite a controversial stance, this is not the purpose of this post, rather context for a revelation God has made to me. While single, my view of the love relationships around me has become remarkably clearer. Without a dating relationship in my own face, my ability to see more objectively has been unhindered. What I have seen, for the most part, are women who are dying to be dated and men who feel they have to be dating in order to be a man.

I am painting with rather broad strokes, but I've got to ask - have you seen people jump from relationship to relationship thinking it was the relationship that was bad rather than the participants in the relationship? How many times have you seen her make the same relational mistake with guy after guy? Have you mentioned to her that the common denominator may not be the guys?

Scripture bears out that God desires a relationship with us and to prosper us, unfettered by the many snags and pitfalls that come being broken people living in a broken world. That being said, wouldn't it be smart to take some time off from intimate relationships to "renew our minds" (and, consequently, our hearts and souls) before moving to the next one? Could God be smart enough to create the universe, 600 kinds of beetles, and know what is right for us in all areas of our Lives? Is it possible that "defragmenting" your hard drive could make your computer run faster and access your files more efficiently? Is it possible that a renewed, rebuilt engine could function close to a new one? Is it possible that orange juice could taste any worse than after you've just brushed your teeth and not let the mint flavor wear off of your tongue?!

Then, why do we insist on leaving one relationship to jump into a new one, without renewing our minds? Knowing that there are three sides to every story, how much weight do we put on our side of the equation? How much have we truly prepared for a new relationship based on the empirical, objective behaviors that played even a minor tributary's role in the past relationship's collapse?

Can you pinpoint and own the actions you took that contributed to its demise?

Then, perhaps, you're ready to "put on the new self."

Then, perhaps, you're ready to meet someone else's new self.

Big Brother is Watching

Having read Orwel's "1984" during the 80s, I was disturbed by how accurately prophetic his work of fiction was at its core. At that time we didn't have web cameras, cell phone cameras, and traffic cams were few and far between. Today, I'm not sure if I'm more bothered by the red light cam that snaps $70 photos of your car blowing through the intersection or the cameraphone that catches me picking my nose at the traffic signal I no longer rush through. Doesn't it bother you that you're being photographed or filmed nearly every day and that every little move you make, intentional or accidental can come back to haunt you?

As Christians, we are told over and over that God is watching. For many of us who grew up that way, Our parents abused this principle to keep us in line. But, our Father in Heaven, if He is truly our father and not some cosmic soup-Nazi out to squash every ounce of happiness out of our lives, wants us to know that he cares so much about the banal details of our day-to-day, that He's promised a replay in Heaven. We are to give an account for all that we have done.

Now, the Bible is sketchy on the details - will it be an invite only crowd? Will it be a sold out show? Will it be just me and God on the back porch of heaven and a 15" black and white set sitting in rocking chairs throwing back a few 1Samuel & Adam's reviewing a play-by-play narrated by the apostle, Paul? Who knows? Doesn't matter. Bottom line, we get to sit through the podcast of our life with the author of life and explain every "what was I thinking" moment, moreover, what we were thinking.

So, let's get to work. An acquaintance of mine was frustrated in a retail store a few weeks ago - a Christian bookstore. His view of what "working for the Lord, not men" means is that we work hard to give people courteous, thoughtful customer service. I happen to agree. But, when he didn't get that kind of service, he explained to the clerk that she was making it easier for him to shop at Amazon.com. I believe he did it with tact and poise, but what's your response to either side?

Are you working to give the best service out there, regardless of the depth of your job description, rate of pay, or kind of day you're having, or do you succumb to external circumstances? When you don't get what you want, would you be surprised when the person behind you in line shows you the phoneCam version of your attitude? What will either of you say when the Almighty reaches for the remote control? As Dwight Moody says, "Character is what you are in the dark."

Are you working for a paycheck? Are you working for recognition? Or, are you working out of gratitude for the One who will review your life with you? Big Brother is watching. Which would you rather for your title: "The Amazing Adventures of..." or "Heaven's Funniest Home Videos"?

MINE!

John uses the Greek word "kosmos" to describe a system of rules and philosphies that engender opposition to God. This "worldview" is a similar in meaning to the "world" we are warned not to conform to. (One has more of a spatial connotation, while the latter, more of a temporal - "the age"). In either case, both writers express that there is a philosphy at work purposed to turn our hearts against God.

Many non-Christians and agnostic/atheists are what they are because of the many "bad" things that don't seem to add up to a good God. Yet, if we look at the Bible as if it really were a message from God to us, we are warned not to "surrender to the system of beliefs that blames God for all of the bad".

One area of life in which even Christians struggle to overcome this admonition is in the area of finances. Don't you notice some people just bristle when you bring up questions that are "too personal" about their finances? It's as if their money were an unruly child in a crowded mall - embarassment rapidly converted to anger. Yet, God has promised that he will prosper men not on their own efforts alone, but on His good graces and on His timetables.

The world wants us to believe that "time is money", yet in an instant companies fold, scandals unfold, and schemes unravel - regardless of all the time put in prior to the instant. How much money do you take with you when you die? None? But, if time were money, wouldn't we have it made at the end of this life? The Bible has over 2,000 verses that cover money and posessions. One of the most fundamental is 1 Chron. 29:11-12 which credits God with the power to give wealth and honor to all. If we were to view honor and financial success through this lens, what would we say when things didn't go our way?

If it's not our money, why freak out? If God's really in control, then He didn't just crash your car - He just crashed His car. That doesn't change the fact that you were driving it, nor does it change the fact that you were in posession of it. Biblically, we don't own anything, we manage it. We steward it. We tend it like a flock. Why do you think there are so many references to sheep in the Bible? It was a relevant metaphor, considering the economy at that time, and shepherds knew of the temporal nature of their flock - hair today, gone tomorrow. Ten sheep could be carried off one night by wolves. Eight could die of natural causes. The point wasn't how many you had, it was how you treated the ones you had, and how you managed your portfolio, while you had it.

So, how's your perspective? As a Christian, do you lose your mind when financial problems rear up? Do you get noticibly angry and irritable when things are tight? Have you never thought of things in this light? As a non-Christian, does this bother you? Does this help you to understand why Christians are the way they are?

While you're thinking, check out these resources: Crown Ministries, Dave Ramsey, and Ron Blue and see how they help.

Can I Get a Witness?!

There are dozens of books to be read, studied, and turned into boot camps for those men who take God seriously about living a life of purity in an impure world. Ladies, believe it or not, there are men out there, Christian men, who are walking the walk. But, can I tell you something about the walk? Walking in purity is like crossing the Grand Canyon on a tightrope, on a windy, rainy day, carrying a sofa on your back, with rollerblades on.

And then, some woman you know starts throwing rocks at you!!!

Job is urged by his friends to admit that he has been unrighteous because his friends believe that God is punishing him for it. He reminds them repeatedly that he has done nothing wrong, even stating "I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a girl." (Job 31.1)

For most guys, looking at women lustfully, even in the "wow, she's hot", socially acceptable way, is a pasttime that we have not only grown fond of, but also very skilled at. We can think lustfully about a woman as easily as that woman can drive, talk on her cellphone and do her lipstick - it's second nature.

Unfortunately, once God has revealed to our hearts the importance of purity, we've gotten so second nature at it, it's nearly first nature. While you and your girlfriends are having a 45 minute conversation about that cute little outfit you just got and how Belk had it, but Kohl's had it for less, and you got it in three colors and saved another 10% off the sale price, are you aware that there are godly, Christian men who are trying to cross the Grand Canyon?! You may not even know it, but your cute little outfit is more than cute, it's dang near making us lose our balance!!!

Guys, can you weigh in on this one for me? Are there Christ loving, Proverbs 31 kind of women out there that have the confidence and character that make you lose your mind who unknowingly cause you to stumble? Guys, can you vouch for your brothers, that it doesn't take a pervert to struggle with lust?

Sisters, has a guy ever made you aware that while your sole motive is to look cute when you put it on, some of those outfits you start wearing here in HotLanta around this time of year truly give the devil a foothold? Could we make a deal with you? We'll tell you you're beautiful on demand if you'll just trust that we really mean it and you'll cover up just a little bit? We love you. We love your character. We love your love for the Lord. We love that you love the Lord more than you could ever love us, and we're secure in that.

But, could you give a brutha a hand an cover yourself with the other?!

God and Geometry, Part I

The shortest distance between two points is a straight line. This is a vital axoim in math, but for comic Stephen Wright it was disastrous in baseball: "I tried to steal third from first and argued that second was out of my way."

I'm a bit of an outside the box rebel, like Wright - eating cereal with a fork. Too many rules are one too many. Likewise, when I am out to get what I want with a burning desire and unbridled focus, I am not a fan of the law of God, specifically the oft quoted "wages of sin is death" (Rom. 6.23) I recall as a non-Christian seeing this as obnoxious and cumbersome, another in the long list of reasons why God sucked and I wanted nothing to do with Him. "You're so great, God, how 'bout some rules that work in my favor?!"

Theologically, this is much easier to explain to someone who holds God's will for their life as the highest cause. Until I became a Chrisian, my plan was the only plan. Being a Christ follower, I discovered, carries with it the assumption that you are doing just that: following Christ. He even stated he had a perfect will for my life. Your life. Geometrically, before him, we were stuck at point A or A and a half. But now, He has something far better than point B, He's got a perfect will for us call it point "X" - the highest and best purpose for your life.

Sin, in God's eyes, is anything that we do that creates a curve on our path from where we are to point X. I can't think of a better word than "death" for what that earns us - relational death, financial death, emotional death. If perfect relational, emotional, fiscal, or physical health is His plan, what else do we call voluntary failure to live up to potential? Distraction? Sure, but distract my fresh basil from the light for a day, and what ensues? Wilting and death... Not all that desirable, eh?

The Bible teaches that we live in a broken world, ruled in part by the enemy of God, and are thus prone to be distracted by anything that catches our eye. We are in bondage to shiny, sparkley, sexy, sleek, stuff which will constantly take us off the path from A to X. It's like spiritual ADD.
Reminds me of a favorite joke:

Q: How many kids with ADD does it take to screw in a lightbulb?
A: Let's go ride bikes.

Today, let's start with the basics. Let's all, Christians or not, imagine that the Bible is right, inerrant, and true and that there is a God who loves us and invites us to call Him "Father". Let's imagine that He really is all knowing and all powerful and refuses to mess with free will. Next, let's imagine He's got a plan to prosper us and not to harm us, to give us a hope and a future and abundant life. Now, let's imagine He's trying to explain how to get to that life, point X, but we're busy with our Quest for Stuff, Power, Prowess, Fame, and/or Other non-Point-X-Miscellany. He's stuck talking to ADD boy.

So, what are you up to? What's disctracting you from His plan for your life? What's your purpose in relation to what His picture of your ultimate role in the eternity long saga could be? I've never said "God, I know you're wicked smaaht [Bostonian for "beyond intelligent"], but I have a better plan, so why don't you just tend to the orphans in Africa and I'll get back to you when I need you to bail me out of the mess I'm about to create."

At least, not in those words...

Perspectives on Failure

The only difference between a rut and a grave... is their dimensions. -Ellen Glasgow

The Bible teaches that if we commit to the Lord what we do, we will succeed. Now, you'd think that if the Bible were truly the inerrant word of God, that the logical conclusion would be success, success, success. Well, yeah, that makes sense.

And later, we read that even if our heart, which is hopelessly flawed, gets off track, God will step in and work for the good of those who love Him...[and] called...to His purpose. Romans 8.28.

So, doesn't this mean that every ministry effort committed to God will succeed?

That depends on what your definition of is is...

This is not a dance with symantics. Success, if it is to be viewed as a result of the intersection of our faith and God's faithfulness, can not be defined entirely by what we view as success. There are two sides to this equation. As I ranted earlier this week, the Christian life is marked by a foundational belief that Father reall does know best and He will prosper us from time to time despite our own efforts. Just because we perceive an event as failure doesn't mean it is a failure in His eyes, nor does it mean that the event is the final outcome.

How's your vision? Are you seeing failure as an event or another dashed line along the highway to God's ultimate plan for your life? Are you in a rut? Even great leaders will get into ruts from time to time. The difference between a leader and a drifter is how long and how deep they stick around. Leaders don't let temporary defeat become their final resting place. Drifters let the rut become the defining characteristic of their life.

Relationship Check...

I've promised to talk about relationships today. But, I think God wants to have a DTR with all of us.

Jeremiah 18.6 compares our relationship with God to a potter and his clay. Not very flattering, at least on the surface. I mean, who wants to be at someone else's whim so close to taking final shape when "WHACK!", the potter's fist comes crashing down on them, only to drag them, against gravity and their own will, back through the same long process they went through before the whack?! That's whack!!!

I used to think - "That's ridiculous, God just gets to mush me and start over anytime he wants?" But, this failed to take into account the critical element of any relationship - trust. "Who does God think He is, some kind of ... oh, yeah. My bad. God." Trusting God is such a scary thing, even as a "mature" Christian - He never promised a safe flight, only a safe landing, as the saying goes. But, trusting that He is smarter, wiser, and more amazing than the cliffs, glaciers, rapids, redwoods, barred galaxies, spiral nebulae that He came up with in the first place, provides a little perspective. Does He have a greater eye for detail? Would He really scrap us as a project if our impurities, bubbles, and lumps were being incooperative with His potter's wheel and touch?

It was relayed to me that while being publicly ridiculed in front of hundreds of his peers before an election in which he was a candidate, Charles Stanley said not a word in his own defense. When asked why his demeanor was undaunted, and I love his response, he said

"If I win, I win. If I lose, I win. My responsibility is to obey God and trust Him with the outcomes."

Is that possible? Could you trust someone, even a God you can't see, to care enough to break you down and build you back into something He sees as perfect? Or, do you place your trust fully in the premise that a finite person like you or I could come up with a better, more perfect final destination? If adversity builds character, can you take the adversity, despite your own ability to measure the return on investment? Yet, without knowing their grand vision for the universe, we hopped up on the schoolbus at age 4 or 5 and trusted a public school bus driver to navigate a 30 foot metal and glass cage to school safely for 180 days a year...

How about you? Could you trust the God who spoke the universe into being to manage the mundane details of your life, provided you did (or in many cases did not) do your part?

Whattaya Gonnado?

Why do we insist so often on publicly performing that which we are just not good at? Are we addicted to doing it all?

In Exodus, chapter 4, Moses spends an inordinate amount of energy trying to convince the God of the Universe that he is the wrong guy for the job - too old, too stutterish, too 'what if they don't believe me?', too 'oy vey'! I can't help but to think that Moses' vision of carrying out God's commission is having to do it all himself.

My pastor has written a number of really great books and gets invited to all the big deals because he's perhaps the most effective communicator in the country. One of my favorite quotes of his is "Only do what only you can do." He often mentions that you'll never see him editing video with the Final Cut geeks in the production room on Saturday night. He just doesn't belong there. But, is it pride, stubbornness, tenacity, or just ignorance that keeps us in a Moses mentality?

Ever feel like that? Like you're being asked to carry the whole load and then some? "Your playing small doesn't serve the world." But then, your playing bigger than you really are can either stretch you to do great things or snap you in half. Spreading anything or anyone too thin and you sacrifice potency and power. Is the trick in trusting that God will fill in the gaps, that you can sub out your weak trades, or in the "fake it 'till you make it"?

Options -

1. Wimp out - Moses whined so bad, God appointed someone to speak for him.


2. Blow-out – Peter, the only other person to walk on water, began to sink as his faith waned.


3. Cop out – The rest of the disciples never even got out of the boat...


4. Sub out – Take inventory of what you can do, those around you that complement your weaknesses, and lean on God for the rest...

Which option we choose is clearly up to us, but in light of the vast number of subcontractors God lists in both Exodus and several other OT books, what's the wise choice? Does God intend for us to 'go it alone' or is there applicable merit in Proverbs 11.14?