I just listened to Mark Driscoll share about the different men that inhabit our churches on Sunday mornings and throughout the week. Right on in my opinion. In your face, but right on. Check this out and prepare to get blasted! In a good way...
FamilyLife Today - FamilyLife.com
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Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Guns for Jesus
In just a week our church will be filled with almost 400 men, many of whom do not attend church regularly. But they do hunt regular. I couldn't be more excited. Not because of the hunting. I like guns, knives and all, but the real excitement comes from the hunting Jesus will do. I have been praying for weeks now that Jesus will hunt down and "bag" some trophies for his "game room" in heaven. There will be men coming who think we are filling their bellies with deer meat, when what they are really getting is the Bread of Life and Living Water. There may be some who think our crass way of reaching the lost somehow compromises our integrity a as Bible believing church. Crap on that. I see it is a fulfilling the gospel call to be all things to all men to win some (1 Cor. 9:22). If I have to wear flannel and listen to country music for a few hours to win some guys to Christ, or even just plant some seeds, then I am willing to go out of my comfort zone for a while. And it will be. But God will get the glory when Bubba lays down his gun and his sin for the "guy who died on the tree up there". What an awesome, creative, freeing God we serve that lets us use our own creativity to bring people to Him. Hope those guys next week can run fast, cause God is a pretty good shot. Go Jesus!
Friday, January 30, 2009
No good answer
I have a sister living in South Africa for 6 months. While there she is experiencing poverty on a global disaster scale. This is causing her to genuinely question why God allows the suffering of His children and the world in general, especially based on Matthew 6:25-34. Good question, here was my response.
"Kristin,
I guess since I am the Pastor in the family, I should be the one to field this question. In a nut shell...I don't know. I don't know why God allows some nations to suffer and others to prosper, at least monetarily speaking. But, I think the real indictment lies not with God, but with man, Christians in particular.
As you read Matthew 6:25-34, make sure you also read 1-24. Those verses establish the context for 25-34. If you notice, 25 starts with the word "therefore" which means the argument is based on the verses preceding. In summary - We should give to the needy for the needy's sake, not to proclaim how great we are (1-4) - We should pray not in pride, but in humility, knowing it is God who hears us and that is what really matters (5-15) - Fasting should be private, not public...again no pride (16-18) - and finally we should value the wealth of heaven over the wealth of earth (19-24). Therefore, based on these things just said, God provides for the world, the way He provides for the animals. (25-34)
I would say the primary way He does that is through the generous, humble giving of people who pray, fast and value the Kingdom of Heaven over the Kingdom of this world as evidenced by their sacrificial lifestlye (read 1-24 again). The indictment is not against God, who gave His most important commodity (Jesus), but rather us (Christians) who will not sacrifice a night at the movies, or buying that 4th study Bible so that a South African might eat. 1-24 need to be obeyed and taken seriously, not metaphorically, to make 25-34 a reality.
Now could God supernaturally provide? Of course! Like with Elijah and the ravens. But that is not how He typically works. For some reason (another question with no good answer) He has bound himself, to a certain degree, to humanity. Ours is the responsibility to share the Good News. Ours is the responsibility to clothe the poor, feed the hungry, bind up the sick, cast out the demon. Can God do it without us? Yes. Absolutely. Will He? Not usually. Does that make Him less loving? No. It makes US less loving. He has given this world all it needs: trees for food, animals for clothing, intelligence for multiplying all of it. WE abuse it, fill it with pride, and hoard it. The fault is ours.
I think the passage has a tinge of eschatological flavor to it as well. What Jesus says is sometimes true NOW in this world. My friend Ron has 4 kids under 8 and has been laid off 6 times this last year. God has provided in amazing ways for his family, primarily through sacrificial, generous Christians. This passage is sometimes true, NOW. But there is coming a day when it will ALWAYS be true. 100% of the time.When He returns. Until that day, WE have a responsibility to bring the Kingdom of God to bear on the kingdom of this world. Now. We do. Us. God does His part, we fail in doing ours.
That's all I have to say about that..."
"Kristin,
I guess since I am the Pastor in the family, I should be the one to field this question. In a nut shell...I don't know. I don't know why God allows some nations to suffer and others to prosper, at least monetarily speaking. But, I think the real indictment lies not with God, but with man, Christians in particular.
As you read Matthew 6:25-34, make sure you also read 1-24. Those verses establish the context for 25-34. If you notice, 25 starts with the word "therefore" which means the argument is based on the verses preceding. In summary - We should give to the needy for the needy's sake, not to proclaim how great we are (1-4) - We should pray not in pride, but in humility, knowing it is God who hears us and that is what really matters (5-15) - Fasting should be private, not public...again no pride (16-18) - and finally we should value the wealth of heaven over the wealth of earth (19-24). Therefore, based on these things just said, God provides for the world, the way He provides for the animals. (25-34)
I would say the primary way He does that is through the generous, humble giving of people who pray, fast and value the Kingdom of Heaven over the Kingdom of this world as evidenced by their sacrificial lifestlye (read 1-24 again). The indictment is not against God, who gave His most important commodity (Jesus), but rather us (Christians) who will not sacrifice a night at the movies, or buying that 4th study Bible so that a South African might eat. 1-24 need to be obeyed and taken seriously, not metaphorically, to make 25-34 a reality.
Now could God supernaturally provide? Of course! Like with Elijah and the ravens. But that is not how He typically works. For some reason (another question with no good answer) He has bound himself, to a certain degree, to humanity. Ours is the responsibility to share the Good News. Ours is the responsibility to clothe the poor, feed the hungry, bind up the sick, cast out the demon. Can God do it without us? Yes. Absolutely. Will He? Not usually. Does that make Him less loving? No. It makes US less loving. He has given this world all it needs: trees for food, animals for clothing, intelligence for multiplying all of it. WE abuse it, fill it with pride, and hoard it. The fault is ours.
I think the passage has a tinge of eschatological flavor to it as well. What Jesus says is sometimes true NOW in this world. My friend Ron has 4 kids under 8 and has been laid off 6 times this last year. God has provided in amazing ways for his family, primarily through sacrificial, generous Christians. This passage is sometimes true, NOW. But there is coming a day when it will ALWAYS be true. 100% of the time.When He returns. Until that day, WE have a responsibility to bring the Kingdom of God to bear on the kingdom of this world. Now. We do. Us. God does His part, we fail in doing ours.
That's all I have to say about that..."
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Patience takes too long
I've been thinking alot about patience lately and how little of it I have. Not the kind that allows you to wait in line, or get called for your food, or receive a book in the mail. I got that. It's easy. I mean real patience. The kind that allows you to wait until the fruit of salvation is seen in a new believer's life. The kind that inspires hope in me that someone will change when they are presented with the Truth. The kind that gives me faith that things will not always be the same with my kids and their sickness.
I am reading this book called "Love as a Way of Life" by Gary Chapman. Great book, but really raises the bar on what it means to love. This week, patient love. The kind that waits until it hurts. Just when I get impatient with people not moving forward in their spiritual journey, I remember how patient God was with me. It took me 18 years to come around. 18 years of waiting and dragging my feet, sinning and spitting in God's face. But He was soooo patient. Patient with the whole world. Patient to wait until the fullness of time to send Jesus, and now patiently waiting to send Him again.
I guess I can be patient too. Patient to wait until God bears fruit in a person's life. Patient to see better days with family health. Patient to see more of the image of Christ in me. How's you're patience? In the BIG things that really matter for eternity?
I am reading this book called "Love as a Way of Life" by Gary Chapman. Great book, but really raises the bar on what it means to love. This week, patient love. The kind that waits until it hurts. Just when I get impatient with people not moving forward in their spiritual journey, I remember how patient God was with me. It took me 18 years to come around. 18 years of waiting and dragging my feet, sinning and spitting in God's face. But He was soooo patient. Patient with the whole world. Patient to wait until the fullness of time to send Jesus, and now patiently waiting to send Him again.
I guess I can be patient too. Patient to wait until God bears fruit in a person's life. Patient to see better days with family health. Patient to see more of the image of Christ in me. How's you're patience? In the BIG things that really matter for eternity?
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