Great Expectations

My vision and my desire is for a church where the members are constantly challenging themselves. Each day we should be asking ourselves, am I doing what God wants me to do? Am I willing to give it all away? Am I loving those around me, believers and unbelievers? How am I showing that love? Am I too comfortable with my life?

Is this vision a reasonable expectation for me to have for my church?

I know I don't live up to these expectations, at least consistently. I easily fall into a comfort zone and don't worry about the world around me and what I am supposed to do to impact it. However, I know this is the expectation God has for me because his Spirit is not satisfied within me while I'm comfortable. If this is God's expectation for our lives how can we as a church not have that expectation from our members which means having that expectation for ourselves?

Church leadership is failing the church if this is not the expectation for every Christian member of the church. Jesus is creating a great work in us. He's not done but we act like he's done all he can do until we die and get to heaven. If your church is not growing spiritually beyond a certain point the reason is probably that too many people in the pews are just fine where they are at and where the church is at (as long as the church provides enough activities).

The big church-wide events are great and important to reach out to the community and expose people to mission opportunities. However, we must raise the expectations with our members that Christian living does not revolve around particular church-wide events.

I have this expectation for myself and as I said, I often fail at it, but it is still an expectation. I also have the expectation that my church and my church pastors and church leaders have this expectation from me. If I am failing to challenge myself, I expect my church, in love and grace, to let me know. This expectation has to be clear from the top and pushed down so that every member feels a little uneasy whenever they feel too comfortable with their Christian walk. Are my expectations too high? I hope not.

The next question is, how do we challenge people if we don't know where they're at spiritually? One person's challenge might be to love and honor his wife while another's might be to join the mission field.

This is a tough challenge for any church once it reaches any significant size. I have a hard time imagining any church reaching it's full potential without small groups (see disciples), accountability partners (see Paul and Barnabas) and mentors (see Paul and Timothy or Titus) as a way to challenge and inspire its members to continue to run the good race.

God's word tells us that Jesus will draw all men to himself. This word draw means to drag and haul which sounds like we have to be drawn kicking and screaming. We hold on to our comfortable life with all we have. I pray God draws His church to himself.

Where does all the money go?

If you're reading this post then there is a very high probability that you are rich. You may not think you are, but you are. Take a look at this chart from Global Rich List. If you make just over $2,000 a year you are in the top 15% of the wealthiest people in the world.

So why do we struggle to make ends meet? Why do we never seem to have enough money to get what we need (or want)? Take a look at these statistics from Money Central:

• About 43% of American families spend more than they earn each year.


• Average households carry some $8,000 in credit card debt.


• Personal bankruptcies have doubled in the past decade.

If we are so rich, why are we in so much debt?

This is really a topic for a book rather than a blog post and there are many books out there to choose from. The Bible has much to say about money, again, there is enough for an entire book. However, I came across a verse yesterday that really hits home with what we find in our country.

Haggai 1:5-6 (ESV)
⁵ Now, therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways.
⁶ You have sown much, and harvested little. You eat, but you never have enough; you drink, but you never have your fill. You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm. And he who earns wages does so to put them into a bag with holes.

Does this sound like you? It sure sounds like me sometimes.

The background on this text is that after the people of Israel had returned to their land from Babylon they built their own houses first with the wood that they purchased from Tyre and left the temple still in ruins. God was holding back his blessings from them because they were holding back from God.

I am not suggesting that our debt is caused because we don't give enough to the church. I'm not saying if you do give more you'll get more. What I am saying, is just like Israel when they returned from captivity, our priorities are not right.

If we can begin to put God first, we won't necessarily make more money, but we will be satisfied with what we do have.

Matthew 6:33 (ESV)
³³ But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Did God tempt Abraham to sin and kill his son?

A great question was raised in class on Sunday morning. Did God tempt Abraham to sin by asking him to sacrifice Isaac? When tough questions are raised about the Bible, the best place to look for answers is the Bible itself.

The first question to ask is, does God ever tempt anyone to sin? We don't always get black and white answers in the Bible to our questions. However, James could not be clearer when he addresses this issue.

James 1:12-15 (ESV) 12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. 13 Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am being tempted by God," for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. 14 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.

Ok, so God does not tempt us to sin. But would it not have been a sin if Abraham had killed Isaac to sacrifice him to God? The answer, is no. If God had never called off the sacrifice and allowed Abraham to go through with it, that would not have been a sin. The definition of sin is literally to miss the mark. The mark is the standard laid out by God. If God told Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, Abraham would not be missing the mark by obeying God.

This leads then into another troublesome question. How could a righteous God call for someone to shed innocent blood? First, none of us are innocent before God. We're all sinners, including Abraham and Isaac and the wages for sin is death (Romans 6:23). However, we do have a righteous and gracious God. The only human sacrifice he has ever called for is the sacrifice of His own Son for our sins (Romans 5:6-11, Hebrews 10:10). An omniscient (Isaiah 46:8-11, Jeremiah 1:5, John 21:17, 1 John 3:20) God knew that Isaac would never be sacrificed (1 Corinthians 10:13).

So if anyone ever commits an act that is contrary to God's standard as laid out in His Word, that person can never claim they were acting on God's direction. Even in the case of Abraham and Isaac, where God has the right to claim any life he chooses (Job 38-41), God called it off.

Abraham's faith is not that he was willing to kill his son. His faith was that he believed in God's promise that through Isaac his offspring would be as numerous as the stars. His faith, in the midst of testing, was looking forward and depending on God's promise. His faith was that God was trustworthy and what God had promised God would ensure happened.

God will never tempt us to sin. We have His word on that (James 1:13). God will allow us to be tested and in that testing, Satan and our own fleshly desires may very well tempt us. In our time of testing, let us keep our eye on God's promises and not on Satan's lies or our own worldly understanding.

Under Appreciated

I love my wife. I think she knows that but sometimes I'm sure she has to go on faith. Being the poor wretched man that I am, I often forget to let her know how much I truly love her.

She's not just a house mate or a business partner in the business of raising our kids. However, I know I sometimes treat her that way.

I love my wife as much as I love myself - because she is a part of me. Two become one and I could not imagine that never being the case in the future or how it was the case in the past before we met.

Maybe I fail at telling her and showing her how much I love her because she is such a big part of me. I don't look at myself in the mirror each morning and say, "Wow, you sure are beautiful and I love you more today than yesterday". Well that may be an excuse but it's a weak excuse.

New Year's is a time to make resolutions on starting new habits or breaking old ones. Maybe I'll make a Mother's Day resolution that my wife will never need to have the faith of Abraham to know how much I love her.

Happy Mother's Day Mandy.

You make that lady in Proverbs 31 look like an amateur.

Here I am

What is the very first thing that crosses your mind when someone calls your name?  If you're like me, it will often depend on what you're doing at the time.  If I am busy, my very first thought may be "What now?" even if I quickly filter it and respond, "Yes?"  This is not a "Yes" - I am eager to serve but a "Yes" - I am acknowledging that I hear someone calling my name.

How come my first thought isn't "Great, someone needs me, how can I help?"  I know the reason for me personally.  For me it's because the world really revolves around me.  If I think I'm being called for something that will directly benefit me then my initial thoughts are excited but if I'm otherwise busy, my initial thoughts are much more annoyed.  The problem is I'm basically selfish.

This is a bad enough attitude when dealing with people, but it's an attitude that carries over with my relationship with God.  If my wife calls my name, I can filter out my initial selfish thoughts and respond nicely.  When God calls on me, he knows my heart immediately.  He knows when I'm just being a poser.

There is a great example of the attitude I want for myself in 1 Samuel 3:1-10.  Samuel is lying down when he thinks his elderly mentor, Eli, is calling for him.  His first thought is not, "What now, I'm tired" but he runs to Eli's side and eagerly says, "Here I am; you called me."  Eli tells Samuel that he did not call him and sends him back to bed.  This happens twice more and each time Samuel eagerly runs to Eli's side to see how he can help.

After the third time Eli figures out that it is God calling Samuel so he sends Samuel back and tells him to respond to God the next time he hears his name called.  God then calls Samuel's name again and Samuel responds, "Speak Lord, for Your servant is listening".  In other words, "Hear I am, how can I serve you".

I like this example because it shows how Samuel's heart was eager to help Eli, even when it was inconvenient.  This led to Samuel being able to recognize God's voice where he responded with the same eagerness ready to serve God.

If I am too selfish and busy to eagerly help get dinner ready, how ready am I to hear God when he asks me to truly sacrifice.  How ready am I to answer, "Here I am, how can I serve you?"

Great cross references:

Genesis 22:11 (Abraham)
Genesis 31:11 (Jacob)
Genesis 46:2 (Jacob)
Exodus 3:4 (Moses - burning bush helped a little)
Isaiah 6:8 (Isaiah's call - all time favorite example of response to God's call)
Acts 9:10 (Ananias)

And then there is God's response to us, even when we are not ready to call for him...

Isaiah 58:9
Isaiah 65:1

Father Knows Best: Worn out welcome

Did you ever have that visitor that would never leave until at some point you had to risk being rude to ask him to go?

We had someone that visited our home frequently. At first we really enjoyed his company. He was a great storyteller and would often keep us entertained for hours. He was, however, unpredictable. One minute we'd be talking about football and then out of the blue he would start talking about beer and pretty women. I'm a married man with a wonderful wife and small children so that type of talk made me uncomfortable.

For the most part we enjoyed our guest. In the morning he would often come over and spend time with our children. I think they would sometimes spend all day with him if we let them. The problems arose in the afternoons. I don't know if he just got bored of the kid talk but it seemed that just before dinner time he would completely change personalities. There were topics and words coming out of his mouth that frankly, were not welcome in my home.

Sometimes in the evening, my wife and I would enjoy sitting down and spending time with our guest as well. I guess being adults we did not mind his "grown-up" topics and humor. It's funny though, sometimes after a night spent visiting with him I lost any sense of peacefulness I may have had during the day. I'm not sure what caused that. Maybe I was just tired because we often lost track of time during these visits. Frequently it was much too late before we finally would ask him to leave.

Finally, one day we decided enough was enough. This is my home and I want to protect my family. The stories and the unpredictability of the topics just became too much of a risk. I finally had to ask our visitor to leave and not return.

I do wonder sometimes if I'll ever change my mind and invite him back. I do miss some of the times we spent together. There were often times we enjoyed our guest as a family. Maybe if we let him back he would be more predictable and would not visit for long periods at a time. Besides, I really miss our football discussions.

No, I think we made the right decision asking him to leave and not come back. My family is too important to risk the unpredictable stories. I also do not want my children learning about life based on these stories. I may miss him at times but I know my family is better off without him around.

I'm not worried about our old guest missing us. I hear friends talk about him all the time. He seems to frequent their house as often as he used to visit ours. It's strange; it is almost like he can be in more than one place at once.

If he's been coming by your house too often lately, it may be time for you to consider what is more important. What do you value more, the entertainment this visitor can provide or your family protected from obscenities and provocative stories that invade your home when he is around?

The Secret Message of Jesus by Brian D. McLaren

A few months ago I came across the term, "emergent church". This movement seemed to have a lot of good points about the problems in our church today. However, I read some controversial articles about this movement as well. One of the names that came up in my research was Brian McLaren. Most notably I came across an article where Pastor McLaren skips around the issue of calling homosexuality a sin. This bothered me, not for any homophobic reasons, but because it looked like another sign of relevant truth moving from our culture into the church.

On the suggestion of a friend, I picked up one of Pastor McLaren's books to read rather than base my opinions on Internet blogs and articles. The full title of this book is The Secret Message of Jesus - Uncovering the truth that could change everything.

I have to admit that I started reading the book with a bias based on the information that I had already picked up on the Internet. In addition, the title of this book really bothered me. I like to think that God's Word is for everyone and there is no need to uncover any hidden messages within it.

In the introduction, Pastor McLaren explains the audience of his book as follows:

Thoughtful critics will realize that I am aiming for a broad, nonscholarly, and in many cases nonreligious audience and sometimes have to take a path that's not ideal for either the highly knowledgeable or the newly curious.

This purposeful avoidance of "church speak" is apparent throughout the book. Since the audience is nonreligious I suppose this is ok. However, it did cause me to struggle with his wording at times as he seemed to reach for nonreligious wording to explain Christian concepts.

I actually read the book twice. The second time, I more of less just scanned it. However, I am glad I went through it again. I believe my overall impression of this book has changed from the first time I read it.

After my first reading, I felt justified in my original skepticism. I could not determine if Pastor McLaren believed that we are all sinners that need to be saved, or if he was stating that if we try really hard to do the kingdom work taught by Jesus, that we could save ourselves and save the world.

After reviewing the book again for this post, I think I understand what Pastor McLaren is trying to communicate. I believe he is saying that we Christians need to believe that the kingdom of God is here now and start living accordingly. If we do this, we can then impact our world. If this is what Pastor McLaren is trying to express, I think there is merit to his point.

We Christians often sit in our suburban homes, engrossing ourselves in our world through cable TV. We shake our heads in disgust at the nightly news and wonder when Jesus is going to return to pass final judgment on all these sinners in the world. What we should be doing is reaching out to our lost world and showing them the love we have for them through Christ. We should be reaching out to them so that they can hear and believe and enter the kingdom.

The key point that is not clear in this book, is that we are all sinners. We're all "bad" and need the blood of Jesus to be reconciled to God. Pastor McLaren softens the kingdom message up so much that a non-Christian can read this book and think they can be part of the kingdom by just changing their attitude and being better. The problem is that none of us can just "be better" on our own.

The book does present the Gospel but in a way that was not as clear to me as I would like. A summary of the Gospel as explained in the book's own terminology is as follows:

- Hear from the heart and think deeply about what you hear - profound rethinking which he calls repentance. (Ok - repentance I understand. However, I'm not sure just deep thinking about something is really repentance).

- Believing in God (He never says believing that Christ is the Son of God who died for our sins and rose again).

- Stay open to receive everything you need to live in the kingdom of God - everything including, forgiveness, acceptance, love, hope, empowerment, strength, encouragement, perseverance, ...(I think this is supposed to mean receiving the Holy Spirit).

- Go public with your repentance, faith and receptivity (this one was clear - baptism).

- Learn to follow Jesus everyday for the rest of your life (also pretty clear - discipleship).

I think I would have been more comfortable with this Gospel message if the first two points, repentance and believing, had been more direct.

Overall, I think this book is a worthwhile read if you are already a Christian as it is a good reminder to live for the kingdom and believe we can impact our world today through Christ. It concerns me that it is too vague for a non-Christian to get the whole message. Then again, maybe I'm too religious to understand all of the nonreligious terminology.