I Am An Idiot!

How many times have I preached it? How many times have I told others that the battle we are in is against "spiritual powers." In laymen's terms, lost people are not the enemy, stupid! Let me give you some background. Several weeks ago, in preparation for the Easter season, I began reading the story of Jesus' march to Jerusalem in those final days: how He was moved to compassion for the people, how He wept over them, how He prayed for them. And I began to pray that God would give me that kind of heart for the people of Southside and the people of Decatur. Isn't it amazing how God answers prayers? Over recent days, I have been on a spiritual roller coaster sensing God moving in my life, not understanding the emotions and the fatigue. And I still don't have all the answers, but this morning, as I drove to the church listening to Christian radio, the DJ's were interviewing Mark Hall of Casting Crowns about their new song "Everyman." He made the statement that hit me right between the eyes. And I paraphrase, "We have to stop looking at lost people as the big, bad wolf. They are good people who are simply looking for the right way to go. The Bible says our battle is against spiritual powers. " And it suddenly dawned on me, even though I know the truth, I have been living and considering people as the enemy, forgetting who the real adversary is. In reality, the people around us are P.O.W.'s in a spiritual conflict who deserve no animosity, who should not be the cause of our fear, who DO deserve and desperately need our love and compassion. Here are the words to Casting Crown's song:

I'm the man with all I've ever wanted

All the toys and playing games

I am the one who pours your coffee, corner booth each Saturday

I am your daughter's favorite teacher

I am the leader of the band

I sit behind you in the bleachers

I am every man

I'm the coach of every winning team and still a loser in my mind

I am the soldier in the airport facing giants one more time

I am the woman shamed and haunted by the cry of unborn life

I'm every broken man, nervous child, lonely wife

Is there hope for every man

A solid place where we can stand

In this dry and weary land

Is there hope for every man

Is there love that never dies

Is there peace in troubled times

Someone help me understand

Is there hope for every man

Seems there's just so many roads to travel, it's hard to tell where they will lead

My life is scarred and my dreams unraveled

Now I'm scared to take the leap

If I could find someone to follow who knows my pain and feels the weight

The uncertainty of my tomorrow, the guilt and pain of yesterday

There is hope for every man

A solid place where we can stand

In this dry and weary land

There is hope for every man

There is Love that never dies

There is peace in troubled times

Will we help them understand?

Jesus is hope for every man

Will we help them understand?

I Pick...You!

I long for the day that someone will come up to me before the worship service and say, "Pastor, you see that man that just came in the door? The one in the ragged clothes that looks like he hasn't bathed in weeks? Man, I have been working on him all week, and he finally came to Jesus." Please don't misunderstand. I am the pastor of a very loving, giving, ministering bunch of folks, but I have noticed that even in this context, Christians tend to be a little more selective as to whom they minister to. What I tend to hear most often is, "Pastor, have you made contact with John Doe this week? He would be a great asset to our church." Sadly, we want to focus on reaching those people who can do something for us. But Jesus said, "It isn't the healthy that needs a doctor. It's the sick" (Ben's paraphrase). My interpretation: Minister where the needs are. Don't ask what new members can do for your church; ask what you can do for people who are hurting. Isn't that what He meant by the parable of the Good Samaritan? Isn't that what He did during His days on the Earth? Sure, Jesus had wealthy friends that He ministered to -- but they were friends who came to the realization that they had just as big of a need as the lepers, the prostitutes, the poor, and the outcasts from Jewish society. The very people that we are so often fired-up about reaching are the ones Jesus spent very little time with. I'm just glad that in this game of life, God doesn't pick teams like we do: take the biggest, strongest, and fastest first, and then if there is room let the little guy play as long as he stays in deep right field. Instead, God looks at the world and says, "I pick...YOU!" Isn't that what John 3:16 says?

Passion for Purity

As I was driving to work today -- yes, Pastors work -- I was listening to a radio spot about an abstinence program at one of the local churches. The speaker made a statement that resonated with me: "It isn't about the sex," he said. I think that those on both sides of the abstinence argument miss that very important point. Those who preach and teach abstinence take the stand, "Just say no!" And while it is very important to teach our children and our youth the importance of that word, it isn't enough. We see it as we raise our children. Parents tell them not to do something -- they just say no -- and for the next several hours, the very thing that parents prohibit becomes the focus of their child's thoughts. For instance, telling a child (yes, Jennifer, I owe you $5) not to touch the fan simply causes them to be more intrigued with the oscillations and the wind. And no matter how many times you say it, and possibly because we keep repeating it, their mind focuses on the object of our negativity. While Nancy Reagan's "Just say no" campaign called America's attention to the drug problem, it did little to solve it. Why? Because human beings need more than a law, a rule, a regulation, a prohibition. The apostle Paul said it to the church in Galatia: the law points out our sin and constantly reminds us how sinful we are. We don't need more law. We need a passion for purity and a passion for holiness. We need to fall in love with our Heavenly Father like never before. That's why Jesus said that the greatest commandment is to love God with all our being. Only then will we understand the truth that it isn't about the sex. It is about filling an emptiness in our lives that only He can fill. How many times have I counseled men and women in the grips of pornography addiction or facing marital problems because of the allure of someone else that it isn't about the sex. Why do men and women remain faithful to their spouses for life? Because it isn't about the sex. It's about the passion, the love, the commitment we make to each other before a Holy God. Don't settle for just saying no. Say yes to loving God. Say yes to having a passion for purity. Say yes to the most important relationship you will ever have. As for those who stand against abstinence only programs, the message is the same. Say yes to the greatest Lover of all, and He will take care of the rest.

Wired to Cheat

In the wake of the New York governors' revelations of prostitutes and extramarital affairs, the national news media has presented a story claiming that human beings are wired to cheat. In fact, they went so far as to say that the only truly monogamous species on Earth is a flatworm that lives in the gills of freshwater fish! Now I don't know much about flatworms, but I think I know quite a bit about humans -- especially human behavior. I consider myself somewhat of an expert since I have been one for almost 46 years. When I first heard the news story, the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. My fight response kicked into gear. How dare they try to provide another excuse for marital infidelity and sexual immorality. Based on evolutionary (false) standards, I am sure that most scientists could come up with an excuse for every behavior. Then I thought about it a little and realized that I preach the same story almost every Sunday. Human nature, since the fall of Adam and Eve, has had a bent toward sinful behavior, not the least of which is sexual in nature. It is because of this inherited sin nature that people naturally do sinful/evil/wicked things. That's why the apostle Paul said to the Christians in Corinth, "You were once like this" (1 Corinthians 6:11). Like what? Fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, homosexuals, sodomites, thieves, covetous, drunkards, revilers, extortioners. Why were they like that? Their sin nature. Because of the fall, mankind is "wired to cheat" and steal and lie and .... On and on we could go but suffice it to say that sinful man sins because he is sinful man. Using the vernacular of the church: Lost people act like lost people because they are lost. Please don't misunderstand. I'm not making excuses for any of this behavior because as soon as we have the ability to choose to act in these ways, God gives us a knowledge of right and wrong. He has given us a hunger to know Him. And when we choose to know Him, when we choose to accept His gift of forgiveness and eternal life, He "rewires" us. Oh, the sinful nature still rears its ugly head from time to time. From time to time we get "short-circuited" and go back to old habits. The good news is that He loves us too much to let us get away with it, so He is constantly reminding us of who we are as His children and calling us back to right behavior. So Governors Spitzer and Patterson, the question I have for you is, "Are you still wired to cheat, or have you let the Master Electrician bring you up to code?"

Transformations

Have you ever watched one of these home improvement shows where they completely transform your house for $2000? Well, maybe they don't do your whole house, but you know what I'm talking about. My wife is hooked on these shows, and I must admit, there are times when I enjoy watching as well. Usually, those are the times when there are no good Chuck Norris, Stephen Segall, Sci-fi shows on that I like to watch. But it is amazing to me to watch how these "experts" can come in and on a minimal budget change a room so dramatically that the homeowners are overwhelmed with emotion. Who would have thought that a little paint and a few pieces of tile could make such a difference? Inevitably, when they do the big "reveal," the homeowners scream and cry and cover their faces with their hands while the show's hosts describe what they have done. Why, you may ask, am I writing about this? Because this time of year is the time of transformation. I am amazed at the way things are coming to life around me. The Bradford Pear trees in our front yard are amazingly beautiful with their white flowers and green leaves. The daffodils are amazing as their little flowers open wide. As you drive down the highway, you look into the fields and see newborn calves and horses walking around on wobbly legs. And this Sunday, we will celebrate the greatest transformational power in the world: the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. He died so that all who place their faith in Him might have life abundant and eternal. Through Him, our sins are forgiven, and our lives are changed forever. Happy Easter!

A New Day

It's over. The funeral, I mean. And the most I can say about it is that it was an adventure. A little bit of everything to entertain. There were, of course, the distant (and not so distant) relatives with their, "I remember when you were this big...." And the, "Oh, you look just like your dad." And, "You look just like your mom." And the really strange one, "You look like your dad from here up and your mom from here down." What? Then there were the stories that I just would rather not have heard -- and I won't ever put them in print! Tears flowed. Laughter echoed through the funeral home. There were lots of hugs and "I'm sorry for your loss." There were the ever-present, "She looks so good!" "It looks just like her." I know people mean well, but she didn't look good. She didn't look like herself. In fact, I'm already planning for the day that my body lies in that casket and someone comes up and says, "It looks just like him." I think I will sit up and smack them. God never intended for our lifeless bodies to look like us. It is just an empty shell. I personally believe that it is our soul that makes us who we are -- I think it even helps us look like us. Is that crazy? I don't think so. There is one more thought I would like to share with you concerning the funeral. At times like this, family is important. I have the greatest family in the world. They walked with me through these difficult days and made me laugh when I wanted to cry. And my church family -- they are the best. The cards, the food, the flowers they have sent were topped only by their prayers and their presence. Words cannot express how much I appreciated them. And so now it dawns, a new day full of the adventure called life. Don't you just love what God does for us everyday?

New Birth

Life is irony! As my mother, 71 years old, breathed her last breaths in the Intensive Care Unit, the sweet music signifying the birth of a child played over the hospital speaker system -- not once but twice. When we left the hospital in Kentucky, the ground was covered with five inches of snow. When we arrived home in Alabama, the trees in our front yard were budding and flowers were blooming. Life. Death. New life. A cycle that we are so familiar with. Why, then, does it surprise us when it happens? I think it's because we think death only happens to other people and their families. Or perhaps it has more to do with wishful thinking -- that God wouldn't allow such things to happen to us. Our wonderful Sunday School teacher, Mike Crow, was talking about 1 Corinthians 3 yesterday. As he was teaching, I was thinking about how our works are tried as if by fire, but it isn't just our works that are tried. The "fire" of life touches us all. We call them trials and tribulations, suffering and circumstances. And God allows all of it to happen to burn away/purge the sinful aspects of our lives. It's all a part of the "perfecting" process through which we become more like Jesus, the very thing we are predestined to be. More irony? It begins with life then death then new life. As Jesus told Nicodemus, physical birth won't do it. It is only when we die to self that we can accept His gift of new life. And it is that new life that gives me the peace I have in this moment. Peace because He walks with me through this dark valley. Peace because I know I will see my mother again one day. God is so good.

Life Support

I sit at my computer today pondering the concept of life and death. I feel uniquely qualified to do this because of my position as pastor, son, and friend. Let me explain. Over the 20+ years I have spent in ministry, I have stood by the bedsides of men and women taking their last breaths. I have stood at the pulpit and spoken words over many of these. I have offered hope and comfort to their families. But right now, I find myself on both the giving and receiving end of things. My 71 year old mother is in a hospital in Kentucky struggling for life hooked up to a ventilator and being fed through a tube. At the same time, the 20 something year old grandson of a church member is experiencing the same thing because of an automobile accident. Isn't it strange that whether one is 20 or 71 we still face the same issue of life and death? Some cry, "Unfair! Why should a 20 year old man in the prime of his life, by all accounts a 'good kid,' be faced with the possibility of death?" But I say, "Death is as much a part of life at 20 as it is at 70." In fact, when an infant is born, death looms large. The slightest mistake by a doctor, the wrong turn of the wheel by a parent, a bad decision by one of the almost 6 billion people on the planet, and death becomes a real possibility. So what on earth can we do? Trust the One who holds the keys of life and death, the One who holds all our tomorrows, the One who faced down death on a cross so that all who would look to Him, could have victory over death, the grave, and hell. His name is Jesus, and there is no other name that brings hope when death approaches.

The Basic Element

What must God be thinking? I'll bet He laughs a lot. A few hundred years ago, scientists declared absolutely that the world was flat. I bet God laughed. A few decades ago, scientists declared that the atom was the smallest particle in nature. I bet God laughed. A few years ago, scientists declared that our solar system had nine planets. I bet God laughed. He laughed because He knew the world was round, that the atom itself was divisible, and that we can redefine the term to include or exclude heavenly bodies. But think about this: while the true laws of physics (God's laws) never change, our laws of physics are constantly changing as we make new discoveries every day. Could it be that in the future things will continue to change? Of course they will. How much? No one knows. But as they change, God will laugh more and more because eventually we will make the ultimate discovery that He alone never changes, that He is the basic element of all life. Don't misunderstand. I am not saying that God is in all of us or that God is in all of creation. I am saying that everything that was, that is, and that ever will be comes from Him. He created it all. He even created "change." So instead of resisting it, why not embrace it and look forward to making God laugh each time we make a new discovery.