a soft heart

I know I’m worn down when my heart is not soft. When I haven’t been praying and meditating like I should, my cynical attitude starts showing up. Pessimism is partner to weariness. The problem is, it takes me a while to catch on. I am usually down the road a bit before I realize what is happening.

One of the things that is most effective in keeping me tenderhearted is serving. When I am able to reach out to someone who is needy, it cleans me up. Helping an old person or providing something special for an orphan is a sure-fire answer. A random act of kindness also does the trick.

Since many people have discovered that serving actually makes them feel better, they wish to serve. Ironically, they serve with a selfish motive. A soft heart can’t be the goal of serving, but it certainly is a requirement to serve. And it is definitely a result.

I’ve been praying that God will soften my heart. I need to do the things that result in tenderness of heart. A soft heart is pliable and moldable by God. He works in and through tender hearts. Maybe He will use our current missions trip as a catalyst for me.

What will He use in your heart?

headed out

On Sunday afternoon, a team of 10 of us leave for a short-term missions trip. We are traveling to Central America, Nicaragua and Guatemala to be specific, to work at a couple of orphanages. We have a great team in place and we are stoked about the trip.

Although I will attempt a post or two from there, I am guessing there won’t be much new until we return. I have post-dated a couple of things that will show up every few days. Upon our return, you can expect a few pics and some video. And probably some passion that always follows trips like this.

We appreciate your prayers!

nascar and Jesus

I am not a nascar fan. Nothing against the sport at all, I just have a hard time staying interested in a bunch of guys making all left turns. Today, I saw just the beginning of the a race up in New Hampshire. Just before the Star Spangled Banner was sung, they had a local pastor pray the invocation over the race. This is the second time I have seen this happen this year so I don’t know if it is a regular feature or not. Here’s what jumped out at me: the guy prayed and then concluded by saying, “in the name of Jesus, amen”. I couldn’t help it, I got a little excited to hear that. I guess that I am a little amazed that they, whoever ‘they” are still allow that to happen. It is nearly impossible to find a public event of that magnitude where people are allowed to pray openly, over the public address system, in the name of Jesus Christ. I say, “good for nascar!”

I am also wondering what bigger statements are being made here. Is it because nascar is more of a southern sport, the whole “Bible-belt” thing? It is because some, not all, nascar fans are good ole’ boys who still respect God and country? Is it because everyone realizes that one of these drivers could easily die at any point in the race? Are those who would normally decry such a blatant display of political incorrectness intimidated? Or do they just figure that this is nothing but a bunch of rednecks who don’t know any better and who aren’t intelligent enough to vote anyway?

I also wonder why the NFL, MLB, NBA and NHL wouldn’t be caught dead doing such a thing. Recall after 9/11 that Major League Baseball did allow prayer before the first few games. God Bless America was sung at most stadiums the rest of the season. But Jesus was not the focal point that He is at these races. And now it seems that MLB isn’t nearly as interested in God as they used to be.

If nascar can do it, why can’t we do it at schools and civic events? Now, I am no activist, and I am not encouraging anyone to stir the pot. But I am wondering if we have just assumed that Jesus is off limits in most settings when maybe He isn’t.

Good for nascar. Gentlemen, start your engines!

jail

I visited someone in jail yesterday. I don’t like going to those kinds of places but it is a necessary part of my responsibility. Every time I go to places like that, I come away with strange emotions.

There is a heavy oppression that is obvious and it is easy to get weighed down by it. There is a lot of fear and I actually reminded myself that I did not have to stay if I did not want to, I could just walk out at any time. I was angry at a world where so much evil happens so often and so many people get hurt. I also felt a little hopeless and helpless as I only assumed the desperate condition of the lives I was observing. I felt a little guilty when it was time to leave and I knew that I was headed back to my safe neighborhood and home.

I found it especially troubling that the vast majority of people visiting the jail were females, most of whom had babies or small children with them. I was only assuming that the inmates were the fathers of these babies. What a sad reality, that innocent kids are suffering the results of their parent’s poor decisions. Knowing what I do about the propensity toward repetitive and learned behavior, we can assume that, without serious intervention, these babies will follow their fathers to jail.

I am not especially fond of the verse where God says, Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering. Hebrews 13:3 (NIV) I do care about these people and don’t mind reaching out to them but I can’t quite grasp that level of compassion and empathy. I don’t know that I will ever be able to feel what those prisoners must feel.

I am humbly glad that I’m free.

prepare

A mentor once told (actually he told me several times), “the key to everything is preparation. You’ve got to be ready for whatever comes. Prepare, prepare, prepare.” This came at a crucial point in my life and ministry. This guy believed highly in me and felt like some good opportunities would come my way. He did not want me to miss a chance to do something big because I was not ready. I have appreciated his words and have tried to keep them in front of me.

Preparation comes easier to some than others. Depending on your personality and leadership style, you may enjoy prep or hate it. Because of some characteristics I posses and because of some particular limitations, I find that solid prep time is necessary for me if I am hoping to succeed. This is true in most areas of my life.

I think the things that work against preparation can sometimes be good things. I am aware of some really bright people who are able to carry out their responsibilities fairly well, even when they just “wing it.” I have seen some speakers who do a fabulous job based on their charisma and excellent memory. They did not put a lot of time into the message or lesson but were able to hold the interest of the crowd to whom they were speaking. I am not saying that this is a bad thing, but it certainly wouldn’t work for me. I also know some people who relied too much on their natural giftedness and neglected their preparation time. The results were not good.

What are you preparing for? Are you setting yourself up for success at the next level? Remember that the level of your commitment to get ready today dictates your level of success tomorrow.

Prepare. Until you get there, you will never know the opportunities that will be available to you.

sharpen the axe

Ecclesiastes 10:10 If the ax is dull and its edge unsharpened, more strength is needed but skill will bring success. (NIV)

Dullness is a bane of every leader who wishes to remain effective. Hard work, stress and long hours can cause an otherwise sharp leader to become blunt and ineffective. The responsibilities that we carry are sometimes mind-numbing and if we are not careful, we can slowly get lulled to sleep. Nothing good comes from a leader who is asleep at the wheel.

We have to be good at the things which keep us sharp. This is different for each individual. The obvious considerations are rest, prayer and a personal development plan. Possibly the things that sharpen us the most are not so apparent.

An ax is sharpened on a grinding wheel. Note that when the metal of the ax is placed on the wheel, sparks fly. This is heavy-duty friction at work. The wheel is abrasive and harsh. There isn’t much mercy being shown here. If the ax has feelings, they are definitely being hurt. The lesson is, sometimes the most abrasive experiences result in the sharpest edge.

Take note of your interactions today. if someone was less than kind to you, if you heard that others are saying negative things, if some abrasive person is grinding away on your feelings – be encouraged. You are being sharpened.

Now, be aware that you can’t stay on the wheel. Days and weeks of being ground down will reduce you to metal shavings. What you need is variety. Some time on the wheel, some time at work, some time at play.

You have a big job ahead of you. There are some trees to be chopped down. There are some stumps to be removed. A sharp ax will make it all much easier. (my apologies to the tree-huggers for the analogy)

Take time to sharpen yourself. Life and leadership will be easier if you do.

mistaken for a younger man!

I had some fun last Tuesday in a meeting with several young pastors who were discussing issues pertinent to our ministry culture. We talked for 4 hours about change and relevance and authenticity. We spoke passionately about how older leaders need to respect younger leaders and how desperate we are for dialogue about issues that matter to today’s young leader. It was awesome.

Not until the end of the meeting did anyone bother to bring up the topic of the age of the participants who were there. This meeting was designed for pastors who are under the age of 40. I really wasn’t aware of that detail or else I would have exempted myself. Believe it or not, I am a couple of days over 40. The guy organizing the meeting thought I was much younger.

It was hilarious. We went around the room and it was discovered that I was at least 10 years older than the other guys there. They were shocked. I was pleased that I fit in. I think one of the more beneficial things that happened was that they saw that an older guy can actually be on the same page, can have their best interests at heart. There is at least one antediluvian (old dude) who is not completely out of touch. I am not sure that, had they know my age before we began, they would have accepted my input. As it was, they seemed to embrace much of what I was saying.

It kind of stinks to be one of the old guys. But it is good to be able to break down some stereotypes. The group plans to continue to meet. I think I am invited to keep participating. They probably just need a father figure to compensate for their insecurities. Either that or they need a laugh as I doze off during the meetings.

I’ll bet they will start carding guys in the future...

a new team mate!

At our services this weekend, we announced an addition to the pastoral team of Maranatha Church. Josh Heilman will soon join us as Worship Pastor. This is a very exciting event for our church family. We have worked on this and prayed about it for a long time now. Everything is coming together and we are ready to move ahead.

A very special welcome to Josh and Niki Heilman and their two beautiful kids, Colette and Nathan. For more insight into who these folks are, check out Josh’s blog at joshheilman.com. You’re going to love them! Pray for them as they relocate (a really long way) from Spokane, Washington, to beautiful south Florida.

13 mistakes of leaders

The rigors of leadership can leave one worn down and sometimes a bit vulnerable. I have compiled a list of common mistakes that may show up from time to time. These usually appear when we are burned out and are in need of some time off. Unchecked, these mistakes can cause some real damage. If you have seen any of these appear on a regular basis, or if the quotes could belong to you, you may need more than a vacation.

1. Lack of trust in others: “people will burn you, keep your distance, avoid the pain.” Every leader gets taken advantage of from time to time. We have to avoid becoming cynical and hard hearted. If you can’t work with and trust people, you can’t be a leader.
2. Inability to delegate: “if you want something done, you have to do it yourself.” In the short-term, it takes longer to train someone how to do a job or complete a project. In the long-run, training others and delegating tasks is vital to survival. Hand something off!
3. Prepare too little: “who has time to prepare? I’m too busy doing the work to spend time preparing.” This is a trap that catches chronically busy leaders. If you are too busy to plan ahead and approach your responsibility from a fully prepared position, you need to back off of something. (Maybe try delegating something!)
4. Shortcutting the processes: “I don’t need to work hard, there is an easier way.” Some things simply require blood sweat and tears. A shortcut will have negative results. Don’t get lazy with your leadership. Admittedly, we can usually work smarter, not harder, but there is no substitute for diligence.
5. Eliminating constructive critics: “Either you are for me or against me, it you don’t agree with me, hit the road.” Because someone disagrees with you or your approach does not necessarily mean that they are your enemy. Learn how to hear criticism and determine whether it will help you or harm you.
6. Limiting input from the young: “These kids know nothing. They should just keep their mouths closed and let those with more experience get things done.” This is a sure sign of a stagnant leader. It is true that wisdom comes with age but young people bring innovation and energy that is rare among the more mature.
7. Limiting impact of the older: “These old guys are washed up, they don’t know how things operate today, they need to step aside and let someone younger take over.” Seasoned people bring things to the table that are irreplaceable. Don’t be so focused on relevance to our culture that you bypass some time-tested ideas.
8. Too much time listening to critics. “I can’t get beyond the things they said. They have destroyed my confidence, my future is ruined because of them.” Although critics may prove to be our best friend, we cannot allow an out-of-balance criticism to side track us. When someone nails you with a harsh and destructive criticism (sometimes hard to sift through), shake it off and keep moving forward. It is usually a good practice to run the criticism by someone else to help determine whether or not it is valid.
9. Ignoring sound advice: “Don’t tell me what to do, I know what I am doing. I can handle this on my own.” This is stubbornness and pride personified. A leader taking this approach is insecure and should get ready for a failure. Find good sources of advice and listen.
10. Resting on laurels: “I have accomplished enough, my past speaks for itself. I can coast from here.” The past is gone and few people remember what you have accomplished. The victories of yesterday mean little today and even less tomorrow. When you approach the future while gazing in your rearview mirror, you are looking the wrong direction – backwards! And that is the direction you will go.
11. Gearing down without a replacement plan: “I am too busy to train my replacement. There is no one that I can train to do my job upon my departure.” This is a serious mistake that lots of leaders make. Great damage is done in organizations because they have to start from scratch when a key leader departs. Confident leaders set their organizations up for success. Look around you. I know you wear large shoes – but who could fill them once you move on?
12. Too little accountability: “I answer to no one, I am my own boss. What I do is my business and on one else’s.” A sure recipe for disaster! It doesn’t matter how much authority you have or how many people answer to you, you need accountability. The higher you climb, the farther the fall. Go ahead and establish relationships that keep you answerable. You’ll be much more secure that way.
13. Professional distance: “I can’t get too close to those who follow me. I can’t let them see that I am human. Never let them see you sweat!” While there is such a thing as too much personal information from leaders, a certain level of leadership transparency is necessary and beneficial. We must arrive at balance. If your followers do not see you as human, chances are, they see you as a machine – or an animal! Lighten up and be real.

There is a reason you are a leader. You are not afraid of self improvement and development. Maybe this simple list can help sharpen us a little today.

a church with no sinners

Do you ever dream of the perfect church, where everyone loves God and behaves themselves all the time? Wouldn’t it be awesome to not have to worry about dissenting viewpoints and conflict and wrong priorities? Imagine, a church without sin. What an awesome (and boring) church!

In reality, we need lots of sinners in the church. In fact, we need lots of people in all stages of spiritual development. I don’t know about percentages. What would be a good mix? 50% Christians and 50% non-Christians? Or maybe 33% committed Christian, 33% carnal Christians and 33% sinners. The categories and possibilities are endless.

The church is the family of God. Families are messed up. Even God’s family. Sinners need to be welcomed among God’s people. An atmosphere of acceptance and forgiveness must be obvious. Let’s be reminded that the Apostle Paul referred to himself as “the chief of sinners”. If we are forgiven, it is by God's grace alone.

True, sinners need to repent and change. We can’t remain the same as we engage is the life of the church. But if there church ever closes its door to sinners – where will you and I worship?

crucified

Tonight in our small group, we had a great discussion on one verse found in Galatians. “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20 -NIV) It was interesting to hear what these words means to various people. As is usually the case, God used His Word to say just what each of us needed to hear.

God is speaking to me about dying to myself in some specific areas. It is my natural tendency to focus on physical things rather than spiritual things. This usually runs in cycles. At times, the things of God rise to the top of my life in simple fashion. It is easy to find my stride. Then there are the other 364 days of the year.

Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15:31, “I die every day”, which means that this Christian life is a continual process of self discipline. I wish that this were not necessary. I wish I could just make the decision to do things God’s way and that would be it. But it is a battle. It always has been and it always will be.

The good news is, the battle is not mine. It is not a matter of making up my mind or working hard to get the job done. It is a matter of trusting in God’s grace. He will do what I can’t. It is my job simply to cooperate with him. This is “Christ living in me”. This is only available as “I am crucified with (Him)”.

Life is too short to play it safe. “Safe” isn’t all is it cracked up to be. “Safe” is the land where dreams are buried. “Safe” is risk free and adventure free. “Safe” is where we live when we are too frightened to move ahead.

Today holds opportunities and possibilities to do something important. But if you are going to do something important, you will need to be ready to move out, away from your safety net. You will have to be willing to get close to the edge, you will have to come to terms with your fears and overcome them. This is what it means to “live by faith” (2 Corinthians 5:7).

Life expectancy in America right now is 69.3 years. Do the math. If you are half way there, are you half way to meeting your life’s goals?

When I am old, I don’t want to look back and regret living my life in a comfortable place. In fact, I really want comfortable to become uncomfortable for me. I hope I have enough courage to walk by faith, embrace the risks and move away from “safe” – right now.

on their way!

Our daughter Jessica and her husband Josh leave today, moving to Guatemala to spend a year working at Casa Shalom orphanage. It is an exciting day. Lots of prayer and planning have gone into the move and God has worked out all of the details (as many details as can be worked out as you do missions work).

Admittedly, Letha and I are sad. It is never easy to say goodbye to those you love. Interestingly, we will be closer geographically that we were when they were in Knoxville. This brings us some comfort. We do plan on amassing some frequent flyer miles to Central America!

Thanks to everyone who is supporting these guys through prayer and finances. You can find out more about their work at thehansonsinguatemala.blogspot.com.

I have prayed more for Jessica that I have any other person. 24 years of prayer. I believe that God has plans for her. I believe that this is one of the most important and significant steps to her discovery of His plans. It will be awesome to watch it all unfold.

Jess, we love you and are proud of you. Go with the fullest confidence that God is going before you and we are behind you.

happy father's day!

My dad is one of a kind. He’s 83 now but still as tough as they come. He has struggled with serious health issues for the last 30 years but has survived. I learn a lot from him. He didn’t go very far in school and never did anything but manual labor to make a living. But I learned about character from him. He has incredibly high standards for what it means to follow Christ. He is pretty much old school – doesn’t think in terms of progressiveness – but he is solid as a rock. Steady, unmovable, strong.

In some ways, I find myself more like him that I am comfortable with. He is stubborn and finds it difficult to forgive. Once you have lost his trust, good luck regaining it. He has been known to be a little harsh in his judgment of others. He struggles with loneliness. These things are showing up in my life. But I really hope I can inherit his stamina, his courage and his inner strength.

One more things about my dad, he loves his kids fiercely. I mean he thinks we are the best ever. Please don’t tell him the truth – you will have a fight on your hands. I’d hate to see you get whipped by an 83 year old! And my money's on him.

Happy Dad’s Day!

hard core baptism

I had a very neat experience this evening. Four new believers from our church wanted to be baptized in water. This is something we had planned a few weeks ago and there was quite a bit of excitement surrounding the event. The thing is, the weather got really nasty around here. There was a lot of rain and lightning most of the day. As the scheduled time of 5:00 PM got closer, I thought we may need to reschedule. I wasn’t crazy about being around water with lightning in the sky.

We got to the beach only to find out the beach was closed to the public. The lifeguard let us know that we couldn’t go in the water. The conditions were not favorable. These new believers would not be deterred, they wanted to simply move down the beach and get on with it. So we did.

I have never been in such a rough surf. The waves knocked two of them down as soon as we got in the water. It was pretty dangerous. It was raining and we were bouncing all around. But we got the job done. This evening about 5:20, we baptized 4 people who were making a public declaration of their faith in Christ. It was one of the best baptism I’ve ever been a part of.
It would have been very easy for us to back out and wait for nicer weather. But I think their insistence on going through with baptism is an indication of their faith commitment. Even in the face of inclement surroundings, they are moving forward. I think there are some good things in store for these four.

francis chan

I am getting some real encouragement and spiritual nourishment from watching Francis Chan’s messages. From his bio on his web page: “Francis is the pastor of Cornerstone Church in Simi Valley. He has been serving there for 14 years. He is also President of Eternity Bible College and serves on the Board of Children’s Hunger Fund and World Impact. Francis spends much of his time speaking to high school and college students. His commitment is to speak directly from the words of scripture. His passion is to see the next generation of American Christians display a much deeper love for Jesus.”

Francis is a bit of a radical, in the positive sense of the word. He speaks clearly and concisely and is not afraid to tackle tough topics, speaking truth. If you track his story, you will find that he is a risk taker. That probably is my favorite quality of his. I think that fearlessness is a vital characteristic of anyone who wants to bring change to the world.

I hope you have a few minutes to check out some of what he is saying. He also has a new book out, Crazy Love, that I hope to pick up in a few days.

Let me know what you think about him and what he is doing and saying …

Early adapters pay more

I was a little ticked to read this morning that Apple has announced a new and improved, and of course cheaper iPhone. Purchasers will save $200 by waiting to buy the new edition which will be available in July. Their tag line is “twice as fast, half the price.” Don’t you hate it when you make a purchase only to find a much better deal a little later? It’s like they wait for you to take the plunge and then on your way out the door, they start changing the price tags.

Honestly, I can’t say that I am an early adapter. When it comes to technology, it takes me a while. I waited quite a while before I bought my iPhone. Just not long enough. Lesson learned.

This principle carries over into many areas of life. I usually like for a principle or concept to be proven before I throw in support. In some cases, this has worked in my favor. But from time to time, I have been on the losing end just because I waited too long. It all about timing.

There are lessons to be learned here. I need to improve my timing. In a teaching session this morning, I heard a pastor say basically the same thing. God's timing can’t be messed with. We can get into trouble if we are too early or too late. It’s all about timing.

I now know when to buy an iPhone. The problem is, I already have one. I only hope I do better the next time God is telling me to do something for Him.

economic crisis?

On Friday, our economy took another nose dive. Unemployment numbers rose, gas prices set records and the stock market fell drastically. How does one keep their head about them in a time like this?

Just a few bullet points to help us stay focused:

1. Do you have food to eat, clothes to wear and place to sleep? If you do, you are wealthier than 90% of the rest of the world.
2. Do you have to make decisions today that will change your life? (sell your house, move to another city, default on a loan…) If not, be thankful things are not that bad for you, they are for many.
3. Are there things you can do to help your financial position? (Ride a bike or public transportation to work, skip Starbucks, brown bag it instead of going out to lunch, quitting the gym). If so, take the plunge and enjoy the financial impact.
4. Is there a “margin” in your finances? Honestly, is every penny spoken for? Or are we seeing things worse than they really are? If you have any discretionary money left over, be thankful.
5. Can you share? Is there anything left for you to give to someone who is less fortunate than you? If so, thank God and, if you can, help someone else. I believe that this is one of the keys to surviving tough economic times.

I realize times are hard. Lots of people are really hurting. We need to be compassionate and sensitive to people in financial trouble. But let’s not allow our past economic prosperity to cloud the reality of how good things still are. I Timothy 6:8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. (TNIV)

beware of cool

I realize that the people who might need to read this won’t because I am not cool enough for them to visit my blog. So maybe you can pass this along, if you are cool enough to actually know any cool people.

It has always been the case, some people just think they are better than others. So this is no new revelation. We need to guard against thinking that others aren’t as good as us, ESPECIALLLY if this is based on the way they dress, the computer they use, their hairstyle, the music they listen to, how old they are, the church they attend, the movies they like, the books they read or don’t read and so on.

I really dislike the hugely popular mac commercials. Again, nothing new here but these guys are blatantly making fun of PC users and it works as a great PR tool for them. You know the setup: PC users are unpopular, out of touch with modern culture, wear frumpy suits and they are losers. Mac users are awesome, the girls prefer them, they dress better, they don’t shave, they don’t need glasses... If you are a mac user, good for you – but you are no better than those who aren’t. And yes, I use a PC.

Seriously, watch your heart. People who exclude or disrespect others who aren’t cool are wrong. Some important scriptures come to mind: Romans 12:3 “so I tell each of you not to think you are better than you really are.” (CEV) Galatians 6:3 “If anyone thinks he is important when he really is not, he is only fooling himself.” (NCV) Philippians 2:3 “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.” (NIV) James 4:6 “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." (NIV)

I have a little theory. I think that many really cool people are compensating for their low self esteem. They don’t feel very good about themselves so they create or copy an image hoping to show others, and maybe themselves, that they really are something special. Obviously this is not the best plan. Just go ahead and be happy with who God made you to be. Everybody will also like you a lot better.

Beware of cool – it will getcha.

strengths or weaknesses?

American motion picture director, writer, and producer, and playwright Dore Schary said: “A person who calls himself frank and candid can very easily find himself becoming tactless and cruel. A person who prides himself on being tactful can find eventually that he has become evasive and deceitful. A person with firm convictions can become pigheaded. A person who is inclined to be temperate and judicious can sometimes turn into someone with weak convictions and banked fires of resolution . . . Loyalty can lead to fanaticism. Caution can become timidity. Freedom can become license. Confidence can become arrogance. Humility can become servility. All these are ways in which strength can become weakness.”

Even our spiritual gifts can have negative expressions. If you are a leader, be careful. Your administrative abilities can easily become dictatorial tendencies. Vision can be interpreted as selfish ambition. Passion can be seen as pushy.

Evaluate yourself and allow someone close to you to provide personal evaluation. This will help keep you in balance and on target.

Be sure that your strengths remain strengths.

post-Christian

It is no secret that the spiritual climate of the US has changed drastically over the past several years. For most of our country’s existence, we have been clearly seen as a Christian nation. Our laws were based on Scripture, there was a general respect for the things of God and people went to church because it was the right thing to do. Well, times have changed. We are now in what has been defined as a post- Christian culture.

In his recent book, Church Unique, Will Mancini helps define post-Christianity: “there is no starting point and no embedded influence toward Judeo-Christian values, latent within the culture.” (p. 33) As a spiritual leader in a typical community in America, I have complained about the downward spiritual spiral that we are experiencing. For years, I have worried along with other pastors about what can be done to turn things around and salvage the country before it is too late. I admit to laying blame for this crisis on the portion of our of population that does not follow Christ. It is easy to look around at the depravity and point a finger of judgment. There are lots of easy targets.

In Mancini’s book, he credits Christian researcher and statistician George Barna with uncovering the truth that “the primary indicators (that we are in a post-Christian culture) being the continued decline of church attendance and the validation that those professing Christianity reflect little difference in life-change factors from those who reject Jesus.” (p. 33) Did you get that? He is saying that the church, believers in Christ and our lifestyles are proof that our nation is no longer a Christian nation. Maybe we are even the reason why the country no longer believes in God. 2 things: we don’t go to church like we used to and our lifestyles are no longer any different from those who do not know Christ. Wow! That is a revelation for me! The country is no longer Christian because Christ followers don’t behave like Christians.

I have serious doubts that our country will revert back to our Christian roots. History tells us that once the momentum has built as it has in opposition to the ways of the Lord, it is very difficult to return. We are, however, not without hope. But rather than blaming culture, looking at the world as the evil ones and placing the responsibility on the enemies of God, we should begin in our own hearts.

When believers in Christ fall deeply enough in love with Him and His family that we commit unquestionably to His processes, the pendulum will swing back. Corporate worship has to return to its rightful place near or at the top of our life’s priorities. We have to get rid of the compromise that has pervaded our behavior and attitudes. Until we do, we will have to settle for post-Christian. If we do, we have a shot at “Christian” again.

good search

There are two factors that are currently creating a lot of opportunities, or pressure (depending on your perspective) regarding reaching out and helping the needy. 1) Our economy is in the tank and lots of people are hurting worldwide. 2) The unprecedented crises and natural disasters that are taking pace. These two realities open doors for the average person to make a decision to do something practical that can change a life.

One of the simplest ways I know of that can have big impact was introduced to me last year by my daughter. She writes about it on their blog.

Goodsearch.com is as easy as it gets. All you have to do is designate the charity of your choice and then use goodsearch as your search engine. As ABC News puts it: “Give to charity just by searching the internet.” It’s that simple. I suggest you make it your homepage until you get used to the idea of using it.

If enough people will take small but measurable steps like this one, we will see some of the pain that is being experienced in our world alleviated.

Have a great week everybody!

my utmost

I was reading Oswald Chambers’ (1874-1917) classic devotional, My Utmost for His Highest. The entry for today, June 1, deals with our utter need for God’s grace. I see in it a reminder that nothing we can do or say has any bearing on our ability to be forgiven or to live a life that pleases God. It is His grace alone that accomplishes these things. Chambers confronts our desire to work it all out by our efforts and to attempt to earn the good things that only God can provide.

Below are some excerpts, enjoy:

It is much easier to do something than to trust in God; we mistake panic for inspiration. That is why there are so few fellow workers with God and so many workers for Him. We would far rather work for God than believe in Him. Am I quite sure that God will do what I cannot do? I despair of men in the degree in which I have never realized that God has done anything for me. Is my experience such a wonderful realization of God's power and might that I can never despair of anyone I see? Have I had any spiritual work done in me at all? The degree of panic is the degree of the lack of personal spiritual experience.

When God wants to show you what human nature is like apart from Himself, He has to show it you in yourself. If the Spirit of God has given you a vision of what you are apart from the grace of God (and He only does it when His Spirit is at work), you know there is no criminal who is half so bad in actuality as you know yourself to be in possibility. My "grave" has been opened by God and "I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) dwelleth no good thing." God's Spirit continually reveals what human nature is like apart from His grace.

Thanks Dr. Chambers, for the reminder. I highly recommend his daily devotional. Thanks to the Father for accomplishing what none of us can apart from Him. I highly recommend His grace.