We'll Never Understand With Just a Surface View

Our stand on the Bible and what it says about the physical and spiritual world, and Satan and evil, will dictate whether or not we truly understand world events. This is critical for everyone to understand, not just a President . . .

In response (I assume) to all the rioting against, and attacks on, America in the Middle East and Africa these last few days the Obama administration has apparently asked YouTube to review the Islam bashing video that is supposed to have started this whole thing. You can read the FOX article by clicking here. In the article it says, "The White House has asked YouTube to review the online video that has been cited as the spark for demonstrations raging across the Middle East and North Africa. The Obama administration is not explicitly asking YouTube to remove the film, but to check if it meets their standards."

They don't get it, and anybody who thinks this is about a video doesn't get it. It's not about a video! Millions of people around the world have seen and read and heard things offensive to their beliefs, faith, etc. and not rioted, murdered, burned down buildings, etc. You probably have—certainly you have if you are a Christian in America. I have heard hateful things about Jesus, and I have heard hateful things from the mouths of professing Christians toward others as well. And yet, we don't do what they are doing around the world right now (and, in reality, it is so far a tiny minority in these countries, not necessarily reflective of the whole country).

But for a U.S. President's administration to get involved asking YouTube to check the video out is naive at best, and at worst a huge mistake in even giving these people an inch. It is as if someone in the world can decide they don't like something America does, riot, and we say, "Sorry. We'll try and change that." and dance to the tune they select as they manipulate our marionette strings. Does anybody really think that even getting the video pulled is going to change the type of people who do these things? It only makes America look weak and afraid—and as every Christian should know, evil doesn't honor weakness and fear, if feeds on it and is empowered by it.

Foreign policy wisdom aside—that isn't really what this post is about—this focus on the video demonstrates a huge ignorance of the reality of world events and of the battle between good and evil. Christians, above all, should know that. The Bible makes it clear that our real enemies are not flesh and blood, but the principalities and powers that drive them. Satan hates God. He hates Christians in whom God dwells and who are adopted by God. He will use any and all means to incite rage and evil against anything that is good or dear to God's heart.

Recently a young adult asked me, in light of talking about 9/11, "Why do people hate us?" I told them that there is no way they will truly understand what is happening and the "why" of their question unless they understand the reality of God and Satan, good and evil, Satan driving evil, and of the fallen nature of man and our choices unconstrained by God. It goes far beyond 9/11, or even Bush, or Reagan, or . . . it goes back to a cross and an empty tomb, and before that Abraham and two sons, and before that a garden and a couple made in God's image and a serpent, and before that . . . well, you know what I mean.

We can never truly understand this world, evil, the hatred directed toward America and Christians, etc. until we understand the spiritual reality that overrides it all—and trying to understand or deal with these issues outside of that framework and reality is ignorant and will never truly work or lead to an understanding of the true enemy. It is like painting over dry rot or termite damage and thinking you've addressed the problem. This is one reason I think it is so important to understand a politician's worldview—we can never truly hope to understand them or hope that they will understand the world unless we know if they understand the truth of what is really going on.

It is not about a video. Just like it is foolish to think everything that happened in Los Angeles after the Rodney King verdict was all truly about people enraged by injustice. Or all the looting and stuff after Katrina—what, were the people who did that mad at the hurricane? Man, apart from Christ, is a breath away from darkness—and darkness needs but little fuel to enpower it and bring it to light.

Just the other day I went on a call to a barn fire that also burnt up a bunch of grass and debris. We spent hours mopping up, making sure every bit was out. Over and over there would be a wisp of smoke as the only evidence of the ember smoldering and waiting below, and then you'd flip a board and the oxygen would rush in and the ember would ignite into flame. Evil, darkness, is like that. It is always just below the surface, smoldering, waiting for whatever it can use to get its "oxygen." In the end it isn't really about the fuel or the oxygen . . . it is about the one putting the match to it or blowing on it. This stuff in the Middle East and Africa isn't about a video! And, to even address the video or think that it is displays a deep lack of understanding of reality.

I thank God for His written Word which helps us understand the true world, spiritual and physical, and for the reality we know as Christians that He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords and that whatever happens in this life is but for a moment in the light of the eternity He has reserved for those who have placed their faith in His Son's work. May His Spirit give us all understanding and open our eyes to truth as we seek to live in this world, but be transformed that we are not like this world.

The New Age Lure and a Good Novel

I am a lover of good Christian fiction. The thought crossed my mind that maybe, now and then, I should share the ones I really like to help you filter through all the ones out there. For me good Christian fiction is a wonderful "escape" from the daily stuff—a way to slip away for a few moments here and there and, hopefully, be filled, built up, equipped, and strengthened at the same time. Unfortunately much of what I've read as Christian fiction simply throws in a character who is a Christian and some moral conduct and calls it Christian fiction. Obviously many people like this (it is a huge market), but for me I want something more—something that either really makes a subject come alive for me (i.e. abortion in Francine River's The Atonement Child) or the interaction of the unseen and the physical realm (i.e. many of Frank Peretti or Randy Alcorn's novels), or books that give a picture of what I believe the full Christian life is—not just limited to moral choices but with God active in lives, speaking to His children, and moving often in power.

As I discover what are, to me, gems in this genre I'll try and pass them on, and I'll start with a novel I finished this week called Out of a Dream by Rosemary Hines. You can read more about her and this novel and the series it begins at http://www.rosemaryhines.com/. Without being a spoiler, in real life Rosemary came out of years of New Age stuff that started innocently enough but pulled her in, only to find at a major crisis in her life it was all empty and Christ alone was real. In her novel she captures aspects of that journey and very effectively shows the lure and seduction of the New Age movement and how it can begin innocently enough and end up sucking one into it and away from the true God found through Jesus Christ, and even away from much else in one's life.

This book hit home to me for multiple reasons—one, because I played with that stuff prior to becoming a Christian and, two, because I have dealt with multiple youth as a pastor/youth pastor who are caught up in it. I have had youth bring a backpack of witchcraft/spell books to a Christian camp, and a mom give me a binder of spells she found in her daughters room. This stuff is real, as are witch doctors who can cast curses, and people like Pharoah's magicians that tap into Satanic power, or Simon or the woman with the spirit of divination, both in Acts. It is real and the devil gives it its power, though he is more than willing to leave himself concealed in it. People who would never worship or flirt with the devil are caught up in his power and hold through all the other "innocent" things he empowers—and he is perfectly content to leave it that way as it all keeps people from the one true God. The Old Testament even talks about people who sacrificed their children to other gods really sacrificing them to demons. If the devil can convince a person that a pagan god, or witch doctor, or a tarot card or Ouija Board or a spell is real (and for many things youth dabble in, that it is harmless or just fun or good) then the person will continue to hold that person, god, or object to a high level until they meet the real, superior power of the resurrected Christ.

This is where, I believe, Christians bear some responsibility. People are created in God's image, and created to be a part of something that crosses back and forth between the seen and the unseen—something spiritual, eternal, and powerful. It is who we are! If people are taught that God doesn't talk to us, or if we have the same negative expectations as the world, or if we tell people miracles and the power of God stopped with the last Apostle or the writing of the Bible, or if we only give lip service the the angelic and demonic realm and spiritual warfare, then we are robbing them of the knowledge and experience they need to satisfy what they were created for. So, I believe, and I know from my being drawn into the stuff, they often look to satisfy what they know inside them is real, and they look for it elsewhere—an encounter with something beyond them, unseen, and powerful.

God is what they long for, and His power is at work all around us. May we be the vessels who believe, and live like, we have the God who breathes out stars, raises the dead, and calms storms living in us—may we live and believe and teach like people who truly believe there is an active spiritual realm, and not just be people who give it lip service or effectively deny it by the token credit we give it.

I would recommend Out of a Dream to anyone who feels lured by New Age stuff, knows someone who is lured by it, or simply wants a good Christian novel to curl up with. So, light the wood stove, make a good cup of coffee, and curl up—times like these are special!

Perceived Truths are Dangerous

In the Bible Satan is identified as, among many things, the deceiver of the world, the father of lies, and the accuser of the brethren. It is clear by these names, and his tactics going back to the Garden, that he works in lies, deception, and accusation. Jesus, on the other hand, is truth.

The dangerous thing about Satan's tactics are that we usually react to what we perceive to be true, which isn't always what is true. So, if he can get us to believe an untruth we will likely live and think in response to that, thinking we are reacting to truth. I, for one, can be stunned (and discouraged) by the number of things I can think, believe, etc., that are inconsistent with what I believe in regards to my faith. Somewhere in all of that I have often believed a lie, though I think I it is truth. Unless we stop and take our actions and thoughts captive to our Christian faith we can continue in wrong and destructive and often negative patterns and thoughts for long periods of time.

A key to turning this around is to start to identify the lies we believe. A good way to start is to evaluate, with the Holy Spirit's help,
1) the things we do,
2) the priorities we hold,
3) the fears and concerns we have, and
4) the way we think about ourselves and others and life.
The object of this is to identify those areas that are not consistent with the professions of our faith about God, His love, His power, what He says about us, etc. Chances are, the areas we find where we are inconsistent with our faith statements may well be areas we have unwittingly somewhere believed a lie (which we perceive to be truth, so we act in response to it).

My guess is that the first two areas to identify inconsistency in (things we do, and priorities we hold) will be pretty easy. It is often easy to see the things we do and priorities we hold that are inconsistent with what we believe. The last two (fears and concerns we have, and the way we think about ourselves and others and life) will be harder—but what we believe in these areas are probably drivers for many of our external actions. The goal in this is to disarm the enemy's devices (which we are not to be ignorant of) and to replace lies with truths.

One example I used with our youth group was a fear they might hold deep inside. I asked them to see if that fear was consistent with what they know to be true about God—that He is powerful (creates a universe), that He is present (will never leave them), and that He loves them (died for them). Is their fear consistent with those things they believe to be true about God? It was easy to see it wasn't. Somewhere in there they had started to replace truth with lies which they perceived to be truth, and then started living in response to that perceived truth.

We can find the same thing in many areas. For example, many youth (and adults) are insecure, or feel little worth, etc. Is that inconsistent with a God who promises to never leave them, who loves them so much He considers them worth dying for, who made them in His image, who knew their mistakes and sin before the foundation of the earth and still gave them life? Usually, a lie has been believed about themselves or their relationship with God, and that lie is what they are living and thinking in response to.

If we can identify the areas our actions, priorities, thoughts, fears, etc. are not consistent with what we profess about God we can start to look for areas we may be living and thinking in response to lies and not truth. Then we can begin to use God's Word and the tenets of our faith to replace those lies with truth, and to stand in faith on truth instead of on lies. God did this with Sarah's unbelief when He asked if anything was too hard for God. He identified the lie she was believing and confronted her with it. Or the father Jesus confronted who had asked if Jesus can heal his child and Jesus responded by identifying the lie, replying basically, "If I can?! All things are possible (with God)! Believe!"

Somewhere the Israelites believed a lie (or lies) when they refused to enter the promised land. Joshua and Caleb tried to bring them back to truth (we can do this if God is with us), but they chose to live by sight and in fear, neglecting God's promises (which God took as rejection of Him). Over and over in the Bible we see this pattern—thoughts based on lies or half truths, God confronting them with the truth about Himself, and then a choice being before them of which they will believe and act on.

Christian, what lies have you unwittingly believed, that you are now living in response to? Is the enemy whispering accusations at you, reminding you of your failures and shortcomings? So what does God have to say about that? Do you remember that, despite your shortcomings, if you have faith in Christ's death for you they have been paid for and forgiven, and you are redeemed and adopted by God and He lives in you and He'll never leave you? Do you realize that He did that because He loves you and considers you worth it?

Christian, how are you acting? Is it in response to a lie? Have somewhere you believed a lie about yourself, or God's love for you, or His power, or His faithfulness and are you now acting out in response to that lie? What is the truth of the situation? Which will you believe and live in response to?

From the beginning this has been Satan's way. He first cast doubt on God's love, Word, and trustworthiness ("Did God really say?" and "You won't die" and "God knows that you will be like Him"). AFTER Eve doubted God's Word, His trustworthiness, His good intentions and love for her, THEN she entertained temptation—THEN she bought the lie that she could find pleasure (pleasing to the eye), provision (good for food), and wisdom (desirable to make one wise) apart from God. My guess is that, for all of us, we are seeking pleasure, provision, and wisdom in some ways inconsistent with our faith, because somewhere we have first allowed ourselves to believe lies about God's Word, trustworthiness, and love.

May the Holy Spirit lead you and guide you into all truth, that we may disarm the weapons of the enemy of lies, deception and accusation. God bless you, and thanks for reading.   —Erick

God is On the Move

These are exciting times as a Christian who believes in the Bible and in bringing our life into consistency with our professed world view. These are times when, I believe, God is challenging American and much of the chaff will be separated from the wheat as were are, finally, being forced to evaluate our faith at a much deeper level than simply our stand on gay marriage or abortion. I will explain why I am so excited in a moment, but first I want to give a few caveats to nip in the bud some rebuttals. This is a longer post, but I would really value your thoughts and feedback.

Caveats

First: If you haven't read "Electability" (my January 19 post) you might want to. In it I lay out why I think that word is a subtle way of watering down our faith, causing us to pick a candidate who might not match our faith well over one who does. In it I talked about Rick Santorum (hardly on the radar screen at the time in many people's minds), and about how the Bible is full of examples of times when what was "wise" to the world was not honored by God, but rather God tested the heart of His people to see if they would choose faith over "conventional" wisdom (the same worldly system of wisdom, by the way, that tells you that your relatives down the line were monkeys and fish). Reading that post will help you understand me better, and where I am coming from, in this post.

Second: I recognize there are significant issues with Catholicism that Protestants and Evangelicals have. I disagree with Catholics on many issues of the faith. But, that said, I also know many individual Catholics who I am far more convinced are born again Christians than many professing non-Catholic "Christians" I have met who might be quick to point out Catholic faults. I am just glad none of us need perfect theology to be saved, because if we did none of us would be.

Third: No candidate is perfect. None of us are. I doubt any of us would want someone demanding perfection from our entire life, or someone going back and scrutinizing everything we have said, done, written, etc. over the last 20 years and then us having to defend it in 10 second sound bites. Whether you are voting for Santorum or not, I believe what I am about to say will be thought provoking and of value to you.

With That Said, God is On the Move . . .

I can't tell you how exciting it has been for Mary Ann and I to watch the news at night in the last week or two and see the discussions that Rick's Santorum's vetting is causing. Combine that with Tebowmania and now Linsanity and I can't remember a season when I have heard discussions of faith—specifically Christian faith!—so often in the media. (Even after 9/11 I remember God being talked about a lot as comfort and a place to turn, but never this extent of discussion about larger issues of world view.)

What is so exciting to me is that I am hearing things talked about now that I can not ever remember being addressed on such a scale. It seems so often that Christians are relegated (often self relegated) to abortion and gay marriage and a few specific button issues in election cycles. This shallow focus allows Christians to accept or reject individual issues without having to be confronted with a call to consistency in their faith across the board. But Santorum's vetting and the close examination of his statements now and in the past are confronting professing Christians on a much higher level, and I am shouting out, "At last!" Our faith and world view provides the framework and reason for our individual stands—and our individual stands without the full expression of our faith and world view make us be simply seen as angry, judgmental people. But, if our world view (the gospel, the love of God, the reality of sin, the hope of faith, the reality of spiritual warfare and evil, etc.) is shared in fulness and in full context it will, I believe draw many to it—or at least help them understand us better, and help Christians identify inconsistencies between their profession of belief and their lives and choices and priorities and thoughts.

Like him or not, I can't remember a major candidate in recent times who has made it this far seeming to be so across the board in consistency with his world view and his policies as Santorum is. You can't listen to him and not see that this man has a world view and he sticks to it and brings all his other views into consistency with it. If you have read my blog for any length of time you know that this is a major cry of mine—it is ignorant and shallow to expect to separate a candidate from their world view and faith as, if that world view and faith is truly held, it should impact all they are and do.

And, the world view being discussed, is one that should excite Christians beyond measure! Finally, in the major media, we are hearing discussions about Satan, and good and evil, and spiritual warfare, and Satan's attacks on America—and we are being given a much bigger picture of why life is sacred, why people are precious, why religious liberty is so important, why we must support Israel and see some things in the world as truly evil, why the earth is for people's use and stewardship (but not above or equal to people), etc. We are seeing convenient Christianity challenged (meaning people can't just throw out that they are a Christian to get elected, but their lives are being examined for consistency). We are seeing the Protestant denominations called out on their collapse to the world. (Criticize Catholics for what you will, but at least they have stood strong on many of the issues many Protestant denominations have completely caved in on.) When we have CNN printing some things like the following, it should excite us!

"This is not a political war at all, this is not a culture war at all, this is a spiritual war," Santorum said . . . "And the father of lies has his sights on what you think the father of lies, Satan, would have his sights on.  A good, decent, powerful, influential country, the United States of America."

Santorum said Satan was first, and most successfully, attacked academia. Once academia fell to pride and its own truths, he said, the Protestant Church fell next in the United States. "We look at the shape of mainline Protestantism in this country, and it is in shambles, it is gone from the world of Christianity as I see it," he said.

Again, like Santorum or not, we finally are seeing the core issues addressed and I believe it will (or should) force individual Christians to decide where they stand. No longer can we simply reject an issue (choose economy over abortion as a priority, for example). The Santorum debate is forcing us to choose a world view and to see how many of our individual choices may be inconsistent with the world view we claim to believe in. It is forcing us to decide what we believe about the Bible. It is forcing us to look deep and decide, who are we going to serve? Our heart we will have to have been confronted. And, maybe, God, who values our heart and faith over external circumstances, is simply checking the heart of His children and beginning to force issues that will force Christians to decide who they are going to follow—Him, or the world. And, by having opposing world views so prominently displayed and contrasted, we may not be able, any more, to walk with one foot on each side of the fence. And that would be exciting to me, to see God's children finally have to choose!

Lessons from Hummingbirds . . .

I will return to my "Light and darkness" series in the weeks ahead, but I wanted to share here a few thoughts I had yesterday while sitting in our sitting area and taking a little "be still" time. As I was out there I had the pleasure of watching hummingbirds coming to the feeder we have hanging above our vegetable garden. They are fascinating to watch and incredible evidence of a Creator, and I noticed a few things while I did:

1)   Without the hummingbirds, the feeder was "dead": Hanging there, with no birds around, there was no beauty in the feeder itself. It was made for something, and when it wasn't used for that purpose it held no attraction. But, when the birds came to it, it suddenly became the center piece of beauty and part of drawing my mind toward God. We, too, are created for a purpose and a relationship. We find our purpose and meaning and beauty in our relationship with God, when He dwells in us and finds us a surrendered vessel for His presence and will. Then, we are vessels that bear His image and through us others' eyes are drawn toward Him.

2) Two things disrupted the beauty and purpose of the feeder: The first was when one bird chased off another. Suddenly, when they weren't united, the peace and beauty of the scene was lost in conflict. Though there are four holes on the feeder to drink at, often one bird would chase others away from it. There was plenty there for them all, but they not only prohibited others from drinking when they acted that way . . . but they couldn't drink themselves when they were doing it, either. How many times Christians chase others away from drinking deep of Him by their pettiness, criticism, self-focus, judgment, jealousy, lack of faith which makes them self-preserving, etc. And, of course, when those things mark us, we can never drink deeply ourselves as our fellowship with Him is broken by our actions and attitudes which grieve His Spirit and keep love from flowing—and He will not be where love is not, since He is, Himself, love. The other thing that disrupted the purpose of the feeder and the beauty of it was a Yellow Jacket trying to get something from the feeder. They are small next to even the tiny hummingbird, and yet the hummingbird fled from its charge each time it did so. How many times, I wonder, do we allow an enemy we have authority over, and whom Jesus has defeated, rob us from what God intends for us? I can't help but think that, if the hummingbirds could just see themselves from our perspective, they'd realize it is the Yellow Jacket that should flee from them and not the other way around. We, too, must remember that the thief (Satan) comes for nothing but to steal, kill, and destroy, but the promise to us is that if we resist him he WILL flee.

Just some thoughts, and maybe some lessons, from the hummingbird . . .

A Wonderful Story . . .

It is hard to believe that, two years ago today, I made my first blog post. It was about the  "perfect" coffee mug, and a God who makes the impossible bow. You might enjoy it, and you can read it by clicking here. What I have to share, below, is long . . . but please give me a little grace since it's my "anniversary" and I think you will be very blessed and encouraged by it . . .

Often in the Christian life we are simply obedient, never knowing why God asked us to do something, and never knowing if it did any good. Sometimes He graces us with a glimpse of its effect, but often not. I remember one time, years ago, when Mary Ann and I were early in youth ministry and we had put on a youth camp for local youth. It was exhausting, and I had been so excited about the teaching, and I was so discouraged because I couldn't tell if any youth had heard a word I'd said. I'd called it, "Accident (big bang bam bish, look mom, I came from a fish), or PLAN?" Over the four sessions I'd taken the word "plan" and broken it down. Friday night was "P"—Planets, space, and such. Saturday morning was "L"—the miracle of Life. Saturday night was "A"—Alive, or in the tomb? (evidence for the resurrection). Sunday morning was "N"—Never had to wonder (all the things science has "discovered" that were already in the Bible).

After each session I would ask the youth, "You decide—Accident, or PLAN?" By the end of the weekend I felt like quitting ministry, but then, a month later, God was kind enough to grant us a glimpse of something when one of the high school girls told me about being in science class that day and the teacher saying that anyone who didn't believe they came from a fish was to get up and walk out the door. She did. The teacher was startled and asked what she was doing, and she replied that she believed God had created her (how many others felt so, too, but didn't stand?). The teacher told her she could stay as long as she didn't talk about it.

It was an awesome spark of encouragement for Mary Ann and I, but the truth is, even if God hadn't shown it  to us, she still would have heard and believed at that campout, and just because we didn't know about it, it wouldn't have made it any less effective. I'll never forget the pastor we talked to that afternoon at the end of the campout when we were very discouraged, who simply asked us, "Did you do what God asked you to do?" When we said that we thought we had he replied, "Then that's all He asked you to do. Trust the results to Him."

Writing on this blog is a lot like that. You pour out and try and be obedient, often never knowing if it is making any difference, but just trying to trust. Then, at times, you'll get a comment, or meet someone, who tells you how blessed they've been by it and it feels so good. It's like the affirming nod or "amen" from someone when you are preaching that says, "I hear ya, and keep going, you're right on, brother." We shouldn't need that, but, then again, we are human, too.

Well, the other day I got one of those and I've asked permission to share it with you because it is so encouraging to me, and I believe it will be an encouragement and an example to you. I had made my post, "What's Been Stolen?", about how the enemy gets us to focus on the negative and not see the blessing in things, and I'd used our home and property as the example. I'd recommend you read it if you haven't. A friend and reader who is the moderator of a large Christian website asked me to post the same words on that site. I did so reluctantly, not very confident, and I got one of the most awesome replies I've ever gotten. With permission, I've put part of it below:

Erick,
Thank you! It was like you were speaking directly to what my husband and I have been struggling with. We've got so many things to do here at the house that it's become daunting to us. We have acreage to mow, weeds to hoe, fence to mend, etc. We've been bogged down by so many things on our "to do" list that it seems so defeating at times. Your post was like a glass of sweet iced tea on a hot day. It made me stop and think. You're right. We are blessed, and back when we were first starting out twenty years ago, we would've loved to have a place like we have now. It really is a dream come true. It made me sad to realize that I've let satan creep in and make taking care of this place feel burdensome. That starts getting corrected today! Thanks for a word in due season!

I replied to her comment and said, "Wow! You made my day . . . my week! I called my wife in and said, "You've got to read this! It makes it all worthwhile!" I am so glad I went ahead and posted this, though I almost didn't. I feel like my blog is a place people come to by choice, but posting a post now and then from it here [the other web site] feels like I am shoving my stuff out there. When ___ asked me to, I fought it, but didn't want to miss what God wanted. I am so, so glad I did if it blesses you and your husband and helps you grab the devil by the tail and kick him in the teeth! Feel free to stay in touch. You'll find some pictures of our place, my family, our cows, etc. on my blog if you want to visit it. I look forward to hearing more about your new victory!"

She then replied:

I read your post to my husband, and we talked about it. He felt the same way I did after reading it. We went outside and got busy with the project we had for this weekend. We got the pool up and running from the winter layover and raked, hoed, and spread weed killer. After we sat down, we started talking about the work we'd done, and the talk started to go down the path of "but we still haven't gotten the roof finished (we're re-shingling), or this, or this", etc. It was like the lightbulb went off, and we shut it down and said, "No! That's exactly what God showed us today, and we're not doing this anymore!". Immediately we changed our tune and talked about what we had accomplished. After that, I had a very long talk with God. It was filled with repentance and a lot of tears. Then, I looked around in awe. How amazing is God!!! He has given us such blessing in our lives that I never would have thought possible before; and not just the material things, our kids, our marriage, and the most important - our salvation! And from there just worshipping Him for the gift of salvation and His love and mercy and grace. I feel better than I've felt in a while. We're going to continue to kick satan in the teeth, and battle to get rid of that root of  negative thinking.

I will definitely check in on your blog, and keep you posted on what's going on. I can tell that you have a very humble heart before the Lord. Please don't ever feel that by posting here that we will think you're saying "look at me". You have messages to give that we will love and need to hear, just like this one today! God has given you such an awesome voice to speak His truth! Please shove away!!!!

I hope that you are as encouraged by this as I was, and that it helps you see how to recognize what the enemy might be trying to steal in your life and heart, and how to take that captive to Christ and turn it around. Thanks, so much, for reading, and for those of you who subscribe by email or follow, you won't know how much that encourages me. I treasure you all and I look forward to that perfect cup of coffee in Heaven when we can sit around, get to know each other, and worship the Lord in pure spirit and truth. Until then, you all are welcome to drop by for an imperfect, but still good cup, here.

Are You Living a Bull Fight?

Note: If you are visiting this blog for the first time, I encourage you to read my previous post, "Surrender" is a Beautiful Word. Above any others I have written I think it captures the Christian life, as it is intended to be, best.

All's well and in control. Right?

Wrong!

A video was posted all over the internet this week showing a bull jumping the fence of a bullfighting ring in Spain on Wednesday and plowing through the crowd. I aggressively try to fix my mind on things lovely and pure, and to avoid filling it with unwanted images, so I am not sure why I felt led to watch it. But, when I did on YouTube I found listed, down the right column, video after video of animals thought safely contained, or separated from the people, or controlled, or tamed, turning on people and striking them. Based on the titles, it appears that they ranged from attacks by “pet” Boa Constrictors, to “caged” Polar Bears, to bulls turning on spectators at bull running events, to sharks, etc.

To simply use the bull on Wednesday as an example, I was struck by the fact that the people in the crowd thought they were safe. I am sure they felt in control. It was fun to them, or they wouldn’t have paid to be there. Everything was fun, safe, under control, and pleasurable . . . and then, in a second, sheer terror broke out as that which they thought they were safely in control of turned on them and plowed them over without effort. I timed it—it is four seconds from the first picture where the bull is simply trotting in the ring and the crowd is buzzing with anticipation to the third picture where the bull is leaping into the stand and the people are screaming. It is less than two seconds after the third picture that the bull is among the crowd, charging in to them. In under six seconds it went from a “game” in which the bull was the “safe” object of the people’s enjoyment, to where that same “object” was in their face and tossing them and they were helpless to stop its onslaught.

I think of how many times we play casually with God and sin. We think we are “safe”—in control—that just a little of this or that, or that just holding back from God a little is okay—that we can contain it—that it won’t be a big thing or get out of control. We sit as spectators, treating eternity and sin and God’s holiness and majesty casually, thinking we are in charge and we are in control.

Maybe it is dabbling in sin. Maybe it is thinking we can come to God at a later date, when we want—that we have time. Maybe it is holding back from God what is rightfully His—be it our affection, or time, our values, our entertainment, our finances. Maybe it is not actually doing something bad, but rather not doing what is good, or right, or commanded—a sin of omission, not commission. Maybe it is thinking we have tomorrow to fully surrender to Him and His will and make our life count for eternity . . . that today it is okay to just play and dabble in our hobbies and personal pursuits . . . that we “deserve” it.

Whatever it is, I am struck by the fact that we think we have got it under control—that we are the special, different one who can dabble or compromise a little and not get bitten. That we are safely protected behind the walls of our wits, or our spiritual maturity, or our self control—or insulated by the belief we have tomorrow. And then, in an instant, like a pacing, unseen lion that suddenly chooses that moment to pounce from the brush, that which we dabbled in and thought we controlled strikes, and we realize that we were playing with a den of rattlesnakes treating them as though they were cute worms for bait. The sin turns on us and has our throat in a second. The lie of pleasure and hobbies we convinced ourselves we deserved rears its head above the cross, and we sob, realizing that we don’t have a second chance to live for Him and not us. We are called suddenly home and see all our hobbies and entertainment consumed in the fire, and how little of our life’s work stands for eternity.

God offers us all the joy and meaning we could ever absorb as we walk in intimacy and surrender with Him, and let Him live through us. That is our purpose, and our privilege. Outside of that it is a counterfeit. It looks like the real thing, and it promises pleasure or provision, but it is a bull in a ring. The irony is that, as we fall into the same temptation Eve did of thinking it is possible to find pleasure, provision, and wisdom outside of intimate obedience and total surrender to God, we actually step into the crowd at that bullfight. We have fun, think we are safe, think we are in control, when, in reality, the bull, or the lion, we are “playing with” have in them the potential to, at any moment, turn and trample us into the ground—and show us how flimsy and futile the walls we thought we had erected to keep us safe truly are.

Robbed, or Given Away?

Today was the 10th anniversary of my first Sunday as a pastor. When I realized that last week I got really excited about spending this morning sharing with my fellowship the things I have learned in that time. Then, last night (Saturday), two things hit at once.

First, I hit eleven typed pages of things and realized I had hardly begun to capture the different things God has taught me in that time, which caused me to start to doubt the whole message idea, and feel suddenly overwhelmed at realizing that what I had intended for this morning wasn’t going to work. Second, some things happened in my personal life which, for some reason, hit me hard and in a vulnerable place and I found it difficult to pull out of it.

It is almost shocking to me how quickly I hit a place where I found the heavy situation of my heart standing as a mockery of all I had written about the strength and worship and joy, etc. which I had “supposedly” learned. I, in deep pain in my heart, cast to the side all I had written and in amazing speed was saying to myself, “Who are you kidding? You want to seem like some mature, sagely, aged pastor imparting years of wisdom when you are really so weak and shallow.” I became acutely aware of both the pride, and the insecurity, at work in me. It is amazing how those seemingly contradictory things can both work in you at the same time!

As I shared with some people, it was like I was surrounded by a black storm cloud that, thirty minutes before, hadn’t even been on the horizon! As a result I shared none of what I had written down about things God has shown me.

Here is the thing, though, and that which we must be acutely aware of. The devil, just as when he tempted Jesus, wraps just enough truth around his lies to get you to swallow the whole thing. Yes, some pride had slipped in. And, yes, there was some insecurity in wanting to be seen as wise and mature. But, I let those truths cause me to swallow the whole lie which said I had nothing to offer. I let the reality that I still struggle invalidate the fact that while I have a long way to go, I have also come a long way and learned a lot. I have, in these last ten years, gained a great amount of what I call “seasoning”—the depth of experience that accompanies the knowledge in the head about God, and has not only believed something to be true, but has also experienced its truth.

I have, through countless conversations and counseling sessions, involvements in people’s lives, funerals, watching lives and marriages both blossom and self-destruct, disappointments, hurts, heart wrenching fire calls, personal tests, etc., gained a depth of faith that is tremendously deeper than that which I had ten years ago when most of my faith was based more on Bible verses than the experience of living in faith based on those verses and seeing God back up His Word.

Did the devil rob me last night and this morning, or did I gift wrap it and give it to him? I’m not sure. But I do know that whatever happened he got one in. I tasted the truth coating and swallowed the whole poisoned pill. It is a tactic he has used time and again—since the Garden, in fact—and one we all need to be aware of and on guard against. And, it is usually true, that when he robs one person, he robs many more at the same time.

A Good Week . . .

It has been a good week. I know that it hasn't for all of you, and I am sorry for that and I stand in my heart beside you, but I wanted to share a bit about our week.

Last Saturday I had the privilege of doing a wedding for a young couple who came up through our youth group and who are both moving out of their parent's homes and in to their first home together. They have been dating five years and have honored God with their values and choices and the way they have handled their relationship. We also, this week, got to spend a few hours talking and praying with another former youth grouper who is passionate about walking in God's purpose for his life and not straying from it. Days like those are truly a joy and encouragement to a youth leader!

We had a massive storm from Monday evening through Wednesday morning—8.8" in a little over 24 hours! It is the first time I have seen our ponds full while the grass is still brown! The storm (and subsequent wet hills) brought a peace with lighting our woodburning stove. To commmorate that favorite "first days of a fire" we broke it in by roasting Hebrew National beef franks in it on a stick (thanks, Andy, for introducing us to this tradition!). I have included a couple of pictures of our ponds/property as well as one of our wood stove tradition!

On Friday we were blessed to be able to take a family day and join Rich and Carolyn Lingor on Rich's boat at Lake Lopez for some relaxation and fishing. We went after Blue Gill and, under Rich's expertise and Carolyn's expert opening of the live well, we caught close to forty fish! It was a banner day and we plan to celebrate by frying them up tonight and eating well! I have included a few pictures of some proud girls with their individual catches and with Rich and the net of fish that reminds me of the net Jesus' disciples must have had (a lot bigger, of course) and of the time Jesus cooked fish for the disciples on the beach after His resurrection. I'd say we are following a good precedent!

I have been excited about some of the things God has been showing me this week and last about parallel, interwoven threads that run through history from Creation to Revelation. Four of these threads include:

1) Satan's attack strategy of first inserting doubt in to a believer's heart and mind about God's love, trustworthiness, goodness, Word, and power and then, after doubt works its way in, tempting the believer to think that he or she can find true pleasure, wisdom, or provision apart from God (on their own).

2) The thread of faith that stands in conviction of God's love, trustworthiness, goodness, Word, and power and commits to that conviction. This is the thread a few men and women choose to walk as God's friend.

3) The thread of the cross and resurrection of Jesus, and of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on God's people, that runs foreshadowed through the Old Testament (and gives us understanding of the Old Testament), and through the pages of history today that we live in (between Acts and Revelation), and on in to our hope of Heaven in the future.

4) The thread of God having a people set apart to be intimate with Him, to minister to Him, and to show His glory to the world. We are those people, heirs of Abraham and Israel and Jesus, set apart to minister to God, to be intimate with God, and to show God's glory and invitation to the same to the world.

I taught on these four threads last Sunday, and will teach more about it tomorrow, and it has stunned me how an understanding of them helps us understand history, current events, our walk, the attack against us, the role of faith, our amazing identity in Christ, and our purpose.

Additionally this week, I feel like God has given me a vision for our monthly family services to teach (and show some awesome videos on) why God's Word, the flood, Creation, the ressurection, etc. are believable and scientifically and historically supported. It is time for the rest of the world to be on the defensive and apologetic for their unsupported beliefs, not for Christians to be ashamed of, and unable to stand strong on, the truth!

It has been a good week. Thanks, all, for all your prayers and love and encouragement.

(These pictures are also on my Facebook page if you want to see them in better detail.)

In the Beginning . . .

God is really working in me through Genesis. I never expected the study of it to be so rich (I fell in to the "that is Old Testament" trap!). I am teaching in it at church (up to Abraham and Isaac), Mary Ann is teaching in it at Children's Church (her curriculum chose it, not her!), and I am teaching our history class to Bethany for homeschool and find myself starting in, surprise!, Genesis.

Two things have really struck me there which I wanted to share. I am teaching them both to Bethany as the "eyes" to weigh and see history through.

First: The value of our free choice in God's eyes.
God didn't have to put the forbidden tree in the Garden. If He hadn't, all things would have been permissible. There wouldn't have been a "choice" of disobedience. But, He chose to give us a choice. He so valued our free will choice that He gave it to us, knowing in advance it would cause Him to later have to lay His own Son on the altar for us. This free choice in man, which God valued so much, is one of the driving forces of history. Since God didn't make us love Him, history becomes driven by His pursuit of us wooing us back until we CHOOSE Him. Evil runs rampant in the world because we CHOOSE against Him.

Second: The temptation of Adam and Eve.
This event first reminds us that there is a real enemy and a real war and this, in itself, drives much of history. Then, it show us the enemy's tactics (and these haven't really changed!). First, before tempting Eve, he placed doubt in Eve about God. He caused her to doubt God's Word ("Did God really say..."), God's trustworthiness ("You won't die..."), and God's love for her—planting doubt in her about it by implying God was holding something back from her for selfish reasons ("He knows you will become like Him...").

Then, (and I believe ONLY then—I don't believe Eve would have entertained the temptation if she wasn't first doubting God), from a place of now doubting God, Satan tempted Eve. Because she now doubted God she entertained the idea that she could find provision ("When she saw it was good for food"), pleasure ("she saw it was a delight to the eyes"), and wisdom ("she saw it was desirable to make one wise") apart from God. Isn't that the core of our battles today? The temptation to believe that we can find either provision, pleasure, or wisdom apart from God. Unfortunately, it is only counterfeit provision, pleasure, and wisdom. So, maybe the way to battle that is also seen in this story. To not counter the temptation as much as going after the root of doubts about God that even allow us to entertain the temptation in the first place.

From the Fall comes the explanation for the history we see and the situation today. Man became afraid of God, hid from God, evil entered man's heart (just look at the first two children—Cain and Abel!), the ground became cursed and labor (work and childbearing) became hard, death came upon man, sickness entered, etc.

Just some thoughts to share. Love you all!

I Receive That!

(Thanks so much to everyone for your kind comments and wishes on my last post, "Happy Birthday to Me!". Your comments on the blog, by email, and on Facebook blessed me. God bless you all!)

Yesterday felt like a new beginning! We have been working really hard this summer (and at times gotten really discouraged) trying to get out from under the clutter and stuff in our life, and to get ready to homeschool our girls this year (we begin today). It has felt like, and been, a non-stop summer in which almost every free minute was focused and there wasn't a lot of rest or stillness. Coming home from church yesterday—the teaching over, and an afternoon of (hopefully) rest and preparation for school today ahead—felt like it was the beginning of a whole new chapter or part of our life. I feel like my summer to focus on clearing out "stuff" is over—what is done is done and what isn't just isn't—and that I am ready to begin this year with a renewed focus on this eternal battle we are waging and what God has called me to be in it---His child, a husband, a father, a pastor, and a soldier of Christ called to show His love, sacrifice, and power to the world.

I feel like there is a narrowed beam now in my life---a focus brought to a fine point---and it is the tremendous trust and responsibility God has given me to raise my girls, be the husband He has called me to be, and to draw close and intimate with Him and to carry His battle to the enemy in force. I am sick and tired of the victories of the enemy in people's lives that I know—victories in their marriages, attitudes, bodies, choices, finances, etc. The Bible says that Satan is a thief, a liar, and a murderer, and that his goal and aim and work is to steal, kill, and destroy. The Bible alludes to him and his hosts as serpents and scorpions (and even to death's "sting"), and it says we are given authority to trample on them and I am ready to start stomping!

I know that ahead there will be victories, and there will be defeats—that there will be joy, and there will be tears—but I am so tired of things being gift-wrapped and handed to the devil instead of making him fight for them, and I am so tired of acting like he (and his work) is some huge opponent when my God who dwells in me has defeated him! I am tired of it seeming like it is the devil who holds the universe in his hand when in reality it is God who so huge that He holds the universe in His hand and the devil is somewhere, some speck, down in it!

I felt excitement yesterday afternoon—like a new start, a new focus, a new passion, and a new expectancy and hope were coming over the horizon my way. I am anxious to slow down a little, draw closer to God, hear His voice more, bear His image more powerfully, and hit the devil hard and heavy. It was with this in my mind—and this sense of excitement for what is ahead just below the surface in me—that I saw something amazing, just by "chance," yesterday.

In the afternoon one of our cats wanted out of the screen porch. I let it out and as I did I "happened" to glance down toward the little fountain I made which is just outside the screen porch. This is a traditional "drinking spot" for bees (which are good!) and yellow jackets (which bite hard, swarm, ruin your time outside, and are just wicked and bad!). The day before we even saw a hatch of some new creature swarming around the fountain—they looked like baby wasps with evil looking tails/stingers. Well, down along the side of the fountain was a beautiful, green, majestic looking Praying Mantis and it was eating one of those nasty new flying bugs (see picture above). This Praying Mantis had the bug in its "hands" and it was going to town on it. I called the family out to see it and took some pictures. A little while later I went back out to check on it and it now had a yellow jacket in its "hands" and it was eating that (see second picture, below). I immediately was struck with multiple things:

1) It was a PRAYING Mantis, and it made the normally vicious looking wasps and yellow jackets look small and pitiful as it grasped them and devoured them.

2) The wasps and yellow jackets, with their bites and stingers, reminded me way to much of the allusion to serpents and scorpions and things that sting, and here they were completely overpowered and destroyed by a PRAYING Mantis.

I still believe God speaks in visions and pictures like He has throughout His Word, and I made the decision right then to receive that. I have never seen anything like it before, I almost didn't notice it, and it was utterly amazing. I told Mary Ann, "That is awesome! On the day our new 'life' is beginning we see a PRAYING Mantis devouring stinging bugs. I take that as a sign that there are going to be some great victories ahead where Satan's sting and hosts are rendered powerless and destroyed! What an awesome sign! I receive that!"

Call me crazy and way off base and theologically fractured. That is fine. We can agree to disagree. But for me it was powerful and awesome and I don't believe it was a coincidence. They may be a little gross, but I love these pictures, and I just wanted to share them with you as well. God bless.