When I was a kid our children's choir did a musical based on the story of the fiery furnace in Daniel 3. I'll just be honest - I was the bad guy - I played King Nebuchadnezzar. But despite being cast as the villian of the story it has always been one of my favorites. The awesome faith of these three men who refuse to bow to an idol, even if it means their death - and they literally say that to the king - "even if he does not (deliver us), we want you to know that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up". They fully believed that God could save them - that He was completely capable - but even if He didn't - their trust was not shaken. They weren't going to bow. Of course as many of us know - God does save them. They are thrown into the fire - a fire so hot that some of the men who throw them in die from the heat. Yet when the king looks into the fire he sees not only the three men that were thrown in, but a fourth man just walking around in the flames. He calls for them to come out and not only are they unharmed, they don't even smell like smoke. Just God showing off how amazing He is.
So last year when I discovered the song "Another in the Fire" by Hillsong, it quickly became one of my favorites. There is another in the fire with us. When difficult times come, when life gets hard - like it is right now - we aren't alone. There's a cool progression in the chorus of this song. The first time we are reminded of the cross - where another died for us. The second time we get a glimpse of the grave that does not hold a body, and are reminded that the same power now lives in us. And finally - this great line - "I count the joy come every battle because I KNOW that's where You'll be." This is why people like Paul were thankful for trials and difficulties, because they knew they would meet God in the midst of those - they trusted that God would be there, that there would be another in the fire with them.
I don't know about all of you - but I'm very ready for this pandemic to be over with. I'm ready to come to church again, to see family and friends, for my kids to go to a school that is not my dining room table. But whether that happens tomorrow, or next week, or next month, or next year - I can trust that there is another in this fire with me. That I don't face any of it alone, and no matter what happens I can worship Him, I can trust Him, I can follow Him. In fact, I can learn to see the joy when these difficult times come because I know He will be there. That doesn't mean the difficulties go away - it just means my God is bigger than those, and being with Him is worth it no matter what is happening. So as we continue waiting for the end of this tunnel, for a return to some normalcy - just know that there is another in this fire with you, and He isn't going anywhere. Love you guys - see you soon.
Here's a video of the song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmNc0L7Ac5c
Tuesday, April 28, 2020
Wednesday, April 22, 2020
Believe like a Prostitute
I have always loved Hebrews 11 and the "hall of faith" chapter. The history major in me enjoys the summary and retelling of much of the Old Testament - from Abel, through Noah, to Abraham and his sons and grandsons, then to Moses and into the Promised Land. It's cool to follow along with how God has worked among His people. But have you ever noticed who gets mentioned when it comes to entering the promised land? It talks about the people having faith as they walked around Jericho, but it doesn't mention Joshua. It does however mention Rahab in the next verse. As I read the story of that battle, of how God brought victory at Jericho, I was struck with an interesting question - what was it like for Rahab?
Think about that for a minute - she believes that God has given the Israelites this city. She tells the spies that, which is why she hides them. She has faith in their God. But she isn't given the battle plan. She is sitting, locked away in her house, with her family, and she does what the spies told her to do, and she puts that red cord out the window, and then the Israelite army gets there, all the people - but they don't attack - they just march around the city. For six days the Israelites get up and walk around the city in silence. Do you think Rahab starting having any doubts? You think she got frustrated - trying to figure out what in the world was going on? Do you think it was hard being locked in your house, just waiting and not knowing what is going on? Did that last question feel like it could describe you and me in the midst of this coronavirus mess?
I don't know what went through Rahab's mind during the battle of Jericho. I don't know what she thought of them marching around the city everyday. I do know that she left that scarlet rope in the window. I do know that the writer of Hebrews talked about her faith. I know she is mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew. I know that after Jericho has fallen it says in Joshua 6 that from then on she lived among the Israelites. She became a part of the people of God - not because of her heritage, her genetics - but because of her faith. She didn't know what the plan was, she didn't know what was happening outside those walls for that week of marching. But she trusted that God was in control of it and that He would provide the victory and that He would take care of her and her family.
Sounds like what you and I need to remember today - it's not about the unknown things around us - it's about trusting the God that we do know.
Love you guys - see you soon.
Think about that for a minute - she believes that God has given the Israelites this city. She tells the spies that, which is why she hides them. She has faith in their God. But she isn't given the battle plan. She is sitting, locked away in her house, with her family, and she does what the spies told her to do, and she puts that red cord out the window, and then the Israelite army gets there, all the people - but they don't attack - they just march around the city. For six days the Israelites get up and walk around the city in silence. Do you think Rahab starting having any doubts? You think she got frustrated - trying to figure out what in the world was going on? Do you think it was hard being locked in your house, just waiting and not knowing what is going on? Did that last question feel like it could describe you and me in the midst of this coronavirus mess?
I don't know what went through Rahab's mind during the battle of Jericho. I don't know what she thought of them marching around the city everyday. I do know that she left that scarlet rope in the window. I do know that the writer of Hebrews talked about her faith. I know she is mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew. I know that after Jericho has fallen it says in Joshua 6 that from then on she lived among the Israelites. She became a part of the people of God - not because of her heritage, her genetics - but because of her faith. She didn't know what the plan was, she didn't know what was happening outside those walls for that week of marching. But she trusted that God was in control of it and that He would provide the victory and that He would take care of her and her family.
Sounds like what you and I need to remember today - it's not about the unknown things around us - it's about trusting the God that we do know.
Love you guys - see you soon.
Tuesday, April 21, 2020
The Backside of a Rain Cloud
It looked like the sun wasn't going to shine anymore
But God put a rainbow in the sky
Those words are from "Rainbow in the Sky" by Cageless Birds, which is a really fun, catchy song that will be stuck in your head after you listen to it. And it's message is really simple - that during those times when things seems dark, when it looks like the sun isn't going to shine anymore - God reminds us of His goodness, of His love, of His promise to never leave us.
Rainbows are both really amazing and totally explainable. And for some people the fact that we can explain how rainbows happen takes away from their origin, from the story of Noah and God showing him a rainbow to serve as a reminder that God would never flood the earth again and destroy everything. But for me that just makes it even more amazing - because it means that when God first set the sun in the sky, when he first put water on the earth - he knew that eventually, one day the flood would come, that it would begin to rain on the earth, and that once the rain stopped and the sun shone through those clouds at just the right angle, there would be this amazing arc of color in the sky. God made all of it that way so that when storms come we could have this amazing reminder of His love. Because sometimes we start to forget about His love, we take it for granted, and sometimes it's not until those storms come that we realize how much we need it and how amazing it is. But just like rainbows can remind us of the promises of God after the rain, God has put things all around us to remind us of His love and His promises. The stars in the night sky, the flowers starting to bloom all around us, birds singing in the trees, the smile of a loved one, the laughter of a child - we could do this all day. There are so many good things around us - even in the midst of our current separation. So take some time today - listen to this fun song, let it get stuck in your head - and as you walk around singing it to yourself look for God - He's all around you - reminding you how much He loves you, reminding you of the promises He has made to never leave you, never forsake you, never abandon you. He's always there - we just aren't always looking.
Here's a link a video of the song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWKVmOQ-mko
Love you guys - see you soon
But God put a rainbow in the sky
Those words are from "Rainbow in the Sky" by Cageless Birds, which is a really fun, catchy song that will be stuck in your head after you listen to it. And it's message is really simple - that during those times when things seems dark, when it looks like the sun isn't going to shine anymore - God reminds us of His goodness, of His love, of His promise to never leave us.
Rainbows are both really amazing and totally explainable. And for some people the fact that we can explain how rainbows happen takes away from their origin, from the story of Noah and God showing him a rainbow to serve as a reminder that God would never flood the earth again and destroy everything. But for me that just makes it even more amazing - because it means that when God first set the sun in the sky, when he first put water on the earth - he knew that eventually, one day the flood would come, that it would begin to rain on the earth, and that once the rain stopped and the sun shone through those clouds at just the right angle, there would be this amazing arc of color in the sky. God made all of it that way so that when storms come we could have this amazing reminder of His love. Because sometimes we start to forget about His love, we take it for granted, and sometimes it's not until those storms come that we realize how much we need it and how amazing it is. But just like rainbows can remind us of the promises of God after the rain, God has put things all around us to remind us of His love and His promises. The stars in the night sky, the flowers starting to bloom all around us, birds singing in the trees, the smile of a loved one, the laughter of a child - we could do this all day. There are so many good things around us - even in the midst of our current separation. So take some time today - listen to this fun song, let it get stuck in your head - and as you walk around singing it to yourself look for God - He's all around you - reminding you how much He loves you, reminding you of the promises He has made to never leave you, never forsake you, never abandon you. He's always there - we just aren't always looking.
Here's a link a video of the song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWKVmOQ-mko
Love you guys - see you soon
Wednesday, April 15, 2020
Right on Time and Fully Stocked
The timing and provision of God are amazing. I’ve seen countless times in my life when God came through at just the right time, often when I didn’t even know I needed Him to. For quite a while now Joni and I joke every time a little extra money comes in - because it always seem that as soon as it does there is a need for it - something with the car or house needs to be repaired or last year it was our son’s trip to the ER with the flu. It can be frustrating at times because we think we have this extra money that we can pay something off or do something special with but it ends up being what we need for something we didn’t know about. And while at first it seems frustrating at first, it ends up reminding us that God takes care of us and provided at just the right time.
In the book of Joshua, chapter 5, the people are finally entering the promised land, and God shows off both his timing and his provision. In verse 10 it says that they celebrated the Passover, and then the very next day they ate the produce of the land. The Passover is that remembrance of how God delivered the people from Egypt, and here they are celebrating it again as they enter the promised land. I have trouble getting my kids up and to school on time, God perfectly times a couple million people wandering through the desert for 4 decades and ends up on the doorstep of the promised land on this exact day. That's not a happy coincidence that's God's timing. Even with some of the awful things that the people choose to do, the very fact that they wander around the desert for all that time, God still bring sit all together exactly when He wants to, exactly when He says it is time. In the midst of our current chaos, our very uncertain world - we need to remember that God is still God, and He is still doing things in His time. He knows exactly when we will all be back together. He knows exactly when things get can closer to normal. But just like He used that time in the desert to prepare Joshua and that next generation of Israelites, He can use this time to work in our lives as well. Even in the midst of crisis - God provides exactly what we need.
Speaking of God's provision, for 40 years as the people wandered he gave them manna, provided them with food to eat out in the wilderness. They enter the land and verse 12 there in Joshua 5 tells us that the day after they ate food from the land, the manna stopped. Scripture doesn't tell us anything about it, but I have to wonder how many people woke up for the next several days and went looking for manna? After 40 years of getting up every day and going out to collect what you needed for that day it probably took some adjusting, and there were probably some who were upset, that thought God was letting them down. I'm sure most of them were glad to have something else to eat, but there were probably some that wanted God to give them both the manna and what they could now enjoy in the promised land. It was probably some of the same people who tried to store up manna when God first provided that as well. They wanted to store up as much as they could and feel safe and secure as they entered this new land. But God was asking them to continue to trust Him. In the wilderness He provided them with manna, now He is giving them this new land that would give them all the food they needed. The food changed, but the source of provision was still God. Not only do we need to remember that God's timing is still perfectly intact during all this coronavirus mess, but we need to remember that God is our provider. No he doesn't always give us the abundance we think we need - we don't get the fruit of the land and the manna. He wants us to trust Him that He will continue to give to us, continue to take care of us. Doesn't mean we will get what we want - but we will always have what God knows we need.
Joshua and the people got to see and learn those things first hand - and that made it possible for them to go into battle fully trusting that God would keep His promises. We can learn the same things, we can trust and rely on the timing and provision of God in the midst of any storm. Love you guys - see you soon.
In the book of Joshua, chapter 5, the people are finally entering the promised land, and God shows off both his timing and his provision. In verse 10 it says that they celebrated the Passover, and then the very next day they ate the produce of the land. The Passover is that remembrance of how God delivered the people from Egypt, and here they are celebrating it again as they enter the promised land. I have trouble getting my kids up and to school on time, God perfectly times a couple million people wandering through the desert for 4 decades and ends up on the doorstep of the promised land on this exact day. That's not a happy coincidence that's God's timing. Even with some of the awful things that the people choose to do, the very fact that they wander around the desert for all that time, God still bring sit all together exactly when He wants to, exactly when He says it is time. In the midst of our current chaos, our very uncertain world - we need to remember that God is still God, and He is still doing things in His time. He knows exactly when we will all be back together. He knows exactly when things get can closer to normal. But just like He used that time in the desert to prepare Joshua and that next generation of Israelites, He can use this time to work in our lives as well. Even in the midst of crisis - God provides exactly what we need.
Speaking of God's provision, for 40 years as the people wandered he gave them manna, provided them with food to eat out in the wilderness. They enter the land and verse 12 there in Joshua 5 tells us that the day after they ate food from the land, the manna stopped. Scripture doesn't tell us anything about it, but I have to wonder how many people woke up for the next several days and went looking for manna? After 40 years of getting up every day and going out to collect what you needed for that day it probably took some adjusting, and there were probably some who were upset, that thought God was letting them down. I'm sure most of them were glad to have something else to eat, but there were probably some that wanted God to give them both the manna and what they could now enjoy in the promised land. It was probably some of the same people who tried to store up manna when God first provided that as well. They wanted to store up as much as they could and feel safe and secure as they entered this new land. But God was asking them to continue to trust Him. In the wilderness He provided them with manna, now He is giving them this new land that would give them all the food they needed. The food changed, but the source of provision was still God. Not only do we need to remember that God's timing is still perfectly intact during all this coronavirus mess, but we need to remember that God is our provider. No he doesn't always give us the abundance we think we need - we don't get the fruit of the land and the manna. He wants us to trust Him that He will continue to give to us, continue to take care of us. Doesn't mean we will get what we want - but we will always have what God knows we need.
Joshua and the people got to see and learn those things first hand - and that made it possible for them to go into battle fully trusting that God would keep His promises. We can learn the same things, we can trust and rely on the timing and provision of God in the midst of any storm. Love you guys - see you soon.
Monday, April 13, 2020
Dancing in the rain
When I feel my hope about to break
I will cling to Your unchanging grace
Let the waters come and the earth give way
I'll be dancing in the rain!My feet are on the rock
Those words from the chorus of My Feet are on the Rock by I Am They feel so needed as we enter another week of social distancing. I am sure there are a lot of people who feel like their hope is about to break. They are sick and tired of staying home, of staying away from people. We are all getting a little stir crazy by now. But I love the response in these words. When our hope seems to be fading - we cling to God’s unchanging grace. We grab onto it and hold on tight. And then no matter what happens - if the waters rise, if the earth gives way - we will be just fine. We have that unchanging grace. And so in the midst of the storm we can dance in the rain. Our feet are on the rock and so nothing can shake us.
Psalm 18:2 says “The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.”
This week as we face another week of uncertainty, another week of wondering when we might be able to start getting back to normal - take refuge in our amazing God. Let Him be your stronghold, the one you place your trust in and the one you find joy in. Then no matter what the next days, weeks or even months bring - you can be dancing in the rain. You just need to plant your feet on The Rock - he won’t change no matter what happens around you and He can hold you up when everything else seems to be caving in.
Love you guys - see you soon.
Enjoy the LEGO version of the song: https://youtu.be/_XevDJ0h9PI
I will cling to Your unchanging grace
Let the waters come and the earth give way
I'll be dancing in the rain!My feet are on the rock
Those words from the chorus of My Feet are on the Rock by I Am They feel so needed as we enter another week of social distancing. I am sure there are a lot of people who feel like their hope is about to break. They are sick and tired of staying home, of staying away from people. We are all getting a little stir crazy by now. But I love the response in these words. When our hope seems to be fading - we cling to God’s unchanging grace. We grab onto it and hold on tight. And then no matter what happens - if the waters rise, if the earth gives way - we will be just fine. We have that unchanging grace. And so in the midst of the storm we can dance in the rain. Our feet are on the rock and so nothing can shake us.
Psalm 18:2 says “The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.”
This week as we face another week of uncertainty, another week of wondering when we might be able to start getting back to normal - take refuge in our amazing God. Let Him be your stronghold, the one you place your trust in and the one you find joy in. Then no matter what the next days, weeks or even months bring - you can be dancing in the rain. You just need to plant your feet on The Rock - he won’t change no matter what happens around you and He can hold you up when everything else seems to be caving in.
Love you guys - see you soon.
Enjoy the LEGO version of the song: https://youtu.be/_XevDJ0h9PI
Saved because Lazarus Died
The story of Lazarus is one that is familiar to many of us. I mean even in the Bible someone being raised from the dead is pretty rare and astonishing, not to mention that the shortest verse in the Bible - one quoted often by smart alecks around the world - Jesus wept - is from this passage. But I want you to think about a couple of things that you might not have noticed before. First, in John 11:15 Jesus says to his disciples that for their sake he is glad that he wasn’t there before Lazarus died, so that they may believe. It goes well beyond just the disciples that benefit from Jesus waiting. But many of those blessings come with some difficulty and pain, but if you asked Mary, Martha or even Lazarus if it was worth it - I think they would tell you it absolutely was. Yes it’s awesome anytime Jesus heals someone - but it’s even more amazing when he brings someone back from the grave. Verse 45 reveals how powerful this moment was when it tells us that many of the people who had come to visit the family after the tragic death of Lazarus became believers after seeing what Jesus did. Think about that for a moment - these people believed in Jesus - they gained eternal life because Lazarus died.
But there is even better news for us. Those people aren’t the only ones who gained eternal life because of Lazarus death - so did we. I don’t mean that Lazarus death saved us, but right after John talks about those who believed because of what happened, he mentions some others who weren’t so happy. Instead of believing in Jesus they run to the Pharisees to tattle on Jesus. That becomes the straw that breaks the camel’s back for the Pharisees. They wanted to kill Jesus before this but now they must kill Him. They don’t see any other choice - Jesus must die. And as we celebrated this weekend - that is what gives us life. That death is what saves us. That sacrifice is what allows us to be reconciled to the Father.
This weekend we celebrated how Jesus died to bring us new life - but Lazarus death played a part in that as well, and God can use our current suffering to show off His goodness as well. Love you guys - see you soon.
But there is even better news for us. Those people aren’t the only ones who gained eternal life because of Lazarus death - so did we. I don’t mean that Lazarus death saved us, but right after John talks about those who believed because of what happened, he mentions some others who weren’t so happy. Instead of believing in Jesus they run to the Pharisees to tattle on Jesus. That becomes the straw that breaks the camel’s back for the Pharisees. They wanted to kill Jesus before this but now they must kill Him. They don’t see any other choice - Jesus must die. And as we celebrated this weekend - that is what gives us life. That death is what saves us. That sacrifice is what allows us to be reconciled to the Father.
This weekend we celebrated how Jesus died to bring us new life - but Lazarus death played a part in that as well, and God can use our current suffering to show off His goodness as well. Love you guys - see you soon.
Wednesday, April 8, 2020
Uh Oh Another Character Building Experience
Have you ever driven around in the eastern part of the country? There's all this green stuff everywhere, trees all over that make the road feel almost like a tunnel. Several years ago we went to see Joni's grandparents in Virginia, and just like at home, as you drive along the interstate the signs tell you what towns the exits will take you to. But do you want to know what was very different - you couldn't ever see the towns, not until you took the exit ramp at least. It was a strange feeling - we would be driving along, often right next to a town or a city, and yet I could never tell - all I saw were trees and greenery. I've spent basically my entire life in New Mexico. Nothing ever sneaks up on you here, you can see towns coming for miles. I mean you can see an old abandoned gas station coming for miles between here and Vaughn. There's not that same since of the unknown that I had there.
Sometimes our life is like that too. There are times when things seem pretty clear, where we know where we are headed, we can see things coming from a long way off. And then there are times like right now, times with a lot of uncertainty, when very few things seem so clear. That can be a difficult place, a painful place even at times. But it can also be a really great place for us spiritually. In Romans 5 Paul says:
We also glory in our suffering, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
Putting out hope in Jesus in the midst of suffering or uncertainty not only helps us get through that moment, but it also helps to grow us. Every time that we persevere, that we keep our eyes on Jesus through the midst of a storm, we get closer to him and it grows our character. We learn to trust him more and more. We see our faith validated and we find even more hope in Jesus because we trust Him more and more. Not saying that perseverance is easy, or even that it's pleasant - suffering and uncertainty never are. But we can find the good in the midst of our uncertainty. We can see the opportunity to persevere, for God to grow our character, and for our hope in Him to grow even more. Because as Romans says that hope is never put to shame, it will never be a disappointment, God always comes through.
As we face the uncertainty around us follow the wise words of a great philosopher - Dory - and just keep swimming. Your perseverance will lead to good things. Love you guys - see you soon.
Sometimes our life is like that too. There are times when things seem pretty clear, where we know where we are headed, we can see things coming from a long way off. And then there are times like right now, times with a lot of uncertainty, when very few things seem so clear. That can be a difficult place, a painful place even at times. But it can also be a really great place for us spiritually. In Romans 5 Paul says:
We also glory in our suffering, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
Putting out hope in Jesus in the midst of suffering or uncertainty not only helps us get through that moment, but it also helps to grow us. Every time that we persevere, that we keep our eyes on Jesus through the midst of a storm, we get closer to him and it grows our character. We learn to trust him more and more. We see our faith validated and we find even more hope in Jesus because we trust Him more and more. Not saying that perseverance is easy, or even that it's pleasant - suffering and uncertainty never are. But we can find the good in the midst of our uncertainty. We can see the opportunity to persevere, for God to grow our character, and for our hope in Him to grow even more. Because as Romans says that hope is never put to shame, it will never be a disappointment, God always comes through.
As we face the uncertainty around us follow the wise words of a great philosopher - Dory - and just keep swimming. Your perseverance will lead to good things. Love you guys - see you soon.
Tuesday, April 7, 2020
Desperate Tigers in the Ninja Formation
Every Wednesday I have been trying to share some encouragement as I study through the book of Joshua, and honestly I came into this week fully expecting to talk about Jericho. But then I opened it up this week and started reading where I had left off last week - the people crossing the Jordan in chapters 3-4, and I read the first verse of chapter 5
Now when all the Amorite kings west of the Jordan and all the Canaanite kings along the coast heard how the Lord had dried up the Jordan before the Israelites until they had crossed over, their hearts melted in fear and they no longer had the courage to face the Israelites.
Joshua and the people of Israel have literally just stepped foot onto that side of the Jordan, barely even touched the promised land, and yet God has already provided the victory. This isn't because Joshua is so brave or such a great warrior. It's not because the Israelite forces are so strong. This is because of God. All these kings and their people had surely heard about what happened to the Egyptians, and when God repeats part of that story by causing the Jordan to stop flowing and letting them cross it, just like he did the Red Sea, those kings know that God is with these people and it says their hearts melted in fear. The Message says that their hearts sank and the courage drained out of them.
Here's the encouraging message for us from that - when we walk with God the same thing happens to our enemy. When we find ourselves in Christ, and we are following His will, when we are being the people He created us to be - He goes before us, and our enemy sees that God is with us. There is a reason why Satan is called a deceiver and a liar - because he can't battle with God straight on. He has to try all these other things to get us off track, to drag us down, to get us to pull away from God - because he has no chance in a fight with God.
I went to Kirtland Central High School - home of the Broncos - and our biggest rival was always the Aztec Tigers. When I was in middle school and high school we had some knock down drag out football games with them. We knew each other well, there weren't a lot of surprises in those games - we just lined it up and had some hard nosed battles with them. And for all those years the home team always won. They were never able to beat us at home, and we never could get the better of them at their place. That is until my senior year. We were feeling pretty confident even though we were playing in Aztec, but there was still that little voice back there, especially for our coaches. We had been there before, feeling like we were the better team and it just hadn't gone our way. But my senior year instead of our usual smash-mouth familiar game, Aztec came out in this crazy formation that they called "Ninja". For those of you who understand football let me explain this thing to you. They split their tackles out wide, along with a wide receiver, and lined up a running back behind them. They did this on both sides so that they had these little stacks to either side, and then that left just the center and guards in the middle along with the QB and one running back. It was the craziest thing we'd ever seen, and to their credit we had no idea how to line up at first to defend it. But here's the thing - it was a desperation move. For all the confusion it briefly caused it, it also told us that they knew they couldn't just line up and play with us that night.
That's how Satan works too, that's how anyone has to work when they are going up against our God. When the Amorite and Canaanite kings saw that God was with the people - they knew they couldn't win. They knew they couldn't stand toe to toe with them - not because of the people, but because of the God that they were following, the God who was providing for them and taking care of them. You and I have that same God. As Chris Tomlin says in his song "Whom Shall I Fear" - I know who goes before me, I know who stands behind - the God of Angel Armies is always by my side"
As we continue to face uncertainty and some honestly just crazy things in this world - remember that the God of angel armies is always by your side - and not only can you know that - the enemy knows that as well - and it melts his heart, it takes away his courage, it saps him of his confidence. No one can stand against our God. Love you guys - see you soon.
Now when all the Amorite kings west of the Jordan and all the Canaanite kings along the coast heard how the Lord had dried up the Jordan before the Israelites until they had crossed over, their hearts melted in fear and they no longer had the courage to face the Israelites.
Joshua and the people of Israel have literally just stepped foot onto that side of the Jordan, barely even touched the promised land, and yet God has already provided the victory. This isn't because Joshua is so brave or such a great warrior. It's not because the Israelite forces are so strong. This is because of God. All these kings and their people had surely heard about what happened to the Egyptians, and when God repeats part of that story by causing the Jordan to stop flowing and letting them cross it, just like he did the Red Sea, those kings know that God is with these people and it says their hearts melted in fear. The Message says that their hearts sank and the courage drained out of them.
Here's the encouraging message for us from that - when we walk with God the same thing happens to our enemy. When we find ourselves in Christ, and we are following His will, when we are being the people He created us to be - He goes before us, and our enemy sees that God is with us. There is a reason why Satan is called a deceiver and a liar - because he can't battle with God straight on. He has to try all these other things to get us off track, to drag us down, to get us to pull away from God - because he has no chance in a fight with God.
I went to Kirtland Central High School - home of the Broncos - and our biggest rival was always the Aztec Tigers. When I was in middle school and high school we had some knock down drag out football games with them. We knew each other well, there weren't a lot of surprises in those games - we just lined it up and had some hard nosed battles with them. And for all those years the home team always won. They were never able to beat us at home, and we never could get the better of them at their place. That is until my senior year. We were feeling pretty confident even though we were playing in Aztec, but there was still that little voice back there, especially for our coaches. We had been there before, feeling like we were the better team and it just hadn't gone our way. But my senior year instead of our usual smash-mouth familiar game, Aztec came out in this crazy formation that they called "Ninja". For those of you who understand football let me explain this thing to you. They split their tackles out wide, along with a wide receiver, and lined up a running back behind them. They did this on both sides so that they had these little stacks to either side, and then that left just the center and guards in the middle along with the QB and one running back. It was the craziest thing we'd ever seen, and to their credit we had no idea how to line up at first to defend it. But here's the thing - it was a desperation move. For all the confusion it briefly caused it, it also told us that they knew they couldn't just line up and play with us that night.
That's how Satan works too, that's how anyone has to work when they are going up against our God. When the Amorite and Canaanite kings saw that God was with the people - they knew they couldn't win. They knew they couldn't stand toe to toe with them - not because of the people, but because of the God that they were following, the God who was providing for them and taking care of them. You and I have that same God. As Chris Tomlin says in his song "Whom Shall I Fear" - I know who goes before me, I know who stands behind - the God of Angel Armies is always by my side"
As we continue to face uncertainty and some honestly just crazy things in this world - remember that the God of angel armies is always by your side - and not only can you know that - the enemy knows that as well - and it melts his heart, it takes away his courage, it saps him of his confidence. No one can stand against our God. Love you guys - see you soon.
Monday, April 6, 2020
Drumming on the Dashboard
Psalm 25:1-5
In you Lord my God, I put my trust.
I trust in you; do not let me be put to shame, not let my enemies triumph over me.
No one who hopes in you will ever be put to shame, but shame will come to those who are treacherous without cause.
Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths.
Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.
Basically since I had a license and the ability to drive I have enjoyed just driving around to worship God. In high school I lived in a town so small it was literally not a town. So there wasn't a lot to do - so I would drive, listening to music, singing along. In college one of my best friends and I developed the habit of driving from where we lived in the NE Heights of Albuquerque all the way across town and up to Double Eagle Airport out on the West Mesa. The drive back was always the best part - you are coming down from the west side and there's the city lights all layed out under the shadow of Sandia Peak. It's a beautiful scene, and when you add in our background of Third Day's Come Together album it made for some awesome nights of worship. The habit lessened as I grew older, simply out of necessity. When you have a wife and a family it's not the best practice to go driving across town in the middle of the night just for fun. But worshiping in the car is still normal, and I must confess there have been times when the cars next to me probably thought I was very peculiar as I lost myself in praise. As if the sight of a giant man in a mini-van isn't enough to make me stand out, now we are adding in singing at the top of my lungs, lifting my hands, and occasionally closing my eyes while waiting at stoplights.
One of the songs that has definitely caused that to happen more than once is Here's My Heart by Crowder. It echoes the words of the Psalm above - repeating several times that Here is my heart Lord, speak what is true. As we continue to deal with the uncertainty of our world right now, this phrase has become even more meaningful to me. The more the world talks about all the possibilities that are ahead of us - the more I want to hold onto God's truth and the more I want to give him my heart. You see giving my heart to God, laying it out and telling him to take and speak truth to it - that's not just about Him giving me something, it's not just about Him filling my heart with His truth. It is also about giving Him the things that are in my heart. It's about laying all those worries, all those thoughts, all those concerns, all those things that are weighing on my heart - and giving those to Him, letting Him speak His truth over those things. It's about letting Him carry those things so that He can allow me to have that easy yoke and the light burden that He promises us.
I know that's not an easy thing all the time - certainly not for me. It's something we have to learn more and more all the time. I love how the song builds and conveys that idea as well. First it talks about how we are found and loved, and then it returns to that chorus asking God to take our hearts and speak his truth. Then it again talks about being found and loved but this time is adds to it, talking about how strong and sure God is. That faith grows, knowing that not only does God love us and finds us, but He is strong and sure, He will endure. Then it returns to the chorus - once again echoing Here's my heart, and then adding to it by crying out Here's my life as well. Then it proceeds again through being found, and that God is strong, but that idea continues to grow and adds a third verse this time, coming to place where we can boldly say
You are MORE than enough
You are here, you are love
You are hope
You are grace
You're all I have
You're everything
And that final point that it gets to, that high point of the song declaring that God is everything. That's what I need so much right now. I need it all the time, but especially when everything around us is so out of sorts I need to be reminded that God is everything - He is everything I need, and He should be everything that I want. And none of this has changed Him at all. He is still the same God He has always been, and no virus, no social distance, nothing can ever change that. He is still the same God that sent His Son to die for my sins. He is still the same God that willingly went to the cross for me and declared IT IS FINISHED. He is still the same God that couldn't be held in that tomb, but rose again. And He is still the same God that sends His Spirit to work in my heart, to make me more and more like Him. That's the truth that God has been speaking to my heart this week. That's the truth that we get to celebrate this week on Resurrection Sunday. That's the truth I'm holding onto no matter what lies ahead.
Love you guys - see you soon.
Here's a link to the song on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xzxm1jMNaB4&list=PLO2C6gHJTjeIoq7qjDQyxkGT8VT25ETpg&index=32&t=0s
In you Lord my God, I put my trust.
I trust in you; do not let me be put to shame, not let my enemies triumph over me.
No one who hopes in you will ever be put to shame, but shame will come to those who are treacherous without cause.
Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths.
Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.
Basically since I had a license and the ability to drive I have enjoyed just driving around to worship God. In high school I lived in a town so small it was literally not a town. So there wasn't a lot to do - so I would drive, listening to music, singing along. In college one of my best friends and I developed the habit of driving from where we lived in the NE Heights of Albuquerque all the way across town and up to Double Eagle Airport out on the West Mesa. The drive back was always the best part - you are coming down from the west side and there's the city lights all layed out under the shadow of Sandia Peak. It's a beautiful scene, and when you add in our background of Third Day's Come Together album it made for some awesome nights of worship. The habit lessened as I grew older, simply out of necessity. When you have a wife and a family it's not the best practice to go driving across town in the middle of the night just for fun. But worshiping in the car is still normal, and I must confess there have been times when the cars next to me probably thought I was very peculiar as I lost myself in praise. As if the sight of a giant man in a mini-van isn't enough to make me stand out, now we are adding in singing at the top of my lungs, lifting my hands, and occasionally closing my eyes while waiting at stoplights.
One of the songs that has definitely caused that to happen more than once is Here's My Heart by Crowder. It echoes the words of the Psalm above - repeating several times that Here is my heart Lord, speak what is true. As we continue to deal with the uncertainty of our world right now, this phrase has become even more meaningful to me. The more the world talks about all the possibilities that are ahead of us - the more I want to hold onto God's truth and the more I want to give him my heart. You see giving my heart to God, laying it out and telling him to take and speak truth to it - that's not just about Him giving me something, it's not just about Him filling my heart with His truth. It is also about giving Him the things that are in my heart. It's about laying all those worries, all those thoughts, all those concerns, all those things that are weighing on my heart - and giving those to Him, letting Him speak His truth over those things. It's about letting Him carry those things so that He can allow me to have that easy yoke and the light burden that He promises us.
I know that's not an easy thing all the time - certainly not for me. It's something we have to learn more and more all the time. I love how the song builds and conveys that idea as well. First it talks about how we are found and loved, and then it returns to that chorus asking God to take our hearts and speak his truth. Then it again talks about being found and loved but this time is adds to it, talking about how strong and sure God is. That faith grows, knowing that not only does God love us and finds us, but He is strong and sure, He will endure. Then it returns to the chorus - once again echoing Here's my heart, and then adding to it by crying out Here's my life as well. Then it proceeds again through being found, and that God is strong, but that idea continues to grow and adds a third verse this time, coming to place where we can boldly say
You are MORE than enough
You are here, you are love
You are hope
You are grace
You're all I have
You're everything
And that final point that it gets to, that high point of the song declaring that God is everything. That's what I need so much right now. I need it all the time, but especially when everything around us is so out of sorts I need to be reminded that God is everything - He is everything I need, and He should be everything that I want. And none of this has changed Him at all. He is still the same God He has always been, and no virus, no social distance, nothing can ever change that. He is still the same God that sent His Son to die for my sins. He is still the same God that willingly went to the cross for me and declared IT IS FINISHED. He is still the same God that couldn't be held in that tomb, but rose again. And He is still the same God that sends His Spirit to work in my heart, to make me more and more like Him. That's the truth that God has been speaking to my heart this week. That's the truth that we get to celebrate this week on Resurrection Sunday. That's the truth I'm holding onto no matter what lies ahead.
Love you guys - see you soon.
Here's a link to the song on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xzxm1jMNaB4&list=PLO2C6gHJTjeIoq7qjDQyxkGT8VT25ETpg&index=32&t=0s
Egged and TP-ed
Last week our house got "egged and TP-ed"....I mean that's what the note inside the giant easter egg said. An egg that was filled with jelly beans and the most priceless commodity in the world right now - toilet paper. So we had eggs and toilet paper, thus we were "egged and tp-ed". It was a really cool gesture during a time when we don't get to express our love for one another like we are used to. We don't get to go to church, shake hands and hug necks. We don't get to go out to lunch or hang out and have game night or things like that. So it was really cool to find this surprise outside our door last week, but here's the biggest surprise - as of the time I am writing this blog, we still don't know who did it. Oh we have suspects - there have been some inquiries, a little investigating, but nothing conclusive yet. They left it anonymously, and it is that idea - of doing something for someone who doesn't even know it that struck me as I read the story of the Good Samaritan.
I've read this story countless times. I have taught it, discussed it, preached on it even (I think). This is one of those that we learn pretty early on, not only because it's a great story, but because we really want kids to learn this one right? Be kind to other people, help them out, even if you don't know them. But I was struck with a thought as I read it this time that I am not sure I have ever had before. Did the Samaritan ever actually meet the man that he stopped to help? He is beaten up, seemingly unconscious or out of it when the Samaritan comes upon him, and he speaks to the inn keeper as if the man is still that way when he leaves him there, and we don't know what happens when the Samaritan comes back. Was the man still there? Had he healed and rested enough to leave already? Did they ever even meet?
During this time of social distancing there are still plenty of ways to love our neighbors. In fact, ironically one of the ways we can love our neighbors right now is by staying away from them. That doesn't mean you don't wave or have a conversation over the fence. It doesn't mean you can't egg and TP their house....although only how I described it above - you can't afford to really TP someone's house right now. It means we can call and check on them. It means we can pray for them. It means a whole lot of things, many of which might go completely unnoticed by the people you are doing it for. Like the Samaritan you might not even meet the person you helped. But meeting them isn't the point. Getting the credit and recognition isn't the point. Loving other people the same way God loves us is the point. And that is precisely why we can love them - because God loves us, and His supply never runs out, so we can just keep passing it on.
Love you guys - see you soon.
I've read this story countless times. I have taught it, discussed it, preached on it even (I think). This is one of those that we learn pretty early on, not only because it's a great story, but because we really want kids to learn this one right? Be kind to other people, help them out, even if you don't know them. But I was struck with a thought as I read it this time that I am not sure I have ever had before. Did the Samaritan ever actually meet the man that he stopped to help? He is beaten up, seemingly unconscious or out of it when the Samaritan comes upon him, and he speaks to the inn keeper as if the man is still that way when he leaves him there, and we don't know what happens when the Samaritan comes back. Was the man still there? Had he healed and rested enough to leave already? Did they ever even meet?
During this time of social distancing there are still plenty of ways to love our neighbors. In fact, ironically one of the ways we can love our neighbors right now is by staying away from them. That doesn't mean you don't wave or have a conversation over the fence. It doesn't mean you can't egg and TP their house....although only how I described it above - you can't afford to really TP someone's house right now. It means we can call and check on them. It means we can pray for them. It means a whole lot of things, many of which might go completely unnoticed by the people you are doing it for. Like the Samaritan you might not even meet the person you helped. But meeting them isn't the point. Getting the credit and recognition isn't the point. Loving other people the same way God loves us is the point. And that is precisely why we can love them - because God loves us, and His supply never runs out, so we can just keep passing it on.
Love you guys - see you soon.
Thursday, April 2, 2020
Nowhere to Run
In the book of Genesis we get to read of Jacob's incredible encounter with God - where he literally wrestles with God all night. Now I've had some sleepless nights, those where your mind just won't stop and God seems to be talking to me about something instead of letting me sleep. Usually it's something he has been pointing out to me for a while and I have been resisting it. But Jacob physically wrestles with God all night. He even has the injured hip to prove it. And this is a huge turning point in Jacob's life, because every other time there was a conflict, there was a tough moment, Jacob has run away. When Esau was after him, he ran. When he and his father-in-law Laban disagreed, he ran. But this encounter with God comes at a time when there is nowhere left to run. There is nothing left to do but stop and face God. And the awesome part it that once Jacob does, once he stops running away, he gets to be blessed by God.
Now I don't think any of you have had to run away from your twin brother because you tricked and lied your way into stealing his inheritance and his birthright. I don't think any of you ended up married to two sisters after your father-in-law tricked you into marrying the older one first even though you just wanted to marry the younger one. But there are times where all of us have run away. There are times when all of us have tried to keep ourselves busy and distracted instead of just facing God and letting Him deal with something in our lives. And right now, with our current orders to practice social distancing and to stay home as much as we can, it might be starting to feel like there is nowhere to run. But here's the thing - that's actually a good thing. Jacob had spent all his life running. When he finally had nowhere else to run and literally wrestled with God he came out different on the other side. Not different because of what God did to his hip, but he literally came out as different person with a different name. You see that was the moment when God changes his name from Jacob to Israel. That is the moment when God gave him an identity that his descendants still carry to this day. That didn't happen until Jacob came to a point of having nowhere to run. It was at his low moment that God could finally reach him, and that is what so many of us miss out on sometimes. Yes there are difficult things happening right now, but God can use them as an opportunity to bless us in ways He couldn't otherwise. Kyle Idleman says this in his book "Don't Give Up"
In your loneliness, there is an opportunity to discover his presence.
In your fear, there is an opportunity to discover his peace.
In your weakness, there is an opportunity to discover his strength.
In your pain, there is an opportunity to discover his purpose.
In your shame, there is an opportunity to discover his grace.
In your darkness, there is an opportunity to discover his light.
I don't know what God wants you to discover about him during this time, but I do know that He can make it happen if we will stop running from Him. It might take some wrestling through the night, but God will bless you for it. You won't come out of it as the same person you were before. Imagine what it will be like when we can all come back together and share our stories of wrestling with God, our stories of what God helped us to discover when there was nowhere to run.
Love you guys - see you soon.
Now I don't think any of you have had to run away from your twin brother because you tricked and lied your way into stealing his inheritance and his birthright. I don't think any of you ended up married to two sisters after your father-in-law tricked you into marrying the older one first even though you just wanted to marry the younger one. But there are times where all of us have run away. There are times when all of us have tried to keep ourselves busy and distracted instead of just facing God and letting Him deal with something in our lives. And right now, with our current orders to practice social distancing and to stay home as much as we can, it might be starting to feel like there is nowhere to run. But here's the thing - that's actually a good thing. Jacob had spent all his life running. When he finally had nowhere else to run and literally wrestled with God he came out different on the other side. Not different because of what God did to his hip, but he literally came out as different person with a different name. You see that was the moment when God changes his name from Jacob to Israel. That is the moment when God gave him an identity that his descendants still carry to this day. That didn't happen until Jacob came to a point of having nowhere to run. It was at his low moment that God could finally reach him, and that is what so many of us miss out on sometimes. Yes there are difficult things happening right now, but God can use them as an opportunity to bless us in ways He couldn't otherwise. Kyle Idleman says this in his book "Don't Give Up"
In your loneliness, there is an opportunity to discover his presence.
In your fear, there is an opportunity to discover his peace.
In your weakness, there is an opportunity to discover his strength.
In your pain, there is an opportunity to discover his purpose.
In your shame, there is an opportunity to discover his grace.
In your darkness, there is an opportunity to discover his light.
I don't know what God wants you to discover about him during this time, but I do know that He can make it happen if we will stop running from Him. It might take some wrestling through the night, but God will bless you for it. You won't come out of it as the same person you were before. Imagine what it will be like when we can all come back together and share our stories of wrestling with God, our stories of what God helped us to discover when there was nowhere to run.
Love you guys - see you soon.
Wednesday, April 1, 2020
Remember the Shadows
In Joshua 3 the people are finally going to start moving into the Promised Land, but before they do God does something incredible that helps remind them how powerful and amazing their God is. They need to cross the Jordan River, and while God could have achieved this in any way he wanted, including some perfectly simple man-made ways, He instead chooses to do it in a way that would remind them of how He brought them out of Egypt. He instructs Joshua to send the priests into the river first with the Ark of the Covenant. When they step into the water it stops flowing (in a strange detail it tells us about the town where the water "piled up in a heap" - I would have loved to see that). The priests stop in the middle of the dry riverbed, and the people all cross over to the other side. As the Message says at the end of chapter 3 - "the whole nation was across the Jordan, and not one wet foot."
Then in chapter 4 God commands Joshua to have a man from each tribe go and gather a rock from the riverbed and put them together to build a memorial, something the people can always look back on to be reminded of what God had done. In a way this is a double memorial. Not only would they remember how God allowed them to cross the Jordan, but that would also remind them of how God brought them across the Red Sea on dry ground as well. This is certainly not the only time that someone builds something to be reminded of what God had done. Whether it was putting these rocks together, or very often giving a special name to a place where God did something, the people of Israel were constantly being given reminders so that they wouldn't forget the amazing things God had done.
One of the most meaningful songs for me is called Shadows by the David Crowder Band. Not only do I just enjoy the song, but God used it in a really cool way in my life about 10 years ago. It goes right along with this passage from Joshua. The chorus says:
When shadows fall on us
We will not fear, we will remember
When darkness falls on us
We will not fear, we will remember
When all seems lost
When we are thrown and we're tossed
We'll remember the cost
We're resting in the shadow of the cross
There are shadows falling all around us right now.
It is a crazy time not just in our community, but in our nation and the world.
We need to do what God had Joshua and the people do - we need to remember.
We need to remember what God has done for us.
We need to remember the ways that God has always taken care of us and provided for us.
We need to remember that our God can do anything, and that includes bringing us through this current crisis.
That doesn't mean we ignore it, or ignore all the guidance we are being given about keeping social distance and things like that.
But it means that we have a hope that is beyond all of those things.
We put our trust in something greater than all of that.
We look back and see all the amazing things God has done - both in His Word and in our own lives.
And when all this is over, this will become one more thing that we look back on someday and see how God took care of us, how He carried us through. And we will be reminded again of how amazing He is and how much He loves us.
Love you guys - see you soon.
Then in chapter 4 God commands Joshua to have a man from each tribe go and gather a rock from the riverbed and put them together to build a memorial, something the people can always look back on to be reminded of what God had done. In a way this is a double memorial. Not only would they remember how God allowed them to cross the Jordan, but that would also remind them of how God brought them across the Red Sea on dry ground as well. This is certainly not the only time that someone builds something to be reminded of what God had done. Whether it was putting these rocks together, or very often giving a special name to a place where God did something, the people of Israel were constantly being given reminders so that they wouldn't forget the amazing things God had done.
One of the most meaningful songs for me is called Shadows by the David Crowder Band. Not only do I just enjoy the song, but God used it in a really cool way in my life about 10 years ago. It goes right along with this passage from Joshua. The chorus says:
When shadows fall on us
We will not fear, we will remember
When darkness falls on us
We will not fear, we will remember
When all seems lost
When we are thrown and we're tossed
We'll remember the cost
We're resting in the shadow of the cross
There are shadows falling all around us right now.
It is a crazy time not just in our community, but in our nation and the world.
We need to do what God had Joshua and the people do - we need to remember.
We need to remember what God has done for us.
We need to remember the ways that God has always taken care of us and provided for us.
We need to remember that our God can do anything, and that includes bringing us through this current crisis.
That doesn't mean we ignore it, or ignore all the guidance we are being given about keeping social distance and things like that.
But it means that we have a hope that is beyond all of those things.
We put our trust in something greater than all of that.
We look back and see all the amazing things God has done - both in His Word and in our own lives.
And when all this is over, this will become one more thing that we look back on someday and see how God took care of us, how He carried us through. And we will be reminded again of how amazing He is and how much He loves us.
Love you guys - see you soon.
Tuesday, March 31, 2020
The Choice is Yours
At the end of Joshua's life he asks the people of Israel to make an important choice. He says choose this day whom you will serve - whether it is the true God, or some other god, but make a decision and then he adds - as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. That same choice is given to us every single day. We get to choose who or what we are going to worship. This is an especially important choice with everything going on around us right now. It would be very easy right now to "worship" our fear, our uncertainty. It is easy to get lost in all of that and miss out on worshiping the only one who truly deserves our worship, the only one who can truly tell us who we are. I don't think it is any coincidence that in the midst of all this God brought these words to the group Rend Collective - this is from their new album that just came out last week - the song is called "I Choose to Worship"
I choose to worship, I choose to bow
Though there's pain in the offering, I lay it down
Here in the conflict, when doubt surrounds
Though my soul is unravelling, I choose You now
I will praise You through the fire
Through the storm and through the flood
There is nothing that could ever steal my song
In the valley, You are worthy
You are good when life is not
You will always and forever be my song
When the enemy says I'm done, I lift my praises
When my world comes crashing down, I lift my praises high
Till the darkness turns to dawn, I lift my praises
I choose to worship, I choose You now
I choose to worship, I choose to bow
Though there's pain in the offering, I lay it down
Here in the conflict, when doubt surrounds
Though my soul is unravelling, I choose You now
Through the storm and through the flood
There is nothing that could ever steal my song
In the valley, You are worthy
You are good when life is not
You will always and forever be my song
Those words about being in the conflict, about doubt surrounding us - that sometimes life is not good. Those are ringing true for so many people today. This is definitely a "valley" time in most of our lives. And yet the truth that cries out from this song is that God is still worthy. That He is still good even when life is not. We can still choose to worship him - that's the beautiful choice that God has given us. In some ways it is a lot harder to make that choice right now - there is so much to distract us from it, to draw our attention away. But on the other hand it is so great to make that choice, to put our hope, our joy, our trust, our faith into the only sure thing we have in the midst of all this uncertainty.
The bridge of the song says this:
When my world comes crashing down, I lift my praises high
Till the darkness turns to dawn, I lift my praises
I choose to worship, I choose You now
All around us the enemy is whispering to people that we are done. Instead of listening to him, we can lift out praises and drown him out.
All around us the world seems to be crashing down - but we can still lift high the name of Jesus.
Yes, there is darkness all around us, but there will be a dawn. It might take longer than we want, but it will come, and until it does we can continue to praise our great God.
The choice to worship isn't about ignoring the things happening around us.
The choice to worship is about choosing God in the face of those things.
It is seeing all of that and still believing in the goodness and greatness of our God.
You can check out Rend Collective performing this song here.
And if you're on Facebook they have been doing some videos called "Socially Distant Worship Club" that have been really awesome - check them out.
Love you guys - see you soon.
Monday, March 30, 2020
Worshipping in Spirit, Truth and Your Bathrobe
In John 4, Jesus has what to the world would seem like an unlikely encounter. In the first century men didn't typically engage women in conversation. Jews and Samaritans also didn't just sit down and have casual chats. And most women didn't show up to draw from the well in the heat of the middle of the day. And yet we see all of those things happen here.
Jesus hears that the Pharisees have started hearing about Him, and how they have basically started keeping score between Jesus and John when it came to baptisms. So how does Jesus respond - He leaves the area - now that along could warrant it's own lengthy discussion but we will save that for another time. Jesus leaves the area and it says in v.4 that he "had to go through Samaria." Now at first glance we read that and think it was the only way to go, so he had to pass through there. Yes, it was the shortest way, the quickest route - but many a "good" Jew took the long way around just to avoid Samaria. Jesus doesn't do that - in fact it says He "had" to go through it. He has what many over the years have called a "divine appointment" that needed to be kept. They come to a town called Sychar, it was the middle of the day and he takes a seat near the well and the disciples go to buy food. While he is there this Samaritan woman comes to draw water. This is not when anyone else comes to draw water - and based on her history that we learn a bit later, this is probably on purpose, so she can avoid all the other women. But that doesn't deter Jesus - no he jumps across all these lines to talk to her - woman, Samaritan, bad reputation - Jesus doesn't care.
He does something He does so often - He strikes up a conversation based on something completely normal and downright boring - a drink of water. But quickly the conversation turns from Jesus taking a drink - to this woman experiencing living water and discussing the nature of worship with the Messiah himself. Jesus reveals that He knows her story - 5 husbands, currently with a man who isn't. But He doesn't say it accusingly, just matter of fact-ly. She recognizes he must be from God and says that her ancestors worshiped on that very mountain, but the Jews say worship can only occur in Jerusalem. And in v.21-24 we get this awesome response from Jesus - a response that we need today as well - he says "a time is coming when you will worship neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem....a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and in truth, for they are the kinds of worshipers my Father seeks." What Jesus is telling this woman is that your location is not what determines if you can worship. It's not your past, your heritage, not your gender, your ethnicity - Jesus has already looked past all of those things. What matters is our connection to Jesus - the living water. What matters is our hearts connecting to the heart of the Father. We like to put on our Sunday best - whether that is literal or figurative - we put on our churches faces, act like everything is find and gather together in a building and say that we have worshiped. This woman experiences God, comes to understand worship not because of how "good" she is, not because of where she is - but because she is honest with Jesus, she tells the truth, even about her sordid past. That allows her to worship God - and to do it exactly where she is.
Right now we can't gather together, we can't even attempt to put on that Sunday best and file into the sanctuary of our church. But that doesn't mean we can't worship. That doesn't mean we can't open our hearts up to God, be honest with Him and praise His name. That can happen in a church building, that can happen in a living room, as you drive in your car, as you take a walk around the neighborhood. True worship has nothing to do with a building. It has everything to do with drinking of that living water and being refreshed by the love of Jesus. It has everything to do with connecting our heart to the Father. As we all deal with the chaos of the world around us this week - my prayer is that we would continue to worship in spirit and in truth, that we would take the time to connect our hearts to the Father. Not only will we get more of Him, we will discover that He draws us closer together as well. You see the Samaritan woman didn't just worship God alone. She ran back into town and told everyone she could about this amazing man who told her everything she ever did. She brought them to the well to meet Jesus. What probably seemed like a shortcut to the disciples traveling with Jesus, turned into a 2 day visit and lead to others in the town saying "we know that this man really is the Savior of the world." My prayer this week is that even in the midst of distancing ourselves, we would draw closer to that Savior, that we would worship Him in spirit and truth, right where we are. And then when we do get to be back together, we will have such stories to tell of what God has been teaching us, what God has been showing us. Love you guys - see you soon.
Thursday, March 26, 2020
Do You Really Believe That?
You know those annoying people in school who loved taking tests? The ones who didn't seem to have any anxiety over it, they were just happy not to have to listen to a lecture. They would quickly fill out their test, hand it in and then just kick back in their chair, all nice and relaxed, while so many around them wanted to pull their hair out? Yeah, that was me most of the time. By the time I got to college I enjoyed tests even a little more because I no longer had to wait around, I was free to leave once that test was done. I also grew up in a different time - a time when tests were much more about seeing what I knew, not grading my teacher, my principal and my entire school system. I'll leave the modern day testing rant for another day, the point is that tests can show us what we really know - or in the case of spiritual tests, what we really believe.
Abraham has one of the most infamous tests of faith - he has already been through plenty of testing just having his son, Isaac, and then God comes to him and gives him some difficult instructions. He says take your son and sacrifice him. As many of us know Abraham gets up the next day and follows God's instructions, heads out to where God told him to go do this, and he has his son on the altar ready to follow God's instructions and God stops him, provides a ram for them to sacrifice, and father and son return home together. Abraham's faith has been tested, and he shows that he really believes God, really trusts God. In his book "Don't Give Up", Kyle Idleman talks about this same idea of testing and encourages us as believers to keep believing. He shares the story of a couple from his church going through a tragic moment and the husband makes this profound statement - "I guess this is when I find out if I really believe what I say I believe."
Those words were eye opening for me this week as our church, along with so many others, adjusts to not meeting together in the same building. Most Christians would be quick to tell you that church is not a building, that it is the people, that it is a family. And most of the time they really mean it, and yet so much of our actions don't always back up those words. We do the vast majority of our "church" stuff at the building. We gather to worship, to pray, to study, to eat (we are Baptist). Our spiritual activity becomes so centralized to this one place, and yet if you asked us if the church is the building or if it is the family, we would quickly answer - oh it's the family, it's the people. Well this is where we get to "find out if I really believe what I say I believe." Is our church bonded together in Christ, or in sitting across the room from each other? Has the Holy Spirit really started forming us into a family, or do we just share the same address on Sunday mornings? There will be plenty of ways that our faith, that our trust in God will be tested before all of this is over, but don't overlook this one. Embrace it, look forward to the test, look forward to seeing God prove that His family is about much more than a building. Be glad for the chance to be drawn closer to God and to each other, even when we have to worship from our own living rooms as opposed to an auditorium. If we do, it will be that much sweeter when we do get to be together again.
Love you guys - see you soon.
Abraham has one of the most infamous tests of faith - he has already been through plenty of testing just having his son, Isaac, and then God comes to him and gives him some difficult instructions. He says take your son and sacrifice him. As many of us know Abraham gets up the next day and follows God's instructions, heads out to where God told him to go do this, and he has his son on the altar ready to follow God's instructions and God stops him, provides a ram for them to sacrifice, and father and son return home together. Abraham's faith has been tested, and he shows that he really believes God, really trusts God. In his book "Don't Give Up", Kyle Idleman talks about this same idea of testing and encourages us as believers to keep believing. He shares the story of a couple from his church going through a tragic moment and the husband makes this profound statement - "I guess this is when I find out if I really believe what I say I believe."
Those words were eye opening for me this week as our church, along with so many others, adjusts to not meeting together in the same building. Most Christians would be quick to tell you that church is not a building, that it is the people, that it is a family. And most of the time they really mean it, and yet so much of our actions don't always back up those words. We do the vast majority of our "church" stuff at the building. We gather to worship, to pray, to study, to eat (we are Baptist). Our spiritual activity becomes so centralized to this one place, and yet if you asked us if the church is the building or if it is the family, we would quickly answer - oh it's the family, it's the people. Well this is where we get to "find out if I really believe what I say I believe." Is our church bonded together in Christ, or in sitting across the room from each other? Has the Holy Spirit really started forming us into a family, or do we just share the same address on Sunday mornings? There will be plenty of ways that our faith, that our trust in God will be tested before all of this is over, but don't overlook this one. Embrace it, look forward to the test, look forward to seeing God prove that His family is about much more than a building. Be glad for the chance to be drawn closer to God and to each other, even when we have to worship from our own living rooms as opposed to an auditorium. If we do, it will be that much sweeter when we do get to be together again.
Love you guys - see you soon.
Wednesday, March 25, 2020
Strong Courageous Meditation
I am going to admit my personal bias now - I love the book of Joshua - it's my middle name, this book, this story of God leading his people into the promised land is literally where my name comes from - that is the reason my parents gave it to me. So I have always had an affinity for it, but it also seems very timely for us right now.
The book begins right as Moses has died. The entire nation of Israel is in a moment of great upheaval. Their leader, the person who had literally been the go between with God for them had died and it was time for not only a new leader, but it was finally time to go into the land that God had promised to them. That task fell to Joshua - he had been right there with Moses for so many amazing things already, he had been trained as best someone could be for the task given to him, and yet when God comes to him in the first few verses of this book - it isn't to talk about strategy or logistics, it isn't to talk about how qualified (or not) Joshua might be for what is ahead. But God gives him essentially two things to remember as he steps into to fill Moses shoes.
The first is to be strong and courageous. Three times just between v.6-9 of the first chapter God says this, and that comes after God tells Joshua why he can be strong and courageous in verses 3-5 - but especially the last part of verse 5 where he says "as I was with Moses so I will be with you." The reason Joshua can be strong and courageous has nothing to do with Joshua. It has everything to do with God. Joshua 1:9 hangs on the wall of my bedroom - in fact Joni and I both have a cross stitch of that verse which were made by the same woman and sent to us as graduation presents when we finished high school. And in that verse God sums up why he begins by repeatedly telling Joshua to be strong and courageous. It says "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid, do not be discouraged, FOR THE LORD YOUR GOD WILL BE WITH YOU WHEREVER YOU GO". Obviously I added the all caps, but I want you to see why we don't have to be afraid, why we don't live in fear. It is not because there aren't things to be afraid of. It isn't because we can handle anything that might come our way. We don't have to be afraid because God goes with us.
Now there might have been a very logical question that just popped into your head - how do I know God goes with me - how do I know that I am going somewhere He wants me to go? Well that brings up the second thing God mentions - in v.7-8 - that we need to be careful to obey all the law that Moses gave them. That they should keep it always on their lips, that they should meditate on it day and night. Do you want to know that God is with you during this chaotic time in our world? Do you want to be strong and courageous and not live in fear because you know God is with you? Do you want to have the peace that Paul talks about in Philippians 2 - a peace that surpasses understanding? You find it in God, you find it by getting into His Word, by having it in your heart and mind - by meditating on it, reading it, studying it. One of the most graphic, most disgusting, but also most useful illustrations I have ever heard for "meditating" was to compare it to a cow chewing the cud. Cows have multiple stomachs, and they chew on that food, they swallow it down, digest some of it - then spit it back up and chew on it some more, then swallow it down to digest more of it. That's what we should do with the Word of God - chew on it, digest some, then chew some more and get to digest more - over and over.
Are you feeling uneasy today? Are you feeling anxious? Do you need to be reminded - like Joshua did - to be strong and courageous? The answer isn't found in summoning your own courage or resolve. The answer is found in digging into God's Word - letting Him be your courage and your strength. Love you guys - see you soon.
The book begins right as Moses has died. The entire nation of Israel is in a moment of great upheaval. Their leader, the person who had literally been the go between with God for them had died and it was time for not only a new leader, but it was finally time to go into the land that God had promised to them. That task fell to Joshua - he had been right there with Moses for so many amazing things already, he had been trained as best someone could be for the task given to him, and yet when God comes to him in the first few verses of this book - it isn't to talk about strategy or logistics, it isn't to talk about how qualified (or not) Joshua might be for what is ahead. But God gives him essentially two things to remember as he steps into to fill Moses shoes.
The first is to be strong and courageous. Three times just between v.6-9 of the first chapter God says this, and that comes after God tells Joshua why he can be strong and courageous in verses 3-5 - but especially the last part of verse 5 where he says "as I was with Moses so I will be with you." The reason Joshua can be strong and courageous has nothing to do with Joshua. It has everything to do with God. Joshua 1:9 hangs on the wall of my bedroom - in fact Joni and I both have a cross stitch of that verse which were made by the same woman and sent to us as graduation presents when we finished high school. And in that verse God sums up why he begins by repeatedly telling Joshua to be strong and courageous. It says "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid, do not be discouraged, FOR THE LORD YOUR GOD WILL BE WITH YOU WHEREVER YOU GO". Obviously I added the all caps, but I want you to see why we don't have to be afraid, why we don't live in fear. It is not because there aren't things to be afraid of. It isn't because we can handle anything that might come our way. We don't have to be afraid because God goes with us.
Now there might have been a very logical question that just popped into your head - how do I know God goes with me - how do I know that I am going somewhere He wants me to go? Well that brings up the second thing God mentions - in v.7-8 - that we need to be careful to obey all the law that Moses gave them. That they should keep it always on their lips, that they should meditate on it day and night. Do you want to know that God is with you during this chaotic time in our world? Do you want to be strong and courageous and not live in fear because you know God is with you? Do you want to have the peace that Paul talks about in Philippians 2 - a peace that surpasses understanding? You find it in God, you find it by getting into His Word, by having it in your heart and mind - by meditating on it, reading it, studying it. One of the most graphic, most disgusting, but also most useful illustrations I have ever heard for "meditating" was to compare it to a cow chewing the cud. Cows have multiple stomachs, and they chew on that food, they swallow it down, digest some of it - then spit it back up and chew on it some more, then swallow it down to digest more of it. That's what we should do with the Word of God - chew on it, digest some, then chew some more and get to digest more - over and over.
Are you feeling uneasy today? Are you feeling anxious? Do you need to be reminded - like Joshua did - to be strong and courageous? The answer isn't found in summoning your own courage or resolve. The answer is found in digging into God's Word - letting Him be your courage and your strength. Love you guys - see you soon.
Tuesday, March 24, 2020
Raise a Hallelujah As You Learn to Lack Nothing
James 1:2-3
Consider it pure joy my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
The implications of this verse seem pretty obvious in the midst of our current global crisis. We are certainly facing many kinds of trials right now, and it seems like there is a new element added to it every day. I wanted to share with you this morning some words of encouragement that I have been singing out over the past couple of weeks especially - it's from the song Raise a Hallelujah by Bethel Music, and the chorus says:
I'm gonna sing in the middle of the storm
Louder and louder you're gonna hear my praises roar
Up from the ashes hope will arise
Death is defeated the King is alive
Throughout the song it talks about raising a hallelujah in unlikely places, in scary places - in front of enemies, in the middle of the darkness, in the midst of the unknown. That is where we find ourselves right now. We don't know what is going to happen in the coming days, weeks, even months. James would tell us not to be fearful, not to go cowering into the corner during these times. James would tell us to look to Jesus and to be joyful that our faith has an opportunity to be strengthened. That we should see the opportunity for perseverance to work in our lives and make us more mature, more complete.
So let me encourage you to raise a hallelujah this week.
Raise a hallelujah in the middle of the living room.
Raise a hallelujah with no one else around you - because we have to keep our distance.
Raise a hallelujah because the God that we praise, the God that we serve, the God that we love - is still the same God. He is still deserving of every hallelujah we could ever give Him - and though we may have to keep our distance from one another - we should embrace the opportunity to draw closer to Him.
Love you guys - see you soon.
Click here to check out the whole song
Consider it pure joy my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
The implications of this verse seem pretty obvious in the midst of our current global crisis. We are certainly facing many kinds of trials right now, and it seems like there is a new element added to it every day. I wanted to share with you this morning some words of encouragement that I have been singing out over the past couple of weeks especially - it's from the song Raise a Hallelujah by Bethel Music, and the chorus says:
I'm gonna sing in the middle of the storm
Louder and louder you're gonna hear my praises roar
Up from the ashes hope will arise
Death is defeated the King is alive
Throughout the song it talks about raising a hallelujah in unlikely places, in scary places - in front of enemies, in the middle of the darkness, in the midst of the unknown. That is where we find ourselves right now. We don't know what is going to happen in the coming days, weeks, even months. James would tell us not to be fearful, not to go cowering into the corner during these times. James would tell us to look to Jesus and to be joyful that our faith has an opportunity to be strengthened. That we should see the opportunity for perseverance to work in our lives and make us more mature, more complete.
So let me encourage you to raise a hallelujah this week.
Raise a hallelujah in the middle of the living room.
Raise a hallelujah with no one else around you - because we have to keep our distance.
Raise a hallelujah because the God that we praise, the God that we serve, the God that we love - is still the same God. He is still deserving of every hallelujah we could ever give Him - and though we may have to keep our distance from one another - we should embrace the opportunity to draw closer to Him.
Love you guys - see you soon.
Click here to check out the whole song
Monday, March 23, 2020
Nicodemus's Life Changing Conversation
In John 3 Nicodemus - a pharisee - comes to see Jesus. He is curious. He has seen Jesus at work and believes that Jesus must be from God. He comes at night, and there is some debate as to whether that was to not be seen meeting with Jesus, or simply if this was the only time he thought he could get close enough to have this conversation and not be surrounded by the crowds. Either way this conversation gives us the most often quoted verse in the entire Bible - John 3:16. A verse so simple and widely known that people who never darken the doors of a church building can quote it, and yet at the same time a verse so vastly deep that it contains the entire Gospel in this one sentence. Yet, as I read this conversation that verse, that sentence is not the main point that Jesus is talking to Nicodemus about.
The main point is what Jesus says back in verse 3 - "no one can see the Kingdom of God, unless he is born again." John 3:16 explains why and how God makes it possible for us to be born again, but if we skip ahead to just verse 16 and miss verse 3 and all of the conversation in between then we have missed something incredibly important, and sadly many well intentioned folks in the church do just that. We come to Jesus and we read about how he loves us, how that is why Jesus was sent into the world, that He was given for us, so that we can believe in Him and have eternal life. But they just see all of that as an addition or an improvement to their current life. They just see it as something to add to who they already are, but that isn't what Jesus has been talking to Nicodemus about. He tells Nicodemus that he needs to be born again, that he needs to have an entirely new life. Nicodemus apparently has a little bit of Drax from Guardians of the Galaxy in him because he takes this idea literally at first - asking how can this be, surely a man cannot enter his mother's womb a second time. This has always been a very funny picture in our family. I am 6'5", my mother is 5'4", being born again in that manner would require some serious clown car magic. But of course that is not what Jesus is talking about - He is talking about a spiritual birth. He is talking about making us into a new creation, the old passing away, the new beginning as we are filled with His Spirit and begin to live a new life.
Often this is an easier concept for those with a more "dramatic" testimony. The people who have Saul on the Damascus road type changes in their life. But sometimes for people who grew up in the church, or who were relatively "good" people this idea becomes harder to grasp, and I imagine that might have been the case for Nicodemus. He is a well educated, religious man. Everything we know about him points to him being an upstanding citizen and a good person in most people's eyes. And I think there has to be some sense for him, and people like that, to ask themselves - is my life really so bad that I need a totally new one? Can't Jesus just come in and add a little, help fix the areas that could use a little help, do some touch-ups here and there? But do I really need a totally new life? Jesus answer is absolutely YES. Because no matter how good or bad you might be - it is still your life - and unless you have His life, unless you are born again with His Spirit - then it won't get you into the Kingdom of God, you won't get to see it unless you are born again.
Now, none of us remembers what it is like to be born the first time - thankfully. And I personally have no idea what it is like to give birth - also rather thankful for that - all you mothers are amazing. But I have seen both of my children be born and I can tell you this - it wasn't easy, and it wasn't comfortable. If my first birth wasn't easy or comfortable - why do we so often act like our second birth is going to be easy and comfortable? Yes God loves us - that's the reason He sent Jesus - and as verse 17 says Jesus came to save us - it is all good, awesome, amazing stuff. But He didn't do that just to improve the life we already had. He came to give us a totally new life, one that will require us to let go of the old one. One that will require us to do some difficult and uncomfortable growing at times. But it is a life that will last for eternity. An eternity we get to spend with the God who loves us and gave himself for us. We don't know how Nicodemus responded that night to his conversation with Jesus, but we do see him later on in the story of Jesus life. He stands up for Jesus and tries to encourage his fellow religious leaders to actually talk with the man before condemning him, and when that condemnation eventually comes anyway, Nicodemus is one of the men who cares for Jesus body after the cross, who helps bury him in that tomb. Of course we know that Jesus didn't stay there long - He came out with a new life, and He offers that new life to us, to all of those who would believe in Him.
Love you guys - see you soon.
The main point is what Jesus says back in verse 3 - "no one can see the Kingdom of God, unless he is born again." John 3:16 explains why and how God makes it possible for us to be born again, but if we skip ahead to just verse 16 and miss verse 3 and all of the conversation in between then we have missed something incredibly important, and sadly many well intentioned folks in the church do just that. We come to Jesus and we read about how he loves us, how that is why Jesus was sent into the world, that He was given for us, so that we can believe in Him and have eternal life. But they just see all of that as an addition or an improvement to their current life. They just see it as something to add to who they already are, but that isn't what Jesus has been talking to Nicodemus about. He tells Nicodemus that he needs to be born again, that he needs to have an entirely new life. Nicodemus apparently has a little bit of Drax from Guardians of the Galaxy in him because he takes this idea literally at first - asking how can this be, surely a man cannot enter his mother's womb a second time. This has always been a very funny picture in our family. I am 6'5", my mother is 5'4", being born again in that manner would require some serious clown car magic. But of course that is not what Jesus is talking about - He is talking about a spiritual birth. He is talking about making us into a new creation, the old passing away, the new beginning as we are filled with His Spirit and begin to live a new life.
Often this is an easier concept for those with a more "dramatic" testimony. The people who have Saul on the Damascus road type changes in their life. But sometimes for people who grew up in the church, or who were relatively "good" people this idea becomes harder to grasp, and I imagine that might have been the case for Nicodemus. He is a well educated, religious man. Everything we know about him points to him being an upstanding citizen and a good person in most people's eyes. And I think there has to be some sense for him, and people like that, to ask themselves - is my life really so bad that I need a totally new one? Can't Jesus just come in and add a little, help fix the areas that could use a little help, do some touch-ups here and there? But do I really need a totally new life? Jesus answer is absolutely YES. Because no matter how good or bad you might be - it is still your life - and unless you have His life, unless you are born again with His Spirit - then it won't get you into the Kingdom of God, you won't get to see it unless you are born again.
Now, none of us remembers what it is like to be born the first time - thankfully. And I personally have no idea what it is like to give birth - also rather thankful for that - all you mothers are amazing. But I have seen both of my children be born and I can tell you this - it wasn't easy, and it wasn't comfortable. If my first birth wasn't easy or comfortable - why do we so often act like our second birth is going to be easy and comfortable? Yes God loves us - that's the reason He sent Jesus - and as verse 17 says Jesus came to save us - it is all good, awesome, amazing stuff. But He didn't do that just to improve the life we already had. He came to give us a totally new life, one that will require us to let go of the old one. One that will require us to do some difficult and uncomfortable growing at times. But it is a life that will last for eternity. An eternity we get to spend with the God who loves us and gave himself for us. We don't know how Nicodemus responded that night to his conversation with Jesus, but we do see him later on in the story of Jesus life. He stands up for Jesus and tries to encourage his fellow religious leaders to actually talk with the man before condemning him, and when that condemnation eventually comes anyway, Nicodemus is one of the men who cares for Jesus body after the cross, who helps bury him in that tomb. Of course we know that Jesus didn't stay there long - He came out with a new life, and He offers that new life to us, to all of those who would believe in Him.
Love you guys - see you soon.
Thursday, March 19, 2020
A Letter From a Social Distance
It has been almost 2 years since I posted here - originally I started this blog to share about my first trip to South Africa, but at the time I had hopes of posting about more than just that. That trip came and went - and I shared almost every day of the trip but then life went back to normal. A week or two passed - I caught up on sleep, got back into the routine, but the blog didn't become part of that. Now it has been two years - I even went back to South Africa - and yet I haven't posted anything to this blog.
Enter the coronavirus and everyone's new favorite phrase "social distancing". What do you do when you feel called to a be a "Family Together" and yet you can't be together? The answer is you go old school and get technical at the same time. The majority of the New Testament - the revelation of God's word to His people - the Church - are letters. They are words of encouragement, instruction and insight written by someone who could not be with them in person, but who still desired to maintain connection and relationship - to be Family Together.
I don't know what is going to happen over the next few weeks. As our church like many others makes changes to our regular schedule - we are all hoping for the best. In fact, as I am writing this a notification popped up that the FDA has approved use of a malaria treatment that has shown good results against this virus. But whether that or something else changes the course of this virus and the tension and anxiety around us - I want to use this space to encourage you, to remind you of what an amazing God we have, to share some Life Together with you, and continue to be a Family Together, even from a "social distance". No matter what is happening in the world around us, no matter what happens to us - God is still God. He hasn't changed. As my favorite minor prophet Habakkuk says (3:17-18) "Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior."
Be joyful - stick together (from a distance) - and remember that God is still our Savior.
Love you guys - see you soon.
Enter the coronavirus and everyone's new favorite phrase "social distancing". What do you do when you feel called to a be a "Family Together" and yet you can't be together? The answer is you go old school and get technical at the same time. The majority of the New Testament - the revelation of God's word to His people - the Church - are letters. They are words of encouragement, instruction and insight written by someone who could not be with them in person, but who still desired to maintain connection and relationship - to be Family Together.
I don't know what is going to happen over the next few weeks. As our church like many others makes changes to our regular schedule - we are all hoping for the best. In fact, as I am writing this a notification popped up that the FDA has approved use of a malaria treatment that has shown good results against this virus. But whether that or something else changes the course of this virus and the tension and anxiety around us - I want to use this space to encourage you, to remind you of what an amazing God we have, to share some Life Together with you, and continue to be a Family Together, even from a "social distance". No matter what is happening in the world around us, no matter what happens to us - God is still God. He hasn't changed. As my favorite minor prophet Habakkuk says (3:17-18) "Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior."
Be joyful - stick together (from a distance) - and remember that God is still our Savior.
Love you guys - see you soon.
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