Temporary

Early in ministry I was a chaplain at the University of Louisville Hospital; it was a trauma hospital, right in the middle of Louisville, KY. 
For some reason, at least one person died every week that I worked and I only worked two-three days a week. 
Some weeks, a person died every shift.
So, I think it''s safe to say that early on in ministry I became very comfortable in dealing with death and dying.

This became very important later in life; just a few months ago I was dying and I was very comfortable with it. But I soon realized a fact that is almost universally true - people are not as comfortable with death as I am. 
Most people cope with death by avoiding it and all things dealing with death altogether.

Think about it in modern terms. 
It use to be people died at home; today, they usually die secluded away in a private hospital room.
In the past, family would gather around and watch their loved one suffer until they gave up the ghost; today, we have removed pain from the equation with modern drugs which 'make them comfortable.'
And when we die, we are no longer buried in a gray-looking, depressing grave yard full of headstones; today, IF we are buried, it is in a place as beautiful as a city park. If we are cremated, our ashes are placed in a gorgeous urn or scattered and forgotten.
We do all we can do displace the thought of death from our minds.

And it is this thought which brings me to EASTER, which I refer to as the greatest day in the history of mankind.
You see, Easter brought a new word into the vocabulary when we speak of pain, of suffering and even of death. 
That new word is: Temporary.

Whatever anguish we may feel, whatever pain we may go through, regardless to the amount of suffering you or I might experience as we die - it will not last.
Our final hope and joy is in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ; because He has risen, the believer will also rise. 
One of the greatest thoughts of all history is knowing that a Christian's death is temporary.

When I woke up from my second surgery, I was soon overjoyed at the fact that I had been healed by the hand of God. I was so happy for all those who had prayed for me worldwide - people would actually get to see a real, bonafide miracle in their midst.
I was thrilled at the extended time I was going to have with my children; I had asked to be healed mostly for their sake. I didn't want to die and their little hearts turn against God.
And this might sound horrible, but I was also a little happy knowing that me not dying spited a few people. :)

But for me, once I knew I was going to live - I was a little disappointed. 
Now, that might sound odd to a person who isn't dying or hasn't suffered, but it does make sense to those who have.

When I was dying, as I prayed there was a peacefulness that I cannot describe. 
The reason was because I realized I was soon going to meet God in person; the Holy Spirit filled my heart with a peaceful joy over the matter. 
It was time to meet the Lord I have served with my life.
And that was really nifty-cool.
My Easter gift was to see God in person and Christ in flesh. 

But that didn't happen!

I'm OK with it now, but over the last few months, I have struggled with it.
Not because I wanted to die; but that I wanted to live with Christ.
And why wouldn't any Christian want to be alive with Christ?

John 14:6 

6 Jesus said* to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.

The simple truth is that we'd be crazy as Christians to go through life as we do if this life is all that there is. If what we know ends in our own death - we're dumber than a box of rocks.
But we know that this is not all there is; there is more in this life than the average person knows and there is a wonderful world awaiting us in the afterlife.

Apart from Easter, apart of the resurrection to life, apart from the next life, apart from the spiritual rebirth we experience, apart from a new start and a recreated earth - God would be less than powerful, less than loving and He may even be considered cruel.
But what kind of God would be satisfied with a world filled with suffering and laden with death? Not the Lord I serve; that is why He has provided us with the hope and joy of the resurrection, beginning with His Son and extended to all who believe on Him by faith..
The entire Bible stakes God's integrity on His ability to restore creation to its original state of perfection. And part of that restoration is raising to life all those who have believed on Him.

On the morning of the first Easter Sunday, it was announced 'CHRISTOS ANESTI' - which means, 'Christ is Risen.' 
Have you ever taken these words Christ is Risen,  into consideration for your life?
What does it mean to you personally and to the world if Christ has truly risen?
What would it mean to you if your loved ones would rise again as Christ rose?
What would it mean to you, right now, wherever you may be, to get up and look outside and see in the street, or front yard, or in your driveway or in a parking lot at work - what would it mean to you if there stood your loved ones that you have lost to death?
What would seeing them live again mean to you?

That image is exactly what the disciples encountered on Resurrection Day.
Not only is that the image the encountered, it is also true that they caught a glimpse of the future for themselves. They too would share in a resurrected body with the Lord and it is this fact that encouraged them in the remaining years of their lives as they ministered and died the martyr's death (except John).
They died the way that they lived - in the hope and joy of the gospel and the future resurrection.

The truth is that all people, die the way that they have lived. 
A recently read a story about a black minister who was dying; to him, he viewed it as merely heading home.When he did die, his church grieved, but it seemed only an interruption in their friendship; a set back but only for a while.
In the minister and his church was instilled the grand hope of the resurrection to life; it is a hope beyond this world.

All people die the way that they have lived, but if we really believe in the resurrection, truly believe that we will be raised to life - then heaven should effect more than how we die. 
The Resurrection should have and affect as to how we live.

What we need to learn is that our time on Earth is a proving ground; what makes it difficult for believers is that we are trying to live life under a rebel flag. 
We try to live for God, we try to be faithful; but the rebellion of the world and the sinfulness of man make it difficult.
Yet, if we succeed in our service and devotion, we will hear the words every believer longs to hear ring in their ears, 'Well done, good and faithful servant.'

One thing I can promise you - in eternity, you and I will not be impressed by the importance of life on earth; but rather, we will be shocked at the smallness of it.
1 Cor 15:51-58

51 Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable , and we will be changed. 53 For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, "DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP in victory. 55 "O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY? O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING?" 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; 57 but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.

Life on this earth is Temporary; just as death is for the believer in Christ.
And that's all the more reason to go win one for the good guys.
Happy Easter 2013!

The Sin of the Church

God is a person.

God is not a thing or an object, He is a person. 
Like any person, God has a personality; He can be offended and pleased just as you or I may be. And like every person you know, you can know God but that relationship filled with such knowledge cannot be achieved in one simple encounter.

Once an individual human being decides to engage God - their spirit comes to life; quickening what was once dead. This is not an end, but rather a beginning - it is a new life, a new person and a new creation through the grace of God.

The great sin of the church is that we do not encourage our people to pursue a further knowledge of the God they claim to worship. 
We are far too satisfied with the very basics of faith without engaging in a deeper knowledge of the One who brought us to life by His Spirit.

The impulse within the heart of man to seek after God originates with God Himself.
Many times men stop seeking after God after their initial encounter with God; but why?
It could very well be that it is the church itself, the Body of Christ in the world, who tells the seeker they no longer need to seek God because they have spiritually 'arrived.'

The man may be 'saved' but he is not thirsty for the Living Water of God; in fact, he is usually taught to be satisfied with very little.
And this is the great sin of the church.

Instead of discipleship, we now accept the fact that people may exercise faith without any change in their moral behavior. In fact, not only do we accept this - we enable it to happen. 
For example, when was the last time you heard Church discipline being exercised for adultery? And if it did happen, how bad was the church criticized because they seemed 'unloving?' 

We as the Church have allowed ourselves to be bullied by those not of our faith, in the name of our faith, to the point where we tend not to exercise our faith because we are afraid of what people will say about us.
The result is that we have churches full of people who have been taught to 'believe' but have never repented of past sin.
They may have 'received' Christ  but there isn't any special love for Him, His People or His Holiness.

The very fact that someone has come to Christ means that God has moved in their heart to draw them near to Him. When Christ is received by the individual, this is not to be the end of the relationship, but a grand beginning.
One of the things that marked Holy men and women of the past is the fact that they desired to know more of God personally. In fact, Moses used his knowledge and relationship with God as an argument for knowing Him better. That situation ended with God passing by Moses as he was hid in the cleft of the rock.

In modern times, it seems that we have become trapped with this 'accept Him' mentality where the acceptance of God's existence is all that is needed; so, we stop there. 
If this is true, then you have indeed found God and there is no more need to seek after Him.
If this is true, then there is no reason for us to believe that the Church is important.
If this is true, then there is no need to heed the words of Jesus when He said, 'Follow Me.'

The truth is that what is really needed is a growing relationship with God, just as you have a growing relationship with your spouse, your parents, your children and your friends.
Again, God is a person; He is able to be known to others but full knowledge of Him cannot take place with one simple encounter any more than one encounter with one female makes you want to marry them.

With God, as with people there is a relationship to be cultivated. The lack of cultivation of this relationship between the believer and His God is the sin of the Church.
Instead of cultivation of this relationship, instead of Christ, we now have programs.
Instead of discipleship, we have methods and activities. 
Instead of solid repentance, we have good works.
And none of these things can satisfy our hearts the way Christ can because it was God who created the impulse within you to desire a relationship with Him in the first place. 

Nothing will be able to fill the hole in your heart except Christ. 

Too often, we fail to teach this; some don't even realize this universal truth. 
Instead, they are given shallow inner experiences where spiritual revival should be taking place.
They are given hollow worship which demonstrates a bare minimal knowledge of God.
And the peace of God we so speak of from pulpits every week - it remains unknown because to have the peace of God in your heart, you must believe on the Son of God in your life.

As we approach Palm Sunday, we remember the shouts of 'Hosanna' from so long ago; hailing Christ as the King of the Jews. The Palm branches that were waved were a symbol of Jewish nationalism - they were right, He was truly their King.
But today, for all who believe, He is our King as well.
And this King, who died for you and lives for you - desires to know you. Not as a subject in a Kingdom, but as a servant and worker for the Most High God.

God is a person - continue to seek Him and you will know Him.

Until next time, try to win one for the good guys.

The Spouses Who Bring Hope

Of all the people who suffer, it is our spouses who bare a horrible burden and may never speak of it. The truth is that whether it is terminal cancer or some other type of illness that is terminal, 70% of marriage dissolve  within the first year when their partner has been diagnosed.
Only a handful survive and are intact after two years.

The spouse of a person that is terminal must strike a careful balance, but it has been my experience that illness only magnifies what is already present in the marriage.

I read a story about a man who was dying - he was from the Northeast. 
The man and his wife, were pretty much at each other's throat and sniped at each other during the stays in the hospital.
He would say things to her such as 'you didn't use to do...' or  'you use to dress a certain way...' 
These were  comments showing his disapproval and desire for things to return to how they once were.

Instead of attempting to allow him to relive happier times as his date with deity approached, his wife returned the volley of fire with her own comments - only they were much more sharp. 
She would say things referring to his impending death and wishing aloud that he would 'go ahead and get it over with.' 
She would also wonder aloud about the future by asking who would want a widow with an 8 and 10 year old pair of boys.

In our marriages, when we are dying, or a tragedy strikes - it only magnifies what is already present. Whatever lies under the surface will come to the surface and will be multiplied greatly.

The truth about a person who is dying is that healing, as I have been healed, is only one resolution to the sickness. The other resolution which is far more common, is death.  
And for those of us who are healed, the simple fact is that we have only delayed our impending death. 
It is still coming - God just stayed the execution date for a little while.

When I was dying and was expected to die - the greatest support I had was definitely my wife. I realize not everybody is as blessed as I am in this arena, but I would say that the most important support role is in our spouses.
Certainly my family played a role, my mother larger than my siblings.
 My wife's family didn't really play any role at all - truthfully, they haven't contacted me and haven't spoken with me since I was diagnosed or since I've been healed. Which I do find odd.
Our church was a fantastic support; although the state convention were slackers.
And the Air Force, both Guard and Active Duty brothers and sisters - they were great and still support Chaplain Jack.
But overall, it was my wife who played the largest role of support. And that's how it should be.

In the palm of our spouses truly is the will to live for the one who suffers.

The situation I described above with the man and his wife - why in the world would a man desire to live with his wife making comments such as this? (If he'd actually lived, he'd probably left her.)
But, on the other hand,  we must also be cautious of the other extreme - too much 'helping.' 

The spouses of terminal patients must strike an unfamiliar balance between 'helping' their loved one and 'helping' too much to the point where the person feels a loss of control. 
The person you love who is terminal does not get to eat when they want, they do not get to sleep when they want, if in a hospital - other people remove fluids from their body without permission and give them pills they 'must' take.

Your loved one already has lost a ton of control in their life; if you love them, be careful not to add to the emotional and psychological pain. 
It is a delicate balance; it is a hard balance - but you may bring more hope in these small things through your actions than anybody else because you are closer to them than anyone else.
And you would be surprised how far a little shot of hope will go to a person who is going to die.

Drug companies use double blind drug tests. If doctors know which drug is the placebo and which is the real drug, it will skew the results. The reason is because of the power of human hope. Without thinking, doctors will naturally and unknowingly skew the results because they will believe the patient will recover.
The human hope factor is real and it is effective.
If you are the spouse of a terminal patient - you, in your actions, words and projections can bring more healing in hope than you can ever realize.

Today, you have been given another day of life with the one you love; be thankful for this day because it does bring hope for tomorrow. 
One man rightly stated:
"I do not look upon each day as another day closer to death, but as another day of life, to be appreciated and enjoyed."

If you can see yourself as a person who is ministering to the one you love, the hope you bring to their hearts and minds will lead them to living another day 'to be appreciated and enjoyed.'

While modern Christianity has an emphasis on 'what can you do for me' in this instant, I would point you to a greater hope beyond what you and I can bring - it is the hope of the resurrection.
In our age, we have become ashamed of speaking of immortality, the rewards to come and the resurrection to life - but what greater hope is there to man who's body has deteriorated because of cancer, or to a couple who lost their infant child, or of a brain-damaged teenager? 
What greater hope is there than restoration to things how they ought to be?
There is none.
Jesus Christ is the greatest hope you and I could have in this life or in the next.

As you, the spouse of the person who is terminal provides hope; pray that you will not be timid to speak of the eternal hope in Christ. 
Hope of eternal healing and perfection after death is a worth hope for all people.

Until next time, try to win one for the good guys.

Where is God When We Hurt?

Many years ago, Philip Yancey authored a book entitled, 'Where is God when it hurts?' 
And that's a good question.
 It's a question every person who has ever suffered in any way would like to know the answer. It is a question anyone, at this moment, dealing with pain would like to know the answer to. 
It is a question often asked but rarely answered to any real satisfaction.

When asked, the average Christian is left with repeating worn out cliches that usually aren't true to explain the will and acts of God in a given situation. But this question - 'Where is God when it hurts,' invites an onslaught of other questions to which answers are just as elusive.

For example, if God is just, holy and loves all, especially children as evidenced by Jesus, why would God allow for a world of sick children? Or starving children? Or dying children?
And many of those children in those situations aren't backed by a social service system in their government; in reality, they have no money and no hope. Why would God allow such a thing? Where is He? Does God even care?

This is not a philosophical problem, but a real problem in our real world. 
And it is not enough for preachers or pastors to speak for God, or try to explain what God is doing. 
NO. This will not work. 
What we want and what we need is for God to come and see our situation for Himself, understand what's really going on and do something about it.

And that is exactly what God did in the person of His Son, Jesus of Nazareth. 

Amazingly, when Jesus did come to show the world that God did care, do you know what they said?
'Can anything good come out of Nazareth?'
It was an ancient ethnic joke of immediate rejection, and while the person who said these words would become His disciple, the rejection Jesus faced forced Him from religious power circles.

In society's rejection, Jesus did what we should do in our age - He gravitated towards other rejects. 
He dined with tax collectors, touched lepers and kept company with prostitutes and sinners. 
All the while, He fully understood our sin and condition in His humanity, but He Himself was never tainted by our depravity.

And an amazing thing occurred while He was ministering among the lepers, hookers, tax collectors and other sinners - the disciples never once asked Him, 'Does God Care?' 
Not once.
The reason is because they could see the answer in their midst.
God in flesh was demonstrating His love and care for the world. As much as they would let Him, He would give of Himself.

In Jesus, God did not give us words or theories or philosophies about  the problem of pain and suffering. He gave us...HIMSELF.
Words may provide encouragement for a while, but their memory soon fades.
Philosophy may explain difficult problems, but it has no power to change the problem itself.
In Jesus, through His Gospel, God gives us the change we so desire.

Often well-meaning but misguided believers will say things to people that they think is helping them, but it really only makes it hurt worse. For example, a person who has lost hearing in one ear, we don't try to encourage them by saying, 'Well, be thankful you still have sight in both eyes.'
We shouldn't try to explain God's plan or will for their life.
We shouldn't try to blame personal sin on the ailment.
We also shouldn't tell people all they need is more faith and they'll not be sick (This one was told to me.)

The truth is that Jesus did not sin and yet, He felt pain, He suffered and He died. We are not exempt from that tragedy in our lives.
In Gethsemane, on His knees praying just before He would stand trial and be crucified, Jesus did not pray, "Oh, Lord God, thank you for this opportunity to suffer...'

In that time of prayer in the Garden, Jesus struggled with fear, helplessness and hope. 
Are these not the same things each of us struggle with when we are faced with trials and tragedy? But the Christian has one advantage over the world - it is the Resurrection.
Though we may be struck down by sickness in this life, we will rise again in Christ.

The question for us should not be - 'Where is God when it hurts?'

The question should be - 'Where is the Church when it hurts?'
We are the Body of Christ, His hands in a hurting world; we are the people saved by grace with the grand hope of the resurrection - we are the ones that should be lifting up the fallen, sustaining the sick and ministering to those families whose loved ones are dying.


The truth is that the Church is the Body of Christ and if we, those of us on the front lines in a hurting world, if we would act more like Jesus and attempt to minister more like Jesus - nobody would have to ask, 'Does God Care?' 
They would be able to see it through the life we lived.


While I was sick and expecting to die, the one thing I sought to combat in my ten year-old son was the fact that I was going to die and God may not intervene. 
I did not want him to be angry with God if I died. I forced this conversation with him several times, trying to get him to understand that if I died, it wasn't God's fault - it was just something that sometimes happens and that I couldn't really explain it.

I'm thankful that we never had to find out if my words were anchored in his heart. God healed me, but the healing is not an end within itself - it should be a call to action, an opportunity to minister to others the way I have received His ministry through the Holy Spirit and His children.
And maybe that's the answer - instead of letting these ideas of abandonment from God dwell among us, maybe we as Christians need to take the fight to the mind of those who need to hear a word from the Lord.

Where is the Church when it hurts? 
Sadly, many times we are absent from those who need it the most.
Remember, we are God's Army, we are soldiers for Christ - Let us not retreat but touch the hurting and rescue the perishing.

Scripture: 1 John 3:16-1816 We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17 But whoever has the world's goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? 18 Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.

Until next time, go win one for the good guys.

Rally Point

I imagine one of the most thought of propositions when someone is dealing with death or dying themselves is 'What is the purpose to this?' 

That's a good question. That's a tough question.

What is the purpose to pain and suffering that individuals endure?

In life, there is some pain and some suffering we readily believe is acceptable. When a person plays football, we expect a fair level of pain. When a person goes through Basic Training, we accept the fact that their Drill Sergeant is going to make them suffer to a degree.

But mostly, we can only see the negative side in suffering; we don't think of the above examples, we tend to think of a child born with mental retardation or some other birth defect. 

And when confronted with the issue of pain and suffering, survivors like me reflect on all that has happened and wonder - 'What is the meaning of suffering that never goes away?'

To me, the meaning of pain and suffering ought to be the rallying point of the church. 
If the resurrection of Jesus Christ is truly the greatest event that has ever happened and offers hope to one and all, then there is an eternal hope that says to us 'no level of pain or suffering is too great for Christ to conquer.'
The church then, as a consequence, reflect this proposition.

The church has been chosen by Christ to be on the front lines in a hurting world; and yet, many times those who are suffering are the focus of our judgment and scorn rather than our compassion. 
Rather than an individual Christian trying to explain why a person has leprosy or terminal cancer, we should respond as Christ responded - with compassion and love.
And if you have ever seen such an act, the results are amazing.

Several years ago, a research group at John's Hopkins performed an experiment involving two rats. One rat was dropped into a bucket of water from which it could not escape. 
Rat #1 splashed around and thrashed for more than 60 hours before it gave up and died. Amazing - 60 hours of non-stop thrashing; he wouldn't give up until exhausted.

Rat #2 was quite different.
With Rat #2, he was held in a person's hand before putting him in the bucket. The more the rat squirmed, the tighter the human held it; this heightened the rat's sense of helplessness and it continued until the rat stopped squirming.
Rat #2 was then dropped into the same amount of water. 
Rat #2 gave up and died in just a few minutes.
Rat #2 had been trained to give up.
As much as we might hate to admit it, our hospitals and medical facilities train us to become much like Rat #2 and we give up far too easily.

When I was diagnosed six months ago, I was determined that if I was to die then I would go down fighting. It did not matter to me what the outlook was, I was going to be pragmatic about it but I was also going to do whatever it took to stay alive. 
Not everybody responds this way; in fact, most are inadvertently encouraged to give up.

The truth is that hospitals, nursing homes and the medical establishment tends to immobilize not only the body of the patient but the spirit as well. 
Think about it. 

A patient lies confined to a bed with high-powered medication skewing reality, he can't work, fluids are routinely taken out of his body, he is shut off from most relationships he has had, food, water and hygiene is controlled by someone they don't know and depression looms around the corner because of their condition.
And that helpless feeling only increases when the patient only has pain to think about.
In reality, what we are telling people in this type of condition is that they should give up. 
But this is where the church should stand up and rally.

Those of us within the church who have suffered, even terminally so and have lived, we ought to be the ones helping those that are in pain, suffering or who are terminal - FIGHT!
We ought to be the people who look at sickness from the standpoint of victory in the end. 
Philip Yancy once commented that if he owned a 'get well card' company, his cards would say, 'Congratulations to the 98 Trillion cells in your body that are still working smoothly and effectively!!'

As the church, with the greatest hope in the greatest person who has ever lived, we should be the people who are able to see those who are in pain and suffering and not see a sick person; rather, we should see a person of worth and value - who just happens to have a few parts not functioning well.
This is the responsibility of the Church.

As for the one who is suffering, or in pain, or even dying - your job is to fight. 
You see, suffering is not beneficial within itself; we must fight because - what really counts is how we react to the suffering we face in life.
That is our real test and we must face the fight with courage and strength - which is best done if you Christ in your heart and in your life.

As for the one who has suffered and survived but believes they cannot help others - you are wrong. There is no more effective healer than a wounded healer; for in the process of helping others, our own scars seem to fade away.
A person who has suffered and lived to tell about it will not look inward, but outward and become the hands of God in the world so that others may come to know Him.

Until next time, go win one for the good guys.