Five Years Free

This week marked a full three years since a horrible cancer was removed from my body.
At the time, I was expected to live only a few more months; I looked into the mirror this morning and realized that I might not be the most handsome man in the world, but I look pretty good for a person who is supposed to be a corpse.

There were literally thousands of prayer-warriors lifting voices to the heavens; there were also thousands of others who quietly, mildly and simply asked God for intervention.
At the time, although as it was taking place I said little, I could literally feel something in my body

changing.
With no question in my mind, I know now that God was doing something inside of me; maybe reconstructing. Maybe reversing nature. Maybe something beyond what I can envision.
But I do know that something was taking place that couldn't be described or explained.

And I do know that I walked out of the hospital, ALIVE.

That was five years ago; five...it is the number every cancer patient longs for because when you reach the five year mark, you are declared a survivor and cancer free.

In that time, though some details have faded, there are two things that have remained in the forefront of my mind that I hope to never forget.
One is the true friends that I have; now, this is not to say many weren't concerned, but I mean the deep, true friends - some of whom are reading these words right now - are still my friends and remain very close.

For these, I will ever be thankful and would fight alongside them regardless of the battle.

The second truth is this: God was very evident throughout the entire ordeal; not just within me but around me, through others, through instances in time.
It was very, very clear that His hand was a guiding force from the original thought of calamity, to the diagnosis, through the surgeries and well into recovery within the declaration that cancer was no longer a part of my body.
And with God's presence, came God's greatest gift to humanity - the evidence of His grace.

God has always been present and full of grace; indeed, while humanity lives in a time capsule of linear thought and space, we view time in the same regard.
Yet, God is above and beyond our time and space; His presence is ever availing and His knowledge and works are ever-permanent.
As such, while we think of events in a linear motion; God encircles both ends of our thoughts of time.

But always, He has given grace to those who are in the most need, when they need it, at exactly the right moment.
A few examples from history might be helpful.

What most theologians mark as the worst day in the history of the human race, the Fall of Man, God responded by doling out individual punishments for each player's role in the creation's demise.
Yet, these punishments were also full of grace.
The punishment for humanity was that we will all one day die; yet, God didn't strike down the offending parties immediately, nor did He cut off resources.
Instead, He allowed humanity to live, allowed the deceiver to continue his work, as a Cross appeared on the horizon of the ages to follow.

A generation after the sin in the Garden of Eden came the first murder; worse, it was among the first
parents children.
While Abel's blood cried out from the ground, Cain pleaded that his punishment was too great and that someone would find him and kill him for what he had done.
God's response - a mark was placed on Cain; he would live, but he would live in misery because of the crime he had committed.

In both events, there is a true sense in which God as our Father, truly seemed to struggle with humans as He balanced the learning curve to include a punishment, justice, authority and grace.

A few generations later, mankind had deteriorated so much that Scripture records, "The Lord was grieved (some translations say 'sorry') that He had made man on the Earth, and His heart was filled with pain."

I imagine every parent in history has felt that same type of shock, grief and pain from some action or statement from their children.
We struggle to remember, like God with the first humans, we too must learn to balance justice, punishment and grace.

I can also tell you this shock, grief and pain happens with those who are pastors of churches.
Many times ministers are absolutely dumbfounded at the spiritual immaturity, reckless behavior, and statements made by those who have claimed the Cross as their salvation.
Sometimes, people are as shocking as Cain expecting grace from God.

Yet, as time passed, one found favor in the sight of the Lord; Noah.
After the flood, humanity was given a new start with the Noahic Covenant.
This Covenant is absolutely astonishing in the fact that God is the sole promising agent in the agreement; in fact, God for the first time, places a limit on Himself.
God's Limit?
He promised never to annihilate mankind in this manner again; He in fact, gave a protection to humanity so that humans would not live in constant fear before an all-powerful God.

Now, in each of the above cases, as with my struggle with cancer, God was actively involved.
During that time, my faith did not fail nor falter.
Yet, like those in the time of Noah or Abraham or even John the Baptist; I have found it is not in those times where our faith fails - it is in those times and periods when we hear nothing from God but absolute silence.

If God is not speaking to us, if we feel not His presence, if we have no encouraging word; then, what does God want from us?
When in a struggle and He seems so far away, what does He desire?
The answer: Belief.

And belief in those times when God seems to have withdrawn are painstakingly hard.

Yet, God wants us to believe Him and trust Him when we are in times where there is no real reason to trust or believe.
In this, very well could be the great challenge of modern man; we have been given more reasons to disbelieve than to believe.
- We have witnessed internal church fights and splits among major denominations; these have left behind disgruntled Christians and wounded the faithful.
- We have seen for years, lying political leaders who have thrown oppressive taxes and regulations on the middle class of America, while tossing society into economic chaos and uncertainty.
- We have seen, in recent years, the military evolve from a war fighting/peace continuing necessity to a group used as a nation-wide social experiment, rather than the warrior class they are.

In fact, most won't ask it, so I will: Why should we believe?
We have many reasons not to...but so did the Patriarchs, the Disciples, or the Church Fathers.

With belief, maybe that is the point; we are to believe when the world, others and our environment tell us otherwise.
In Scripture, this is called 'faith.'

A little over five years ago I was told, 'We can prolong your life, but we can't save it.'
Then I was taken to the man who was supposed to become the administer of chemotherapy or radiation (I can't really remember, but that's not important).
There was no direction, no real hope given, and I truly didn't know what was going to happen; but I did know that God was just, that He is good and whatever did happen, I was going to be OK.
As one good friend put it at the time, 'The worst thing that can happen to you is heaven.'

He was right.

I have found that in those times when there seems to be no direction and God seems to be silent; there is still grace and hope.
You see, few remember in their struggles on earth that there was a 400 year gap between the death of Joseph and the Exodus out of Egypt by the Hebrew people.
During that time, God seemed to be silent; but He was not.
God was quietly and Sovereignly working to raise up a man named Moses; it would be through him

that God would speak and lead the faithful.
But God did expect one thing from His people while they could not see what He was doing nor heard His voice: belief.

In the times that there is no direction or guidance (we think), that is the time for trust and belief.
It is far more important in dark times than when we are happy and blessed.
Think about it, when have you grown more spiritually?
Was it when everything was marigolds and maple syrup?
Or was it when times were dark and despair was on the doorstep?
More likely than not, it was in a time of trial or tragedy.

In those times, it is paramount to remember that you think you are receiving nothing but silence from God; but just be patient and wait - God is not silent forever.
Faith is a lot like film, it has to be developed in the dark; therefore, never doubt in the dark what you have learned in the light.

True, we favor joy and victory; but it is in the silence when we grow.

The Jews had a promise, but for 400 years they toiled in slavery though they believed it.
To some, it may have sounded like a fairy tale; a theological insult.
But God wasn't silent forever.

The truth is that the thought of God being silent, or unfair, or hidden from them must have troubled each of them; as it did Abraham, the Prophets, John the Baptist in prison and just as it does each of us today.
We want a power display of reality; a Burning Bush, a Red Sea parting...a man healed of cancer.

While these things do still happen, the power displays of God can do everything but one; it cannot make us trust nor love another person or God.
Love and trust cannot be forced; it is a decision.

So, in actuality, all that we see wrong with the world, sickness in our life, etc...these things are actually a seed bed for true faith and trust.
And it is this faith and trust by which mountains are moved, people are delivered, men are healed of cancer and God's wonderful grace is demonstrated for the world to see.

If a little suffering on our part is all that it takes, we should endure it faithfully.
Just think of what He endured for you and I.

Until next time, win one for the good guys.

The Darkest Question of Christianity

The Darkest Question of Christianity is this: Why didn't God do something?

You see, Jesus Christ - God's only Son - was abandoned by His Father and left to die on the Cross.
Jesus died, not of torture; nor did He expire from fatigue.
Jesus Christ died from Asphyxiation. 

One man described it as follows:

- The cross is placed on the ground and the exhausted man is quickly thrown backwards with his shoulders against the wood. The legionnaire feels for the depression at the front of the wrist. He drives a heavy, square wrought-iron nail through the wrist and deep into the wood. Then he would repeat the act, allowing some flex and movement. The cross is then lifted into place. The left foot is pressed backward against the right foot, and with both feet extended, toes down, a nail is driven through the arch of each, leaving the knees flexed. The victim is now crucified.

- As he slowly sags down with more weight on the nails in the wrists, excruciating, fiery pain shoots along the fingers and up the arms to explode in the brain—the nails in the wrists are putting pressure on the median nerves. As he pushes himself upward to avoid this stretching torment, he places the full weight on the nail through his feet. Again he feels the searing agony of the nail tearing through the nerves between the bones of his feet.

- As the arms fatigue, cramps sweep through the muscles, knotting them in deep, relentless, throbbing pain. With these cramps comes the inability to push himself upward to breathe. Air can be drawn into the lungs but not exhaled. Eventually, carbon dioxide builds up in the lungs and in the blood stream, and the cramps partially subside. Spasmodically he is able to push himself upward to exhale and bring in life-giving oxygen.

- Hours of this limitless pain, cycles of twisting, joint-rending cramps, intermittent partial asphyxiation, another agony begins: a deep, crushing pain deep in the chest as the pericardium slowly fills with serum and begins to compress the heart.

The compressed heart is struggling to pump heavy, thick, blood into the tissues—the tortured lungs are making a frantic effort to gasp in small gulps of air.

Finally he can allow his body to die.

All this the Bible records with the simple words, “And they crucified Him.” (Mark 15:24).

~ Adapted from C. Truman Davis, M.D. in The Expositor's Bible Commentary, Vol. 8

When Charlemagne, King of the Franks, heard the account of Christ's arrest and crucifixion for the first time, he rattled his sabre and exploded in rage, saying,  "If only I had been there; I would have slain them all with my legions!"

Countless generations of Christians have harbored the same feelings towards the people responsible for the Lord's Crucifixion.

But Charlemagne nor his legions, were there.

You and I weren't there either; nor do we have legions of warriors at our disposal; even Jesus didn't call on the angels for aid.

In fact, the one person who did draw his sword was Peter; this turned out disastrously.

Behind all the raw emotion, behind the outrage.

Behind all the theology and the questions we might have stands the one question towards God Himself - it is the darkest question in the Christian faith.

"Why did God allow it?"

"Why didn't God act?"

Truly, the one person who could have done something was God the Father.

The One who Created the universe and flung the stars in place is far more powerful than earthly warriors; yet, He turned away and never attempted to lift a finger to help His condemned Son.

In those Six Hours that one Friday so long ago which transpired on the Cross at Calvary, the question of 'why' remains.

In one sense, Jesus died due to a vast conspiracy by wicked men; in another sense, Jesus was handed over to His enemies because He was betrayed by one of His close followers.

In another sense, God the Father sent His Son to accomplish this work to save fallen humanity; for we have all handed Him over for far less than 30 pieces of silver.

And in yet another sense, nobody took the life of Jesus Christ, He gave it up willingly for those whom He loved.

Still, why didn't God the Father do something?

As you read the Gospel account of the tragedy of events leading to the Crucifixion of Jesus; there is a yearning in the soul due to the injustices being carried out.

There is a slow crescendo until the point of Christ's death.

But when He dies, though the disciples had fled, the Sanhedrin rejoiced and God turned away; one thing did happen - all of creation seemed to stop and mourn the death of the Son of God.

In the moment He died; Creation shook to its very core.

The Sun darkened, the Earth shook and the dead were raised.

In truth, all of Creation groaned due to the death of the Savior.

But still, the question remains, 'Why didn't God do something?'

Why couldn't He have done...well, anything that would change the course of human history while providing salvation?

Maybe in the question lies the answer.

You see, it is not that God could not have done anything to aid His Son; it is the fact that

He did not do anything.

So, why didn't He do something?

I'm certain most Christians know the Sunday School answers to that question.

"God was fulfilling Prophecy..."

"God was satisfying His judgment..."

"Jesus had to die after being betrayed..."

And all of those, and more theological answers, are true.

But God has been forever more real than a theological answer.

Lest we lose our first love, the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ is far more personal than any theological proof or answer.

There is something very real, very personal in one man dying for another.

In the Crucifixion, it is the God-Man who died in His innocence so that you and I, who are guilty from our birth, could stand with Him in eternity.

And why?

Because of His great love.

How did He choose to do it?

Through His endless grace.

And to offer His grace, forgiveness had to be available.

Forgiveness could only be available if One endured the punishment of our sin.

That One, was Jesus Christ.

In those six hours Jesus was on the Cross, some see Divine Wrath executed on the innocent; and it is there.

Others see the final result of betrayal; this is true as well.

Some see the wickedness to which the human heart can sink; they are right.

But through it all, on the Cross that day, I see the unification of human suffering and divine love in the person of Jesus Christ.

When Jesus died on the Cross, His head may have hung as His spirit left His body; but death had not conquered Him.

On the first day of the week, Christ would triumphantly burst forth from the tomb in which He had been placed; rising from the grave and defeating death itself.

The enemies of the Cross, from the time of the apostles even to the present age, have attempted to destroy its meaning.

The Cross cannot be destroyed, nor its meaning; the Cross cannot be defeated because the Cross itself is defeat.

Only being united with Christ in the likeness of His death can we be certain of being raised with Him in the likeness of the resurrection.

That is why, ‘Jesus and Him crucified’ remains the very heart of the message of the Gospel.

And that, my friend, is why God the Father did not intervene so long ago; that you and might be raised with Him in the Resurrection to Life on that great day to come.

Until next time, win one for the good guys.

More than Animals

Philip Yancey once commented that if he was seeking to discredit the Christian Doctrine of Man, he would not go to fossils to argue evolutionary theory.
Instead, he would go to a local High School where daily the offering is a showcase for 'The Human Animal.'


There's some truth in that statement; High School is truly a 'Survival of the Fittest' in many, many ways and forms.

A couple of years ago, I attended an 'all year' reunion at my High School, which has long since closed its doors.

As I scanned the crowd and looked for old friends, it was clear that little had changed in the 20 or so years since I walked the halls of Gauley High.

Those who were "jocks" still walked with a swagger; albeit one with larger stomachs than in years earlier. Those who were once cheerleaders seemed to have taken care of themselves better than most; although when they gathered for a cheer from the old days, it didn't look quite right.

The individuals who were thought of as 'nerds' or 'computer geeks' were still geared towards that direction; yet, they were wealthier and better dressed than most.
And then there were still those who wore an abundance of flannel, which is common in Appalachia; others who were still artistic and still others who seemed to remain loners, even as adults.


The styles had changed; there were no men there with 90's style pegged pants or females with poofy hair held together with a pound of Aquanet.
No, the styles weren't the same at all; but the people were mostly the same.
Some spoke of the same ''wins" from High School, some spoke the same way; others dwelled on a long-forgotten past.
Basically, the conversation was the same as years earlier.


Rarely do people change.
But as I stood there, I realized that I was one of the few who had indeed changed; and changed dramatically.
Most had the same stories as I had from the past; similar adventures of misdeeds and missed chances, but they were not cookie cutter experiences.
No, the paths in our lives were indeed different; but how easily most reverted back into their 'packs' and 'herds;' the places where they found acceptance during their clash to survive.

"Man is not an arithmetical expression; he is a mysterious and puzzling being, and his nature is extreme and contradictory all through."

                                                                                           ~ Dostoevsky


In other words, when God created man, He created man to be more than an animal.
We are not products of an accident or of chance; but unique creations by the powerful hand and mind of God Himself.

While High School may be the place where American teens engage in the 'Survival of the Fittest' for the first time, and we ease into our 'places,' it is not the end of the story.

I truly cannot understand how a grown adult with a family and career would believe that High School was the greatest time in their life...but I digress.

You see, experiencing Christ defies our nature for the simple fact that Christ changes the human heart from what it is, to what it can become in grace through Jesus Himself.
It is Jesus who calls us to be more, to want more that is holy, to be better than we've ever dreamed of being and to accomplish things in this life which we have never dreamed.


In reading Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, the poor are elevated; the persecuted comforted; as are those who are meek and those who mourn.
Jesus, unlike the world, warned against the clear dangers of wealth and power; in essence, He warned against those who possess a 'swag' for whatever reason.


When you look to Jesus, you will find that He valued the very opposite of what society desires; and this includes the people.
The people Jesus took time to fellowship with are the same people you might find anywhere in any town in America, and most of them are still despised - tax collectors, whores, beggars and the infirm.
Jesus taught us that we are more than animals; we are the apex of God's creative mind.

"Nature is cruel; therefore, we may be cruel."

                                                                                      ~ Adolf Hitler


In nature, animals will kill the weak; it is true that in the natural world only the strong survive.
But the Christian is to value the lesser of society and support the weary and tried.
We are not called to the 'Pursuit of Happiness,' as President Jefferson so declared; instead we are to be in pursuit of the Godly service we may provide to our fellow man.


And how we approach issues in life is just as important as how we treat one another; Jesus makes clear that what is expected from His followers will always be different than what is expected from the world.
Have you failed?
Don't cover it up; instead openly admit it, because we have all failed.
Have you been injured by another?
Don't seek revenge, forgive them and move on with your life.
Amassing wealth?
Why? We're to give it away and store up treasures for the next life in Heaven.

These things are hard to do; it is so hard that most will not even attempt them.

For example, how many have gone to their spouses and asked for forgiveness because of a hidden affair. It is rarely done for fear of what the consequences to the failure would be in their life.

It's hard to admit moral failures and spiritual shortcomings.
So, we don't even try; instead settling into an unfamiliar guilt that oppresses our minds and separates our spirits from our Lord.


In science, which is not at odds with Intelligent Design, humanity is classified as 'Homo Sapiens.'
But humans are far more than animals.


As such, we ought to treat each other and ourselves as what we really are - products of an infinite God's creative mind; a God who wishes us to be changed into the men and women He intended us to be from the very beginning, but lost.


I have often argued that the Christian Church has lost millions upon millions because we have failed to live up to the standard Jesus set forth in the Sermon on the Mount.
Unfortunately, we tend to repel people because of our attitudes and actions rather than draw them to the Living Lord.


Often the words which come to mind when describing a Christian is words like, 'Judgmental,' 'Angry,' or 'Hypocrite.'
What if someone said the word 'Christian' and a new vocabulary entered the mind; words like, 'Patience,' 'love,' 'Kindness,' or 'Compassion.'

The effect of these qualities would remain in the hearts and minds of people long after we would have passed from the scene.

These attributes would remain long after the sun, moon and stars have grown cold in the skies.

And in truth, the heart change that comes with Christ's new life, leads to new actions in life; and these new, good works may be the best argument against any egghead's 'evolution of man' theory.

And that is true, regardless of what has happened to you since High School.

Until next time, win one for the good guys.

Personal God

Not so long ago I was with a friend on the way to the gym.
A rain storm had just taken place and left behind was a beautiful Rainbow stretching across

the sky.
The Rainbow certainly reveals to the world the Majesty of God; a Creator who but in place a prism by which would activate colors throughout the sky when the right mixture of moisture and sunlight intertwine.

Perhaps, 'Majesty' is an understatement; yet, this is how we often view God Himself.
While true, for God is majestic and Sovereign, the Rainbow also reveals a very personal side of God as well.
The Rainbow was set in the sky of the earth as the Noahic Covenant; God's personal promise never to destroy the earth or its people with a raging flood again.

You can't get much more personal than an eternal promise not to exact judgment through a particular means.
In this case, God's relationship with humanity would be intact throughout the ages; a reminder set amongst the clouds.

Early on, American church children are taught much of the over-arching majesty, concepts and attributes of God; and these are certainly true.
But what is needed in every day life is something much more personal than an omnipotent, invisible Spirit.
We need a God who is personal AND omnipotent; or at least, we need to realize that He is both simultaneously.

In reading Scripture, if a person seeks not to prove a point or look for anything specific, just simply read Scripture; they would soon find among the great doctrines of the faith, among the accounts of the witnesses from the past, they will find a Person.
And the discovery of God as a Person, one who is unique as any person you may know in life, is an event as memorable as any event in your life.

From this discovery, we find that God feels the emotion of love; as well as the mental state of loving which is required from His people toward those whom are unloveable.
We find in Him a Person who demonstrates His frustration, as well as His joy; thunderous anger can emit from Him, as can enormous delight.
And surprisingly, from One who knows all and sees all from eternity past to eternity future, God even seems stunned by the behavior of His Creation at times.

Maybe, just maybe, if we as Christians treated God as a Person who feels and is capable, instead of a 'thing', we would have a better understanding of the relationship He desires to have with us throughout this life and into eternity with Him.

In the Bible, we find that those who related to God best were the very people who treated God just that way - as a Person. As a friend.
The truth is that God has never been a riddle to be solved, a proposition to be considered or a theological doctrine to be debated; God is a Person who is to be experienced and enjoyed in His fullest.

When humans are upset with God, or angry with Him, rarely do we consider to ask 'why?' Why am I upset with God?
We look at our circumstances and wonder why God hasn't acted; but the emotions we feel toward Him aren't even justified.
You see, oftentimes, when a person is angry/upset with God it is because He didn't do what we thought He should do.

But could it be, the individual didn't understand the Personhood of God?
When we are upset with a friend, do we not usually take time to cool down and later approach them with the issue? And when we do, isn't it true that we often learn of things we didn't know about that influenced their behavior, silence or speech?
And if we have misunderstood God in a similar manner, doesn't stand to reason that the problem is more of a relationship problem rather than a faithfulness problem?

And if we have a relationship problem with God, then we must consider the whole situation we are struggling with from God's point of view.

Every page of Scripture contains God's message to a fallen humanity; in every Word, He is revealing Himself a little more.
So, if there is a problem with our understanding of God or in our relationship with God, and God has already revealed Himself, who are we really upset with?

In life, we relate to most people through roles established through our relationships; our relationship with God is no different.
Yet, with God, sometimes our misconceptions play into our awkwardness with Him; our sin, our mistakes, our errors in life - each of these contribute to an uneasiness in our relationship with Him.
If not reconciled, we grow further away from Him, much like a spouse growing apart from their partner because issues within their heart was never addressed.
But in all our relationships, we do not value the external features nor treasure temporary gifts; instead, we look to the person underneath the externals of life.
The same should also be true in our relationship with God.

When we pray, it is true that we are speaking with the Creator of the entire Universe; One who surpasses all understanding and wisdom of the human mind.
In His presence, it is understandable how easy it is to fall silent.

God's realm is above and beyond our time and space; His thoughts being greater than ours.
As a consequence, this would logically mean that God has literally all the time in the world for each and every person who speaks to Him through His Son and by faith.
For, He is not bound by our limitations of time and space.

Jesus too, adds to the equation of God being personal.

While one cannot get any more personal than dying for you so that you may spend eternity with Him; it is also true that God gave His Son for each person who will believe.
In the incarnation, God came near; He is, after all, Immanuel.

And Jesus Himself even changed how we are to view our relationship with God in changing how we are to pray - closely, intimately, frankly, honestly.
In other words, speak to Him like a friend.

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

Dependence on God

"My goal isn't to be better than anyone else; my goal is to be better than I once was."

                                                                                      ~ Anonymous


When I had cancer, I learned a lot about myself.
After I was healed and began to recover, I learned more about myself and more about the people who were around me.
Spiritually, I learned the very valuable lesson of God's Sovereign control over every aspect of the universe, to include our very fragile, personal lives.


Of all the things Scripture commands believers to do, of all the things that we're told that we are to have as a response to life, to prayer, to requests and in our meditative life in Christ,

the most difficult could very well be the command we are given by the Lord which says:

"Be Still and Know that I AM God."

~ Ps. 46:10

This command given to the Psalmist by God and passed on to us in Scripture, could be the hardest thing we ever have to do in our lives.
By our nature, we do not want to be still, we do not want to wait; His timing, we think, should line up with our timing and what we want should be what God wants for us as well.
But you know as well as I do that it doesn't work this way.


I cannot speak for the rest of the world; but I do know that 'being still' is a foreign concept, historically, for most Americans.


As Americans, historically, we have been taught from a very young age to aspire for self-reliance; we need no person or government to provide for us or to regulate what we do in our individual lives.
Isn't this the spirit of ruggedness which helped to build America?


In fact, we celebrate independence far more than any reliance.
We expect our children to walk before the reach a year of age; we make joyous encouragement to our children when they go to the bathroom for the first time in a commode. When riding a bike, we are more than willing as parents to take training wheels off at the first indication a child can sustain their balance; only to discover they weren't as ready as we want them to be and begin to cry when their knee is skinned up because of the crash to the ground.
As adults, we read self-help books when we try new projects and gather our own information to accomplish a task.
We look down on those who sustain themselves by government assistance and welfare programs.


In general, Americans tend to want to be self-sufficient and self-reliant.
But the one place self-reliance will kill you is when we try to be spiritually self-reliant; in the Kingdom, the opposite should take place, the Christian should seek more dependence rather than independence.

"Apart from Me, you can do nothing"

~ Jn. 15:5

If I had to describe prayer, there are many things that could be said: Communion with God, spiritual humility, etc.
But at its core, I would say that prayer is a solemn declaration of our dependence on God Himself; in particular, His grace and goodness.

The Biblical patriarchs, the prophets, the leaders of the Old Testament and the Apostles and early Church of the New Testament teach us the same ideal about dependence on God.
With God, we become more than conquerors for He conquers through us; apart from God, we are left to our own resources and fail miserably.


To prove this statement, and to see how things are supposed to be in our lives spiritually, we need to look no further than the first chapter of Genesis.
After each creative act of God, He looked and 'saw that it was good.'
This means that each part of Creation held the goodness of God and shouted His glory throughout the universe; Creation demonstrated the glory of His handiwork.
Another verse of Scripture states the Creation this way:

"The morning stars sang together and all the Angels shouted for joy."

~ Job 38:7

Amazing, isn't it?
It was a time unknown to us today; all Creation spoke to God's glory and created beings

proclaimed with joy His magnificence.
It was a time, unknown to us, of utter dependence on God Himself.


Yet, despite the pain we experience in this life, despite the tragedy we see reported each day through the media news cycles, and despite the loss of purity which has invaded humanity, there is still something lingering in Creation that shouts God's glory throughout the universe.
It is like the scent of an old, but familiar perfume from someone you once knew but have been separated from for ages.


And every once in a while, we find relics of that past civilization amid the fallen world today; calling us back to our Creator, back to His grace.


It is the Creator's hand guiding us to Himself; drawing us near, even as we seek to draw away from Him.
The 23rd Psalm speaks of God's 'goodness and mercy' following us all the days of our lives; we are given a picture of a God who knows His own and will chase us down and love us, even in those times when we are the most unlovable and don't want to be loved.
It is an image of His infinite glory in His endless grace.


To experience these things we are to 'Be Still and Know that I AM God.'
This is the opposite of rebellion; it is the counter to acts of rebellion.
It is simply being God's own child and recognizing the fact that God Himself is in total and epic control of your life and your circumstances.


Of all the negative things that happened or continues to effect my body and life caused by cancer, the one positive thing I can attest to is the peace and security of knowing that He is God.
In that stillness, there is found the peace which surpasses all understanding.
It is a return to that by-gone age of the Creation.


You see, at the beginning, there was no such thing as self-reliance; there was no stubbornness.
As a result, there were no disappointments because the expectations were solidly in God Himself; what was found was a simple, pure joy within all Creation.


And humans, they were still and knew God; they experienced Him, walked with Him, communed with Him in such a way that we can only dream of experiencing in the age to come.
In their dependence on God for life, food, existence, and all other things; there was joy.


The hope of humanity is in this: As things were at the beginning, so they will be at the end.
A total, absolute, joyful and glorious dependence on the Sovereign hand of God Himself.


Until next time, win one for the good guys.

Crazy Faithfulness

"No good decision was ever made in a swivel chair."

                                                                            ~ General George S. Patton


Just South of Fort Worth, Texas, there is a small community named Joshua. 
In Joshua, there is a ministry to women and great, mighty things happen among them from the hand of God using the women who have been called to this location.
The areas in which this ministry sets is rural; it is a sleepy area of outlying farms and homes. In fact, one might mistake Crazy 8 ministry's location as just another house along a semi-busy road. Once inside, the mistake is easily corrected.


It is within the Crazy 8 where one finds a striking difference with the rest of the world around

them. In a self-description, a friend who serves in this ministry said their ministry was geared towards women in 'sick situations.'
While broad, from what I observed and learned of this ministry, nothing could be truer of their work; seeking to bring women out of situations that reek of death, judgment and pain into a life that is once again worth living.


In finding what was needed in their area, these women have come together to minister to those needs, provide counseling, living quarters for some (at times including children) and giving them the hope that is found in Christ alone.
True to the Gospel initiative of ministering to 'the least of these,' Crazy 8 Ministries have trod a path which few seek to walk in their Christian journey.
And while they may not ever have a mega-church backing them, and they will certainly not reach every women in need of their services; those whom they do reach and do touch, it will change their life and aid in bringing them in the presence of a Savior who will change their hearts.


The same day I met my friend in Joshua to see what their ministry involved, I returned to downtown Fort Worth to meet other friends and colleagues. That night, we were outside our hotel and I witnessed a young man engaging in what was once called, 'Street Preaching.'
As people passed, He loudly proclaimed the Gospel - clear and concise - speaking truth without fear.
I watched for several minutes, few passing paid any attention to what this man was saying; although I'm certain many heard his words. Most likely, he had received a positive response in the past from this type of ministering - else he would not continue.


Yet, that was not the case on this night.
Aside from the negative looks and comments under the breath of those passing, there was little response at all.


The question must now be asked, 'Which one of these are more effectively communicating the faith of true Christianity?'
Which of the two would you, where you live and breathe today, which one are you more likely to respond in faith?


To rightly communicate the faith of Christ, we must be faithful to Jesus' way of communicating faith. This is not done by compulsion or forced assent to Truth, but rather, by presenting it as the true, factual answer that God has given to man; demonstrating such through our words and actions in life.
We must love God with all our hearts and love one another as we love ourselves; glorifying God in all we do and working or performing each task as if we were doing the activity for God Himself.

Christians cannot stop an evil world; we never will.
As time goes forward, my friend knows regardless of how many women and their families are touched by her ministry that there will always be another person in a 'sick situation.' Our world is fallen and the fallenness of the world damages people and lives.
And though we cannot stop the world around us, we can give a shining alternative that strikes at the very corrupt nature of the surrounding culture.


Some may say that is a Christian acted like 'this,' whatever 'this' might be, then they would believe and embrace the faith. The examples are as long as listings in an old telephone book; if believers weren't self-righteous, condescending, etc. Then that person will say that they would have never lost faith.
May I submit that the truth is that the individual's faith was misplaced to begin with; if faith is truly in Christ, then it cannot be lost.
But if our faith is in a ministry, a person or an organization - it can certainly be lost as we are fallen.


Yet, in observing those who have rejected the faith and ignored stunning examples like Crazy 8 as they become God's hands in the world, I wonder whether some are so fragile and dependent on others that their deep matters of faith actually belong to another than being rooted in their own hearts.
The truth is that some Christians, in times past, were sawn in two because they would not recant their personal faith in Christ; today, on average there are 26 Christians killed for their faith each day in the world - but for many, a bad attitude is enough to abandon the Body.


In the New Testament, believers were considered 'great in the faith' for two reasons: they believed on the Lord AND they acted on their faith.
If we held more to this simple standard, rather than attempting to become great by the world's standards of 'bigger and better,' we would have more men and women becoming great in the Lord and great in the faith than we've ever seen in our lifetime.


Truthfully, if we held to the above standard as they did in the New Testament, I believe in less than a generation we could win the world for Christ.
Maybe that is why I was so impressed at my friend's servanthood in Joshua, Texas; I could see a simple outworking of the Gospel through what she and her colleagues were doing - simply, quietly, honorably serving God and man in the love of Christ.


Faith and Faithfulness - these are the two words we are to be known for in life; not because it shows how good we are but because it honors God Himself.


Like the great Church Father Athanasius, in our service to the Lord we may find ourselves, 'contra mundum,' against the world.

Yet, having the faith and being faithful oftentimes requires that we go against the world, contrary to society and standing against the culture.

While this may be difficult, the rewards are wonderful; in this life and the next.

Of the great Biblical patriarch Enoch, Scripture simply says, 'he pleased God.'

At the end of life, what more could anyone every want? What is there that could be greater?

Nothing.

Until next time, like my friend, win one for the good guys.

All the Kingdoms of the World

"We live in a world where Loyalty is a tattoo, Love is just a word, and Lying is the new truth."

                                                                               ~ Anonymous

In a few days, a new President of the United States will take office; to the joy of some and to the chagrin of others.
Neither side can understand the other, name-calling and accusations remain as the rift politically threatens to widen and deepen - with the help of those who seek to keep the American people divided.
Millions looked to each candidate as 'the answer' to America's problems

I have finally settled on who fits that bill - nobody.

Well, not anybody on earth anyway.
Please allow me the latitude to delve into political science just for a moment.
I promise I will weave everything together in the end.

I am a political junkie, I admit it.

And as I researched the Presidential election, I found tracking data on everybody and everything; genders, races, economic bracket and by generation.

Every generation, that is, except one: Generation X.

And this does not surprise me in the least.

Nor did it surprise me when I began to look at those who were born between 1962-1979, whom they voted for in the election.

Across gender, religious faith, and race - Generation X mostly voted for the winner of the Presidential election.

In the areas of the country where they sided with Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump still held a respectable, if not sizeable, minority.

That's when it occurred to me, Generation X swung this election in favor of Donald J. Trump.

And that is the first time Gen. X has held that type of influence over the nation.

Then something amazing occurred to me shortly after this revelation - this totally makes sense.

The question ought to be: Why wouldn't Gen. X vote for Trump?

In my doctoral research years ago, I dug into the evangelism and church outreach it would take to reach Gen X.

One thing that became very clear was that most of society, including the church, never really cared about Generation X, opting to first focus on what was called 'the Greatest Generation' and their children 'The Baby Boomers.'

One had money and the other would sustain the church in the long run, or at least they hoped the children of the greatest generation would sustain the church; and bent over backwards trying to appease a generation of people who thumbed their noses in the face of faith, society and government organization.

As the Boomers rejected the church and would not conform to tradition, they left.

The church then spent years trying to get them back; as Generation X was being born and raised, churches seemed to focus on their parents giving little but lip service to those of my generation.

By the mid-1990s, many churches/denominations had realized how they dropped the ball and decided they needed to focus on the youth; so, the church went after them.

That's great and all, but the problem was by this time, Gen X were in the mid-20's to late 30's. Nobody really sought to win them for the Lord or try to understand them.

As of today, the Church as a whole has yet to make any type of solid effort in reaching Generation X for Jesus Christ.

One must wonder, as Gen Xers are in their late-30s to mid-50s, if anybody in the Church will EVER seek for them.

But I momentarily digress.

It only makes sense that Gen X would vote for Trump, and here's why:

- We were the Latch-Key Kids - That means we were abandoned by our mothers who were told it wasn't enough for them to be mothers; so, they gave us an empty house to come home to from school while they chose to work.

-- This is where the term 'couch potato' originated for my generation.

-- Oh, and by the way, when this happened, divorces sky-rocketed; not that there could be ANY correlation between millions of women flooding the workplace.

- We were the first generation to face death before we were even born.

-- Talk about something that can really make you ego take a hit!

Millions of my generation weren't even given the opportunity to take a breath in the world.

-- Oh, and it did occur to many of us later in the 1990's, when we were hit with the largest tax ever levied on Americans in their 20's and 30's, that the tax burden would not have nearly been as high IF the other 40 million of us could have lived.

They would have been working and paying taxes we would have not to make for; but they weren't given that chance.

-- And it is ironic, nearly 25 years after that happened, the same justification was used in the most recent election, 'everybody has to pay their fair share,' even though we were promised the United States would be debt free by 2013.

- We remember some of our 'feminist' parents mourning the death of Valerie Solanas.

-- Now, you may not know who this is, but I remember; I remember one of my teachers in high school mourning this woman.

-- One of my favorite Solanas quotes:

"The male gene is a biological accident; the Y gene is an incomplete X,                                   female gene, that has an incomplete set of chromosomes."

                        

-- It doesn't matter that this woman was totally and biologically wrong; millions of people bought into it and then began to teach us in SCHOOL that men were a mistake.

-- So much for all people being equal and all genders being on the same playing field.

- We were called 'Slackers.'

-- You know why?

-- It's simple. We had the good sense not to stage a school walk-out or protest anything because life was fairly good.

-- Due to how we were treated early on, we appreciated what we DID have. So, I guess, we were slackers because who in their right mind protests a good thing?

- My personal favorite: We are the Generation that Killed Superman.

-- Dr. John Dever first wrote those words of Generation X; and I sat in his class seething when I read his book.

-- I cannot explain how appropriate it was for the first Gen X comic gurus to take control of

Superman, to kill him and later bring him back to life because he was never really dead. It spoke of imagination, of art, of tricking the knowledge in the mind.

But that's not how the hippie generation took it; they saw it as a personal insult.

It's amazing, really.

After all these years, they still don't understand their own children.

You see, Generation X watched the adults when they were children and saw a virtual Sodom & Gomorrah playing out in the 1980's in many of our homes.

We remember the greed of that time period; punctuated by the S&L Scandal that ruined millions of lives.

We remember the hypocrisy of our parents, who slept with everybody and advanced Sexually Transmitted Diseases, and then told us not to sleep with anybody because it wasn't appropriate.

And today, Generation X is watching Social Security being drained because it has been raided so many times due to the pet projects of the Baby Boomers and politicians trying to keep their vote.

We are watching health care balloon out of control because the Boomers were not responsible enough to plan head and Generation Y & Millennials don't understand simple economic theory and personal responsibility.

We have been watching 40 years of politicians get elected and reelected without doing much of anything but becoming experts at lip service.

So, then a man walks across the American Stage, a flawed man to be sure but a fighter in his heart, whom we have seen our entire lives.

And this guy says the things we're thinking; he is crisscrossing the country giving the middle finger to the mainstream media.

He blows off silly accusations.

He doesn't trust the norm because he's been stabbed in the back by the 'norm' before, with the scars to show for it.

He reflected the kids of the 1980's, even though he isn't one of us, and had the money to back up and follow through on what he said without being in debt to an outside influence; and he refused to be ignored as Gen X has been ignored.

Millions saw in him a reflection of what had been done to them for years; but he could fight back.

That's why Generation X voted for Donald Trump.

Why wouldn't they?

But for Gen X, the hope of the future does not lie in any president, nor any man, nor a political party.

It's understandable why my generation would favor a man who is as unpredictable as Gen X itself; it's understandable, but it isn't a solution to the basic problem which lies in the heart of man.

The truth of the matter is that the American culture and our society is 'post-Christian.'

We might see flashes of our roots on occasion, but 'Christian' certainly does not describe America any more.

Maybe that was one of the driving factors in the election; things aren't like they once was and we want them to become stable again.

With the church's neglect of my generation, the witness has truly failed us; but God never has, not once.

We live in a time when it is almost as if God haunts society, like an ever-present but little spoken of ghost who lives in the attic.

But I know, as do many others my age, God is greater and His presence is stronger, than any "ghost."

And  we have known of the results and seen some of them in our life time; or rather, the absence of the societal sin.

Due to the presence of true Christians in America, slavery ended; women's rights have advanced; segregation is gone; most discriminations have become a thing of the past.

Now, it may have taken Christians a little while to wake up at times; in my lifetime the Southern Baptist Convention followed by the Assembly of God denomination, publicly apologized for their role in slavery, discrimination and segregation.

We may take a while to wake up, but we did awake from our slumber.

Generation X is waiting for someone to awaken the from their slumber to something greater; something they have only heard of but not known how to achieve it.

You know, something like, 'Make America Great Again.'

Perhaps we've entered a new Dark Age, where nobody really knows how to lead any more; mutual fear of the unknown stagnating each side from reaching out to the other and just being content with the status quo spiritually is what has seemingly replaced the Great Commission.

And on the societal level of our nation, Christians are seen mostly as the moral police; by my generation, many Christians have appeared as hypocrites trying to force rules down our throats without ever following the rules themselves.

As to the older generation, many of the Christians in these groups see themselves as the last of a persecuted minority. Being hunted down isn't far away because there is nobody taking their place in the Church pew.

To many, in their minds an Orwellian destiny awaits, a country with thought police and a people who is hostile to religion in general.

But Gen X has never really been opposed to religion; they're just opposed to hypocritical religion.

Where did this come from? Simple.

It originated from television ministers and the public failures in the mid-1980s and then it was kept alive by watching seemingly 'Christian' adults carry forward with two lives.

One for church and another at home.

Honestly, I have heard more than once, from believers and non-believers alike from my generation, a deep-seated anger toward faith, parents, society, media, government and the church.

Maybe, the Boomers and Gen X and the Millennials need to learn how to respond to one another in an adversarial environment.

In other words, maybe we need to respond to one another with more grace than the others deserve; hence, grace.

The Christians of Generation X, some of whom are reading this right now, some voted for both political candidates; but we do not hate each other typically. No, we tend to respect one another though our political views are greatly different.

There are people who attend church that are reading this right now who are straight, gay and bisexual; and although with faith, we may disagree, by and large, we respect one another and listen to one another.

There are people who have never been to church and never plan to go to church or maybe even ever go again that are reading this blog; they too have felt the sting and hurt of when a body of believers reject them and are mean-spirited instead of grace-filled.

I could go on and on about the Gen Xers who are reading this who are vastly different; but that would eventually get extremely boring because it all points to one thing in particular.

Generation X tends to hang together; we had each other and little else when we were growing up.

The challenge for the Christians of Generation X is to reach those of our generation so they don't get left behind, while there is still time.

You see, with all the animosity that has built up in my generation, there is still only one solution for it; the redemption and renewal found within Christ alone.

And for the Christian, we must remember, Jesus sent people out; He did not gather them and hunker down in a first-century bunker and hide them.

No, He sent them out; as they went out, so must we - even to those who by whom we were wronged.

Equally bad to 'hunkering down' and waiting for Jesus to come is the tendency for Christians to, historically, appeal to secular power attempting to achieve the Gospel mandate.

Throughout my life I have heard of Christians wanting to, 'get our country back.'

My question: 'Back from what?'

If they mean from where it is now, well, whose fault is that again?

But I digress.

Forget about this notion, fictitious might add, of returning the country to historical Christianity. The founders of this nation were by and large Christians, but they certainly weren't uniform in their faith.

They desired a place where all could worship God as the individual saw fit according to conscious; however, I must concede they did  have the Christian God in mind and heart at the time.

It must also be conceded that the Constitution was the first document creating a government in the Western World which did not cite God as it's founder/author.

The truth is that the Christian ought to want Christian people running the country; but this does not alleviate the personal responsibility each Christian has to 'make disciples' as Christ commanded.

We must never expect the government to embrace our faith and enforce it; that would simply be wrong of Christianity or any religion.

Historically, may I remind you, when Christians have attempted to enforce spiritual truths through secular laws, they have always fell to the temptation of governmental power which has ALWAYS resulted in anti-gospel practices.

- Charlemagne ordered the death penalty for all Saxons who would not convert.

- Spain, 1492, the Jews were ordered to convert or be expelled.

- On this continent, Salem in the late 1600's; how many 'witches' were executed? None. But there were many hanged under false accusations and according to a judicial order led by the Church.

When Christians are aligned with the government, bad things usually result; mostly an abuse of power.

Afterwards, the backlash is predictable; we're seeing this in Europe at the present and soon it will cross the Atlantic.

The point of this entire essay is this - Christianity only works from the bottom up and never from the top down.

To Gen X, they largely went for Donald Trump in the election; but a sizeable minority voted for Hillary Clinton.

But before you judge one or the other, I can guarantee that the majority of Gen Xers voted for both of them because they didn't want the other to win.

And the rest of Gen X who did cast a ballot, truly believed their candidate who stick a boot in the rear-end of the country.

In both cases, the result will ultimately be the same; Christianity isn't really advanced. Christ isn't really profiting from our elections.

No, top-down faith doesn't work; our faith must be spread to others from the bottom-up.

It doesn't matter who was in the White House; Jesus is still King.

Having said all of the above, to my politically inclined mind; it makes sense why what happened, happened.

It does not make sense that the church, media and government continues to ignore Gen X.

But I do know this, Jesus still makes sense and there are millions upon millions of Boomers, Gen Xers and Millennials who are seeking the real answer to life's issues...and we have that answer.

You see, when Jesus was on earth, not only did He send people out with His message; He also was tempted.

In fact, Jesus resisted of having authority over 'all the Kingdoms of the World.'

When One is King, they need not have a false authority before ascending His throne for all eternity and before all humanity.

When one is a servant and follower of the same King, we need not wallow in hurting insults or injuring of the past; we need not embrace political power rather than Kingdom Authority.

We should, however, embrace to the fullest, even though we may have been ignored by the world, the Great Commission of our Lord and seek to reach every tribe, tongue and nation for His glory.

Until next time, win one for the good guys.