Questions of God

My entire life, I have heard questions concerning God.
Sometimes, these were serious questions from strong believers; at other times they were questions of ridicule or jest from people who did not know what to believe or in whom.

A long time ago, when I was a young Chaplain who thought he had all his theological ducks in a row, I remember a pre-teen child in a hospital bed whom had been severely burned in a house

fire.
The fire started from, the investigators believed, a cigarette that was carelessly dropped when her father fell asleep.
This young lady was the only person to escape the fire alive; it had let it's internal mark as well as external. Covered in tissue forming scars, when she exhaled - I could smell smoke and residue remaining in her lungs.

I wondered...how could this happen?

Not long after that event, I remember being called out to a drive-by shooting in which a thirteen-year old girl had been killed; the bullet penetrated through the walls and into her chest.
There were over 15 girls having a sleepover that night; but she was the only one injured in any way.
At least 100 shell casings remained on the ground; marking them with business cards folded into a small tent over them, I thought - why did this happen?

Then, a few years later, I sat listening to a radio in my office.
In the news had been reports of airline pilots being caught drinking while flying; then the talk show personality came across the air, interrupting his own show and stated that it seemed that a jet had flown into a building in Manhattan. 
I thought it was a drunk pilot.
But I was wrong.

As September 11, 2001 unfolded, myself and the entire country seemed to speak with one voice to God → Why didn't you do something?

These questions are simple; their answers can be complex.
But to put it simply, 'If God really cares, why doesn't He just fix all the things that are wrong with life and with the world?'

Some might say that these things happened because the individuals didn't have enough faith. 
But I would not want to be the one who said that statement to the mother of the teenage girl who hosted that sleepover so many years ago.

Quite simply, this is not an issue concerning one's personal faith.

No, these questions are at the very heart of what it means to believe, if at all.
They cannot be written off with a joke, or a bumper sticker that tells us to 'Trust Jesus.'
Instead, these issues arise in every heart of every man or woman, whether they are strong believers or simply curious concerning the faith. 

What would happen if God stepped into our world daily?
What if we had absolutely no doubt what God's will for our lives might be?
Without speculation, what would it be like if God made His power known to everyone; believers and skeptics alike?

Well, He already has...at least twice.

The first time was in the Exodus from Egypt.
Using this historical event as a guidepost for insight, we'll soon find out that God's intervention does not always produce the response we would hope from ourselves or one another.

University of Louisville Hospital

The girl who had endured the fire and nearly died from smoke inhalation, truly struck me to the soul back then. Before that episode, I had never seen a person who was so badly burned and still alive.
Seeing something of such horror makes a person question the fairness of God; if such things are continually witnessed and endured, it will lead you to a cold or callousness which will cause one to question the very justness of God.

I imagine, the way most people ponder this thought is through the age old question: 

'Why do good things happen to bad people, and why do bad things happen to good people?'

Certainly, I cannot answer such a broad question; I'm not a theologian, I'm just a seeker and follower of God's Truth. 
But I can see in the passages concerning the Exodus that once Israel had left Egypt, they entered a Covenant with God, which basically resulted in a form of behavior modification.
God stated, 'If you do these things, you will prosper.' In fact, God promised that by obeying Him, Israel would always been 'above the nations.' They would never lose a battle in war, no one would ever get sick by disease and crops would never fail.
Yet, if Israel failed to uphold their end of the Covenant, disaster loomed.

And as we read the account from Scripture, we soon learn that Israel had the absolute worst time keeping the Covenant and the Law God would hand them in the desert. 
In fact, 50 years after leaving Egypt and entering into the Promised Land, Israel had slunk into virtual Anarchy.
Thereafter, most of the Old Testament is an account of Israel's disobedience with a few shining lights attempting to restore the people of God to the One True Faith.

In Seminary, one of the first classes I endured was an Old Testament Survey class by one the the Godliest men I've ever met, Dr. Thomas Smothers.
I remember for the first week or so, he taught us a lot about the Canaanite Religion; he would return to that theme often when speaking of Israel.
Shortly, I learned the reason → The Israelites followed the Canaanite faith more than they followed the true faith that had witnessed and agreed to while witnessing supernatural events.
But I digress.

You see, Jesus came to establish the New Covenant because from the time of Exodus until John the Baptist, humanity proved through Israel we could not live up to God's standards or even His basic expectations.
We are too fallen; His image within us is too marred.
Therefore, we need another way → Jesus providing the way by His grace.

Secondly, we think of God when we believe He is quiet or when perceiving His 'inactivity.'

When people come to a difficult place in their life, they often times want clear-cut evidence of God's will.
I have literally heard men cry out to God, through tears and pain, screaming at the top of their lungs for a sign or a thunderous shout from heaven.

At this point, I must admit, I am very skeptical about people who say that they've heard from God; especially when it is hidden in "church-speak.'
Phrases such as, 'I felt the Lord tell me in my heart...' or 'At that, God spoke to me...'
While I will agree this does and can happen, it has been my experience that God gets the blame for a lot of things that He's not even involved with; therefore, I am skeptical when a person tells me that they've heard from God and now knows His will.

Now, at the Exodus, God's will was indeed ever-present.
There was never a question about what God wanted the Israelites to do; all they had to do if they had a question concerning His will was simply look outside.
God put His cloud outside of Israel's camp, if it moved, they were to move; if God's cloud stayed put, they were to stay in the camp and not go anywhere.

Later, the visible reminder of God was codified into 613 laws, given by the hand of God Himself through Moses to the people.
And His Law covers everything imaginable, such as sexual relations, purification rituals, how many days to work in a week, what to eat, even warfare rules were in place.

The people had no doubt at any time concerning what God wanted them to do in life; it is the very thing that Christians today say they want - God to simply tell them what He wants.
But did the clouds or the Law increase the obedience of the people?

No.
Even in knowing exactly what God wanted, they still failed.

The Israelites marched when they were told to stay, stayed when told to go, fought instead of making peace and made peace with those whom they were to fight to the death.
Truthfully, they could bend the rules God had established better than anyone else who has ever lived.

All of this tells us one thing: Having established rules which clearly detail God's will, does not help humanity grow spiritually or dependent upon God because the one thing we see in Israel is the lack of spiritual development.
When God is so evident, when He is ever-present and predictable, it eliminates the need for faith.
And we know from Scripture, without faith it is impossible to please God.


As I stood outside the residence which had been sprayed by an Uzi or MAC-10, given the 9mm shell casings, others audibly said, 'Where was God this morning?'
Years later, the whole nation wondered the same sentiment when the twin towers were hit.

It doesn't have to be a tragic evident like each of us were witnessing in that moment; with everyday things that happen in our lives, we wonder 'Where is God?' from time to time.

For people who believe and even more so for those who hunger for solutions in their lives, we want proof that God is living and acting on behalf of humanity in a positive way.

Returning to the account of the Exodus, we are told that Moses was unlike any other person in his relationship with God; he spoke to God as one would speak to a friend.
Moses would go into a tent, speak with God, the people were afraid to come near during that holy time; then Moses would emerge with his face glowing so brightly that the people had to cover it with a veil.

I can promise you one thing about those meetings; there was not one atheist in the Israelites' camp because they saw the reality and presence of God.

And yet, the first time Moses draws away and meets with God on Mount Sinai, what did the people do?
They built a Golden Calf to worship; having Aaron, Moses' brother fashion it out of their gold.
These were the same people who witnessed the plagues, were delivered through the Red Sea and tasted heavenly manna each morning.

Still, their disobedience was as great or greater than that of ours today; idolatry being a spiritual smack in the face to our holy God.

Knowing these things, I have reached a conclusion concerning what people say they want in their times of trial or non-believers clamoring for so that they might have evidence so they are able to believe.

There was no cosmic hide-and-seek games; God was evident.
He spoke. He entered human life. His will was clear.
These are the very things modern man claims He desires and even needs.

Yet, God's involvement produced the exact opposite effect  on Israel; it is the same involvement many today say that will give us greater surety and hope.

Would such involvement help today?
Would it help people believe or even strengthen or encourage those who already believe?
I doubt it, and if it did, it probably wouldn't be in the way God desires from humanity.

Yet, God has not withdrawn.

Earlier I spoke of there being at least two ways God has involved Himself in human affairs.
The first was clearly in the revelation of the early Covenants and the Law; these were perfect revelations for imperfect humanity.
As a result, humanity failed to draw near to God and spiritually develop as the Lighthouse for the Nations as He intended.

The second time God intervened boldly with humanity was through the Incarnation of Jesus Christ.
God became man, entered human flesh and walked among us.
Instead of pronouncing great commandments from God, Jesus opened His arms full of grace and compassion and mentioned only two commands to follow:

"Love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind and strength."

"Love your neighbor as yourself."

On these, Jesus said, hang the entirety of the Law and the Prophets.
But we still have a difficult time living and obeying even these two simple commands of God.

So, God did something unheard of; something no right thinking person on earth ever expected.
The Eternal Son of God, in human flesh, died in a manner by which all of humanity's sin were thrust into Him as if He had committed every one of them Himself.

In return, if a person trusts that particular sacrifice of God, then the individual receives Christ's righteousness as if they were the Lord themselves. 

It is at this point, it must be admitted, that I do not know how all of these spiritual and theological truths work themselves out into the reality of our lives; however, I do know that this is how it works.
I cannot explain Physics either, but I do know the laws of physics are reality. Just because we cannot fully explain something has no bearing on whether or not it is true.

In the same manner, this is the truth of God taking away our sin and giving us His life.
As a result, the one who believes inherits eternal life.

Due to the fact that our human minds cannot explain this in totality, only why it works; I believe this is a positive, an advantage over OT Israel.
You see, one of the reasons Israel failed was because there was no spiritual growth, no need for faith. With God still ever-present, albeit in a different way, this way in the New Covenant demands faith.

Unlike the clouds of God directing Israel, they saw to believe; the Christian is required to have faith, which means we must believe then see.
Through grace, may your sight be 20/20 because your faith is so strong.

Until next time, win one for the good guys.

The Chief End

"Lust is the craving of salt from a man who is dying of thirst."

                                                                                                 ~ Unknown

Dr. Stephen Hawking, a man who is no great supporter of the faith, once asked, 'Why does the Universe bother to exist?'
Dr. Adrian Rogers stated it another way: 'Why, I?'

It's the same question, asked by to vastly different people with incredibly opposite worldviews.

It is a good question; apart from the faith there is little rhyme or reason for the Universe, or you and I for that matter, to exist.

Centuries ago, the Church asked the same question in the Westminster Catechism (1646): 'What is the Chief End of Man?'
The answer: '...to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.'

In the ancient world, we find that what we know as OT Israel was the first ancient society to celebrate the glory of nature being the handiwork of God.
Nature was to be celebrated and enjoyed because God is to be celebrated and enjoyed.

I can readily find God throughout Creation; in the prancing of a whitetail deer across a field; in a new litter of foxes seeing light for the first time from their mother's den; the vast amount of life underneath the ocean which few ever see; even in the last shovel-full of snow being removed from my driveway as my back begins to ache.

Soon, Spring will soon dawn and the earth will awaken with new life.
The wild flowers which are now dormant, will rise forth from the ground;  this automatic reaction to the sun's light will be as if God has handcrafted each and every Lilly or Black-Eyed Susan.

Yet, a secular mind can witness the very same images from the world, year after year, and never see what I see.
In the secular mind, with all the seemingly 'valid' worldviews, claims and systems, a caring, involved God within His Creation is simply explained into non-existence. 

Thoughts of faith as an explanation are as useless as speaking French to an antelope.
Unless the antelope originates from Narnia, it simply won't understand.

Many are turned away from the faith because of what they seen in those who claim belief. Why wouldn't they?
Christians haven't exactly been the greatest examples of peace, love and virtue over the last 2,000 years.
But were we ever expected to be?

As I write these words, I am reminded that the Christian's role is not to argue a point or a worldview; we are not called to be lawyers who argue a case.
Instead, the Christian is called into the Kingdom as a witness; a witness doesn't argue, they simple tell what they have experienced.
Applied to the faith it means as Christians, we shouldn't tell people what the Christian life or walk is 'supposed to be;' but rather, we should speak of how it really is.

Quite possibly, so many are turned away from the faith because they can detect a sense of falsehood in our words.
Our very own experience is apt to betray us if we are not careful; truthfully, not all things are marigolds and maple syrup when a person accepts the faith of Christ.
Simply looking to the lives of the Apostles with all of them, save one, being martyred is enough evidence to tell us that the prosperity preachers on television in our time are sharing a false reality.

G.K. Chesterton once stated he viewed the world as a Cosmic Shipwreck.
In this analogy, a sailor may wake up and try to remember a civilization he once encountered; yet, he cannot recall it, even as he holds the relics from that place in his hands.

Using Chesterton's analogy, our world still bears the image of our Creator and still contains His purpose within it. 
Yet, His greatest creative work, that of crafting man in His own image, has become so separated from His Creator, that even when blessed by God's hand, man's fallenness acts as a drug within his eyes preventing him from seeing the reality of truth.

Moments of pleasure are instances of God's Paradise restored to Earth; yet, these things run a risk in our lives - as has been proven consistently.
Often, a believer will take away from God's glory and ascribe it to ourselves or something else.
Like the ancients, we are apt to turn God's good gifts into idols; yet, we do not call them idols anymore. 
We call them addictions.

Yet, rightly used, in their appropriate place, these things bring a joy to our lives because they are still God's gifts.
It may be a morning sunrise on the ocean or over a mountain crest; moonlight on new fallen snow; or even the majesty of a rainstorm - each of these things in their appropriate realm in life are great blessings by which we see the hand of the Creator.
Used  wrongly, the beauty of creation may become abused for seductive or lewd purposes, just as the wisdom of a physician can be abused to form addictions through prescriptions.

In actuality, while the Church as a whole and Christians individually, have not lived up to our own expectations before God, we have lived up to the expectations God has set before us in Scripture.
It would seem that if we stayed closer to what God's expectations are and strove for that ideal in our lives, instead of what is in our own minds, we would become the loudest propagandists of His triumphs within the world rather than a group of people who seem to be better at finger-wagging than grace-sharing.

For any Christian, the truth of the errors and sins of the Church as a whole is undeniable.
In truth, there is no need for you or I to defend the actions of the Church; the simple fact is that we are evidence of what is wrong with the world.

Yet there is a difference between the world and the Christian.

The Christian is a recovering sinner and knows it; even though we may be forgetful at times.

The great need of the Church, of Christians today, is to have modern-day Prophets stand up and tell the Body of Christ that we're not dead yet.
Certainly, our obituary has been written too early; for as long as we have breath within our lungs the task with in the world is not finished.

We need people to claim our heritage and steer our future based on what Christ expects of us as His servants, His family and His Church in the world.

When I was a child, Sunday School teachers and preachers in Evangelical churches often spoke with great passion concerning the Communist Threat of the Soviet Union.
It makes sense, the Soviets were our enemies, the arms race was going full throttle and a proven, vehement anti-Communist was the President of the United States and was standing up for Western Civilization.

The question often was posed, 'If the Russians invaded, if the Communists came to our town and they put a gun to your head, would you deny Christ?'
Interestingly enough, nobody ever questioned why the Soviets would invade a small mountain town in West Virginia or what the value of our area would be; we just assumed they were Godless and would search out Christians and torture them.

Today, Christians can substitute 'Communist' with 'Columbine' or 'Sandy Hook' or even 'ISIS,' but the meaning is still the same.
What if our way of life depended on how we believed and what we did with that belief?

Friend, it already does.

The Apostle John wrote that it is the individual Christian's responsibility to make known to the world the 'invisible things of God.'
This is primarily to be done through 'love,' the love of God being passed through the Christian to others in the world who do not know Him.
Yet, the first word that comes to mind concerning Christians is not 'love;' but that is the very thing by which Jesus said His true followers would be known.

The Gospel is still the 'Good News' of God.
The question for you and I is whether or not we are truly demonstrating to the world that we exist for the glory of God in this life and the next; in other words, does society as a whole or individual people get the message of God's love, joy and peace through our lives?
The answer to this tells us whether or not we are living up to God's expectation for our lives.

A good test → Are people glad to see you?

There's your answer.
Until next time, win one for the good guys.

The Faith to Endure

"Do not worry then, saying, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or 'What will we wear for clothing?'...for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."
                                                                           ~ Gospel of Matthew 6:31ff

It is February 2016.

In a few days, I will celebrate the 22nd Valentine's Day with my wife.
Before that, I will lead in a Marriage Retreat with members of the Air National Guard.
And just a couple of days ago, I watched a 39 year-old quarterback hand a hefty loss to a young, up-and-coming, cocky team from Charlotte, North Carolina.

But the best thing about all of this → I was never supposed to live to see any of it and yet, here I sit, becoming a Word-smith once again; attempting to communicate and explore another one of God's Truths.

I was diagnosed with terminal adrenal Cancer in October 2012, exactly two days before my 39th birthday. 
On that day, I was given about six months to live; no doctor can accurately predict how long a cancer patient will live, they can only guess. 
For me, in all likelihood, I wasn't going to see another summer.

Now, let me say this → I didn't like that idea one bit, but in as much as I could be, I was OK with death; dying worried me a little, but being dead only meant that I would be with the Lord.
Heaven is never the lesser alternative to Earth.

As the days went forward, something amazing happened; I began to see a real contrast in life, death and eternity.

The Church I served seemingly rallied around me; unbeknownst to many of us, there was a group planning to replace the suffering pastor. 
When I didn't die, planning became plotting with a lot of people hurt in the progress.
In this, I realized the life some proclaim to own and the life they really lead, isn't the same; and sometimes it is this realization that is the most difficult when you are betrayed by those closest to you.

But I digress.

At the time, eternity was merely a breath away; or so it seemed.
Some days it was difficult to pick up my feet without shuffling as I walked.

The death so many are afraid to die, began to be told through this very blog.
And soon, through this venue and my military travels, support swelled throughout the world.
Truthfully, I still don't know why the Ukraine and other parts of Eastern Europe read this blog so often, but my tracker indicates the region is second only to the United States.

As the Body of Christ prayed and wept, fasted and prayed more, a wonderful thing happened.

After a second surgery, removing a portion of my left lung, there was no Cancer left in my body.
A tumor the size of a softball was taken out, previously resting on my kidney; along with it went my adrenal gland.
A few lymph nodes were removed.
But Cancer did not remain.

I have heard my agnostic friends tell me that it was a misdiagnosis.
Others have told me that I was lucky.
Well, I doubt it; for, if I believed I had that kind of luck I would have won the multi-state lottery of epic proportions a few weeks ago and tonight I would file to run for President.

No. I saw the images light up.
I saw the distraught look in the doctor's faces.
I had terminal Cancer and then I didn't; I was healed by God Himself.

But sadly, not everybody gets the same result as I received.
God simply does not heal everybody who prays for healing; He does not deliver every Christian out of every difficult situation - even if that believer doubles up on communion wafers every Sunday morning the entire life.

Is God capricious?
Is God uncaring about some and loving toward others?
There are no easy answers as to why God answered the prayers on my behalf and does not answer them on the behalf of others, especially when offered up by the same people.

When in the hospital, I remember seeing a four-year old child who had been born with bone cancer. 
That child, undoubtedly, had people pray for him his entire life; yet, that child didn't make it.
I lived and he died.

Something seems inherently wrong and unable to be understood by this scenario.

I'm sure many readers will reference the current onslaught of 'your best life now' ministries; how you can prosper with health and wealth.
In doing so, we will hear that if the people involved had enough faith, the child would have lived; after all, Jesus Himself promised anyone who had the faith of a Mustard Seed could move a mountain.
What difficulty would it be for Him to remove Cancer?

If your life, therefore, is not filled with victory and triumph, of joy and health as well as prosperity; it simply indicates a lack of faith on some level, by someone.

Interestingly enough, in looking to the life of the Early Church, the Apostles may have had more faith than any group of people before their time or since.
As a result, only one of them, the Apostle John, lived to old age; the rest were martyred for their faith, many times being tortured before an agonizing death.

So, either the Apostles had it wrong or modern day 'Prosperity Gospel' adherents have gotten it wrong.
I can't speak for others, but I will side with the Apostles every time; by the way, let me be clear, there is only ONE Gospel - the Blood Gospel of Jesus Christ.

What we believe about God really and truly matters; as much as anything else we experience in life - our thoughts concerning the Divine will determine who we are in life.

People who attend sensational services or Prosperity Gospel churches are not maniacs. 
They are not lunatics. 
Much of what they teach is taught in other evangelical churches every week.

Yet, we are still confronted with a question; a difficult question:
Why are some healed and restored to life while others wither away and die?

It would be easy to say that a person is sick because they don't have enough faith.
It is even easier to look at a person who is suffering and believe they have done something to deserve their fate.
Yet, this is not the solution to the problem; for, many suffer without just cause, such as the Biblical patriarch Job. He had done nothing wrong, in fact, he suffered because he had done everything right.

However, in Job there may lie a wonderful answer for the problem.

In the last several chapters of Job's account, he rants and rails against God; calling God into account for the injustice He has inflicted upon His servant.
God never chastises Job for this; instead, He allows Job to voice his anger.

When Job is finished, God answers in a whirlwind asking Job questions such as, 'Where were you when I laid the foundations of the world?'
And God recounts the Creative Act only He can preform; essentially asking Job that if he's so smart and understanding, why wasn't he present when the universe was formed.

The message is clear as it is hidden; if God can rule over the Universe and Create such wonders, then He can be trusted to take care of the things in our lives, regardless of how much we heart or how bad we are suffering.

That doesn't make the hurting or suffering or the pain associated with it any easier, but when there is a trusting faith involved, not necessarily for healing but for enduring and seeing it through to the end, a person's mindset changes.

Not every person who gets sick is suffering because they are grand sinners and God is judging them; likewise, not every person who recovers is a saint.
The truth is, Christians are not promised an easier road in life just because we believe in the Risen Lord.

Instead, we are called to endure; the promise is that we will be strengthened in His power as we do, thereby enabled to complete the course, as the Apostle Paul would say.

I don't know why some are healed and some are allowed to die.
Yet, I do know that not all people suffer or are sick because of themselves; sometimes, people suffer as a witness to others, as an example of faithfulness.

I was healed, others have passed; I may not know why for myself, but I am thankful.

The key thing that I learned through it all was not that the sick needed more faith, or that they needed to give money to some organization; but rather, when we are sick, when we are suffering, we need to remember that it is going to work out.

I know that's not what most people wish to hear, nor is it popular; but it is true.
God will give us faith to endure the worst troubles of our lives; Job never knew why he suffered, nor may we at times.
Yet, God is always faithful and will strengthen us through the very end.

Whether it is life or death, the God who Created the Universe can be trusted to care for our bodies and our soul in our worst times on earth, until we join Him in the heavens.

Until next time, win one for the good guys.

Disappointed with God

"Never have people been more the Masters of their environment; yet never has a people felt more deceived and disappointed."

                                                                                    ~ Daniel Boorstin

Nature is a fantastic symphony singing the praises of God through a unique choral arrangement in a melody speaking constantly to the human soul.

This is true whether one chooses to listen or to ignore; nature will sing on.
For, as the Lord said, "...if these keep silent, the stones will cry out!"

Yet, as a Christian, and I imagine many Christians likewise will also attest, there are times when I have been disappointed, dismayed and even upset with God.

We know these feelings aren't what we are supposed to feel toward God; but many times we do, and left unchecked these feelings may lead us to quiet, unexpressed doubt.
Living in a fallen world, for the Christian, doubt is more akin to forgetfulness than it is disbelief.
His hand is seen throughout the universe and His signature is written throughout our lives; if this were not so, we would not believe as we do.

This being true, it still does not erase the fact that sometimes Christians become disappointed with God in our lives.

You see, we know God is Sovereign Lord; Scripture teaches us that it is God who raises Kings and removes Kings. 
What is true for Kings is also true for the sparrows of the sky and each individual life; God is in control, always and infinitely.
Which makes me wonder as to why God has allowed some of the leaders He has on the earth over the last several thousand years.
But I digress.

We know God intervenes in human life; Scripture is adamant that God knows every detail of our lives (secret and hidden will one day be shouted from the rooftops) but it is equally certain that God will intervene in the affairs of humanity including to rescue, revive, resurrect and rouse His people.
Which makes me wonder why His people are seemingly asleep at the wheel right now in America.
Again, I digress.


We know God cares for His children; Scripture points to the lilies of the fields, with Jesus Himself teaching us that Solomon in his glory was not as beautiful as these flowers. 
At the same time, these flowers will die and fade from history; mankind will live forever. 
The message is that God cares for flowers, but has a greater care and love for you and I; therefore, we should never worry about material things of the world or in our lives.

We know God is infinitely compassionate, perfect love and is unfathomable in His mercy.

Each of these being true, why do things turn out in life like they do?

For example, if God is in control of all things at all times including my individual, human life, why then didn't He prevent me from having Cancer?
Granted, I'm just a regular guy, not a super-saint; but still, if God loves me and could have prevented the disease, why didn't He?

At times, life can be disappointing...

Have you ever felt that way?
Maybe not with a sickness, but maybe with a wayward child, a financial situation, or a job or whatever life has brought your way.
Every Christian I know who has tried to live for God's glory has faced times of disappointment.

I am reminded of what a Catholic priest said to me when I battled cancer and it applies to her as well:

"Who better to deal with this sickness than you? Who do you know that can handle it in a Godly way? 

Maybe that's why you have it...to do well with it for God."

Interesting words.
Powerful words.
Let's digest them for a moment with regards to being disappointed with God.

In my sickness with Cancer, this entire idea of a blog began because I wanted to 'finish well' like my friend whom is now in glory. 
He had cancer as well and as we worked together in ministry, that was his goal; in many ways, it was my goal as well.

I was given six months to live and I knew that if I died, I would be but an frame of what I once was; at the time I had lost nearly 40 pounds.
When my children, after my death, looked back at pictures of me, I knew they would see the changes in my physical frame but I did not want them to doubt the spiritual faith I had or believed.

You see, a Christian man in the ministry dying of cancer at 38 years old and in top physical condition otherwise, simply does not make sense.
What did make sense was Christ, even if the world was falling apart and I wanted them to be certain of that fact.

Yet, it is obvious, there would be mixed messages in the whole scenario if I died.

If you look to nature, we receive mixed messages as well; it is because we occupy the same fallen world.

In nature, we now name our storms, hurricanes and snowfalls. 
Yet, those strong winds prune the forest of excess branches.
The fires in the west, open up pods and clear underbrush so that new growth can take place.
And the floods of the mid-West and elsewhere, they carry fertile soil to parched land so that those areas remain America's breadbasket.

The natural forests, rivers and plains do not 'expect' these things to happen; yet, nature is dependent upon these 'disasters.'
In the same manner, the storms and crisis that come to our lives prunes things out of our hearts and souls that do not glorify God; through the process we become restored...or a better word, redeemed.

I have found since having Cancer that for many Christians, there is a huge gap between what they have 'expected' from God in being a Christian and what has actually been experienced in their Christian faith.

But what would we expect?

Today, and for many years prior, Christians have been fed a steady diet of all-you-can-eat heresy recorded in books, sermons, so-called 'Christian television' with testimonies from people who promise only triumph, pleasure and success within the Christian faith.

Gone is the doctrine of suffering for the Gospel witness; gone is waiting with the patience of Job. 
And gone with these truths is the 'whole counsel of God.'

In place of God's wise counsel is now the 'Prosperity Gospel,' which is a false gospel because there is only ONE Gospel and that is the Blood Gospel of Grace through Faith in Jesus Christ.

Therefore, if there is not certain and dramatic evidence of the Lord working in and through a Christian's life, that particular Christian will have emotions of disappointment, sometimes even betrayal and often guilt because they will believe everyone else is experiencing and enjoying the blessings of God and they have yet to have this experience.
And they don't know why God is shutting them out of the prosperity, so it must be their fault.
Something must be wrong with them personally or spiritually.

Often I have found, if a person isn't experiencing the same blessings as another Christian, they will fake it; you know, tell a holy lie through a testimony, or singing or whatever.
But what they will not do is expose the truth in their hearts that what is believed and being taught is NOT what they are experiencing.

Friend, the most important thing if you have engaged in this, is quite simply to stop lying to yourself and confess it. 
You are not the only Christian who has found themselves in this situation when it comes to faith.

Disappointment with anything occurs when the actual reality of something, such as an experience, falls short of what we have anticipated in our minds.

When there is a steady stream of only victory from those trying to keep a show on television, prompt the purchase of a new book or attempt others to cast forth 'seed' money - the expectation will be high because of the promise of the 'return' because of your faith.
Yet, the principle of sowing and reaping is NOT to be compared to a financial investment.

It is un-Biblical and un-Christian to think God operates only within our man-made devices and schemes.

To only study Scripture with 'victory' or 'success' in mind would be similar to studying the history of the world by only researching the wars.
To promise constant 'victory' or 'success' without mentioning the wars that must take place to achieve them for the Lord invites ridicule, heresy and doubt. 

For example, Job was victorious and successful in the end; but the battle in the war to get him to that place was horrendous.
And what is more honorable about Job is not the fact that he was able to endure to the end and received a great blessing; but rather, it is the fact that Job was victorious before the blessing at the end without ever knowing why his great suffering had taken place.

Through it all, Job was faithful not because of what he was going to receive in the end but because he knew the God he served; in fact, Job had no idea that God was going to reward his faith as He did. 
That is why Job said these words amid the trial and suffering: 

"Though He may slay me, I will serve Him..."

There is, in the above statement, a truth of why people become disappointed with God.

Many Christians do not believe there is a service to God in the suffering of life's tragedies; ignoring the plight of the suffering Savior recorded by the prophet Isaiah in favor of the power of the Resurrected Lord, when in fact both elements are necessary to complete the truth of God in Jesus Christ.

We have been given the idea that God is just waiting to bless us financially, heal us physically and have us triumph spiritually, if we only had enough faith.
So, if you're not being 'blessed' with good health or more money, something is wrong with your faith.
Therefore, the more we do to show our faith, the more God will see it and the greater blessing will take place in your life.

My friend, that is what the Canaanites believed, not Israel and certainly not New Testament Christians.

We become disappointed with God, not because of God so much as it is with our own hearts.
Our hearts are out of place spiritually; we're in need of repentance and faith.

A Christian who expects to become wealthy because they have given a certain amount of dollars to a ministry is NOT operating on the Apostle Paul's principal of 'Sowing and Reaping.'

Instead they are operating on Capitalism's 'Investment and Yield Return' principal. 

In its very basic form, it is the idea that the more a person invests into something, the higher the yield of profits the person will get in return.

A Christian who believes that if they had enough faith, or gave enough money, or prayed hard enough...then, they would be healed of whatever ailment is striking their life; one who believes this is NOT mimicking Jesus' teaching, but rather the teaching of the Pharisees.
The truth is that Jesus sometimes healed people who didn't have any faith at all, didn't pray and He even raised the dead when they didn't ask.

When God moves, He moves how He chooses, in His time for His Sovereign purposes.
There is not one thing I can do that will make Him love me more, nor is there anything that will make Him love me less; God is simply God and we would do well in trying to stop bartering with Him for what we want and instead await with open hearts for what He wishes to give so that He may be glorified on the Earth.

Although some reading these words have become immensely aggravated at the Biblical teaching offered, here are a few final words concerning our relationship with God and having expectations.
- It would be nice to be healthy, but most of all, God desires that we are Holy as He is Holy.
- Its great to have wealth on the earth, but it is not necessary and not a requirement to demonstrate our faithfulness. Who did Jesus praise more, the man who gave out of his abundance or the widow who gave what she had from her heart?
- Prosperity isn't for everyone; maybe that is why Jesus never owned a home, walked everywhere He went, and never did anything that is normally associated with 'greatness.'
- Our command is to be like Jesus, not like the world.

As for being disappointed with God, the subject can be widely explored; it has been and will be even more so in the future.
But what I have found is that our disappointment is caused by our own heart issues; God not living up to what we thought or what somebody else has claimed.

Therefore, our disappointment with God, or God's acts or inaction, can mostly be attributed to you and I misunderstanding with misguided thoughts exactly what it is God is doing in the world and through our own lives.

I had Cancer and was given six months to live; as my friend asked, 'Who would be better to go through this than you?'
That question still lingers today...I couldn't think of anybody.

If you read Scripture, not looking for what you want to get out of it, but rather as a story from God with a definite plot and ending - you will soon see why we've been given what we have in God's Word. 

It is not a story about wealth or health and healing. 
It certainly isn't book after book of super-saints which should be followed.
It is not a list of 'do's' and 'don'ts'.
It's not any of the things that people normally associate with Scripture.

Scripture is the story of the fall and reconciliation of mankind to God his Creator.

If you read God's Word with this truth in mind, you will soon realize the hurtfulness of those preaching 'Health and Wealth,' and come to grips with man's true purpose on the earth.

Our purpose: To glorify God and Enjoy Him Forever.


May nature continue to sing its melody and may we join in the chorus, for eternity.
Until next time, win one for the good guys.

Death, Where is Your Victory?

' Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed-- in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

"O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?" The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.'
                                                                ~ 1 Cor 15:51-52, 55-57

Three years ago when I was first diagnosed with cancer, I knew in my heart that everything was going to be OK, regardless of how it would end.
I didn't want to die, but I knew the destination if the iron jaws of death closed upon me.

The above passage, gave me great strength because I knew what I was experiencing was only temporary but with God, when it was over, eternity awaited with Christ.

Knowing this...for me, Death had no sting nor victory.
This is also true for others who know Christ as I know Him; as our Lord and Savior.

Recently, I was privileged to perform the funeral of a lady whom I had pastored; her daughter and I have become friends over the years.
The last few years were rough on my friend as she cared for her mother; but she displayed the compassion, grace and love that her mother had years earlier to others.
This affected me to some degree because this was a special lady; but I know she'll rise again at the resurrection of our Lord.

I had lost a good lady to the Lord; a good Christian woman who was special to me and my family. I can honestly say I am thankful her mind has been restored and that she is with now with her husband and son; but most importantly, with the Lord.
But this was not to be the end.
Not only was a wonderful lady lost from the Earth, but we also lost a wonderful man. 

Just before the dawn of the New Year, a friend of mine passed away.
He saw beyond my personal faults, looked passed my shortcomings, and remains one of the few, honest, true friends that has ever graced my life.
Cancer claimed his life just as it had threaten to claim mine; though I am thankful he no longer suffers from that horrid disease, I will greatly miss him as will many, many more.

When he was about to retire (North American missionary) I can remember him telling me that he wanted to 'finish well.'
It was a clear reference to the Apostle Paul's writing, where he knew he was about to be executed but also knew that he had 'finished well' for the Lord.

My friend truly finished well.

In a way, I believe every Christian wants to finish well; truthfully, the idea of 'finishing well' was the entire reason behind the beginning of this blog. I wanted to give a faithful witness that would remain long after I died.
But I didn't die and the blog remains a mainstay for my ponderings about the faith.

Yet, every Christian should want to not only finish well, but to do well for the Lord before we leave this world.

My friend was more than 20 years my senior; yet, we shared a special bond.
He grew up in a time much different than mine; a time when the Church began to lose respect throughout the American culture for various reasons.
Today, Americans live in a culture which is not only post-modern but also post-Christian; we look to the past, seeing what has been lost in hopes of one day regaining the respect, honor and strength of witness we once had.
The question many of my generation ask of the elder generation is simply: 'How did it happen?' or more pointedly...'Why did you allow this to happen?'

Historically, Christians have thrived in a sub-culture everywhere in the world.
The so-called 'sub-culture' of Christians of more than a generation ago in America, I have learned, although I didn't want to believe it, were right on target.
Many were legalistic, shrewd, uptight and at times rejected the very grace, love and compassion God teaches us in His Word; but morally, they were dead on.

In that era, 'Good Christians' didn't drink, they didn't use drugs, they NEVER divorced, nor did they have multiple sexual partners.
They believed that they had been entrusted by God with His Holy Truth; as such, they handled it and themselves very carefully in the world.

As the Church and the world entered the 1960's, there was an optimism born from the winning of WWII & the economic boom of the previous decade. Things were bright in America.

But then....
A young, charismatic President was assassinated in Dallas, Texas.
Throughout the South, violence began to erupt as peaceful demonstrations went awry. 
Political leaders wanted to stop Communism in Southeast Asia; to the tune of nearly 60,000 captured, killed or missing young American troops. At the time, everybody knew somebody who had died in Vietnam.
Jane Fonda  betrayed our soldiers, the Beatles took music by storm, Cassius Clay dodged the draft, and Marilyn Monroe died; it seemed as if America's iconic heroes had died as well. 
And while America achieved the grand accomplishment of reaching the moon by the end of the decade, Americans also became use to seeing war, violence, protesters, and assassinations on television as both Martin Luther King, Jr and Senator Robert Kennedy were both killed before the nation's eyes.

And then there was the Church...
What did the church do?

Well, the church sort of blew it; while they had the truth of God, had the right intentions; yet, that generation failed at communicating God's truth to the youth of their time.

As a new, fresh air among America's youth began to be embraced, the old ways were tossed aside as a new morality was accepted; and the church responded by shunning millions.

Draft Cards were burned, as were bras. 
Some fled to Canada; many took to the streets.
The youth who refused to accept any authority began to question every established institution, belief and leader as the Church's teaching was set aside for one's own doctrine and thought.

6 In those days there was no king in Israel; every man did what was right in his own eyes.

Judges 17:6 

Alongside the political, musical, religious and societal changes came one change that few were prepared for → the Sexual Revolution.

With the Sexual Revolution came teen pregnancy, illegitimate births and public welfare because of family break-ups, divorce and single-parent homes.
As a result of this new promiscuity, out-breaks of new diseases occurred, including the most deadly in the 1980's: HIV AIDS.
Truthfully, that revolution did nothing but enslave women; for, it was the men who got to play and walk away when things stopped being fun.

So today, my generation, Generation X, is looking across society and we see a landscape unlike any that has ever existed; at the same time, the interactions of the generation which follows, our children's generation, is unlike anything we've ever seen.
It is as if society has morphed into something foreign and grotesque concerning faith and morality.

Today we are warned of the dangers associated with smoking, with binge drinking and with multiple sexual partners. 

The public schools are more concerned with my children learning how and where to recycle than they are with children knowing how to sign their name in cursive writing.

History textbooks are skewed towards the opinion of the highest bidder; the government's involvement in a single American's life is greater than it has ever been. 
And Christians are beginning to struggle over the issue of legalized drugs and the Church as a whole struggles, trying to figure out how to get more people in their doors rather than getting the message of Jesus outside of their walls.

Yes, my friend's generation of Church was right; the old church was right.

The problem, however, was not the accuracy of their faith or morality; their mistake was in the fact that they did not know how to communicate God's truth to that particular generation.

In that generation, the Boomers, the young looked different, they acted different, they smelled different; and the Church did not know how to respond to them with the message of the Gospel. 
Why did that generation cut loose on every traditional value in American society?
Well, I don't know; but I do know it was a cry for help, for few rebel without an internal reason.

That generation had the answers of God and failed at getting the message to them.

That generation of the Body of Christ missed their chance; Gen X, let's not miss ours.

In the 90's, Generation X was called the 'Forgotten Generation by the Church' because the Body of Christ had evangelistic outreach for the Boomers, who left the church in the 1960's and also for the Millennials who were born after Gen X.

Being forgotten seems to have been  distinguishing characteristic of my generation.
We were the latch-key kids whose mothers (Boomers) decided it was better to go to work than raise and nurture a family.
Well, that is, if the mothers decided to give birth at all; for we are the first generation to live under legalized abortion. If a person is 42 years of age or  younger, they need to thank God they were spared and made it out of the womb alive.

But I digress.

The point is that the Boomers left because the generation who was leading the Church did not know how to communicate the Gospel of hope, 
Generation X was neglected because the Boomers who returned wanted to reach their own; then realized they needed to focus on the younger generation - which were the Millennials.
As such,  Generation X now holds the truth of God in our hands, for we are the leaders of the Body of Christ → we stand at a Crossroads.

Like my friend, we need to finish well.

Somehow along the way, the thought of Christians being killjoys and God being against the sinner prevails.
Friend, that is nothing less than the whisper of the Serpent from Eden.

The truth is, Christians are not the problem.
People don't lock their doors at night, being afraid to go out or walk down a city street because there is a Christian outside handing out a New Testament. 
No, instead people are scared because there is a generation of people who thinks only of themselves, their desires and their own pleasures.

This is not a generational issue; this is a sin issue.

In the 1990's, they said we were 'Grungers'; a new style and new music followed.
Today, they are called 'Hipsters', with the same characteristics. 
And yet, the same desires, thoughts and issues that plagued my generation when we were young are attacking those in their 20's today.

No, the generation does not matter; sin is still as deadly as it has ever been.
Thankfully, since the moment Eve placed her lips on the forbidden fruit, a Cross has risen on the horizon of humanity so that our sin may be eradicated.

Do you know what the problem is?
It's the problem of every generation.

Christians fail to see people as they really are; many times we see them as we want them to be and how they can be beneficial to us or our churches.
That, my friends, is wrong.

We must forget about what we think, and we must look to the transforming power of Jesus Christ so that we can see people as they really are in the flesh.
But also, through Christ's power, see them as they could be in Him.

You see, the past generation, missed their chance and the souls of those who walked away from the Gospel were enormous; although some were reclaimed. 
But if they had opened their eyes, they would have seen that people who were traditional Christians, like my friend, and those advocating a radical change in society weren't really that far apart.

For example:
- They protested for the Equal Rights of an oppressed race; they were right. But where were they rooted? In the Gospel, for Jesus died for all and Paul proclaimed that there was neither Jew nor Greek, etc.
- That generation clamored for equality between men and women; good for them. 
Do you know who raised women to a level equal with men? Jesus of Nazareth.
- The young Boomers screamed against the war in Vietnam; fine. I disagree with their stance but I do know where the basis of a 'Just War' originates and I do know who hates war more than anyone. His name is Jesus.
- Sexual promiscuity were at record heights in that generation; instead of condemning them, the right response would have been to see how Jesus dealt with the woman caught in adultery. He forgave her, for she was repentant and ashamed, and told her to 'go and sin no more.'

There were other issues, but you get the picture.
One might agree or disagree with the ideals and stances of the Boomer generation (I know I have a bone or two to pick with them) but that is irrelevant. 
What is relevant is that their issues concern and are related to the Gospel.

You see, the Gospel advocates for all rights for all people, regardless of gender, age, or race. 
Although millions do not realize this fact, the truth is that in the ancient world there is no precedent for the oppressed except for the Gospel of Jesus Christ.



It is timeless in it's truths because God is timeless Himself.

My friend did His best for the Lord throughout his life, witnessed to many of his fellow Boomers, let many to the Lord, left a lasting legacy and finished well for Jesus Christ.
Although I was not present to see this happen, I am certain, moments after he slipped into eternity, he heard the words every Christian longs to hear at the end of their life: 'Well done, good and faithful servant.'

I pray that I will be able to do the same; but not only me but others whom God allows me to reach for His glory.

Our challenge is simple: To live and teach the true Gospel of Jesus Christ and reclaim the power Jesus gave us, so that we can take it to the world.

Tonight, I leave you with a passage which was one of my friend's favorite verses, in hopes that like my friend, Dick Howie, you and I might win a few for the good guys before we are reunited in eternity.

"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,  teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always , even to the end of the age."

Matt 28:19-20