don't eat the bunny!

When I was at church this morning, our pastor, Randy Pope, was speaking from the book of Daniel, chapter 3. For those of you unfamiliar with Daniel, that's the chapter where Nebuchadnezzar realizes his name is too long for a scantron, gets angry, and makes everyone he can bow down to a golden image. When Daniel's buddies Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah (Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego (Rack, Shack and Benny)) refuse, the furnace is heated up really, really hot! (7 times hotter, in fact, as it's easier to burn someone up at 3500 degrees than 500 degrees. No, really!) Then they're thrown in because the refuse to bow down to the golden image (the bunny, the bunny, oh I love the bunny). Even though the guards who threw them into the furnace died because of the heat, Rack, Shack and Benny survive, thanks to the help of a fourth one in the furnace who looks like a son of the gods (really shiny), who is most likely the pre-incarnate Christ. Needless to say, I couldn't help but thinking about Veggie-Tales as I was listening to the sermon. Oh, the things I bought with my parents' money in college. I know they'd be proud.

Our pastor indicated the importance of following God in the midst of a humanistic society that doesn't follow God, and tries to give us so many alternatives. They build so many statues and tell us to bow down to them. Our culture tells us that we'll be happy with a particular car, perfume, clothing, deodorant, haircut, and even cleaning solution for our bathroom. It seems that every advertisement marketed at us, and all the magazines aimed at us are pointed towards one thing: satisfying us. Somewhere along the way, the advertisers quit simply telling us how a particular brand of paper-towel absorbs better than the competition, but they've begun to try to sell it to us also on the statement that owning that roll of paper-towels will also make us ultimately happy. I even heard a commercial saying how people who are satisfied with their work are satisfied because of the copy machine. When was the last time you told all of your friends about your new roll of Brawny or about the Canon copier at the end of your row of cubicles? Sure. Point taken. But is it really?

What really got me was when Randy began to speak about the statues that we ourselves, as believers, build. Our statues have different names: "Perfect Relationship", "Perfect Career", "Perfect Lifestyle", "Perfect Comfort" and more. The minute you or I start to desire any of these things above God, we will no longer have it. God desires us to desire and enjoy him chiefly, and all other things must take a back seat. For me, at the moment, the biggest idol tempting me is the idol of the "Perfect Relationship". Unfortunately, the moment I seek after the perfect relationship, I push God out of the picture, and fail to give him any room to redeem. In that way, I squelch all possibilities for God's glory to be displayed in the relationship. I become a perfectionist seeking to glorify my own strength, and I become no more than a clanging cymbal. I cease to love, and begin to fear. My focus turns towards hanging on, and away from God's sovreignty. And ultimately, in seeking the perfect relationship, I may lose the relationship all together. In pursuing the blessing at the expense of God, the blessing becomes a curse. (Deuteronomy 11:26-28).

We were built to glorify God. We were built to enjoy God. We were built to be vessels of his mercy, upon which he pours grace upon grace.

It is only in our weaknesses that God is made strong. It is only by accepting His grace that we are santified and able to grant true grace to others.

Thank You Father for Your grace, may we learn to accept it.
Thank You Father for Your faithfulness, given when we were unfaithful.
Thank You Father for Your kindness, may we learn to be kind to others.
Thank You Father for Your salvation, may we be amazed by it.
Thank You Father for Your love, may we jump headlong into it's fury.
Thank You Father for You, and for Your Son by which we can approach the throne with confidence. May we never forget the sacrifice. May we trust Your steadfastness for tomorrow.

nothing but the blood

Your favorite band will not save you.
Your iPod will not save you.
Your new computer will not save you.
Your girlfriend will not save you.
Your wife will not save you.
Your best friend will not save you.
Your pastor will not save you.
Your job will not save you.
Your convenience will not save you.
Your house will not save you.
Your car will not save you.
Your beauty will not save you.
Your intelligence will not save you.
Your happiness will not save you.
Your diligence will not save you.
Your husband will not save you.
Your boyfriend will not save you.
Your pets will not save you.
Your favorite art will not save you.
Your education will not save you.
Your money will not save you.
Your fitness will not save you.
Your kindness will not save you.
Your generosity will not save you.
Your friendliness will not save you.
Your position will not save you.
Your mother will not save you.
Your father will not save you.
Your children will not save you.
Mohammed will not save you.
Buddha will not save you.
Doctors will not save you.
The president will not save you.
Congress will not save you.
Democracy will not save you.
Socialism will not save you.
Communism will not save you.
Optimism will not save you.
Pessimism will not save you.
Realism will not save you.
Your religion will not save you.
Your beliefs will not save you.
Your charisma will not save you.
Your testimony will not save you.
Your singing will not save you.
Your worship will not save you.
Your love will not save you.
Your theology will not save you.
Your preaching will not save you.
Your fame will not save you.
Your minivan will not save you.
Your power will not save you.
Your television will not save you.
Your radio will not save you.
Your bicycle will not save you.
Your conviction will not save you.
Your righteousness will not save you.
Your sincerity will not save you.
Christianity will not save you.
You will never save yourself.

There is only One who saves, and only One who satisfies. His name is Jesus.
There is only One God, the God of Israel, the Great I Am, the Alpha and Omega, the Lord, three-in-one. There is no other before Him.

Find Him and find life, then lose your life to gain it.

us kids

Some things are worth too much to waste time in disbelief.

No matter what, there is always stability in the storm. It doesn't matter if the storm is a blizzard, or a Texas rain where you can throw your arms and head up, open your mouth wide and just drink it all in. This is real life. There is a Rock that holds us.

We are children, and we live in the house of One who cares more than we will ever understand. He watches us closely, and knows our every thought and deed. He loves us completely and unconditionally, forever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever. We are taken care of, and we are spoken for. We can run through the hallways, jump on beds, and go swimming in the backyard. We can run together through gravel-carpeted playgrounds and boast how great our Dad is, and if we fall off the swing, we know He'll be there to comfort us. We can play with the cats and dogs and run and jump and do cannonballs into the pool. We're children. We may not know everything, and we may not even be that bright all the time, but what we do know is that we have this vague idea that Dad is famous, and lots of people have heard of Him, and we know he's the strongest Dad in the whole wide world! We also know that He loves us and will protect us with everything He has.

Oh, praise the Father for his comfort and love. Praise the Son who laid his life down for us. Praise the Spirit for introducing us.

Praise them three-in-one for now we can truly be children and love.

i've been linked!

For some reason or other, I got twice the number of new visitors yesterday as I have had during the entirety of having my site up. Thanks to Misty at http://mistyhamel.blogspot.com for somehow finding me in the blogging universe.

Be bothered.

D

a franciscan benediction

May God bless you with discomfort at easy answers, half truths, and superficial relationships, so that you may live deep within your heart. May God bless you with anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people, so that you may work for justice, freedom, and peace. May God bless you with tears to shed for those who suffer from pain, rejection, starvation, and war, so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and to turn their pain into joy. And may God bless you with enough foolishness to believe that you can make a difference in this world. So that you can do what others claim cannot be done.

For a start at discomfort, click here.

be bothered (part 2)

And you may find yourself living in a shotgun shack
And you may find yourself in another part of the world
And you may find yourself behind the wheel of a large automobile
And you may find yourself in a beautiful house, with a beautiful Wife
And you may ask yourself-well... how did I get here?

-Talking Heads, "Once In A Lifetime"

I posted a post not too long ago, a very short post, actually, called "be bothered". I'm sure you see it down the page. If you haven't read it, read it now, it'll take 2 seconds. Seriously, though, think about the question it poses. Are you really letting God bother you?

I remember when I was in college, everything seemed so wide open. I believed I could change the world. My hunger for God was overwhelming, and I had a desire to do something great for Him. I was living to one day hear "well done, good and faithful servant." So in my urgency, I moved to Nashville to pursue a career in music. At the time, it seemed to me that making Christian music will make the most impact. But, as the story so often goes in Nashville, it was another music career that wasn't. Within a month of moving there I had a full-time job I hated, and I was too tired in the evenings to drive to Brentwood and schmooze with record executives. (Funny how people get into that industry, but that's another post for another day). I worked at that miserable job for 9 months, then moved to another job I hated. Over the next couple of years, the jobs would get steadily better and more bearable, until recently, when I finally have a job I love. I'm a software developer, I'm good at it, and I love it!

Fast forward a bit. In January, I attended the Passion conference. In one of Louie Giglio's talks, he mentioned that this year was going to be the last Passion conference, as the ministry team feels that the conferences have served their purposes for the generation that they came to serve. He used the analogy of a ship on the sea, and spoke of the necessity of keeping the sails up in order to catch the wind. He spoke of how the ministry was not established to be something long-term, lasting for forty some-odd years, but that the goal was to mobilize a generation. In that vein, he felt it important that the team keep their sails up constantly, listening for God's direction.

This got me thinking. For 10 years, the leaders of the Passion Conference have been asking God if they should even be doing what they're doing anymore. For 10 years, they've asked God if they're in the right place. This last year, they decided this was the end of the conference. And just when I thought things were going so well. And that's just the thing. Why stop doing something you love, when things are going well? Don't things like Passion usually only stop when the passion is... well... gone?

I'm convinced that in college, many of the directions I explored were explored out of a desire to run away. I also think that when I was in those crappy jobs I had a few years ago, I wanted to move into ministry because it seemed easier. I confused dissatisfaction for God's will, and failed to see God's sovreignty in my present situation. As such, my eyes were moving to and fro constantly looking for a way out. I sought the path of least resistance, as opposed to the path of most effectiveness. God blocked me at every turn. Praise Him for his faithfulness!

So now you're saying "Okay, David, get to the point." I'm almost there, I promise. So given all that, what is the converse? As soon as I became happy in my career and my stage in life, I began to think that because I was happy, I was in the center of God's will. I took my sails down and started floating on the ocean. In doing so, I failed to allow God to effect real, actual change in my life. In the words of Caedmon's Call, "I mistake my happiness for blessing." In realizing this as of late, I have been convicted that I need to raise my sails again. I need to ask myself the tough questions, and allow God and others to challenge me to only accept the best God has. This time, the questions aren't about me being happy - I already am - but instead they're about my effectiveness for the kingdom of God. I need to flip the switch in the plane and turn off the autopilot, because the plane's bound to drift when we do that. Who cares if you have autopilot if you still don't know how to land the plane? As Socrates said "The unreflected life is not worth living." Ouch.

So all of that said, I am publicly announcing my intention to allow God to bother me. I am praying for all of you who read my blog, that God may bother you as well. Don't turn forty-eight and suddenly wonder what exactly you're doing in your life, trying to figure out how you got there. How miserable would that be? I've met enough people to know that if someone happy, it's not because of his or her house in the suburbs with the white picket fence and the cat and dog, but because they have been living an intentional and deliberate life focused on a well-defined purpose. The happiest of them all have been living for God, and hold in high esteem the hope of heaven and His kingdom come. So I dare you. Ask yourself the tough questions. Are you where you should be? Are you being effective for the kingdom? Are your priorities right? What exactly is your goal? My prayer is that you answer these questions according to Scripture, and then have the courage to carry them out.

Whom have I in heaven but you?
And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.

- Psalm 73:25 (esv)

why prayer is for type "a" personalities like you!

Prayer is for a type "a" personality like you, because it reminds you that you are dependent on God no matter how successful and proactive you can be.

Proactivity without purpose is pointless.

Acting on a set of false assumptions will make you feel deceived.

Making contact with the ball alot is one way to win, but not on a golf course.

If you're going to give your life to a goal, better make sure it's the right one.

By the way, those people who say that Christianity is a relationship with Christ. They're not kidding. It's real, folks. Know Christ. I really mean it. Come and know Christ, don't just settle for knowing about Him. He offers you the chance to sit on His throne in glory (Revelation 3:21). Do you have an ear to hear?

Oh yeah, did I mention that Revelation says that to him who overcomes (perhaps I should mention this again), Christ will allow him to sit on the throne? Read Revelation 4 if you're iffy about that one. I mean it. No kidding. Stop reading this blog right now and read Revelation 4. Trust me, I'll still be here when you get back. Right now.

Are you still reading? Here's the link: CLICK HERE!

Now stop for a second and think about sitting on that throne. Just to see what it's like! What do those crazy creatures look like from God's perspective. It's an all-access backstage pass to the greatest thing ever! Look at the last few verses of Revelation 3. That could be you! This is the hope of heaven! Now how could we ever be lukewarm in the light of this??!?!

Okay. That's a little mind-blowing. I'm going to explode now. And then I'm going to bed.

But first, the inspiration behind this blog:

You see, when I read that, I go "Okay, God, there's not a whole lot I care about anymore. I just gotta sit on that throne. I've got to sit on that throne." You say "Francis, what are you going to do with your life?" And I say "I don't know, I just got to sit on that throne." "How many kids are you going to have?" "I... don't care... as many as you want... I just got to sit on that throne. I've got to sit on that throne!! I gotta sit on that throne!!!! Man, I can sit on that throne, and why? Because I am a friend of God! - Francis Chan (from a Passion podcast available through iTunes.)

eternity and endurance

Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
-Matthew 24:29-31 [esv]

I should think about heaven more. This morning I went to see some people who are (probably) closer to death than I am. Soon many of them will have new bodies, and will be running and jumping and praising God for all eternity, with no care in the world. None whatsoever. How great is our God and worthy of worship! We are chosen to be gathered to Him. We are made of dirt, and are chosen to belong to Christ Jesus! Our God, eternally the same, cares for us, through no good of our own!

Ever thought about the fact that God is really the same yesterday, today and tomorrow? The same God who was with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, David, Peter, Paul, John, James, St. Francis of Assisi, John Owen, John Calvin, John Bunyan, William Carey, Joseph Alleine, Martin Luther, John Wesley, Corrie Ten Boom, David Livingstone ("Dr. Livingstone, I presume"), Pope John Paul II, Billy Graham, John MacArthur, Randy Pope, Charles Hooper, Chuck Swindoll, David Crowder and Rich Mullins is the same God who is with us today. (This list is by no means complete). He was the same then, and he is the same now. He will be the same forever. Infinitely perfect, there is no more growth or learning in God. He knows all, and has created all. In his wisdom, all things exist and have being. He is our God, and we are his people.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
-Hebrews 12:1 [esv]

Worship God, desire Him, and know Him.