So You Think You Can Dance?

These days almost anything is put on TV. I’ve noticed a trend of dancing shows appearing in primetime: Dancing with the stars and So you think you can dance are just two of them. In reality show competitions, dance groups have also performed very well. I’ve even seen ads for dancing movies (no remakes of Footloose just yet). What is it about dancing that catches the eye? Well, there seems to be something very beautiful about a couple or a group that is in step together. The rhythm, anticipation, athleticism and flexibility surely is something to watch. As much of America is swept away by some sort of dancing fever, I encourage you to get caught up in it too…in a different sense. Galatians 5:25 says this, “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.” (emphasis added). One way to think of your life as a Christian is as a dance with the Holy Spirit. Are you in step with the Spirit? Do you need practice listening and learning about your dance partner? When we keep in step with the Spirit, we act and live the way we were designed and called to live. It is the most fulfilling way to live. Thankfully, it doesn’t mean you have to break out your old dance moves.

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.”
2 Timothy 4:7-8

A Little Perspective

Perspective is a funny thing. You may be asked to gain some, give some or find some. We live in a world where a pet might be treated and pampered more than a child living across the same street. Drivers lose their cool over missing a stop light. Adults honestly have bad weeks because their favorite team lost a game. Some complain because they have too much work to do; others complain because there is no work. We live in a strange world with many different perspectives.There are lost and hurting people all around us. God so desperately wants our attention on Him, so we can gain the proper perspective. The psalmist says in Psalm 8:3-4, “When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what are mere mortals that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?” It is a shocking reality that God, creator of all things, loves us. When we consider this world and all that is going on in it, this dose of perspective changes everything. Why would God love and care for you or me? We do so many things that offend Him and that are contrary to His character, yet he loves us. When we were enemies of God, He sacrificed His Son for you and me (Rom. 5:10).When you consider the heavens and the works of God (as the psalmist does), it should blow you away that God cares for you. He has proven it over and over again, yet we fail to have this perspective so often. No matter where you find yourself: fresh off the loss of a loved one, sick, hurt, struggling, or tired, take a deep breath and fill your thoughts with God’s perspective today.

“This is what the LORD says:
‘Heaven is my throne,
and the earth is my footstool.’ ”

Isaiah 66:1

Biblical Citizenship

I had a great opportunity to preach at my church, Harvest Bible Chapel Lake Zurich, on the weekend of 6.26 and 6.27. The sermon is posted on the church website.

Title: Biblical Citizenship

Text: Romans 13:1-7

Main Idea: "God's ultimate authority mandates Christians to act as good citizens under their government."

You can listen to it here: http://www.hbclz.org/10048/content/content_id/85487/Sermons_Online

Hopefully, it is faithful to God's word, stimulates your thoughts and challenges all Christian Americans in their relationship to the government.

Decision Time

What guides you? What kind of thought process do you go through before making decisions? I read this quote from Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945) that struck a chord with me. I needed this reminder as I'm sure many of you do:

"We must learn to know the Scriptures again, as the Reformers and our fathers knew them. We must know the Scriptures first and foremost for the sake of our salvation. But besides this, there are ample reasons that make this requirement exceedingly urgent. How, for example, shall we ever attain certainty and confidence in our personal and church activity if we do not stand on solid biblical ground? It is not our heart that determines our course, but God's Word. But who in this day has any proper understanding of the need for scriptural proof? How often do we hear innumerable arguments 'from life' and 'from experience' put forward as the basis for the most crucial decisions but the argument from Scripture is missing. And this authority would perhaps point in exactly the opposite direction. It is not surprising, or course, that the person who attempts to cast discredit upon their wisdom should be the one who himself does not seriously read, know, and study the Scriptures. But one who will not learn to handle the Bible for himself is not an evangelical Christian."

• Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together. (London: SCM, 1983), pg. 39.

How are you?

What about you? How are you doing in your relationship with Christ? At my church we are in the midst of a major evangelistic push. I am praying for those in the community to respond to our fliers and our invitations. I am not sure about you, but when I become focused on others’ faith, evangelistic opportunities and the many ministry opportunities available, sometimes I neglect the very thing that I should be focusing on. Those are all wonderful things, but Christ wants our hearts fully committed to Him resulting in a vibrant relationship. Sometimes service and leadership can be a barrier to our intimacy with Jesus. Before we can be concerned about others, we must be in the right place with Christ. I noticed this at the end of the book of John when Peter saw John and asked Jesus (in 21:21), “Lord, what about him?” Jesus answers in John 21:22, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me.” Jesus indicated earlier that Peter was to glorify God in the kind of death he would die, and he was curious about John. We are called to disciple, love and serve those around us. It is possible to elevate those goals above our own relationship with Christ. We must be concerned about others but not over our own pursuit of Christ. How is your prayer life? What have you been reading in God’s Word lately? What is God teaching you? When Christ tells Peter to “Follow me,” that is his highest calling. Remember to focus on Christ as we seek to share the gospel and impact our community. No matter what happens with our invitations and with those we seek to share the gospel with -- what is it to you? You must follow Christ. God is in control; seek and follow Him first. He will take care of the rest.

“I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.”

3 John 4

No "I" in Team

I love sports. I probably love sports too much. Growing up participating in team sports taught me many valuable lessons that I was able to apply in my life. On almost every team I was a part of, the coach used the well worn catch phrase, “there is no ‘I’ in team.” Everyone knows that there is no “I” in team, but there is a “me.” Thankfully, I was not the smart alec who said that behind the coach’s back. For every team player, there seems to be one who makes being part of a team difficult. In the church, we are also a team, a body actually. Christ prayed for us that we would be unified and seen as one. This is exactly what Jesus prays for in John 17:20-21, “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” He asks God that the church, then and in the future, would have as close a union as the Trinity itself! What a prayer, and what a challenge for us today! An interesting aspect to this I often miss is not the emphasis on unity, but the results and reasons Christ prays for unity. The last part of v. 21 is unbelievable: “so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” Our unity as a body has a huge impact on our ability to reach the world for Christ. We are a team. It doesn’t matter what you think of those at our church, they are the ones that make up our team. As we seek to reach our community with the gospel, our ability to love and serve each other genuinely plays a vital role. Dwell on these verses (and the rest of John 17 if you have time), as we seek to set an example for the rest of the church. Continue to reach out to those in our congregation who may be “on the bench” or might have some “injuries.” We need them, and we need you. Pray for the unity of your church so that your community may believe in Jesus.

Replace Yourself

President George H.W. Bush (#41) tells the story that he woke up one morning to reach for a red button (while in bed) that usually notifies someone on his staff he wants his morning coffee (nice huh?). Well, all he did was wake up Barbra and she responded, “Get it yourself!” She continued to tell him that he was also not the president anymore! One day, it is all over. People get replaced ~ as ministry leaders we should take a cue from the former president. At some point, we are all going to be replaced in our ministries, for a variety of possible reasons. In response to this reality, it should be our goal to replace ourselves in ministry. How much better would our church be if the mindset of our leaders was to constantly be working ourselves out of a job? Ephesians 4:11-13 says, “It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” Always be looking for your replacement; build into others because it is the calling of those in leadership. Do not do the work of ministry alone; find someone else to do it with you! Think about how you can build into others so that they grow in their relationship with Christ. And if you are really feeling up to it, get them a cup of coffee while you are at it.

Have you considered the Priesthood?

I saw a billboard the other day driving that said, “Have you considered the priesthood?” Apparently, the Catholic church is in need of clergy. I looked it up and also found that the year of priests ended for the Catholic church on June 19, 2o10 (see this article: http://tinyurl.com/2cc33d7). This is not intended to bash the Catholic church, but it got me thinking that it is a shame they stopped. Every year in the church should be about equipping the priests. Not the Catholic kind, but the royal kind…you know, the kind of priest the New Testament uses to refer to all believers. Every Christian is a priest; we do not need a year of priests. Our ministries should be made up of priests (that’s you) who have the same access to our Lord that every pastor and elder does. Peter wrote in his first letter, “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” (1 Peter 2:9). All of God’s people are able to do God’s work (that is what a priest does); I am encouraged that at my church we have an army of priests doing God’s work. Continue to press on in ministry because you are a priest, called to do God’s work. And if you see that billboard, you already know the answer to the question.

“And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words that you shall speak to the sons of Israel.”
Exodus 19:6

God: Near and Far

God is great. We know this. We say this often in song and in speech. Even if we did not acknowledge it, it would still be true. What is it about Him, other than His omnipotence (all-powerful), omnipresence, knowledge, love, justice, righteousness and holiness, that makes this claim true? I believe there are two key attributes that are often overlooked, yet provide much comfort to me and show His greatness: His transcendence and His immanence (nearness). One of the mysteries of God is His ability to rule Sovereignly and powerfully from afar (transcendence), yet He is simultaneously near by residing in the hearts of His followers. Jeremiah 23:23 says, “‘Am I a God at hand,’ declares the LORD, ‘and not a God far away?’” Stop and think about that for a second…now that you are thoroughly confused, let’s look at it a little closer. God is at hand; he came to dwell among us as Jesus of Nazareth and also sent His Holy Spirit after Christ ascended into heaven. God is not only at hand, but He dwells in the very bodies of His people (1 Cor. 6:19)! The same God who dwells within us is the God Most High. He is “the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy:” (Is. 57:15). Wow! God is larger and greater than any adjective we can ascribe to Him. He is far off in the heavens ruling this universe as its Creator, but He is also intimately involved in the tiny details of our lives because He is also near. This is a mystery to our little minds, but it is true. He is powerfully and righteously ruling the universe, while at the same time He actually cares, loves and knows us! God is truly great. He demonstrated it on Calvary, but He also demonstrates it by sustaining the universe from afar, while also dwelling in us. Amen!

Isaiah 57:15:
“For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: ‘I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite.’”

Murky Motivations?

When serving the Lord, what is your motivation? Is it honestly to serve God, or do you simply desire the reputation of one who seeks and serves the Lord? I must confess that motives are difficult to judge because our hearts are so complex, and they are nearly impossible to judge in others (thankfully, it is not our job!). When I consider the reasons I seek to write a meaningful paragraph in this space there are many: I have been asked to do so; I want to do a good job; and hopefully it can be encouraging or challenging in its use for God’s kingdom in your lives. None seem negative on the surface, but what if I was trying to impress anyone reading with whit and wisdom because my name is attached to the end of this piece? It is easy for us who serve others in the church to let our ministries serve as a tool to advance our name rather than Christ’s. It is at the point when that desire exceeds the desire to serve God when it becomes sin. Our job is to give God glory, not ourselves. This is exactly what was going on in Acts 5 with Ananias and Sapphira. In the first eleven verses of the chapter, we learn that they sold a piece of their property. They gave half of the profit to the church, but they told the church they gave it all. Peter was clear that they were under no obligation to give it all to the apostles (v. 4). The problem was not that they did not give enough, but that they wanted others to think they were more generous than they actually were. This is why they lied. What took place is astonishing: Ananias and Sapphira dropped dead as a result of God’s judgment! We must believe that God has the authority to judge the hearts of men, and we must be thankful that He is completely just and right in doing so with perfect timing. The challenge for us is not to give all of our possessions to the elders at your church. It is to examine our hearts as we serve God in this church. Are you serving the Lord wholeheartedly or are there times when you serve out of obligation or out of a desire to be known as a person who is a servant? The answers may not be simple. We may never have completely pure motives, but we must serve out of a heart that seeks to primarily glorify God rather than self.

P.S. I’m really thankful that God is gracious and has not caused me to drop dead when my motives have been less than honest! This raises the question of why God judged Ananias and Sapphira in the way He did. I do not pretend to know why, but it can be observed that God seems to judge more acutely and immediately during the times in history when God’s Spirit has been at work in extremely clear ways. This incident is in close proximity to God pouring out the Holy Spirit at Pentecost (Acts 2). Another example is God’s judgment of Achan in Joshua 7, which occurs after God’s work in tearing down the walls of Jericho.

Why Are You Surprised?

Consider the ways that God may be providing for you: church, family, friends, health, or even a job are a few of the areas God might be blessing you. Many times we complain that our lives are not what they could be or what we think they should be. In all honesty, how dare we! We should not be surprised when we look intently at our lives and realize that God has provided beyond what we need. God is working, and we should not be surprised that His handiwork is all over the place. Take a minute and read Acts 3; Peter heals a lame man (from birth) at the temple, while the onlookers are completely astonished. Peter says in Acts 3:12 (NIV), “Why does this surprise you?” The people of Israel were utterly unaware of the power of God. Peter and the other apostles were ordinary people (Acts 14:15), like you and me, who understood the power and provision of the God they served. God is good, and His mighty power is beyond our comprehension. God raised His Son Jesus for His glory, and He is at work today. He is working in our church and in your life. Do you see it? When you do, why are you surprised?

Christ: The Savior of Sinners

Try to wrap your brains around what Paul says in 1 Timothy 1:15, “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst.” First, we must fully accept what Christ accomplished through his life, death and resurrection. As little as we can comprehend about the mystery of the incarnation (God becoming man), we must try because our lives depend on it. It is completely trustworthy, and as leaders we can proclaim this truth boldly. Second, consider what Paul is saying to one of his pupils. He is admitting his faults and flaws to a man he is training in ministry. Paul is vulnerable and real. Paul is ashamed of his persecuting past, yet he is completely confident that his slate has been wiped clean. Every time I read this verse I always wonder if Paul knew who he was competing with! The thoughts may travel through our heads, “I’m not sure Paul would say he was the worst if he knew what I’ve done!” As much as we trip, fall, fail and screw up, we must know the truth: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. This is the power behind and the reason we serve. Be encouraged today, no matter where you are – keep serving with all your heart because of the miracle and truth of our God and Savior becoming a man who gave his life to save sinners.

A Resolution to Share My Testimony

This year I hope to share my story of how God has changed my life (my testimony) with more people than ever! God has been so faithful and good to me. Here is a brief account of my story:

I am twenty-five, but my life started sixteen years ago when I began a permanent commitment to Jesus Christ. I owe most of the beginning knowledge I have about my savior to my parents; they raised me in a devoted Christian home pointing me in Christ’s direction since I was little. I was nine when I first trusted Christ as my savior and was baptized. At that point, I knew that God loved me (John 3:16), I was a sinner (Rom. 3:23) and that Christ died for me (Rom. 5:8)! I believe grace from God through faith in Jesus will save me from my sin (Eph. 2:8-9).

This commitment has changed my life dramatically. It has altered daily decisions that I have made since becoming a Christian. The way I spend my time, the things I consider important, the type of schools I have attended, the career I have pursued and the spouse I have chosen have all been influenced by my relationship with Jesus. A relationship with Christ demands life change; he accepts us for who we are but refuses to leave us that way. Jesus has given me genuine joy, deeper relationships with other believers and extraordinary experiences to do his work on earth. It is unbelievable that he has chosen to use me in the process of drawing others to him (lifelong ministry)! My prayer is that I continue to let Jesus change my life so I can be more like him.

Having made a commitment to Christ at a young age, I continued to mature as I grew older by encountering “Lordship” issues along the way. During my junior high and early high school years I was influenced by my peers and my commitment to athletics and academics. School and sports were very important to me in a dangerous way. I elevated these priorities to an unhealthy level and relegated my involvement in church and my relationship with Christ below those other priorities. By the time I finished high school, the Lord regained my attention and his rightful place in my life. It was at a summer youth conference before my junior year of high school when I took a giant step to face the reality of recognizing Christ as the Lord of my life. I do not doubt the legitimacy of my earlier commitment, but this time was particularly formative in my journey of faith.

This period in my life and my calling to vocational ministry intertwine at this point. As I began to think about my future, I realized that God had plans for my life that were different than what many would have guessed. I planned on attending Purdue University (my parents’ alma mater) to become an engineer, while I increasingly felt convicted to pursue pastoral ministry. I ended up at Taylor University; another place which dramatically impacted my faith in Christ. I found my eventual wife as well as many ministry and growth opportunities. I am indebted to many pastors, teachers and friends who have so graciously poured into my life to shape me into the man I am today. I am so thankful for the opportunities I have had as the Lord has taken me, shaped me and used me in ways I could not have imagined. There is not space to share the ways the Lord has provided and assured me in my faith over the past few years. I am ever grateful for my Savior as I continue to grow in wisdom and in favor with God and men.

I encourage you to either start a journey with Christ or share yours with those around you this year! God Bless!