"He said (to me, Isaiah), 'Go and tell this people: Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.  Make the heart of this people calloused; make their ears dull and close their eyes....' Then I said, 'For how long Lord?'"           Isaiah 6:9-11(partial)

I have been reading through the book of Isaiah of late.  It's not the easiest book to read, since it necessitates some knowledge of both redemptive and geographical history.  There are alot of cities and nations mentioned in the book, and there is vast material on the promise of a Messiah - a Savior of Israel.  Good thing too - because there are definitely some scenarios in this book that are difficult, and from which people will need saving.

I remember when I was in New Orleans taking one of my seminary courses on the Old Testament.  My professor, himself an expert in the Old Testament (with specific arenas of expertise in the Wisdom literature of the Scripture), made the class very difficult for us.  Very difficult.  The volume of work was nearly beyond the capacity of a human, and the expectation of knowledge on the exams was beginning to surpass ridiculous.  Finally, as the class was drawing to a close for the term, I understood why this was so.  It was wrapped up in my professor's worldview of the Old Testament.  When asked by a student to summarize the whole of the Old Testament, he simply replied, "Life is hard."  Well now, that explains some things (but doesn't explain some others....like why I thought it funny to refer to myself as "Molech" for most of the term...).

As I am reading Isaiah, I can't help but come back to that simple statement of the Old Testament my professor gave us.  It certainly seems to ring true for Isaiah.  Being an Old Testament prophet had to be a hard job.  You got asked to do all kinds of things that were seemingly weird, like, say, walking around the town naked for a long time.  But you also had to basically have all the self-esteem and glory that you ever wanted thrown right out the window because if you were an OT prophet, you likely weren't going to be on Facebook or Twitter with a ton of "followers" (anybody else find the whole idea of wanting to amass followers of your every move on Twitter a bit...I don't know...awkward?...I digress...).

It would be hard to hear, like Isaiah did, that God wants you to go and be a voice for Him to the people - and, oh yeah, they aren't going to listen to you.  So God says He wants Isaiah to help him close ears and shut eyes by the actual message Isaiah will be proclaiming from God.  Sounds delightful doesn't it?  Just what you signed up for when you thought about making a career move to "full-time Christian ministry."

At times, I wonder if I have done a disservice to those watching me in ministry by not letting them know how hard it can be sometimes, and that God doesn't promise us that our ministries will be easy.  Comparable to Isaiah, I live in DisneyWorld in my ministry context.  But not everyone who is called will always be in this type of ministry context.  Some will be called to very difficult places and circumstances, others in less difficult ones.  God makes no promises on the front end to us.  He calls, and He expects us to respond in obedience.  What He chooses to do with us to use us for His glory to be displayed in the world is up to Him.  And even if we end up in what might be construed as an easier place, we never know what circumstances might come into play.  And we don't know how God might want to leverage all of it for His glory.

I also thought about how God calls me to a place much like Isaiah sometimes (minus, I hope, the "walking around naked" thing..).  God hasn't called me to make up a message for people - He has asked me to communicate what He has said.  Obviously, in the contemporary world of the closed canon, we have a message from God to proclaim.  But we need to be vessels that can carry the message with integrity.  Isaiah wasn't perfect, and neither are you or I, but we have a responsibility before God to be people who so desire to hear the heart of God that we won't trade that which is best for that which may be only good.

Maybe not all OT prophets were loners...but they did know how to get alone with God.  Maybe they all weren't without friends...but they did know that God would speak the truth to friend and enemy alike without fear.  And maybe they weren't all in hard circumstances all the time...but they did know that circumstances were whatever they were - their responsibility was to hold out the heart of God for people.

There are some lessons in there somewhere for all of us...not just the prophets among us.

I don't often use my blog for this type of thing, but today I wanted to pass along some information about two areas that we have been asked about frequently:  Haiti and Lockport (NY).

HAITI:

We continue to get reports from on the ground in Haiti, and the situation is still very dire and the infastructure is still non-existent.  Our team that is in the Dominican Republic is doing well, and everyone is fine.  Some of our team (and/or friends of our team) was in Haiti and felt some of today's aftershocks, but everyone is fine.  A portion of our team has been able to get supplies to a border town that SCORE (our partner on the ground) has contact with through a hospital.  Please continue to pray for the work going on there, and check out The Chapel's Facebook page to see a video on another one of the agencies we partnered with in Haiti.  At present, through many people's graciousness, we have put nearly $40,000 into the relief effort through a variety of reputable groups and churches on the ground.  As was communicated Sunday, when we have a more formalized plan for longer term involvement, we will communicate it to you.

LOCKPORT, NY:

As announced this past Sunday, we are going to be opening another campus in Lockport in the next few months.  This campus is a by-product of our mission - to see every man, woman, and child have repeated opportunities to hear and see the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Lockport has a distinctly unchurched population, and it is our desire to help change that along with some other wonderful partner churches in that area.  Pastor Matt Eisenhower will be our campus pastor for The Chapel at Lockport, and the teaching for that worship gathering will come from the CrossPoint campus via technology (and will be the exact same thing being taught at the CrossPoint campus - at the same time).

There will be an informational meeting for all of those folks from Lockport that would be interested in participating in our new campus.  That meeting will occur DURING each worship gathering at 9am or 11am in the Andrews Chapel right off the atrium.  So, if you would like to attend one of the meetings, then plan to worship at one hour and attend the meeting at the other hour.  Pastor Matt Eisenhower will be there to talk about the vision for this campus, and Pastor Daryl Largis, our Executive Pastor, will address the group as well.

I would encourage you to go to our Chapel Facebook page and check out the announcement of this project, the introduction of Matt and his wife Becca, and some facts about this new campus location.

Continue to pray for God to demonstrate His work in Haiti, and here in Western New York.

"Love must be sincere.  Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.  Be devoted to one another in brotherly love.  Honor one another above yourselves.  Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.  Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.  Share with God's people who are in need.  Practice hospitality."  Romans 12:9-13

As I have watched the unfathomable human tragedy in Haiti over the last couple of days, my mind and heart can't help but be stirred to think about many things.  I won't detail all the things that have gone on in my head and heart, but I realize that there is something that everyone has in common in these situations - we most often ask the question "Why?"  Maybe more specifically, we ask the question "Why, God?"

I wish I had an answer for you.  I don't really.

Some have offered answers.  One Christian broadcaster went so far as to say that God brought this on the people of Haiti because they made a deal with the devil when they gained their independence from France.  Another broadcaster has talked of how our President will use this tragedy for political gain.  I think both responses couldn't be farther from the point, nor relevant to the immediate human need that exists in Haiti.  To be honest, I wish both of these folks would have just shut up about all this other stuff and used their platforms to encourage people to get involved in helping the people of Haiti.  They can talk about all the other irrelevant stuff later.

What I suggest to people to do in these situations is to ask, "What would God want me to do right now?"  Maybe you are to pray.  Maybe you are to contribute financially to an aid agency.  Maybe, when it is accessible, you are to go over to volunteer in the aftermath.  I don't know what it might be for you, but we can't close our ears to the incredible pain of human need.

Here in our faith community, we are leveraging people and resources to assist in the near term.  We have a team of people on medical mission who are in the Dominican Republic (it shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti), and another team set to leave tomorrow morning.  It is possible that some of our second team will adjust their schedule and make an effort to get into Haiti.  Either way, we are still funneling resources (money and supplies) to the needed organizations on the ground in Haiti.  If you are part of our faith community, you will hear details about that on Sunday - if you are not, then I am sure you are thinking about ways you can participate in the alleviation of suffering in Haiti.

Action is required first, so that's why I mention it first.  But action will give way to contemplation at some point, and the questions about life, God, humanity, suffering, evil, and good will all come to the forefront of people's minds.  When they do, I hope you are ready to point them in the right direction.

Should you need some help with that, I have tried to address the topic before (in the aftermath of a local tragedy - the crashing of a commercial airplane into our community in February of 2009 that killed all 50 people on board as well as the owner of the home into which the plane crashed).  You can find that discussion here: http://theater.thechapel.com/play/?p=297&title=The_Mystery_of_Tragedy.

At the end of the day, I don't fully understand all the workings of God in the world, or the workings of evil.  But one thing I do know - that the cross of Jesus Christ stands as the revelation of God's character, and His unparalled love for humanity.  If you wonder where God is in all of this suffering, look no further than the cross.  Once you experience the reality of that kind of love offered for you, it will move you to action to show that love to humanity. 

"Do not wear yourself out to get rich; have the wisdom to show restraint."  Proverbs 23:4

Restraint is not a particularly popular word in the English lexicon anymore.  The word itself implies that there are impulses that must be held back or controlled, and that you can't always get what you want (to quote the Stones).  That is not an enjoyable thought for a generation of people that have what they want whenever they want - at least to a degree.

While you could probably think of a hundred examples to every one I mention, the fact that we have what we want whenever we want can be seen readily:

* If you want food, pick up a phone and have them bring it to you

* You need to buy a Christmas present?  Just log on, buy it, and have them send it to you

* No need to stop and ask for directions ever again (awesome! now I don't have to interact with humans!), just use your GPS

* Need anything else?  There's an app for that.

You have thought of a zillion more examples I'm sure.  And all of those examples makes the word restraint seem so antiquated...so irrelevant....so....dial up.

But the ancient wisdom writer who penned Proverbs 23 knew that restraint was one of the most important principles that we could embrace.  He realized (sooner or later) that having everything you want all the time doesn't yield the life you hoped to have - in fact, it steals it....sours it.

I don't often ask you to do this (or, for that matter, to do anything), but if you are reading this, would you be so kind to grab a Bible (some of you, like me, have the Bible on your phone - you can get it for free you know...just sayin'...).  I want to show you the examples of restraint that the wisdom writer uses in Proverbs 23.

1.  He teaches us to have restraint when we eat (v.1-3,6-8) - Wow, who ever said the Bible wasn't relevant?  We live in a culture (America) that is growing alarmingly obese.  I don't know all of the reasons, but I do know the common sense one - we eat way too much.  We don't show any restraint at the table.  Could it be that this is a product of having whatever we want whenever we want it?  I don't think it is the sole reason, but I do think it is a major contributor.

2.  He teaches us to have restraint in our pursuit of money (v.4-5) - Riches are temporary, not eternal.  Riches can't satisfy the human soul, it can only temporarily appease the cravings of our sinful flesh (and the more we feed those cravings, the bigger the appetite becomes).  It is a monster that can never be fed enough - it will just continue to consume.  Restraint teaches us to know when we have enough, and to be content with it.

3.  He teaches us to have restraint with our power (v.10) - Just because we can overwhelm someone with our power (our wealth, our position, our influence, our strength) doesn't mean we should.  This is an issue of justice, and justice is something God takes seriously.  God will defend the cause of the powerless, and He will be their justice (either now or later), so those who have power should use it to serve and love, not to domineer or promote selfish gain.

4.  He teaches us to have restraint as a parent (v.13-18) - Part of restraint is discipline.  As parents, we are instructed to discipline our children (in love, not in wrath).  Some parents, through either laziness or a philosophy that doesn't worry about restraint, let their children run their lives (and seemingly the lives of everyone around them - they live on planet "ME").  Kid CEO's in the house is a bad philosophy according to the Bible - our role as parents is to restrain them in arenas that are harmful to them, and we foster that through loving discipline.

5.  He teaches us to have restraint with strong drink (v.19-21,29-35) - If you read this (and I hope you are), you see a bleak picture of the person who drinks too much.  It almost seems comical when we read it, but it is not meant as comedy.  Alcohol is an escape for many people - they want to forget their problems or responsibilities.  The problem is, they create new problems for themselves and others.  I watched my boys listen to some of the drunks at the Bills game the other day - guys and gals who were making no sense, speaking jibberish, and acting ridiculous.  It's a sad reminder of the way we try and fill the gaping hole in our heart.

6.  He teaches us to have restraint sexually (v.26-28) - Though this is taught from a father to a son, it is applicable for men and women (or boys and girls as it were).  Interesting, wouldn't you say, that a teaching from 3,000 years ago still has as much relevance today (if not more relevance).  Sexuality outside the plan of God in marriage of a man and woman is a grenade with the pin pulled looking for a place to detinate.  Enjoy all that comes with marriage - have a blast, be creative.  But keep the fire in the fireplace because that is where it belongs - if the fire gets into the rest of the house you have huge trouble on your hands.  Having all we want whenever we want it in this area is death to us.

There are a few others in this chapter I could draw out, but you get the sense of the chapter.  I don't want to apologize for restraint.  It's not a bad word.  It's a word associated with wisdom.  So, while you and I enjoy life, live it to the full and for the glory of God, and drink in the experiences that God gives to us, let's make sure that walking alongside us in this life is the beautiful lady called "Wisdom" who loves to whisper a word in our ear - Restraint.

"Be very careful, then how you live - not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil."     Ephesians 5:15-16

You can't watch tv any day in the last few days and not hear something about Tiger Woods.  Unfortunately for him, his guarded private life has gone very public - as have his indiscretions.  Marital infidelity happens every day to a variety of people, so I am not altogether shocked that it happened to Tiger Woods as well.  He may be the greatest golfer of all time (arguably), and he may have incredible professional discipline, and he may have more money than many third world countries, and he may have a beautiful wife and family....but, he still did what he did.  No matter how private we like to keep our sins, sin is never private - it always wreaks damage beyond ourselves.  I feel for Tiger's wife and family, and do hope Tiger is able to reconcile.  More than that, I hope through this he finds Christ.

Tigers can't compete with Lions.  The Bible teaches that our Enemy, Satan, is like a roaring lion seeking who he might devour.  We may think we are strong and disciplined, but our Enemy is crafty indeed.  Very crafty.  That's a part of why we are taught to be careful how we live - because the days are evil and are often influenced by the Evil One.

Even those in "ministry" or who are long time followers of Jesus aren't immune to the attacks of our Enemy, the lion.  And one of the ways that he attacks is in the arena of marriage.

Just this week, I have received information about some friends in ministry who are married but have seperated.  Another friend, who is a pastor, had a falling out with his wife, snapped, and ending up taking his own life.  He had three children.  I wish he didn't believe in that last moment the lies of the lion - somehow thinking that taking his life was better than any alternative or the hope of reconciliation.  The whole thing just makes me heart sick, because I know that was not the way he lived his life - he had, to that point, allowed the trajectory of his life to be centered in the glory of God.

People don't get into these positions overnight.  It's not usually just one conversation, or argument, that leads to something so drastic as cheating on a spouse, or seperating, or taking your own life.  It is usually a product of multiple days or months or years even.  That's why we need to make the most of every opportunity, and take great care how we live.  Because what happens to us is never private.  There are spouses involved, there are kids involved, there are churches, and fans, and families, and communities involved too.

So, wives, may I say something to you?  Please show respect to your husband (Eph.5:33).  You may think he doesn't deserve respect right now, and you may be right.  But, you didn't deserve the grace and love of Jesus either, yet God granted it to you.  Your response is to do the same.  Don't badmouth him or talk him down.  Don't nag him like he is a child (even if he is acting like one).  Thank him for his provision/contribution to your family.

Husbands, how about us?  We have a responsibility to love our wives with the same self-sacrificial love that Jesus has shown to us (Eph.5:25-33).  Tell her she's pretty.  Tell her how great a mom she is.  Tell her you love her - and show her you love her.  Care for her and serve her with the heart of Jesus.  Lead with honor, nobility, gentleness, and respect, but (for crying out loud) LEAD.  Show your wife and family your commitment to Jesus, and lovingly lead them in that way.

This matters deeply.  Why?  Because the days are evil, so we need to be careful how we live - we need to be full of the wisdom that comes from God.  There is a lion who is ready to pounce, and he wants to do damage.  And it won't be a private damage, it will affect much more than just you.  Don't underestimate the lion, even if you think you are a tiger.  Your strength is weak compared to him, but your submission to God will be the power you need.  James 4:7 reminds us of this - "Submit yourselves, then, to God.  Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."

"The disciples had forgotten to bring bread, except for one loaf they had with them in the boat."  Mark 8:14

Let me go ahead and get this out of the way so I can get on to making some reasonably spiritual points about the above passage:  I just don't ever want to hear the word "loaf" associated with food for any reason.

There are a number of reasons for this (as you probably can imagine).  I can handle hearing the phrase "a loaf of bread", but when loaf starts making its way into other things I start to get a bit squeemish (Meat Loaf, Cheese Loaf, Sausage Loaf, Pimento Loaf, etc.).  Since I am already talking about stupid stuff, let me go ahead and offer a few other words that never have to enter a conversation about food: congealed, chutney, casserole, and ghoulash would be among them.  Yuk.  Saying them makes me nauseous.

Anyway...

Jesus is in a boat one day with his closest followers.  He has just recently fed four thousand men (not including women and children) out of just a few pieces of bread and fish.  It was miraculous.  And it wasn't even the first time - some time before Jesus had done the same thing with five thousand men.  His disciples got to see it all.

But following this second great feeding, Jesus is having a conversation with the self-righteous religious leaders of his day (called "Pharisees").  They wanted him to give them a sign from heaven - Jesus said no.

So, now on a boat with his closest followers, he tells them to beware of the "yeast" of the Pharisees - essentially telling them that the wrong thinking the Pharisees have about God and His Messiah can seem small but can penetrate the whole of their thinking if they aren't careful (just like a little yeast leavens the whole dough).

As happens from time to time in the reality show life of the disciples, they miss the point.  They think Jesus is talking to them about "yeast" because they didn't remember to bring any additional bread with them for the trip - all they have is one loaf.  So, they argue amongst themselves as to whose responsibility it was to get the additonal bread ("hey Thomas, if you would have stopped shoving fish down your pie hole for a minute maybe you would have remembered to get some bread for our trip" followed by "Oh yeah? I was doing you a favor - you need some additional carbs like you need a hole in the head").  Jesus, hearing their conversation, basically says "Do you not get it?  You think I am talking about the need to bring bread?  Haven't you seen me feed 5,000 men followed later by feeding 4,000 men and we had plenty leftover?  Do you think I am worried about you bringing more bread?"

He basically told them they were blind.  Then, when they got out of the boat, Jesus (as he so often did) illustrated in a very earthy way what he was trying to teach them.  He meets a blind man and heals him of his blindness so that he can see clearly.  After that, Jesus is walking with his gang, and he asks them who people say He is.  "John the Baptist", says one.  "I have heard people call you Elijah" says another.  "Other people are calling you one of the prophets" the last one calls out.  So, Jesus asks them a pointed question: "Who do you say I am?"  Peter, the spokesman of the group, answered.  "You are the Christ."

I think that is the thing He wanted them to understand all along.  It wasn't so much about signs, though they have a purpose.  It is about the One to whom the signs point.  When he was with them in the boat, they thought He was worried about not having enough bread.  What He wanted them to realize is that the One Loaf they had in the boat was enough because, I think, it was Him.  He was their Messiah, their sufficiency, their Bread of Life.  It took them a while to see it.

And it takes us a while too.  Sometimes we think we need more than Jesus.  We forget that He is our sufficiency.  He is all we need.  But in the words of C.S. Lewis, "The man who has God and everything else has no more than the man who has God only."

The One Loaf - our Bread of Life - is sufficient for us.

"The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.  Elijah was a man just like us.  He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years.  Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops."  James 5:16b-18

First, to both people that probably read this blog (like my Mom...and maybe one friend that my Mom has badgered to death with the "you would really enjoy some of my son's writings" spiel), I want to apologize for being the least caring and least conscientious blogger in the history of the blogosphere.  Sometimes I am good for a blog a week - sometimes it's a blog a month.  Truth is, though, I confess to my stress level being around negative 42 when I am not popping them out every week.  I will, however, try to do better - for both of my faithful readers.

Now, on to things somewhat more pressing....

I don't feel much like Elijah at all.

When I read what James wrote nearly 2,000 years ago, I almost pass out at the gall.  James says (it seems to me rather flippantly - though I know it's not flippant because it is inspired by the Holy Spirit) that Elijah was a man just like us.  More specifically, Elijah was a man just like me.  I'm not one for overreaction (normally), but this literally has my head spinning because there is no part of me that thinks that me and Elijah are "just like" each other.  Ok....we do have in common that we are human, and that we are males.  Past that.......I'm still thinking........still thinking.....nope, nada.

So, after James drops this little gem on me the other morning, I decide to take a look at how me and Elijah might stack up....which required me to make a left in my Bible and move back a few centuries into the pages of the Hebrew Scriptures (aka The Old Testament).  My travels took me to 1 Kings 17 where I am introduced to Elijah.  Here is how we are introduced to Elijah:

"Now Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, 'As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word."

Well, that is screaming negative numbers on the "me and Elijah are just alike" meter.  I have never prayed with that kind of faith and authority in all my life.  And even if I had, I probably wouldn't tell anyone - let alone announce it to the King of Israel like Elijah did.  Maybe if I keep reading, I will find some other things in common.

Nope, it gets worse.

1.  Elijah goes and lives by a brook where ravens feed him every day because God said so.  I am nothing like that.

2.  Elijah then gets commanded by God to have a widow from outside Israel provide for him.  I am nothing like that either.

3.  The widow's son dies, and Elijah prays and asks God to raise him back to life.  I have never prayed anything so bold.

4.  Elijah challenges more than 800 false prophets to meet him on Mount Carmel.  I just gave the bully my lunch money.

5.  Elijah prays a prayer to call fire down from heaven to show those false prophets whose God is God.  I would need a diaper.

6.  Elijah gets threatened right after that by a lady who says she is going to kill him - so he gets depressed and scared.  What?

I have never prayed those kinds of prayers, never taken those kinds of steps of faith, never acted with such courage for the glory of God.  I am nothing like Elijah....until he freaks out.  He gets scared, depressed even - tells God he wants to die.  He says he has had enough.

Man, I don't even think I have reacted like that - even in some of my most stressful times.  What at first seemed too ridiculous to be true (that me and Elijah are alike) - well, it may not be that far fetched.  Elijah is a man - just a man.  His strength and his power come only from God.

Thus, James says - "Elijah was a man just like us."  Just like us, he needed God for everything.  Just like us, he had to deal with the struggle of life.  Just like us, his strength was only a testimony to the grace of God in his life.

But James wants us to understand more about our similarity to Elijah than just identifying with his weaknesses.  James says that Elijah prayed and the miraculous happened - so, since we are like Elijah, if we will pray with the same faith and earnestness then God can/will do the miraculous on our behalf.  But Elijah's praying was not for his own benefit - it was for the glory of God, as ours must be.

I have no idea how to really pray like that...but the last few days have put in me a desire to learn.  Hope it does for you too.

"We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ.  To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me."  Colossians 1:28-29

On occasion, I have been known to use words or phrases that need looking up.  For some of them, I have created my own word and definition apparently - as much as I might argue to the contrary ("well, you must not have the newest edition of the dictionary or else what I said would be in there...").  Most of the time, however, it is my wife looking up words I said in a sermon (in fact, happened about 2 weeks ago most recently....actually is kind of fun for me now).  I have officially uttered the phrase "incipient Judaistic Gnostisicsm" in a sermon before...I know, what was I thinking?

Anyway, I like a well turned phrase as much as the next guy, but what I really dig in the Bible are those "enigmatic" phrases (I'll wait as you join my wife to grab a dictionary should you so need one....although I know that many of you will act as if you know what "enigmatic" means and just keep on going, which is fine if you want to be that way, but relatively self-deceptive don't you think?  Plus, I looked it up prior to using it just to make sure I was using it right).  I love it when the Scripture talks about being weak to be strong, or that Jesus became poor so we could be rich, or that the greatest will be least in the kingdom of heaven.  They are somewhat paradoxical really, yet also make us cry out in worship (which very well might make them a "paradoxology" perhaps....close the dictionary - not in there - I made it up......but it is a pretty good one, no?).

Paul uses an enigmatic phrase here in Colossians.  He says, "To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy.....".  That's just a counterintuitive statement.  To labor, to struggle - well, that means that we exhaust our energy on something.  But that's not what Paul says.  He says that he labors and struggles with his energy (and of course Paul is referring to Christ's energy).  That could be good news to people like you and me.

I can't tell you the number of times that I just feel fried.  I'm busy, over-committed sometimes, and I'm running on fumes.  "But it's all for God" I tell myself to try and ease the stress.  But that doesn't really work.  It may be all for God, but it's not all through God.  And I think I know why:

I have times in my life where I forget the gospel.  I don't forget the content of it - I remember that Jesus died, was buried, and was resurrected on the third day so that God might reconcile the world to Himself through Jesus - I simply forget the practical reality of the gospel.  I forget that Christ lives in me.  I forget that the power that raised Jesus from the dead is alive in my mortal body.  I forget that I have traded my life for His life.  Thus, I forget that I have a strength, an energy, a power at work in me and through me that is not my own.  So, it should be no surprise that Paul says that he labors and struggles with all of the energy that is not his own, but is rather the strength and energy of Christ.   Though it still requires sacrifice and work, living in and with the energy of Christ would be a good place to live.

The world needs more enigmas.  The gospel is an enigma.  Christ is an enigma.  Salvation is an enigma.  Grace is an enigma.  I want to be an enigma too, as I live my life with the energy of, and from, Christ.

"For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.  The last enemy to be destroyed is death."  1 Corinthians 15:25-26

Just this week alone, I have done two funerals.  That's two too many for the week.  That's two too many for a lifetime as far as I am concerned.

I don't know anybody who really likes funerals (and if I did, I wouldn't know them for very long).  But funerals don't bother me that much really - they simply become part of the warp and woof of what it means to be in vocational ministry.  No, it's not the funeral that bothers me - it's the reason for the funeral.

Bottom line: I hate death.

My hate for death is not so much based on the fear of my own.  I realize, unless Jesus chooses to come first, that I am going to go the way of the earth like everyone has before me.  I can accept that.  But I still hate it.

My hate for death is a bit deeper I think.  Clearly, there are many reasons I hate death.  It underscores, sometimes, the upside down nature of this life when parents bury their children instead of vice-versa.  It is always, one hundred percent of the time, inconvenient.  Death respects nobody - it is an impartial enemy.  If death were a fish, I would flush it down the toilet.  Were it a person, I would punch it in the mouth.

Now before you think about how unChristian my remarks sound, and want to talk about how we are to love our enemies, etc., let me set a few things straight.  First, I am not of the pastoral order that wants to talk about how "natural" and "beautiful" death is.  Nope, not going to find me talking about that.  Death is an enemy, it is not a friend.  In fact, Death is the enemy that I don't have to love, and I will tell you why: Because God hates it too. 

God is life.  Jesus said He was Life, and that He came to give Life (John 14:6; John 10:10).  And I can assure you, God hates death.  Death came through sin - and that is another thing God hates (sin).  Death is simply the evidence of a world gone wrong - of tragic human rebellion and pride.  It is the horrific aftertaste of forbidden fruit.  And it undoubtedly wasn't supposed to be this way.  The world God made was good.  It was beautiful.  Glorious.  Non-tragic.  But sin brings death.  And death is an enemy - of you, of me, and of God.

That's why God inspired the writer of 1 Corinthians to plainly state that death is an enemy of God.  John the Revelator also spoke of death as an enemy to be vanquished in Revelation 20:14: "Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire."

The fact that death is our enemy makes the destruction of this foe that much more satisfying.  Every time someone dies, it seems that the sting of death is felt by everyone - it's cold, it's final, and it feels like death has won.  As much as we hate to admit it, and as much as we tell ourselves of the story of victory, when death rears it's head, it's fangs are sharp and it's roar is loud.  It is an intimidating enemy.

That's why I am glad I am with Jesus.  He died.  He knows the sting.  But He didn't stay dead.  He got up and punched death in the teeth.  He knocked every bicuspid and molar straight out of death's mouth.  And because Jesus died and resurrected, there is coming a day when those of us who know Him will to.  That is when we will be able to sing this anthem of praise:

"Death has been swallowed up in victory.  Where, O death, is your victory?  Where, O death, is your sting?  The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.  But thanks be to God!  He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."

"As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately.  "Tell us," they said, "when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?"  Jesus answered: "Watch out that no one deceives you."  Matthew 24:3-4

I haven't blogged in a month and a half, so I am pretty sure that nobody is going to read this.

If, however, someone chooses to forgive my extended blogcation, here are a few of the things I have been wrestling with (and since I am pretty sure nobody is actually going to read this, I am going to be super random and like it).

* The more I read the Bible, the more my theology is getting messed up.  I am preaching on eschatology right now (the study of the end of time) and the more I read the more I get a headache.  I wish it were easier to figure out - it's not (though some people I know think it is - they have some sweet maps with interesting Whore of Babylon and Split -tongued Dragon sketches).

* I don't think Jesus envisioned sweet maps with interesting Whore of Babylon and Split-tongued Dragon sketches when He talked about the end of all things.  But that's just me.

* It's relatively easy to sensationalize any conversation about the end times.  Just throw in a few buzz words like the "little horn," "the parousia," "man of lawlessness," etc. and then immediately attach it to your least favorite political, religious, or social personality.  Bet the conversation adds a few emotional amps as a result.  I don't recommend trying it.

* I believe in the rapture of the Church (when the Church is "caught up to be with Jesus in the air"....I know, sounds cool doesn't it?).  What I am not totally sure about is when it is going to happen.  What I do know, though, is that you could get quickly "unfriended" on Facebook should you choose the wrong rapture time sequence camp.  How embarrassing is it to be "unfriended"?

* I can see why addictive personalities love to be end times junkies, and can also see where they could go loopy if they weren't careful.  Many a 47 year old man - living in his mom's basement with a Sam's Club palate of beef jerky, some militia gear, and a video camera - has been done in with his quest to solve "once and for all" the mystery of the end times.  At a couple of points in my study I was considering a move to the mountains of West Virginia (I understand it's a good place to hide and hunt).

* If you have a friend that likes to tell you "I think I have Revelations (they will say it in the plural - trust me on this) all figured out now" - run.  Fast as you can.  But understand, they will try to catch you.

* I hope I have more on Sunday to offer than this.

* Pray for me.  Pray for wisdom, perseverance in study, and a holy insight.  Also, pray that I don't crave beef jerky.

* Jesus told us not to be deceived with too much excess noise about the end times.  We should be watching, waiting, and living with the end in mind, but He makes it clear - don't freak out.  Freaked out sky-is-falling-Apocalyptos don't really help the cause, and they make it look like the 2nd coming of Christ is something they hope to avoid (instead of the reality that the Bible teaches for believers, the 2nd coming of Jesus to earth is the "blessed hope").

"I am the most ignorant of men; I do not have a man's understanding.  I have not learned wisdom, nor have I knowledge of the Holy One.  Who has gone up to heaven and come down?  Who has gathered up the wind in the hollow of his hands?  Who has wrapped up the waters in his cloak?  Who has established all the ends of the earth?  What is his name, and the name of his son?  Tell me if you know!"  Proverbs 30:2-4

His name is Agur.  We know so little about this guy except his name really.  We know his dad's name is Jakeh, and that he is probably from Massa.  But that's about it.

Agur collected some wise sayings known as "proverbs."  He didn't collect all of the proverbs - there were other collectors and authors of the proverbs like King Solomon - but Agur did collect (or author) some of them.  Proverbs 30 is the bulk of that collection.

I'm not sure what was going on in Agur's mind when he wrote the first few verses that I noted above.  Clearly, the later verses (like verse 5 of that chapter) indicate that he deeply believed in God and that God was a shield to those who took their refuge in Him.  It also appears that Agur has no problem believing that God is huge.  Gathering wind in the hollow of your hands?  Gone to heaven and come down?  Wrapped the waters in his cloak?  Established the ends of the earth?  Yep, that's huge alright.

Yet, Agur says that he is incredibly ignorant of God, and even asks His name, and the name of His Son.  While this may be an interesting OT prophecy related to the Messiah (the Son of God), I am thinking more about why he felt he was so ignorant of God - to the point of not even being sure of His name.  I guess that Agur knows God's covenant name, so I think his statement about not knowing God's name is hyperbole related to how he feels increasingly ignorant in His knowledge of God.  At least, I think so.  But this kind of statement - that this huge God is blowing my mind to the place that I feel ignorant of Who He Is - seems like something that strikes a chord with me.

I sometimes think about how long I have journeyed with God.  It's really been 20 years now for me.  In that time, I have answered God's call to serve Him vocationally in ministry, I have completed Master's and Doctoral degrees in the study of Him, I have preached hundreds of sermons from a deep study of His Word, and have spiritually led thousands of people in that time.  Yet there are some mornings - even like today - that I don't think I know God very well at all.  It seems that the more I know, and the older I get, God seems to get even larger than I imagined.  Far from getting a handle on God because of my study and years of knowing Him, it actually seems the opposite most days.

This obviously was something that must have registered with the great author, C.S. Lewis as well.  In Prince Caspian, one of the books in the Chronicles of Narnia, the young Lucy returns to Narnia and finds Aslan (a lion that is representative metaphorically of Christ).  When Lucy sees Aslan, she seems amazed because she perceives him to have grown since the last time she saw him.  But Aslan replies, "I have not [grown]...Every year you grow, you will find me bigger."

That, it seems to me, is quite true.  Maybe that's the sentiment Agur was aiming at - that the more we get to know God, the bigger He appears to us; big to the point of having to try and get to know Him all over again.

"I am the LORD; that is my name!  I will not give my glory to another or my praise to idols."  Isaiah 42:8

Ok.  You've seen the title of this entry and you have just looked at the verse I offered up, and you are thinking "I can see where this train is headed."  You are probably right (being as bright as you are), but I hope you sense an evenhandedness in the thoughts I'm presenting.

First things first.  I was actually pretty bummed upon hearing of Michael Jackson's death.  I grew up with Michael.  I wanted to dance like him (though I didn't really have a desire to sing like him b/c I was counting on my voice changing at some point, and the thought of being able to sing that high as an adult worked against my childish ideas of manhood).  His death was felt the world over.  As pop icons go, his death in my generation is like Elvis's death in my parents generation (except for technology that exponentially increases the influence of Michael Jackson's death over Elvis's).  His talent was unquestioned, and he was an artistic and movement genius.  He really was a true pioneer, entertainer, and artist whose contributions to the shaping of pop music culture will never be underestimated.

Like the rest of the world, I was curious as to the way the public memorial service would proceed (but, I didn't see it live - I watched later that night).  It was about what I expected - part reflective, part inspirational, part weird, part celebratory, part celebrity driven.  No real big surprises really.  But there were a few things I was curious about.

First, when his body was brought in to the arena, it was carefully timed to this lyric, "Hallelujah, Hallelujah, we are going to see the King."  For those familiar, this is a Christian song by Andre Crouch titled "Soon and Very Soon."  The song is about Jesus - The King of Glory.  For a moment, though, it seemed that the lyric was for the King of Pop.  That was a bit confusing - and disturbing.

Then, toward the close of the service, after hearing many a singer and speaker, a video rolled with a corresponding "heal the world" type song that had images of virtually every world religion.  A star, a crescent, a cross, and many others.  Also confusing - and just as disturbing.  It was the classic "embrace whatever and be nice to one another" kind of sentiment.  Maybe it was just the outgrowth of a very confused man - Michael Jackson - who grew up Jehovah's Witness, later spent some time observing Judaism, and ultimately connected Himself to Islam.

One of the crowning moments (over which Michael Jackson had no control) of this whole week long frenzy were the comments of the family spokesman, Ken Sunshine.  He said to Meredith Veira on one of the morning programs the following:  "Talk about a worldwide figure of love.  Michael Jackson is the biggest figure and person emitting love...ever!"

Uh oh.  It seems that Mr. Sunshine has gone from eulogy to deification in one breath.  I guess Michael Jackson, in his view, is more loving than Jesus.

This is a microcosm of the problem - and the inevitable sadness - of the whole situation.  No person was ever meant to have this much glory.  All of Michael's problems weren't always Michael's doing (though some were).  Nobody can ever live with that much glory.  It's just too superhuman - too transcendent - too godlike.

The memorial service was proper in that people had a chance to honor the life and contributions of Michael Jackson to the music world.  And, it is also true, that he engaged in many humanitarian efforts that brought much good.  All of these should be properly honored and admired.  But, when one of the pastors that spoke uses words like this, "As long as we remember him, he will be there forever to comfort us," it seems that we, even maybe more than Michael, have lost our way.

Jesus Christ is love.  Jesus Christ is life.  In Jesus all of life exists, and all things are held together by Him.  Exclusive or not - politically correct or not - it matters not.  There is One God, the LORD is His Name, and He will not share His glory with another - not you, not me, not Michael.

"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."  Matthew 6:33

I think the title to this post is stupid.

I have no idea if Jesus would tweet somebody were he walking around today, and if he did - what would it look like?

                  "2:24pm...Hey, I'm going over to this gal's house who is a little under the weather....oops, hold on, somebody just touched my  khakis....update you in a few".

                  "2:56pm...Sorry for the delay... the guy that grabbed my pants is back to normal...and I just fixed this gal's leg (and her roof)"

                  "4:14pm....praying.........4:46pm....still am........."

If Jesus were tweeting, I would subscribe.  I'm just not sure if he would or wouldn't tweet.  I can only speak for me.

And I won't.

Ok, let me give the disclaimer - "I in no way consider tweeting unspiritual, demonic, or foul.  It is simply a choice that I, an individual Christian am making; thus, I have no desire to impose my view on you or imply anything condemnatory by my actions."  I think I said that just like my attorney wrote it......

There are a number of reasons why I won't be tweeting any time soon (or any time later), and I will go ahead and list a few:

1.  I am cluttered enough.  Like I now need to manage my life second by second for the public who is waiting with baited breath for my next tweet - right; I need that like I need a cactus sandwich. 

2.  It's only virtually relational - not really relational.  There is an aspect of relationship that simply can't be covered with technology - the actual face to face human interaction that generates feelings of varying kinds and develops a bond.

3.  The motivation of why I would tweet, and why someone would want me to tweet them is a bit scary.  Seriously, why would I want to list out all my moves in life for people to follow?  Do I think people are that interested in me?  If I do, that's scary.  And, why would I want to follow someone else's life that closely?  It's like virtual stalking.  I love people, but I seriously don't care about your dilemma at Hobby Lobby of whether to purchase the Snuggie or the Sham Wow.  On either side, as a tweeter or tweetie, I am just not following the motivation.  Same could be said for blogs that do in macro format what Twitter does in micro format.

4. It would interfere with my 6 hours a day "poking" on Facebook (joking...not on there either).

What ever happened to simplicity?  It is a discipline of the spiritual life that can get lost so fast in this real time "tweeting" world that we actually forget that simplicity is what Soren Kierkegaard said, "Purity of heart is to will one thing."  Basically, with this definition, you have the opposite of duplicity (two competing loyalties or priorities).  Simplicity eliminates that which detracts from our ability to seek first the Kingdom of God, and keeps us focused, centered, and prioritized.  In this day and age, that should not be underestimated.

Clearly, I'm not anti-technology.  I'm blogging right now about simplicity (seems sort of funny).  Even better, I recently read a blog about simplicity, and at the top of the blog the guy asks you to track with him on Stumble Upon, Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, Digg, and of course provides an RSS feed.  That's even funnier (more ironic maybe).

Technology is fine.  It's a moral neutral - it's all in how we use it.  And technology is not the issue of this post - the human heart is.  When we don't find our satisfaction in seeking first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, then we feel the vacuous nature of our heart and mind.  As a result, we have a need to fill the gaps with activity - something to take our minds off of our emptiness and lack of purpose.  For some, we live through other's lives (tweeting, FB, etc.).  Others fill those gaps other ways.  But all of us must come back to the words of Jesus and realize that if we don't first seek Him, then we are going to be radically off center and increasingly frustrated in our spiritual growth.

That's why a few of these choices I make in my life are because I can't afford the clutter.  Sometimes my heart and mind is cluttered enough.  Sometimes I have trouble concentrating on Jesus and His Kingdom even without all the distractions.  Adding too much to my life, even when the culture is pressuring me to do it, is simply counterproductive for my spiritual development.  Maybe you could ask yourself the question, "What have I filled my life with that is making me more cluttered and wrestling my attention away from the things of the Kingdom?"  I don't know what your answers might be, but some of mine are obvious.  Tweet Tweet. 

"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God."  Matthew 5:8

Sometimes I get so overwhelmed with work, or life, or whatever that I don't really think straight.  It seems that the noise rules sometimes, and my thoughts, ideas, and creativity get muddied.

I long for clarity sometimes.

There is a clarity that can come to anyone.  Everyone has epiphanies, whether a follower of Jesus or not - everyone experiences moments of clarity.  I know that sometimes when life is on overdrive, when stress is high, and when every string is pulled as tight as it can go - I just need to get out and exercise.  Just take a run, push around some weights, or ride an angry, hungry bull (I do two of these three, I'll leave the guessing up to you).  It gets my endorphins kicking, pushes some of the toxins out of my body, and in those moments after I finish I feel like I can think more clearly.  Well, physiologically, I probably am a little sharper mentally as a result.  But that is not the clarity I am after (though it is definitely a good thing).  I'm not necessarily after this because anyone can find this kind of mental sharpness and alertness if they take care of their body.  No, it's something different.

Clarity is about sight, after all - it's about seeing things clearly.  In my lifetime, I have seen a lot of things.  Some of my aged acquaintances and friends have seen a lot more than I have.  But this is not really what I want either - everyone, no, anyone, that lives life will see some things.  In fact, they will see a lot of things.  Some will be clear, others may not be - but that is just a part of living.  Some of the things we long to see are wonderful indeed.  Some of those things are noble and beautiful and worthwhile.  Some of the things I want to see that I haven't seen yet: The Grand Canyon, Yosemite National Park, Australia, the Roman Coliseum, and the Aurora Borealis to name a few.  Some beautiful things that I have seen: Israel, the Swiss Alps, the waters of the Caribbean, the Rocky Mountains, Niagara Falls, the faces of my wife and children.

All of these are beautiful.  All of these are worthwhile to see.  And everyone would agree.

But there will always be something missing from the beauty if we fail to see it - really see. 

God.

I want to see God.

We don't always see Him though, do we?  I would suggest the reason we don't see Him sometimes is because are hearts are a bit muddy.  We aren't clean.  We aren't pure.  But Jesus reminds us with a phrase from his teaching on the hillside that purity gives clarity.  Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

This isn't some claim that we can get ourselves into a moral position to be able to see God.  That would be the opposite of what Jesus is trying to tell us.  I think He is reminding us that when we embrace Him, the One who is the righteousness, holiness, and purity of God - when we embrace Him, we see God.  When we surrender to the way of Jesus - we will see God.  And that, honestly, is the only sight that has the power to transform the human soul because every other expression of beauty in place or in person is simply a reflection of the Beautiful, Awe-inspiring God who created them.

"My dear brothers, take note of this:  Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.  Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you."  James 1:19-21

There is something powerful about humbly submitting our lives to the Word of God.  But it's not easy sometimes.

Just as Jesus talked about in the parable of the soils, hearts have differing degrees of fertility.  Some are hard.  Some are shallow.  Some are full of thorns.  And some are rich, deep, and lush.  Though I don't want to dive into the theology of the human heart in this post, suffice it to say that I think our obedience to the Word is a part of the ongoing preparation of our heart (and, of course, that is not to minimize the activity of God's Spirit).

Sometimes we just don't want to obey (humbly accept) the word planted in us.  There are too many other things that are causing the soil of our heart to be less than fertile.  James notes that anger, moral filth, and evil are contributing factors.  Let's pause there for a moment.  We can all understand fairly easily that those of us who are in obviously sinful patterns in our lives are not sensing the power and presence of Christ.  Or can we?

What I have found in ministry, and, at times, in my own life, is that when we are in obvious sin we just get stupid.  We don't see clearly.  We don't think clearly.  But we think we do.  We even get so stupid in our sin that we begin messing with God's Word to justify our sin or our situation instead of humbling ourselves under the authority of God's Word:  "I am sleeping with a woman who isn't my wife because I love her and my wife isn't meeting my needs; anyway, who are you to judge me?" "I can't work and provide for my family, I am too busy doing God's work."  Or maybe this one, "I know God gave me this job to bless me, and that is why I keep everything I make and don't give - I am being blessed as a child of the King!"

Sometimes, we just don't think clearly (btw, two of the above three examples are actual statements I have heard, one is made up - I will leave the guessing up to you).   There are a lot of contributing factors that work against the fertility of our hearts - in effect, they are poison to our souls.

Pride.  Self righteousness (maybe the ugliest and deadliest of pride's manifestations).  Envy.  Anger.  Lust.  Ingratitude.  I could probably list a hundred more that we have all been guilty of.  Poison.  Toxic waste.  Crop killers all.

What encourages me, though, is when there is a humble submission in my life, and the lives of the people in our community of faith, to the word that has been implanted in us.  Last week was an encouraging example.  After teaching on what Jesus teaches about divorce, I had numbers of people who were responsive to the implanted word.  They were asking questions along this line, "What do I need to do to honor God?"  That is a picture of what James teaches us I think.

This week, as you spend some time reading the Scripture (you see, I am assuming you will do that), get UNDER it, not OVER it.  Let it lay claim to you.  Be responsive.  Don't just read it.  Do what it says (James has something else to say about that in 1:22-25).  And have some people in your life that are journeying with Jesus alongside you - because we can all get stupid sometimes.  We need people to serve as a "clarity committee" in our lives from time to time.