Water Baptism

What a day it must have been for John!

I guess in a lot of ways, it probably started like any other day ... John waking in the wilderness, clothing himself in camel’s hair, enjoying a most nutritious breakfast of locusts and wild honey, and then going out to preach ‘hell fire and brimstone’ to the folks. His message is actually a simple one: Repent! The folks had thought that all they needed to be right and good was to have Abraham as their father, they had forgotten what being the people of God and His Kingdom was really all about, they had neglected the radical transformation that a godly heart should have brought into their daily living ... they needed to repent – and in fact, they did! So, then the folks did what you do after you’ve repented ... they were baptized! John dunked them all in that Jordan River ... the water was muddy and murky, but they came up out of it cleansed – their hearts and souls purified by repentance!

Maybe that’s why John was so surprised when Jesus showed up! You see, he knew the Man who stood with him in the water asking to be baptized – he knew Him as the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world ... he knew Him to be the Messiah, the Anointed One of God, even God Himself. And so in this moment, the baptizer recognizes that he shouldn’t be the one baptizing right now ... not when it’s him and the Lord. In effect, he says to Jesus, “What are you doing coming to me to be baptized? I don’t need to baptize You; I need to be baptized by You!”

But Jesus had come to be one of us, He had come to identify with us sinners ... and so even though He had no sin and certainly no need to repent, He wanted John to baptize Him. John did and the heavens opened ... literally. The Holy Spirit descended on Jesus in the form of a dove and the voice of the Father thundered from heaven, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am wonderfully pleased.” Wow! What a day it must have been for John ... an ordinary day becoming extraordinary as he gets to baptize Jesus. And, in fact, what a day it must have been for all those that stood on the banks of the Jordan that day ... to watch it all happen!

Water Baptism ... it is a most momentous occasion, isn’t it? It’s the testimony of a “new name written down in glory!” It’s our declaration of faith! It’s our initiation into the wonderful family of God! It’s the reminder that because of what Jesus did at the cross and because of what He did at the grave, my sins can be forgiven and I can have real life with Him and with His family forever. It’s the perfect picture of what Christianity is all about – the sinful man that dies and is buried under that water ... oh, but then the new creation that rises up out of it. And, I believe, whether we hear it or not, it’s the heavens opening one more time ... and the voice of our Father in heaven declaring to us, “This is my beloved child, in whom I am wonderfully pleased.”

As a pastor, I think my most favorite experiences in ministry have been those moments of standing in waist-high water with a believer who’s repented ... and decided to follow Jesus’ example and be baptized. To hear them tell of what Jesus has done and what He means to them and how they want to live for Him ... to stand beside them and then upon the confession of their faith to baptize them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost ... oh, it’s true – there’s nothing like it ... especially when you get to do all that with your own son! A few Saturdays ago, on a cold and rainy day in Harrison, I walked with my boy, Denny, out into what felt like the near freezing waters of Shingle Lake and there baptized him along with two others from our church family. What a sight we must have been that day – a rain-soaked band of folks huddled under umbrellas cheering on the few that walked out into the lake to be dunked ... anybody watching us, surely thought we had totally and completely ‘lost our minds’! But for us ... oh, it’s a day we’ll never forget! In fact, I’m so proud and even still celebrating the occasion I thought I’d share it with you. Enjoy it!



And oh, by the way, if you haven’t been baptized yet ... what are you waiting for? The next time there’s a water baptism service, you be the first in line – I’m convinced ... Wow! What a day that will be for you!

Fried Cheerios

Cheerios can help lower your cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease ... at least that’s what it says on the cereal box. I just happened to read that after putting a stick of butter in a pan full of cheerios and frying them up then for breakfast. Yes, that’s right ... Fried Cheerios! Perhaps it’s a cooking philosophy that comes from our Southern heritage, or maybe it’s just the way our taste buds work - either way, in the Tanner ancestry, we believe that most any food can be made better by frying it ... or adding butter to it. Fry it in butter ... and well then my friend, as far as we’re concerned, the ordinary has become the divine!

Somewhere in time, that ingenious combination of frying pan, butter, and Cheerios was created ... and it’s been a tradition in our family ever since. The only problem ... I don’t think the “lower your cholesterol” and “reduce heart disease” bit applies to our kind of Cheerios. In fact, I’m most certain that the assurance of better health was never even intended for people who were going to eat their cereal out of a frying pan instead of a bowl; and soaked in butter instead of milk. I guess we could think of it this way: the promise on the box depends on how you eat what’s in the box ... or maybe simply this: there’s a right way and a wrong way to eat Cheerios. That being the case, we Tanners, are sure doing it the wrong way ... the oh-so-good wrong way!

In John 10:10, Jesus says that He comes into our lives to give us “a rich and satisfying life.” One translation of the verse says it this way, He comes to give us “real life ... more and better life than we could ever dream of.” Wow – that’s quite a promise, isn’t it? The challenge though is this: the rich and satisfying life, the more and better life than we could ever dream of ... it’s all contingent on living life the right way – His way!

It’s important for us to see God’s instructions, His commands as more than just a list of do’s and don’ts ... and rather instead, that we would see them as the way in which life works best. Life is better when you can forgive freely and love unconditionally ... because God said that’s how we should live and how He says we should live results in a rich and satisfying life for us! Life is better when you can live it in the context of community and church family! Life is better when, in humility, you can learn to look not only to your own interests but also to the interests of others! Life is better when you can be kind one to another ... when you can serve one another in love ... when you can submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Why? Because those are God’s instructions ... and His instructions lived out provide for us real life, even more and better life than we could ever dream of! Marriage life is better when a husband is loving his wife as Christ loves the Church and a wife is submitting to her husband as unto the Lord. Family life is better when children are obeying their parents and parents aren’t provoking their children to anger. Church life is better when believers are living in harmony with one another ... praying for one another, encouraging one another, being patient with one another, accepting one another, honoring one another, teaching one another, being devoted to one another. Even life on the job is better when employees are working for their employer as they would work for the Lord and employers are treating their employees like they would treat the Lord. Oh, isn’t it true ... His directions for life, they truly do lead us to the best life!

Today, I pray that you know what it is to live in the satisfying and richness of life that He’s intended for you! I pray that you would live in the real, the fullness, the better-than-you-could-dream-up kind of life He would desire to give to you? I pray that you never compromise the best for your life by forsaking His directions to instead follow your own! And I pray that you would pray the same for me!

Lord, You’re the best ... and Your way to live life is the best and leads to the best life for me! Help me to always remember that!

Trust in the Lord

"We’re depending on GOD; he’s everything we need.
No wonder we are happy in the Lord!
For we are trusting him. We trust his holy name.
Love us, GOD,with all you’ve got—that’s what we’re depending on.”
Psalm 33:20

Today my three-year old daughter wanted to go outside and play. After asking if she could, I had to be the bearer of bad news and tell her she couldn’t – mom and dad were busy and so there’d be no one to watch her. Without missing a beat, she proceeded to tell me that she would watch over herself. “I can watch me, dad” ... I think were her exact words. And she said it with such confidence and conviction – as far as she was concerned the matter was settled, the problem had been solved ... there was no one to watch her but now there was and so, perceiving no need for further discussion or dialogue, she proceeded to march triumphantly out the door. I didn’t know what to do ... well, actually I did – I told my wife I had to go to the church and work on my blog so she’d have to take care of the whole “I’ll watch myself” situation!

An independent, self-sufficient, I-don’t-need-you-dad attitude like that in a three-year old!? That’s not right, is it? And, if she’s this way now, what is she going to be like in ten years ... what am I going to do when she turns thirteen? I can’t live at the church and blog my way through her teenage years, can I?

Oh the joys of dealing with our kids’ “I can do it myself” attitude, right?

As I consider that, I can’t help but think that God probably feels the same way sometimes ... only I’m the kid, I’m the one telling Him, “I can take care of myself.” I wonder if God sees me struggling with the independence of a three-year old daughter and under His breath sort of snickers and comments, “Welcome to my world, son!”

I’m not sure why I would ever have the audacity to think I could make it through life for even one moment without God - I’m not sure why I’d ever be so foolish as to even try ... but I know the reality is that there are times when that’s exactly what I do. I think I can do it, I can figure it out, I can solve the problem ... I think I can do life without Him. And so, I don’t seek Him in prayer ... I don’t listen for Him in Bible reading ... I get so busy trying to take care of me, that I trick myself into thinking I can actually do it. It makes me to wonder ... how many times have I missed out on His power because I was trusting in my own? How many times have I missed out on God’s wisdom because I was content with man’s? How many times have I missed out on His perfect will because I was lost pursuing mine? How much more of His blessing and His favor and His goodness and His protection would I have experienced if only I hadn’t told Him, “I can watch me, Dad”?

The prophet Isaiah talks about a day when Judah had decided they would be fine without God. There was an enemy getting ready to attack and rather than depend on God and His strength, they decided they would take care of themselves. Their brilliant plan was to make an alliance with Egypt ... after all, why seek help from the Lord when Egypt was there ready and willing. God was not pleased and in Isaiah 30:5, lets His people to know the outcome of trusting in someone else, “Anyone stupid enough to trust them will end up looking stupid!”

Wow – isn’t that always the way it is: Like the Psalmist, depend upon the Lord and find happiness ... or ... like Judah back in the day, depend upon someone other than the Lord and end up looking stupid!

Lord – we don’t want to be stupid or look stupid, so help us to depend on You and only You ... all the time, every time!

Together

In his book, The Power of Partnership, John Maxwell tells the following story:

"On a hot summer day, what’s one of the most refreshing treats you can imagine? Certainly, ice cream would be near the top of almost everyone’s list. And that’s what people wanted on a hot, sticky day in the summer of 1904. People at the St. Louis World’s Fair had walked for hours in the hot sun, and they were ready for something to cool them off. That’s why they were lined up for what seemed like miles in front of the booth of Arnold Fornachou to get a taste of his frosty ice cream. The problem was that Arnold’s ice cream was so popular he quickly ran out of paper bowls. The moonlighting teenager scrambled to keep his potential customers by washing and reusing the few ceramic bowls he had on hand. But no matter how hard he worked, many people grew tired of waiting and wandered off in search of another treat. That’s when an unlikely partner emerged to save the day. His name was Ernest Hamwi, a pastry chef who had grown up in Damascus, Syria. In the booth next to Arnold’s, he was selling a wafer-thin Persian convection called a zalabia. When Ernest saw his neighbor’s plight, he was struck with a great idea. Grabbing a warm zalabia, he twisted it into a cornucopia shape and rolled it in sugar. Then he ran over to Arnold’s booth and offered it to him. Still scrambling to wash bowls and wait on customers, Arnold didn’t understand what the older man had in mind. But when Ernest handed an ice cream scoop atop a confection cone to a waiting customer, Arnold instantly got the message. A huge smile spread over his face, and in no time, the two men were working together side by side – Ernest made the “edible bowls” and Arnold scooped the ice cream. Back then, they were called World’s Fair Cornucopias, and they were the hit of the fair.”

What a difference “togetherness” makes, right? Think of it for a moment: how much better off would families today be if dad and mom founded a marriage and built a home on the strength of togetherness instead of the escape clause of divorce ... how much better off would America be if republicans and democrats joined forces to fix all that would seem to be broken in the government and in the country instead of wasting time blaming the other side for breaking everything and stopping the other side from fixing anything ... how much better off would even our world be if super powers came together to fix the world’s problems instead of fighting against each other and creating more of them. Wow ... think of life lived in unity and togetherness like that. Never mind a box of chocolates, life would then be like ... well, a ‘World’s Fair Cornucopia’!

The potential of togetherness ... it’s amazing, even immeasurable, isn’t it? Maybe Mother Teresa said it best, “You can do what I cannot do. I can do what you cannot do. Together, we can do great things.” Without doubt, it’s true: when we partner together, we ‘add’ to each other ... we do together then so much more than we could ever do on our own.

It was the third day of Vacation Bible School. The primary class was well underway when a new boy, Davey, showed up. Because he just had one arm, the teacher was a little nervous, concerned that one of the other children would comment on his handicap and embarrass or hurt his feelings. Since there was no opportunity to caution them, she proceeded. As the class continued, the teacher began to relax as Davey fit in very well. Then, when it was about time for the class to end, she asked the students to stand and join her in making the church. Showing them how to put the fingers of their two hands together, she said, “Let’s make a church. Here’s the church and here’s the steeple. Open the door and see all the people.” As this teacher saw Davey holding his one hand in the air, the awful truth of her actions struck her. The very thing she had feared the children would do, she had just done. She stood speechless, embarrassed by her own unintended insensitivity. Before the leader could do anything to right this situation, the little girl next to Davey put her right hand into Davey’s left hand and said, “Davey, let’s you and I build the church together.”

Oh, the things we can build ... together! And beyond that, how good and how pleasant and even how blessed our life experiences would be as we would determine to prioitize and protect togetherness!

Before He left this earth, Jesus prayed for us ... He prayed that we would be one, that a sense of divine and definite togetherness would both describe and define us. And now today, may it be our prayer that we become and begin to live out the answer to His prayer!

A Bad Call

A perfect game ... ruined!

Sports news has become national headline news over the past few days ... all because of a bad call. Armando Galarraga of the Detroit Tigers was one out away from pitching a perfect game. That’s right ... a perfect game! No hits, no walks ... no one from the opposing team ever making it to first base. Twenty-seven batters up, twenty-seven batters down! No wonder it’s considered the “holy grail” for baseball pitchers ... better than just a win, better than a shut-out, better even than a no-hitter. According to the baseball almanac, such a feat has only been accomplished 20 times in all of major league baseball’s illustrious history. And Galarraga, a 28 year old, three-year veteran from Venezuela was to be number 21 ... except the umpire at first base made a bad call! The runner was out ... but he called him safe! A perfect game is ruined by an umpire’s mistake with the 27th batter! If there’s tragedy in the game of baseball, this must be exactly what it looks like. After the fact, there was hope that the commissioner of baseball would reverse the call ... correct the umpire’s mistake and give the pitcher what he rightly deserved. Yesterday, the news reported that he wouldn’t do it ... the bad call would stand and perfection would remain lost.

Bad calls! If you’re a sports fan, you feel that umpires and referees make them all the time ... if you’re honest with yourself, you know that you do too. It’s different though, isn’t it? A bad call in baseball ... well, it’s still just a game. A bad call in life ... and wow, what a mess it becomes! Think of it for a moment – marriages can be destroyed, families can be devastated, health can falter, finances can fail, friends can be lost, jobs can be taken ... all because we made a bad call. After the fact, we can see the replay and know that we got it wrong, that we made a mistake – we shouldn’t have done that, we shouldn’t have responded that way, we shouldn’t have said what we said ... but after the fact doesn’t change the fact that we did. You know as well as I do, regardless of how much we’d like to or how much we wish we could ... we don’t get to change the call, we don’t get to un-do what’s been done. We have to live with the bad calls we’ve made ... and in turn then, we have to live as well with the regret and long list of unforeseen consequences that each one brings.

A bad call is a terrible thing, isn’t it? We know that it is and yet oddly enough, we’re still prone to making them way too often! The great apostle Paul even knew this for his own life – he says in Romans 7, “I don’t understand myself at all, for I really want to do what is right, but I can’t. I do what I don’t want to—I do what I hate” ... in other words, Paul says, “I don’t want to. I try not to. But I make bad calls all the time!” Sound familiar? I think it’s true: Paul’s story is our story – we can’t help ourselves, we can’t prevent ourselves from messing things up ... we do it all the time. And like Paul then, we need help ... we need someone to save us from ourselves. After recognizing his bad-call-making nature, after recognizing the “wretched man” that he was because of that nature ... Paul saw his and our need for help and he saw exactly who it was that would help us – it’s Jesus Christ who can and who does! It’s Jesus who will forgive you for the bad calls and beyond even that, it’s Jesus that will help you to stop making them altogether!

The other day a bad call cost a pitcher his place in history. Don’t let the bad calls of your life today cost you your place in eternity. Run to Jesus ... He’ll correct the bad call and restore His perfection in you!

Our Provider

Last Tuesday, I had the privilege of attending a missions service with other pastors from other Assemblies of God churches here in Michigan. It was a great celebration of missions and missionaries. A young couple and their two boys, along with another young man were commissioned even to go. God has called them to places that you and I couldn’t even pronounce, let alone find on a globe ... and they’re going for it – they’re going to answer His call and go! They are modern day heroes of the faith ... no doubt about it!

That night, the rest of us were challenged with the task of removing the financial mountain that stands between the missionary and their mission field. Any missionary will tell you that’s one big mountain ... any pastor will tell you, that’s one tough mountain to even budge. Last Tuesday, we were left with the simple mandate: “Make it happen! No excuses!”

It’s an odd time to be thinking about giving to anything, isn’t it? You know, here in Michigan and even throughout all of America, the economy is pretty much in a mess. People way smarter than me are doing their best to figure it out ... but so far to little avail. I guess you know things are pretty bad when the financial experts can’t seem to fix the financial crisis ... after all, if they can’t do it, then who can? No wonder then that everyone seems to be so afraid ... afraid of what’s going to happen with the job, afraid of what’s going to happen to the bank account, afraid of what’s going to happen to the portfolio of 401K’s and mutual funds. Everyone everywhere seems to be so afraid, and well they should be ... or ... maybe not!

In Genesis 22, Abraham has a new revelation of who God is and what God does. It all unfolds in the context of Abraham being commanded to offer his son as an offering to the Lord. On the way to the mountain where this sacrifice is to take place, Isaac begins to deduce that something isn't quite right - they're going to worship the Lord, they’re going to offer a sacrifice to Him ... but there is no sacrifice. When he asks his dad about it, Abraham simply tells his son, “God will provide” ... and that’s exactly what He does. You see, before God put Abraham on that mountain and Isaac on the altar, He had put a ram up there ... just for them. Abraham will raise the knife to slay his son, but before he can plunge it into Isaac’s heart, God will speak to his ... “Abraham, let me provide.” On this day, Abraham learns that this is what God does – He provides ... He always provides! And before he’ll leave that mountain top, Abraham will do his best to make sure he’ll never forget that and everyone else will know it for themselves ... he does so by naming the place, “The Lord Will Provide.”

Do you see, then? Regardless of the economic condition or forecast, fear need not be an option ... because God is our provider. I’m so glad that Abraham discovered that to be true ... I think I’m even more glad that I can know it to be true for my life right now, today! And in fact, never mind just knowing it, I can live life differently because of it. In the face of uncertainty, I can be bold and courageous. At the bottom of the downturn, I can live life free from worry and full of peace and joy. In the midst of insufficiency, I can experience the blessing of abundance. In spite of volatility and instability and unpredictability, I can be a cheerful giver ... even better, I can be extravagantly generous.

And why all that? Because God is my provider! Abraham’s story tells me this: wherever I am, wherever I go, whatever adversity I find myself in, God’s already been there ... and in that place then, left for me exactly all that I would need. Because that’s true, this then is true ... my greatest need is destined to become just another opportunity for me to name one more mountain: The Lord Will Provide!

Believe that, today! And oh by the way, if you happen to come across a missionary or by chance be given an opportunity to give to missions ... why not go ahead and put that belief into practice!

Everyone Loves David

It’s true isn’t it?

Ask any Bible reader their top ten of favorite Old Testament Bible stories and I would almost guarantee you that one of David’s will be in the top five. He was a nobody from a then no-name town. In fact, he was so insignificant that his father even forgot about him when the prophet Samuel came to meet all his sons . . . and yet God found him and decided to make him king. He was just a shepherd boy. He was too young and too small and too weak to be with the soldiers, to be with the real men . . . and yet God stirred within his heart a courage to go and fight the giant Goliath when all the “real men” were hiding away in the rocks. He let his wandering eyes and lustful heart get the better of him. He committed adultery and then murder to cover up the adultery . . . and yet when his sin was made known, his heart caved in repentance and most of all, best of all, God forgave him.

Maybe we so appreciate David’s story because it speaks so much to our story.

The shepherd who’s chosen by God to become the king reminds us that God finds us in our obscurity and gives a divine, eternal purpose to our lives. Think about it . . . you're one in nearly 7 billion. It’s easy to get lost in that sea of humanity, isn’t it? It’s even easier to begin to wonder why in the world we’re even here . . . or to wonder whether or not we even matter. But then God shows up and He let’s us to know that He’s our creator, He’s the One who shaped and formed us in the womb . . . we’re His idea, His creation, His plan. He reminds us that in fact we’re so important to Him that He sent His Son to die for us so that we could live forever with Him. All of a sudden, the obscurity of our lives is shattered by the realization that the God of the universe knows us, calls us by name, and has determined that life in heaven and here on earth just wouldn’t be the same without us.

And the boy who kills the giant is a reminder to us that God gives us the courage and the strength and yes, even the victory over the Goliaths of our lives. Max Lucado writes about the giants that we face:

"He vies for the bedside position, hoping to be the first voice you hear. He covets your waking thoughts, those early, pillow-born emotions. He awakes you with words of worry, stirs you with thoughts of stress. If you dread the day before you begin your day, mark it down: your giant has been by your bed. And he’s just getting warmed up. He breathes down your neck as you eat breakfast, whispers in your ear as you walk out the door, shadows your steps, and sticks to your hip. He checks your calendar, reads your mail, and talks more trash than players in an inner-city basketball league. He’s your giant, your Goliath.”

You know him, don’t you? But the real question: Do you know your God? You see your giant may be big, but your God is bigger. If you’ll remember and have faith in that, like David did . . . you’ll find courage to step into the battle one more time, take up your sling and stone, and bring that giant down!

And the king who falls so fast and hard . . . from hero to adulterer, liar, deceiver, and ultimately murderer – he reminds us that when we’re at our worst, God’s grace is still great, still sufficient even for us! When God sends his prophet to confront David about his sin, he tells David a story about a man who stole another’s most prized and sacred possession. David was so offended by what the thief had done, that he declared a death sentence on him. And then he was given the message: “David, you’re the man.” Can you imagine the guilt and shame of that moment? The sentence of death that David gives . . . it’s his sentence – he deserves to die for what he’s done and he knows it. But then, God’s grace . . . and one more message from the Lord: “David, you’re the man but I’m not sentencing you to death . . . in fact, I’m going to take your sin away.” Like David, maybe your sins are great . . . maybe the fall into failure is fast and hard and altogether way too often. If so, how about letting God do with you like He did for the king . . . let Him confront you with your sins and then freely offer to “sink them to the bottom of the deepest ocean.”

Think of it for a moment . . . David’s story is this: God finding us in our obscurity, giving us courage and strength to both face and conquer the giants that invade our life, and forgiving all our sins. Wow – what a story, right? No wonder everyone loves David!

Talk to Jesus

My heart has heard You say, “Come and talk with Me.”
And my heart responds, “LORD, I am coming.”
(Psalm 27:8)

What a wonderful thing to consider, right? That the God of the universe wants to talk with me ... in a lot of ways, it just doesn’t make sense. I mean, who am I after all ... that He’d even want anything to do with me? What do I have to offer? What do I really have to say to the God who has created all, who sees all, who knows all, and who rules and reigns over it all? And yet, I hear Him all the time saying to my heart, “Come and talk with Me.”

When was the last time you had a good talk with Jesus? I’m not talking about what you did while the preacher prayed for you last Sunday, or the nice formal and eloquent prayer you last prayed over dinner, or even the long lists of requests you last went through ... I’m asking you when was the last time you really talked to Him – friend to Friend. Better yet, when was the last time you let Him talk back? How long has it been since you told God all about your sins ... and let Him in turn tell you all about His grace that’s still amazing and great? How long since you told Him about your weaknesses and your struggles, about all the things you can’t do ... and let Him remind you that in Him, you’d be made strong and able to do even all things? How long has it been since you cried out to Him about how out-of-control everything in your life seems to be ... and heard Him tell you that He’s the sovereign God who knows everything and controls everything? How long since you told Him about all your hurts and all your needs ... and let Him reveal to you that He’s your healer and your provider. When was the last time you confessed to Him your feelings of insignificance ... and let Him inform you again of the eternal plans and purpose He’s had for you since before even the world began? How long has it been since you heard Him say to your heart, “Come and talk with Me” ... and you responded, “Lord, I’m coming”?

It’s an amazing thing that God can do in us and through us when we respond to His invitation to spend time talking to Him in prayer. The Bible is full of blessings and promises that can change our lives, invigorate our families, empower our churches, transform our communities, and even impact the entire world! And God, He wants to give us all that, He wants to do all that for us – it’s ours for the having ... if only we’ll ask Him in prayer!

And so today, I say to the Lord, “I am coming!” How about it – are you with me?

The Last Passover

This past week, Jews around the world began their celebration of Passover. They gathered with family and friends around the Seder table and they remembered ... they remembered the bitterness and harshness of Egypt – they remembered the bondage they lived in, the slave-drivers they endured, the mud bricks they made, and the many tears they shed. And then they remembered a lamb ... a lamb that was slain, so that they might live. They remembered the night the Death Angel passed over them because of the blood of that lamb applied to the doorposts of their homes. They remembered the night Egypt was struck down, so that they could be lifted up. They remembered the night they became a free people!

Hundreds of years after that miraculous night in Egypt, a man named Jesus gathered with twelve of his closest friends in the city of Jerusalem to celebrate Passover one more time ... one last time. There was nothing necessarily special about this Passover ... they set the table like they always had, they prepared the same food that they had always eaten, they planned for the same scripture reading and hymn singing. It seemed to be a Passover not unlike the many they had already celebrated, nor even the thousands that the Jewish people had partaken of since that first one. But then something changed ... in fact, everything changed.

While they reclined at the table, this man, Jesus, told these twelve friends that He was implementing a new meal, a new celebration ... that would be a memorial to Him. No longer would it be about God delivering them from Egypt ... now it would be about Him setting them free from sin and death. No longer would it be about the blood of a lamb applied to the doorposts of their homes ... now it would be about Him, the Lamb of God, and His blood applied to the doorposts of their hearts that would not just keep the Death Angel out, but in fact let God come in. No longer would it be bread that symbolized a breaking away from Egypt and a cup that signified God’s redemption ... now the bread would be about His body that was broken for them and the cup would be about His blood that was shed for the forgiveness of their sins.

This Friday, Jesus-followers from around the world, will gather with family and friends and remember ... we’ll remember all that Jesus has done for us. We’ll remember His sacrifice. We’ll remember a cross on a lonely hill called Calvary ... where God’s own Son was struck down so that we could be lifted up. We’ll remember His body that was broken and His blood that was poured out for us. We'll remember the reason that sin has been silenced and death has been defeated. We’ll remember the day that we became a free people!

"The Woodcutter's Wisdom"

In his book, "In the Eye of the Storm," Max Lucado tells the following story:

Once there was an old woodcutter who lived in a tiny village. Although poor, he was envied by all, for he owned a beautiful white horse. Even the king coveted his treasure. A horse like this had never been seen before - such was its splendor, its majesty, its strength. People even offered fabulous prices for the steed, but the old man always refused.

One morning he found that the horse was not in the stable. All the village came to see him. "You old fool," they scoffed, "we told you that someone would steal your horse. You are so poor. How could you ever hope to protect such a valuable animal. Now the horse is gone, and you've been cursed with misfortune."

The old man responded, "Don't speak too quickly. Say only that the horse is not in the stable. That is all we know; the rest is judgment. Whether it be a curse or a blessing, I can't say. All we can see is a fragment. Who can say what will come next?" The people of the village laughed. They thought that the man was crazy.

After fifteen days, the horse returned. He hadn't been stolen; he had run away into the forest. Not only had he returned, he had brought a dozen wild horses with him. Once again the village people gathered around the woodcutter and spoke. "Old man, you were right and we were wrong. What we thought was a curse was a blessing. Please forgive us."

The man responded, "Once again, you go too far. Say only that the horse is back. State only that a dozen horses returned with him, but don't judge. How do you know if this is a blessing or not. Unless you know the whole story, how can you judge? Don't say that this is a blessing. No one knows."

The old man had a son, an only son. The young man began to break the wild horses. After a few days, he fell from one of the horses and broke both legs. Once again the villagers gathered around the old man and cast their judgements. "You were right," they said. "You proved you were right. The dozen horses were not a blessing. They were a curse."

The old man spoke again, "You people are obsessed with judging, yet you see only a fragment. You read only one page of a book. Can you judge the whole book? You read only one word of a phrase. Can you understand the entire phrase? Life is so vast, yet you judge all of life with one page or one word. Who knows if it is a blessing or a curse? No one knows."

It so happened that a few weeks later the country engaged in war against a neighboring country. All the young men of the village were required to join the army. Only the son of the old man was excluded, because he was injured. Once again the people gathered around the old man, crying because their sons had been taken. There was little chance that they would return. "You were right, old man," they wept. "God knows you were right. This proves it. Your son's accident was a blessing. His legs may be broken, but at least he is with you. Our sons are gone forever."

"The old man spoke again. "It is impossible to talk with you. You always draw conclusions. No one knows. Say only this: Your sons had to go to war, and mine did not. No one knows if it is a blessing or a curse. No one is wise enough to know. Only God knows."

We are quick to judge, aren't we? Wouldn't it be nice though, to instead be wise like the old man of this story? And to learn to live life then with an understanding that right now is just a small fragment, just one page in the elaborate story of our lives. Can you imagine the anxiety and worry, the emotional turmoil, the constant ups and downs this would save us from? Like me, maybe you've lived out this roller coaster routine of the villagers: "Yeah! It's a blessing!" "No! It's a curse" ... "Oh joy! It's all good!" "Oh boy! It's all bad!" Back and forth we go, over and over again. Are you kidding me? Why in the world do we choose to live like that when instead we could live life with a "We'll withhold judgment until this chapter is completed" response?

In fact, how about something even better ... how about a response of faith. In Romans 8:28, the Author of Scripture, who coincidentally happens to be the Author of your life story as well, tells us that "all that happens to us is working for our good if we love God and are fitting into His plans." You see, you don't have to live life wondering or even waiting ... in faith, you can have confidence right now that the end result of every situation and every circumstance in your life is always and only good in Christ!

In the story that is your life ... I don't know what page you're on; I don't know what problem you're facing or conflict your enduring; I don't know what's going to happen next. In fact, truth be told, I don't know any of the in between stuff ... but I do know the end, and it's going to be good!

Be wise like the old woodcutter ... and why not go ahead and encourage someone in your "village" that it's too soon to give up, that there's still the rest of the story to be written ... that the good part, even the best part, is still to come!

Be with Him

Mark 3:14 says, "He appointed twelve - designating them apostles - that they might be with him ..."

Interesting isn't it - before the preaching and teaching; before the ministry and miracles; before the church starting or church organizing; before the problem solving or question answering ... even in fact before anything else, the call to discipleship was an opportunity to simply be with Jesus.

My Bible has the following commentary on this verse:

"The primary call of a disciple is to "be with" Jesus - to develop a close personal relationship with him. Serving God's purposes involves instruction and practice of various ministries, but these things must flow out of time spent with Jesus. Anyone who desires to serve Christ must first practice his presence. Out of a deep relationship with Christ comes the power and sensitivity to effectively serve and minister for him. After having been with him, Jesus sent his disciples out to preach his message. That message is to be proven with power. Such power comes from being with Jesus and knowing him. Our activity for God must be preceded by our intimacy with God."

Let me simplify that for you - there's nothing more important than time spent with Jesus! Anything we'd ever want or need God to do in us or for us, anything we'd ever want God to do through us - it'll only be realized on the other side of quality time spent with Him.

Let me put it to you another way ... you can't be too busy to spend time with Him! I know you've got life to live ... but you can't experience the blessing and favor of God that you seek and need for your life apart from first spending time with Him. You've got ministry to do, right - gifts to use, a church to serve, the lost to evangelize ... but you can't be effective to do any of that apart from time spent with Him. There are sick people in need of healing, hurting people in need of hope - they need you, I understand ... but you won't have anything for them if you haven't first been with Him.

I wonder ... for the church of Jesus Christ today - maybe it's not about doing different or doing more ... maybe it's just about spending time with Him before we do anything!

Never mind that. I wonder ... for my own life - maybe it's not about me, about what I feel I can do, should do, or need to do ... maybe it's about me learning to do what a real disciple, a true disciple is supposed to do - be with Him!

They say that practice makes perfect. Well then - let's practice His presence ... until we've become perfect disciples!

Take some time to be with Him today, every day ... and encourage someone to spend time doing the same!

How He Loves

It was the summer of 1987 - I was in Mombasa, Kenya at a Missionary retreat. Wow - almost 25 years ago ... no wonder I don't remember much about that week or the retreat itself. I couldn't tell you what hotel we stayed at. I don't remember who all was there. I couldn't even tell you what we did each day or even if we did anything except chill at the pool. I do remember one night, though. Interesting ... 25 years ago and I remember that night like it was last night.

All of us missionary kids were together for our own service. I have no idea what the worship was like that night or even if we had any; and I couldn't tell you who the speaker was or even give you a clue as to what he spoke about. It was the end of the service - that's what I remember. We were all gathered in prayer ... not sure why or about what, but there we were. I remember that night so well, because that was the night God spoke to me about how much He loved me! I know it's so simple, right? Of course, God loves us ... we all know that, don't we? Oh, but this night was different. I don't know that I can really tell you why except to tell you that it just was. It was as if God showed up to tell me that. Not that I heard it from someone, but that I heard it from Him. And that He would tell me that? I'm thinking He's coming to tell me all that's wrong with my life. I'm thinking He's coming to tell me that I need to do more. And instead, He says to me ... Denny, I love you! In fact it went further. That night, I knew God spoke to my heart that if even if it was just me that needed a Savior, He still would have sent Jesus to die. Even if for just me! Maybe that's what it made it so different, so special. Not that God so loved the world that He sent His Son ... but that He loved even just me that much!

Right there in front of every one, I began to cry ... weep, is probably the better word. I couldn't help it and I couldn't stop it. Obviously, it wasn't that something was wrong; instead, it was that in that moment everything was so perfectly right ... because God loved me! I remember our leader asking me what was going on. Through sobs and gasping breaths, I told him what God had told me. I don't know if it meant the same to him or the rest of the MK's as it did to me - I don't think it did. It probably sounded a little simple, maybe even a little silly - me getting so worked up over something so obvious. Not to me though. To me, it was one of those life-changing moments. I guess, as indicated by this blog, it was one of those moments that I feel worth talking about even 25 years after the fact. Those few moments and those three words from God - it means that much to me!

And so then, I share with you today what God shared with me then ... He loves you! Do you know that? I mean, do you really know that? Have you thought about it much lately? I know you've been busy thinking about all you should be doing for God. I know sometimes it's hard to think about anything other than how we've let Him down or messed things up. A thousand things we perhaps think of when we think of God ... but how about the simple reality of this: He loves you! Now you say it ... God loves me! Remind yourself of that every time you consider the regrets of your past, every time you start to count up the number of mistakes you've made, every time you're reminded of how you didn't measure up - how you didn't do what you should have done or weren't the person you should have been ... in fact, why don't you just remind yourself of that all the time!

For today, for this week, for a new pattern in your day to day living ... take some time to let God speak to you. I think you'll find He has lots to say ... I think you'll be surprised and overwhelmed like I was when the first thing and the last thing and sometimes the only thing He says: I love you!

Know that He loves you ... and why not remind someone today that He loves them, too!

Welcome!

Thanks for checking out my brand new blog. You taking a few minutes out of your busy schedule just to read what I have to say is a real honor . . . and a little intimidating.

I hope that what you read here will always be valued as both engaging and encouraging. One translation of Proverbs 16:24 reads this way: "Kind words are like honey - they cheer you up and make you feel strong." I hope that here, you'd always find words like that . . . words that would always do that for you. Most of all, I hope you'll visit often and that each time you do, you'll be able to consider it time well spent.

I hope to post something each week, so be sure and keep coming back . . . and by the way, your thoughts and/or comments are of course always welcome!

Be blessed . . . and be a blessing!