Shout to the Lord!

Mark 10: 46-52

I read this passage just before going to bed the other night, and because of that I lost an hour or so of sleep. The story of Bartimeaus is not new to me, but I couldn't shake what I had just read. I think it was because I really needed to hear this passage at this particular point of my journey. Bartimeaus was determined to get Jesus' attention, and the only means available for him to do that was his voice. He shouted, and shouted. Amidst all of the noise and bustle of activity, even when told by others to keep quiet, he continued to shout.

I am convinced that Jesus heard him the first time. Why He didn't answer him right away is unknown to me. Maybe He was testing Bartimeaus to see how serious and determined he was. I don't know. But eventually Jesus did answer him. The Message version says that Jesus "stopped in His tracks", and told his disciples to call Bartimeaus over to Him.

"What can I do for you?" Jesus says, and Bartimeaus gives a simple but powerful answer. "Rabbi, I want to see." Jesus looked at him and said, "On your way, your faith has saved and healed you."

There is so much that needs to be said here that I can't even begin to scratch the surface. There is an old cliché that says, " It's all over but the shouting."
In this case it might be best to rephrase it as "Nothing matters but the shouting."

We need to be shouting at, or calling out, to God on a daily basis. In good times or bad, our shout to God is of the utmost importance. No matter the situation, shout to God.

- When life seems as if it couldn't get any worse, SHOUT to the Lord!
- When life seems as if it couldn't get any better, SHOUT to the Lord!
- When the noise of everyday life seems to drown you out, SHOUT to the Lord!
- When, like with Bartimeaus, people tell you to be quiet, SHOUT to the Lord!
- When people who say they are followers of Christ act like they are anything but, SHOUT to the Lord!
- When you feel as if God is far, far away, SHOUT to the Lord!
- When God doesn't answer you right away, keep on SHOUTING!

Jesus hears you and He will stop in His tracks.

And your faith will save and heal you.

It's like Red Bull for the soul!

The Day My Face Stood Still

This past week has been one of the most stressful weeks of my life. Enough so that I thought I would take a break from what I usually write about and share my thoughts about it.

On Sunday the 18th, I was home with Diane enjoying a day of rest. About 6 pm we decided to have some pizza. As I was eating, I suddenly noticed that I wasn't tasting anything. I even made the remark to Diane that this was a really bland pizza. After just a couple more moments I realized that I had completely lost my sense of taste. In the back of my mind, I knew that what was happening was potentially serious, but since it was the only symptom manifesting itself at the time, I decided to take a wait and see attitude, in hopes it would go away.

Later that evening as I was preparing for bed, while brushing my teeth, I found that I could not spit the water out of my mouth. The left side of my mouth would not move. As I examined myself in the mirror, I could see that my left eyelid had drooped and I could not close my eye completely. I immediately decided, given all my vast medical knowledge, that I had suffered a stroke, although I had no numbness in my arms or legs, nor any of the other symptoms that are usually associated with a stroke.

When I awoke the next morning things had not improved, so I went directly to my doctor's office, where it was determined that indeed I had not suffered a stroke, but instead had a condition called Bell's Palsy. I had heard of this condition before but really had no idea of it's symptoms, affects, or causes. As it turns out, it is a virus that lies dormant in the body for years and, when triggered, causes an inflammation of the large facial nerve that runs on the outside of the skull.

Needless to say, I was very happy to discover that I had not had a stroke and that Bell's Palsy is looked upon by the medical world as an event and not a disease. I will recover, but each individual's recovery time varies. I am praying that mine will be of the shorter duration. Mainly because it sucks to drink coffee through a straw.

So what does this mean to me now? I know I will recover, but it has had an effect on me that I didn't anticipate. At 55 years old, I believe that God is making me aware through this that I am not immortal. Up to this point, judging by my eating habits and sedentary lifestyle, I guess I thought I was. Not so my friend, not so. I realize now that my body can't take the dietary abuse anymore and that I need to become a little more active. No, a lot more active. Switching from Mountain Dew to water and fruit juice. Giving up donuts for fruit. That's going to be a tough one.

Most importantly I have been spiritually changed, and challenged. My relationship with God has been somewhat palsied as of late too. I have been using the circumstances in my life as an excuse to be angry at God and most of the time, flat out ignore Him. That cannot continue. Today, October 26th, 2009 has to become a new beginning for me. God is priority one. What that will look like, I'm not sure at this point, but God and I will work it out.



If by chance you read this blog, I need to say something to you. Whatever stage of life you may be at right now, both spiritually and physically, start taking care of yourself. The body truly is a temple and needs to be fed wholesome and nutritional foods. More importantly your spirit needs to be fed as well. God is waiting to do just that if we only let Him.

I have family members who are convinced that they don't need God. They live life just as I have, feeling immortal and invincible. Dear ones, you are not either of those things, and to continue to believe that you are is simply foolish. Maybe the changes I make in my life will help you to make some changes of your own. I sincerely hope so.

I'll try to keep anyone who is interested updated about my recovery both physical and spiritual here on this blog. In the meantime, I would love to hear from anyone who has had similar experiences or would just like to make a comment.

Well, it is time for another cup of coffee. Now where did I put that straw?

He Waits

It's so hard to be with God.
Spending time with Him is so difficult.
I know it's what I am supposed to be doing
But at times I go out of my way to avoid it.
What am I afraid of?
Am I afraid of what He might say?
Or am I more afraid that He might be silent?
Maybe it's more that I'm afraid of what I would say
Or not say.
I go before Him as a disobedient child goes before his father.
Just once I'd like to go before Him with my head held high.
Can't say that has ever happened.
Whatever condition I happen to be in
I can't stop going.
Like the prodigal son's father, He waits for me every day.
And most days I disappoint Him by not showing up.
Still He waits
He loves me that much.

Today I haven't met with Him yet
But I will.
It isn't going to be easy
Cause I screwed up again
A lot.
Maybe I'm not up to going today.
I'm too ashamed to be in His presence.
There's just too much to deal with
I will go….but
Maybe I'll wait until tomorrow
Still He waits
He loves me that much

It's tomorrow and I haven't talked to Him yet
In fact, quite a few tomorrows have passed by
The fear and shame still grip me
I know He wants to see me anyway
At his point however, in my own mind
My shame outweighs His love
Still He waits
He loves me that much


No more tomorrows
I sat with God today
I couldn't stop crying
Somehow I knew He was crying too.
I told Him I was sorry and He told me that He loves me.
I told Him I was scared and He told me that He loves me.
I asked Him to forgive me and He did.
I'm trying to start over.
I'm trying to not give in to the thorn that plagues me
I'll do better
But I won't be perfect
There will be days when I will fail
And He'll be waiting
He loves me that much

Don't Blame Me!

Over the years, particularly during my time as a Youth Pastor, I have heard a lot of stories about how someone did something wrong, and were able to blame it on someone else. This was especially true among siblings. I have no idea what that is like given the fact that I am an only child. ( I know, I know, that explains a lot doesn't it?) But I did have a few friends who had to suffer from my blame shifting. I feel bad about that now. I wonder how many of us, if given the opportunity, would go back and try to fix some of the times where we committed some misdeed and successfully shifted the blame to someone else. I know I would like to, and I would imagine that some of you would as well. Some people carry with them an immense amount of guilt about how some one else suffered the consequences for something they had no part in.
Which brings us to the point of this article. I was reading Genesis 3 and once again struck by the number of times that Adam and Eve tried to shift the blame to one another, or to the crafty serpent, or even on to God himself! But God would have nothing of it. He knew who was to blame. It was all of them, and God proceeded to punish each person accordingly. I must say that makes me feel a lot better about how I doled out punishment when my two boys would fight and each try to blame the other for starting it.
As I thought about the punishment that Adam and Eve received, banishment from the Garden, it occurred to me that it was much more than just a punishment. It was also an act of grace. Look at the 22nd verse of chapter 3. Then the Lord God said, “Look, the human beings have become like us, knowing both good and evil. What if they reach out, take fruit from the tree of life, and eat it? Then they will live forever!”
At first read, I thought God was being a little uppity here. "We just can't have anyone becoming like us!" But as I thought about it, and read some commentary on it, I came to this conclusion about grace. Can you imagine what it would be like to be Adam and Eve, the originators of sin on earth, living forever and having to watch all the wars, murders, genocides and adulteries that are a direct result of their original sin? It would be absolutely horrible. So while some may say that God's punishment was harsh, if you look at it from this angle, it also was an incredible act of grace.
That same act of grace is available to you and me through Jesus Christ. Because of his work on the cross, we can be forgiven for those past mistakes, those past instances of blame shifting, and no longer carry the guilt of those misdeeds. Our God is truly an awesome God!
Are you carrying any guilt or remorse over an act of blame shifting in your past? If so, do yourself a favor. Go to God and get it off the board. He'll forgive you. Then if God leads you to, if it all possible, make it right with the person who took the blame for what you did. Write a letter, shoot them an email, call them, or better yet tell them in person. It will make a world of difference!

It's like Red Bull for the Soul!

The Value of Life

I recently started a new bible study series. I chose this particular one because it was of a simpler nature and I wanted to keep things light for a while. Each section of this study concerns itself with a theme question. I turned to the first study and the first question that greeted me at the top of the page was;
"What is the meaning of life?" Ok, so much for keeping it light and simple.
A question like that demands a lot of study and thought, and I would like to share a little of what God showed me during that process.
As I read the question and began to let it rattle around in my head a little, I found myself gravitating away from the meaning of life and focusing more on the value of life. It is an equally perplexing question, but through reading scripture I think I have come to the point where I believe I have a better grasp of it..
The Genesis account in chapters one and two give us all the evidence we need to see how valuable life is. Human life is created by God. It can never be accomplished any other way. These scientists who are trying to create life in the lab will fail, every time. The best they will ever be able to do is make an imperfect copy of what God has already created.
Life itself, being created by God, carries with it immeasurable value. I will try to illustrate that with a somewhat lopsided analogy.
Many years ago when my sons were very young, I remember an incident involving spilled milk. Our family was at the supper table when, as youngsters are prone to do, my son knocked over his glass of milk, covering most of the table as well as his food. I saw what happened and it was clearly an accident, so even though I was annoyed at having to clean it up, I didn't get upset. After it was all cleaned up, and my wife had replaced his food and his glass of milk, we settled back in to finish our meal.
Then it happened.
Looking me right in the eye, with a smile on his face, my son picked up his new glass of milk and proceeded to dump it out on the table as well! On purpose! This time I was way past annoyed, and far beyond upset. I was furious! Why? Because it was done on purpose! Because it was intentional! I reacted much more intensely, not because the mess was any larger or anything like that. I had a much stronger response because he did it on purpose.
God created life on purpose. It wasn't an accident or evolution. Life is a miracle that only God can perform, and because of that, it is the most valuable thing in all of God's creation. It's important to note here that when God created everything, he spoke it all into existence…except us. He used his hands to form Adam from the dirt and dust and then used his hands to remove a rib from Adam to create Eve. We have so much value to God that he was willing to get his hands dirty, some dirt under his fingernails to create us in a way that was special from everything else. That's love my friend, that's value.
I firmly believe that we as a society don't place enough value on human life. ( Here is where I might lose some readers, but sometimes that happens when you proclaim the truth.) I believe that people who are pro-abortion, pro-euthanasia, or believe that life is just an accident or some kind of evolutionary fluke, don't place the same value on human life that Christ followers do. I know it's hard to hear that, and its even harder to admit. But it's true. Just watch the news for any length of time and you will know I'm right.
I'll follow up that statement with an admission of my own. I never had much respect for Michael Jackson or Ted Kennedy. Their deeds and their ideology were pretty much the opposite of mine. They are both gone now, and to be honest I struggled to be sad about that. But if I truly believe what I just wrote, then I need to mourn the loss of two lives that in God's eyes had great value.
How much value do have for human life? Process that as you read the Creation account. I heartily recommend it.
This is going to be a real long and intense bible study if it leads me to places like this every day. But in the long run I know I will be a better person for it.

It will be like Red Bull For The Soul!

I'm Worried About the Pigs

Every once in a while, I come across a passage of Scripture that just grabs me and won't let go until I've wrestled with it for a while. Sometimes it’s a process of revelation for me, while at other times it is more conviction that anything else. The latest passage I have stepped into the ring with is of the latter. That seems to be happening a lot lately, but in the long run it’s a good thing.
You might be familiar with this latest challenge to my comfort zone. It is found in Mark chapter five, and it deals with Jesus removing demons from a possessed man and sending them into a herd of pigs. It's a pretty popular passage and I've read it many times before, but this time God turned on the light, so to speak, and I see it differently than I have before.
Jesus is confronting a host ( some versions say Legion, I like the Message version that says Mob) of demons that have been tormenting this man for a very long time and forcing the man to act insanely and live in a cemetery of all places.
The demons recognizing who Jesus is, beg him not to make them leave the man or the area they were in. Instead they ask that Jesus send them into a herd of pigs and let them live there. Jesus, surely knowing what is going to happen, obliges them . Needless to say the pigs freak out and promptly throw themselves off a cliff and into the sea, where they drown.
The people who observed this were at first scared, then in awe of Jesus, but then, and get this, they get angry at Jesus because he killed their pigs! They actually run him out of town! That blows me away!
But then God started working on me about the meaning of this passage and what application it has in my own life. Here's what He showed me. I understand that Jesus is God in the flesh and that He performed a miracle here. I understand that He showed ultimate authority over the demons. I got all that. What I didn't realize, and now do, is that I too, spend a lot of time worrying about the pigs. Let me explain.
It's easy for me to be a follower of Christ if all it involves is believing that He is God and has authority over everything. It's easy because it does not directly involve my time, my efforts, or my possessions. My "pigs". Being a Christ follower becomes difficult when Jesus starts affecting my lifestyle, my location, how I spend my time, or my possessions. In other words, when I need to give up something in order to get closer to Him.
That's why the people in Mark were so upset. They lost their pigs, for many a source of income or food. But they had just witnessed Jesus in the flesh, performing an amazing miracle! In the end however, it was all about the pigs.
So, I need to be less concerned about the "pigs" in my life and start concentrating on the person and the power of Jesus Christ. He can do whatever He wants with me and my stuff if it brings me closer to him. That's huge for me to say, and even tougher to live out. But I need to quit worrying about the pigs.

It's like Red Bull For The Soul!!

Imitation is the Sincerest Form of Compromise

Driving into work this morning, I was listening to my favorite Christian artist, Todd Agnew. His insights that he presents about today's church through his music are amazing. Songs like "My Jesus" and "On a Corner in Memphis" are my anthems, so to speak, about what is wrong the churches today. Couple this with a TV show I watched last night on cable called "Wretched", I knew that God was prompting me to write about it today.

Why is it that we Christians spend so much time trying to imitate the world? It's not like the world has got it all together, or is the best of example for us. The truth is quite the opposite. In fact, imitation of today's culture is what is ruining the effectiveness of the church. It's getting to the point that Christians can imitate almost anything going on in the world as long as we are wearing a Jesus t-shirt at the time.

Let me give you some examples that have come to my attention in just the last few days:

Frank Peretti and Ted Dekker wrote a spooky novel called House. Now they have made a movie of it and it is rated R!!!! How do you explain that one to the kiddos that want to go see the movie because it is written by two very famous Christian authors? How can Dekker and Peretti possibly justify that? ( other than for the money, of course )

First, there was High School Musical, then High School Musical 2 &3. Now, (surprise, surprise) there is Sunday School Musical! I have seen clips of this lame thing and it is awful. Bad dancing, badly dubbed singing, and very poorly filmed. But, hey, at least their wearing their Jesus t-shirts!

I saw a clip on YouTube from a large church and during the worship part of the service, the guitar player broke out into a ( I kid you not) 2 minute guitar solo! Who are we worshiping here. Jesus or Eddie Van Halen? It's hard to tell sometimes.

The book Twilight was about teen age vampires and werewolves. It is a phenomenal success. How long before something like that hits the Christian marketplace. Believe me, it is coming!

( ADDED 9/14/09...I saw a Christian T-shirt today that is the exact same logo as the movie, but says " The Light" instead of "Twilight". Told ya!)

Well that's enough, but there are many more examples available to us. I don't know about you but I get all I can take of this messed up world just living life. And I sure as heck don't want to imitate it. So what do I do? I can go from the extreme of joining a monastery and chanting for the rest of my life to cramming my Jesus shirts into the bottom drawer someplace and just join right in with what this world has to offer. But I think I will do neither of those things.
Instead I will strive to imitate Christ more everyday. And a lot of people won't understand or even recognize who I'm imitating. An imitation isn't very impressive if your not familiar with the original. The challenge lies in revealing Christ through our imitation of Him. We need to be praying that God will show us ways of revealing Christ that are not worldly rip-offs. We need to be less imitative of the world, but more innovative of how we share Jesus.

It Could Be Like Red Bull For The Soul!