Really...The Cross?

Last night, I shared with the students at the Bridge some of my feelings about Christ laying down his life for us on the cross.  I spoke about God's love for us that he would be willing to put into motion a plan that would include emptying himself to become a man and paying the price for our iniquities.  He chose to stand in the gap and pave the way where we could not.  I continued on speaking about the fact that Christ paid back our disrespect toward him (sin) with kindness as he laid down his life on our behalf.  The Bible says that while we were still sinners, still disrespectful to God, still people of disobedience, Christ died for us (Rom. 5:8).  
But as I left the church last night, I continued to ponder the act of Christ's death upon the cross.  I thought about the act of laying down one's life for another.  Of course, my mind immediately begins to scroll through every movie scene where someone jumps in front of a bullet for the one that they love.  The only logical next step in my mind then becomes the Batman movies.  I watched the newest one this weekend and my mind began to camp out on the scene where Bruce Wayne is in the prison and is watching his city being destroyed.  His heart aches for his city so he begins to do the only thing that he knows how to do, he begins to build his body back up.  He pushes day and night through great pains to become stronger.  His motivation is his desire to overcome and rescue his city.  This is often the picture that I think of when I think about those who are willing to lay down their lives for another.  It is those who strengthen themselves physically to overcome a physical threat.
This was not Jesus though.  Jesus did not come to overcome a physical power, even though many had hoped that this was the reason for his coming.  Jesus came to lay down his life for that which is unseen, the darkness that lies within us all.  Jesus came to lay down his life that the darkness would no longer have a hold on us.  Jesus came to overcome both the physical and the spiritual hold of sin on our lives.  He came to set us free.  He gave up his physical body so that by the strength of his spirit we would have life.
While I have come to realize this truth, that Christ died that we might have life abundantly, I have often struggled with the cross.  Why did he die on the cross?  Why choose the symbol of a criminal to represent the way to life?  In these last several months, I have seen how in so many ways in my life, God has redeemed the worst moments of my life for his glory.  The most embarrassing moments have become the foundation for helping students through similar situations.  The most painful and darkest moments of my life have helped build bonds between students who are feeling the same things and need help rising out of it.  I believe that Jesus hung on that cross to do that exact same thing.  The cross, the symbol for death and darkness, has become the symbol for life.  The cross was a symbol for all to see.  Everyone around saw Jesus lay down his life for the world.  The cross has become a beacon of hope and light in the darkness of the world.  It has become a tangible symbol of healing that which can not be seen.  The cross...really the cross.

Let Others Help

About a year ago, I made a commitment to pray for all of my Facebook friends each month.  I wanted to share with others the love of God, and I wanted to find tangible ways to strengthen my prayer life.  So, each month, I print out a list of all my Facebook friends and I pray for twenty of them each day.  (On a side note, I really dislike the fact that you can only tag 10 friends in a post.  I have to make two different posts each day to tag my 20 friends.  It is not a huge inconvenience, but it does cause me to have to stretch my creativity as I think about a different way to convey the same message on two different posts.)  This has really been a blessing on my life to be able to pray for others.

I have seen God work in so many different ways as I have prayed this last year.  It has been amazing to see how many prayers that God has answered.  People report back after asking for prayer about how they are closing on houses, repairing broken marriages, finding peace in the midst of sorrow, receiving the energy to make it through the day, finding work, making ends meet, and so much more.  I truly believe that these have all occurred because of God's hand at work.  Seeing the answers to these prayers has not even been the most amazing thing that I have seen come out of this.  Each day, I move down the list of names (which is in a different order each month) and pray.  At least every other day, someone from the list tells me of how the knowledge of someone praying for them was just what they needed that day.  I serve God who in advance already knows and has orchestrated just the day that I will pray for another so that they may feel the love of God when they need it most.  Coincidence?  Not on an every other day scale.  

Now that I have given you the background for today's blog posting (you had no idea that is what you were reading, did you), let me tell you where I am having difficulty.  As I have lifted the needs up of others as they have posted them in comments or messages, they have also responded by asking about what they can pray for concerning me.  Normally when I receive such a response, I do not respond back with any requests.  I kept thinking that this was a ministry to them not for me.  It was not that I felt that I had things together, or that my life was in better shape or even that I did not need prayer (because I always do).  I just did not want to detract from what I was trying to share with them.  

Lately though, my thoughts about it have changed.  I have learned some truths about people and about God that have caused me to shift my position and respond to these requests.  In Romans 15, Paul urges the church in Rome to join him in praying to God for himself.  He asks that they pray for his ministry, his safety, and his joy.  I thought about how much of a blessing it has been to witness the way that God has moved in the lives of others as I have prayed for them.  My faith has been strengthened by what I have witnessed.  People need to see tangible evidence of their faith at work.  It helps us to grow in out faith as we see that God does actually care and is at work.  I have denied others this same blessing as I have withheld my prayer requests from them because God has been faithful to meet each need in my life.  I have also learned that God desires us to strengthen one another by showing care for one another. By not responding to these requests, in some way, I denied the opportunity to reciprocate care with one another.  

So here it is, allow others to help.  It not just a blessing for you, it is a blessing for them as well.  So I urge you to please pray for me as I pray for you.  I need continual prayer for being the spiritual leader in my household, for my walk with God to always come first, and for my ministry to students in Clovis, NM.  I will surrender to you other specific requests as they arise and if you ask, I will share with you my needs in the moment.  Thank you for blessing me; may my prayers always be a blessing to you as well.

Back to the Heart of It All

This summer has been crazy and extremely fast paced.  I don't think that I have been home for more than 10 days at a time.  It has been an amazing summer where I have seen God move in the hearts and lives of students and strangers.  I have returned from this summer a changed man, shaped and molded by the examples of others and the experiences that I have shared with them.  Thank you to all who were sensitive enough to sense the moving of the Spirit in their lives and acted upon it.
With all of the wonderful things that happened this summer, it was easy to lose sight of what is most important.  Have you ever had one of those moments where you actively see God's hand moving all around you, but it feels like after you leave that moment and that place, you can't see how that movement will continue?  This summer, I witnessed so many different people step outside of their comfort zones and serve their God as they served others.  There was no complaining, no whining, no arguing, just serving with all of their hearts, souls and bodies.  As I witnessed this unabashed service for God, I could not help but wonder why this does not happen when we are in our own community.  Why do we struggle to step outside of our comfort zones and serve God with all of ourselves on a daily basis?
I believe that it is a matter of the heart.  Anyone can step outside of themselves for a week on a mission trip.  It is just seven days.  It is a different story when we look at serving each day in the same way.  That kind of commitment to service begins to cramp our style.  It takes regular sacrifice.  We prefer temporary sacrifice.  This year, my commitment and my challenge is to step up and take up my cross daily to serve him.  I want to step outside my comfort zone each day.  I know it is cliche, but I want to become comfortable with being uncomfortable.  I want the movement of God this summer to not remain in a specific moment or place, but I desire it to be a starting point of change in my life and I pray in the lives of those who witnessed the same movement of God.  Let's get back to the heart of it all.  We were designed to serve and worship our Heavenly Father.  Let's do just that with all of our being each and every day.  May each day be defined, not by our plans or feelings, by our desire to serve our Lord.

How can I help others when I can't help myself?

This question is one that I faced in my early ministry and one that I am asked by almost every new leader that I recruit, "How can I help others when I can not help myself?"  It is a valid question.  How can one hope to help another through a situation when truthfully we are going through that exact same situation in our own life and have not yet figured out how to overcome it.  The question that I asked myself when I struggled with this question before entering into a commitment to serve was, "so then when will I have it together enough to serve?"  The answer to that question began with painting a picture of someone who knew what they were doing and had been through it all.  It quickly moved to a picture of someone that would be unattainable.  None of us are perfect.  No one truly has it all together. Everyone struggles.  If we only were able to help people when we had it all going on, I would only be able to help people about four minutes of everyday, the four minutes before I wake up (because I kind of feel rested then and the day's problems have not hit me yet).
In Jesus' day, the best people were the Pharisees.  They were the ones that seemed to have their act together.  The truth was though that the Pharisees were living a lie.  The Pharisees had located their goodness on their actions and behaviors.  They had set up a system of managing behaviors and actions through careful reasoning and rule following in order attain goodness.  The problem with this system though was that at some point every Pharisee would fail to do what is right.  Now, their measure of goodness had to be redefined, re-described or explained differently.  In most cases, their failure was just hidden away.  All too often, this is how we view our lives.  We are unable to help others because we have not yet managed our goodness in such a way as to be seen by others or even ourselves as having it together.  We see ourselves as unable to offer anything to anyone else.
But Jesus never asked us to serve out of our perfection.  We are called to serve out of our love (Gal 5:13).  We are to serve, not out of ourselves but rather, out of the Spirit of God.  The fruit of the Spirit, from which we serve, does not consist of actions, but rather lies in our attitudes or personality traits.  Galatians 5:22 states that the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.  These are all adjectives that we use to describe a person's inner self or motivation for their actions.  God has equipped us with the fruit of the Spirit, not that we might have it together before we serve, but rather that we would serve out of our dependence upon him.  Now, through our weakness and struggles we can serve because our service is out of our faithfulness to God.  We can now serve in the midst of our pain because we have joy in the Lord.  We can now serve in the midst of great personal tragedy because of the patience that God gives us.  When it is the fruit of the Spirit that moves us to serve and not our right actions, God receives the glory for our service and we are able to help others even though we do not have it together.

Charge it to me

This morning, I have been reading in the short letter to Philemon.  In the letter, Paul urges with Philemon on behalf of Philemon's slave, Onesimus, who had become a brother in the Lord while in prison with Paul.  In verse 18, Paul pleads with Philemon to welcome Onesimus back as more than just a slave, but rather a brother.  He defends Onesimus by telling Philemon that any cost that has been incurred on behalf of Onesimus, Paul will gladly be charged for.  As I think about what Paul is saying, it humbles me to think that this is what Christ did on my behalf before the Father.  Jesus stood before the Lord and incurred on his behalf all of the wrath that I deserved.  He took my penalty that I might be welcomed before the Lord as Christ's brother, blameless and pure.  As my savior did for me, am I willing to do for others?
Would I be willing to pay the price for the deeds of another?  As I think about this, the first thing that comes to mind is very cliche.  Often, I have commented that I would wish that a horrible circumstance would happen to me rather than the person it was happening to.  But truthfully, I never meant it.  In my heart, I was not actually willing to take their pain and suffering.  I think that is the problem.  I am unwilling to do that which my savior was willing to do for me.  In John 13, Jesus humbles himself and washes the disciples feet.  As he finishes, he asks them if they understood what he had done for them.  He said that they are to do likewise to one another.  I am called to serve others no matter the cost.  If I can take the pain of another upon myself then I should.  If I can humble myself to clean the stink off of another's feet, then I should and I should do it with glee and delight for I have been given the opportunity to mirror Christ.  I will serve as Christ served.  I will pay the price as Paul paid the price.  I will pay the price for the deeds of my brother.

The Need for Fellowship

I am in the process of purchasing my first home. It is such an exciting adventure to be taking part in. From the looking at houses with the real estate agent to the adrenaline that rushes as you anxiously await the counteroffer, this process is a truly exciting ride. But during this whole thing, there are also those moments where you dread hearing from your realtor. One of this such moments is after the home inspection.

The inspector just examined the house that we had made an offer on. He returned with a report that had a few areas of concern attached to it. How could the house that my wife and I were swooning over have any flaws? While they were not major flaws, they were still areas of concern. They were things that had gone unnoticed by the owners because they had just blended into the background of the house. It took someone who was willing to search for the blemishes to find the imperfection that could have led to serious concern if they were to be left untreated.

Is this not the way it is with our lives though. If we took a step back and were honest with ourselves, there would be areas of our lives that need to be addressed. Maybe these areas are not major things, most likely they are not, but they are blemishes that could lead to serious issues later. It could be a habit that we have or an area of our life that we have sought to keep hidden and locked away. This is why God has given us brothers and sisters who genuinely care for us as God does. As we allow these people to have the authority to speak into our lives and keep us accountable, then we become blessed by a set of eyes that are not tainted by seeing the same thing in the mirror everyday. They can give us fresh perspective or bring to light that which we have been too afraid to bring to the light of day. I know it is difficult to allow others in. We become vulnerable in their hands, but with much prayer, God gifts us with exactly the right person or persons in our life who seek to lift us up in this process and bring glory to God as He perfects our blemishes. How about it? Are you willing to find a brother or sister in Christ and let them in? Are you ready for God to do a mighty work in your heart?

A Year Later

So what happens to a blog that has not been posted on for a year? It sits in cyberspace picking up internet dust and lacking the possible impact that it was intended to have on the lives of those who seek to follow it. I want to apologize to those who sought to follow my blog and to my blog for failing in allowing it to fulfill its purpose and impact others lives. My commitment is to change and do better.

Recently, I have been doing a lot of thinking along the lines of this exact subject, not fulfilling our intended purpose. I was reading in the book of Isaiah and this verse stuck out to me:

What more could have been done for my vineyard than I have done for it? When I looked for good grapes, why did it yield only bad? (5:4)

As I meditated upon this verse, my heart broke as I realized that I am that vineyard that God is speaking of. I am the one in which he sought good grapes and found only bad ones. If I am honest with myself, God has given to me more than I could ever hope for to impact this world in such a way that my actions would bring him the glory and honor that he deserves. Sadly, I, all too often, seek only to benefit my own selfish ego and put off doing the difficult and most uncomfortable works of service that might be what honor God the most. Just think for a moment about all of the work that God has put into me (and possibly even you). The short list would include:

He died for me.

He filled me with himself so that I might have a guide.

He gave me his Word, revealing himself to me.

He gifted me with abilities, talents and passion so that I might fulfill his calling.

He has granted me opportunities that can only be explained by his hand.

All of these things he has done for me and when he comes looking for the good fruits of his work, he can only shake his head as he comes across all too many rows of bad fruit. My prayer today and for the many days to come is that I will be mindful of the work that my King and Savior has done in my life. I will seek to fulfill his purpose in doing those works in my life. I will present the good fruit of the harvest as an offering of honor and glory to him who started and continued the good work in me. May my heart be in tune with God's as I seek to fulfill his calling.