The Struggle is Real

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Some Trails Are Hard to Follow

I had the privilege last weekend to share the gospel together with Christians from four different local churches. I love the unity of believers who worship the same God but in a different building than I do.

Over the years of walking with Jesus I have had countless conversations with non-believers about the gospel. Last weekend I had a conversation with a young man that I feel like I’ve had a thousand times all by itself.

This particular young man was kind, candid, gracious, and polite. As is the case with many non-believers, he had never personally read the whole Bible for himself. His understanding of Christianity was based primarily on his experience living in America.

Hearing Christian cliches. Reading bumper stickers. Talking with people who identify themselves as Christians. Seeing stereotypical Christians portrayed in the media.

During our conversation this young man said to me something along these lines (I’m paraphrasing): “I just find it hard, personally, to believe in a god that doesn’t care about all the suffering in the world. A god who is supposedly all good and loving and powerful, yet who seems to maybe even enjoy allowing so much bad stuff to happen. If some people want to believe in god because it gives them hope, I get that. But I don’t.” Continue reading →

Different Pursuits

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two points of view

Earlier this week I attended a prayer rally with one of the elders of our local church and two of my children. It was a great event at the capitol of our state. There were thousands of people there. We all prayed for our nation. Our prayer followed the pattern Nehemiah prayed in Nehemiah 1.

We started by confessing the sins of our nation. There are many.

We then moved to a time of confessing our own sins. These, too, are many.

Then we confessed the sins of our fathers. You guessed it. Many.

We were seeking the grace and favor of the living God in obedience to His commandment to His people to pray for our leaders.

First of all, then, I urge that requests, prayers, intercessions, and thanks be offered on behalf of all people, even for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. (1 Timothy 2:1-2 NET)

In the midst of praying for this it struck me that while many of us were praying the same things we were not necessarily praying in unity. Our prayers were on the same topic. They were not necessarily for the same pursuit. Continue reading →

Ordinary Miracles

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expect-miraclesMy wife and I just had our 7th baby. I know that doesn’t sound right but it is. I double checked. There are seven children living in our house.

Today we have a 9 year old, a 7 year old, a 6 year old, a 4 year old, a 3 year old, a 1 year old, and a newborn. Ten years from now we’ll have five teenagers and two preteens.

Jealous?

Whenever our family is out in public strangers give us feedback. They can’t help themselves. Some people are excited to see a big family. Other people let us know that they think it’s just too many kids. If you want a lot of unsolicited advice from strangers I’ve found nothing more effective than having a large family.

Yes, we know how this happens. No, we don’t have a reality TV show. Thank you for letting us know that college is expensive. Got it.

It goes without saying that my experience as the dad is different than my wife’s experience as the mom. From my perspective, I still can’t get over how amazing it is that God creates new life through our marriage. I am in awe that this person who now fits in my hands lived inside of my bride’s body for nine months. Continue reading →

Worthy of the Lord

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Blessed road

Jesus is not a supplement. He is not an additive. He did not come to enhance or improve your life.

Jesus came to give you a new life.

When we get this confused we may offer a version of Jesus to people that will make them comfortable. Happy. Satisfied. Sometimes people try to convince others that Jesus is worthy of being included in their current life.

Jesus is much, much more than a life-enhancer. He is the life-giver.

Jesus came to reconcile us to the Father. Our sin separates us from our Creator. Jesus willingly gave His sinless life as a substitute on the cross to endure the wrath we deserve and give us the gift of His perfect righteousness.

He makes those who receive Him worthy by His life. He qualifies us to receive an inheritance in the kingdom of God. As a result we are to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord.

Many people don’t truly understand grace. They think grace is primarily permissive. They think it allows us to sin and be forgiven. This is only partially true. Continue reading →

The Aim of Religion

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Wrong aim

Religion. Relationship.

Depending on the circles you run in these words carry different meaning. Some think one is a bad word. Some think both are.

The Bible consistently warns people against two extremes. We are warned against legalism. We are warned against licentiousness. The first is religion without relationship. The second is relationship without religion. Both are common. Both are deadly.

Many people are deceived into believing that certain deeds are inherently good. Other deeds are inherently bad. Some (perhaps most) are neutral. This is the error of Moralism. This type of thinking can make the drift into religious activity devoid of relationship with the living God easy to miss. Continue reading →

Pocket Jesus

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Faith stones

I still remember the day I first laid eyes on the woman who would become my wife. I thought she was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen.

Eleven years of marriage and six (soon to be seven) kids later I think she’s even more beautiful. I know her better now. Then my knowledge of who she is was superficial. Today my understanding is deeper. I still have a lot more to learn.

Building intimacy in relationships takes time. It can be messy. Sometimes it’s hard. There are highs and lows. I am enjoying the process. I look forward to growing in knowledge about my bride for the rest of our lives.

This process is true of every relationship. Not everyone enjoys it. Sometimes superficiality is easier.

With that in mind I have a question: What’s your favorite Bible verse? Continue reading →

Are You New?

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I am new

In Ethiopia I saw fruit trees everywhere. Mangoes. Avocados. Bananas. For a city boy like me it was pretty cool.

On one occasion I had the privilege of teaching on biblical salvation. Conversion is a genuine miracle. It is not superficial. Inspired by the fruit trees I said, “Sitting in a church building doesn’t make you a follower of Jesus any more than sitting in a tree makes you a banana!”

They laughed. But their laughter turned to sobriety almost immediately. They understood. In my current context this is more controversial.

My Ethiopian brothers and sisters in Christ have different experiences. We were in a different context. We were sitting outside on a beautiful day. We were sitting next to the ruins of their previous meeting-house. It had been burned to the ground years before. Continue reading →

The Stinkin’ Way

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From Point A to B

Freedom. Sovereignty. Choice. Predestination. Man’s will. God’s will.

My head hurts already.

My headache comes more from the fighting I hear among Christians over these topics than the topics themselves. This biblical tension is something to be embraced. It’s not supposed to be a battle ground.

Sovereignty and human freedom are not enemies. One of the best books in the Bible to help us understand how these themes work together is Jonah. That’s right. The book about the guy getting swallowed by a great fish. Did you know that the whole fish thing is really just a small detail?

Jonah isn’t a long book. It’s only four chapters. They aren’t even long chapters. The whole book is half as many words as this blog post. Really. But many people have never read it. They’ve only heard it told in children’s church. Or mocked by unbelievers who asked, “You really believe a guy got swallowed by a whale and lived?” Continue reading →

The Power of Unbelief

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Mr. Skeptic

Unbelief is one of the most powerful forces on earth.

That may seem odd. But it’s true. There is a section in Mark’s Gospel that makes this so clear. Read it for yourself in Mark 4:35-6:6.

Mark records Jesus calming the wind and sea with a word. The disciples respond to this display of power with fear. They ask one another,

“Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?” (Mark 4:41)

It’s a good question. The demonstration of Jesus’ power is just beginning. The answer will become more and more clear to them. Continue reading →

Three Obstacles to Salvation

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Obstacle Course

My children enjoy making obstacle courses in our backyard and basement. They enjoy racing against each other to see who can get through the course the fastest. Some adults enjoy obstacle courses.

I am not one of those adults.

Obstacles are annoying to me. I prefer a straight, smooth course. Even still, life is filled with obstacles. They are unavoidable. We must learn to deal with them.

Everyone who desires to live as a witness of Jesus Christ needs to understand three common obstacles to the salvation of others. We must understand and look for them so we can faithfully navigate the way. Continue reading →