Loving Accuracy

Don't Make the Barber Angry

2011-01-07T12:51:00.016-07:00

I have been reading several profiles of ministers lately. Most of the time these profiles include identifying a "pet peeve" or something that the individual finds highly irritating... for me, that would be combing my hair.

When I was younger I had a lot of hair and I really didn't mind caring for it and styling it - in fact, because my Dad was bald I found a certain amount of extra joy in the chore! As I aged my hair fled; it retreated, then thinned, and now I feel it is just mocking me. I have enough hair that people still complain that it looks bad if I don't comb it, but not enough to do anything with it besides arranging it in a way to best deflect the sun...

So... acting in this mindset, I decided to get a haircut this morning. I was the third guy at the barber shop today, and had to wait only a few minutes before it was my turn to sit in the chair and explain the vast complications of cutting the hair of a balding man to a barber who, obviously, has never experienced any hair loss himself... As the barber cut and shaved we talked about my two favorite topics: politics and religion. Some of my readers will probably recognize the danger of talking about these subjects while getting one's hair cut - I did not.

Let me clearly state that I asked for a short haircut; But I feel as though my barber was taking some of his frustration with out conversation out on my scalp, hair, and eyebrows. I asked for a haircut that I will not have to comb... I believe I received exactly what I asked for... many weeks worth...

Now I expected something like this:

...or maybe like this:

...but what I got looks a lot like this:

The situation, I believe, turned south when religion entered the conversation. We bantered for a few minutes about politics and foreign policy with each person defending their position while spewing false factoids and statistics that were clearly based on our perception of the world rather than polling; however, once we started discussing religion I quickly began to question facts and positions that my barber held - no longer willing to allow propoganda-driven drible I demanded resources and proof for his contention... I also believe this is when the sides of my head were shaved bald - but I digress.

As I left the barbershop this morning I had two great epiphanies. First, my head was really cold with the sudden loss of hair; and second, the Bible and religion have regressed in conversation to that of politics. As I rubbed my bald head walking to my car I considered the comments that the barber had made and his casual observation and recollection of the scriptures - he treated the study and understanding of God's Holy Word the same as politics: perceptual and not factual.

Scary isn't it. How many people talk about sports like they do the bible? Do we make up wins and losses of our teams? Do we imagine players in the game, replacing real players with fictional ones? Do we really believe that the bible is so complicated and God so secretive that we cannot read and understand it for ourselves?

Wow.

I am attending a baptism for my niece this weekend. She is about 5 months old and is being baptized on Sunday morning. I spoke to her Dad about this service and the baptism and asked him why this is significant for him and what it means to him and his wife. I tried to listen intently and I felt, at the time, the conversation was good; but after my conversation with the barber this morning I realized now that I was talking political-religion, not biblical faith.

I believe that baptism does not get anyone into heaven. I believe that baptism does not start the process of salvation, conclude salvation, affirm salvation, strengthen salvation, temper salvation, prepare one for salvation, etc. Baptism, according to the bible, is an act of testimony, identity, and commitment.

Baptism is an act of testimony as the believer (note, this person has already committed their life to Jesus, thus salvation has occurred and sanctification is in process) is baptized in public in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This baptism itself paints a picture of trusting in Jesus' as one dies to self and is raised in newness of life - a new creation.

Baptism is an act of identity. When we are baptized we find our identity in the collection of other believers, called the church. We identify with all other believers who have professed the same testimony through baptism and with the church that ordinates the baptism. We align ourselves with them and permit them to now hold us accountable to the faith which we testify. Now our spiritual ID card reads, I belong to the Kingdom of God through faith in Jesus Christ as my personal Savior and the Lord of my life.

Baptism is an act of commitment. When we are baptized we announce that we are disciples, or followers, of Jesus Christ. We state clearly to others as we are submersed in water in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit that we believe Jesus is who He says He is, that He will do what He says He will do, and that we will obey His Word and His will for our life. When we are baptized we commit to this and give every witness of the testimony permission to hold us accountable to this.

Where is the proof? Where are the Facts? Read Acts 2:40-47; 10:34-48 and Romans 6:1-14 and get back to me... but this time, I will cut the hair :)

The LORD's Anointed

2010-11-07T21:09:00.004-07:00

I have been reading through 1&2 Samuel over the last few weeks and the phrase, "the LORD's Anointed" has been sticking in my mind.

The Old Testament records three types of positions that the LORD anoints: Prophet, Priest, and King. God anoints those who will speak on His behalf to the people (prophet), those He calls to minister his word and worship before the people (priest), and those He sets apart to provide special leadership in His kingdom...

In 1&2 Samuel David is found running from King Saul, who intends to kill David. Several opportunities are given to David to take the life of Saul, but David refuses to end or stop that which God has begun and set apart for His own service.

I have heard the term, LORD's anointed, used many times to describe those in specific roles of service in God's kingdom - specifically Pastors, Deacons, and Missionaries... Those that have been called and ordained. I don't want to belittle any of these offices in the kingdom, but I also don't want to leave out the truth.

The truth is this: every person who has repented of their sin and received forgiveness of sins through faith in Jesus Christ is a Priest in the kingdom of God. Every person. Every father who is a disciple of Jesus (see Priest) has been anointed by God as Prophet to his children. It is his role to speak the truth of God to his children's hearts so that they may know their sin and fear God.

The point that struck me this morning is simple: Believers in Jesus are all anointed. We are all called to be set apart and live lives of worship and ministry before a sinful world. Wow. Jesus has not only saved His disciples, but He has anointed them as priests in His kingdom!

So the next question I asked was, how long? How long are we to be Priests? How long was David King? How long was Saul King? How long was Samuel a prophet? For life... Until you die. Here is the interesting part: Believers, true disciples of Jesus, will not die - the bible teaches that they have already passed from death to life and will live with the LORD forever.

How long are we to be holy, set apart, living lives of worship and ministry before the LORD and others? Forever.

Is this exciting to you? Are you like me, energized by the idea of living eternity in worship and ministry - loving others the way that Jesus loves... Does this news put a huge smile on your face and a sense of longing to be with the LORD?

Here is the problem: Many of us approach our faith like it is a huge burden that we have to carry for a time if we want to make it to the kingdom. Living a holy life, attending worship, reading and studying the word, edifying others are all things that some of us view as a hindrance and crutch that we have to deal with in order to escape from the torment of Hell... The problem is that eternity is not going to be filled with lust and greed and selfishness. It can't, because those things are sinful and there is no sin in heaven.

Are you struggling to find the joy in holiness and the fun of the Christian faith. Are you looking back to your life before Christianity with longing? You are not alone in your struggle. Take the time right now to pray to God and tell Him about your struggle. Ask God to help you to find the joy in your faith.

Hypocrisy: A lack of true conviction

2010-10-08T10:52:00.005-07:00

Hypocrisy is one of those catch-phrases in a church... but what is hypocrisy?

Web Definitions defines hipocrisy as, "an expression of agreement that is not supported by real conviction." In other words, hypocrisy is is pretending and proclaiming to believe something that is not lived out.

One of the requirements of my undergraduate degree was several classes of advanced math and physics. I like both subjects, but I was not the best student at either. In one of my physics classes I met a young man, that I will call Kevin, who was so different from anyone else I had ever met. Kevin seemed to always be on the positive side of bipolar, if that makes sense... Nothing ever seemed to drag him down and every day seemed from my perspective like it was picture perfect for him.

I had several conversations Kevin over the course of the two semesters we had physics together. Over time I learned that Kevin had a very difficult life. He has serious problems at home and work that he had to deal with and ultimately overcome. He struggled along with me in school and was desperately trying to win the attention and affection of a girl he had fallen in love with. Kevin's life was not perfect at all.

Towards the end of the Fall semester Kevin invited me on a skiing trip over a weekend. He said that a bunch of guys from his church were all going to go skiing and offered for me to come along. At that instant I realized what was so different between me and Kevin. I was trudging through life, trying to make something out of nothing and struggling every step of the way. I continuously felt overlooked, frustrated, aggravated, and out numbered. I was trusting in myself, Kevin was trusting in Jesus.

In Luke 12:1b-6 Jesus teaches his disciples about faith,

Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known. Therefore whatever you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have spoken in the ear in inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops.
And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him!
Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten before God. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.

All to often, we proclaim that we know Jesus and that we trust in God, but fail to live that out in our lives... We say that Jesus is our Lord, but as soon as trouble strikes we act and speak as though God has forgotten about us...

Luke 12 teaches us that God knows us intimately. He is not only fully knowledgeable of our needs, but of every aspect of our being... even down to the number of hairs on our head. When God is so closely watching over us, how is it possible to ever believe that He has forgotten us?

Kevin lived out his faith everyday. He gave me an example of what a living, breathing, walking, talking, true believer looks, talks, and acts like. He didn't have to tell me about Jesus, because He was showing me Jesus in his every move.

I am giving my every moment to Jesus. I am living like a child, trusting that God knows and is able. I want someone else to catch a glimpse of true faith when they see me, instead of another whiff of Christian hypocrisy.

-dRo

The invisible God

2010-08-24T09:32:00.003-07:00

The fish and the loaves. Haven't we all heard this parable many times? This morning I read this parable in Mark 8:6-10 and I was reminded of a very certain truth, sometimes we don't know when God is blessing us until the blessing has been fulfilled.

In this parable, there were 7 loaves and a few small fish used to feed four thousand. Think about that... four thousand were "filled", according to verse 8, from 7 loaves and a few small fish. What really struck me this morning is how the multitude, as they were taking and eating, observed God at work.

Did they see Him moving about them? Did they see a wand wave over them? Each of them, seeking to be with Jesus ate, out of His compassion, and were filled.

The interesting part about all of this is that the miracle and work of Jesus was not fully realized until the end... until the collecting of the leftovers. Jesus was working the whole time. Jesus blessed and fed. Jesus filled and provided.

Sometimes I think we find ourselves in a similar situation, don't we. God is blessing us, providing for us, filling us... and many times we don't even realize what Jesus is doing until the end.

Did they consume it all? No. The disciples collected the leftover fragments and there were 7 large baskets full. Wow. Jesus has enough compassion to not only feed all of those who come to Him, but will have leftovers!

Thank you, Jesus for your compassion. Thank you, Jesus for your provision. Thank you, Jesus for the security I have in you, knowing that you will not run out.

-dRo

Theology Matters

2010-07-27T10:47:00.003-07:00

I have recently resigned from a loving church where I have served for over a year, and upon resigning I received many gracious comments regarding my pastorate, my behavior, my family, and my preaching.

One comment that stood out regarding my preaching was a nice compliment of how I preach both the New Testament and the Old Testament. As I considered this I began to ask myself if all preachers preach the Old Testament and the New Testament... and more specifically, why would a preacher not preach the Old Testament - which was the focus of the compliment.

I have started to wonder why someone would not preach the Old Testament with the same fervor and passion as the New Testament... and then this morning I believe I discovered one of many possible answers: Dispensationalism.

To be clear, I am not attempting to explain the concept of dispensationalism in this posting; however, when I read a posting from a church looking for a Pastor that believed in dispensation a light bulb went on in my heart that shed some light as to why the compliment may have needed to be said. I believe that the commenter has experienced ministry from churches that hold to dispensational theology and their experience exemplifies the incorrectness of that position.

In my theology, and in my worldview, God is unchanging. His Word is eternal and He Himself is not influence, changed, or coerced in any way by anything. God is as He has always been: Perfect, Holy, Just, Loving, Patient, Full of Mercy, Quick to Forgive, etc. I further believe that God's expectations for His people have not changed either. God still expects for His people to act, behave, think, and live as He does. The God of the Old Testament is the same God of the New Testament.

This morning as part of my bible study I read Exodus 22-23. There are a lot of laws and rules in these chapters outlining what justice looks like, but verses 4-6 really hit home for me:

If you come across your enemy's ox or donkey wandering off, be sure to take it back to him. If you see the donkey of someone who hates you fallen down under its load, do not leave it there; be sure you help him with it. Do not deny justice to your poor people in their lawsuits.

What really struck me is that God has always been full of compassion and mercy. God is not simply laying down examples and rules of justice in these chapters, God is giving examples of how His people should behave, think, and act in life. Does God want you to be kind to only those who are kind to you? Does God only want you to exert effort to help those that you like and who agree with you? Does God assume that poor people are poor because they are lazy and deserve it? Read the above verses again, and then read what Jesus says in Luke 6:

But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you.

If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' lend to 'sinners,' expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

Same God, Same expectation.... Theology Matters.

Living Behind Walls

2010-05-14T10:29:00.009-07:00

I am a person of privacy. It has taken me a long time to accept this idea, and it is with much distaste that I make this confession. For years I have tried to convince myself that I am an open book, outgoing, and public in all parts of my life. The often used adjective, "transparent" comes to mind when I picture how I want to be described... but transparent is not even close.

If I were going to try to describe myself and my personality through images and pictures I would be a block wall, or at least a person living behind one.

I love the Word of God, I love Jesus, I love spending time with God, and a like people. I like them, not really loving many of them.

This is one of the differences between me and Jesus: Jesus loves all the people (Romans 5:8). Jesus loves them all so much that He gave up His blood for them on the cross. Jesus did this out of love, to save all of the people that come to Him in repentance and faith trusting in Him. Wow. Jesus did all of this, and I struggle with wondering if, "like" is too strong of word to use to describe my feelings.

The issue is sin. My sin and their sin. As a believer, I know that human society is affected by sin, it has become polluted by it, distorted by it, corrupted by it; and now we must live in it. So my answer, in many ways, is to isolate myself from it. This is wrong.

Our mission on this earth is not to build a great utopia where everything is perfect. The mission of the disciples of Jesus is to alleviate suffering and to strike at the root cause of injustice, prejudice, violence, and poverty by sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ with the whole world.

Matthew 9:36 says that when Jesus saw the crowds he was, "moved with compassion." Jesus is concerned about all people, the whole person, and the society in which that person lives. This is the heart of Jesus. What is your heart?

I am tearing down the walls, and lifting up my voice. What are you doing?

-dRo

Waiting for Change

2010-03-25T11:54:00.013-07:00

I am not sure why, but I have been thinking about the beach a lot lately. I have found myself wondering, considering, even investigating if it is possible for my family to go to Bermuda for a short holiday.

The more I have examined my thoughts and my motives, the more I am convinced that my motivation is my desire for change. I want change in my life. It isn't that I detest my life, but that I find myself in a situation where I am too busy and I am starting to feel a little overwhelmed.

The funny part about all of this is that, I don't have to go to Bermuda to change my life and situation. All I really need to do is give it all to Jesus, and depend on Him to lead me, guide me, care for me, and put my life back together the way it belongs.

That is what Isaiah 61 is all about - Rebuilding, Returning, and Rejoicing.

Isaiah 61:3 reads,

To console those who mourn in Zion,
To give them beauty for ashes,
The oil of joy for mourning,
The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;
That they may be called trees of righteousness,
The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified

This is the ministry of Jesus and His church. This is what He does. He takes our heavy burdens, the ashes that we have made by burning our life at both ends and destroying all that has been given to us. When we seek His will and give our life to Him, he brings beauty from the ashes, exchanges joy for mourning, and covers our heavy, weak, down-trodden spirit with a garments of praise.

Will you join me in standing stall and strong like the mighty oaks in the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ? Let's give everything to Him together, for His glory, and for our restoration.

-dRo.

An Eternal Vision

2010-01-04T12:35:00.007-07:00

I have been reading, "Preventing Ministry Failure" by Michael Todd Wilson and Brad Hoffman for the last couple of weeks. The first few chapters challenge the reader to understand their calling, manage their time, and protect their relationships. Reading these chapters was a true wake-up call to me. As I read these chapters and thought about their significance, God led me through a progression of experiences over the last week that are truly God-moments.

The first experience was a planned vacation with my family (Protect My Relationships). This was not a major vacation, but a small weekend getaway to retreat and recharge after a very busy semester of school, work, and ministry. As we vacationed, I realized that I was not retreating, relaxing, or recharging. I was exchanging. I exchanged one group of activities that consumed my time and thoughts for another group of activities that consumed my time and thoughts. Halfway into the "vacation" I realized that scripted vacations are not compatible with my personality type. A true vacation for me is a vacation with nothing planned. In order for me to relax and not feel pressured to "keep a schedule" I must not have an itinerary of any sort. To me, this is something strange and a little scary. The idea of not being productive with my time seems inherently wrong to me, and is something to which I am resistant; nevertheless, the conclusion I reached is that this is a requirement for me to rest.

The second experience was total lack of cellular service and communication with the rest of the world: no phone, no internet, no newspaper no TV, no radio (Manage My Time). Initially I found this extraordinarily irritating, however, about midway through I stopped missing the technology and started appreciated the simplicity of communicating to those around me, rather than trying to reach those involved in separate activities. This spoke to me on a very personal level. My wife and I spent a significant effort pursuing the vocation of foreign missionary. We had a heart, and still do, to move overseas and join another people and share the saving gospel of Jesus Christ with them. God has revealed to us in His way that for now, our calling is stateside. In my love for missions I have found that I frequently read and focus on foreign missions, eventhough I am aware that God has closed that door for a season. What a waste of time this has been - spending countless hours lusting after other ministries instead of embracing the ministry God has called me to and equipped me for.

The last experience was truly a God-moment. We stayed at a campground at Roosevelt Lake that had a playground for children. During our vacation my children were playing with another couple of children who were also there on vacation at the playground. The played on a slide and teeter-totter together and had a wonderful time. The last night of our vacation at the campground I spoke with the Father of the children my kids had befriended and was pleasantly surprised to discover that he was an Assembly of God minister. Tim is a friendly, kind man who was gracious to share part of his journey with me. In his journey with God he and his wife reached a point where they decided they would move and go wherever they were called. He sent out quite a few resumes and received one response; that is where they moved and served. Tim's story is not unique, but the timing and conclusion of his story was unique. God used Tim at that church as a youth minister for several years and then Tim was called to Pastor another church. God called Tim, God used Tim, then God used Tim more in a different way.

In a sermon I preached recently over Isaiah 7, I spoke specifically about verse 4:
Take heed, and be quiet; do not fear or be fainthearted for these two stubs of smoking firebrands, for the fierce anger of Rezin and Syria, and the son of Remaliah. (NKJV)

I used this passage of scripture to describe the struggles and fears in the world as two burnt-out matchsticks from the perspective of God. To God, these two mighty armies coming to take Jerusalem were nothing more than two brittle, burnt-out matchsticks.

What I didn't discuss was why. God has an eternal vision and perspective. God understands how things look to us today in there here and now, but He also understands their significance from an eternal perspective. Rezin and Remaliah had powerful armies that were positions to take Jerusalem. They would kill King Ahaz and establish a new King and then lead Judah into war. Can you imagine something like this today? Two great powers uniting to come against your country to kill the leadership and place their own people as leaders over you and then force you into war?

Then in verses 7-9 God says that none of what they (Rezin and Remaliah) attempt will be accomplished. He sees their efforts and understands what fuels their work and labels them burnt-out matchsticks.

To contrast this event of insignificance, God describes an event of incredible eternal significance in verses 14-15:

Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel. ¹⁵ Curds and honey He shall eat, that He may know to refuse the evil and choose the good.(NKJV)

Armies approaching to kill and rule, burnt-out matchsticks. Virgin gives birth to a baby who is, "with us is God", eternally significant.

Our goal is to be fully in the moment we find ourselves in. To be attentive, aware, and focused on the relationship we have, the time we have, and the eternal significance of the events around us. Battles will come and go, but Immanuel is constant and eternal.

Will you join me in turning off the browsers, turning off the phones, and focusing on those around you, sharing with them Immanuel.

-dRo

The Life We Live

2009-10-08T12:42:00.005-07:00

Flying in an airplane is not my favorite activity. To be very honest, traveling by plane is one of my least favorite activities. I am not sure if the issue I have with flying is due to not trusting the pilot, or if it is related to my experience at the airport to board the plane.

Ultimately the reason why I fly is to save time. Flying, I have been told, is one of the safest and fastest ways to travel. Airplanes offer the convenience of using the restroom without having to stop, and the added benefit of finishing the final touches on that presentation.

What happens when flying is no longer convenient or fast? More than once I have boarded an airplane at a busy airport (see Orlando) and found myself sitting in an airplane on the tarmac for many hours waiting for the traffic and weather to clear before beginning the flight.

Some may ask why I am in such a hurry, to which I respond, "I want to get on with my life."

Jeremiah 29 speaks to this as well. In this chapter Jeremiah responds to some false prophets in Babylon who are misleading the exiles. The false prophets have been telling the people that they would be returning to Jerusalem soon and the result is the people were not making any adjustments for their life in captivity. When Jeremiah heard this, he wrote to them and instructed them to get on with their life, because they would be there for a while.

In many ways the exiles were in a similar situation as I have found myself. They were sitting on the tarmac, waiting for change so they could continue their life, and meanwhile life was passing them by...

Looking back, as I sat in that airplane on the tarmac in Orlando, I had a captive audience around me to hear the gospel. I had the opportunity with very little noise or distraction to talk with the people sitting around me and share the saving gospel of Jesus Christ with them. I chose, instead, to sit in the seat staring off towards Jerusalem.

Jeremiah writes to the exiles in Jeremiah 29:5-6

Build houses and dwell in them; plant gardens and eat their fruit. Take wives and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands, so that they may bear sons and daughters—that you may be increased there, and not diminished.

Jeremiah says to the exiles, build houses, plant gardens, marry and give in marriage: Live the life that you have to live!

I am going to live life.

I am going to live life every moment of every day. I am going to live my life loving the Lord and worshipping Him in all things.

What life are you going to live?

dRo.

Target Fixation

2009-08-03T10:13:00.012-07:00

Have you heard the term, "target fixation" before? Wikipedia describes target fixation in this way: a process by which the brain is focused so intently on an observed object that awareness of other obstacles or hazards can diminish. The idea is focusing your mind so intently on a single object or goal that all other aspects surrounding you fade into non-existence.

I experienced target fixation this recently when jumping off the roof of my father-in-law's house into his backyard pool. This was my first experience of "roof diving" and I must admit that it was unique.

Allow me for a moment to explain my experience of roof diving. My adventure began by climbing up a metal ladder in wet, bare feet onto the roof. It may not be obvious to some readers, so I want to be clear here: it is summer time in Arizona and metal (really anything) that is left in the sun is very hot, so climbing this ladder is slightly uncomfortable.

The roof I climbed onto was hot and rough. Standing on the roof went from a sensation of burning to uncomfortable after my brother-in-law donated his shirt to the this-hot-roof-is-burning-my-feet charity drive, however, I found that my weight and his weight standing together in the same small area on a thin plywood roof was great motivation to jump off the roof!

We did some quick, vague, planning of where we would jump to try to avoid slamming into one another and off we went...

As I planted my last foot on the roof and began my leap towards the pool I noticed that my level of concentration peaked. I looked intently at the pool, focusing on the goal to enter the water and not the concrete. I applied adequate force to project myself off of the roof and towards to pool, but not so much force as to propel me over the pool and into the wall adjacent to the pool.

As I descended I retracted my feet and used my arms to try to control the orientation of my body so that by face was not the body part to enter the water first. Everything else around me faded away - it all became inconsequential. My entire being for that brief second was focused on the single objective of entering the water.... nothing else mattered.

This story relates well to what the Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 8:5

For those who live according to the flesh
set their minds on the things of the flesh,
But those who live according to the Spirit,
the things of the Spirit. (NKJV)

Paul was explaining that focus matters. In the Christian life, we must keep our focus on what we are doing. We must remain attentive that our focus is to enter the kingdom of heaven and accomplish our mission at hand: to share the saving gospel of Jesus Christ to a dying world. We are to run (and jump) and work towards this goal without distraction.

Does this mean that our life will look different from other people? Probably. A life spent focusing on the Spirit and the goal of spreading the gospel of Jesus to the entire world should look different than a life spent focusing on a relaxing retirement or other self-service.

Does this mean that I will live a life of poverty? Maybe, but the life a believer that is focused on the kingdom of God will find incredible treasure and assurance in their relationship with the Creator - something that cannot be purchased. How many people look to their retirement savings or house for hope when they are facing death?

Does this mean that I will be miserable? No. happiness is an emotional state, that is highly dependent upon the perspective of the moment. This is why something you have, or do, may make you happy one day and not the next. The bible says that Jesus brings joy to the heart of believers and it is a joy that is eternal.

I am focusing on the Savior, His mission, and eternity.

What are you focusing on?

.

Think Outside of the Box

2009-07-21T15:38:00.004-07:00

By trade I am an engineer, a software engineer to be precise. Much of software engineering is abstract... in essence, software engineering is the process of creating usable functions and applications from abstract concepts.

One of the difficult tasks in this type of environment is communication. It is just plain difficult to clearly communicate abstract ideas through verbal, or even textual, communication. Typically a conversation will find its way to either a piece of paper or a whiteboard so that through pictures, words, text, and body language one engineer may communicate an abstract thought to a practical solution.

I find that similar things happen when my mind turns to God. Trying to understand this incredible, eternal, wild, uncontainable, incorruptible, awesome God is not easy. .

God is the Creator of creation, not an object of creation. Can you image a painting claiming to be a painter? Seeing a painting, one instinctively knows that there must be a painter who panted the painting... Or how about a building? Seeing a building one can immediately ascertain that there was a builder of the building. Seeing creation, we know that there is a Creator.

The difficulty with this is that when considering God we don't really have much of a foundation to base our thoughts, so we must return to the basic, fundamental part of abstract thinking: the unknown.

We don't know much about God. God is love. God is a man of war. God is full of mercy and patient beyond measure. God is quick to forgive and slow to anger. God loves His creation. God has chosen to reveal Himself in three ways: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. The list continues, but is never complete, because God is eternal.

I have resolved that there are some things that must stay abstract.

This is the same difficulty that the Apostle Paul was addressing in Romans 1:22-23 as he wrote,

Professing to be wise, they became fools and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man - and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things

Paul wrote of the idea that we cannot confine God to His creation.

God is God, and not a creating being. When we think of God in terms of creation, we change the glory of our magnificent God into something much less than it is... and we find that in this state this new god is no longer complete.

We must not confine God to our level of understanding. When we consider God we must think outside of creation and allow for our God-given abstract thinking to allow for variables that we cannot resolve.

Join me in glorifying and loving God where He is, for who He is, as He is.

Praise God!

The Weary...The Good Parent

2009-07-17T07:26:00.008-07:00

July 17, 2009

As you may know, it seems since March 2009, our life as a family has been full of 'episodes' that are more dramatic than watching television! We have encountered two surgeries for Jeni, head lice, long weeks of international travel, the death of Jake, the addition of Dottie, moving to a new church family, replacement of a vehicle, and a roller-coaster with the legal system. In all of these things, I am so thankful to have the God, the Creator of the Universe as my God.

As I read Galatians in the New Testament the timing was perfect and spoke to my heart.

"Let him who is taught in the word share in all good things with him who teaches. Do not be deceived. God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, the he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith." --Galatians 6:6-10

Reading this Scripture was such a renewal to me. I was reminded that God already has a plan for us and that we need to obediently follow Him. I have introduced the words 'reap and sow' to our children in home-school lessons and the events of the last six months are ways to apply it in my own life.

My prayer is that my heart is in line with God's will for our life and that I am honoring Him in my actions each day. My desire is not to grow weary in doing good as a parent. I am thankful for my parents and my family that has shaped me into the parent I am today.

What about our lives and words "hallows" the name of our Father?

2009-07-08T06:23:00.003-07:00

July 7, 2009

As I prepare to home school today and read the Bible lesson for the kids, I have to do some additional reading to prepare myself. It is too early in the morning for Danny to be awake, so I have to do some of my own research and study for myself.

What does 'hallow' really mean? Is it that 'hallow' usually used as a verb, "to make holy or sacred, to sanctify or consecrate"... (I will look forward to Danny's reply.)

Here is the point of why I want to know more about that word 'hallow'....

Many verses in the Bible say that we are to fear the LORD to be near him, to understand him and to not be foolishly avoiding him. To love him, we must also fear him, this is part of the way that we respect his awesome character, pure, holy, magnificent, and powerfully goodness. What is my life is 'hallow', made holy or sanctified? Maybe I have a grasp of this idea for worship on Sunday's at church and in my personal prayer life, but what am I missing? Where else can I apply 'hallow' and see the results? In prayer, it is about being humble, recognizing my fear, understanding God's love for me as his creation, and knowing all along I will see Him through Jesus. When we revere Him as HOLY, only then are we acknowledging that HE is, and his name is God. I think that is 'hallow'.

What about when we desecrate or blaspheme God?

We had a terrible struggle with our middle daughter lying to us. It has been building over the last few events and last night was an explosion. It was small at first as, 'Who left a dirty sweeper pan on the kitchen counter, or who cut all of the hair off of a Barbie doll and left the bathroom sink a mess?, but it escalated to Who made a mess on Mom's dresser with Mom's make-up?' At 6-years-old, I doubt she can see the consequences of her sin until we as parents apply significant consequences in a physical way to her life. She only treasures her 'things'. Her possessions such as Barbie dolls, her ATV, and maybe her DS. As parents, we have tried to explain the situation to her, we have been patient and loving, and applying discipline along the way, yet, she continues in her choice to lie. Last night, I felt that if we as parents did not apply a severe consequence that we were desecrating God because we were not honoring him by not applying his commands in our own daughter's life.

We desecrate and blaspheme GOD, when we consider him to be anything less than he is and our finite brain struggles to trust in faith and blinded by worldly views. We do this in attitude, actions and words. It was not just our daughter's lies but we as parents had to apply our beliefs in our actions and words. As difficult as it was, I feel we honored God in our attempt to end the lying. We have to be able to trust our children totally in every situation because their choices to come in their future are going to be more significant than getting into Mom's make-up while no one was watching. We as parents have to be able to trust our children.

I prayed with our daughter again last night and I realized in a true situation that we must let the Holy Spirit control the communication, and let go of ourselves to be given the Holy Spirit's vision of God we can respond to with our character he built into us to worship, and praise at that moment, then we are on his terms; ready to be heard, forgiven, guided, blessed and loved. Often we come to God on our terms, with our demands, and our agenda. How he longs to have us just be still, and know he is God.

I challenge you to look at your life this week for ways to 'hallow' God and continue in those ways. I also challenge you to recognize attitudes, actions, and words that are not honoring God and to begin making efforts to change those ways. As in the case with our daughter, the correction can be immediate and have a physical impact. Our daughter was welled-up with tears as she got a kitchen trash bag to gather her toys and helmet. She has permanently lost toys that are very special to her and our desire is that each time she desires to play with those special toys that she remembers her Heavenly Father that loves her and commands her obedience. Today, my prayer is for our daughter, us as parents, and each one of us as Christians to focus on ways to honor God in our day.

Blessings,
Nikki

For the Glory of God

2009-05-31T20:28:00.007-07:00

For the glory of God... this is one of those phrases that sounds great during a worship service. This is the type of phrase that people love to hear when it comes to talking about financial sacrifice and church programs...For the glory of God.

In my family we talk about God's glory in relation to His creation. When we see an incredible sunset, "Wow, God is incredible." When we see or hear of some great movement of God we turn our conversation towards God's glory.

In my personal life I have a picture of God's glory in my mind as something of an intense glow. I have an image in my mind of a four layer cloud that lead the Hebrews out of the bondage of Egypt and into the promised land. In my mind, God's glory is something of power and awe to behold.

In chapter 11 of the book of John the glory of God is formed in a unique way. The glory of God begins with bad things happening to good people. In this chapter Lazarus had become sick and when Jesus was told of his sickness, he allowed Lazarus to die. There was crying and mourning. The funeral service was held and Lazarus was placed in the tomb.

A few days later Jesus arrived. Martha, Lazarus' sister came to meet Jesus. Jesus reminded her that Lazarus would rise again... and Martha agreed, that someday in the resurrection -way off in the distance- that Lazarus would rise from the dead. Then Jesus says to her in verse 25, "I am the resurrection and the life."

When they eventually came to the tomb of Lazarus and Jesus had the tomb opened, Martha reminded Jesus of the smell of the dead... and Jesus said in verse 40, "Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?"

Jesus called out to Lazarus, and Lazarus walked out of the tomb to Jesus... ALIVE!

What really struck me about all of this is how everything began with Lazarus dying, and Martha mourning.

I recently did something rather stupid. I made a decision that had the ultimate result of hurting the feelings of someone close to me. The crazy part is that I never saw it coming. I never once thought that the decision I made would result in anyone being upset or being hurt.

Have you ever experienced this? Have you ever done something that had a totally unexpected result? It is a strange sensation for the few out there who have yet to experience the roller coaster of life. What began with one intention has resulted in something quite different, and now I am left wonder, what now?

In verse 45, many who saw believed in Jesus. The final condition was witness and faith all for the glory of God.

Typing this message tonight, my only prayer is that this will all end up being... for the glory of God...

Coming Soon...

2009-05-11T22:31:00.004-07:00

Today has been another eventful day in Hawaii. An 8-week old nephew weighing in at 14.2 pounds, a sister with recovering health, doctor appointments, groceries, fuel, laundromat, and telephone calls. I am so thankful for the opportunity to help my sister in her time of need and among all of the things from today I still made time not only as my morning quiet time but throughout the day to reflect on God and how He is in control of my life. What I also noticed is by keeping my focus on Him I have been honored and blessed with a wonderful husband and family. I often wonder if my daily tasks are in the right priority. I wonder if I am wasting time. A day like today affirms that each task and each day is full of joy. As we were driving 'up the volcano' to go home, we drove a new road and I found a sign that I had to turn around and take a picture of it..... look at this picture... does it speak for itself?

Drawing Close Through The Word

2009-05-11T10:43:00.003-07:00

About a week ago my wife left to go stay with her sister to help her through a difficult time in her life. At the same time, and mostly to allow me to still work, my children went to stay with their Nana.

I have been without my family for one week. I have not been able to hold my wife's hand or touch her or smell her or listen to her voice (not digitized at least) for 7 days. I miss her very much. For 7 days our relationship has been on hold. For 7 days I have not been "plugged-in" to her life and her person. For 7 days the deepest interaction I have had from her is her blog postings (see image).

For the last 7 days I have spent a lot of time listening to people talk. I have heard people talk about God. I have heard them mention the name of Jesus. For 7 days I have listen to people talk a lot about religion and "churchy" things...

An interesting part about all of this is that I have not heard anyone refer to God or Jesus or their faith in a way that even slightly implies that they are in a relationship or that Jesus is alive and coming. For 7 days people have talked about things of religion and I have not seen or heard a single reference or smidgen of information that would lead me to believe that they love Him, know Him, or are growing in a relationship with Him... why?

Because you can't grow in a relationship without investing time in the relationship... you can't get to know someone by just standing next to them... you can know about them, but you won't know them and who they are...

If you want to know Jesus, you must spend time with Jesus. If you want a relationship with God, you must spend time in the Word.

My family and I have a practice of memorizing scripture together. There is nothing complicated here. We choose a verse that is special to us and we all begin to memorize. We challenge each other. We encourage each other. We hold each other accountable. We talk about how that scripture is impacting us and our hearts.

Will you join us as we follow our hearts to love and know Jesus in a deeper, more intimate way?

What is your title?

2009-05-11T10:38:00.006-07:00

I am so happy for Lisa, my sister, as she celebrates her first Mother's Day. Xavier, or X-man, is such a blessing. His tiny smiles, little noises, slight whimpers, and the joy is impossible to describe. In order to help Lisa with Xavier and her recovery from surgery, I am away from my family. I miss my husband and children each moment, yet, I know that my return to them will be soon.

I wonder if this is how God looks at us? Does He await the day that we will return to Him?

On Mother's Day - away from my family, I was 'Auntie' and I loved the title, but I missed my three little children and my title of 'Momma'...and 'Wife'.

I challenge you to think about your title. Is your title meaningful to you? I hope that my title is 'Christian Wife, Mom, Friend'......Is your title enough for you?

The X-Man

2009-05-08T21:18:00.002-07:00

Four days of Hawaii and the best view is this...

Do you understand?

2009-04-20T09:17:00.004-07:00

My youngest daughter has this habbit of saying that she understands when she really doesn't. I have noticed that I cannot simply ask, "do you understand" because she will always answer "yes." I am not sure if this is because she wants to be right, wants to please her parents, or just doesn't want to listen to me talk anymore... maybe it is a little of each :)

A direct result of this awareness has been a new approach to confirming that she understands. Instead of asking her if she understands, I now ask her to explain to me what I just explained to her. What an amazing concept this is. The idea, I'm sure, was not invented by Nikki or myself, and has most likely been employed by parents around the globe for generations... but for my little family this change has made a world of difference.

our basic position is that if our children really do understand what they have just been taught, then they should be able to teach it to someone else. This sounds a lot like the message of the bible.

In Psalm 119:33-40 the Psalmist is pleading with God to help him find the way back to a right relationship with God. The Psalmist recognizes that a right relationship with God is life and that righteousness is found in understanding and obedience of God's Word.

What really struck me out of this passage is the first two words of verse 33, "Teach me" (NKJV). The idea in Hebrew behind this word is to throw or cast something. Specifically, this word is used a lot in the Old Testament in reference to shooting arrows and such. The picture here is of arrows of deliverance. The Psalmist writes that to know God's Word is to be armed with arrows that can be drawn and shot, stopping the advance of the enemy.

The Psalmist continues in his plead asking God to guide him into discernment to know when to fire and when to hold, to keep him standing firm (holding his position) against an approaching enemy, for it is in this that the Psalmist proclaims he will find life.

I have spent a lot of time in classes over the years - around 15 years in college alone. I am still a full-time (or almost) student at seminary and seek to learn all I can. I have determined that what I know is not gauged by the time I have invested or the school that I attend, but only by my ability to effectively use what has been taught.

In John 8:42-45 Jesus asks the Pharisees, "Why do you not understand My speech?" then proceeds to answer His own question: They do not understand because they have no reference from which to begin. Jesus speaks truth and life to Pharisees who's only frame of reference is a worldview of lies and deception. He speaks a simple truth to people who are accustomed to the complexity of lies.

Do you understand the simple truth of gospel?

Are you able to use and teach what you profess to know?

Are you listening from a perspective of dependence upon the grace of God to save you from your sin, or are you still trying to make up for the evil you have done?

Allow me to encourage you to follow the footsteps of the Psalmist:

1. Pray to God to guide you.
2. Return to daily reading of the bible, searching His Word for the simple Truth.
3. Cling to God's Word and Truth, finding your strength in Christ alone.

Jake E. Baba

2009-04-11T13:54:00.001-07:00

My dog of 12 years died today. He was my dog. I picked him. I trained him. I cared for him. I held him as he died.
I will miss Jake dearly. He was there for the birth of all my children. He ran with me. He played with me. He welcomed me home everyday.
My heart is full of love and thankfulness for the time we had together.
I will miss you Jakey.

Burning with Desire

2009-04-04T12:43:00.006-07:00

I know almost nothing about marketing and advertising. I am aware it exists. I am aware that I am often drawn to purchase items that I see advertised. I have no idea how it works or why.

Advertising is powerful. Advertising communicates a clear, penetrating message to people through text, music, and images. There is an entire industry that gains all income from clever advertising of questionable products (see As Seen On TV products).

Each trip that I have made overseas has had a common observational truth... Each time I have found myself in a foreign country with little grasp of the language and almost totally ignorant of the culture, but still familiar with the billboards and magazines around me... because they are American advertisements of various products.

During my most recent trip to China I was struck by the amount of American advertisement. It seemed like everywhere I looked I found an American advertisement that included some level of sexual stimulus. Billboards advertising cologne were liberally filled with well-endowed, scantily-dressed women. I found myself surrounded by sexually implicit, perhaps explicit, images in advertisement of various products that were all distinctly American.

The majority of the people that I seemed to talk with on this trip were all interested in America and American culture. People were curious of what America was like and seemed to invest a great amount of effort in acting, talking, and dressing American. So it should be of little surprise when I say that the majority of the women were dressed like billboard models and left very little to the imagination and many of the men looked amazingly feminine and spoke in the slang of advertisement.

These people were burning up with lust enticed through advertisement from a country and people that they seemed to admire. They looked at America through the lens of modern-day advertisement and saw a culture full of sex, selfishness, and sensuality. They saw a people without a care in the world, who were lapping up all that life had to offer and living out a fantasy that many dream of. Americans were fat, prideful, sexual people who worship self and seek fulfillment in bodily form without repercussion or penalty. What a great thing to advertise...

This was the same observation of the Psalmist in Psalm 73. The Psalmist looked around and saw how the world around him was full of people who were wicked and yet seemed to be complete. These wicked people were outwardly spoken of their wickedness and continued to lead a life of satisfaction. The Psalmist saw this and wrote how he almost slipped in his envy of them... he almost stumbled in his faith as he watched them... almost.

The key in the life of the Psalmist was an experience in the sanctuary when his eyes were lifted up from the short-sighted goals around him to eternity. As his eyes were lifted up from the happiness of today to the reality of eternity the Psalmist repented of his poor thoughts and regretting his weakness. The Psalmist decided, I want God more than I want anything else. The Psalmist was changed and began to burn with desire for God. He wanted God more than anything else... thoughts of God consumed him, thoughts about God consumed him, a deep inward desire to be like and with YHWH was his only desire.

What do you desire?

Philippines: A First Look

2009-03-24T05:39:00.011-07:00

Nikki asked me to put up a post on the Philippines. So this post is in response to her request.

My initial impression of the Philippines is that it is a messy mixture of technology, Asian culture, Malaysian culture, and terrorism all wrapped around a country called the Philippines.

I am not sure how to explain this impression any better than through pictures. So here is the one picture I have taken that I believe describes the Philippines the best.

I believe these lines are the power lines and phone lines all wrapped together. They tend to just wrap up any extra wire and hang it off another strand or hook on the pole somewhere.

When I first saw this I asked, is this area under construction? I have been well assured that this is a very affluent area and one of the most modern in the Philippines.

Don’t misunderstand my intention, I like the Philippines. The food is good, the weather is great, it doesn't smell, and the people all seem to be relatively healthy and happy.. I even love the palm trees and vegitation.

It is absolutely beautiful here. Out of all the places I have visited, this place is one of my favorite destinations. That being said, there is also a downside, like the public transportation

Another interesting part of the Philippines is there local transportation. There are different types of buses on the road, but these buses are my favorite. They are some type of local shuttle that drive people from one side of Manila to the other. This is a picture of one of those local shuttle-buses driving people through traffic. There are two things worth noting here; 1)The people hanging off the back of the buses are passengers not employees, and 2)Traffic here is similar to our concept of bumper cars in the states, without the bumping.

Signs such as one-way, two-way, construction, and no entry really have no meaning here at all. I am not sure if there are speed limits, but I believe the local consider this relative to their vehicles top speed. For instance, a speed limit of 40 is only applicable to a vehicle that has a top speed of 60. So if your vehicle has a top speed of 150, then the speed limit for you is 105.

In a similar understanding the lines on the roadway are really only on the roadway as a courtesy for the painters who needed a job painting lines. I say this because they have no relevance or meaning to anyone.

Home is where my family is...