We Were Made for Moments Like This

You and I were made for moments like this. We would rather choose times of comfort and plenty, but we were created for times of chaos. We might dream of places serene and peaceful, but we were created for places of disorder.

^{Gen 1:1 (ESV)} In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

^1:2 Now the earth was without shape and empty, and darkness was over the surface of the watery deep, but the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the water. ^1:3 God said, “Let there be light.”

God, like a dove, fluttered over the dark emptiness of chaos and brought order. And God said … and God said … and God said … and God said … and God said … and God said … and God said … And THEN …

^{Gen 2:7} God formed the man from the soil of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.

Instead of simply speaking (as if one could even imagine that God speaking is simply simple), He FORMED man and He BREATHED life into him.

^{Gen 1:27} God created humankind in his own image,

in the image of God he created them,

male and female he created them.

^1:28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply! Fill the earth and subdue it! Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and every creature that moves on the ground.”

In His image, God created them. For a purpose, God blessed them. Male and female, he charged them.

“Be fruitful! Multiply! Fill the Earth! Subdue it! Rule over it! Take the darkness and chaos that exists outside of the garden and bring order, and beauty, and abundance, and fullness.”

We were made for times like this. We were made for places like this – not to live in chaos and darkness but, through the power of the Holy Spirit, to transform it (John 8:12; 1 Pet 2:9).

We were made to imitate God by creatively stewarding his creation (Eph 5:1; 1 Cor 4:1-2).

We were made to drive out darkness and usher in the Kingdom of God on earth (Matt 6:10).

No one can doubt that chaos has erupted over the entire earth. Fear and uncertainty have taken a foothold in our community. Depression and despair desire to rule our minds. But we were made for this.

Find the “not good” and make it good. Find the chaos and bring order. Find the darkness and bring light. Drive the fear out with love. Drive despair out with hope. We were made for this.

Are There Uber Drivers In Heaven?

Growing up in the age of the automobile, is an amazing blessing that most people in history never received.

When I was a toddler, all I knew was that getting in the car meant we were going somewhere. We got into the car, sat for a while, and when we got out of the car, we were somewhere different.

But it was more than that. Something magical happened. The car came alive, but only after dad got in and closed his door. It didn’t come alive when I got into the car. It didn’t come alive when mom shut her door. It only happened when dad closed his door.

Soon I realized that dad was the only one with a big circle-thing in front of him. Amazingly, whenever dad turned his circle-thing (they called it a steering wheel) the car would go in that same direction!

One day, when I was by myself, I got in the car, closed dad’s door ... and nothing happened. I turned the circle-thingy (or tried) but the car just sat there. Then I remembered that dad stuck a key into the car and THAT’S when the car came alive. It must not be working for me, I thought, because I don’t have a key.

As I grew up, I learned that we had to feed the car this really horrible smelling drink (they called it gasoline) every so often. I learned that losing air in the tires was a bad thing. 

One time smoke started coming out of the front of the car, and then the car puked hot, green liquid all over the ground.

Somewhere along the line I realized that the car was never “alive” ... it was just a machine that required gas and a radiator full of antifreeze. It was much less mystical. I had learned about steering wheels and timing belts, alternators and batteries, hoods and trunks, seat belts and window cranks. And with some training and practice, I could control it, direct it, and care for it.

And now it “talks” with my phone, tells me how many miles I can go before I run out of gas, and even tells me when my tire has a leak.

But all of that knowledge doesn’t make it any less of an amazing mystery and blessing. It still miraculously gets me from where I am to where I want to go.

In a similar way, growing up as a Christian is an amazing blessing that many in history never receive.

As a young believer, all I knew was that “accepting Christ” and getting into “the faith” meant I was “going to heaven” and not the “other place.” And I suppose, on some level, that’s the most important thing to know.

Sometimes we get “in the faith”, and try to turn the wheel, and nothing happens! Some give up, walk away from “the faith” and never come back. “It doesn’t work,” they say. But occasionally, some discover a key that changes their mind.

But is that all there is? What if there’s more?

Aren’t you curious about how this faith comes to life? Is there a “circle-thing” that can steer faith? What are the “keys” to faith? How do we effectively “feed” our faith? What are some ways our faith can be disabled? How should we care for our faith? How can we enhance, or “super-charge” our faith?

What if being a Christian is more than just “going to heaven?”

And how weird would it be to see a 57-year-old man climb in the back seat of a car and just expect it to take him somewhere?

I know what you’re thinking ... no, there are no Uber or Lyft drivers for the vehicle of faith.

But I can guarantee you, there’s more!

You can find me on FACEBOOK at my Facebook Page (http://www.new.facebook.com/profile.php?id=504321719).

Does God Really Want You To Grow?

Why do we always assume that God wants us to “grow” spiritually?

We don’t always grow physically. We have periods of growth, or seasons of growth. Every parent knows that their children experience spurts of growth. Growth is good and healthy, but there are times when we pause, and at some point stop, growing.

If we grew at the same rate our whole life we would wake up in our eighties at a height of 20’ 6” weighing 700 pounds.

Just like there are seasons of growth physically, followed by seasons where we don’t grow, there will be seasons of spiritual growth followed by seasons where we don’t grow. But there are many seasons in our life where growth is not the objective. 

Physically, we experience seasons where we focus on physical health, or physical endurance, or physical healing.

When training for a marathon your objective is not to grow; your objective is to improve endurance. Sometimes you do this on your own, but success usually requires the guidance of a coach. 

In mid-life we usually focus on improving our health. However we are often only successful at improving our health when we team up with others pursuing the same goal. 

After an injury, or illness, our goal is first healing followed by rehabilitation under the direction of a medical professional.

Some injuries or illness require physical or occupational therapy applied with the close oversight of a trained therapist. 

Spiritually, we have these same types of seasons but if we only focus on spiritual growth we will likely fail at satisfying our real need - spiritual health, endurance, healing, restoration, or rehabilitation.

One more observation: very few (if any) of these seasons can be navigated alone. God designed us for community. You need others to help you through these seasons ... and they need you. 

So what season are you in? Are you proactively navigating this season? Who do you need to help you navigate it successfully? Are you available, prepared, and willing to help someone else through their season?

Never forget ... but what about those that never knew?

We use the phrases “Never forget” and “We will always remember” but there is a generation that only knows what we tell them we experienced. In 12-18 months, the first U.S. soldier will be deployed in Iraq or Afghanistan that wasn’t alive on September 11, 2001. They only know what they see in documentaries and network news specials. 

They also only know the current climate of political hostility and hatred. They’ve only experienced the amplified differences between black and white, Republican and Democrat, citizen and non-citizen. They never lived through September 12, 2001.

It’s quite possible that the most important thing you can do today is to tell your September 12 story to the next generation. 

They need to know that people smiled at each other. Strangers gave each other that “knowing nod” regardless of race or skin color. Republicans held the door open for Democrats. And they stood arm in arm singing “God Bless America.” Kindness ruled the day on September 12.

The next generation needs to know it can happen again. They must hear from you that the current social climate is not “normal.” They need hope that the world can be a better place, even in the wake of devastating destruction. 

As I write this, the southeastern coast of the U.S. is bracing for Hurricane Florence. It will be a crisis that many have never witnessed before. And in the rubble of almost certain destruction, you and I will see the true heart of Americans. You will hear of courageous acts, and an abundance of compassion lived out over the days and weeks to come. 

Your job, your most important activity, will be to remember what you see and experience ... and then tell your children and your children’s children. Remember. Tell your story. 

“We will not hide them from their children, but tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might, and the wonders that he has done ... so that they should set their hope in God and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments;”

Psalms 78:4, 7 ESV

Pita Bread and Blasphemy

It was well rehearsed and performed with passion. Talented young voices singing in perfect harmony. The ballad rose dramatically in energy and intensity. "The goodness inside you will be your guide to the God in others. We are God. God is us." Thousands cheered. Some shouted, "Amen!" and stood to their feet, moved by melody and ability.

I was stunned. How could so many people, so quickly embrace a song that was so clearly blasphemous?

Blasphemy is not a word I use frequently, it sounds too 'churchy', but it is the most accurate word. Blasphemy: the act of claiming the attributes of deity.

Spiritual truth is in short supply today; sometimes even in our churches. But inside each human there is a latent spiritual hunger for truth that's craving satisfaction, and many will eagerly grasp spiritual passion even when it is devoid of spiritual truth.

Yet this was something more; these were not merely empty words - void and without truth - these were deceitful words, poisonous to the soul. Spiritually deadly words.

Why was the reaction of the crowd nearly universal? Why was my reaction so different? Maybe it has something to do with pita bread.

I used to work in Detroit and I have to admit - there are several things good about Detroit. One of those things is food. You could experience the entire, wonderful, culinary world and never leave the Detroit Metro area. Greek food. Polish food. Jewish food. Chinese, Mexican, Japanese, Soul, Thai. And then I discovered the Islamic bakery.

I thought I knew what pita bread was, but that was before I experienced the Islamic bakery. Nothing compares to fresh hummus, tabbouleh, and a warm pita fresh out of the stone oven behind the counter. I would buy several pitas and take them home to eat throughout the week, but after about five or six days, the pita lost it's wonder and began to taste like the stuff you get in the grocery store.

To this day, I can't taste a pita without wishing I was standing at that counter waiting for a warm, fresh, wonderful, authentic pita. And maybe that explains my reaction to the young voices singing about "being God".

Most people can quote that phrase, "... you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free" but few know what Jesus said right before that. To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31-32)

When stores and banks train their employees about counterfeit money, they don't start by showing the fake bills. They study real money. The reason? The more you study the genuine currency, the easier it is to detect an imitation.

Art connoisseurs can easily spot a fraud because they have studied the artist closely. They know his or her style, how they held the brush, what colors they favored, what subjects moved them to create their masterpieces.

What Jesus told those who believed him was, "If you study my teachings and apply them to your lives, you will be free. You will know me and my character, and you will easily see through false claims that can enslave you." The implication is that if we do not study and apply Christ's teachings to our lives, we will be easily deceived by false claims - we won't know what authentic pita bread tastes like.

People are so hungry for truth, they eagerly consume imitations. Our job as Christ followers is to tell them about the "stone oven behind the counter" and "the bread of life." The strategy isn't just to take them to the bakery; our goal should be to give them some of the bread we've discovered. Not week old bread, but warm bread that we receive fresh every day.

When you see or hear something that is blasphemous or spiritually offensive, it's not usually because the people are evil. It's almost always because they are hungry. Listen to Jesus as he gently prods, "You've got fresh bread. You feed them."

Depression Is Real - Kate Spade

Kate Spade was 55 years old with a 13 year old daughter. Kate was a very successful fashion designer. But Kate was in a life or death struggle with depression. Yesterday depression won. 

Today I'm reposting an article from August 2014 because the struggle with depression is real … but it doesn't have to win.

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Monday evening social media exploded. Many say they are mourning. Most are simply remembering a great entertainer; mourning our loss of a source of entertainment. Robin will be missed because he brought joy and laughter.

I never met Robin Williams. Most who did meet him probably didn't KNOW him.

But genuine mourning for Robin Williams is occurring. The loss of a father, a husband, a creative partner. They will miss the person, Robin Williams. Those types of losses are enormous, and the mourning will be great.

Christian scriptures frequently address mourning, but most people try to avoid it. The death of Robin Williams gives us an opportunity to think about subjects we try to avoid including mourning and depression.

Depression is real. Deal with it.

The author of Psalm 42 writes, "Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God." Jesus mourned over Jerusalem saying, "how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing." There's even a whole book in the bible called Lamentations, grieving the judgment being poured out on God's people.

Depression has many causes, and is rarely only a spiritual issue. When Elijah was depressed and running away from Jezebel, God wouldn't even talk to him until Elijah got some good sleep and started eating right. If you are depressed, make sure you are eating healthy foods and getting enough rest.

God has given each of us an incredible machine called the human body. When you exercise, your body is designed to produce and release hormones that make you feel great. These hormones can help you dig out of depression, and start enjoying life again.

Also, people have a more positive view on life when they have fun in the sun. Many avoid depression during the dark winter months by simply sitting in front of a lamp that replicates the kind of light that is only found in sunlight.

But sometimes your body stops working the way it was designed. Hormone levels are abnormally low, or blood sugar levels develop wild swings, and your emotions, along with that feeling of wellbeing, take a dive.

A few years ago I was diagnosed with clinical depression. All I wanted to do was sit on the back porch and stare at the clouds. Some people with depression just sit on the couch and watch TV. Others never make it out of bed. These conditions are serious and need to be addressed.

In my case, we attacked depression from every angle. I got more rest. I reduced my stress level. I started eating right. I started exercising more. I invested a few hours in talking with a Christian counselor. I read the bible more and prayed more. And I started supplementing low hormone levels with medication under the direction of my doctor. (By the way, he also prays with his patients and prescribes select passages of scripture!)

In addition to depression, here are a few more topics we avoid.

First, suicide is no joke. If someone starts talking about taking their life, even as a joke, tell someone. Most people who commit suicide talk about it before they attempt it.

Secondly, hurting people, hurt other people. Sometimes hurting people make others laugh. Be sensitive to the bullies and the comedians around you. They may be suffering through wounds that you can't see on the outside. Pray for them and with them. Encourage them and bring God's healing into their lives.

Finally, life is short. Death is certain. Keep short accounts. Paul told the church in Ephesus, "Don't let the sun go down while you are still angry." Say the things you need to say to the people you love before it's too late.

Jesus came to give life and He grieves when we throw it away. His followers should be sources of living water, not parched deserts of gloom.

As we mourn the death of a brilliant comic, don't miss this opportunity to deal with some of these issues in your own life or those around you. Carpe Diem! Seize the day!

You can find me on FACEBOOK at my Facebook Page (http://www.new.facebook.com/profile.php?id=504321719).