Japan and Jesus

Today I actually caught something on Christian TV that totally blew me away...in a positive way.  I usually avoid religious programming due to my aversion to some of the bad doctrine and outright Scripture twisting that occurs. 

I happened upon a show featuring Franklin Graham, whom I greatly admire.   This broadcast originated from Osaka, Japan.  My immediate thought was that he must be addressing the current crisis engulfing the nation.  However, after a few moments I realized that the recording of this particular episode occurred prior to the earthquake. 

I discovered the show in the middle of the broadcast...as they were interviewing a Japanese lady.  The first thing she said was that she rarely meets fellow Christians in Japan...that 99% of the population is non-Christian.  She was extremely excited because of an upcoming "festival", which included Gospel music and a Franklin Graham crusade.  Her excitement bubbled over as she expressed great hope that her husband would soon come to Christ.  He informed her that he would shut down his restaurant during the festival, in order to attend the festival with her. 

The next portion of the show featured parts of the actual crusade.  Franklin presented the simple message of the Gospel...everyone is a sinner and that Jesus Christ provided a way out of our sinful state through repentance and acceptance of His salvation.  Graham made it clear, every one of them could freely come to their Heavenly Father for forgiveness and salvation.  Out of the 30,000 in attendance, nearly 2,000 came up that night for salvation.

As I watched the scene...one similar to scenes I had witnessed many times on Billy Graham television crusades...my heart ran in two opposite directions.  On the one hand, I wept for joy when I saw the look of transformation upon the faces of those who had accepted Christ.  Having lived in Japan, I remembered how empty and dry their spiritual lives were...they were consumed with work, education, and living in a tight-knit culture....very organized, very polite, very "religious", but obviously sad in many ways.  Having lived in Japan for about 4 years, I can attest to the spiritual malaise that covers that island nation.  I loved living in Japan...it was fun and so very different, but I always felt that tinge of sadness and emptiness.  The other emotion that threw me into a tail-spin while watching the show was a deep sadness...and conviction.  "Where is our heart?"  I asked myself, thinking about how our churches seem to have lost that burning, driving, relentless passion for the lost. 

Something's amiss in our churches...very amiss.  I don't say this to gripe or complain.  It is an observation that disturbs me.  The church is obviously made up of individuals...you and me.  Where is our heart for those who don't know Jesus?  I am positive that He still longs for the lost sheep come home to the Father.  My only explanation for our less than passionate concern for souls is that we have strayed...our relationship with the Father must be waning...our love for Him weakend by the distractions and difficulties of life. 

The challenge for us is the same one all of God's children have always faced...we must renew our love for Him each day...fresh and new.  As we practice this and feed on His word, His Spirit will drop hints of His heart into ours.  Sometimes He will drop more than hints...He will drive us to our knees. 

I pray that I continue to have a broken heart...that it bothers me and causes me to seek God...to do whatever it takes to gain His heart for lost people.  My prayer is that I would be unrelenting in my quest for God and, consequently, for the things that drive His passion. 

What about you?

How to undress a dragon

This blog is in response to the new movie, "Voyage of the Dawn Treader".  It was a great movie, but I was disappointed with some of the things they added and especially disappointed with some of the things they omitted, especially the part about How to undress a dragon.

My first exposure to C.S. Lewis' writings came when I was a freshman at Evangel University.  Since that time, I never grew tired of reading his work, especially the fiction...especially the Chronicles of Narnia.  I read them repeatedly through my college years.  Linda and I have read them many times over the years.  My favorite memories of the stories involve me reading them to my little ones.  I read them in character, to best of my ability.  I gave voice to all; from beavers to badgers, dwarfs to dryads, and Lucy to the Lion.  You should hear me as Reepicheep the mouse...pretty good I must say.  Maybe that is because I can relate to him especially well. :) Reep, small though he was, never met a danger or a foe that would defeat him.  He fought valiantly under the banner of Aslan the Great...using all of his best tools; sword, shield, whiskers, and tail (for balance).

We find mighty Reepicheep extremely bothered when he meets a young brat named Eustace in "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader".  Unlike his cousins (Edmond and Lucy) who are Narnian Royalty, Eustace has no use for Narnia, talking mice, or anything magical.  Eustace, you see, was a very practical, extremely selfish, and altogether clueless young man.  Throughout the story, Eustace and Reepicheep find themselves at odds with one another...a very tense situation. 

During a stop-over at a place called "Dragon Island" Eustace sneaks away from the rest of the ship's crew and his cousins, to take a nap, and avoid work.  Making a long story short, Eustace comes upon a dying dragon, and witnesses the beast die (of old age, I think).  Eustace then stumbles upon the cave filled with dragon treasure (all dragons collect gold, jewels and the like).  He is very excited at his great fortune and, while digging through the treasure, he falls asleep.  If you know the tale, you know that when Eustace awoke, he had morphed into a full-sized fire breathing, winged creature...a dragon.  It took him a while to figure this fact out...a very funny picture of him scaring himself to death, thinking a dragon was after him when, all the while, he was watching his own tail, claws etc.

Making a long story even shorter, Eustace made his way back down to the beach in order to attempt communication with Edmond, Lucy, and the others (which is quite difficult when one cannot talk and every time you attempt to talk you belch fire).  You won't be surprised to know that Reepicheep was one of the first on hand, ready to kill this beast with his bear paws, if necessary.  But they realized that the dragon was trying to communicate.  After a great deal of head-wagging, clawing words in the sand, etc, Eustace made his point, much to everyone's surprise and despair.  How, pray tell, were they to take a gigantic beast with them on the remainder of their long journey? 

If you have not read the story, you might be surprised to know that, every night while Eustace curled up for a sad night of misery, his former enemy Reep joined him and stayed with him all night...to keep him company and to cheer him up. 

The part I really want to share happened a few nights into Eustace’s dragon life.  A lion (It was Aslan but Eustace did not yet know him as Aslan) brought Eustace to a large pool of crystal clear water.  Aslan spoke (without speaking) and instructed Eustace to take a bath...telling him he must undress first.  Eustace thought that since he was a snaky sort of a creature, he should be able to shed his skin.  So the dragon scratched and scraped himself until he was able to step out of his skin, like peeling a banana. 

"But just as I was going to put my feet into the water I looked down and saw that they were all hard and rough and wrinkled and scaly just as they had been before.  Oh, that's all right, said I, it only means I had another smaller suit on underneath the first one, and I'll have to get out of it too."

So Eustace scratched and tore some more and peeled off his skin again.  But when he saw his reflection in the water, he knew he was still covered in scaly skin.  He realized he couldn't shed these layers on his own.  At that moment Aslan let Eustace know that he would have to help him undress, which frightened the dragon, but he knew that was his only option.  In desperation, Eustace lay still and allowed the great huge sharp lion claws to rip deep into his chest...right into his heart, tearing away the skin. 

"...it hurt worse than anything I've ever felt.  the only thing that made me able to bear it was just the pleasure of feeling the stuff peel off.  You know--if you've ever picked the scab of a sore place.  It hurts like billy-oh but it is such fun to see it coming away."

After Aslan finished the "un-dressing," Eustace was a boy again...with new smooth skin.  The Great Lion then scooped him up----which was not very comfortable because he was still tender from the process---and tossed him into the pool of cold, clear water.  At first it hurt, but then wonderful relief came from the cleansing liquid...it was an indescribable experience.  Aslan then scooped Eustace back out of the water and dressed him in fresh clean garments. 

The movie sort of skimmed past this wonderful account of how to undress a dragon.  I sometimes feel so "scaly" and rough...my attempts to tear it away and clean myself up always fail...there is always more underneath.  Maybe you can relate?  I am just not equipped to peel away all of the stuff on my own...I need the sharp loving claws of the Lion of Judah (Jesus Christ, our Savior) to get down to the heart of the matter.  I could make many analogies using the story of Eustace the Dragon.  Eustace was blind, selfish, and rude before providence allowed him to walk in the skin of a dragon for a while.  All of us are bound, blind, selfish, and rude without the re-creating power of the water of the Holy Spirit in our lives...when we finally get to the point of surrendering to the Lion...Jesus

Don't Shoot the Wounded

Awesom Service Sunday at Mount Hope in Wickenburg.  I preached from Isaiah 61:1-2 and Luke 4, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He has anointed me to preach good news." 

God's heart is for the wounded, broken, blind, captive, and lost.  If we reject people who are in these conditions, we grieve the heart of God.  Don't shoot the wounded.  Rather,  bind up their wounds with the love of Jesus.  Pray for the opportunities.  You won't have to look far...all you have to do is open your eyes and look around you...even in your own home or your own church.

See the entire Sunday Service at http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/11273078

Sinful Responses to sin

Wednesday Dec 1, 2010

Josiah Lee shared these 7 sinful responses to sin during our Theology of Prayer class held on MONDAY November 29, 2010.  I added some thoughts beneath each point.  We had a great discussion in class.  Actually it was a very convicting study because, if we are honest, all of us sometimes deal with sin in one or more of these ways.

Sinful Responses to sin

·         A propensity to minimize sin –

o   A tendency to make excuses for sin or make it less than what it really is

o   We downplay it when, in reality, sin is sin no matter which way you dissect it.

·         Blame shifting (like Adam and Eve)

o   Adam said “She made me do it.”  Eve said “The Devil made me do it.”

o   Who do you blame?

·         Diversion….we deny it…ignore it

o   Maybe if we deny sin, it will just go away.  If we ignore temptation, it will go away.  Wrong!  The tempter does not give up on those who are not in the practice of walking in the power of the Holy Spirit.

o   Sin’s consequences will make it impossible for you to continue to ignore or deny the situation.  When someone keeps on sinning…keeps on living in denial…they just sink deeper into the quicksand.

o   The only way to deal with temptation is to resist it.  How?  Through running to Jesus and tapping into His strength…into the strength of the Holy Spirit.

o   The only way to deal with sin is to confess it to the Lord and then repent…turn the other way. 

o   Denial is a bad idea…it won’t work in the end

·         Partial confession

o   This overlaps with denial…simply turning a blind eye to the severity of your sin.

o   It also overlaps with blame shifting…only admitting to part of the sin while looking to find an excuse for the rest of it.

·         Worldly grief…just sorry for the consequences

o   The same thing that a child does when he gets caught doing something wrong.  Is he really sorry for his actions?  Or, as in most cases, is he sorry that he got caught?

o   No real change of heart…just a desire to look sorry

·         Victimization

o   “You don’t know the life I have lived….the abuse, the bad luck, how horrible I have been treated.” 

o   Yes, people have experienced varying degrees of unfair, even abusive treatment.  However, sin is sin and true confession and repentance are the only remedy. 

·         Mere confession but not true repentance

o   Confession might be good for the soul, but in the long run it will do you no good without repentance…without change

Change can only come as we surrender to Jesus on a daily basis, allowing Him to do His work in us as we yield to the truth of His word and the power of His Spirit. 

SATURDAY November 27, 2010

Wisdom = Holiness dressed in work clothes

Proverbs is a great read.  In poetically memorable words and phrases, God uses Solomon to challenge us to walk in wisdom. 

Verses 10 and eleven of chapter 2 clearly describe the fact that finding wisdom involves the heart…it is not something that resides on the surface…wisdom is more than skin-deep.  Wisdom must find its place in the heart.  The heart is that spot within humans that houses emotion, passion, and love, especially love for God.  

In the same breath, Solomon states that knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.  The soul represents the basic personality…the essence of a person.  The final result of growing in knowledge and understanding is Godly wisdom.  When God has helped us to obtain His wisdom, the practical result is discretion.  Solomon said it best, “Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you.”

Wisdom and holiness go hand in hand.  If we gain Godly wisdom, knowledge, understanding, and discretion, holiness becomes the end result.  By holiness, I mean ethical living born out of a heart to please God and to walk in His ways.

Wisdom equals holiness dressed up in everyday works clothes.  Living out Godly wisdom in the marketplace of life requires intentional, hands on work.  Living righteous, holy, and God-pleasing lives involves strenuous labor because we live in a world that despises and rejects our Lord and all that He stands for. 

I remember working out in the fields during my teen years.  I pulled weeds, de-tassled corn, “trained” hops (a good topic for another blog), changed sprinkler lines in wheat fields, and many more dirty, muddy, hot, and sweaty tasks.  Sure, I probably complained a bit here and there, but I still remember that feeling of satisfaction, knowing that my hard work would pay off on pay day.  But the financial gain paled in comparison to the feeling of working hard and accomplishing something on my own. 

As followers of Christ, we possess a giant tool-box containing everything we need for life and Godliness.  However, we will accomplish nothing, we will gain no true satisfaction, until we put on the work clothes of wisdom, roll up our sleeves, and walk in the holy, obedient life to which God has called us. 

Tuesday November 23, 2010 – Prayer Apprentice

Teaching a class on the Theology of Prayer is causing me some discomfort.  I knew that it would, for one simple reason:  I am not a huge intercessor.  To make matters worse, I struggle with consistency in my prayer life.  That does not mean that I never pray…but boy oh boy do I leave a lot to be desired, in my opinion.  I do talk to God quite a bit…but the way I do it just doesn’t seem good enough to me.  On the other hand, I am thankful that I do sense God’s presence when I direct my attention to Him, either verbally or merely via my unspoken prayers that seem to be part of the fabric of my life. 

In class I have challenged the students to “engage” God.  In other words, rather than get bogged down in the where, why, and how of prayer, they need to make sure that they “engage” God is some way every day…I think the appropriate term is “without ceasing”.   However, to bring balance to the picture, prayer does require some intentionality on our part.  This intentionality simply involves some basic elements that enhance our time with God and thus our relationship with God.  One obvious element that we must be intentional about is time…Jesus set aside time to spend with God.  If He did it, how much more should we.  Time alone with God always yields good things in our lives.

The main take away for me today?  I cannot afford to settle for mediocrity in my relationship with Jesus.  The only way to avoid that malady is through building my relationship with Him, which does not happen by accident.  I must “engage” Him, “without ceasing”. 

“Jesus, I need to know you more…I want to know you better.  Help me to be desperate for you every single day.  My challenges and problems have no real solutions without you.  I give them to you today…my children, my finances, my career, and most of all my heart that is in constant need of what you have to give me…which may or may not be what I think I need.“ 

How can we hope to be Holy?

1 Peter 1:1-2 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To God’s elect, strangers in the world, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, 2who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance. (NIV)

This passage really shows how God calls us to holiness and how each member of the Trinity has a vital role in that calling.  First off, we have been chosen by God the Father.  In His great love for us, before the foundation of the world, His heart was for us…to choose us and to have relationship with us.  Our status, worth, and destiny are not at all determined by what people say about us, nor by our social status, wealth, talents, gifts, or education.  We are not part of God’s family by accident…He knew us while we were still in our mother’s womb.  Because of this calling, we are bound up with the Father and the Father requires holiness.

Verse 16  for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”  (Leviticus 11:45 and 19:2)

Regardless of the challenges we face, we are bound together with God the Father, who has called us to Him

Second, we are able to have this relationship with the Father because of the “sanctifying work of the Spirit”.  The Spirit works in harmony with the Father and Son to set His servants apart…to sanctify us and make us worthy of the high calling He has placed upon us.  Paul makes the same basic point in 2 Thessalonians 2:13 where he says they were chosen “as firstfruits to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth.” The Spirit is the agent that changes our ways, our perspectives, our language, our outlook, our habits, etc.

Finally, the Spirit sets us apart and sanctifies us so that we will be able to obey Christ, through the sprinkling of His blood…His cleansing power. 

We have to exercise obedience when we accept Christ, but obedience does not stop there.  We are called to a life of obedience and servant-hood…a life-long way of living…until that day we are perfected when we see Him face to face.

A life of holiness always involves daily repentance and cleansing…Jesus’ blood provides the means of cleansing. 

We have been chosen by God to belong to Him.  He requires holiness: the Spirit has sanctified us and set us apart as holy…as God’s special possessions (1 Pet 2:9).  This all came into motion when we chose to accept Christ as our Lord…to enter into a blood covenant with him…a covenant marked by obedience and daily renewal and cleansing by His love and power as we submit to Him (1 Pet 1:1-2)

Father, help me to remember I belong to you…your Spirit sets me apart…your Son’s sacrifice makes it possible…as I surrender all in obedience and out of a desire for relationship and salvation.