Taking Time to Celebrate

This past Sunday we looked at an incredible reversal of fortune when Elijah, who had just called down fire from heaven, ran for his life after hearing Jezebel's dark promise. In 1 Kings 18, God gave Elijah a life changing victory, and the enemy blindsided him with a threat on his very life. Have you ever experienced a glorious victory, only to be bombarded with bitter disappointment? Have you ever won a battle, only to have your character questioned and integrity maligned? It is the nature of the enemy to try and steal what God has given. He doesn't want you living in victory. He doesn't want you giving God glory with your life. So there are two things we need to understand. First, when a victory comes, celebrate it. God wants us to acknowledge and celebrate the victories that He gives to us. And don't wait too long or one day you might question if it was ever a victory at all. Second, stay on guard. It is possible to celebrate and keep a watchful eye. When Nehemiah rebuilt the wall, his workers carried their weapons while finishing the construction. When you get a chance, read Nehemiah chapter 4 and look at the mindset of the people. No matter how much progress they made, there was still a determination to stay focused on the task at hand. What if Elijah had not run away? Would Jezebel have killed him? We will never know for sure, but my guess is that God would have rescued Elijah because He still had work for Elijah to do (1 Kings 19:15-18). What is God doing in your life right now? Are there any victories that you are taking for granted? Take time to celebrate those victories before the wicked one convinces you that they never existed.

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Our Best Foot Forward

Recently, the ladies of Ignite (our college and young professionals ministry) held a spa night at the church. They invited the women from a local homeless shelter to come and be pampered at our makeshift spa. Now I must confess that, as a man, I don't understand the desire that most women have to let total strangers care for their feet. For her birthday, my wife wanted a gift certificate for a pedicure at a local nail salon. When paying the bill, I looked to the back and saw a man sitting in a special chair with his pant legs rolled up, getting a pedicure - hairy legs and all. It was disgusting. I can understand if a man has medical issues (diabetes, etc.) and needs a pedicure for health reasons. Otherwise, that's just nasty. Now what was I saying? Oh yeah, caring for other people's feet. Our church has never held a foot washing service, but if we did, I imagine most members would quickly pour the water, apply the towel and feel good for having emulated Jesus. But what these young ladies did the other night took foot washing to another level. They humbled themselves, understanding, but for the grace of God, any of us could be homeless. The women of the shelter were treated like royalty. Most of us would never touch another person's feet, but our Ignite ladies washed, moisturized and painted the nails of stranger's feet. They served in other ways as well, but this one example reminded me of Jesus more than any other. I am so proud of Ignite. They really are on fire for God and it shows. Our focus should be outward and our service should impact those who don't know Jesus. Last Sunday, a lady visiting our church for the first time approached me and said, "Pastor, I am one of those ladies from the shelter who attended the spa the other night." She was served on Friday and came back on Sunday - all because a group of college students picked up the towel and basin and decided to care for others in Jesus name. Way to go Ignite.

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What's Cool About God

This week our family had the opportunity to return to a place that holds a lot of powerful memories for me - The Children's House at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore. Our son was born nearly three months premature and we lived at The Children's House for one month while Joshua was growing strong enough to be moved to Fredericksburg. Joshua is five now and we wanted to give back to a place that was such a blessing to us, so on Thursday (the day before Joshua's birthday), we served dinner for all the current residents. While there, we met a woman who lives in Gettysburg, PA. We told her that we had accepted an invitation to speak at a marriage conference in Gettysburg this November and the conference was being held at the Eisenhower Inn. She said that she lived so close to the Eisenhower Inn that if we stood on the back balcony, we could see her backyard. Amazing. We went to The Children's House to serve, and met someone who lives right beside the very place that we will be speaking at in just a few months. What are the chances? Maybe a better question is, "What are the chances that it's not God?" We don't always know why God allows trials in our lives, and why He causes our paths to collide with total strangers - but often those strangers need something from us, or we need something from them. In this instance, we were able to minister to this woman and her daughter (who had cancer). God used my family to serve a hot meal and encourage those residents, while demonstrating the power of His providence. When Crystal and I go to Gettysburg in November, we hope to meet up with this dear lady and daughter again. Who knows where this journey will end - but then again, that's what's so cool about God. He doesn't need us to know all the answers. He just wants us to take the journey and trust Him for the outcome.

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Controversial? Yes. Mean Spirited? No.

Beginning Easter Sunday, I will be preaching a new series entitled "Confessions Of A Former Catholic." The series will center around four specific questions that I asked my priest twenty-three years ago, soon after receiving Christ into my life. The series will deal with topics like - our access to God, baptism, assurance of salvation and the importance of spending time in God's Word. For anyone who is Catholic (or has a Catholic background) and is reading this blog, I want to let you know that this series will not be mean-spirited. I have a great appreciation for the Catholic's stand against abortion, for relief efforts, and good works done in the community. As a teenager I worked for Catholic Charities, sorting and boxing food items for needy families. My priest played Santa Claus at Christmastime and was one of the kindest men I've ever known. The Catholic church does a lot of good things, but adherence to strict Catholic doctrine means trying to have a relationship with God through sacramental works. And yet, Ephesians 2:8-9 tells us that we are not saved by our works, but by God's grace. That was the greatest lesson that I learned twenty-three years ago and I hope to convey that message beginning Easter Sunday. So if you have a Catholic background and are full of questions like I was - please come. I would love to talk with you. In the end, we may have to agree to disagree, but if our conversation causes you to pursue God with a greater passion, then we both win. Hope to see you April 4th.

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A Walk of the Wild Side

I'm almost finished reading John Eldredge's book Wild at Heart. It was published in 2001, so I'm only nine years late. In the book, Eldredge talks about man's need for adventure and how that need is evidenced in boys. He chides parents who won't let their little boys play with toy guns because they will just make guns out of sticks if they have to. Big boys need adventure just like little ones. How many wives are living with men who have gone silent. The romantic charmer they fell in love with has been replaced by a quiet, unfeeling pacifist. Ladies, let me ask you, "Do you provide opportunities for your husband to have adventures?" Now I know what you are saying. "What about me? When do I get a break from my responsibilities? When do I get a break from the kids to have some time to myself?" And I agree. You are right and you deserve that. But for this blog, I would like to concentrate on the guys. Eldredge believes that if a man does not have an outlet for adventure, he will seek adventure in other places - affairs, pornography, etc. His feelings of being trapped without adventure can also lead to irritability and anger that will impact his ability to be a good husband and father. So ladies, let your man be a man. If his idea of adventure seems a little wild - so be it. If it seems a little dangerous - all the better. Don't emasculate him! Let him be what God made him to be. He will be a better husband and father for it. And guys, it wouldn't hurt for you in turn to watch the kids and give your wife a holiday. She deserves the bubble bath. She deserves the hot tea and a good book. She deserves to be able to go shopping for herself or meet a girlfriend at the local cafe for some girl talk. Maybe she would be more open to creating an opening for your adventure if you would meet her needs as well. So guys, if your domestication is making you a little edgy - it might be time to do something wild.

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Using God for Gain

Our church is currently in the middle of a series in the book of Malachi entitled "What People are Saying." Constantly throughout the book, God tells His people that He knows what they are saying - and why they are saying it. In chapter 2, God deals directly with the priests who are failing to give glory to His name. They are misrepresenting God to the people. And yet, at the solemn feasts, these same priests still take the choice parts of the animals sacrificed for their own livelihood. One of those choice parts is the maw (or stomach). It doesn't sound very appetizing to me, but then again, I pour hot sauce on everything I eat - so I'm probably not a very good judge. Apparently, before you can eat the stomach, you must clean it out thoroughly because it has refuse in it. In Malachi 2:3, God tells the priests that He will spread the refuse (from the sacrifices) on their faces. It's as if God is saying, "This is how you are causing people to think of me." The priests used their status and position to get what they wanted, and did not care how the people viewed God. It reminds me that as a pastor, I must always present God for who He really is. When Moses struck the rock (Numbers 20), instead of speaking to it as God commanded, he misrepresented God before the people and paid a terrible price. We are all called to give glory to God's name and the best way to do that is to show the unchurched who God really is. When people come to us with real problems, they need us to introduce them to a real God.

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Little Like Me

I know I blog an awful lot about my kids, but isn't it amazing how God refreshes our thinking vicariously through the experiences of our children? A few days ago, my son (excited about his Christmas toys) asked, "Daddy, do you want to play with me?" I told him I did and the next words he spoke were profound - "Daddy, you'll have to become little like me." In his mind, I couldn't truly have fun with him unless I was little like he was. What does that remind you of? Matthew 18:2-3 says, "Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven." True faith is childlike in its simplicity and that is what the world cannot comprehend. My brother-in-law is a gamer and asked me to get on YouTube and do a search for XBox 360 - Project Natal. I was intrigued by what I saw because in the near future, gamers will no longer need controllers to play games. The game system will be able to recognize body movements - making controllers obsolete. How is it that R&D scientists can invent technology that will allow us to move our hands and feet to control a video game, but we have a hard time believing that an omniscient intelligent designer (God) can create the universe and order everything in it? Evolutionists will not allow themselves to think like children, even though science mimics the creation process. How big is our God? The bigger He is, the littler we all must become.

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