Surviving the Snowpocalypse of the Soul

Welcome to Snowpocalypse 2012.

This isn't from my house, but you get the idea. #upperpeninsulaprobs

Maybe the Mayans were right. Maybe the entire world is going to be destroyed by extensive amounts of snow, ice, and wind. Soon enough, we'll all be saying our farewells to our friend Planet Earth, as we nibble on the last of our gingerbread houses and candy canes.

I should have just stayed down in Ohio. You know how much snow we had when I left campus? None. It was wonderful. Then I come back up north to the Upper Peninsula (think: Canada, essentially...I actually do have Canadian blood, but I digress). Suddenly, the weather is all like "Ya know, we could really use a nice 15 feet of snow right about now."

Next thing you know, I'm spinning out in parking lots, trekking down unpaved back roads, and freezing to death trying to shovel out my driveway just so I can pull into the garage. Yay Michigan.

Probably should not have gone outside town today. Couldn't see a thing on those roads.

While I was shoveling, I was reminded of what bad circulation I have in my hands. Even just a few minutes of shoveling makes my hands go numb; it's awful. But just as bad as the numbness, if not worse, is the burning sensation once I get back inside where I belong. Especially if you run them under warm water--it's bad. Your fingers feel like they are on fire.

It takes the burning feeling to break you out of your numbness.

Last spring semester, I was numb. God was more of an after-thought--a genie, a get-me-out-of-this, and above all, a Person to throw blame and anger onto when things went poorly. I couldn't help it, really. I watched as leadership opportunities, radio station positions, unpaid internships, paid job applications, and relationships fell apart in front of my face--all within a month or two. I felt like I got burned.

Numbness. Lack of feeling.
That's not entirely true--I did feel, and I felt angry. Mostly because I didn't realize I was numb.
It took that burning sensation to snap me out of it and bring me where I was supposed to be.

I'm glad to say I'm not numb anymore. God has a habit of disciplining you, then pulling you out of the burning ashes to remind you He loves you. He then went on to spark some fires of His own in the midst of my circumstances--things I never thought about before or cared to think about.

Jail ministry. Urban missions. World evangelism.

As I look at where God has brought me from over the summer, I am excited at where I am at. I finally understand how people can say that they would never change what God allowed in their lives--it makes you who you are.

Also, homeless people have awesome beards.
   Maybe being homeless for a weekend is why I'm growing my beard out.

I'm excited to have had the chance to experience first-hand the problem of poverty in an urban setting--both in the classroom and literally on the streets. I look forward to a shift in focus towards world missions during yet another class with Dr. Cook this spring. I cannot wait to see what kind of impact I can have on the city I intern with this summer (should that happen), whether that be Nashville, Columbus, or wherever. I thrill at the very real possibility to go to Kenya for three weeks in May to serve in missions--to "tell the world," as Lecrae says.

In the end, I've learned that there are no mistakes--only lessons learned.

Sure, the burning sensation still hurts. It'd be lying to pretend it doesn't still burn and scar.
But that's what it takes to keep you from being numb inside.

And eventually, the burning takes you from the numbing cold where you were, and brings you inside to the place you need to be.

And I find that exciting.

Something Greater: Peter Parker's No Jesus, But He's Close

Even though our deophobic culture doesn't want to admit it, we're all looking for something greater.

We see it in the history of our entertainment, as Marvel brings back the comic books in the form of multi-million dollar films. Ironman. Thor. Captain America. And, most recently, "The Amazing Spiderman." I saw the movie this weekend and it started turning wheels in my head. There was something more here than Peter Parker in a red and blue spandex suit (thankfully).

In the movie itself, Parker takes on the role of a vigilante. There is a self-sacrifice and determination to stand up against an evil that he knew existed, even if no one else was willing to do so. It was costly. It cost him a great risk to his life, an atmosphere of rejection by his peers, and a terrible first date in front of Gwen's father (he seemed to rebound nicely on the balcony though. But I digress).

Near the end of the movie, despite the ordered evacuation for the city, there was something about Parker's role as a vigilante that spread outside of himself to those around him. The father of the boy Parker saved from a burning car is inspired to forgo his own safety and risk staying in the city, just so that Spiderman can make it to safety. One couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction upon watching "ordinary" people make extraordinary sacrifices.

Step outside the movie now.

We have a fascination, culturally, with the hero. The Peter Parkers and Tony Starks. The Captain Americas and the Thors. Evil was present on the streets, and Spiderman swings in to save the day. We want to believe he's real. We want to know that something is around to combat the evil around us. We don't have to see Spiderman or any other vigilante--we just need to know they exist and are fighting for us.

Our culture will never admit it. They'll never admit that what they really are looking for is a God. They can shout out that "God is dead and we have killed him" as Nietzsche  did. They can sandblast him off every monument and black him out of every national document.

But even our entertainment says otherwise. We want to be inspired to be better people. We want someone to fight this jacked-up world. Marvel has shown us that we all want to believe that there is some good in the world.

Above all, it shouts loudly that, despite our protests, we are looking for  a Messiah.
And the good news is that He's come.

Connecting the Mind and Heart: Holistic Worship for Whole People

It seems that there is quite a bit of talk in my circles, recently, about the idea of "holistic" ministry. By holistic, we mean a kind of ministry that does not merely speak to the spiritual side of human beings, but is also very much concerned with the physical condition in which people exist. This kind of holistic philosophy seems to be lost at times, so it is excellent that the topic has been found once again.

Specifically, though, this philosophy of holism should not stop on the surface of the ministerial, but should go specifically deeper to the practice of that which is worshipful. As a part of the church's ministry, worship should and must be affected by the knowledge that humans are whole people, with both mind and intellect, as well as feeling and emotion. If we miss this understanding, or fail to apply it to every area, including and especially worship, then we have failed to minister to the entirety of who we are as humans.

In this context, we specifically refer to worship as the musical aspect of the church service. Certainly, the philosophies laid out work outside of this specific issue as well, but that is not the point of the post here. Here, we are addressing potential issues that can arise from the ever-fragile topic of worship and worship style placed in the functions of the church. 

Though a contested issue, we do ourselves a great disservice by not addressing the hot topic of stylistic differences among the modern-day church. In just about every church, at one time or another, this issue on worship style has been addressed, causing either stronger unity among churches that all agree together, or causing divisive spirits and church splits over whether certain instruments are permissible. Therefore, whether or not we are interested in bringing up a heated issue, the great debate of the church compels us to converse about it.

Whether traditional or contemporary in style, there are three things that all worship leaders and congregations must recognize if they are to holistically use their worship to benefit their fellow Christians and praise the God they are worshiping. 

First, we must realize that anything in life can be used for God's glory, or for evil and selfish purposes. Traditional worship must understand that the controversy over guitars, drums, and microphones is absolute foolishness. The instruments themselves are in no-way tainted by sin--that is to say, that in and of themselves, they are not wrong or bad or wicked. You can use those same instruments to curse God, or you can use them to praise and lift Him up. Just as one's speech or money may be used in selfish ways or in self-less sacrifice, so too can these inanimate instruments be used to celebrate man's sinfulness or to celebrate the God that delivered us from that sin.

Contemporary worship, however, must be careful in the use of the contemporary style, so that they do not praise themselves, while mistaking it for praising God. The style itself is not a problem--the problem, as with anything, is that we can use anything (including our gifts in music) to celebrate ourselves. We can become so involved with loving the style that we forget to love the God that our style is praising. In and of itself, it is neutral--and the instruments and style of the contemporary can be used for bad, just as it can be used for good.

Secondly, we must ask if we are inadvertently adding or subtracting to our worship.  The worry about the contemporary styles is often that their is a danger of adding to the worship service things that God has not prescribed. It would behoove those of us in a contemporary worship setting to be careful not to become creative to the point of blasphemy. There is certainly room for creativity in worship, as long as it is within the bounds that God has laid down. However, the danger is in playing the card of "Christian liberty and creativity," which can open the door for a myriad of things in the worship service, including in our music, that God has not asked for from us. 

On the flip-side, however, traditionalists are not free from guilt on this point. It may be a well-grounded fear that they actually subtract from the worship of God out of fear of adding to the worship of God. Because they fear adding instruments or excessive musical style to God's worship, they inadvertently subtract from the worship of God. How so? Because, essentially, they are adding regulations to God's worship which He has not prescribed. We are instructed to praise the Lord in song--but there are no real specifics on how that should look in the church. And it is just as wrong to add un-prescribed regulations to worship out of fear  as it is to add un-prescribed freedom out of creativity.

Finally, we must realize that we are whole people in need of holistic worship. Traditionalists, please listen to this point especially. The style of traditional worship, its fears of its contemporary cousin, often cause those involved in the traditional to forget that we are whole people. Definitely, we are in need of songs and music and lyrics that speak deeply to the vast intellect and mind that God has given us. Without a doubt, there is a place for the deepness and greatness of theology and hermeneutics, even in song. But please, do not forget that we are emotional beings. The contemporary style, the hands that are often raised, the shouts to God, the physical movement in celebration to the God who has freed us--these are not things to fear. These are examples and exhibitions of the holistic nature of humanity, the imago Dei, the image of God in which we are created. These things are not distracting or disruptive. They are part of who we are as humans.

But contemporary individuals, do not use your emotional style for manipulation. Do not use the rhythm or the hand raising in looking for the manipulation of the masses. Use your style, your lyrics, and your music to enhance the glory of God by the worship of the holistic humans He created.

Whether traditional or contemporary is not really the main thrust.

Instead, it is to not become so caught up in the debate over style that we forget the God we worship.

Whispers in the Dark

They come out of nowhere. The voices. They climb inside you and tear at everything they can find. They speak every moment that they get. Nocturnal voices that remind you of everything that hurts you--the names, the places, the faces. Whispering some truth, mostly lies, and a mixture of both.

We--I--am haunted these whispers in the dark.

Skillet captured everything I could ever hope to say on this topic, with their song "Whispers in the Dark." I'll quote a bit for you, and basically shoot straight with some thoughts on these voices. The voices and whispers in the dark.

"Despite the lies that you're making/Your love is mine for the taking."

  The darkness is full of lies. It seems that there hasn't been a night since I got on campus that I haven't had the voices start coming to me at night and telling me lies. Telling me that I'm not good enough. Telling me that I can't deal with the stress of the semester. Telling me things that continue to eat away at everything I do.

But God cares, and that's the truth. The lies are the making of those voices, but the truth is always going to prevail in the end. The truth of the lie is that we aren't good enough, but the voices never seem to remember that we don't have to be. We'll sin all our lives, but all we need is One Person that has never and will never sin. We do have self-worth because of Him, and we can be confident in ourselves (through Him) and not worry when we aren't good enough for other people.

"I will be the one that you run to/My love is a burning, consuming fire"

The voices would love for us to run to something. In fact, every time the voices start whispering, we will run to something. The difference lies in what that something is going to be. Too often I fall back on hard hitting music that merely entertains me while I pace around the cage of my depression. Things would look a lot different if I fell back on something that could open the cage instead.

The love of God never fails. The love of people might, but (as Matt Redmond sings) "The heavens ring/The saints all sing/Great is your faithfulness." The fact that God's love is a burning and consuming fire (see the book of James) is both scary and awesome. Sometimes even scary awesome and awesomely scary.  He is so jealous for his people Israel (check out the minor prophets), but that can mean that He fiercely chastises them. Yet thankfully, that also means that He fiercely protects them. That flame of God's love will never burn out, no matter what enters our mind in the dark of night. And I do mean that literally.

"You'll never be alone. When darkness comes, I'll light the night with stars. Hear my whispers in the dark."

I find that night is the time when we (again, I) tend to feel the most alone. All it takes is for me to walk across campus at night, or sit in my room at night, or lie in bed at night, and the voices decide to make their rounds and remind me of how sucky life can be.

But here's the most crucial thing: God is whispering in the dark as well. Every time the demonic voices start to creep out of hiding, God's voice is there too. Sometimes it's hard to pick out the promises God is whispering to us when the voices from the dark are closing in. But as artist Todd Agnew said, "You speak with thunder and lightning. Your voice shakes the mountains, the foundations of the earth." It is so much more powerful than anything that can be whispered to us. It can feel so overwhelming until we remember the truth.

God whispers in the dark too.

"Seek the Prosperity of the City"--My Wealth and Urban Poverty

It turned my shopping trip into a guilt trip.

I was just trying to do some back-to-college shopping at the local Walmart. Pens, pencils, binders, notebooks, Cheetos...you know, the basics. A couple pairs of jeans, laundry detergent, and a shirt reading "You bored me to death" with a flatline EKG were also added to my cart. Top it off with some new headphones and a bottle of mouthrinse, and I was ready to check out.

But I couldn't shake the feeling.

I was doing some reading in my room this weekend. Reading and blogging, actually. There was (and still is--sorry, Mom) crap lying all over my room. Work clothes that I have to wash for Monday morning. CD cases with mismatched CDs sitting in them and on them. Three or four Bibles, some Jones soda bottles, and "Batman Begins"  round out the mess on the carpet. Normally, that all wouldn't bother me.

But I couldn't shake the feeling.

I just got home from church a few hours ago. We meet in a small building that could use some work. I read from the Bible and put down a few lines of notes on some paper. Then we gathered downstairs for a potluck meal of American and Thai food (I've learned not to ask what's in the Thai food, but to just eat it. What you don't know can't hurt you, they say). Just a normal Sunday in the Midwest.

But I can't shake the feeling.

Alright, now enough with the dramatic writing style, meant to leave you guessing at the feeling I'm talking about. I'll go ahead and share the feeling with you. Maybe it'll ruin your life like it has mine.

It's guilt.

Ever since I finished Dr. Platt's book "Radical", nothing has been seen in the same light. The thoughts of Christian brothers and sisters living on almost nothing is haunting. The knowledge of people living in urban areas like Detroit suburbs and project housing in Nashville just won't go away. This new perspective on poverty is blowing my mind--and I can't shake it. Thanks, Dr. Platt.

How can I just go to Walmart and start pulling stuff off the shelves when other people aren't going to eat today? I'm passing boxes of cookies and snacks, bread and water, shoving Oreos and Mountain Dew in my cart as kids in Uganda are dying because they haven't eaten in a week. I'm snatching two pairs of jeans from the clothing rack and shuffling through all the sizes to find just the right fit, when John Doe on the backside of Chicago hasn't had a change of clothes since he moved to the city in '98.

There's something wrong about that.

Or I can come back to my room and log online. I can find out about any country in the world or read any statistic about Africa or see pictures of any persecuted Christian in Sudan. Meanwhile, I'd rather be surfing Facebook instead of studying the Bible--one of the three in my room--when the guy across the road can't afford food for the week, and the guy across the world has never heard of the Bible. I've got clothes strewn across the carpeted floor, with a nice big bed to sleep on. The refugees in Laos or Thailand have half a set of clothes, while trying to sleep in the worm-infested dirt floor of the jungle.

There's something wrong about that.

Or I can be perfectly happy in my church. We can sit and argue about whether or not to use a guitar in the worship service, while the underground church is pleased to be able to whisper quiet songs without being discovered and martyred. We get so concerned over the particular clothes we wear to church--because we've either worn that shirt last week, or those jeans aren't church "appropriate," or the colors we finally decide on are clashing. But maybe we've forgotten that the Christians in the South American jungles of Columbia and Venezuela might be wearing shorts and an old shirt, because that's all they have. While I'm sifting through my closet trying to find "something to wear," they are sneaking past groups of child soldiers so that God can meet with the two or three gathered to worship Him. And we're concerned with what shoes to wear.

There's something wrong about that.

Disclaimer time. I'm not saying that our abundance is wrong, sinful, or even bad. It is just as ludicrous to suggest that wealth is bad, as it is to suggest that wealth is always a blessing. But I'm trying to do exactly what Dr. Platt has done in his book--make you think. To just suggest to you that maybe God isn't pleased to see us neglect our brothers and sisters across the world who could use our help. To merely bring to mind that maybe God isn't amused when we keep our wealth to ourselves, when there's a man in the urban setting that desperately needs a jacket and some bread. To simply propose that maybe God isn't laughing when we spend our paycheck on ourselves, when kids in the Congo are dying of preventable diseases.

Prayer? Absolutely critical. But action? Just as critical.

That's why I'm excited about Dr. Jeff Cook's class "Intro to Urban Ministry." I'm excited to see how God begins to develop an already passionate heart for the inner-city poverty that we often forget exists. Dr. Cook's "poverty weekend" experience is an out-of-class extension of learning that, I believe, will drive home everything I've said here, and everything we will learn in the classroom. All the lectures and all the blogging in the world cannot compare to a real-life experience of homelessness, suffering, and poverty. And I'm excited about it.

Maybe that makes me crazy. Maybe following Jesus is a little bit crazy. But in the end, that's what it is all about. It's about serving our Christian "family" around the world. Yet it's also about meeting the physical needs of those that know nothing of Jesus. In the meeting of those imminent needs, we then have the opportunity to introduce the urban community to their Savior.

Because we need to take Jesus to the inner-city and around the world.

Quite Radical: Worth Losing Everything

This is post is based on David Platt's revolutionary book "Radical." Credit to Pr. David Platt for the quotes in this blog, various points that I have taken from him, and the inspiration behind everything else. This blog post covers chapter one, "Someone Worth Losing Everything For."

Stop following Jesus.

Oh, don't worry--not THAT Jesus. Not the one that holds the little sweet lambs. Not the one that stands smiling in the back of the Thomas Kinkade painting on your wall. Not the one that just wants you to have your "best life now."

No. We're talking about the real Jesus.
And you should stop following him unless you're serious about it.

Why? Because the real Jesus is the one that tells you to "pick up your cross and follow." The real Jesus tells you to "Let the dead bury their own dead and come follow." The real Jesus isn't particularly interested in coming up with the best gimmicks to get you to stick around with him. Author David Platt put it this way:

"Jesus apparently wasn't interested in marketing himself to the masses. His invitations to potential followers were clearly more costly than the crowds were ready to accept, and he seemed to be okay with that."

Platt goes on to discuss Jesus' illustration of the man who sells everything to buy a field--a field that the man knows has an invaluable treasure buried in it. To everyone else, he looks like an idiot. But because he knows what is there in that field, he is the wisest man on earth.

It's a challenge--but it's more than just a challenge to think about and then move on. Platt reminds us to "not just ask 'What is he [Jesus] saying?' but also ask 'What shall I do?" Everything Jesus calls us to do is important...and we cannot re-define it to suit ourselves better (as Platt explains elsewhere).

Not everything Jesus commands us to do is comfortable. Personally, I would rather stay here in America and be comfortable, than to take my future family into a place that makes me uncomfortable. I'd rather steer away from any place that I think may pose a danger to them, or that may make me squirm. That's not easy.

But if God has called us to a place, we better go. That applies whether it is to stay here in America or to leave this nation and go elsewhere. Even somewhere uncomfortable.

Not everything Jesus commands us to do is comfortable. But it is worth it to follow Jesus.

He is "worth losing everything for."

Killing Suicide: Fighting the War of Blood

Screenshot from  http://www.sixbillionsecrets.com/category/17/Self-esteem/14?rightKey 

Six billion secrets.


Most of the time we don't see the baggage people are carrying--even the people we call our closest friends. As humans, we tend to throw our extra luggage in the trunk. We cover it up with a smile or an application of makeup. And no one ever sees it.

Or so we think.

Websites like "Six Billion Secrets" have shown me one thing: everyone hurts. There are countless stories of people...kids...dealing with depression, self-esteem issues, self-mutilation, and suicidal tendencies. You can't help but feel for them. You can't help but cheer on the kids that find little things to get themselves through the day--like a pint of ice cream or watching their favorite television show.

Anything that can give them relief. Even for an hour.

But people can be downright cruel. Parents that expect their children to live out the dreams the parents failed to achieve. Guys that take advantage of their girlfriends, and gals that are willing to sell their bodies to the highest bidder. People that are expected by society to have the "perfect" body...the same bodies that are photoshopped, edited, and airbrushed on magazine covers. Bullies and strangers that pick out the weakest and most vulnerable and exploit them with verbal and physical abuse. One can hardly blame these victims from resorting to something to dull their pain.

The problem is, however, the "something" should not be an option.

Everyone you pass in your day-to-day activities has their own "something." And more often than we'd like to think about, that "something" is causing harm to themselves. Cutting their wrists. Anorexia or bulimia. Suicidal thoughts. Debilitating depression. There is so much pain--and the age kids are starting these blood-stained outlets for pain is getting younger and younger.

Think about that the next time you pass someone at work that looks frustrated. Or the next time you see someone in the grocery store that looks perfectly happy. You have no idea what they are going through or the facade of happiness they may be putting on. No one shows the baggage that they carry.

But if and when you get a glimpse of that baggage, remember it. And help them unload it.

That's where organizations that help fight depression and suicide are so inspirational. They inspire me to take a stand against the "epidemic of blood" that has surged through today's kids. As a media student, I can't help but imagine using podcasts and videos to help fight the war on self-harm. It's not a lot, but it is something I can do.

And the best news is, we don't have to do it alone. We don't have to fight this war alone. Those kids don't have to fight their internal demons alone. For them, there are countless organizations to help, phone hotlines to call, people to confide in, and counselors to talk to.

Plus, it helps to have a God that can make those demons shudder.

So remember all this the next time you have any interaction with someone. Think about what they might be carrying around with them--even if you can't see it. Pay attention long enough and you will.

And as for the war, we'll keep fighting until everyone can visit another favorite website of mine:

Screenshot taken from  http://www.givesmehope.com/

A website known as "Gives Me Hope."

Personal Reflection

"I'm never going to heal from this."

There are some things in life that we don't know what to do with. We're torn within ourselves. Half of us is ready to forget the past and move on. The other half of us wants to wait for restoration. Meanwhile, both halves want to know just which of those options are supposed to be acted upon.

This is summed up in Paulo Coelho's now-famous quote: "Waiting is painful. Forgetting is painful. But not knowing which to do is the worst kind of suffering." The Brazilian author nailed it on the head. Often we find ourselves not sure whether we are supposed to forget the people from our past, or wait for them to return.

And even more often, we're not sure which option we even want.

Anyone that has been following me in the past two months via the social network knows that I'm coming out of a long-term relationship that suddenly screeched to a halt. It's been like going through hell not being able to talk to my close friend, whom I had talked to every day for a year and a half. But you know what they say about going through hell.

Keep going.

But that's the problem, I guess. Right now, I don't know what I'm supposed to do. Part of me wants to forget everything about this person. I suppose that's why every last freaking memory of her is shoved in the top of my dresser drawer. But as far as the rest of me...most of me, even?

Most of me wants to wait for her to come back.

I don't know if they will. I don't know if they still care. I sent an email on Sunday afternoon, trying to lay out  the places I went wrong, and how I have been growing in God's grace and maturity...some incredible steps, though it is a lifelong process. Yet it is so hard to wait for a response...to wait to see if I'm supposed to forget her or wait for her. And the bigger problem is that, no matter the response, I'll still not be sure what to do.Why not?

Because, as much as we've both been hurt...I still love her.

And love never fails.

God's Planning System--GPS (Because Everything Is Cooler With An Acronym)

The band director has complete control of what is going on in front of him.With various strokes and movements of the hand, he is able to completely direct and orchestrate every bit of the music that is being played. He knows what is coming up, what is currently being played, and what has already been accomplished.

The University of Michigan Marching Band has a long history of directing incredible performances.

For the audience in the seats, however, they are clueless.

Often...okay, pretty much always...we're in the audience.

God is the grand orchestrator of all things. We see throughout Scripture that he has "predestined" things to happen "from the foundation of the world" (and then John Calvin and Jacobus Arminius went to battle from there). We find verses in Jeremiah  that remind us that God has a "plan to prosper us"; He totally knows what is going on.

Take a look at one of my favorite verses.

And, for the record, my two favorite verses are both from the minor prophets--Zephaniah 1:5 and this one.

The prophet Habakkuk says in chapter 1 and verse 5: "Look at the nations and watch--and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told." Pretty cool stuff, right? Well........let me drop some background on you. And then remedy it.

This is actually NOT a real happy verse. If you look at the verses that come before it, Habakkuk is crying out to God, describing all the evil and bad things that are going on around him; "Oppression and violence are right in front of me. Strife is ongoing, and conflict emerges" (1:2). So that's not a good start.

But it gets worse as we gain the actual insight to verse 5 in the verse that follows it. In Habakkuk 1:6, God says to the prophet: "Look, I am raising up the Chaldeans, that bitter and impetuous nation that marches across the earth's open spaces, to seize territories not it's own" (1:6).

Yeah, that verse isn't so happy now. God's promising to destroy Israel in ways they can't imagine.

Yay for my life verse.

But that's not the end of the story. It is true, God came through on His promise and destroyed Israel like they couldn't imagine. The holy city of Jerusalem was destroyed, and the nation was taken captive to Babylon in 586 BC. But here's the important part: they came back.

It's true--that verse is a verse of promised destruction. But even so, God does not just leave His people hanging. Every promise of preservation for the nation of Israel still held true, even though they were chastised (more on the preservation of Israel in a future post). The nation had done wickedly, and this punishment by God was to set them back on the path to fellowship with Him. Everything God does has a purpose.

Israel would come out of the exile better than they could ever imagine. They were literally set free to return to their nation and rebuild their holy city. That's something that they would never believe, even if somebody told them about it. Though a verse of destruction, I think it is safe to say that God's people can apply it as a verse of encouragement as well.

It's a statement from God that, whether for punishment or for blessing, He has a plan and everything is under His control. And the things He is doing are so incredible, we wouldn't believe it. He is, reverently, the celestial band director, holding the sheet music to everything that is, that was, and that is to come.

God's plan is going to blow your mind.

Smashing My Head Into a Goal Post...as well as...Dealing with Jealousy, Anger, and Whatnot

There is a home video of me smashing my head into a goal post.

Granted, I was like 5, and could barely skate at the time. But sure enough, I fell over and slid into a solid goal post supporting the hockey net. And you could totally hear me yelling all the way in the stands. That wasn't exactly the prettiest start to my career in hockey.

Looking back can be a lot of fun. But there's always things (like this video) that you'd rather forget.

But maybe it's not just home videos. Maybe it's looking back through old messages you've exchanged with others; then suddenly it hits you. How stupid and selfish you were. How you totally messed up on things and should have handled them better. How you should have shown patience and understanding instead of rashness and jealousy. 

I kinda laugh, wishing that previous paragraph was all written in the hypothetical.

But here's the thing I was reminded of tonight: we can't be the people we should be without a Savior. I can't be the man I want to be without a Messiah. They say the first step in fixing a problem is realizing you have one. I think we can all admit that we fall short; I certainly have seen a lot of specifics that I've fallen short in, just from looking at a few past messages (okay, so this hasn't been hypothetical--but you knew that). 

So where do we go from here?

It has to be a radical war. It has to be a spiritual war. As seen from my last post, there is a monster in ourselves that wants to win. And that cannot and will not happen. One practical thing to do is to write down some of the areas you know you fail in (not all...there's no piece of paper big enough for that) and pray about them...hard. Pray about them every day...strongly. Take them before the God that can control all things. Radically.

That's what I'm doing. I wrote down six or seven things I tend towards that I know have been difficult for others and that need to be changed (anger, selfishness, jealousy--you name it). I'm going to pray about them every day for the rest of the month...and beyond.

If God can turn the hearts of kings in his hand like rivers of water (that's pretty awesome--it's in Proverbs, check it out), then He can absolutely help me battle my own sin and failures. He can change my heart.

As a side note, my career in hockey blossomed after this point. My team won a district championship when I was 11, and we went as far as the Michigan state semi-finals. I would also go on to lead the league in scoring at age 13 (however...those were about the only things I won in 14 years of hockey...so I treasure them).

A rocky start does not mean it has to stay that way.

There's power in the Blood.

Hero for the Monster

The battle for control of your soul. It's similar to an audio remix.

Say what?

Today I finished a smash-up of two rock songs by the band Skillet: "Monster" and "Hero." Why those songs? Well first, Skillet is my favorite band of all-time; that may or may not have played into it. Second, those songs are two of their most popular, and the energy they bring blows anything else off the charts.

So why mention all that in this blog? Because of the irony that those two titles would be placed together.

On the one hand, you have a monster. Something the artist describes passionately as coming from deep within himself--the "evil present in me, the one who wants to do good," as the Apostle Paul said. This monster wants nothing more than the complete destruction of the person in which he resides. It is stated in this way: "He's hiding in the dark/His teeth are razor sharp/There's no escape for me/He wants my soul, he wants my heart." The whole existence of the monster is for utter desolation of the person he lives inside--but it's more than just living inside the person. The artist himself "feels like a monster."

He is the very nightmare he fights against.

Contrast that with the hero. The person speaking knows that every day is a battle and a struggle. He openly admits that "we're in the fight of our lives"; the monster is waging battle. Every day. Every night. There is nothing within himself that can fight the monster, because everything within himself is the monster. Again, this isn't some small skirmish over a small chicken or piece of property--this is the battle for his soul. Finally, in desperation, the artist realizes that he is going to lose to the monster. He finally throws all reliance off of himself and cries out in the chorus:

"I need a hero to save me now."

It's funny how stuff like that works out. This deep analogy isn't what I had in mind when I cut and edited the tracks. But it's true: the pieces of music continue to transition between each other and cut each other off and on throughout the entire smash-up. It's like they are at war with each other--because, in reality, they are.

Lately, that track has been me. I've been in a place where I know I need a true Hero, and I go to Him for restoration. But the next thing you know, here comes the monster from inside me; a monster that is filled with hatred and bitterness, that makes a fool out of myself on Facebook due to my lack of control.

But this self-control is not something I can control myself. I need a Hero.

Anytime that the monster starts rising up again, it has to be Jesus that I'm going to for restoration and peace--there is no other way. Trust me. I've seen what happens when I try to run things myself, and frankly, it's pretty pitiful most of the time. You have to call the Hero. But that's the thing about it: when the monster comes, it takes you actually going to the Hero and telling Him about what's going on. He knows there's a monster--He just wants you to rely on Him enough to tell Him and know He can handle it.

Remember that, when you begin to see yourself losing to the monster. There's a Hero for that.

Relient K-hristian: The "Beauty of Grace" when "Life's Not Fair"

"Mmhmm."

That sound is most commonly used by football-watching husbands to their questioning wives. But that's not important. What is important is that, surprisingly, the phrase is actually an album title from punk rock/pop band Relient K.

The album Mmhmm contains one of, if not the most popular songs the band has produced: "Be My Escape." The lyrics to look at come from the second stanza of the song:

                                   "He's told me the way, and I'm trying to get there
                                    And this life sentence that I'm serving
                                    I admit that I'm every bit deserving
                                    But the beauty of grace is that it makes life not fair."

How about that? Grace makes life not fair.

                                      *                                  *                                *

Lately, it seems life has been less than fair. There are people in my life that I feel have treated me wrongly--terribly, even. People that seem to have betrayed my trust. I just want this people to see what I'm saying...to see my side of the situation and the points I am presenting, instead of ignoring it and being stubborn. There is a lot of bitterness to fight.

And that's not easy. It's never easy when life's not fair.

But here's the thing: life isn't fair.

Let's go back to the lyrics: "The beauty of grace is that it makes life not fair." Truth be told, we'd all be in hell right now if we got what we deserved. There is nothing righteous and just about us...without Christ, that is. Grace and forgiveness are things we do not deserve.

Forgiveness is not fair. Grace is not fair.

But God extends both to us. Maybe we should do the same to each other. Even when life's not fair.

Mmhmm.

The Lord's Table: "Communion" or Disassociation?

Note: In no way am I stating that I am absolutely correct in the things written in this post. However, they are concerns that I have had for a while now, and I feel no harm in addressing them. Leave either a comment on the blog, on my social network, or on my email if you have answers or concerns with what I am addressing. Hopefully, if nothing else, it will help you think.         --JE

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"You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means."

No, this is not going to be a post about "The Princess Bride"--that would be 'inconceivable.' But sometimes when we read words in Scripture (in this case "added to [the church]"), we tend to interpret the definition in light of what we want it to mean, or have been taught that it means. To do so without looking at the larger picture, as well as the whole of Scripture is unwise. Looking at the whole picture of Scripture is as imperative as "building up an immunity to iocane powder."

                                                 *                           *                            *           

Everyone will agree that the Lord's Table is a church ordinance; that is, it is something given to the church by Jesus Christ. What is 'the church'? The church is a group of believers, or disciples, that come together in local church 'bodies' across the world in order to corporately worship God through song, prayer, reading and the sacraments. 

It should also be simple to see from a study of Scripture that the bread and cup that are partaken of do not change form into the literal body and blood of the Messiah, as Catholicism would indicate. We are to "do this in remembrance"--as a picture. This is an illustration that we are commanded to continue "until he comes."

Many of the churches I have had contact with, however, seem to put a barrier upon the Lord's Table. It is agreed that the Table is a church ordinance and is "merely" a symbol of Christ's sacrifice. However, they also add that believing on Christ is not enough to participate in this ordinance--official church membership is also necessary before accessing this sacrament. 

                                                *                              *                            *

I have difficulty with that conclusion.

First, look at who Christ Himself first had the Communion table with--the disciples. At that time, these men were part of no organized and constituted church. The early church was not established until around the time of Pentecost, which we find account of in Acts chapter 2. Were the disciples taking the supper with Jesus "in an unworthy manner" (1 Cor. 11) ? Of course not. Who were the disciples? 

They were believers and followers of Jesus Christ. And as such, they partook in a remembrance of Christ.

Second, observe the early church. It is clear that there is Scriptural command towards local bodies of churches--that is not to be disputed. But what people made up these churches? These are nothing more than groups of believers and followers of Jesus that bring themselves together in a certain place for worship. Words in Scripture such as "added that day" or "when you come together" do not indicate any sort of official membership courses, titles, or positions. It is an "adding" to the Body of Christ--an adding which makes itself manifest as these new believers begin anchoring themselves in continued coming to the gathering of Christians where they are at.

The similarities between what I am saying and the beliefs stated earlier are great. There is much the same thought in regards to the sacrament: it's a church ordinance, it's only for believers, etc. 

The main difference is that it is denied to believers and followers of Jesus, who continue striving to follow him personally while corporately they do "not forsake the assembling of ourselves together." Why? Because they have not completed "formal church membership."

These are Christians, believers, and disciples--the very ones Christ first instituted the Supper with, and the very same that were part of the early church believers. There is nothing in the early church, as we see it in Acts, that indicates any type of "formal membership." It was enough that they "continue to grow in grace" as they "keep the faith" as believers and followers of Jesus. 

And as believers in Christ, they were permitted to partake of Christ's Communion in their local body. 

The requirements of the early church should not be added to.

"Thy Gold to Refine"

Sometimes all it takes for us to express ourselves is an internet cat picture.

Copyright 2012--icanhascheezburger.com

Feelings of distress are not necessarily sinful--and it's always good to remember that fact. In the Old Testament, we see the example of Nehemiah, who became upset over the plight of Jerusalem. He went so far as to appear distressed before the king of Persia--an offense worthy of execution. But Nehemiah's heart was saddened as he thought of his people and his city (Nehemiah 2:1-5).

In the New Testament, we see Jesus express his emotion as he arrived at the graveyard of his friend Lazarus. Every other account of Jesus raising the dead sees him appear stalwart and strong--but this situation was different. This was a person he had known and had fellowship with. Christ broke down in sorrow. The God of the universe cried. Scripture tells us that "Jesus wept." (John 11:35-36).

The fact is, everybody is going to go through times of disappointment, distress, and despair. But the most important part of those things is the reaction we have to it. An attitude of trust in the sovereign God who made us must be developed. And sometimes things are put in our way in order to build that trust with God, even when the people we care about break our trust.

God's will is not as mystic as it seems. His will is for us to draw closer to Him. His will is for us to trust Him. All we can do is our best to restore the things in our life that have been broken, and to do so in an attitude of dependence on God and kindness towards those we come in contact with.

 John Rippon captured these thoughts well, with these lines from his 18th century hymn:
                                 
                                  "When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie
                                    My grace, all-sufficient, shall be thy supply
                                    The flame shall not hurt thee, I only design
                                   Thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine."


"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the Shadow of Death, I shall fear no evil, for Thou art with me. Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of mine enemies; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of Yahweh forever."  --Psalms

An Entrance Into Glory

Every obituary is someone's child.


Think about it for a second. Often we only understand death when it directly relates to us; when we are the ones being impacted. But really, the obituary page we breeze through every day contains two...maybe three obituaries that we barely notice.But those are people's children, parents, and grandparents--and they are spending eternity somewhere.


That eternity can take one of two approaches. I have heard about two examples within the last year.


The first was an elderly man in Florida. His reaction to the gospel was always resistance. That resistance was evident in a life fraught with difficulty and poor decisions. Multiple witnessing opportunities were met with occasional questions of interest, but never commitment. The final state of his soul remains unknown--only God knows the heart of a man, especially in his final hours--so a person may only hope that his destiny was for the better.


The other was an old guy from Michigan. This guy had a rough life--much of it of his own making. But at the end of the day, it was clear he had chosen the path of righteousness. Even when the cancer took him to the brink of death, he was distressed, but "not crushed," as the Apostle Paul wrote. Finally, the cancer took him as he sat peacefully in his living room. But it was an entrance into glory.


Both of these men were my grandfathers. And each of these men have passed into either fire or glory.


Just like each of us will. Just like every single name in the paper.



"Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him."    -the Apostle Paul