Random Facts About Me

1. I do not take my shoes off until I go to bed
2. If I'm wearing a ball cap and someone pulls it off my head as a joke I get ticked
3. I love science and choose to read books about evolution to build my arguments
4. I have an addiction to books(Amazon actually sends me $25 gift certs every 6 wks)
5. I never read a book until after I graduated from high school
6. My favorite show growing up was Wild,Wild West and Robt Conrad my favorite actor
7. I grew 8 inches in eighth grade

The Good, Bad and Ugly

All, I was recently asked, 'what are the success and failures of the universal church'. This was my written response:

When the church was in its infancy it was filled with men and women who were not noble or wise, but were the foolish of the world. These fools successfully evangelized most of the known world. This was a great success. The church, after the first century, began to decline. ‘Noble’ and ‘wise’ men less dedicated than the apostles began to draw away disciples after themselves. This split the church and created 1500 years of ecclesiastic chaos. The atrocities committed in the name of Jesus Christ are too many to number, but it’s sufficient to say that many where destroyed because of the ‘faith’ the church displayed during this time. This failure of the church to maintain the simplicity of Christ caused it to decline. This period was marked, predominately, by church failures. But the church recognized its error and started to reform itself. For 500 years men have been rising up and reforming the church. This has been necessary to restore true Christianity. Doctrinal impurity, lack of mission, arrogance, pride, murder, vanity, greed, are just some of the things the church was guilty of and needed to be delivered.

I’m concerned at the subtle implications of Rick Warren and Erwin McManus. Though I have received tremendous insight and feel that these men are modern day reformers; I am concerned that their books do not provide a transition plan for the church. How do we make changes without discarding those who have worked the road before our time? They were the reformers of their day, yet, when they cannot make the transition, we call them old wineskins. This is a current failure of the church.

God needs to help us reform the church while respecting the efforts of those before. It has been established that previous generations are not able to change as rapidly as our generation. The church will be successful when it takes the arm of the unchurched and that of the previous generation of Christians and walks in worship together. The churches slogan should be ‘no Christian or pagan left behind’. The church will not be a complete success until this occurs. Let's continue to reform in love.

Blessings,

Rob

Meditation: The Unknown Discipline

During my lunch break on July 31st, I drove out to Percy Priest Lake. There is nice little park setting where people can get out and walk to the lake’s edge, feed the ducks and geese and enjoy the shade of some mature shade trees. I sat there for 45 minutes allowing my mind to fill with the sounds of the water; the feel of the breeze through the car windows; and the children squealing with delight. I began to simply dwell on a tree in the park. I noticed its height and strength. I examined the intricate detail of the bark. I recognized that the grass below its large branches was greener and more vibrant than that directly exposed to the sun. I was filled with the awe of my God. I began to understand that God’s power and beauty are veiled in his creation. With a few simple sights and sounds found in an insignificant park in middle Tennessee the God of the universe could overwhelm my mind. It reminds me of my children. When they were very young, but old enough to begin to respond to my loving communication, they would giggle and laugh at my face or a sound I’d make. I could get them into a hysterical frenzy of laughter. Without notice, however, their laughter would turn to tears. They were over-stimulated. A baby can take only so much visual stimulation before it grows overwhelmed. I was overwhelmed that day in the park. Just a few of the sights and sounds of my Father caused me to go from laughter and wonder to tears. I think I will visit that park more often. Meditation has been a missing discipline in my life; I never realized the potential for discovering God in more concrete way.

Reasoned Concern

I have a personality that feels a lot of guilt. My response to the grace of God drives me to want to help others, work in the church, respond to every phone call, etc. But as I read Richard Foster's book, Celebration of Discipline, I realized that I cannot meet every need. There are too many people who have “fell among thieves” for this Samaritan to handle. I am very deficient in the area of service and desire to do more, but I know my personality and my tendency toward extreme. So, how do I reasonably approach the discipline of service?

I need to remember that I'm not omnipresent. I cannot be everywhere at once. So, when I choose to serve because of my concern for others, I natural cut off other opportunities to serve. For example, I cannot fill my 4:30 - 6:00 time slot with two acts of service.

A "reasoned concern" for others recognizes this fact and measures my responsibility to others. I can and will say "no" to requests for service. When should this occur? That is, when two acts of service are competing for the same timeslot; how should I choose which to do?

First, I must be walking in the Spirit. I cannot enter into the disciplines without the Spirit of God or they will turn into pietistic actions that have no spiritual significance. In the past when I've developed a discipline I quickly begin to compare my self to others. This has created an unrealistic demand (or a law) that I explicitly or implicitly place on them. I begin to fill big in God - within a few hours, days, weeks I fall hard and cannot see anything for the dirt (this happens mostly in the discipline of study). So, Spirit lead service is essential.

Second, if my service for others begins to impact my family negatively I need to consider that it’s unreasonable. If my wife says, "you care more about **fill in the blank** than you do me and the children", then I need to consider that my acts of service are not reasonable. So, does my family feel safe and cared for? This is a reasonable question. (Now, on this point I’ve placed too much emphasis, at times, on my family and left the responsibility to serve on others (one of my guilt areas).

Third, this one is painful for me; do I gravitate to acts of service that are visible? Am I concerned about the "big deal" or can I serve in secret? Anyone who knows me knows that I'm visible. I'm not a demon in this area, but I recognize I’ve focused more on the visible. I’ve failed to balance my acts of service between the visible and the hidden; this needs to be resolved (the reason for my post – extraverted thinking requires it). So, I should gravitate to the hidden, invisible, yet relevant acts of service. (I say relevant because what I sometimes consider a hidden act of service in reality has no benefit to anyone).

Finally, I need to balance the cautions above. I can cloak my desire not to serve with so many "reasons" that I never do. It will not hurt my family to spend a couple Saturdays a month at the mission; to sit with a friend in need; or to visit the convalescent hospital on a week night. These are good and important. If I can, through the Spirit (from the heart) balance my service to others with a tendency toward the hidden acts of service than I have shown "reasoned concern" for others.

Old Testament Examples of Courage

When have the people of God not suffered? When has the truth about their intentions not been twisted? I pray that every Christian would live with the kind of courage expressed by the post-exilic people of God:

Nehemiah 6
Now when it was reported to Sanballat and Tobiah and to Geshem the Arab and to the rest of our enemies that I had built the wall and that there was no gap left in it (though up to that time I had not set up the doors in the gates), Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying, "Come and let us meet together in one of the villages in the plain of Ono [Oh No – God has a since of humor]." But they intended to do me harm. So I sent messengers to them, saying, "I am doing a great work and I cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it to come down to you?" They sent to me four times in this way, and I answered them in the same manner. In the same way Sanballat for the fifth time sent his servant to me with an open letter in his hand. In it was written, "It is reported among the nations-and Geshem also says it-that you and the Jews intend to rebel; that is why you are building the wall; and according to this report you wish to become their king. You have also set up prophets to proclaim in Jerusalem concerning you, "There is a king in Judah!' And now it will be reported to the king according to these words. So come, therefore, and let us confer together." Then I sent to him, saying, "No such things as you say have been done; you are inventing them out of your own mind" -for they all wanted to frighten us, thinking, "Their hands will drop from the work, and it will not be done." But now, O God, strengthen my hands!

Notice the methods of the enemy are to attempt to dishearten through public exposure. Through false witnesses our Lord was also betrayed into the hands of sinners - it will not be any different with his disciples. Praise God when he counts you worthy to suffer with him. When you do suffer pray the Psalms - Psalms 74 may have been on Nehemiah’s mind.

Now the above story has a context. The people of God in this story were coming out of a period discipline. God had been disciplining them for their sins, but they had repented and so Sanballat and Tobiah were out of season with their attack – repentance had occurred – God knew it and Nehemiah knew it.

God Bless and be courageous

Love Constraining to Obedience

Now these lyrics have power! Though this song was written 200 years ago it has tremendous power today. I recently heard a contemporary rendition - very nice.

Think of Christ's words in John 15 "I call you no more servants...but friends..." To think that through the Son of God we can obtain a "righteousness freely chosen."

This is good stuff!

To see the Law by Christ fulfilled,
To hear His pardoning voice,
Changes a slave into a child
And duty into choice.

No strength of nature can suffice,
To serve the Lord aright
And what she has, she misapplies,
For want of clearer light.

How long beneath the Law I lay,
In bondage and distress
I toiled the precept to obey,
But toiled without success.

Then to abstain from outward sin
Was more than I could do
Now if I feel its power within
I feel I hate it too.

Then all my servile works were done,
A righteousness to raise
Now, freely chosen in the Son,
I freely choose His ways.

Lyrics: William Cowper (1731-1800)

God’s Righteousness

My friend Mark asked a question in church a week or two ago. It was regarding Matthew 5:20 where Jesus contrasts the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees with the righteousness his disciples were to have. Essentially he asked, “What’s the difference between them?” Over the last two weeks I feel the Lord has been giving us a more clear answer.

First, let’s look deeper into the righteousness of the religious leaders who rejected Jesus. Paul states, “For I testify about them that they have a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge. For not knowing about God's righteousness and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God” (Romans 10:2-3).
It appears that religious righteousness is zealous for God, but it appears to be misdirected. The target of their zeal, God, had provided knowledge of his righteousness, but it didn’t coincide with the righteousness they had conjured up on their own.

Why didn’t these religious men know about God’s righteousness? Didn’t they have the scriptures? The answer in short is, yes. They did possess the scriptures, but they were not possessed by the same faith and spirit by which the prophets were who spoke and recorded them. It is by faith and what accompanies faith, that is, the promise of the Holy Spirit (Gal 3:14) by which one can “know God’s righteousness”. Had they possession of the same faith as their fathers they would have understood; they would have recognized the righteousness of God. Simeon did. Anna did. Now the Disciples of Christ can because they have an indwelling faith and Spirit by which to recognize God’s righteousness and not only recognize but provide the world a living example of it. Through his Spirit God begins to reveal himself, his character and righteousness. Like a father teaches his son - he teaches us.

So, we’re sons. We have faith. We’ve received the promise of the Spirit. But we didn’t get a new set of brains. We still have cultural and experiential recollections that create a framework of thought and action that may be in contradiction with God’s righteousness. Where do we receive God’s perspective? Some would say to begin with reason and work your way down the philosophical model until you reach revelation. Wherever revelation contradicts reason (fill in the blank with your philosophy of choice) then disregard that aspect of revelation. But Christ said that he was the truth (John14:6) and that his words were life (John 6:63) and that everyone who had heard and learned from the Father comes to him (6:45). That’s amazing! Jesus is saying that he is the expression of God’s truth and knowledge. He is the teacher of righteousness and his words produce life and the righteousness of God.

Jesus, through his faith and faithfulness to the Father and his love for man, embodies what God was looking for in righteousness. Now if we’re not possessed by the Spirit and faith of Christ then we will not be able to follow his example. We are, however, called to imitate his example and that of the apostles (1 Cor 10:33-11:1). How was the faith of Jesus displayed? It was revealed on the cross; when he didn’t seek his own welfare, but the welfare of others. When he emptied himself and became obedient unto death (Phil 2:6-8). All of these things (examples) are teaching us about the righteousness of God.

The Old Testament is full of prophetic examples (Isaiah 50:*.*). Notice the character of the Servant of Jehovah in 50:4-6. He has care for others and he willingly accepts the rebuke and chastisement of men (religious me no doubt). But Isaiah goes on to say that while the Servant is being condemned, Jehovah would be present to justify him. Jehovah would declare his Servant to be righteous and all those who persecuted him would be condemned. Later, Isaiah 53, the Servant, through is suffering, is said to justify many as he was justified (but that’s a whole ‘nother post). Anyway, according to 50:10 all those who were in darkness who obeyed the words of the Servant and trusted in God (synonymous phrases) would be provided the light that comes from God, that is, God’s righteousness. But those who didn’t recognize and obey the words of the Servant; those who kindled their own flame, those who lit their own torches, those who established their own righteousness, were consumed (50:11; Rom 10:2-3).

Therefore, God’s righteousness is found by an ardent pursuit to know God through his Servant, Jesus Christ. The knowledge is not passive, but active through faith. Our faith (trust) in God will be expressed through love toward others (Gal 5:6). Paul provides practical exhortation to the believers in Philippi by telling them not to act through strife and selfish ambition, BUT in humility, esteem others better than themselves. What if we would have a godly estimation of the value of others? He goes on to say for the Philippians to not look on their own interest (only), BUT in humility, look out for the interests of others. What was Paul’s basis for this kind of self-giving humility? It was Christ! Though he was in the form of God he didn’t greedily grasp at his advantage, BUT in humility, became a servant who sacrificed himself for others. Now we may say, “that’s not very specific, what do we do when…?” Fill in the ellipse. Paul may say, “Do you trust God? Are you in hot pursuit of his will? He’ll provide you with light for the situation.” If we attempt to answer the specifics too generally (satisfying our selfishness) or too narrowly (satisfying our pride) we’re in danger of having our own righteousness. Let God provide the light – it’s just bright enough for the next step.

My Love Story (Revisited)

With Valentine's Day just around the corner my wife and I were reminiscing about our love story. She sat down earlier in the week and posted it on her blog. Of course it's my story too and I think it's special. Please check it out.

Julie's Blog

God Bless

Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder

I have not made a post since last March – unbelievable! It’s not from lack of desire, but of time. Between school, work, church and family I’ve allocated nearly every available minute. Anyway, consider this the turning of a new leaf; a commitment to myself and my family to do a better job of conveying my thoughts in writing.