Taylor Hicks, Larry Johnson and The Da Vinci Code

First up, congratulations to Taylor Hicks for being named the new American Idol. I voted for him twice. Jenni voted for Kat about a dozen times, but it didn’t help. Taylor is a soulful rocker from Hoover, Alabama (where my brother lives). He has a Joe-Cocker-meets-Michael-McDonald-voice and some smooth dance moves…plus he has made gray hair cool. PRAISE THE LORD for that!!!

Also, much props going out to my main man and the Kansas City Chiefs' main running back Larry Johnson for making the May 22nd issue of ESPN the magazine. It is a good article that gives us the fans more access into why Larry Johnson has been so mad for so long. So I guess he was being a baby all those years! But that is in the past. If he stays healthy and if he keeps the "diapers" off, then he should have 2,000 yards rushing this year and (as always) I predict that the Chiefs will make it to the Super Bowl this year.

Finally, Jenni and I watched the Da Vinci Code last night and here is my take. I thought that the movie was ok. As a piece of cinematic art is was ok. Tom Hanks and the woman who played Sophie had zero chemistry, but there were some great architectural and landscape shots in the film. I found that the content of the movie was filled with some facts, some myths, some fantasy, and very littler truth. Leigh Teabing, who is the “expert” in the movie is the voice of the Da Vinici Code’s myth that Jesus and Mary Magdalene were married and that Mary is the Holy Grail as the bearer of Christ’s bloodline. In the movie Teabing, comes off at best as a “kooky” old man and at worst as a vilian. Nevertheless, I think that he made not be taken that serious by most movie-goers. In the end, I think the book will have done more damage than the movie and in September we will all be saying “the Da Vinci…what?” I agree with Elanor Gillespie of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution who wrote: “it's hard to imagine how "The Da Vinci Code" could shake anyone's faith.”

Nevertheless, I think it is important for Christians to know the difference between the Da Vinci Code’s myths and historical facts/biblical truth. Gillespie is right that Opus Dei and the Catholic Church “take it on the chin” in the movie. If you are in the Americus area make plans to be a Cornerstone Church THIS SUNDAY, because I am going to preach a whole sermon on The Da Vinci Code. I am going to "swing back" on behalf of our Catholic brothers and sisters and help seperate truth from myth. I am looking forward to it.

21 Days of the Spirit: Day 21

Suffering, Perseverance, Character

Today is the final day of our twenty-one day journey in pursuit of Holy Spirit. I have had numerous people tell me that these twenty-one days have been a time of spiritual growth for them. If you have a story to tell related to your spiritual journey over these last twenty-one days then click here to email me.

I know that it has been a meaningful time for me. It has been a time of spiritual and theological growth for me. I am not there yet….far from it. I have not reached the place where I want to be in my growth in Christ, but I am closer. When I said that this journey has been a time of spiritual growth – I mean that it terms of experience. I have experienced a deeper moving of the Holy Spirit in my own heart. Some people told me after church today that they sensed the Spirit’s power. It is important to know that all spiritual experiences are not emotional and not all emotional experiences are spiritual. Too often what charismatic-oriented Christians claim is the “moving of the spirit” is really just a moving of their emotions. The mark of the true activity of the Holy Spirit is the degree of change in our character, which is a far more of a lasting effect than the passing feeling of emotionally-charged euphoria.

This journey has also been a time of theological growth for me. I have done some good thinking and writing about spiritual transformation. I continue to think about the central nature of transformation. On the Sunday morning message that I preached entitled “What Does the Spirit do?”, I talked about the circles of truth. These “circles” are experiential truths that include some kind of work of the Spirit. Transformation was the center circle. I have added two more circles of truth, but I am sticking with the idea that transformation is central. Each circle of truth has a question that goes with it. Here are the circles:

Transformation: “Who am I becoming?

Doctrine: “What do I believe?”

Holiness: “How do I act?”

Devotion: “How do I worship”

Service: “What do I do for others?”

Mission: “How do I communicate the gospel message?”

Community: “With whom do I partner?”

Transformation is not only central, but first. If transformation is not experienced before the others, then the other truths go from works of the Spirit to human works.

I have bloged 21 days in a row, but I doubt that I can keep up this pace. I want to continue to blog, but maybe not every day.

Email me your story if you have something to share!

21 Days of the Spirit: Day 20

Healing My Feeling

It is laughable that there was a time in the Church that we actually argued over whether or not God still heals today. Oh we have always “prayed” for sick, but there was a time when we (as the one, holy, apostolic and Catholic church) argued over whether or not we could expect God to heal. In the book Miraculous Gifts for Today: Four Views, four people discuss the gifts of the Spirit, including the gifts of healing. At the end, they all agree that God can heal today. The only issue of disagreement is to what degree we can expect God to heal.

I believe and expect God to heal today.

I believe and expect healing because I believe that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and yes forever (Hebrews 13:8 NIV).

Jesus is the same.

Healing is the same, because the Holy Spirit that healed through the ministry of Jesus (Acts 10:38) is the same.

He (the Holy Spirit) still heals us today. He heals no only our broken bodies, but also our damaged emotions.

He is about the business of healing our feeling. (kinda rolls of the tongue…doesn’t it…healing our feeling.

The Holy Spirit does this through the wounds of Christ. Jesus suffered similar emotional pain experience today. He experienced abandonment, fear, mental anguish, the ridicule and insults of others….bad stuff. Steve Seamands explains this well in Wounds that Heal.

As we open up our brokenness to the Spirit, he can repair the damage.

Thank God…

21 Days of the Spirit: Day 19

A Will All to Myself

Luke 22:42 NIV Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done. Our devotional today opens with an important statement: “Human will was never more on display than in the Garden of Gethsemane when Jesus wrestled in torment with the will of His Father.” Jesus was fully human and so he had a completely human will. He did not have two wills (one human and one divine) – he had only one will. And he ultimately chose his Father’s will.

The Holy Spirit can affect our will but he cannot superimpose God’s will upon our own. Our will is free. Free will really throws a theological monkey wretch into life. When we grapple to understand evil, suffering and tragedies in relationship—we turn to free will. The freedom of our will does not affect God’s foreknowledge. God knows the choices we are going to make. He knows because he exists in the future and in the present at the same time. He does not control what we choose in the present, but he knows what we choose in the present because he exists in the future. (Weird, huh?)

Free will certainly complicates the will of God. It raises questions such as: Does God’s will always happen? I don’t think so. If everything that happens in life is the will of god then there can be no concept of sin. Sin is when the will of God is not done and sin happens all the time.

So what about the Holy Spirit? The Spirit gives us room to exercise our own free will, but he can influence our will. He does this through conviction. Jesus said:But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me; in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned. (John 16:7-11 NIV)

He convicts us of three things:
sin (my way)
righteousness (God’s way)
judgment (the consequences)

I am praying that his convicting work will grow stronger in my heart so that I will reject my way of doing things and embrace His!

I have committed to blog 21 days in a row and I almost ran out of time for today’s blog, but I made it by about 15 minutes. Ok, enough blogging for today…it is time for sleep!

The Da Vinci Code Reviews: The night before the premiere

The Da Vinci Code premieres tomorrow night and the early reviews are in. And they are not too complementary. Currently RottenTomatoes.com is giving it a 17% rating which is a ROTTEN rating. (“17%” means that only 17% of the critical reviews were positive. If you need help doing the math—that means that 83% of the reviews were negative.)

Here are some of the comments from reviewers around the country (my favorite is at the bottom):


"A jumbled, joyless affair that neither entertains nor enlightens."
-- Shawn Adler, IGN FILMFORCE


"Every time Langdon starts to educate Sophie, the urge to tune out is overwhelming."
-- Josh Bell, LAS VEGAS WEEKLY


"As for the film's entertainment virtues, forget it. This is one of the most talky and pretentious major films in memory."
-- Steve Crum, VIDEO-REVIEWMASTER.COM


"Retarded, ridiculous and crushingly dull."
-- Devin Faraci, CHUD


"The movie is woefully plotted and just flat-out, eye-crossingly dull."
-- Phoebe Flowers, SOUTH FLORIDA SUN-SENTINEL


"Voltaire, never a huge advocate of organized religion, would be having a fine chuckle nowadays over the current Dan Brown brouhaha."
-- Brandon Judell, NEW YORK THEATRE WIRE


"You know a movie's a dud when even its self-flagellating albino killer monk isn't any fun. "
-- John Beifuss, COMMERCIAL APPEAL (MEMPHIS, TN)


"Way too long and duller than watching Da Vinci's paint dry...takes away the book's little credibility and makes the flaws more obvious."
-- Edward Douglas, COMINGSOON.NET


"Langdon's not a human character, but an amalgamation of pop-up trivia and pensive stares and there's nothing Hanks can do to make him sympathetic, interesting or engaging."
-- Dan Fienberg, ZAP2IT.COM


"... it's not very good -- long (2hr.32min.) and mostly inert."
-- Richard Corliss, TIME MAGAZINE


"The film is faithful enough, but it's hard to imagine it making many converts."
-- Owen Gleiberman, ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY


"The truth is that The Da Vinci Code is a pretty-good-but-who-cares effort, a moderately interesting diversion that will hold audiences in the moment but leave them unmoved and unchanged."
-- Mick LaSalle, SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE


And my favorite....

The Da Vinci Code: More dog's dinner than Last Supper
By Anthony Quinn
Published: 19 May 2006 by The Independent

For Christ's sake! If this movie sends a single shockwave through true believers then one can only assume that their faith rests on pathetically frail foundations. Choosing to picket cinemas that screen The Da Vinci Code makes about as much sense as picketing a Monopoly board for a perceived unfairness over property rents. Nobody has cause to worry about this preposterous confection, and that includes the studio trying to sell it: the air of hallowed secrecy thrown about the project should guarantee success for at least a couple of weeks.

I guess this means that the movie may not have as big of an effect as some Christian naysayers have predicted. I heard Josh McDowell explain the coming of this movie as the biggest attack on the Christian faith in our lifetime. Maybe not. I think the movie will do well in the box office, but the bad review may throw a wet blanket on all the talk. I am happy that the movie is coming out. It gives me an opportunity to teach on things like the Council of Nicea (325 AD) and other historical things like the origins of the New Testament. I will be teaching on these topics on May 28th. Fun stuff...

21 Days of the Spirit: Day 18

Creative Renovation

Colossians 3:9-10 NIV Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.

Our 21 Days of the Spirit journey has been designed to promote the Spirit’s work in transforming us into the image of Christ by the power of the Spirit to the overwhelming joy of our Father. (…blessed Trinity!) These verses in Colossians from the pen of St. Paul underscore this fact that we are being changed. The old self that ruled over the kingdom of self has been dethroned by the King and his kingdom. In that kingdom, the new kingdom, the kingdom of God – there is a new self, a subservient self, a self that is valuable to God the architect of our souls. This new self is being renewed (read here “transformed”) in the image of its Creator. If HE is a creator and we are being RENEWED in his image then we have a little creator in us. He is indeed a creator – this is why we pray come CREATOR Spirit! Come Holy Spirit and redeem all our creativity so it is not wasted. Let us lavish our creativity on You and your Church.

Two quick things…

First, I am preaching the last of my three part series on the Holy Spirit this weekend. It will focus on the baptism in the Holy Spirit. Read the below quote about the purpose of the baptism in the Holy Spirit from the US Catholic Conference of Bishops. It is entitled Grace For The New Springtime: A Statement from the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops on the Charismatic Renewal

They write:
“As experienced in the Catholic Charismatic Renewal baptism in the Holy Spirit makes Jesus Christ known and loved as Lord and Savior, establishes or reestablishes an immediacy of relationship with all those persons of the Trinity, and through inner transformation affects the whole of the Christian's life. There is new life and a new conscious awareness of God's power and presence. It is a grace experience which touches every dimension of the Church's life: worship, preaching, teaching, ministry, evangelism, prayer and spirituality, service and community. Because of this, it is our conviction that baptism in the Holy Spirit, understood as the reawakening in Christian experience of the presence and action of the Holy Spirit given in Christian initiation, and manifested in a broad range of charisms, including those closely associated with the Catholic Charismatic Renewal, is part of the normal Christian life.”

Grace for the New Springtime © 1997, the United States Catholic Conference, Inc.

I am going to preach on this Sunday…the Spirit-filled life is a part of the “normal Christian life.” Kudos to our Catholic brothers!

Second, I am listening to Charlie Peacock's West Coast Diaries Vol. 2. I am listening to this song right now:

Psalm 51 (1991)
Charlie Peacock
West Coast Diaries Vol.2

Click here to listen. The song is in a Windows (.wma) format.

21 Days of the Spirit: Day 17

The Devotion of Jealousy

Today's reading is from II Corinthians 11:3. I think this is from the NKJV
But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpents' cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ.

There has to come a time when we mature in our faith and realize that right and wrong is far more complicated than we first thought. Pride is a good example. Is pride good or bad? I guess it depends on the situation. (Oh, no situational ethics?!?) When pride is selfish and self serving is it bad. For example, I pride myself in being better at golf that all you people. (Which is not true. I don’t like golf…too slow...too expensive…too frustrating). This would be a bad sort of pride. There is a pride that is good. A pride that is focused on other. For example, I am proud that my son has a good attitude when he plays sports. So pride can be good or bad depending on the circumstance.

Jealousy is another issue that can be good or bad. To be jealousy to the point of control and manipulation is bad, but to be passionately focused on one thing is good. The word “jealousy” means zealous vigilance. God loves us with a jealousy love. He doesn’t want us to go around flirting with the gods of this world. He wants our hearts attention and he will ENTERTAIN NO RIVAL.

God is the only being that is aloud to be self absorbed. The ultimate end of man is to glorify God and enjoy him forever. This is also God’s ultimate goal. His ultimate end is to glorify himself and enjoy himself forever. (Sounds strange, but let John Piper explain it to you).

So enter the Holy Spirit. His job is to capture our devotion, to capture our attention, to hold up a large, glowing neon sign that says LOVE GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART SOUL MIND AND STRENGTH!

I have been thinking of a song by Natalie Merchant called “Jealousy.” I think this is the bad kind of jealousy, but see if there is anything redeeming here:

"Jealousy" (1995)
By Natile Merchant
Album: Tiggerlily

Ooo, jealousy

Is she fine
So well bred
The perfect girl
A social deb

Is she the sort
You've always thought
Could make you
What you're not?

Ooo, jealousy

Is she bright so well read are there novels by her bed

Is she the sort
You've always said
Could satisfy
Your head?

Ooo, my jealousy

Does she talk
The way I do
Is her voice reminding you
Of the promises
The little white lies too
Sometimes, tell me
While she's touching you
Just by mistake
Accidentally do you say my name?

If God is singing this song to me and if the girl is whatever I am putting before God then I can see a spiritual analogy here.

21 Days of the Spirit: Day 16

Godly Displays of Affection

The “21 Days of the Spirit” devotional reading today opens with a few thoughts about PDA, public displaces of affection. I am not against (married people) holding hands and kisses on the check in public. No problem there. But when a less-than-mature dating couple are all over each other in public it can be a little much. It isn’t always the physical displays of affection that turn my stomach. The verbal displays of affection are just as bad: Baby, you are the finest thing in the world. I could put you on a place and sop you up with a biscuit. You are the pot of gold at the end of my rainbow… And my personal favorite: Baby, you make my liver quiver….

This reminds me of the Seinfeld episode in which Jerry and his girl friend drives everyone crazy with all of the “shmoopy talk.” Here is the dialogue:

The Soup Nazi (Episode 115)
Written by Spike Feresten
Directed by Andy Ackerman
Aired November 2, 1995

The episode opens…

GEORGE: All right. So, what theatre you wanna go to tonight? We got 61st and 3rd or 84th and Broadway.

JERRY: Which one you wanna go to shmoopy?

SHEILA: You called me shmoppy. You're a shmoopy.

JERRY: You're a shmoopy!

SHEILA: You're a shmoopy!

JERRY: You're a shmoopy!

GEORGE: All right, shmoopies...what's it gonna be? Pick a theater.


Later on…

GEORGE: Yeah. Hey, let ask you something. Is it just me, or - or do you find it unbearable to be around Jerry and that girl?

ELAINE: Oh, I know! It is awful!

GEORGE: Why do they have to do that in front of people?

ELAINE: I don't know.

GEORGE: What is that with the shmoopy?

ELAINE: Ohh!

GEORGE: The shmoopy, shmoopy, shmoopy, shmmopy, shmoopy!

ELAINE: Ohh! Stop it! I know.

GEORGE: I had to listen to a five minute discussion on which one is
actually called shmoopy.

ELAINE: Ugh!

We have no problem with showing affection in a romantic relationship, but why is it that so many American Christians have trouble displaying affection for God. Affection is not emotionalism and it is not a secondary characteristic in our love for God. A purely rational, Mr. Spock-approach to a life lived with God is not what God is looking for. Affection is our desire; it is our “want to.” The Holy Spirit will come to us and poke us and prod us and point us in the right direction, but he does not want us to come to God under compulsion. He wants our “want to” to catch up to our “ought to.” So the Holy Spirit also stirs up our affection and ignites it with a passion for God.

I need this. I need the Holy Spirit to stir up godly affection in me. As Jonathan Edwards said in Religious Affections, “true religion, in great part consists in the affections.”

I am preparing for this weekend’s message: “How Do I Walk in the Holy Spirit?” And I did some thinking in my recliner last night after President Bush’s speech on immigration.
I asked myself “When do I need the Holy Spirit?” I came up with a list of fifty occasions--fifty moments in life when I need the Holy Spirit. Here is the list:

When do I need the Holy Spirit?

I need the Holy Spirit…
when I feel weak
when I get depressed
when I am tempted
when I am lonely
when I feel like God is a million miles away

I need the Holy Spirit…
when I do not understand
when I am suffering
when I do not know what to do
when I have no more words to pray
when I feel angry
when I feel unloved and rejected

I need the Holy Spirit…
when I fail and I want to quit
when I succeed and I want to brag
when I am confused
when I feel afraid
when I cannot focus

I need the Holy Spirit…
when I lack desire
when I am not disciplined
when I want to lie
when I think my instincts are wrong
when I no longer care
when I become envious

I need the Holy Spirit…
when I am enticed by temporary pleasure
when I feel in control
when I am talking to my children
when I serve in God’s church
when I awake in the morning
when I lie down to sleep at night

I need the Holy Spirit…
when I am forgetful
when I am an insensitive jerk
when I am unkind
when I am shallow
when I am congratulated and praised
when I accomplish my goals
when I am celebrated
when I am playing the role of the imposter

I need the Holy Spirit…
when I am resting
when I am working
when I am playing
when I stand to worship
when I sit in front of the TV
when I stand to speak
when I stand for truth

I need the Holy Spirit…
when I am distracted by technology
when I am drained of creativity
when I try to love my wife like Christ
when I engage culture
when I am self absorbed
when I feel empty

I need the Holy Spirit… when I want to feel truly alive.

At the end of this time of reflection, I realized that I need the Holy Spirit all the time. Not just when I want to do something religious or spiritual. I need the Holy Spirit at every moment of every day. Come Holy Spirit and fill my heart that I may walk with you along the path that Jesus walked for me.

21 Days of the Spirit: Day 15

Staying in Stain Free

Sin is a problem.

Sin is the the problem.

Sin is the reason why we need to be transformed by the Holy Spirit and it is a lot more than just our act of disobedience. Sin is both our act of willful obedience to a known law of God (John Wesley’s definition), but it is also a deep rooted corruption of our human nature. So we confess our sins – our acts of willful disobedience – and God forgives us, but we still need the work of the Holy Spirit to clean us up and root out all of the stain of sin. This is what Gordon Fee calls the “staying in” part of salvation. The Holy Spirit both regenerates us at the beginning of our salvation, that act “gets us in,” and he also continue to purify us of sin’s stain.

David understood the depth of sin’s power. Listen to the passion in his voice, when David prayed this psalm.

Psalm 51
[1] Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion
blot out my transgressions.

[2] Wash away all my iniquity
and cleanse me from my sin.

[3] For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is always before me.

[4] Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you are proved right when you speak
and justified when you judge.

[5] Surely I was sinful at birth,
sinful from the time my mother conceived me.

[6] Surely you desire truth in the inner parts;
you teach me wisdom in the inmost place.

[7 ]Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

[8] Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones you have crushed rejoice.

[9] Hide your face from my sins
and blot out all my iniquity.

[10] Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

[11] Do not cast me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.

[12] Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

[13] Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
and sinners will turn back to you.

[14] Save me from bloodguilt, O God,
the God who saves me,
and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.

[15] O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth will declare your praise.

[16] You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;
you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.

[17] The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart,
O God, you will not despise.

[18] In your good pleasure make Zion prosper;
build up the walls of Jerusalem.

[19] Then there will be righteous sacrifices,
whole burnt offerings to delight you;
then bulls will be offered on your altar.

Five times David asks to be cleaned, cleansed or washed. The stain of sin is an awful enemy to fight. The Holy Spirit comes to do what David asked for. I join him in this prayer – come Holy Spirit and clean me out so I can stay in!

21 Days of the Spirit: Day 14

Do you Smell Something?

Today’s reading is from 2 Corinthians 2:15: For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.
The devotional focused on our spiritual smell. It is based on the idea that our hearts give off a spiritual scent. It seems a bit strange, but I think it is a deeply biblical idea. I am a freak when it comes to smells. In the devotional guide, I asked, “Have ever walking into somebody’s house with cats?" This is a reference to something I said during one of my less than tactful moments. I walked into a friend’s house (for the first time) and it smelled like cats. Without thinking, I opened my mouth and said, “Tim, your house stinks.” (Sorry Tim!) I still regret my embarrassing comment, but the smell of cat was a bit overwhelming.

Smells are strong and our hearts give off a certain kind of odor – either the smell of life or the smell of death. One of the actions of the Holy Spirit is to anoint our hearts to give of the smell of life—the aroma of Christ. The anointing of the Holy Spirit is often described as the empowerment of the Spirit. This idea of anointing as perfume is a bit different, but I think is a good metaphor the describes what the Spirit does in making us holy. Holiness is not a matter of us doing the right things. Holiness is something that we receives as a gracious gift from the Spirit.

This idea came from Father Raniero Cantalamessa, who has written the best book on the Holy Spirit that I have ever read. Fr. Cantalamessa was the has been the “Preacher to the Papal Household” since 1980. He was hand selected by the Pope to his personal preacher. This is a pretty big deal in the Catholic Church. For those of us in the Protestant branch of the church, this would be like Billy Graham asking you to live in his house and do devotions for him and Ruth! Fr. Cantalamessa has also been an active part of the Catholic charismatic renewal. The book that he wrote on the Holy Spirit in 2003 is called Come Creator Spirit. I highly recommend this book. There are some people that may avoid it because it comes from a Catholic writer, but I did not find anything that was theologically offensive. It is thoroughly biblical and well-written. It caused me to want to pursue my understand and experience of the Spirit with renewed vigor.

Let me end today’s blog with a great quote from Fr. Cantalamessa:

Our great need today is a new openness, a new readiness to approach the Holy Spirit, a reawakened longing for the Spirit. Now that we have knowledge enough to explore the immernse horizons of cosmic space in one direction and subatomic particles in the other direction, only the Holy Spirit can give human kind that sustenance of soul, that love which will prevent our humanity for shriveling up althogether as a result of ur own knowledge. Only the Holy Spirit’s help will make us a ble to use our technical knowledge not to destroy but to humanixe our planet and improve the lot in life of every person.

Raniero Cantalamessa
Come Creator Spirit pg. 269

Come Holy Spirit come!

21 Days of the Spirit: Day 13

Changing My Mind

This blog is going to be a bit different. I am going to make a list of thoughts pertaining to today’s reading. I think in terms of lists. I do not want to rush past today’s reading, because this is an important thought as we consider the work of the Spirit in transforming our interior life. Nevertheless, I am short on time, thus the list.

The Lord knows I need transforming! Yesterday was not such a good day. I felt tense and angry most of the day. I was grouchy and irritable. Unfortunately it seems like Jenni and the boys become the object of my tyranny on days like that. To Jenni, Wesley and Taylor—I say I am sorry. Will you forgive me?

Now onto today’s verse and my unstructured list of thoughts.


Romans 12:2 NIV Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Spiritual transformation is not something that we do to ourselves.

Renewing our mind is not so much what we do, but how we partner with the Holy Spirit.

Our thinking controls our habits and action.

Many Christians do not think deeply about God and his action in the world and in our hearts.

The church growth, seeker-sensitive, entertainment evangelism, purpose-driven, creative communication trends in the Evangelical church tempts me to think too shallow about God and too deeply about myself, my needs, my wants and my entertainment.

I think way to much about myself and not enough about the beauty and mystery of the triune God.

Can I make that a we statement? … We think way to much about ourselves and not enough about the beauty and mystery of the triune God.

The most popular forms of communication in the church seem to bring the least amount of transformation.

I sound like a cynic, let me get back to the verse.

How does the Holy Spirit transform my mind?

How does he use the Scriptures that he inspired to renew my mind?

I want to think God’s thoughts after him.

Who first said that? I would like to give props to whoever first made that above statement. (Note to self, google that sentence and find the author) I am thinking it is a Willard or Peterson quote.

I want to have the mind the Christ. I want to think like him. That is the essence of “thinking God’s thoughts after him.”

I am embarrassed by most of the thoughts that cross my mind.

Are thoughts sin?

If I am thinking thoughts that I know are not good thoughts, have I sinned?

Can the devil “hear your thoughts”?

Can the devil manipulate your thoughts?

Does it matter?

What is an impure thought life?

Is it the thoughts that get you into to trouble or is it the actions that are done according to our thinking that lead us into sin?

Thoughts are important.

I need to turn of the TV sometimes so I can think.

That is why God created TIVO. Praise the Lord for digital recording.

Our (my) media saturated world steals opportune time to thinking.

My thoughts control my attitude, actions, habits, behavior and even my feelings.

God give me new thoughts.

God renew my mind so that I think your thoughts after you.

I want to be like the E.O. on a submarine.

When the Captain speaks the E.O. repeats his words with out hesitation.

See the movie Crimson Tide for an example of this.

God I want to say your words after you without hesitation.

You speak and I repeat.

Holy Spirit, come renew my mind!

21 Days of the Spirit: Day 12

Intimate Access to the Father

Today’s focus has been on intimacy and the role of the Holy Spirit in granting us intimate access to the Father. Jesus is the way to the father. Jesus paved the way to the Father by his death and resurrection, but it is the Holy Spirit that takes us by the hand to lead us into intimacy with the Father. The Spirit acts like an usher, showing us to our seat with God the Father. The word intimate comes from the Latin word intimus which means “innermost.” God desires for us to be in an “innermost” position with him. He wants us on the inside, no longer looking in on God from the outside.

This is exciting and terrifying all at the same time. Intimacy—knowing someone and being fully known by them—is a deep human longing. Kansas City native and Waterdeep front man, Don chaffer once wrote, “I don’t think I’ve ever wanted as much to be free as I’ve longed to be known. And of the things that I hate as I look at my life, the worst is my being alone.” Very true. I think we all want to be known and loved. We all want intimacy but it scares the heck out of us. We feel vulnerable and exposed when we open up ourselves to someone else. It is terrifying but good. That is a good description of God himself. He is terrifying but good.

There has been a lot of talk about last Sunday’s message, “Who is the Holy Spirit?” And yes, I still have the can of WD-40 on my desk. C’mon all you complainers! I got want you need.

We are going to continue are journey of discovering the Holy Spirit this Sunday with the message, “What does the Holy Spirit do?” If you are in the Americus area do whatever you have to do to be at Cornerstone Church this Sunday!

The quote from Don Chaffer came from a song from 1994. Here is the whole song:

The Worst is My Being Alone
by Don Chaffer
Album: You Were at the Time For Love (1994)

“Aaron, have you ever had a burning in your chest
That made you just want to be free?”
It was a warm afternoon when she asked him this,
As they sat on the shore of the sea

Well, Aaron just tugged at his hair and he took
A very long time to reply
And by the time that he spoke, she’d forgotten she asked
And was lost in the clouds of the sky

He said, “Kelly, I don’t think
I’ve ever wanted as much
To be free as I’ve longed to be known.
And of the things that I hate
As I look at my life,
The worst is my being alone.”

The rest of his words he kept from her ears
Cause he thought she might not understand
And she didn’t reply. She couldn’t figure out how,
Cause the fire in her heart had been fanned

Oh, of all the things known that he could’ve spoken that day,
He chose one from deep down inside
Without intending her to, he caused her to confess
Her false confidence and how she had lied

She said, “Aaron, I don’t think
I’ve ever wanted as much
To be free as I’ve longed to be known.
And of the things that I hate
As I look at my life,
The worst is my being alone.”

And as they headed home, neither of them could speak a word
And they held their own spirits to blame
But at the pulse of the waves, they both turned around
Surely someone was calling their name
Someone was calling their name

21 Days of the Spirit: Day 11

Revolution, Rule, and Fruit

A battle rages inside me. It is a battle between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of self. I have been thinking a lot about the kingdom of self since I preached that sermon, “Deconstructing Self” on April 9th. I mentioned some thought about the demise of the self in my Day 9 blog. It seems to me that a lot of what I am reading both in the Scripture and in other places comes back to this idea of the self and its conflict with the kingdom of God.

Jesus said that the kingdom of God was within us (Luke 17:21). The kingdom of God belongs to the Father. It is his kingdom with Jesus as the king. The Holy Spirit is the executor of that kingdom in our heart. He is establishing God’s rule and producing God’s fruit with in our hearts. He is doing this in opposition to the kingdom of self. (BOOOOO! HISSSSSS…). The self is busy in our hearts trying to establish his kingdom which has self as the king and self as the executor. This two are in constant conflict. Paul used the Greek word sarx, translated “flesh” or “sinful nature” in the way that I am using the word self. Check out some of these references that Paul makes to the self. Note that I am adding the word “self” to emphasize the work of the kingdom of self.

For the sinful nature [self] desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature [self]. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. (Galatians 5:17)

I do not understand what I [self] do. For what I want to do I [self] do not do, but what I hate I [self] do. And if I [self] do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin [self] living in me. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature [self]. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I [self] cannot carry it out. For what I [self] do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do--this I [self] keep on doing. Now if I [self] do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin [self] living in me that does it. (Romans 7:15-20)

I [self] have been crucified with Christ and I [self] no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me (Galatians 2:20).

I think it is helpful to see the kingdom of self within that is doing battle with the kingdom of God with. It makes this Romans 7 passage easier to understand. Bible scholars and commentaries have debated the meaning of Romans 7 for years. Some understand Paul to be speaking about his situation BEFORE coming to Christ. Other see Romans 7 as Paul’s present struggle. (Life Bible Fellowship Church has a brief history on this debate.) I believe that Paul is speaking of his present struggle. I think this is the clearest reading in its context. This does put me at odds with Gordon Fee. Fee stands firm in his position that Paul is speaking of his condition before coming to Christ. Fee argues that there is no struggle in Paul after he came to Christ and the Spirit came to fill his heart. I humbly disagree with Fee. I have read his argument and it seems like a stretch for me.

Paul writes in the first person using the present (progressive) tense, because he is describing the ongoing battle between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of self. Let me take some liberty and rewrite the Romans 7 passage to clearly emphasize the kingdom of self.

Romans 7:15-20: The self remix
I do not understand what self is doing. For what I want to do self does not do, but what I hate I self does. And if I self does what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is self living in me. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my self. For I have the desire to do what is good, but self cannot carry it out. For what self does is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do--this is what self continues to do. Now if self does what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is self living in me that does it.

It is the Holy Spirit who establishes the kingdom of God in my heart by producing fruit—certain character traits—in my heart. The establishment of God’s kingdom is the warfare that the Spirit is involved in against the dreaded kingdom of self. This idea is a powerful concept. I am not the warrior in this battle. I am the object. I am the land that the Spirit is battling for.

Here is today’s prayer: Lord, may your kingdom be established in my heart by the Holy Spirit. Produce within me all of the fruit of the Spirit—especially patience. I know that it is listed as number four among the fruit, but it is my number one need. Serenity Now! Amen.


SIDENOTE
“Serenity now” is a quote from a Seinfeld episode of the same name.

The episode opens with George and his parents (Frank & Estelle) riding together in the car. George is driving with his mom in the passenger seat. Frank, George’s dad, is in the back seat complaining that he doesn’t have enough leg room. He is mad at Estelle (as usual) because she tried to pull the lever to move the seat forward and the seat wouldn’t move.

Here is the dialogue:

The Serenity Now
Originally aired 10/9/97 9:00pm

Frank: Like an animal. Because of her, I have to sit here like an animal! Serenity now! Serenity now!

George: What is that?

Frank: Doctor gave me a relaxation cassette. When my blood pressure gets too high, the man on the tape tells me to say, 'Serenity now!'

George: Are you supposed to yell it?

Frank: The man on the tape wasn't specific.

George: What happened to the screen door? It blew off again?

Estelle: I told you to fix that thing.

Frank: Serenity nowww!

21 Days of the Spirit: Day 10

Speaking a New Name

Kids can be mean. Just listen to how they talk to each other. I am not trying to say that all kids these days are mean, vengeful, snot-nose punks. Certainly some kids are trying to intentionally hurt other kids by their words, but I think some do it innocently. I am also NOT trying to say that kids these days are worse than kids a generation ago.

I felt like I was picked on a lot by other kids growing up. Maybe I am just hyper-sensitive to it, but I felt like I never measured up to my peers and was always being picked on and called names. I remember on one occasion when I was a freshman in high school. I had enduring the long hours and early morning practices and made the basketball team. I was awkward, clumsy and my desire for the sport way outweighed my talent, but I survived the final cuts. At one practice, we were all headed to the water table to get something to drink during a break. There was a bag of ice on the table next to the cups and pitcher of water. I reached into the bag and quickly tried to grab a handful of ice cubes. When I pulled my hand out, I sent ice flying out of the bag and sliding across the gym floor. Oops. I then heard one of my teammates yell in my direction, “Vreeland you ______.” I will let your imagination fill in the black, but I can promise you it was anything positive. As we grew up, I became friends with that guy, but I never forgot the name he called me.

It stung.

It stuck with me.

It felt like a heavy rock that had been chained to my neck.

Why is that?

I think name-calling hurts because words are powerful. Proverbs 18:21 is true. It says, “The tongue has the power of life and death…” Words are just words. They have no intrinsic value in themselves. They are just symbols that point (are try to point) to some idea. Our culture determines the idea that the word points to and culture can change the idea. This creates difficulty when you want to use a word that has a shifting meaning. For example, the city of Gay, Georgia used to hold the annual "Gay Fair" -- a coummunity celebration. They changed the name to the "Cotton Pickin' Fair" for obvious reasons. The idea behind the word "gay" had shifted.

Words have no real value. They are like a little containers that contain either the stuff of life or the stuff of death. A lot of the hurtful names that people call us are made up of words carrying the stuff of death. Even words or names that are untrue can carry the stuff of death. A name doesn’t have to be true to hurt. I do not have the statistical data to confirm my suspicion, but I suspect that most of us have been called names or have had people talk to us with words loaded us with death. This is why God speaks a new name in us who are Christ-followers by the Holy Spirit.

Isaiah speaks in future terms that: “The nations will see your righteousness, and all kings your glory; you will be called by a new name that the mouth of the LORD will bestow” (Isaiah 62:2). God does this with the coming of the Spirit. He call us by a new name giving us a brand new identity. These are the words filled with the stuff of life. All of the names we were called in the past, including “____” that I was called by my teammate in high school are now replaced with new names like: loved, accepted, righteous, chosen & elected.

Check out this list of new names and the new identity that we have in Christ. This is from our friends at Freedom in Christ Ministries.

WHO I AM IN CHRIST

I am accepted…

I am God's child. (John 1:12)

As a disciple, I am a friend of Jesus Christ. (John 15:15)

I have been justified. (Romans 5:1)

I am united with the Lord, and I am one with Him in spirit. (1 Corinthians 6:17)

I have been bought with a price and I belong to God. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)

I am a member of Christ's body. (1 Corinthians 12:27)

I have been chosen by God and adopted as His child. (Ephesians 1:3-8)

I have been redeemed and forgiven of all my sins. (Colossians 1:13-14)

I am complete in Christ. (Colossians 2:9-10)

I have direct access to the throne of grace through Jesus Christ. (Hebrews 4:14-16)


I am secure...

I am free from condemnation. (Romans 8:1-2)

I am assured that God works for my good in all circumstances. (Romans 8:28)

I am free from any condemnation brought against me and I cannot be separated from the love of God. (Romans 8:31-39)

I have been established, anointed and sealed by God. (2 Corinthians 1:21-22)

I am hidden with Christ in God. (Colossians 3:1-4)

I am confident that God will complete the good work He started in me. (Philippians 1:6)

I am a citizen of heaven. (Philippians 3:20)

I have not been given a spirit of fear but of power, love and a sound mind. (2 Timothy 1:7)

I am born of God and the evil one cannot touch me. (1 John 5:18)


I am significant...

I am a branch of Jesus Christ, the true vine, and a channel of His life. (John 15:5)

I have been chosen and appointed to bear fruit. (John 15:16)

I am God's temple. (1 Corinthians 3:16)

I am a minister of reconciliation for God. (2 Corinthians 5:17-21)

I am seated with Jesus Christ in the heavenly realm. (Ephesians 2:6)

I am God's workmanship. (Ephesians 2:10)

I may approach God with freedom and confidence. (Ephesians 3:12)

I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:13)

Now before we let a list like this get us all self-absorbed, recognize that “we are” and “we can” and “we have” because of what God did and ultimately for his glory. It is freeing to understand our new identity in Christ. It is freeing to hear the Holy Spirit speak a new name in our hearts, but listen to Paul’s warning: “You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love” (Galatians 5:13). The higher purpose in this new identity is God’s glory through serving and loving others.

Thank God!

21 Days of the Spirit: Day 9

Slaying the Giant Within

The Christian life is not neat and clean. We could try to clean it up so that it looks less offensive to the world, but if we try to do so when end up sucking the guts right out of our very faith. No, the Christian life, and the Scriptures that shape it, is filled with blood and guts and gore. We try to shield our kids from those images in the media but there is no way to shield them from the blood and guts that are in God’s book. For example, consider today’s reading from Romans 2:29: No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a man's praise is not from men, but from God.

Now you may be thinking that this verse is not so gory. If that is what you are thinking then you need to reread this verse without your 21 century, white-washed, Western eyes. Do you understand what Paul is referring to when he talks about circumcision? It is a bloody and gory procedure! Let me illustrate just how gory this procedure is. WARNING: This description is a bit graphic, so skip down a few paragraphs if you don’t want to read this graphic description.

My youngest son Taylor was born with a congenital heart defect. He was diagnosed with a heart murmur when he was born. Twenty-four hours after his birth, his mother was up, dressed and riding with me to the neonatal unit at a hospital about an hour away from our home. We learned that he had aortic stenosis, which meant that his aortic valve did not open all the way. The valve would open just a bit, allowing just a partial amount of blood to be passed from the heart to the aorta. The murmur was the sound of the blood flowing through the narrowed valve. It made a sound like water makes in a garden hose when you partially crimp the hose. Soon after he was born, he had a catheterization on his heart. At fifteen months of age he had open heart surgery. He is now five years old and is as healthy as a horse and as nimble as a cat.

When he was born, he was rushed to a different hospital and so he was not circumcised at birth. When he was two, we had him scheduled for a hernia repair and our doctor suggested that we go ahead and have him circumcised at that time. On the day of surgery, they fixed his hernia and circumcised him while he was under anesthesia. While we were with him in the recovery room, my wife went to change his diaper. With a note of concern in his voice, she called me over because she was shocked to see that the diaper was filled with blood. When she pulled the front part of the diaper back, I could see that the blood was coming from the spot of the circumcision. I got panicy and queasy all at the same time. Now I AM a man. I am strong and tough, but the sight of my son bleeding down there left me crumbling. I had to literally sit down because it was more than I can handle.

Most circumcisions are not so dramatic, but this story illustrates the point that you cannot overly sanitize this life that we are living as Christ-followers. It is difficult, hard, painful, uncomfortable, bloody and severe. Christians in the early church debated over whether or not Gentile Christians needed to be circumcised according to Jewish customs. In the end, the Apostle Paul said, “no.” In Romans 3, he explains that people are truly Jewish when they have had the circumcision of the heart. His comment is not meant to be disrespectful towards those who are ethnically Jewish. He said this is response to the question of Gentile Christians who were following Jesus, who was an ethic Jew. When Paul said, “A man is a Jew,” he is using the word “Jew” to refer to a lover of God. This circumcision of the heart is the circumcision of self. It is the death of self. I dealt with the subject in detail in my April 9th sermon entitled “Deconstructing Self.”

Self is a monster that wants to run the show. Either he will rule or God will rule. For the Christ-follower, only God can rule. When the kingdom of God clashes with the kingdom of self—there can only be one winner. When the kingdom of God comes to assault the kingdom of self – it does not hold back. The kingdom of God comes with a sword to slay self, but just as Jesus was risen from the dead, so our self can be risen in a subordinated form. This onslaught is ugly, but necessary. Here is my prayer for today: Lord, take your spiritual scalpel and go to work. Put to death my inner self and raise him up in new life to live in submission to you. In Jesus name. Amen

21 Days of the Spirit: Day 8

Laws in the Gray Areas

The Scripture reading for today is from Jeremiah 31:33: “This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time,” declares the LORD. “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.” This passage is quoted in Hebrews 8 in a discussion of the new and old covenant. God never changes but his covenants do.

Immutability of God is a theological constant. “I the LORD do not change” (Malachi 3:6). He is faithful, reliable, trustworthy. Thomas Chisholm penned the words: “Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father; There is no shadow of turning with Thee; Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not; As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be.” And it is true…there is not even a hint of turning in him. While God does not change in who he is, he does change how he deals with his creation. His actions in history have changed based on covenants. Our Bible is divided into two very different sections about the very same God. It begins with the Old Testament (old covenant) and concludes with the New Testament (new covenant). If we are going to understand God (or try to understand God), understanding the idea of covenant is essential.

Covenant in ancient times was a contractual agreement between two parties that was initiated in blood and it was pledge of lifetime loyal, provision and protection. God’s story begins with a covenant that he made with one man Abraham, who became the father of a nation – Israel. What we call the Old Testament (old covenant) is a record of God’s agreement with Israel, but the New Testament (new covenant) is God’s agreement with the entire world both Jews and non-Jews. In the Old Covenant, God’s law was almost all external – written down in moral codes. In the New Covenant, God’s law is mostly internal – written on our hearts by the Holy Spirit. The New Covenant does contain written laws, much (but not all) of the moral law from the OT has been brought in the NT. Nevertheless, God’s primary way to lead us is by his Spirit.

This is really, really dangerous stuff. When people get the idea that they can pretty much make up their own moral truth based on how they “feel” the Spirit is leading them, the whole concept of Christian morality will go down the tubes. So before you saddle up on your moral relativism, let me give you a couple of the safeguards that God has built into this new covenant. Yes, God wants your moral center to be your spiritual center, but he has designed you to live first of all in community. When you are testing your heart on a moral issue and trying to discern which way God wants you to go, check out it with the other Christians you hang out with and better yet…check it out with older Christians who are wiser and smarter than you. The Holy Spirit will guide us, but sometimes we don’t listen so well. So before we get all puffed up, we need to be humble enough to run our ideas by others.

The other big safeguard in our spiritual discernment is God's word....you know (sing it with me) "the B-I-B-L-E, that is the book for me, I stand alone on the word of God, the B-I-B-L-E." The Bible is a written record of how God acted and what truth is. The Holy Spirit is not going to lead you in a way that is contrary to the book...so don't come up with any kind of weirdo, left-field, "the Holy Spirit told me it's ok" sort of ideas that may make you happy, but are a real violation of God's word.

With this said, this does not deny the fact that in this new covenant God is going to led us by his Spirit. Our responsibility is to cultivate a culture of listening…with patience. (I hate the patience part, but it goes along with the listening.) Here is my prayer today: Father, make me patient—quiet—still. May I not rush to moral judgment until I have heard the voice of your Spirit. Write your laws on my heart by the Holy Spirit that my actions would flow from my spiritual core. Amen

21 Days of the Spirit: Day 7

A Moral Compass

Here we are at day 7, one-third through our 21 day journey. Today is Sunday and I am preparing myself for today’s message “Who is the Holy Spirit?” I am asking God to make his Spirit known in our midst through my humble attempts at creative communication. I can feel a bit of excitement building in me as I believe this focused time on the Holy Spirit is going to bring us into a new (renewed) relationship with the triune God. Yippie. (That is about all the excitement that I can generate at 8:45 in the morning.)

Today we hear Jesus teaching his disciples (his followers) about the Holy Spirit, Jesus says: But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come (John 16:13).

“He will guide you” reinforces the whole “journey” metaphor when describing the Christian life. Our life in the kingdom of God has experiences, but it is a journey. Let me say that again with a little bit more emphasis: Our life in the kingdom of God HAS experiences, but it IS a journey. It is easy to chart our growth as Christian from the big experiences…. “I got “saved” on this date. I got filled with the Spirit on this day. God called me to be a Sunday school teacher on this date….and this is just about it.” This watershed moments or good and important, but they make up about .05% of your entire Christian life. 99.5% of your Christian life is spent in ordinary moments—these are the moments that we need the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

We need a guide when we do not know where to go. On my first trip to India in 2001, I was flying through Amsterdam and I had an overnight stay there. I contact the YWAM base in Amsterdam (YWAM De Poort) before I went and asked if they had a place where I can stay. They had a guest room…a free guest room available, so I booked a room for the night. No reward points, but free is a reward all to itself. I was traveling alone and was up for an adventure, because the people at the YWAM base said that they would be unable to send anyone to pick me up. They said it was pretty easy to get from the Schipol Airport to the YWAM base. They told me that all I had to do was to catch a train from the airport to the Centraal Train Station, from there get on the number 14 bus and get off at some street that I could not pronounce. Easy, right?!? By a miracle, I did get to the YWAM base. I was led up to my room, but the place was fairly empty. So I decided to walk around outside. The YWAM base was on the harbor in the downtown/touristy area of Amsterdam. As I was heading out the door, one of the YWAM staffers asked me if I wanted a map. I said no and kept walk. This is where I made my mistake. I started down the street along the harbor and I told myself that as long as I stay by the water, I should be good to go. (Yeah, right.) I walking along the harbor for about 45 minutes looking for a place to eat. I wanted to eat on the harbor to keep my sure fire plan in working order. I thought that I might find a local pub and try out some Dutch food when out of the corner of my eye I caught the most beautiful sight that I have ever seen. Up one of the streets, I saw a red sign shining bright that beacon of American values—I saw, in all of its shining glory, the yellow glow of the golden arches. After eating rice and curry for three weeks, I was dying for a Quarterpounder with cheese and a large Fry. I darted up the street, departing from my plan, and went into the McDonald’s.

I ordered.

I sat.

I ate.

I licked the salty goodness off my fingers.

I was happy.

I left the McDonalds and saw a flow of people going into town. I could have chosen to go back towards the harbor, but I let curiosity get the best of me and I went into town. After walking around for about an hour, I decided to head back to the YWAM base. “The harbor should be just the next street over,” I thought. Wrong! I wondered around for about 30 minutes, when I realized that I was lost. I had no map and more importantly, I had no guide. I debated about walking about 4 km to the bus station, because there were signs to the bus station. I knew I could get back to the YWAM base from there. In the end, I decided to grab a taxi. The taxi driver spoke enough English that he understood where I wanted to go. He said, “oh no problem.” I hopped in the the taxi. He made a left and then a right and there we were in front of the YWAM base. The whole ride took about 45 seconds. I was embarrassed. I was blocks away from the base the whole time. The moral of the story is if you are going to travel through a place that is unfamiliar to you, GET A GUIDE.

This is what the Holy Spirit does. He leads us through this journey of life. He is our constant companion, ready to guide us through the uncertainties of life. All we have to do is open ourselves up to his guidance.

Here is my prayer today: Holy Spirit, I need your help! I feel blind and disoriented half the time. Would you come grab my hand and lead me through the seemingly insignificant moments of life? Lead me to the place where God my Father wants me to be. In Jesus' name. Amen.

21 Days of the Spirit: Day 6

The Power Generator

A pastor friend of mine was talking to me recently about his new passion for energy drinks. He is really into the Monster Energy drinks. I picked us up a couple of orange tabbed Kaos Monster Energy drinks one day. In between sips, I was reading the safety warning on the side of the can. It said something about not exceeding three or four of these drinks a day. I was thinking, “This must be some pretty powerful stuff.” My friend described it as Tang on steroids, so I drank it expecting this huge energy boost….but nothing. I think I would have rather had a Carmel Macchiato—I get more of a lift from coffee on steroids than Tang on steroids. It tastes better too! The Kaos Monster Energy drink was my first taste of the energy drink craze and honestly, I don’t see what all of the hype is about. I guess I can understand that people are looking for the next thing that will give them the energy to do more in less time. We are all looking for more power.

Anything in motion needs power / fuel / energy to keep going. I know that Uncle Newton taught us that bodies in motion tend to stay in motion unless acted on by an outside force. Uncle Newt was right, but the reality is that we live in a world of outside forces. Work, school, friends, family, media, hobbies…even the church…can be outside forces that slow us down. Outside forces cause our motion to turn into recession. So we need energy. Fortunately, for us who are Christ followers, there is a “pick me up” that is caffeine-free, sugar-free, ephedrine-free. It is all natural and abundant in supply. (Ok, enough with the infomercial!) I am talking about the Holy Spirit.

Our verse for the day is Philippians 2:13. The NIV translates this as “For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.” This translation is adequate, but it doesn’t bring out the richness of this verse. I like the The Amplified Bible’s translation: [Not in your own strength] for it is God Who is all the while effectually at work in you [energizing and creating in you the power and desire] both to will and to work for His good pleasure and satisfaction and delight.

Love of a different kind requires power of a different kind. The power that we can create on our own is commendable, but it is never enough. To express a Jesus kind of love requires that we be a certain kind of person—a person who has been recreated in the image of Jesus. And this requires a Jesus kind of power—a power that is generated by the Holy Spirit. This is best summed up in one statement: The Christian life is not a matter of willpower, but a willingness to open up to God’s power. Willpower will always cause us to crash, just like the energy crash from a high sugar diet. We have to quit trying to be a Christian (little Christ), in our own power and open up and allow God’s power (the Holy Spirit) to shape us to look like Jesus.

Today’s prayer: Lord, I know that I am bankrupt morally and spiritually. I lack the ability, consistency, discipline and character to be like Jesus. I open up my mind and heart today to be filled with your Spirit of power. Holy Spirit, empower me and shape me to look like Jesus. Amen and amen.

21 Days of the Spirit: Day 5

Desire

Desire has certainly got a bad rap in the Church. Desire has lead people to do some idiotic things in the name of Jesus, but desire in and of itself is not the problem—the strength of desire is not really even the problem. There is one line from the devotional that stands out to me: “The problem with perverted desire is not its strength, but its object.” Let me clarify that “perverted desire” is not perverted in the since of sexual perversion. “Perverted” means twisted or knocked off course. The issue with twisted desires is not that they are strong, but that they are misdirected. In Desiring God (and the shorter version entitled The Dangerous Duty of Delight") John Piper quotes from C.S. Lewis’ The Weight of Glory, where Lewis says that fool around with sex and drink, but our desires are not too strong, they are too weak—because their object are in temporal pleasures. These temporary desires do not compare to the desire for God, which is much stronger. The issue is not strength but object. A passionate person is not lead astray by the strength of his or her passion, but by the object.

Romans 12:11 exhorts us to “keep (our) spiritual fervor….” The phrase “spiritual fervor” means Holy Spirit desire. Gordon Fee makes it clear in Listening to the Spirit, that there is no Christian spirituality in Paul’s writing that does not include the Holy Spirit. That is Christian spirituality in the New Testament is inherently rooted in the Holy Spirit. Any reference to “spiritual” in Paul’s writing is a reference to the Holy Spirit. So “spiritual fervor” equals “Holy Spirit desire.” There are certain traditions that do not emphasize desire. Some Christian traditions have a vibe that says desire is bad and rational control is good. The extinguishing of desire is not Christian at all; it is Buddhism. The Buddhist tradition teaches a concept of salvation called nirvana. This is not the “Smells Like Teen Spirit” kind of nirvana, but the complete repression of desire. The Holy Spirit does not want to get rid of your desire. He wants to redirect your desire in a righteous direction. The list in the devotional is a bit confusing. Here is the list rewritten, describing the work of the Spirit in redirecting our desires:

The Holy Spirit wants to redirect our desire:
FROM self service TO a desire to serve others
FROM obsession with material things and experience TO worship
FROM self-centered love TO a desire for relationship with HIM
FROM a lust for power TO a desperate dependence upon God, our strength
FROM a need for recognition TO a holy passion for His fame
FROM a need for acceptance TO a desire for biblical community
FROM anger and frustration TO developing a heart of a warrior, ready to battle the enemies of the soul
FROM selfish pleasure TO a holy hunger for the kingdom of God and the joy unspeakable that is found there.

My prayer today: Father, I want to be a man of passion, a man of desire like Jesus. I don’t want to be weak and passive. Lord, let your Spirit direct my feelings in a godly / righteous direction, because in the end I want you to be pleased. In Jesus name, AMEN!

Prayer for Our Troops from Psalm 91

Today is the National Day of Prayer and I was asked to lead a prayer for our troops at our local communty National Day of Prayer meeting. I have written out most of my prayer. I normally don't write my prayers out...although I am discovering the discipline of writing prayer to God. I am writing out this prayer, becuase I want to to choose my words carefully. I want to pray for our troops, whom I support, without becoming political. I want to lift up this prayer without people thinking that I am pro-Bush or anti-Bush, pro-War or anti-War. I just want to pray that God would be glorified.

Here is the prayer

Prayer for Our Troops from Psalm 91
National Day of Prayer
May 4, 2006

Lord your word says: “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty” (Psalm 91:1)

We pray that you would become a shelter for our troops serving in the Army, Navy, Marines, Coast Guard and Air Force.

Become a refuge and fortress to them and their families back home—as they put their trust in you. (Psalm 91:2)

We pray for our troops that are in Iraq—and other places of conflict—that you would protect them from danger and disease (Psalm 91:3).

Cover them with your wings—may they find protection in you—shield them from physical harm (Psalm 91:4).

Let your peace fill their hearts and may your perfect love cast out fear—that they would not fear the terror of night, the bullets that fly by day, disease lurking in the darkness or any thing that may plot to destroy them. (Psalm 91:5).

May our troops—and their loved ones back home—be strengthened with hope and confidence in the face of death and destruction (Psalm 91:7).

We ask for peace in places of conflict and justice in places of injustice (Psalm 91:8).

We confess that if we make you our dwelling place (Psalm 91:9) that no harm will befall us, and no disaster will come near our tent.

We ask that those in the military who guard our freedoms would be guarded by unseen angels (Psalm 91:11). May your angels lift up our troops in their hands that our troops would not strike their foot against a stone (Psalm 91:12).

Lord, may the influence of your Spirit and the power of your gospel be our one true source of hope over the power of terrorism, evil, oppression and injustice (Psalm 91:13).

Cause our troops to turn to you in loving response— rescue them and protect them (Psalm 91:14).

May they call upon you and may you answer them, be with them in trouble, deliver them and honor them for their service to our nation (Psalm 91:15).

Satisfy our troops with long life and show them the goodness of your salvation (Psalm 91:16). And for those serving in places of conflict, we pray that you bring them home quickly and safely.

In Jesus Name we pray,
Amen

21 Days of the Spirit: Day 4

Mirror, mirror on the Wall

Today’s reading in our “21 Days of the Spirit” devotional guide takes us back to one of the first verse that we looked at, 2 Corinthians 3:18. The journal has the verse in the NKJV here in day four. Seeing verses in different translations gives us an opportunity to look at the verse in a slightly different light. There is a lot of good stuff here…this verse contains a lot—"But we all, with unveiled face, Beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord" (2 Corinthians 3:18 NKJV).

I am constantly amazed at the depth there is in the Bible. I have read this verse a number of times. I have studied this verse, preached on this verse, written about this verse—and still I am seeing things here that I did not see the first gazillion times I read it. When I was putting together the devotional guide I was struck by the mirror concept here—how Jesus is like a mirror and the Spirit causes us to look in the mirror (Jesus). In my rereading of this verse this morning, my attention was drawn to the world “beholding.” This word is not commonly used anymore. Think back…when was the last time you heard someone use this word in a sentence? When was the last time you overheard two guys standing around talking and one of them saying, “Yeah Hank, I was beholding your pickup truck and I noticed you have an oil leak.” Or when was the last time you overheard a woman asking her husband or friend, “Would you behold my backside and tell me if these jeans make it look big?” We don’t use that word so often, so I spent this morning dwelling on it.

As I went poking around the Scripture to understand this word “beholding,” I noticed that the NIV uses the phrase “reflect the Lord’s glory,” it is the KJV and the NKJV that uses the phrase “beholding as in a mirror (KJV says beholding in a glass).” In Greek, the phrase is all one word katoptrizomenoi. (Don’t try to pronounce this one. Not only is it hard to pronounce…it is hard to unpack, because it is a present middle participle that is nominative, masculine and plural). The word means “the ones looking at themselves in a mirror.” The NKJV does a better job of translating this than the NIV, because the word in the context of the verse should read: “We who have unveiled faces are the ones who are looking at ourselves in a mirror and we are being transformed into his likeness with increasing glory by the Spirit.”

Alrighty then.... so enough with the Greek mumbo jumbo….here is the point. Beholding, looking, reflecting our image in a mirror takes time. This is where I was going with all of this “beholding” talk. To behold something takes time. It is not a passing glance or a casual look. To behold takes time. The verse has two ideas that are slamed together—“the ones looking in a mirror” and “being transformed by the Spirit.” These two ideas go together, because I believe that the Holy Spirit in working in my heart to make me look at Jesus. I think he is just like your mom, when she would grab your face and say, “look at me!” I don’t know if this ever happened to you, but this is something that Jenni and I do with our youngest son who is mildly autistic. If he is avoiding eye contact, sometimes I gently grab his chin and direct his face to my face and say, “Look at Daddy.” Then I start talking. I think that the Holy Spirit does the same thing to us. He grabs our spiritual face and redirects our attention to Jesus so that we can stare at Jesus—who is the mirror. He is the picture of what we as human beings are supposed to look like, act like and think like. I so need this. Here is my prayer for today: Holy Spirit, plase don’t give up on me…no matter how much I fight to stay busy, continue to MAKE me SLOW DOWN, so that I can stare longingly and lovingly at Jesus. I am so pitifully distracted and tempted to worship the god of business / busyness. Tis is the American way, but not the Jesus way. Help me! In Jesus’ name, AMEN.

My action items for the day are blunt, but true:
1) Slow the heck down
2) Don’t use the word “busy”
3) Look at Jesus

Some of these thoughts came from Bruce Ware’s book on the Trinity called Father, Son, & Holy Spirit: Relationships, Roles, & Relevance. It is a good book about the Trinity, although I think his theological agenda behind the subordination of women is a bit distracting. Nevertheless, this is a good book if you are interested in studying more about the Trinity.

21 Days of the Spirit: Day 3

Work with a Guarantee

So can a person lose their salvation or not? I have been asked this question and I myself have wrestled with this question for years. And honestly, I have found myself on both sides of this debate at on time. Today, I feel pretty confident in my response, but this question is one of those issues that will never be resolved in the Church on earth. Just because God and I have it all figured out doesn’t mean the rest of the church will get it! (Insert a playful chuckle here.) While this is debatable, I think it is a significant question that affects how a people live their Christian lives. So let me give you my answer...

no.

The reason that I believe that a person cannot lose their salvation is in part because of the ministry of the Holy Spirit discussed in Ephesians 1:13-14: “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession--to the praise of his glory.” There is a bit of irony here for me, because the majority of Pentecostal/charismatic Christians tend to agree with their Wesleyan/holiness grandparents who believe that a Christian can lose their salvation / fall from grace / sin away their day of grace / apostatize their faith / etc.

The Holy Spirit’s work of sealing my salvation is to me the clearest biblical reason why I cannot lose this work in my heart that we call salvation. These verses use words like “seal,” “promised,” “deposit,” and “guaranteeing.” This makes my inheritance, which I interpret to be salvation, to be a pretty sure thing. Furthermore, this question goes to the very heart of what we believe salvation is. From the Augustine-Pelagius debate of the fifth century we understand salvation to be completely God’s work of grace. We receive this work of grace through faith, but the faith we have is God’s gift to us and therefore not a religious work of our own. Our act of faith in receiving God’s work of salvation does not save us. Faith is necessary, but not efficacious (it is not the power by which we are saved). When we receive God’s work of salvation it is the Holy Spirit who comes into our hearts to make alive what was once dead. The coming of the Spirit is what we call conversion / new birth / being born again. Salvation is in part, the work of God in sending his Spirit through the Son to recreate our dead hearts. Yes we receive this by faith—but it is faith that God gives us. We have very little to do in this whole process.

As the Spirit enters our heart we are marked with a seal, guaranteeing God’s work. God’s work of salvation comes with a guarantee unlike the work of most used car salesmen. So because salvation is God’s guaranteed work there is nothing I can do to lose it. It wasn’t mine to lose in the first place. I cannot sin away my day of grace, because my “righteousness” never earned for me my salvation. To put it more succinctly: HOW CAN I LOSE BY MY WORKS, WHAT I NEVER EARNED BY MY WORKS? “Yeah, but what about repentance from sin.” This is the axe to grind by those who believe that you can lose your salvation. Repentance is an important part of the Christian life, but in regards to salvation, repentance is in the faith category. We demonstrate our faith by our repentance…it is that whole “faith without works is dead” thing. We cannot say that we receive God’s work by faith without repentance, but just as with our faith…our repentance does not in anyway earn for us our salvation. Repentance is both our act of reception and our loving response to God’s salvation. Repentance—like faith—is much more of a process that an experience.

“Does a person have to repent of all their sins before God will save them?” I don’t know if that is really possible. I think that there has to be a general turning from self to receive God’s work by faith, but I think truly repenting from all your sins is more of a life-long process. My issue here is that we do not see repentance as my work in pleasing God. My act of repentance is more of my loving act of worship in response to all that God has done for me.

At the end of the day, all of this must lead us back to God. This is what the Holy Spirit is doing—leading us back to the heart of the Father through Christ. This is the prayer I journaled today…Thank you triune God for the work you have begun in me. Father, you called me to Christ by the Spirit and now you have marked me in Christ with a seal, a guarantee who is your Spirit. May your seal preserve me in Christ—to the praise of your glory.

21 Days of the Spirit: Day 2

Pour Some Love on Me

Romans 5:5 says “and hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.” In various places the Bible links together faith, hope and love. These virtues seem to go together. They interrelate with each other. Hope seems to get left out of the discussion often times. “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love” (1 Cor 13:13). Love is the greatest and faith is the first, but hope is that unfortunate middle child. Why do we need hope if we have faith and love? Hope is not a fanciful wish—