tests

One of my memories from school was this line: " The mark of a Christian is not how well you are doing...but how you are doing when you are not doing well."

I failed this last week to persevere through difficulties. I was asked to give of myself on a number of occasion and instead of serving the Lord with gladness, I served the Lord with complaning. I think it was just arrogance. Thinking too highly of myself and not remembering that others have served me in the past and helped me through difficult times. This should have been a no brainer, but I made it difficult with "grumbling."

What is the source of your patience ? Can you rejoice in your afflictions ? ( Romans 5:3)

The Endurance

I watched a documentary called the Endurance last night. It's the story of Ernest Shackelton and 27 men who attempted to sail across the Antarctic in 1914. Their ship was "captured" by the ice and sunk. They survived for 17 months with very little food and covering. The story is absolutely stunning and a reminder to persevere even in difficult times. I highly recommend it.

My favorite line from the story was : " At one point all we got was one biscuit a day... we looked at it for breakfast, sucked on it for lunch and ate it for dinner. "

This story gave me perspective on my difficulties during the day. I have food, a house, a car, and so many other things... why do I complain so much ?

books and books about the book

If you've seen my library you know I like books. I have multiple shelves full and then several of the scattered abroad in my office. Lately, however, I have found it refreshing to focus on the word of God exclusively. I do enjoy other books and I am not throwing them away; however, I want to turn to the Word first and grasp the meaning of life there first before I turn to other sources. ( I notice this happening with podcasts as well.... before the speaker gives his outline, I just turn it off and go and see if I can find the answers myself in the Bible first... then I go back and listen to the podcast) I just took the book of Luke and started reading looking specifically for phrases that help me understand why Jesus is the only way to know God. I was floored by the first 2 chapters and just was overwhelmed by what I found there. Don' t assume that you know a passage. The Bible is unique in the sense that you can't find the bottom of it. It has a life of its own and God's word is so rich that it has the ability to keep feeding you year after year.

What do you do in the morning ? Do you find yourself checking blogs, email and bank accounts or do you open up the Bible to allow God to speak to you ? The unfolding of God's word gives light.

burned at the stake

I was thinking about evangelism recently with regard to speaking and living. Some will say: " I witness with my life." I understand what they mean, but were the Christian people from church history martyred just because they led respectable lives ? I think they were burned at the stake for the things they said. They weren't killed just because they lived "clean " lives. They were opposed because they were saying things like: " Jesus is the only way to heaven..." and people should read the Bible in English.

It's true that our life makes our words believable, but if we don't ever say anything, and we are never controversial then who will persecute us ? I'm thinking of verses that say those who desire to live godly in Christ will suffer persecution. I am not advocating that anyone become obnoxious on purpose, but I am wondering if I am saying anything to anyone that will cause them to think. I was talking to someone in the gym a few days ago about "right and wrong." They believed that a majority of people determine what's right and wrong. I had an opportunity to question that assumption.

Galatians 5:11 " But I , brothers, if I still preach circumcision, why I am still persecuted ? Then the stumbling block of the cross has been abolished." In other words, if I just said what everyone wanted to hear... then I would have no opposition. The word of the cross is a stumbling block to many in our culture. Do you ever bring up things with non Christians that would sound offensive to their American ears ?

still learning

I learned this week that you can' t be good until you are perfect. Matthew 5:48 says that we are to be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect. How is this possible ?
There's only one way: if God credits you with the righteousness of Christ. ( See Romans 4)

If God makes us perfect by giving us the righteousness of Christ, then we can start being good. Before we are made righteous by God, our goodness is called "filthy rags."

When you are made perfect, then ... start being good.

suggested reading: Romans 3:21-26

* obviously the definition of perfect does not mean: " no longer sins" I mean perfect in the sense that " Christ is our righteousness." If this is true, then my righteousness doesn't rise and fall based on my behavior.

Do you believe this ?

What is "solid" ?

I've noticed that when other Christians talk about other Christians they say things like: " he's solid... or she's solid." What does that mean ? What does it mean to be a solid Christian ?

1. It means that they can handle the word of God accurately.
2. It means they can be relied upon to keep their word.
3. It means that they are so substantial that they don't fear man.
4. It means that they prefer God's holiness to friendship with the world.
5. It means they can viewed as an ally in the battle against sin and the world.
6. It means that they know how to lead and make wise decisions.

I have certain desires for our church here in El Paso. Today I was struck by a staggering thought. It came from the biography of Jonathan Edwards that I am currently reading. The chapter was called: " breaking the spirit of slumber." How does genuine revival come to a church ? One of the things that the chapter pointed out was that to have true preaching that convicts, awakens, stirs, confronts, and motivates... the preacher himself must be intimately acquainted with the Holy Spirit in his own life. In order for those truths to sink deep into the lives of the hearers... they must first be internalized and lived out by the one delivering the message. I read alot of books... fragments of books. Sometimes, I read so much that I don't take the time to process what I'm reading. I end up being a parrot of what others taught instead of extrapolating the truths and really owning them for myself. At the beginning of this blog I almost reached for the book about Edwards and planned to quote from it extensively and that would have been good... but then I thought: " why can't you just relate what you learned from it ... without quoting it ? " Are the truths I learned this morning fresh in my head and heart or are they just words on a page ( that I think would sound good ) ? I have always been concerned that truth flow through me like water through a tree branch instead of water through a pipe. I want the truth to effect me and change me. It's dangerous to be a speaker/ pastor/ teacher... because you can end up passing the truth on without being effected by it. I do want to be a solid person. I want to be a person of substance that has wisdom for those moments and can help guide people looking to find their way on this journey. I have been helped by so many and I have a desire to make disciples. I do remember something ( from memory) that has stuck with me all these years. Charles Spurgeon said: " it will be in vain for me to stock my library ... if I neglect the culture of myself.... " In other words, if I have a big library but don't cultivate my soul in a daily quiet time, then my efforts are meaningless. My spiritual life is a great weapon in the pilgrimage.
If you want to be a solid Christian, you must nourish your soul on the words of the faith. God's word is the only thing in this world that will make it off the planet. Everything else is destined to perish. What will it take to get you in the word ?

CD

just talked to a buddhist

I got dizzy watching old family vhs tapes ( past Christmas experiences) ... the camera man couldn't hold the camera steady. So, I went for a walk around the block to clear my head and look at the stars. I saw another figure approaching and smoking a cigarette. I felt a strong urge to talk to this person and find about more about them. I had no idea who it was but I sensed he had no particular place to go and so we struck up a conversation about Kurt Cobain ( former lead singer of Nirvana). The guy was wearing a Nirvana shirt. I discovered he was a buddhist and was only 16 years old. I asked where he learned all this stuff and he said: " my mom." We talked about Jesus being the only way to God and how the gentiles' sacrifices were sacrificed to demons. Even though his cell phone rang 3 times, he never answered it. He said he was really interested in our conversation. If you went out for a walk tonight, would you be ready to defend your faith against Buddhism ? I had to go find some books and rediscover the religion. It basically means this:
1. God is irrelevant because you create your own destiny
2. Nirvana is the goal ( a state of enlightenment)
3. Sins are the cravings you have and can be dealt with by self effort
4. Buddhists have noble goals ( the eightfold path) however... what are the motives behind those behaviors ?
* see " So what's the difference ? " by Fritz Ridenour

This guy's name is Ben Lewis and lives down the street from me so I am hoping to talk to him again. I think he would listen and I am praying that God will open his eyes to the beauty of Christ. I Peter 3:15 says we are supposed to be ready to give a reason for the hope that is within us. Are you ready ?
By the way, I came home and we had real interesting discussion about world religions at our house.