WITH ME

He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled.  Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death.  Stay here and watch with me.”  Matthew 26:36-38

Jesus was in deep pain.  He fully understood what he was heading into – the excruciating pain and torture of the cross and the unthinkable bearing the burden of the sins of the world.  And in that moment, he would experience separation from God – something he had never known.  The anticipation of all this only magnified the sadness and pain he felt in his soul.  This would be the darkest moment of his life.

I would expect this kind of trepidation from Jesus, as I understand that he was not only fully God, but also fully man.  In his humanity I expect this level of anguish and turmoil.  Who wouldn’t have the same reaction?

But in the midst of something that is expected – he does the unexpected.  He surprises us.  Jesus asked his disciples to “stay and watch with me.”  Why would he do that?  He knew them very well.  For the last three years they had proven to be slow-witted, dense, self-promoting, forgetful, and jealous (hey – they sound like me!).  They had not proven to be the “sharpest tools in the shed.”  On numerous occasions they were not a “value-add” to the situation.  And yet, Jesus, facing his darkest moments in life wanted them to be with him.

Why?  It is not stated as to why he asked them to be there.  They didn’t do anything of significance to further the mission.  They didn’t try to get more insight for carrying on the work when he was gone.  They didn’t even try to comfort him during his last hours on earth.  They actually fell asleep.  So why in the world did he ask them to be with him?  I think it’s because they were his friends.  In spite of all their failings and all their bozo behavior over the years and all their character defects – they were his friends.  He loved them and he wanted to be with them.

There is something comforting about being with friends, especially when life feels “challenging” (that’s a nice way of saying “crappy”).  Unfortunately, we often pull away and isolate ourselves when things get tough.  It is part of the sickness of the human race where we don’t want to appear weak or needy.  But the fact is we are weak and needy.  We need to stop lying and start being honest.

Jesus wants us to draw near to him AND to friends when life is “challenging.”  They may not have answers or can do much to change things – but they can be there.  As well, we can be there for them.  And that can be enough.

AND…

The newest Coke Zero commercial follows a guy who isn’t ever satisfied from his youth into young adulthood.  He doesn’t want a plain cone; he wants it loaded with candy.  He isn’t impressed by a skateboarding dog; he wants it to be Tony Hawk.  He not only wants a pair of jeans from a salesgirl; he wants more, as well as he bargains for more from potential employers.  Plenty of good things come his way, but he’s always ready with a signature catchphrase: “And?”  In the end, of course, Coke Zero stops him in his tracks.  Taking a swig at a restaurant with friends, he pauses, flabbergasted—and finally utters a heartfelt “Thank you.”  The world—or at least some sugar water—has finally met his lofty expectations.

The commercial is pieced together, with rapid-fire montages that illustrate the character’s overactive imagination.  And as a simple summation of what people tend to crave these days, it doesn’t get much more pointed than the word “And.”

The ad also introduces the tagline: “Enjoy everything.”  This may be a truer reflection than Coke intended of the state that we find people in these days.  People enjoy almost nothing, as they neurotically pursue bigger, better, and more.  It seems unlikely that Coke Zero will change any of that.  But at least it won’t make us any fatter than we already are.

Unfortunately, this same neurotic pursuit of bigger, better, and more has infiltrated the church.  Jesus said “I am the way, and the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).

It is really the deception of the human heart.  We want more (i.e., “and”) even when we have everything we need for life.

Life is found in Jesus alone.

Not Jesus and money.  Not Jesus and security.  Not Jesus and good health.  Not Jesus and therapy.  Not Jesus and family.  Not Jesus and religion.  Not Jesus and ANYTHING!  These are all good things, but they do not give us life.  They were never meant to.  There is only One who is meant to give us life:

Jesus. 

Period.

WALKING ON…

“It’s a ghost,” they all cried out in fear.

They all dropped like dead men and hid in the belly of the boat. It was the middle of the night and they had seen an apparition. Their boat was in deep waters and that was the only explanation they had for the figure walking towards them on top of the surface.  They buried their faces deep into the hull, hoping that the “thing” would pass them by.  But then suddenly they heard, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”  The voice was familiar, but how could it be? All 12 men raised their heads and looked out. It looked like…but how could it be?

Peter called out, “if it is you, tell me to come to you on the water.”

“Come,” Jesus said.

Now when Peter saw the wind and the waves, he became afraid and started to sink. At that moment, he called out to Jesus, “Lord save me.”  Immediately Jesus reached out and caught him.  “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”

Some people believe that this is a story about Peter’s failure to truly believe God.  Unfortunately, he took his eyes off of Jesus and looked at his surrounding circumstances and began to doubt and started to sink.  Bad Peter.  Bad Disciple.

WRONG!  I actually have a lot of admiration for Peter.  Who really lacked faith in this story?  The one guy who stepped out of the boat in the middle of the lake believing that he could walk on water – or the 11 guys in the boat cowering like a bunch of scared little girls?  Sure, he looked around and started to freak out and sink.  Sure, Jesus wanted more for him, for him to have more faith.  But Jesus was thrilled that he got as far as he did – and he was there to catch him when his faith did falter.

And get this – from that moment on, Peter’s life was never the same.  You know how I know? Because Peter walked on water.  Walking on water changes a person.  Once you walk on water, you’re never the same.  It is life-changing.  Sure, you may falter.  Actually – you will falter.  I can guarantee that.  That is part of being a human being.  But when you do – Jesus will be there to catch you.

Walking on water is scary.  You can’t deny that.  But I would much rather experience the risk and thrill of trusting Jesus and walking on water than sitting in the (apparent) safety and comfort of the hull of a ship (BORING).  How about you?

Does Jesus want you to get out of your boat, and “Come” to him?  Is there a step of faith he is calling you to make?  If so – do it.  There is nothing like walking on water – because there is no one like Jesus!

WAGING WARFARE

From the day of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it. Matthew 11:12

Jesus talked about a battle.

This is not a battle against another country, political party, or individual.  This is a Cosmic Battle.  It is a spiritual war that is being waged all around us every minute of every day.  This is a battle for the hearts and minds and souls and very lives of every human being on this planet.  It is a battle for your family, your friends, your neighbors, your community, and for you.  In light of this, I would like to encourage you:

1. This is a REAL WAR.  Don’t be duped into believing that the battle doesn’t exist.  That’s exactly what the enemy (i.e., Satan) would like us to believe (note The Screwtape Letters, by C.S. Lewis).
2. Expect OPPOSITION.  Opposition will occur whenever you are working to advance the Kingdom of Heaven.  That means whenever you choose to obey and follow Jesus- there will be resistance.  Don’t be surprised.  However, if you are not experiencing opposition, it might mean that your life and the decisions are no threat to the enemy.  He has no need to fight against those who are not in the battle.
3. The Kingdom of God is ADVANCING.  That means God is winning.
4. The OUTCOME has been DECIDED.  I have read the end of the book (the Bible) – and God wins…FOREVER!
5. It is a CAUSE worth fighting for.  This is a battle for people – and there is nothing on earth more valuable.  God values people so much that he sent Jesus to die for us!

Join The Great Cosmic Battle!  Life is short.  You can give your life to career or money or comfort or the approval of others or improving your golf score or to a million other things.  But why settle?  Join the battle and have the time of your life!  It won’t be easy or without challenges or sacrifices.  Jesus never said it would be.  Remember – it’s a battle.  Yet fighting and living for something you believe in gives deep heart-felt satisfaction.  And also remember who wins (It’s God in case you forgot).  Join the winning side today!

For the Kingdom of Heaven,

Bill

FIRST THINGS FIRST

There was a man who told Jesus that he would follow him, but first he said that he had to bury his father.  Jesus responded by saying, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead” (Matthew 8:22).

Jesus’ response to this man can seem to appear to be somewhat harsh.  Didn’t he merely want to pay his respects to his dead father?  Wasn’t this a responsible thing for a son to do for his father?  It seems like a reasonable request, doesn’t it?  What would be the harm in first burying his father and then following Jesus?

Yeah, I don’t think would have happened.

There are a million different variations of this.  We know them – partly because we have all lived them at one time or another (or even now).

                First, I need to party and get it out of my system – then I will follow Jesus.

                First, I need to graduate from college – then I will follow Jesus.

                First, I need to get a job – then I will follow Jesus.

                First, I need to get married – then I can follow Jesus.

                First, I need to get established in my career – then I will follow Jesus.

                First, I need to have kids – then I will follow Jesus (for the kid’s sake).

                First, I need to…then Jesus.

Jesus says that there is only one place he belongs in the life of his followers.  Not fourth.  Not third.  Not even a really close second.  First is the only place Jesus belongs in the life of a follower.  That doesn’t mean his we always get it right.  It doesn’t mean that Jesus never slips down our list.  It just means that making him first is what we are striving for.  And occasionally – by God’s grace and power in our lives – we are able to do it.

So how about you?  Are you following Jesus or do you first want to wait until you “bury the dead?”  Don’t waste any more time on the dead.  Make sure that you are making Jesus first.  When you do that – you will experience true LIFE.

A Life That Almost Wasn’t

Anya Murray

The following is a story of a hero:

One young girl, one unborn baby, and one very important, life-changing decision to make are where my story begins. The young girl does not know what to do. Her world is crumbling into pieces. She is fifteen years old, and her boyfriend just broke up with her. She just found out she is two months pregnant. She is overcome with fear for her future, and her heart is heavy. She asks herself, what will people think of her when they find out she is pregnant? What will her parents’ reaction be? All the fears cause her to consider having an abortion.

To make things even worse, the fifteen-year-old girl’s family is very poor and cannot afford having another mouth to feed. Her parents are alcoholics, and family life is already very difficult. She is afraid she may be kicked out of her home if she were to decide to keep the baby, and she is no longer in a relationship with the father of her baby. She wonders if she will ever find another boyfriend if she has a child. She is still in school. The thoughts of having her whole future still ahead of her and how a baby will hold her back are paralyzing.

The fifteen-year-old described in this story chose life for her unborn baby. I will be forever grateful of that decision, because she was pregnant with me.

Life was not always easy for me growing up with a teenage mother, who later became a drug addict and alcoholic. Yet, I always knew I was loved. When my birth mother was not able to care for me, God always did. She died by the time I was nine years old from a drug overdose. She was 25.

Oftentimes, pro-choice supporters make statements like, “You do not know what it is like to grow up in poverty or with alcoholic parents,” or “No child would want to be born into poverty or into a family of alcoholics.” Well, I have lived that life, and, I must admit, if given the choice of having a family with money and no addiction versus the life I had, I would probably choose the first option. But, if given the choice between the life I had in Russia and that of a death sentence, I would choose the life I had.

Even though I grew up in a poor family that suffered from addiction, I never felt like I did not want to live. I actually never knew my life was that difficult or that my family was poor, because I did not know any different. Being a child of a poor family and of an addict did not define me, nor did it make my life any less valuable than anyone who may be reading this story.

Three years to the day after my birth mother’s death, I sat in a Russian courthouse. A Russian judge approved my adoption into my American family. I soon moved to the United States and now, five years later, I am a senior in high school, with a 3.2 GPA. I have just been accepted into college where I will study to become a registered nurse.

When I reflect on what my Russian birth mother must have been going through, and think about all the arguments people of pro-choice opinion give for a girl to have an abortion, I am faced with the realization that I am 90 percent of those reasons.

My future is bright, and my life is amazing, all because of one fifteen-year-old’s brave decision to choose life for me.

Please join me in praying to save lives and change culture.  You can help make a difference!

 

 

 

GOTTA DANCE

Jesus said: “For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.  Matthew 5:20

Growing up in a church, I was familiar with this saying of Jesus and how he felt about the Pharisees and the teachers of the law.  They were the super-religious of the day.  They tried to follow the letter of the law and were the “Righteousness Police.”  They even added standards of behavior not found in the Old Testament.  How’s that for overachieving!

And yet with all their high standards, Jesus says that our righteousness must surpass theirs in order to enter the kingdom of heaven.  What does that mean?  I believe that it means we are to behave better than they did.  It means we are to have a humility and authenticity that wasn’t present in their spirit.  It means in order to be more righteous, we must live the Christian life with all our heart, soul, and mind.  If we do that – our righteousness will surpass theirs.  Right?

WRONG!

That’s heresy straight from the pit of hell.  That’s what I said – it is straight from hell.  And I am not talking hyperbolically.  That’s a lie that Satan sells and unfortunately, many Christians buy it.  I know that I have.  We believe that we must be good in order to earn God’s favor.  We must read our Bibles and say our prayers and go to church and give lots of money to Heroic Media.  And yet all that is a lie (except maybe that last one). 

Didn’t Jesus say, “Only God is good.”  Only He is righteous.  You see, Jesus isn’t telling us that we must strive to be more righteous than the Pharisees and teachers of the law.  He is not saying that we must be more sincere or more humble or more contrite.  He is not saying that our activities and even our inner spiritual life must be superior to theirs.  No.  He is saying it’s a lost cause.  He is saying there is no way out.  He is saying we are all headed for hell.

There is only one who is righteous – Jesus.

Only as we trust Jesus do we enter the kingdom of heaven.  We are not all going to hell – but that did get your attention, didn’t it?  We enter heaven on account of Jesus’ righteousness.  Jesus is the only one who meets the standards of righteousness, so he is our only way in.  That’s grace. That’s the good news.  That’s the Gospel.

So what does that mean we are to DO?  Actually nothing.  We don’t HAVE TO DO anything.  Salvation is a gift.  It was gift when we first accepted it and it is still a gift.  But since I’m not going to hell, even though I deserve it - I do desire to do a few things:

• I want to thank Jesus loudly,
• I want to praise God fervently,
• I want to love others genuinely,
• I want to give money generously,
• I want to live life passionately
• I want to sing songs loudly, and
• I want to dance wildly.  Yes – I want to dance.

How about you?  Anyone want to join me?

Take time to drink in the love and grace of Jesus.  Experience the fullness of your relationship with him and see what happens.  You just might find you have an urge to get up and head towards the dance floor!

Look Up

“If there is a God, how can I bear not to be that God.”

This quote is from the 19^th Century German philosopher and atheist Frederick Nietzsche.  He was very influential in his day, most notably in existentialism, nihilism, and postmodernism.  His keys ideas include the “God is dead” philosophy.

In response to his assertions, Christians have an answer, or apologetic, to these ideas.  God is NOT dead and Nietzsche is NOT God.  The defense of the Christian position has been well argued by the church fathers and scholars over the centuries.

And yet unfortunately, I find that in my experience that I often agree with Nietzsche.  I also actually believe that is your experience as well.  Now please, before you hit “reply” to correct my heresy, or “forward” this to others as an example of another Christian-gone-bad – hear me out.  What I mean is that we often find that we desire to be God in our own lives.  Sometimes we also want to be God in the lives of other people.  And we know that can be loads of fun for those around us.  We can be judgmental or arrogant and believe we know what’s best for others.  And yet, I have come to conclude that we make really bad gods.  Of course that doesn’t keep us from trying again.  I am forgetful and just plain stupid that way.  And really the core issue for all of us is that we are human beings and that we sin.  It is part of what we do.  And our core sin is pride.

The C.S. Lewis said this about pride:

In God you come up against something which is in every aspect immeasurably superior to yourself.  Unless you know God as that – and, therefore, know yourself as nothing in comparison – you do not know God at all.  As long as you are proud you cannot know God.  A proud man is always looking down on things and people; and, of course, as long as you are looking down, you cannot see something that is above you.

Only by God’s grace will we be able to humble ourselves and turn our eyes upward – where He is, above us.  And in doing so we will know Him.  And in experiencing Him we will experience life!

In His Life,

Bill

The Power of Storms

BAM!  The crash came for the backyard.  The wind was roaring at 80 miles per hour (I didn’t clock it personally – that’s just what the news said).  I opened the door to see a huge branch from the tree above our porch lying on the ground.  It had just missed the house.  I looked up to see if more was coming.  All the trees as far as I could see were thrashing about.

I went back inside and grabbed the flashlight.  The power was not out yet, but the lights had been flickering for the last five minutes – so it was inevitable.  In the distance I heard a siren blaring.  It was probably a fire engine or an ambulance.  BAM!  Another crash.  This time it came from the neighbor’s yard.  More sirens, but this time closer – maybe even on my block.  The lights dimmed.  Back on.  Dimmed.  Then suddenly off.  I looked out the front window.  The entire block was in complete darkness.  The rush of the wind and the blare of sirens continued as the storm pounded the Chicago area.

Tuesday night more than a quarter of a million homes and businesses lost power.  Downed trees and power lines, hundreds of canceled flights, shutting down the Metra, thousands of dollars of property damage, and more – were all the results of our little Chicago summer storm.  (Alright, I feel bad admitting to it, but I kind of like summer storms).

This was a powerful storm, as evidenced by the damage it caused.  And as I was looking at the effects of this powerful storm, I was reminded of God.

God is infinitely more powerful than any storm, as evidenced by His redeeming power in the lives of countless millions.  Actually, I don’t need to look any further than my own self-centered ego to know that.  My hardened heart is far more difficult to move than downing a tree or stopping a plane.  And yet, He reaches down in love and grace and power and gently moves us so that we may experience life.  The only real life that is found in Him.  Now that is power!

I hope and pray that you will experience the fullness of God in all His love and grace and power.

In Christ,

Bill

Happy Father’s Day

My father was a college English professor.  He taught John Steinbeck and Nathaniel Hawthorne and Flannery O’Connor and many other great American writers.  I grew up with a large framed picture of William Faulkner hanging on the family wall.  Dinner conversations often revolved around what everyone in the family was reading.  I am very grateful for the love of literature that my father passed on to me.  He was a true academic and his expertise was clearly in the world of books and ideas.

So I was very surprised when my father volunteered to coach my 4^th grade baseball team.  I had never known him to follow baseball, let alone understand anything about the game.  And that season proved that he really didn’t.  We had a record of 1 win and 19 losses.  And the 1 win was against a team who had gotten their schedule confused and half their team didn’t show – so they had to forfeit.

I really don’t remember anything in the way of baseball instruction from my father.  I am guessing that there really wasn’t much.  The one thing I do remember is that he would always promise us snow cones if we won.  And we did love snow cones.  What kid doesn’t?  So it wasn’t a bad incentive.  It’s just that the promise of flavored ice didn’t make up for the fact that we couldn’t hit, run, or catch.

But after losing each game he would sit us down and tell us what a good job we had done.  He would tell us not to be discouraged.  Sure, we may not have scored as many runs as the other team (if at all), but we had played with desire and passion and the heart of a winner.  He would tell us that he was proud of us.  And then he would pause, and with a little smile on his face he would yell out, “Snow cones for everyone.”  At that point we would run out of the dugout and storm the concession stand.

We all knew we would get snow cones whether we won or loss.  Whether we performed well or performed poorly.  Getting a snow cone was not dependent on us in any way whatsoever.  We had nothing to do with it.  My father gave us snow cones because he was a loving man and he couldn’t help himself.  He just had to give us snow cones.

The next year my father coached my same baseball team again.  And the funny thing was that we had an incredible season – 18 wins and 2 losses.  I don’t know how that happened.  Maybe we practiced more.  Or maybe some of the guys started to grow and gain some strength and skill.  Or maybe there was something in those snow cones.  I don’t know.

My father passed away 18 years ago and over the years I have reflected a lot on that time.  I have really good memories of my father, and the baseball years are some of the best.  My father didn’t coach my team because he loved baseball, or because he loved leading a group of kids in the pursuit of winning, or because he loved snow cones.  He did it because he loved me.  I knew it then and I understand it even more deeply now.

My father wasn’t perfect – far from that.  And yet I did know he loved me.  I know that is not everyone’s experience with their father.  Some have had good experiences and some have had bad experiences.

Regardless of your experience of your earthly father, though, you have a heavenly Father who loves you with an overwhelming love.  I hope and pray that you will take in His love for you this year as you celebrate Father’s Day.

And if you get a chance – enjoy a snow cone as well.

Overwhelmed By Our Father’s Love,

Bill