Presently Absent

"I take shame to myself for my unprofitable attendance"
-Valley of Vision

Teacher: Susan?
Susan: Here.
Teacher: Billy?
Billy: PRESENT!!!!

Everyone had a Billy in their class...physically present, but mentally absent. Many of us nabbed a perfect attendance award sometime during our school years, but those awards said nothing of our effort. When you're six, Mom's gonna put you on the bus every chance she gets!

Whether kids or adults, we have all been presently absent at some point. We might get credit from others for being in class, at work, or even in church. But are we getting any credit in Heaven?

Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Col 3:23 (NLT)

God doesn't tell us to work. He tells us to work well! Christians are placed as ambassadors to a watching world. Sometimes those watchers are less evident than at other times, which is why we must always work as though we're doing it for God rather than people.

Where are you present physically yet mentally absent?

• Your job is paying you, but your extended breaks and slack hands rob your employer.
• Your teacher invests their expertise in you, but you ignore their wisdom and preparation.
• Your church prepares a worship environment for you, but you fail to prepare spiritually

God's not handing out attendance awards. God rewards diligent hearts that fully invest themselves in whatever they're doing. If you have to be there, why not put in your best effort to glorify your Father in Heaven?

The Responsibility of Readiness

Our community has endured an incredibly tough run the last few weeks. Two of our local schools had students who made threats against the safety of their fellow students. Then we were further shaken by the horrific loss of two teenage brothers at the hands of their own father.

I’ve spent a lot of time around one of those schools in support, and noticed various encouraging messages like this one all over the building.

Other local schools followed suit, encouraging students to look for opportunities to stand ready for moments of support to outcast and downcast classmates. I’m inspired to see these administrators, teachers, and students respond positively to such tragedy.

I'm hopeful that this response to tragedy will remain in the future.
I'm hopeful also that Christians will assume greater responsibility to be pre-tragedy. 

We don’t need more nice people at school. We need more ambassadors for Christ at school.

We don’t need school-sanctioned prayer, but student-sparked prayer by students for students.

The world will remain sick with sin until the eternal reign of Jesus, so Christians have a responsibility of readiness. When faith in Christ is displayed prominently, our focus moves from arguing issues to sharing Jesus. As my evangelism professor said in seminary, "You'll never argue anyone into the kingdom of Heaven."

Are you available to the lonely person at school, work, or even church? It's more comfortable to stick with your clique, but our responsibility as Christians calls us to a higher standard.

So don't cast anyone away! When we see the outcast and downcast, let our hearts and minds be prepared to gather in and lift up! Not everyone will come to a full or immediate acceptance of Jesus, but when Christians live kindness, we reveal the hope of Jesus to people who have bought Satan's hopeless lies.

Biblical Racism

I wonder if I would have owned slaves?

American Christianity today cries loudly against slavery, but the voices were muted in the earlier days of our nation. Many pastors, like Richard Fuller, used the Bible to justify the enslavement of blacks by white Christians, who themselves had been freed from the chains of sin by Jesus.

Of course I find black slavery and Jim Crow laws reprehensible today...but what if I had lived back then?

Recently I watched the Jackie Robinson biopic "42". Film critic Richard Roeper's called it an "unexceptional film about a most extraordinary man." Having read many firsthand accounts of Robinson's life, I would agree. However, one scene left me very unsettled. A young white boy sits next to his father who, upon seeing Robinson take the field, begins using that most infamous of black insults. The boy is initially rattled by his father's behavior, but soon emulates it and I wondered, "Would I have been that boy?"

This settles me on a hypothesis for Christians: When we fail to base our personal convictions on the basis of scripture, we form them on the basis of man. Today, we read scripture in light of our society where slavery isn't the norm. 18th century Christians read scripture in a different society and allowed what was normal to overwhelm what was true. 

I suppose it's possible I could have found myself justifying slavery and oppression of black men, women, and children while quoting scriptures. But perhaps I would have read scripture for myself and come to a different conclusion.

Like Wilberforce, whose conversion to Christianity led him to fight diligently for abolition.
Like the Quakers whose movement made slavery a central topic of discussion in Christianity.
Like Francis Wayland, the Brown University president who directly opposed the claims of Pastor Fuller.

Why did I write this? Mainly because I don't want us to take our beliefs for granted. Are your beliefs about the sanctity and value of human life based on biblical convictions or human teachings? Even if the teachings are true, responsible Christians must take the time to understand these truths themselves. Do not merely adopt the beliefs of those who seem trustworthy, but dig and discover the truth of God from the Word of God.

Christians are confronted with an ever-changing society, and it's critical that we be diligent disciples of God's never-changing Word. Finally, Here is an excellent article that more clearly details how Fuller and Wayland, each using scripture, reached their positions.  I highly recommend you take a few minutes to read it. 

I Should Probably Come Up With a Title

I hate titling sermons. Some churches have creative teams that assist the pastor in creating a sermon title or series that will attract hearers...

Comeback!
Overcoming the Storms of Life!
Seven Secrets to Sabotage Selfishness!

I think creating themes like this is smart and fits the old adage,
"If you can't describe your sermon/speech/essay in one sentence, you did it wrong."

So why do I struggle with sermon titles? I can generally summarize each of them with a sentence, so it seems like the title would come pretty easily. However, truth is a deep well. People can drink of it, and be impacted in different ways. I can preach a message on financial stewardship and instead see someone walk past their past in an unrelated area of sin, pleading for Jesus to save them (true story).

Peter, Paul, and even Jesus didn't title their sermons. We did it for them, trying to provide a summary of each section of each chapter of the Bible. Have you ever read one of those subheadings like "Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand" and realized His feeding of the multitude wasn't the point?
SPOILER ALERT: The point was 12 weak-faithed disciples had to pick up, hold, and stare into 12 baskets of leftovers. The miracle wasn't to feed hungry people, but to feed the faith of these future missionaries/pastors/church planters.

Preacher: Next time you write a sermon, don't become so focused on a theme or title that you dry up the various truths that tend to leak out around the edges and speak to people in profound ways! Don't focus on how another pastor does it. Focus on how God has called YOU to do it.

Hearer: Next time you sit to listen to a message, don't presume the sermon title is all God may potentially want to talk with you about.

Why Anti-Bullying Doesn't Work

My parents used to dip my fingers in jalapeno juice. 

Why was I subjected to such cruel and unusual punishment? Because I wouldn't stop biting my fingernails, leaving my fingers looking awful. At first the burning was a pretty strong deterrent, but still didn't stop me from this poor habit. A guitar did. 

If you've never played guitar, that highest E string is pretty thin. This becomes very apparent when you're biting your nails very short and the string jams between the nail and the skin, as happened to me during a worship set one morning at church!

(Dramatic re-enactment)

That was it. I resolved to stop biting my nails to improve the appearance of my hands, and allow me to play guitar pain-free. It's been 7 years and I haven't gone back to it since. So what made the change? I needed a reason to stop. Telling me it was bad wasn't nearly as impactful as gaining a real understanding of why I should quit. 

Which takes me to the subject of bullying. If you haven't seen the heart-wrenching video of Keaton Jones sharing his experience of being bullied at school, you should.

As I watched, I began to ask, "Why aren't the anti-bullying campaigns working?" Clearly because kids don't have a reason to. Bullying isn't overcome without a strong reason why, and saying, "It's wrong" clearly isn't enough.

We have to make our kids pro-people.

The strong reason is this: every person is a creation of God (Gen 1:26). He has built them with value, worth, and an eternal soul. When someone is bullied, the very creation of God is mocked. Sadly, Christians in my elementary school were some of the harshest bullies I faced. Imagine if instead of making fun of my cheap clothes they had talked to me about treasures in Heaven! Think of how my life could have been changed earlier with knowledge of a God who loved me. Loving Christians could have made such a positive impact!

I want to see an end to bullying. But instead of focusing on anti-bullying, teach your kids to be pro-people! Remind them that every person has been made in the image of God. God has placed many types of people in our circle of influence so we can love them and learn from them. I know this has motivated me to a fresh conversation with my own kids today. 

You Need To Shut Up and Pray

You talk too much. I know this is true, because I do it too. 

We've often been told that praying is just us talking to God, but I'm realizing that's only half right. In reality, prayer is a back and forth conversation with God.

The Hebrew word "palal" is the common OT form of the word prayer "and it expresses the idea of coming between two parties" (Vine's Word Studies). In the NT, "proseuchomai" is the word you'll see most often referring to prayer to God. It's meaning isn't mere conversation, but an attitude of worship.

The question is: Are YOU talking too much in your prayers? 

And the LORD came and called as before, "Samuel! Samuel!" And Samuel replied, "Speak, your servant is listening." 1 Samuel 3:10 (NLT)

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. Romans 8:26 (ESV)

Today I realized my prayers aren't very wide. While I'm praying for others beyond myself and family, I stopped my prayers this morning and said, "Lord, where else are you calling me to focus my prayers?" It's not only because my prayers have power, but I believe God is always challenging us to live in greater awareness of others. Awareness is unlikely to take root if I'm talking all the time.

My prayer was followed by a few moments of silence and then unexpected words! I found myself praying for those impacted by the hurricanes, those soon to be impacted, and those working to impact these communities for the gospel . Prayers for President Trump and his advisers as they went to the U.N. soon came. The people of North Korea, people God created and loves, were also lifted up in my heart and mouth.

What prayers is the Holy Spirit holding for you today? Before you start the prayer wheel turnin', be sure you invite God to turn it with prayers that empower others while stretching your heart and mind. Let's be willing to shut up, listen, and THEN pray! 

Don't Stop Believing....or Talking!

Why is it that God seems to deal differently with the unbelief of His people? This question came from my recent simultaneous prep for a sermon and Sunday School lesson.

"So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief." Hebrews 3:19

In Hebrews 3, God clearly reveals that Israel was kept out of the Promised Land for one reason. It wasn't their unworthiness, but their unbelief. As a result, the Jews wandered in the desert for 40 years until that unbelieving generation died out.

So why did Moses get a pass?

In Exodus 3, Moses is fully confronted by God and challenged with a great task:
"Come, I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt." Exodus 3:10

If you know the story, you know that Moses offered up numerous objections. Even as he spoke directly with God, Moses continued to suffer from unbelief.

So why did God stick it out with Moses, but Israel had to wander the desert? The difference I see is a willingness to keep the conversation going. When Israel was met by the challenges of God's call, they didn't talk to Him about it at all. Instead, they began discussing who they could replace Moses with to take them back to Egypt. You know...the place they lived as slaves!

Years before this, Moses is called by God to lead these people out of that very same slavery. During the course of the conversation, Moses repeatedly attempts to get out of this call. He doesn't believe he has any ability to truly by used by God in such a big way. Essentially, he's dealing with unbelief, and yet, Moses never quits the conversation.

Therein lies the lesson. God knows we're going to have faith struggles, believing God's promises because of our own inadequacies, a long delay, or the perceived impossibility of the task. But God is gracious!

As Jesus was brought a demon-possessed boy to be healed, the boy's Father asked Jesus to do something if He was able. Jesus tells the Father that all things are possible to Him who believes. This father seems to have believed that Jesus was the Messiah, but he still dealt with doubts. Maybe it was because his son had suffered so long, but he responds to Jesus, "I do believe; help my unbelief!" (Mark 9:24). Jesus then casts out the demon and heals the boy.

God knows you. God knows your heart. God knows your faith struggles. In all of this, unbelief is a constant barrier that allow us to miss God's best because we failed to pursue it. When the situations are challenging, keep the conversation going! Bring your doubts and fears to God. He is capable of not only working in your situation, but in strengthening your faith in the process. So keep talking, believing that God is working and listening!