father's day - pt 2 (recap)

This past Sunday was Father's Day, which was an amazing day in our home for many reasons.

It actually started about a week before when we were leaving the warehouse that our church gathers in every Sunday morning.  Since we don't use an old traditional building, the multi-purpose function to our room works in our favor most weeks.  Occasionally, though, there's a hurdle... like filling up a swimming pool for a baptism.  It usually begins the week before that special celebration is scheduled so that we can turn the very cold water into warm water.

Which... um... hardly ever happens.

Needless to say, another piece of the puzzle is that my family is often one of the last to leave on a Sunday.  So a week ago as my boys were taking note of all that was happening to set up the pool, my youngest son, Daniel, said something to the effect of, "Mom, Dad... I'm ready to be baptized."

Keep in mind, he's six years old.  And while we did dedicate him as a baby (different than baptism), we always wanted to honor what baptism is on a biblical level... namely, it's something that each person needs to choose.

So we told him we'd talk about it that day at lunch.  Mainly, I thought, because he's "too young" and "couldn't possibly understand the meaning of baptism."  My plan was to find a way to delay this until later on.

Later that day, I asked him why he wanted to baptized.  His answer essentially was, "Well, I love God.  And  I don't want to do anything that is going to stop Him from being first to me.  So I want to be baptized because I know it honors Him."

Huh.  That was a pretty good answer.

I then asked him about his understanding of what baptism meant.  Namely, why we go under the water and come up.  At first he didn't understand the question, but then he answered, "Oh, yeah.  When you go under it reminds us of Jesus' death.  And when you come up it reminds us that Jesus is alive."  We also talked about how when we take part in baptism we claim that over our own life as well.

Huh... again... another solid response.

The more we talked, the more it became clear that he "gets it."  And I mean that in the most personal way possible... he doesn't just do what I do in my faith, but truly has found a faith of his own.  The way he sees things inspires me - and I am blown away by the conviction in his heart.  I seriously need him to teach me more about God, because Daniel sees something Divine that many of us have forgotten.

When I asked him if he has any questions about baptism, he said, "Well, I have one... can I wear goggles in the pool?"

Nice.

So on Father's Day, I was treated to some of the usual great gifts by my family.  Breakfast in bed, a couple of gifts that expanded my simple wardrobe, and so on.

But the greatest gift....

it makes me tear up even writing about it...

was when my son Daniel stepped up in front of people of all ages...

shared about his faith in Jesus Christ and let me pray over him...

then got into a pool with me...

where we, together, enjoyed the moment...

and celebrated the eternal life that exists within this little guy...

and the way it leaks out of him in the ways he loves God and others...

by taking part in something ancient, eternal, and present-day all in one dip...

that symbolized the amazing Love of God the Father Himself.

Now, I know we can still debate that Daniel is "too young" and "couldn't possibly understand the meaning of baptism."

Then again, who among us could that not be said about?  Truly, wouldn't one more year in your faith make you more "experienced?"

But is that's the point of baptism?

I'm not going to argue with you, because you can't win. 

All I can tell you is that after talking with my son there came a point when I realized that I would be sinning if I kept him from expressing his understanding of his relationship with God.  Undoubtedly, my wife and I have given him the ingredients... but Daniel has created something unique out of them that has allowed him to taste and see that the Lord is good.

There were several others who were baptized on Sunday, and I don't mean to share this one story at their expense.  It's a rather amazing thing to watch intangible life change be tangibly celebrated in front of you.

But man... seriously... I couldn't think of a better way to celebrate Father's Day than by sharing it with my Father, who... as it turns out... just so happens to be my son's Father, too.

Maybe that's why they call it "the faith of a child."

Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." (Matthew 19:14)

a note to some noteworthy men... that i ditched this weekend

This weekend I missed out on a reunion for "Son City" - a rather profound movement of God to reach out to teenagers that started many years ago in the Chicago area and eventually became Willow Creek Community Church. I came into it during my junior year, and through it trusted my entire life to Jesus Christ.

But I couldn't make the reunion.

It was a tough call, but I chose to instead celebrate 15 years of marriage to my bride by renewing my vows in our church family.

It was a powerful, powerful weekend.

I saw many people I don't normally get to hang with - family who are friends; friends who are family. My dad and I "had a catch" in our front yard - literal Field of Dreams kind of stuff.

Then today my 2 boys walked my beautiful wife down the aisle as we took on a vow for another 15 yrs - and our church agreed to walk that with us as we walk with them.

My parents hung out with each other - another miracle.

No, literally... a miracle.

So I wrote a note to someone who decided one night several years ago to tell a group of high school students about Jesus Christ. He did it most every week, but one night I decided to listen... actually, I couldn't help but listen. Had I had been at the reunion, I might have said something different. But the fact that I wasn't there is why I wrote what is below to Dan Webster, a true follower of Jesus Christ - a friend, mentor, and wide-eyed believer in authentic leadership.

Dan - sorry I couldn't swing the reunion... it tore my heart not to be there.

But it blessed my heart to take part in what I did this weekend - renewing my vows with my bride of 15 years, seeing my parents reconcile - all kinds of God stuff that are disguised in ordinary conversations that are actually quite supernatural moments.

That stuff wouldn't have happened had a teenage version of myself not embraced an invitation you put forth one particular night in a church auditorium to trust in Jesus.

I did. And tonight when I put my boys to bed I had the chance to tell them what redemption looks like in our family tree.

So thank you - I couldn't be there, but it's because I'm "here."

I know you get notes like this all the time.

There's a reason for that, you know.

Keep swinging, slugger.

Then I saw a pic of the reunion on Facebook, so I wrote another note.

The 3 guys in this picture?

The one in the middle invited me to come to something called "Son City" for a month. It sounded like a flea market, so I blew him off. Then one day I said, "Fine."

The guy on the right? He was one of the first handshakes I met that night. Apparently he was something called a "team leader" for my campus. A few months later when I was in a team time, he reached over and put his hand on my shoulder in the middle of a prayer. He didn't know it at the time, but I had just been praying silently that God would in some way touch me in a tangible way. My parents were divorcing and I needed to know He cared.

The guy on the left? He taught me that Christianity can be incredibly fun. Most of the time it was through skits on a stage, and eventually I joined that "drama team" and let my inner freak out in SNL-ish style drama that helped us all laugh and cry in real ways.

I couldn't be at the reunion, but the reason I couldn't is because of three guys.

I want to challenge you to write a genuine note of encouragement to someone who has helped "re-set" the direction and details of your life back toward their original God-designed intention.

Because those people are blessing our lives and many days wonder if they're making any difference.

Remind them that they are, and you just might remind yourself that God is working in your life even when you don't realize it.

awe-some

So first, last week I was "in awe of God..."

then over the weekend, I found myself "still in awe of God..."

As of tonight?

Tonight I realized He's even bigger than I thought, and so now I am "picking my jaw up off the floor because I am beyond being in awe of God but am notably even more aware how small I am in the glimpse of how large He continues to be and yet stoops down to leave breadcrumb trails for me to follow into something absolutely amazing and already these words are falling short so I should just stop now and hopefully say nothing more to ruin the purity of this moment."

And that's all I have to say about that.

you asked for it: 'cuz i gotta have faith

My buddy Doug has a juicy topic here: "People a little more in the Pentecostal camp than I like to "proclaim things in faith", saying that they believe that God is going to do X or Y. When X or Y doesn't happen. Then what? Did they not have enough faith? Did God fall through on them? Did they have no business asking for X or Y in the first place? Is God not supposed to be our sugar-daddy in the sky? D-Fresh"

I covered some of this in the miracles post, so let me add a short story and additional thought at the end.

Just after my wife and I were married, we served in a little church in a little city in the middle of nowhere Indiana. (Sorry about that, Derek)

In the process of signing on we learned that the senior pastor's wife had cancer... something that was very sobering for many in the church. It was obviously something that at times was conversation, while on other occasions very much an elephant in the room. It was rare that we would see her on a Sunday morning, even though the house/parsonage was located on the property.

One day in the middle of it all, the pastor proclaimed that his wife would be physically healed - that her cancer would go away and she would come back to a normal life as she had before. Well, let me tell you something, sir... suddenly that little country church seem to take on a life it never had as his loud voice echoed a hope that we all wanted to taste the reality of... "certainly God will do this."

We prayed... we believed... we prayed some more... we believed some more. If only we would have enough faith... "certainly God will do this."

We busted out the oil... the elder board came and prayed over her... we sang songs about God's healing... "certainly God will do this."

Only... He didn't.

One day Carol passed away and on to be with God.


For quite a few, there was this nagging question... "Why?" Those older in the faith had an "I knew it," in the spirit, while others younger in their faith asked, "Does God even care? What does that say about prayers and faith?"

Then the explanation came.

God "had" healed her, but it was by taking her on to be with Him in heaven.

This messed with everyone even more.

By the way, this wasn't a Pentecostal church. (Maybe that was our problem.)

I share that story because the running theme I see in this area with God is that whether it's the issue of miracles or grace, God always gets to make the final call. That doesn't mean He doesn't desire the dialogue or our request in prayer, but we have to remember that there is a goal He has in mind for all of creation and at times someone's loss may mean another's gain. We see this in everything from how one person's death who is a biological donor can save many, many lives to how those attending a funeral can place their faith in Jesus Christ.

Perhaps the difference is instead of saying, "God will" we should say "God can, as He wills." For instance, I "can" drive my kids to Disney World today... will I? That's another story. Even if my kids claim that I am with all the passion, I still get to make the final call. Sometimes their persistent asking wins out (mostly for Chuck E Cheese and Smoothie King - we haven't yet been to Disney World with them). This happens not because they guilt me into it or nag me, but because I love them and truly do want to see them maximized in all their joy.


Sometimes, though, that money/effort is earmarked for something else... something better, even if they can't see it, and so as a loving father I have to say no.


Many who argue the "name it/claim it" stance often quote this passage from Matthew 18:18:

I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

Another way it reads in the original Greek, though, is as follows:

I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will have been loosed in heaven.

You will often find the former listed in Bibles with a footnote that the latter is "another way" of reading it. So whether or not the original language indicates the tense here as periphrastic-eternal (meaning, all that's been "bound" already has) or should be taken as literal-present (meaning all that is to be bound is dependent upon us asking for it), in either case the intention is to say that Peter is to act according to heaven's instructions.


By the way... yes, that's a Bible verse involving something said to Peter.

Perhaps we can still pray in the same context with the same hope and God-empowered/Jesus-provided/Spirit-guided authority, but that was a conversation with one disciple in particular.

Perhaps a whole other topic just started right there. ;)

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. (James 5:16)

you asked for it: miracles and denial

Marcia was pondering... Where's the line between denial of a difficult circumstance and faith that God can (and just may) perform a miracle?

Before I even begin to tackle this, I want to acknowledge that this question may be coming from a very tender place. Whether or not Marcia is feeling this way, I believe someone who reads this may... and I have found that this topic isn't always just about faith or biblically-based logic. Way too often we can try to theologically explain away a situation because of our own insecurity... sometimes we just need to acknowledge the emotional side.

Using that metaphor, let's do some math (which, by the way, I don't like math).

If A = average Life

and B = bond with God (intentional on our part through the Messiah/Jesus)

and C = circumstance

and D = Divine intervention

and E = empty ending

Sometimes A +B + C = D.

"Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water."

"Come," he said.

Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. (Matthews 14:28-29)

In this instance, Peter had a bond with God/Jesus and through the circumstance Jesus created by walking on water was allowed to experience a miracle.

Sometimes A + B + C = E.

At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the reports about Jesus, and he said to his attendants, "This is John the Baptist; he has risen from the dead! That is why miraculous powers are at work in him."

Now Herod had arrested John and bound him and put him in prison because of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, for John had been saying to him: "It is not lawful for you to have her." Herod wanted to kill John, but he was afraid of the people, because they considered him a prophet.

On Herod's birthday the daughter of Herodias danced for them and pleased Herod so much that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she asked. Prompted by her mother, she said, "Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist." The king was distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he ordered that her request be granted and had John beheaded in the prison. His head was brought in on a platter and given to the girl, who carried it to her mother. John's disciples came and took his body and buried it. Then they went and told Jesus.

John the Baptist was called by Jesus as "the greatest" (Matthew 11:11), and yet he is paid off for all his faithfulness with a seemingly empty ending. This doesn't sell so well in the church, so it's often an overlooked part of following the Lord... that sometimes on this side of heaven the ending doesn't feel so fulfilling. It doesn't diminish the importance of faithfulness, though, just like how the tragic deaths of many (Martin Luther King, for example) are wrong and yet their forward posture when they die inspires others to take their next step.

That's really the issue we're talking about in this post... can we have forward posture toward the Lord, no matter what? Even if the "miracle" never comes, forward posture in itself is a miracle.

Sometimes A + B = D.

When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help.

"Lord," he said, "my servant lies at home paralyzed and in terrible suffering."

Jesus said to him, "I will go and heal him."

The centurion replied, "Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, 'Go,' and he goes; and that one, 'Come,' and he comes. I say to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it."

When Jesus heard this, he was astonished and said to those following him, "I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

Then Jesus said to the centurion, "Go! It will be done just as you believed it would." And his servant was healed at that very hour. (Matthew 8:5-13)

A couple items of note here... the Centurion is a follower of Rome. He's not my main point here, but I want to point out that for him to approach Jesus for healing was to in the same step question if Caesar truly was a/the "god" through whom all men could be "saved." However, in him approaching Jesus is doesn't mean that this question of Caesar is a deep one... for all we know, this may have been a sincere crisis of faith or merely a boss who cared about his employee and wanted to try everything to save him.

A real big miracle here, though, happens in the life of the servant. Again, we know nothing about him other than a few details of his circumstances. However, it is not the faith of the servant that creates the miracle but "the faith of the Centurion." This is an example of God doing a deliberate miracle in the life of someone who hasn't intentionally bonded with Him.

One of the crazy things about God is His ultimate supremacy. That means that even when we have one Scripture that gives us a nice formula we can preach, sell books by, and create an entire theology around there is another that seems to say, "Yeah, but..." As I've shared in previous posts, this isn't a contradiction, just like how Lebron James can live in my area and be a "Cleveland fan" and yet somehow root for the Yankees. You know how this works, right? Or have you never wanted two things at the same time? It's not always contradiction... sometimes it's a tension.

So while we would assume that sometimes God only does miracles in the lives of people who have signed on in Blood, occasionally good things happen to "bad people" (and often more than occasionally). Keep in mind this is never a reward from God to them but always and only to use them as a way of furthering along the cause of God's people.

Sometimes A + B + C = D that feels like E.

In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to him and said, "This is what the LORD says: Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover."

Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD, "Remember, O LORD, how I have walked before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes." And Hezekiah wept bitterly.

Then the word of the LORD came to Isaiah: "Go and tell Hezekiah, 'This is what the LORD, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will add fifteen years to your life. And I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria. I will defend this city. (Isaiah 38:1-6)

This slice of Hezekiah's life is fascinating to me. Human tears do not go unnoticed by God, and when the proactive Israelite king became deathly ill he began to pray and remind the Lord what a good guy he's been. He wept bitterly on the tail end of this prayer, too... which makes one ask the question "Why?" Was it for himself, or was it for the greater Good?

It seems as though this isn't a weeping over the sin of the nation, but rather a tearful begging for a few more years. And so God is moved and speaks through His prophet that a miracle of fifteen years will happen in Hezekiah's life.

Should feel good, right?

Here's the catch, though... if Hezekiah did not love life here so much that he didn't want to leave it, he would have gone on to be with God three years before he fathered Manasseh. If you don't know what happens, check this out...

Moreover, Manasseh also shed so much innocent blood that he filled Jerusalem from end to end—besides the sin that he had caused Judah to commit, so that they did evil in the eyes of the LORD. (2 Kings 21:16)

All the good and godly things Hezekiah were torn down by his defiant son. So while the people may have enjoyed their nice king for another short-season, the long-term effects were quite bitter for the long haul.

"I will send four kinds of destroyers against them," declares the LORD, "the sword to kill and the dogs to drag away and the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth to devour and destroy. I will make them bhorrent to all the kingdoms of the earth because of what Manasseh son of Hezekiah king of Judah did in Jerusalem. (Jeremiah 15:3-4)

So perhaps the greater question when it comes to miracles is why are we asking for them in the first place. I remember standing over the bed of my youngest son when he was born, looking at his little breathing shield and praying for healing. I found myself desperate for a miracle, and yet in every prayer tried as best as I could to think beyond my selfishness. It is hard, dry, almost-bitter prayer to pray, "...all of that, God... but... not my will but Yours be done."

I think this is why we sometimes are tempted and choose to deny the circumstance or the possibility of a miracle.

Ready for the amazing curve ball, though?

Look who shows up in Jesus' lineage...

"...Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amon... and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ." (Matthew 1:10, 16)

So if you're praying for a miracle selfishly and don't realize you are...

even if it's not God's preference...

and He intervenes as you ask...

God can still use that.

Because while God can turn miracles into messes, He can also turn miracles into messes that turn into miracles.

"Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done." (Luke 22:42)

nywc06: saturday am - pt. 1

Today I danced.

I stripped off my sweater, took off my socks and shoes, and hopped around… an undignified worshipper consumed by a God who has revealed himself to me.

And so I danced.

And then I stretched.

I raised my arms in the air as if I was trying to reach a special treat off of the top shelf. Not because I didn’t just consume one but because I wanted another… and I wanted to reach for it to let the One who gave it to me know I really enjoyed it. I know that sometimes the best way to compliment a cook is to ask for another serving… which is what I did.

As I danced.

And stretched.

And then stood on tiptoe.

This isn’t easy to do, and I don’t know if I’ve ever quite worshipped in this way. Yet there is something about wanting to be picked up by your Father that causes you to tiptoe your way into his arms, as if by that tiptoe you save yourself one quarter of a second that would have otherwise been wasted if he had to dig down deeper to get you and you had to wait for him to do so. It’s hard to stand on your tiptoes very long, let alone for the length of a David Crowder song… and yet I did.

As I danced.

And stretched.

And stood on tiptoe.

And then I wept.

Hot tears of revelation as the song “Amazing Grace” brought to my mind how much I am truly lost without my Jesus. Have you ever wanted to say something but couldn’t because you were crying cleansing waters of joy and broken thankfulness? No voice came out of my mouth, and yet I think it was the loudest I’d worshipped in a while.

As I danced.

And stretched.

And stood on tiptoe.

And wept.

This interestingly enough put me in the right place to grab my soul brother Brian and enjoy the community around me. I know people think they can follow Jesus without the church, but I don’t know how they get to enjoy on the breakthrough moments of community we were intended for. Certainly many “sinful” activities (which you can fill in as you so choose) that we can do with someone lend themselves to a two-dimensional form of community that is based around whatever the transaction of activity is at hand. Ironically, this can seem a whole lot more authentic than anything offered in a rigid self-help church… because churches aren’t supposed to be self-help centers anyway.

But even that form of two-dimensional community that seems so tangible isn’t even close to these pure moments of worship where everything with you and God is pure, allowing everything with those around you to be even purer… creating a taste of heaven that we currently have to labor for but one day will freely enjoy when Jesus “forever fixes” the world.

Man… I don’t know, but I’d be inclined to call that “heaven.”

And so… here is our King. Here is our Love. Here is our God who’s come to bring us back to Him. He is the One… He is Jesus.

Dance with me.

I will celebrate before the LORD. I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes. (2 Samuel 6:21b-22a)

on the upside

I mentioned recently how thankful I was for some things that happened on Friday. For those who don't like being kept in the dark, sorry for the delay (and might I suggest never watching the show LOST). Anyway, here's the skinny on a pretty amazing thing...

On Thursday I received a call that Family Christian Stores in Portage, Michigan (where my wife and I are looking to join others in beginning a new church movement) wanted me to come in for a job interview for an assistant manager. Granted, it would mean selling pink pens with Jesus' name on them, but since I've been praying about whether or not I need to be bi-vocational as a church planter I took this as something I at least needed to check out.

Portage is about an hour or so away from Holland (where we currently live), so any trips there need to be strategic since gas prices are what they are. A month ago my family and I popped down to look at a few houses and apartments for rent, just to get a feel for the area. We didn't see much that would work, and have been wondering how the timing would all pan out. Since we've been itching to honor our goal with my in-laws (whom we live with) that we would aim to move out after the end of April, we've been praying about whether or not that means moving to Portage before or after our official assessment process (May 8-10) with our district/denomination.

My ingenious wife found some great houses for us to look into throughout the day, including one in particular that we felt especially drawn to. Its price was reasonable, not to mention the fenced in yard for our dog (whom we are currently not able to have live with us), plenty of play room in the basement for our kids, three bedrooms plus office space for me, and it's location in Portage. The real estate agent showing us the home really seemed to like us and gave us an application to fill out for rental. Since the house had just gone on the market the day before, we knew we'd have to act quickly. Everything hinged on my interview with Family Christian Stores.

And so the interview went well... sort of. I wasn't convinced that it is what I'm supposed to do. At this point, I can only imagine... well, being a church planter. But it's been a year... a year of my family waiting on God, not to mention needing to rediscover its own identity. And so I gave it some space for prayer and contemplation. Either way, though, I won't hear back if I got it for another couple of weeks.

Which brings me back to the house. Katie and spoke a bit about our finances and how it just wasn't possible to do the lease. Since the house market for rentals go quickly, waiting two weeks for a job and hoping the place was still available wasn't possible. In light of our current finances, it meant giving up the dream of the day.

And so I picked my wife up and shared the situation, bringing both of us into the reality that it just wouldn't work for us to move at this time. That meant giving up the house and settling back into the reality of being stuck in "no answers" land a bit longer. As we began the drive back to see the real estate agent, we found ourselves on a very heavy journey... wondering if God was messing with us or not, not to mention all the questions that go with that.

"Can we see the house one last time?" Katie asked.

"Sure," I said, pulling down the street and taking us over to where it was. We prayed in front of it, as Katie asked God to help us feel released from it if we need to. Otherwise, he'd have to provide (in her words) "a miracle."

A few minutes later we headed over to the real estate office. I don't know when the idea actually hit me, but somewhere just before it just did. I didn't want to tell Katie about it, though, just in case her hopes would get up one more time about something impossible. As we pulled into the parking lot and headed in, I rolled the dice through some quick prayers.

Steve, our agent, met us and was enthusiastic to get our application. I mentioned that we needed to chat first, and so he found a place for us to meet. Sitting across the table from him and with my unsuspecting wife by my side, I began my Donald Trump-ish sales pitch.

"Steve, I want you to know what our situation is. I don't have a guaranteed job at this point other than the possible church planting option I told you about earlier and the local business I interviewed with today. As we've looked at our finances, we have enough money in our savings combined with a few opportunities in our future to afford only a few months worth of rent. I know the house just went on the market yesterday and this is all highly irregular, but I'd like to ask you to consider renting the house to us for three months."

I felt my wife's head spinning next to me, and yet I continued.

"It's a good move for you in that we will be incredible tenants in the next three months. If it works out that we stay in the area, we will more than likely continue renting. If not, it will be August 1st and still the beautiful part of summer. I'm confident showing the house to new people wouldn't be an issue at all. Would you consider this?"

Steve pulled back from the table... the wheels in his head were turning. I don't know what he was processing, but as a seasoned agent he probably went through years of experience in a snapshot. After a few seconds, he said something quite unreasonable. "Okay... yeah... I think I can do that. Sure."

I couldn't believe it and began smiling as I looked over at my wife. Her head had stopped spinning (thankfully returning into its normal position). Her amazing eyes, on the other hand, were as wide as Frisbees.

And so we're moving to Portage. A real estate agent made a very bad professional decision to rent to a family without any job but seem to have this dream for a new church in the area. Even though he'd shown the house to two other people the first day it had been listed publicly, he gave us the green light. I mean, that just doesn't happen, does it?

Nice story, huh?

Gets better.

By the end of the day, an outside source that God clearly worked in and through provided us a check for the exact amount of our first three month's rent.

(Please read that last sentence again.)

Gets better.

On Sunday after I was done preaching I had two families in the church provide us with financial support. Enough for moving expenses.

Gets even better.

Today I received an email about a family in Portage who is looking for a church. Turns out the mom has heard me preach at GCC and wants me to call on her kids. Also, during our psychological assessment last week (which I'll blog about later - for now read Steve Thompson's summation) we learned of a family who is also looking for a home church and can't find one. Then my wife found out that there is another family moving to that area soon... and they are looking for a connection.

And so whether or not we get approved to do the church plant, all I know is that I've seen the hand of God. It might be foolish because I have yet to be approved by my district/denomination for the project. But hey... if faith is required before the miracles Jesus performed in the Bible, then maybe I need it, too.

Imagine a dream that is so big the only way it can succeed is if God is in it. And so the journey of chasing down the daylight continues... prayers totally coveted and welcome.

As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, calling out, "Have mercy on us, Son of David!"

When he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him, and he asked them, "Do you believe that I am able to do this?"

"Yes, Lord," they replied.

Then he touched their eyes and said, "According to your faith will it be done to you"
(Matthew 9:27-29)

so how was your easter, peeps?

So this morning I had the chance to share the Easter message using Scripture, stories, art, video, music, the Gospel of Judas, archeology, the Da Vinci Code, and... Marshmallow Peeps.

Peeps have an interesting history.

• Back in 1953 it took 27 hours to make a peep… now modern technology can make 2-4 million a day.
  
• It used to be said that the eyes were made out of tar, but it’s not true – they’re made out of wax.
  
• Would you believe 30 percent of people who eat peeps like them stale? Ew!
  
• Some freeze them, roast them, or microwave them. Some even use them for pizza toppings. Double ew!
  
• Each peep has 32 calories with 7 grams of sugar a peep (but they're "fat free" so eat up).
  
• The company that makes Peeps is called “Just Born’s” and is located in the city of Bethlehem, PA.

When I was a kid I used to yearn for Peeps. In fact, when I got my first hard earned paycheck it was right around Easter time… and so I remember going out to the store and buying a bunch of peeps, some comic books, and a watermelon (these were all things that were usually special treats). And I remember sitting under a tree on a nice hot day, reading my Superboy comics while eating watermelon (and the watermelon juice would drool down into the comic books), and then finishing it off with a glob of peeps. (Aren’t you hungry, now?)

The catch was that back in the day Peeps were a special treat because they were seasonal… you couldn’t get them except at Easter. These days, though, we can get them year round. There are Easter peeps, as well as Christmas peeps, Valentine’s Day peeps, Halloween peeps, patriotic peeps… you name it! Peeps are available all year round… not just during the Easter season. Even though most people assume so.

Similarly, we find the same issue with Easter. Is Easter just a fluffy event on the calendar? You know, where we start wearing pastel colors and buy a new outfit and attend a church service and sing some songs about the resurrection of a guy who walked the earth 2,000 years ago? Or is there a context for Easter that is available all year round?

“But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.” (Galatians 4:4-5, NASB)

When you read that, I imagine you’ll respond in at least one of three ways…

• Convinced (your life seems to glow it)
• Believing (your mind seems to know it)
• Skeptical (your questions seem to show it)

Which raises a question about questions… are they okay to have? There are a lot of questions about Jesus these days… a lot of alleged “scandal.”

• The Gospel of Judas asserts to be "the secret account of the revelation that Jesus spoke in conversation with Judas Iscariot during a week three days before he celebrated Passover.” Essentially, it tries to soften the blow of who Judas was by stating that Jesus asked Judas to turn him in because he needed help getting rid of the outer shell of his body so he can really be who he's supposed to be.
• An FSU scientist claims that when Jesus walked on water it was actually ice. That’s an interesting theory when you consider the boat of disciples. Unfortunately, he said "I get hate e-mail on the average every three minutes." s a side note, this kind of reaction to someone with questions makes me a bit sick… this isn’t how Christians are called to respond.
• The Da Vinci Code is also very popular and questions the very foundation of the church’s history and perspective. Basically the idea is a big conspiracy theory that the church had a secret agenda to protect itself and its beliefs, and so a number of theoretical clues are hidden in the works of Leonardo Da Vinci. It claims that he belonged to a secret society (that he never actually did belong to), and that Jesus had a wife.
  
  Jesus does have a wife, by the way… the church. And he’s never cheated on his bride.
  
  I can give you a bunch of facts as to why the claims in this book are false, but I’d rather point you towards a resource a couple of friends of mine wrote: THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO THE DA VINCI CODE
  
  As a side note, The Da Vinci Code is a very fun book and has a lot of historical facts twisted into fiction, much like a movie many of you may have seen called “National Treasure” starring Nicholas Cage. That’s a movie that claims that our society is built upon secret codes that are found on our money and the constitution, to name a few.
  
  Sound familiar? Yet no one went out after watching that and started denouncing the government… at least, for that reason. No one started looking at their money as a secret treasure map.
  
  I really am excited about the fact that we are going to have the chance to have conversations with people about Jesus because of something happening in our culture.

Have you ever noticed these things always happen before Easter? If we never open the door up to ask questions then we never get the chance to pursue truth.

Author Dan Brown says: “My hope for the Da Vinci Code was, in addition to entertaining people, that it might serve as an open door for readers to begin their own explorations and rekindle their interest in topics of faith.”

The possibility that things may be happening out of our control is disturbing. The idea of a conspiracy theory is comforting because it suggests that human agencies are at work... and so we have somebody to blame or somebody to join. It’s almost easier to accept that we made it all up than it is to believe in a God who is crazy about us and loves us in spite of our sin… and longs to redeem us.

A nice side benefit of all of these alleged scandals is that people today are getting back to the roots of their truth. People are open to and looking for a new interpretation of Christianity… not just the historical one that says it all started in the first century A.D.

The story of Easter actually begins a bit further back than we think.

• In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. (Genesis 1:1)
• So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. (Genesis 1:27)
• Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?" (Genesis 3:6)
• When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. (Genesis 3:6)
• And the LORD God said, "The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever." So the LORD God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. (Genesis 3:22-23)
  

Let’s hit pause for a moment… for many of us, this is where the story ends. We feel this disconnect with God and don’t know why. God could have left the story there… But He decided to do something else and it’s pretty stunning.

The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever;he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust. (Psalm 103: 8-14)

That’s what you want in a God when you have messed up your life. A God who proclaims, “I want to forgive you and I want to wash you clean… even thought your hands are so dirty… and I want to call you child and I want you to call me Father. And I want you to know what real love is all about… real justice is all about…”

And so time went by… many prophets came along, telling us that one day rescue would come… and some became skeptical, some believed, and some were convinced of it… And all of creation waited… and waited… placing faith in hope… waiting as God prepared the landscape.

And one day a baby’s cries were heard in a cave in Bethlehem…
And that baby became a boy and that boy became a man…
God became like us so that we could become like him.

And on Thursday… we remember that he ate his last supper with his best friends – one of which betrayed him according to ancient prophecy…

And on Friday… his body was broken and blood was spilled… and he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. (Isaiah 53:5)

And on Saturday… silence…

And then... Sunday. Resurrection. Hope. Redemption.

This day - Easter - didn't just happen one time 20 centuries ago nor is it just something we’re to recognize on the calendar. Easter is always happening… it’s not seasonal but is available all year round. God knew we'd blow it in Genesis 3 and yet he still chose to make us in Genesis 1 & 2. In other words, Good Friday and Easter were always a part of his plan because he is absolutely crazy about you and I and longs for us to stop feeling disconnected… regain our place as a child of God… and be able to call God our Father again.

If you’re like me I need a God who can get into the mess of my life. I need a God who can show up in the midst of pain and suffering… brokenness and sin… when relationships are struggling or you’re up to you ears in little kids and have lost every bit of control you can have… a God who enters into reality and makes a difference in our life.

I challenge anyone with a shrunk down God and a little itty bitty Easter to decode the real conspiracy story… that God gave his only son so that our lives could be a part of his great story.

He knows your name… and he’s been calling your name this whole time.

That may make us feel a bit smaller than we’d like… but he gave his only son so that our lives could be a part of his great story.

the resurrection of resurrection sunday

An empty tomb.

Death released.

A Savior alive.

Rescue has come.

Perhaps you've seen this scene a few times...

cheesy Easter plays...

internet graphics...

etc.

etc.

etc.

etc.

There are a lot of precious things we take for granted because we've "seen them a few times." Sometimes we forget the story is much richer, much deeper than a historical event we honor at a certain time of the year.

And yet... Easter didn't just happen one time 20 centuries ago but is always happening. God knew we'd blow it in Genesis 3 and yet he still chose to make us in Genesis 1 & 2. In other words, Good Friday and Easter were always a part of his plan.

And so here's a Scripture that you may not normally consider Easter-esque, and yet nonetheless is one that tells the story of you and I in light of a Holy God:

The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust. (Psalm 103:8-14)

An empty tomb.

Death released.

A Savior alive.

Rescue has come.