The End of the World as We Know It...And I Feel Fine!

It is no secret that while many in our culture increasingly describe themselves as "non-religious", there is simultaneously a rise in self-professed "spirituality". What most people seem to mean by this is that they are suspicious of what they consider to be "organized religion", while remaining "tolerant" and "open" to a spiritual smorgasbord of ancient beliefs and practices.

I find it interesting that nearly any form of spirituality - except that of the Biblical Jesus - is fair game for consideration in our culture. Among a host of other examples, one recent phenomenon has to do with the current fascination with so-called prophecies surrounding the Mayan Calendar and 2012 as a year predicted to hold much prophetic significance.

So many people seem fascinated with conjecture and opinion related to 2012 - in similar fashion to the frenzy surrounding Y2K just a decade ago. Yet ironically, the Bible, which seems to be the only consistently rejected source of information about the end of the world - is the only resource to have proven itself consistently accurate concerning future predictions.

Beginning January 3 at Valley, we will begin an 7-week Series called "The End of the World as We Know it...and I Feel Fine." In the series we will be looking carefully at a series of major passages from the prophetic voices of Daniel, Jesus, Paul and John. Although there are differing opinions among Bible-believing Christians about the details surrounding Christ's Second Coming, all committed Christians believe He will return in power and glory.

As we begin a new decade, I invite you to join us Sundays at 9am and 11am (5063 Maple Road in Vacaville). Come investigate for yourself the claims of Scripture - and see if some of your questions find answers in the pages of the ancient texts. You might be surprised at how relevant these ancient predictions really are! For more info about the ministries of Valley Church, you can contact us at 707-448-7222. I hope to see you this week! :)

Come Home This Christmas...

Do you remember your favorite Christmas tradition as a kid? Maybe you were allowed to open one present on Christmas Eve. Perhaps you left cookies and milk out for Santa. I remember reading "The Night Before Christmas" with my dad - listening to him intentionally mess up the story with alternate words and rhymes. My favorite part of Christmas was when we would finish opening our presents, then jump in the Oldsmobile and drive to my Grandparents' house for round two!

Then later in life - when God blessed us with our own kids - our joy began to come from watching them go through similar emotions as they patiently wait for the big day. And another thing happens when you get older. You begin to understand that not every child in the world - or even the majority of children - are as fortunate as those in most homes across America.

Our church partners with ministry efforts in various parts of the world, including Mexico, Turkey, Rwanda and elsewhere. Recently some of our partners in the Congo notified us of an extreme rise in violence - including murderous attacks against Christian leaders by various witch doctors from animistic tribes. Children have been raped and abused - displaced from their families and from what little security they had grown accustomed to in this genocidal region of the world.

My heart is ravaged as I read the reports, trying to process the reality of conditions that I cannot wrap my mind around. As my children sleep in the warmth of a well-furnished home, I cannot begin to imagine the pain of a parent whose children have been ripped away from them by force in the middle of the night. And while I cannot allow existential guilt to consume me based merely on the fact that I was fortunate enough to be born on American soil - neither can I allow my heart to become indifferent to the 3.5 billion people in the world who live on less than $2 per day.

We may not frequently meet people who have been ripped away from their families under such extreme conditions as I just described. But each of us know someone who has been displaced - a person who for whatever reason feels like an outcast. Who is that person within your reach this Christmas? Could God be offering you the opportunity to bring the life and light of Jesus into that life? An invitation to Christmas dinner? A Christmas card hand-delivered to their door? An invite to join with your family at a Christmas Eve Church service? Who among the displaced is God calling you to invite home this year?

Jesus came because we were displaced. We had become estranged from God through our sin - and Christmas morning launched the mission of a Messiah who would bring us back home. Maybe YOU are the one who has been displaced. Would you consider joining us at Valley Church for any one of our three Christmas Eve Services - 2pm; 3:30pm; or 5pm on December 24? I hope you will - and that God will whisper to you this week about how much He wants you to come home. Wherever you are at spiritually, emotionally or physically right now - Jesus proves that God is head over heals in love with you. May you open your heart to that love this year. If you want to talk more about connecting to this Savior, please email me at jwhite@valleychurch.com. Blessings to you from the Jesus followers at Valley Church.

Celebrate Good Times, Come On...

Have you ever noticed how often we cheapen the meaning of words? During a great message taught recently by one of the board members of our church, he made note of our overuse of the word "awesome." If we're honest, we must admit that it is a bit weird to describe both the Grand Canyon and pizza with the same adjective.

I was also thinking about this in terms of the word "celebrate". Christmas is a season of celebration. As a follower of Christ I celebrate love, family, generosity and most importantly - the birth of Jesus. But the other day while driving on the freeway I noticed a billboard for a grocery store chain that said: "COME CELEBRATE...reduced prices on thousands of items storewide!" After a quick double-take, I said to myself, "Really?"

Is THAT what we've reduced ourselves to as a culture? Using the word "celebrate" in reference to saving a nickel on a can of peas? Now don't get me wrong - I love scoring a good deal! My wife and I definitely feel good when we find a bargain. But "celebrate"? Really?

The word "celebrate" is defined as "festive actions taken in response to good news." Celebration is wonderful. The Bible repeatedly instructs and encourages God's people to be joyous. The life lived with God is affirmed repeatedly in Scripture as a life to be filled with celebration. The Hebrew calendar was chock full of festivals. Angels are described as throwing a party whenever people place their trust in Jesus. Jesus' first public miracle was at a wedding. God created the capacity to celebrate and He loves it when we do!

I don't know about you, but I want to allow this Christmas season to re-orient me to the true meaning of celebration. When the angel announced Christ's birth to some random shepherds, the heavenly being said "I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today...a Savior has been born to you." (Luke 2:10-11).

Did you catch that? It's not just that Christ was born. Or that He was born to Mary and Joseph. But He was born "to you...for all the people" of the world. What an incredible invitation...and a legitimate reason to celebrate. I hope you DO save a few cents on your Christmas ham - but don't reduce your celebration to having received a bargain on your shopping list. Celebrate everything Jesus offers to a world in pain and turmoil. That's my perspective...what's yours?

As Close to Hell as You'll Ever Have to Get - A Thanksgiving Message

In the past few years, God has been teaching me thankfulness more than any other virtue. Lately every time I read the New Testament the issue of thankfulness leaps off the pages at me. The Apostle Paul was especially focused on the theme throughout his writings. Often his letters were written to Christians suffering intense persecution under Caesar Nero's iron-fisted rule. Even in the worst of times, Paul encouraged a heart of thanksgiving.

One notable example is in Romans 8, where Paul says to persecuted believers in Rome, "I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us" (verse 18). Throughout this passage, while Paul does not use the word "thankful", the attitude shines through like a beacon on the darkest night of a person's soul.

Paul then goes on to remind the believers of how God had cared for all the Old Testament saints gone before them. "For those God foreknew (literally "knew in ages past") he also predestined (literally "marked out boundaries around") to be conformed to the likeness of his son..." Paul is encouraging these Christians with the reality that because of God's faithfulness to mark boundaries around the lives of those with whom He had relationship in times past (i.e. Abraham, Moses, David, Esther, etc.), He will also be faithful to surround the Roman Christian audience to whom he was writing. That many theologians read into these verses their pre-conceived idea that Paul is talking about salvation and God's "choosing" some people to go to Heaven while passing over others (i.e. Calvinism) is a grandiose bummer. It totally misses Paul's point! (NOTE: Please understand that I am not attempting to discredit Calvinism here - but only suggesting that this is not nearly as strong a passage in support of it as most suggest).

He continues by assuring these believers that they are "more than conquerors" and that "no one can bring a charge against those whom God has chosen." He crescendos with the startling proclamation that "neither death nor life...nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." In essence, Paul is saying "what's the WORST that can happen to you? Nero lops your head off? As a follower of Jesus, the worst thing that can possibly happen to you in this life is as close to hell as you will ever have to get!"

I am greatly encouraged by this. While I am deeply thankful that I am not facing the guillotine or the lions as many early Christians did, I AM comforted by the reality that no matter what difficulties I experience in this life, they are as close to hell as I will ever come. There is a future that awaits me beyond the grave for which Christ died in my place to secure my future in it. This life isn't perfect and never will be. Even on a day as wonderful as thanksgiving, there are disappointments and difficulties to face. But our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. For that we can be extremely thankful. I hope and pray that you are. Any thoughts you'd like to add? Chime in and God bless you....

Could it be.......SATAN?

One of my favorite Saturday Night Live skits of all time was Dana Carvey's character, "The Church Lady". This lovable, spunky and prudish character hosted a make believe show called "Church Chat", where she would frequently allude to the involvement of the devil as the cause of just about anything she perceived to be negative. Her famous line: "Could it be.........SATAN?"

What isn't so funny is that many people believe that Satan is just about as fictional as the Church Lady. When asked what they believe the devil is like, many average Americans would mention cartoonish depictions of a red-horned fellow with a pitchfork and scowl on his face - basically something you dress up as for Halloween. But the Bible paints a very different picture of this sinister evil Being.

Over the next two weeks, I will be teaching a 2-part miniseries at Valley Church called "The Art of War". In it we will explore questions related to the origin and existence of Satan and demons, the relationship of Christians to these spiritual foes and whether or not the unseen princes of darkness are for real - or simply a fairy tale for grown ups.

You may be surprised by the vidid detail given in the Scriptures. Have you ever wondered how much power the devil really has? Have you ever asked yourself if there is anything legit about so-called "deliverance ministers" or "exorcists"? Do you have any opinions on whether Christians should seek to "bind" the devil, as is the practice of some professing followers of Christ? If the devil IS real, what role does he play in your life? Join us as we arm ourselves with the truth of Scripture and become increasingly secure in our relationship with Christ through this crucial 2-part adventure.

We meet SUNDAYS at 9am and 11am, with a third "traditional" service venue at 9am in our student center for those who prefer a more classic style of worship and liturgy. I hope to see you there - and feel free to chime in with your thoughts about spiritual warfare, Satan and demons on this blog...

Blessed are the Persecuted? You've Got to be Kidding!

So I am getting ready to close out our 8-week series on "The Beatitudes" this Sunday. In case you don't know, these are a series of 8 statements Jesus makes in Matthew 5 at the beginning of his most well-known sermon. They all begin with the words "Blessed are..." As we conclude the series, the final Beatitude is admittedly one of the more intense subjects, where Jesus says, "Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven."

November 8 was the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church. While its great that we have a Sunday to remember specifically those who suffer intense persecution, in a way it is sad that we need to set aside a day to remind us to be aware of what we should never forget in the first place - that followers of Jesus were never promised popularity. Even so, this does not mean that we should wear supposed "persecution" as a badge of honor. Allow me to explain...

I have known numerous professing Christians who basically live with a "martyr mind-set". They reason that symptoms like the following somehow "prove" they are suffering for Jesus:

1) having few close friends to share life with
2) people avoiding them when they enter the room
3) dealing with doors being slammed in their face as though they were unwanted vacuum-cleaner salesmen
4) seldom being invited to hold prominent positions in community affairs

While symptoms like these certainly MAY indicate a form of discrimination or rejection, they are often nowhere NEAR what would qualify as real "persecution" by Christ's own statement. Unfortunately, many professing Christians are avoided, excluded or rejected by others NOT because they are being persecuted, but because they are being idiots. They themselves are simply unlikeable people. Whether it's their "cram-it-down-your-throat" approach to evangelism, or their self-righteous attitude toward "sinners", or their unwillingness to really listen and respond to the needs, doubts, questions and criticisms of their neighbors, I am afraid that often what passes as persecution against American Christians is really nothing more than a reasonable reaction to an unloving approach to life and faith.

So what exactly WOULD qualify as legitimate "persecution"? Jesus said that the "Blessed" would be those who are persecuted because of RIGHTEOUSNESS - not the SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS I just mentioned! He continues in Matthew 5:17 to say, "I (Jesus) came to 'fulfill' the Law" - and He goes on in Matthew 5:20 to warn that "unless your righteousness exceeds that of the Pharisees...you will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven." That's the MAIN point of the Sermon on Mount. Unlike the philosophy of the Pharisees, Jesus was trying to get people to see that "righteousness" (i.e. being in a "right" relationship with God) cannot be attained by stacking up an impressive resume of good works. And to further drive this point home, He goes on to say that if you LUST, its the same as ADULTERY before God. If you are ANGRY, it's the same as MURDER. If you take an OATH, you are SINNING. If you WORRY, you are not living faithfully.

So many people approach the Sermon on the Mount as though it's message is "Watch out! If you struggle with lust - you're a dirty-rotten sinner! You'd better do such and such....or else!" The REAL point Jesus is making is exactly the opposite! He's trying to get people (especially the Pharisees) to see that "The reason you struggle with lust - is BECAUSE you are a sinner! So don't think that just because you've never physically cheated on your spouse you are innocent!" His point is not "You'd better do this!" His point is "You CANNOT do this! You cannot live up to God's holy standards. Not even the Pharisees (who keep all these hundreds of laws meticulously) can live up to them. That's the bad news. The good news is that I came to 'fulfill' the Law on your behalf. It is a FREE GIFT to you - not something you work to earn or keep."

Jesus later describes this truth about how to be "right" (righteous) before God as a "narrow gate". In other words, the way to God is exclusively through faith in Jesus. Jesus is not ONE of MANY options available on the spiritual smorgas board. Rather, He is the ONLY way to be right with God. THIS is the "righteousness" for which Christians are persecuted legitimately. This is why every time a Christian goes on Larry King or Oprah, they inevitably hear the same question: "So do you actually think that everyone who doesn't believe in Jesus is going to hell?" The question is obviously a rhetorical one, intended to generate a sense that these Christians must be the most back-woods, un-enlightened, old-fashioned, narrow-minded bigots in the universe!

THAT message - the message of "righteousness" through Jesus alone in a relativistic, pluralistic world - is the phenomenon that will bring persecution to His followers. Always has, always will. Paul said that the message of the cross is "foolishness" to those who are perishing (1 Cor. 1:18). It is just a fact - and the challenge I receive from this reality is two-fold:

First, if I am persecuted because of righteousness - because of demonstrating and preaching the exclusive Gospel of Jesus as the only way to be made right with God - then there is nothing I need to worry about. I am "blessed" in knowing that I am being faithful to the message my Savior left me to proclaim.

But there is an equally important second challenge - namely, that while it is OK if people are offended by the message, it is NOT OK if they are offended by the messenger (me). The message is exclusive, but the messenger should not be exclusivistic - thinking it his or her mandate to act like an arrogant, know-it-all, Bible-thumper who won't listen to another viewpoint or become friends with someone outside their church bubble. There is a fine line between confidence and arrogance. With confidence, there is also ample room for humility. With arrogance, humility is choked out completely.

So as you go about your week, be confident in knowing that if people reject you because you agree with Jesus' claim to be the ONLY Way to God - you are BLESSED. They are not really rejecting you - but rather rejecting the teaching of Jesus. On the other hand, if you are a Christian who is inclined to see yourself as a "martyr" because nobody likes you - take a deep look within and ask yourself, "Are people repulsed by the message OR...the messenger?" If it is the latter, ask God to help you make the changes necessary to let your love speak louder than your words...

Feel free to chime in with your thoughts and questions...

Veteran's Day Thoughts...

Unless you are a close friend or one of my family members, you have never heard of my grandpa. He was a part of America's "greatest generation" - one of those whose blood, sweat and tears helped to launch us into an era of unprecedented blessing and prosperity. Born in 1918, he was raised and socialized in the era of the Great Depression. He served for 4 years as a G.I. in the jungles of Burma during WWII, and after the war, moved his young family to Southern California where he worked as a laborer for the City of Los Angeles.

Growing up, I always saw him as invincible - physically strong and seemingly able to do anything. His battles with anger and alcoholism did not affect my impression of him as one of my greatest heroes in life. Because of him, Veteran's Day has always been a special holiday in my eyes. For me, it is a day to think about grandpa - and all of those who have put themselves in harm's way to protect and preserve our freedoms.

The greatest privilege of my life came two years ago - when I had the opportunity to lead him to a declaration of faith in Christ while on his deathbed at age 89. God so often used him in my life to bring a sense of strength, protection and freedom in the physical realm - and how joyfully ironic that God would use an otherwise inept vessel like myself to lead him to strength, protection and freedom in Christ even as his moments on earth were coming to an end. Working over the years with my mother and siblings to gradually drip the truth of Christ's love into my grandpa's life, he finally received it at the eleventh hour.

The grace of God is like that. On this Veteran's Day week, while we honor our troops both past and present for the freedom they have secured for us - let's also be mindful of the ultimate freedom offered in Christ...a freedom that cannot be taken from us by any adversary in the physical or spiritual realm... Are there any veterans in your life whose strength or courage has inspired you? Feel free to comment on this blog...

More than Flower Power

Last night my wife and I attended a costume party for our college ministry. We dressed as hippies - complete with bell-bottoms, flowery clothing and peace-symbols. We had a lot of fun, but as people were snapping photos of us flashing the peace sign, it got me thinking...

Peace. What images come to your mind when you read that word? Do visions of laying on the beach, hiking in the woods or snuggling up with a good book on a rainy day describe peace to you? What about getting along with others in your family, world leaders coming together with diplomacy rather than war, or the idea of every hungry child having food in their stomachs? Peace means different things to different people.

We are currently in a series at Valley Church focused on Jesus' teachings in Matthew 5. This coming Sunday, we will be diving into the issue: "Blessed are the Peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God." For followers of Jesus, working for peace goes much deeper than simply helping others learn to get along or share their blessings. To this day, Orthodox Jews will greet one one another with the phrase "Shalom."

Commonly translated "peace", the word "Shalom" means much more. It expresses a desire for God to bestow His very best upon another person - and to be open to being a conduit through which that blessing can flow. It essentially says, "If you need to be uplifted or upheld, you can count on me as long as God supplies." Shalom is the pronouncement of the full orb of God's blessing and the willingness to BE that blessing to someone else.

In light of the Biblical concept of Shalom, what does peacemaking look like in your world? Peace in the realms of political, financial, and relational realms is important - but can those things truly be realized apart from God's people becoming wholistic peace-makers toward others? Please feel free to comment and I invite you to join us this Sunday at 9AM (2 services simultaneous - traditional or contemporary) or 11AM (contemporary).

Should FOX News be Censored?

It is often a difficult dance for followers of Christ to live with the tension of our dual citizenship. While our primary allegiance is to the present and future Kingdom of God, we also understand (like the Apostle Paul did) that we have an earthly citizenship by which we can influence the direction of affairs on planet earth by our actions, words and convictions.

As Christians whose earthly citizenship happens to be American, we realize that all human governments are deeply flawed - including our own. That is not to say, however, that some systems are not superior to others. That being the case, most of us are aware of the privileges and freedoms we enjoy by comparison with much of the rest of the world. One of those cherished privileges has long been freedom of the press.

Recently, President Obama's administration has attacked FOX News on a number of fronts attempting to de-legitemize them as a news organization. While I don't personally see eye to eye with everything on the opinion shows that air on FOX during prime-time, I have found that their journalism and news shows are as impressive as any network. Anchors and hosts like Shepherd Smith, Brit Hume, Brett Baier, Chris Wallace, Megan Fox, Julie Banderas and their field reporters do a tremendous job reporting - certainly no less impressive than that of CNN or MSNBC.

I question why ANY administration would seem to have such thin skin as to attempt to demonize a news organization for asking hard questions. There were numerous issues over which I disagreed with President Bush, but one thing was certain - I never saw him or his staff attack a news organization who came against him (which most did with regularity - including FOX). When Dan Rather came out with his embarrassing report of what turned out to be phony documents attempting to de-legitemize Bush's military service, I never heard a word of retaliation from the Bush White House.

Reagan frequently bantered with the media, but won many hearts over with his ability to act warmly and humorously with those who opposed him. Even as I study the Nixon presidency (who was in office when I was born), I cannot find evidence that he or his administration demonized the press for their scathing reports.

Former Arkansas Governer Mike Huckabee recently stated his opinion that Obama's apparent inability to handle criticism is evidence of his lack of executive experience. He included that as a legislator, Obama was a deliberator. But as an executive, he is now required to be a decision-maker. And decision-makers must be able to handle criticism.

As a Christian, I do not believe it is fruitful to demonize an individual - including the President, who I am scripturally called to pray for. But I do believe in respectfully debating ideas and philosophies. I don't like to be personally attacked any more than anyone else. But as a leader on a much smaller scale than a President, I DO need to be able to articulate my convictions to those who disagree with me without demonizing them for their differences.

What do YOU think? Does President Obama have thin skin? Does the fact that FOX has a handful of conservative opinion shows (just like CNN and MSNBC go in the other direction) mean that they are not a legitimate news organization? Isn't it a GOOD thing that there are critics on BOTH sides? And isn't that the job of the free press - to make sure that the likelihood of unchecked political power is as minimal as possible? Is Obama criticized MORE than any previous president? Feel free to chime in with your comments and opinions! Let's have a good discussion...

Relax! The Pressure's OFF!

The Bible never ceases to amaze me. I was reading the Book of Hebrews - where it says "After he (Jesus) had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven" (Hebrews 1:3). Hebrews is a book about a Priest named Jesus Christ whom - the Book claims - is infinitely greater than any human priest.

Under the Old Covenant Law, the ancient Hebrew priests would serve God in the temple by daily offering sacrifices to Yahweh on behalf of the sinful people. On one particular day each year - the Day of Atonement - the High Priest would sacrifice an unblemished lamb to cover the sins of the entire nation of Israel. When you study the details and practices of the ancient Jewish temple, you will notice that there exist no chairs in the line up of temple furniture.

In the Hebrew Scriptures, the priests are always pictured as active - their daily shifts filled with constant work to be done - and no break room to be found on the premises! Not exactly "kosher" by modern labor standards (pun intended), but an important reality. "Why is that important?" you ask? Because of the contrast between that OLD reality and the NEW reality pictured in Jesus Christ.

Just prior to breathing His last on the cross, Jesus reportedly cried out "It is finished" and He physically died. The Book of Hebrews expands on the meaning of that finished work by stating that Jesus "sat down" at God's right hand. This is an incredibly big deal - and one of the major reasons I believe Christianity to be in a class by itself. While other faiths demand a constant focus on righting one's own wrongs (whether it be through penance, karma, observance of the 5 pillars, following the Law, etc.), Jesus alone claims that the work is over and done with.

By "sitting down" after His sacrificial death on the cross - Jesus is making a very clear statement: There is no more work left to be done in terms of pleasing God! If the Bible is true (and I believe it is) then those who trust Christ alone rather than their own self-perceived efforts are already, permanently and irreversibly pleasing to God. The ultimate "High Priest" has ended His work. Christ provided the "once for all" sacrifice that offers a permanently clean state to everyone who asks for it by simply trusting Jesus. This assurance does not come by earning it through good works on the front side - nor proving it through good works on the back side (as many well-intentioned Christians erroneously believe).

This means that as a follower of Jesus - I am free to live for Him without the pressure of mistaking God for a cosmic bill-collector getting ready to fine me for every late or incomplete payment of my debt! The debt has been paid in full! The Judge is completely satisfied. And yet - probably 90% of Christians I meet do not live with this assurance. I would be interested in YOUR thoughts pertaining to these claims.....feel free to comment - and thanks for reading!

The Good Life: The Way to UP is DOWN...

The Good Life. What does THAT mean? From politics to religion to everyday living - there seems to be no shortage of opinion. The American Dream claims to offer "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." And there's no question in my mind that I am thankful for that American ideal. But is there more to the so called "good life" than whatever individuals make of it? Is there a common "higher order" designed by a "Higher Power" which leads to greater fulfillment than the pursuit of a nice house, well-behaved kids and a retirement plan?

I think there is. And beginning this Sunday at Valley Church in Vacaville - we are going to embark on a journey of discovery. Whether you are a believer or not, we all agree that Jesus made some incredible claims. Among them, Jesus introduced a world view which He said was "not of this world" - a way of experiencing life that is totally upside-down from a culturally defined understanding of success and fulfillment. In this upside-down paradigm, Jesus claimed that the happiest people in the world are the "poor in spirit, those who mourn, those who are humble, those who make peace, etc." Does this make any sense? In a brand new 8-week series beginning this Sunday, we will explore the answer to that question...

If you are sick and tired of the path to insanity you've been on - trying the same stuff over and over while vainly expecting a different result - I invite you to join us this Sunday morning. Come explore whether Jesus' path to fulfillment makes sense. Our brand new service times are 9AM (main service AND new traditional video venue running simultaneously) and 11AM (main service with student church for Jr. and Sr. High). Children's programs are available during all services. Hope to see you there - and I welcome your comments in relation to this blog! :)

Off the Deep End? Evaluating the "Miracles" of a Growing Movement...

I believe in miracles. Let's just get that out in the open. To believe in an all-powerful God who speaks the cosmos into existence is to also believe in a God who can heal diseases, redeem circumstances and supernaturally deliver people. I believe in a gracious, wonderful, compassionate, miracle-working God. Period.

That being said - I am concerned with certain claims being made in a growing movement within Evangelical Christianity related to supposed signs and wonders of a most bizarre sort. The concerns that I am about to raise in this blog may upset you. They may frustrate you. They may infuriate you. But they need to be asked.

One other point of clarification: As an interdenominationally-minded pastor who appreciates and affirms the diversity we enjoy among Christian denominations and movements, I am committed to striving for unity in both the local and universal Body of Christ. I am not known to be a nit-picker with regard to secondary doctrinal differences. I was raised charismatic, educated at a Baptist college, and currently serve in a Heinz-57 denomination known as the Evangelical Free Church of America. I tell you all of this to support the fact that the concerns being expressed are not those of a bitter, narrow-minded critic looking to pick a fight.

My concerns are rooted in the multitude of conversations I have had with individuals who claim that God is - in an effort to manifest His glory - up to certain "miracles" of the most bizarre nature. Among them:

1) "Gold dust" falling out of the air during various indoor worship gatherings

2) Ordinary fillings in poeple's teeth being replaced by solid gold ones

3) Oil (representative of the Holy Spirit) saturating walls in homes & churches

4) Diamonds and other precious gems mysteriously "appearing" in people's beds and sofas (yes, you heard that correctly)

In case you're in doubt, check out this video generated by some associated with an internationally popular movement in Northern California which promulgates these claims:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBWQCyEbbLQ

In fairness, the credit for these so-called "miracles" is usually given to God by their proponents. The human "instruments" from which these miracles flow are often identified as "Apostles" - people through whom God works to manifest these alleged signs and wonders as evidence of the glory of His emerging Kingdom.

While I personally do not believe that Apostles exist today in the same sense as they existed in the New Testament era (one clear reason being that true Apostles were limited to those who personally "saw" the risen Christ with their own eyes - see Acts 1:2-3, 22; 4:33; 1 Cor. 9:1; 15:7-9), this is not my major point of contention. I have never sought to be divisive with a fellow pastor or believer who thinks that Apostles exist in the present day. My issue runs a lot deeper than that. My issue has to do with how these so-called miracles square with the very character of God revealed in Jesus.

Am I supposed to believe that a God who allows children to die daily (by the tens of thousands) from malnutrition and preventable disease is somehow trying to convince the world of His glory by making diamonds appear in the beds of white, middle-class Americans? Should I watch unintelligable home-video-quality clips of supposed "rain" pouring down inside of state-of-the-art worship centers with the best video technology available - and believe that this actually happened but was unfortunately only caught on a home video camera? It almost sounds like that ever-elusive Big Foot or UFO sighting that - in spite of our technologically-advanced age - nobody has ever been able to get a clear photo of!

I don't mean to be sarcastic here. I want to see the glory of God manifest throughout the earth as badly as anyone. I want to see the principles and values of Christ's Kingdom lived out through His Church in ever-increasing ways. But I tend to find God's glory manifest in ways which actually mirror the character of Christ rather than contradict it. Among them:

1) Through the mother who fights valiantly to beat the cancer that is threatening to take her away from her husband and children - and yet never curses God in the fight.

2) Through the 10 year old orphan I met in Rwanda who bravely raises his 2-year old sister in the wake of his parents' losing battle with AIDS.

3) Through the evangelist who - rather than going on TV begging for more money - sells all he has and gives it to the poor.

4) Through the student who resists the lure of viewing a college education as a means to material wealth and instead sees it as a way to serve God and humanity.

Is God the kind of God who is so frivolous that He would plant diamonds in the shag of a carpet in a middle class American home? Would he really turn ordinary fillings into gold while seemingly ignoring the cries of the orphaned 10-year old striving for enough daily sustenance to keep himself and his little sister alive? If so, I'm not sure I want to worship that kind of God.

Do I believe God is a miracle-working God? Absolutely. But I need some Biblical, tangible and socially redeeming reasons to believe that unverifiable, undocumented so-called "signs and wonders" like those I described earlier have anything to do with the character or mission of the God I do believe in. I'm a follower of Jesus - not a snake-oil salesmen. I believe God is good whether He chooses to GIVE or TAKE AWAY. The fact that a stubborn heart like mine can submit to that is probably the greatest miracle of all. What do YOU have to say? I'd be interested in YOUR opinion...

Adequately Inadequate? My Journey as a Pastor...

This weekend at Valley Church, I will be formally installed as the church's second Lead Pastor in its 30-plus year history. The thought of such simultaneous honor and responsibility makes me tremble inside, quite frankly. For years I have struggled internally with feelings of unworthiness related to God's calling on my life as a pastor. I don't always feel "spiritual" enough to be a leader of God's people. I sometimes struggle with comparison games between myself and other Christian leaders who I think are more "deserving" or "worthy" than me.

Have you ever felt a nagging sense of insecurity or self-criticism that wouldn't easily go away? Do you ever struggle with perfectionism - feeling like you barely measure up to your own standards, much less what you presume are God's? Some would say that this mind set is a sign of humility - but I'm not so sure. I believe and embrace the fact that God has called me to live at a high standard as an example of Jesus to others. When I fail, it is reasonable that the Holy Spirit would convict me to strive for better. But at the end of the day - I understand that it is GRACE alone by which I stand.

When I came to Jesus, I was a mess. That's why I came to Him in the first place. I recognized my sinfulness and knew I needed a Savior. Then when He called me to ministry, a part of me felt like God must have had the wrong guy. But here I am, 14 years later and more grateful than ever that He has preserved me thus far. Jesus told Paul that His grace was sufficient - and that God's power was made perfect through Paul's weakness. While I strive to follow Jesus in the daily pursuit of love, integrity and peace - I realize that even the little bit of good I might have to offer is because of His grace. I haven't been called to serve Him because I am in any sense "worthy". I have been called because He delights in using underdogs, strugglers and doubters to accomplish the work of His upside-down Kingdom where the first shall be last and the outsiders are invited to feast at the table.

Hopefully, my deep sense of inadequacy will enable me to bring that grace more fully into the lives of those who need God's transforming power. I am definitely a work in progress - and I'm grateful that my Wounded Healer has chosen me to be a wounded healer in the lives of others. To God be the glory, great things He has done...

God: Our Judge, Jury, Prosecutor...AND Defense Attorney?

I was recently selected to perform my civic duty by serving as a juror. After hearing the case entirely, we engaged in several hours of deliberations as a jury. The most crucial part of weighing the evidence is keeping focused only on the facts and the law - without allowing personal prejudice, emotion or compassion to influence the decision.

In our case, we issued a "guilty" verdict in spite of obvious personal sympathy for the defendant. On the jury were parents, pastors, nurses, professional counselors and a diversity of others who wished we could simply wring this young man's neck for his foolish decisions, and then give him another chance. But that wasn't an option. Our job was to decide his guilt or innocence based on the law. And there was ample evidence to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

That got me thinking about God's role as the judge of humanity. Clearly, even a cursory glance at the Scriptures affirms that humanity is guilty before God for our collective and individual sin. Yet, because of God's relentless compassion toward the guilty party (human beings), He enacted a plan whereby his passionate love AND perfect justice could be carried out at the same time without diminishing or compromising either.

The crucifixion of Jesus is the precise moment in human history when God's wrath against sin and injustice was fully satisfied through Christ receiving the just punishment as our Substitute. This was a mission to which the eternal Son of God voluntarily submitted so that the compassion and forgiveness of God could be freely offered to the whole world - and the guilty could be pardoned through faith in Christ's vicarious death and resurrection.

Some theologians have rightly referred to this transaction as "The Great Exchange" - our guilt for Christ's innocence. And what a deal it is! Imagine if the man our jury found guilty were to hear the following words from the judge at his sentencing: "Young man, you deserve a just sentence for your crime - but my own son has offered to serve your sentence in your place so that you can go free. Your crime will be placed on his record instead of yours, and you will bear none of the consequences." In essence, this is the offer God extends to humanity. He says, "If you want the pardon, it's yours! You've simply got to believe that my offer is real and that I will accept my own son's sacrificial act as full payment for the crimes YOU committed."

That is faith - pure and simple. Trusting in Christ as the only acceptable alternative to paying your own debt. Why do so many people reject this overwhelmingly great offer? There are many reasons - the chief among them being that humanity by nature loves darkness rather than light. But what about you? Have you received the message of the Gospel by faith - or are you still stumbling to light the path toward God with your own flame? Please feel free to comment on your own spiritual journey in response to these thoughts...

The President in the Classroom: Inspiring or Indoctrinating?

From various reports I have been reading and hearing, our President's Education Secretary has written a letter to school administrators nationwide asking them to participate in the airing of a speech given by President Obama and directed to all children from K-6th grades. As far as I can tell, the gist of the speech will be aimed at encouraging children to stay in school and pursue education as one of the top priorities in their lives. That sounds fair enough in and of itself. One aspect of the nationwide event concerns me, however.

According to online articles I read from both FOX and CNN, the President is asking teachers to also participate in a lesson plan surrounding the event, part of which would include children writing themselves a letter articulating what they can do to help President Obama. If this is true, does anyone besides me feel as though this is a bit creepy, if not un-American? Is it the job of ANY president - regardless of which party they represent - to attempt to assert this level of influence over young children?

I had the privilege of traveling to Cuba for a church-planting and humanitarian relief trip in 2002. One of the most memorable moments was when we visited the platform in Havana where Fidel Castro delivers his famous propoganda speeches. As I stood behind that pulpit, I was overwhelmed by a sense of awe as I got a firsthand feel for just how many onlookers the area could host. In our hotel rooms, our television choices were either a government-owned sports channel or a government-run news channel with constant political indoctrination. Churches were required by law to register with the government - after which they would be assigned an informant to moniter the religious and political views of the pastors and congregants. This, of course, is what forced the massive underground church movement in which we were participating.

I am not suggesting that our President's attempt to connect with school children on a massive scale is anything approaching the kind of radicalism of Cuba. I only raise the concern to ask: "Where do we draw the line?" Would it have been appropriate for President Bush to send a nationwide message to school children followed by a project related to how those kids could "help the president"? Something tells me that such an effort would have ruffled more than a few feathers. This raises as series of additional questions every lover of the free world should (in my opinion) be asking:

1) Why in the first 264 days of an American Presidency have there been 111 televised speeches, town hall meetings and press conferences - more than most Presidents deliver during an entire term of office?

2) How do we tell the difference between an inspirational, revolutionary leader (such as Martin Luther King, Jr.) and an egomaniacal self-promoter with a Messiah syndrome (such as we see in many world leaders today)?

3) Should freedom-loving Americans consider removing their children from school on the day of the President's speech - not because they disagree with the content of the speech itself, but with the concept of a president using the elementary classroom as a pulpit?

I would be interested in what you think! Are my questions absurd? Is there any real need for concern here? Does this say anything about where America is heading for better or for worse? I'd like to know YOUR thoughts. Nobody's here to fight or condemn, so let's have a friendly discussion...

Fellowship: More than Smiles and Potlucks

If you grew up in or around church, you have probably heard the word "fellowship" used to describe almost any circumstance under which two Christians are in the same room together. While it is true that fellowship takes on varying degrees of depth depending on numerous factors, the Biblical idea is much deeper than simply hanging out with other Christians.

The Greek word for fellowship means "having all things in common". This commonality not only suggests that Christians view themselves as co-equally responsible for taking care of one another's needs, but it also (and perhaps more importantly) crosses into the spiritual and emotional dimensions of life as well.

James 5 talks about "confessing our sins" to each other in order that we might be healed. This healing is essentially wholeness. Dietrick Bonhoeffer wrote about the fact that confession of sin to other believers is often foreign and frightening to modern-day followers of Jesus. In his classic "Life Together" he wrote about why many Christians never experience true fellowship even though they seem to be sincerely looking for it. He says,

"The final break-through to fellowship does not occur, because, though they have fellowship with one another as believers and devout people, they do not have fellowship as the undevout, as sinners. The pious fellowship permits no one to be a sinner. So everybody must conceal his sin from himself and from the fellowship. We dare not be sinner. Many Christians are unthinkably horrified when a real sinner is suddenly discovered among the righteous. So we remain alone with our sin, living in lies and hypocrisy. The fact is that we ARE sinners." (Life Together, Harper & Row, 1954, p. 110).

To re-state this in simpler terms, Bonhoeffer is saying that many Christians are so fearful of rejection - so concerned that being "found out" may bring detriment to their reputation or perceived good standing among other saints - that they instead choose to plaster on a phony smile and pretend all is well. As a pastor, I am convinced that in spite of all of our recent and repeated affirmation of values like "authenticity", "transparency" and "being real", still far too few people experience the benefit of having even one solitary friend in their lives with whom they can be totally and completely honest - confessing their sin and brokenness without fear of rejection.

I remember what life and ministry was like before I had forged a handful of these relationships, and by God's mercy I will never go back to living that way. Do you have someone you can be totally honest with? A same-gender friend who is safe enough not to reject you and honest enough to challenge you? If you feel frustrated with "church" because you don't seem to be getting any real fellowship - perhaps the problem is not with those around you. Perhaps you need to take the initiative to find a person or small group where you can begin to forge this kind of relational intimacy. What are YOUR thoughts? Feel free to chime in...

The Jonah in All of Us

This Sunday at Valley Church, I am kicking off a 4-week series of messages from the Book of Jonah called "Shipwrecked: A Rebel's Guide to Obedience." As I have been taking a fresh look at this familiar story, I am amazed at the reality that sometimes a Bible story can become so familiar that we cease to be amazed by it.

When I imagine what it must have been like to slosh around for 72 hours in a pool of stomach-acid, dead fish, seaweed and internal organs, my gag reflex is almost triggered just thinking about it! Have you ever been in a situation you thought was your worst nightmare? I have felt that way on a couple of occasions. And yet, as I was thinking through the narrative, I focused afresh on one primary reality: sometimes the storms in our lives - whether self-inflicted or there by no fault of our own - are the blessings we need to help us change directions. The last verse of chapter one goes so far as to say that "The LORD provided a great fish to swallow Jonah..."

How often do we think of our troubles as something God actually "provides" for us? Probably not often. If you are like me, you sometimes struggle to embrace the idea of blessings in disguise. I mean, you want the blessing - just not the "in disguise" part. If you've ever messed up in life - disobeyed God or even your own conscience - whether big time or in little ways - I invite you to join us for what promises to be a very practical and life-changing trip through one of the most intriguing little books of the Bible!

Valley Church is located at 5063 Maple Road in Vacaville, CA. You can visit us online at www.valleychurch.com. Our gatherings are at 8AM, 9:30AM and 11AM. Hope to see you there - and please feel free to chime in if you want to share your thoughts on this blog!!!

More On the Health-Care Debate...

On one of my favorite blogs - Scot McKnight's "The Jesus Creed" - I recently responded to a question posted related to whether Obama-care is the right way to address our nation's health insurance problems. I am obviously very strong in my opinion on this, but I am open to being shown that I am wrong. Feel free to read and comment whether you agree or disagree. We're all FRIENDS here! My response was as follows....


"I agree with Skip above. Health insurance is no more a human "right" than owning a house or a car simply because it is difficult to function without them. Health care is a service industry - and while there are numerous problems to fix in our system, going the dismal and disastrous way of Canada and Great Britain is not wise, ethical or freedom-promoting. Ironically, I write these words less than 48 hours after Canada has announced that its health care system is broke and unsustainable!

No artist who graduates from art school is forced by the government to subscribe to a regulated standard for what his or her work can sell for. The market determines that scale. As imperfect as it may be, the free market is the best way to maintain both quality and equality. We are entitled by our founding documents to "life, liberty and the pursuit (not guarantee) of happiness." Nowhere do those documents suggest that we are guaranteed "health, wealth or prosperity."

I am a politically moderate pastor with obvious conservative leanings in this area - and someone who is actively involved in humanitarian and compassion ministries globally. Our church's efforts to alleviate hunger, train workers and plant churches in places like Rwanda, Mexico and the Middle East represent the heartbeat of the church where I pastor. I say that to assure anyone reading this that I am committed to seeing lives transformed by the compassion of Christ through His church and other private means of goodwill. I also affirm responsible but limited government intervention in various ways.

That being said, the government has no place to stand between patients and medical professionals who have spent a multiplicity of years and dollars preparing to be the very best at the art and science of their chosen practice. Even with our multiplicity of imperfections, the United States already has the most compassionate, ethically sound system of medicine in the world. Yes, there is corruption and greed and such - and those are the issues that if stopped will bring costs way down. But under the Hippocratic Oath taken by all doctors in this country, emergency room services cannot be denied to anyone - including illegal aliens. In essence, we already have free health care.

I'd like to also comment on the so-called 47-million uninsured. It is well substantiated in bi-partisan research that if we subtract the number of people who could afford health insurance but choose not to have it, those who already qualify for state or federal coverage but do not take advantage of it, illegal aliens, and those classified as "under-insured" because they choose only to carry catastrophic coverage, the real number is around 15 million. Additionally, upwards of 85% of Americans are happy with their current plan. Am I supposed to be convinced that the 250+ million Americans who are happy with their insurance plan should be forced into a government-run system because of a problem that exists for 15 million? How about fixing the problem for the 15 million without punishing everyone else?

There is a reason that the DMV is less popular than going to the dentist! There is a reason that the postal service is struggling to turn a profit while Fed Ex and UPS thrive. There is a reason programs like Medicaid and Social Security are unsustainable by every bi-partisan report and opinion out there. Simply put, over the long-haul the government cannot manage things as well as the private sector. And I haven't even begun to address any of the ethical atrocities in the language of the current House and Senate bills (which anyone can get online if they're looking for a cure for insomnia)...

Finally, the original question posted suggests there are "30-million of us right now" who are unemployed. This is also patently untrue. Unemployment is at just over 9% of the work force - not the American population. We don't count children, retirees, stay-at-home parents, etc. in that figure. The actual work force is about 130 million. 9% of that leaves us at about 12 million without jobs. Don't get me wrong - this is way too large a number! But there is a huge difference between 30 million and 12 million, for the record. As for solutions - they include a plethora of things from eliminating frivolous malpractice suits, moving from paper-based to an electronic-based system, tax reform, and the list goes on. Please GOD don't let us go down this unethical, disastrous path when there are so many superior options..."

Those are some of my thoughts...what do YOU think?

The Good Old Days (Is There Even Such a Thing?)

Almost everyone who grew up in America has his or her own version of "the good old days." Even if you grew up under less than desirable circumstances, you probably have at least a few cherished memories from childhood. Perhaps a safe place of escape. An activity that allowed you to become lost in healthy creativity. A memory of spending time with a relative or friend. Ahhh...if only we could go back to that moment and put life on "pause".

For me, I grew up very poor. Our family of six lived in a 700 square foot house throughout much of my childhood. My parents struggled to make ends meet. My parents eventually divorced after many years of dysfunction and turbulence in their marriage. Yet as imperfect as life was, I still recount many great memories of those more innocent years. Now when I watch my own kids play, fight and roughhouse, I relive similar moments of when the world was much simpler.

Don't get me wrong - many blessings continue to fill the adult lives of those who are learning the art of thankfulness and contentment. But when I talk honestly with my adult friends, there is among us an overwhelming sense of angst. Life is difficult. At times it seems torturous. Whether we are walking through the fire or empathizing with those who are - we admit that something about this beautiful world is out of whack.

C.S. Lewis said "If we discover a desire within us that nothing in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that we were created for another world." The Bible claims that this planet is Eden-gone-wrong, and suggests that this is why we often live in limbo between joy and sorrow, beautiful and ugly, pleasure and pain. What is so unique about Christianity is that while other faiths claim that humanity can reach up to find God through human effort, Jesus is the exact opposite: God reaching down to humanity.

Perhaps you have never considered this crucial difference. Perhaps you believe that all religions are basically the same. With no intent to offend, I must say that such a claim is both ignorant and insulting to ALL religions. Clearly, religions do NOT all teach the same thing. And among them, Jesus's claims are by far the most distinct. He empathizes with our pain. He enters into the mess we've made in our sin. When someone tells me they can't believe in a God who allows kids to starve to death, I am compelled to remind them that this planet has been endowed with far more than enough resources to care for 10 times the current population. Let's be honest - God has not been the stingy one. If indeed He created us - He has given us more than enough to go around. The annual collective spending on ice-cream in America is enough to provide clean drinking water to the entire continent of Africa. What if the problem is essentially US? What if WE are the reason kids starve to death? I know it's much easier to blame God for this stuff. But what if it's true that He has called US to be His hands and feet - the ones who drill wells and feed the hungry?

Suddenly, when we begin to view the world through this lens, the randomness of life begins to seem far less random! We begin to discern a greater purpose for WHY we have been placed here! As followers of Jesus, WE are ambassadors of a kingdom that is not of this world, and as such we are to implement the compassionate, redemptive and healing work of Jesus until He returns to bring in the fullness of that kingdom. God invites us to be more than just part of the audience watching a cruel story pass us by. He invites us to be part of the CAST of characters in His grand story of redemption - and heroes rather than villains no less! This makes life worth getting out of bed for every day! This changes everything! This allows us to quit wishing we could return to the "good old days" (which never really existed in the first place) and to make someone else's days on earth better than they would be without us! Would you agree? I'm interested to know your thoughts. Please leave you comments! :)

Zestfully Clean!

The following was written from a youth camp we recently did at Spirit West Coast...

So I'm sitting here at 6 AM waiting for the showers to open at Spirit West Coast in Monterey, CA. In fact, I've been here for almost an hour already - I've got an hour left to wait. I'm not the only nutty one. I recruited several other guys from our camp to sit here with me - ALL waiting for the first hot showers of the day. In awhile, there will be dozens lined up - then hundreds and even thousands throughout the day! It got me thinking about why we crave being clean. I mean, when I am camping, I expect to get dirty, but I still crave the opportunity to feel clean.

I remember being in Rwanda - one of the world's poorest countries - and seeing a little boy being given a bath by his mother out in the wide open. The toddler was ecstatic as his mom washed him in a small plastic basin of hand-carried H2O. Quite simply, no matter what side of the planet we live on, we long to feel clean. You can see where I'm going with this...

It causes me to ask questions about the attractive opportunity we have in Jesus. Unfortunately, man-made religious rules and traditions have smothered Jesus with so much baggage that many people - even professing Chistians - lose sight of the primarly reason we came to Jesus in the first place! We came to get clean. We came for forgivwness. We came not to attach ourselves to more burdens and religiosity. We came to find life and freedom and reconciliation to God. We came to get clean.

Do you know anyone who resists Jesus because their experience with His professed followers has been negative? Its a shame how my life complicates Jesus for others. I don't MEAN to do so. I just sometimes get distracted from the joy available to me in what I've been given by Jesus. When I fail to rest in that joy, I become legalistic, judgmental and prudish. I unintentionally turn people OFF to the Jesus who simply wants to make them clean too. As I sit here now watching dozens of others assemble in line for the shower, I'm reminded of our universal human condition: we all desperately need to be clean. We can only disquise our odor for so long before we must face the fact that we need a shower! If you are a follower of Jesus - why did YOU originally come to Him? If you are not yet a follower of Christ - what's keeping you away?

Is God in Control or In Charge?

Our Executive Pastor preached a great sermon this past week related to the sovereignty of God. This issue of God's sovereignty has been at the center of debate among Christians for many centuries. In one sense, to be a monotheist of any kind requires a belief in the sovereignty of that Deity. By definition, belief in the existence of only one God implies that no one else is equal to that Deity. But what exactly do we mean by "sovereign"?

Does God literally "cause" everything to happen in this universe? Is evil, sickness, pain and suffering the result of God "causing" it? Or does God "allow" it, while ultimately still guiding the events of the universe toward an appointed end? Certainly God is never surprised or caught of guard by anything. That would be "open theism" - a position I unequivocally reject. But when we say that God is "in control" - what do we really mean? Without clarification, the words "in control" might imply that God is pulling the strings that force babies to die in genocides, or mothers to be raped and die of AIDS, or disabled people to suffer unthinkably.

I believe that God is sovereign. He can do whatever He wills - however and whenever He wills for it to occur. He is "free" in the truest sense of the word - able to act entirely in and of Himself without any influence to hinder or interrupt Him. I think most Christians would agree with this. But is agreeing that God CAN and daily DOES intervene sovereignly in His cosmos necessarily synonymous with believing that He "causes" evil, pain and suffering? For purposes of clarification, would a better term be that God is "in charge"? Those are just a few incomplete thoughts and questions I have on the matter. I'm interested to know...what do YOU think? I'm pretty sure we can solve this in no time if you'll contribute your thoughts (wink, wink)! Please chime in.... :)

Is Socialized Health Care Wise?

I try to monitor journalism with a discerning eye and ear, and I am assuming you do also. With the recent media spotlight on our President's agenda to socialize health care in America, I have been forced to (again) ask a series of important questions related to this hugely important issue, and to try to cut through the sound-bite rhetoric coming from alarmists on both sides. On some media outlets, commentators are demonizing our president's plan - suggesting that his motives are a calculated and sinister move toward Marxist ideology. Others embrace such an uncritical acceptance of the plan that one would think the Messiah had arrived at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

As a Christian who believes in limited government and human freedom, I struggle with the idea that higher powers (elected or otherwise) should be able to take money from wealthy people to re-distribute it to the poor. To me, stealing is stealing. Yet on the other hand, I believe that whatever limited government we do have must be compassionate and should seek to keep the playing field as level as possible without punishing higher achievers. There seem to be no easy answers here - as much as either extreme would suggest there are.

If this proposed health-care initiative is signed into law, will the lack of a competitive market eventually lower quality of care across the board? It seems to have done so in nearly every other society or spectrum in which it has been attempted. Why is it that - with the rare exception of those seeking alternative or experimental treatments not offered in the U.S. - virtually NO ONE from America leaves the country to seek the services of foreign health care when being treated for serious illness? On the contrary, why do tens of thousands annually travel to America from other countries in search of the excellence of our services and specialists? Certainly our current system is imperfect - but these questions should shed light on where we are by comparison to other developed countries.

I pray for our President regularly - and I have never known a President (whether Republican or Democrat) whose policies I have been 100% in agreement with. So my issue here is not to impugn the motives of our nation's leader. But ideas have consequences. After all, this would be the largest economic and societal re-structuring of America since the New Deal. Only 60 years after F.D.R., we see what a STELLAR job our government has done in managing social security! If they cannot be trusted to manage such as simple retirement strategy, can they really be trusted to manage something as morally nuanced and financially complex as health care? I only hope that our house and senate do not rush this bill through without weighing EVERY potential consequence. I also pray that journalists would begin reporting the details of this plan to Americans in an unbiased fashion - both pros and cons - so that people can contact their representatives to let their voices be heard (well, you can always dream, can't you?).

Other important questions include:

1) Is it true or untrue that health care is a basic human right?

2) What can we learn from the disastrous stories of Canada, Europe and other socialized systems in order to safeguard our own?

3) Is it really honest to claim that people will still be able to "choose" to keep their current insurance plan - if over time the government puts private insurance carriers out of business by drastically under-cutting their prices?

4) And perhaps the most important question - can we really call something a human "right" if the government has sovereign control over it or can take it away at its discretion (say, for example, dictating who gets what services and when)?

I will close with the following and then invite YOUR comments. During ABC's Town Hall meeting awhile back, the President was asked by a woman about her 105 year old grandma. Five years earlier, the grandmother had been told by one specialist that her heart condition wasn't worth trying to "fix" at her age. After a second opinion, she was given a pacemaker and is still thriving at 105. The President was basically asked what would happen in such a situation under socialized health care. Would her mother have been pushed to the back of a waiting line or told "no" in regard to the surgery due to the needs of someone "younger" or more "deserving"? I sat there thinking to myself....where in the heck AM I? Cuba? Nicaragua? North Korea? I never thought I'd see the day when an American citizen would have to ask her President whether her mother would be allowed to fight for her life! What do you think? Is this a hill worth dying on...or a slippery slope that will eventually kill us? Your thoughts?

At Least ONE Thing I Know About You...

Have you ever stopped to consider that you are a worshiper? Yes, you. And so am I. It doesn't matter whether we claim to be Christian, Buddhist, Atheist or Agnostic. No matter the color of our skin, our socio-economic background or walk of life. There is one thing we can be sure of about each of the 6.5 billion people on this plant - as well as the billions who have lived before us: We ARE worshipers!

The question is never "do we worship?" The question is "which god or gods do we worship?" Worship in its most simple definition is "the act of ascribing supreme worth to someone or something." Some people relate this way to their money - or the stuff their money can buy. Others worship their power, fame or influence. Still others worship their bodies, their egos or their dogmas. And of course, many worship a vast array of competing religious deities.

Perhaps you've never stopped to take a long, detailed inventory of what YOU deem as worthy of ascribing supreme value. There is a Catholic retreat center near where I live that I enjoy visiting a couple of times each year. When I go there, I try to spend at least several hours - if not the entire day - in silence. One of the things I challenge myself with during these miniature silent retreats is to evaluate my worship, because as I already stated, it is not a matter of WHETHER - but of WHAT or WHO - I am worshiping at any given season of my life.

As a pastor, I wish I could boldly state that I live every day in unequivocal allegiance to the God of the Bible. But the truth is, I battle daily against some combination of selfishness, greed, lust, pride, arrogance, judgmentalism, etc. There are so many "gods" in the smorgas-board of life that the battle can seem overwhelming at times. For example, I realize that the greatest things in life are not things - and yet I can easily find myself feeling jealous or coveting someTHING that I wish I had.

Fortunately for the Christian, the God we worship understands our brokenness - and rather than kicking us to the curb, has decided to be patient and compassionate with us, sending Jesus to forgive our countless sins and shortfalls. It's that kindness that makes the Christ-follower WANT to continue on in the journey toward becoming gradually more like Jesus. Living in the confident reality that there is nothing we can do to make God love us more OR less than He does at this very moment takes a lot of pressure off - freeing us to be able to get up and try again and again when we fall short.

It is largely this depth of mercy and grace that drove me to conclude that Jesus IS the God exclusively deserving of my worship. He is the only God I know of who has come to planet earth to rescue us. Many popular religions seek to explain how humanity can reach UP to find Deity or higher consciousness (through human effort, discipline, good deeds, etc.). But in Christ we find the exact opposite. In Jesus we find God reaching DOWN to humanity - loving us exactly the way He finds us - and loving us WAY to much to simply leave us that way.

This weekend at Valley Church, we will be closing out our 6-week series from the Book of Acts called "Vintage: Ancient Values for a Relevant Faith". And our topic is - you guessed it - worship. We will be learning from a CRAZY story in Acts 16 about 2 guys who get the crap beat out of them, are falsely accused, and thrown into prison. Yet rather than becoming bitter or angry, we find them chained in the darkness of their cells...praying and singing songs to God. What gives a person the ability to trust and rest in God on the worst day of his or her life? Come find out this Sunday by joining us at one of our three gatherings...8 AM, 9:30 AM or 11 AM. And feel free to chime in with your thoughts related to this blog!!!

Did Michael Jackson's Memorial honor Jesus?

On the way home from work, I heard a Bay Area radio personality entertaining the question "Did Michael Jackson's memorial service bring honor to Jesus or make a mockery of Him?" Knowing that we had DVR'd the service in order to watch it this evening, I was even more interested after hearing the diversity of opinion from callers.

As I watched the memorial, I was again reminded of what an incredible talent Michael Jackson brought to his art. Love him or hate him, he was simply the best - from a talent perspective - in his genre when he was at his prime. As I listened to the spiritual content, I heard many of the familiar comments I hear at memorials coming from those desiring to comfort and be comforted. Stuff like "He's in a better place" and "Michael's smiling down on us" and "We needed him, but God must have needed him more".

Those sentiments aren't bad. In fact, they are very good - and they prove one thing for sure: When we are grieving the loss of a significant other, we all reach for that hope of a hereafter. Even the most devout atheist - when confronted with losing a loved one - will often admit that they at least momentarily consider the possibility of an afterlife. Is this just wishful thinking? Or perhaps is it a part of an ordered creation - as one philosopher called it "a God-shaped hole" in the heart of every human - that is placed there by the Creator and a restless void within us never settled until we find our rest in the knowledge of that very God?

When Jesus' closest friends were worried about His impending death, He assured them with the following words: "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." (John 14:6). These words came just after He had encouraged them with a promise that He was going to Heaven ahead of them to prepare a place for them - and by extension to every other Christ-follower who would come after them.

Was Michael Jackson a follower of Christ? I know he had early childhood roots in the church and Gospel music. I know he was very generous in his quest to help the helpless worldwide (something the Bible calls "pure and undefiled" religion). But a follower of Jesus? I'm not sure. In his worst moments, he certainly didn't seem like one. And yet, his fame made certain that his worst moments were plastered everywhere for the world to see. Which one of us who considers himself or herself to be a follower of Jesus would want our WORST moments laid open before the entire world to see?

God's love certainly covers a multitude of sins. The salvation issue is not about who lives the squeakiest-clean life. The issue boils down to whether or not those sins are forgiven. And according to Jesus Christ, that forgiveness is only available through TRUST - or as the Bible puts it, FAITH - in His redeeming work on the cross. I don't know if Michael Jackson truly understood God in this way. But God knows. And in answer to the question "Did the memorial bring honor to Jesus?" I answer with an emphatic YES! Any time the culture is talking about Jesus, it is a time for His followers to engage in the conversation - and when we do it graciously and wisely, it brings honor to Him.

I would like to know your thoughts on this cultural phenomenon we know as the death of Michael Jackson. Feel free to chime in if you have an opinion or question......

For God so Loved the Terrorists?

If Osama Bin Laden were to release a video with tears in his eyes, expressing that he had recently committed his life to following Jesus, denouncing his previously violent interpretation of religion - and asking for forgiveness from every individual and family his network had terrorized and harmed - how would you respond? Sound too ridiculous to even consider?

This Sunday at Valley, we will learning from a true story in the Book of Acts which is not too far removed from that scenario. In this case, the terrorist's name was Saul of Tarsus - a deeply religious man who for several years was a key mastermind behind the terrorizing and killing of many early Christians. You can imagine how the early disciples and leaders of Christianity must have felt when when this man approached them claiming to have had a radical conversion to Jesus and to His way of love rather than violence and hate...

"Fellowship" is a radical concept - radical in the right sense of the word. When Christians find themselves in fellowship with one another - they view themselves as standing on a level playing field at the foot of Christ's cross. They realize that they are equally valuable, equally forgiven, and equally grateful for the goodness of God in their lives. How in the world was it possible that a group of individuals who had suffered so significantly at the hands of Saul's evil agenda were now able to fully accept him into their spiritual family? Could you find the strength to do such a thing? Would you even consider this a sign of strength? Come hang out with us this Sunday at one of our three gatherings (8AM, 9:30AM or 11:00AM) to learn more - and feel free to chime in with your thoughts right here at Raw and Relevant!!!

Professional Christians? Where is THAT in the Bible?

When you look in the mirror, do you see a minister? If you are a follower of Jesus, you do! Unfortunately, when many people think of "minister" - they envision someone in a white collar who preaches sermons and officiates wedding and funerals. But Jesus and the Apostles taught that all Christ-followers are ministers.

It's true that there are some who are called to vocational ministry (such as pastors, evangelists, etc. - see Ephesians 4:11-13) but the term "minister" simply means "servant". Have you ever found it strange that in Western Culture we have professionalized the ministry so much that many churches in search of hiring a pastor will focus on higher education before things such as "character and calling." I'm not downing education. I have a degree in Bible and Theology myself. It's just that I wonder if our view of "the ministry" is a bit skewed...

In Acts 4, there's a cool story about Peter and John being dragged in to face a panel of judges who wanted to interrogate and threaten them related to their spreading the message of Jesus all over Jerusalem. It's interesting that the text says the council was "astonished" at their courage because they knew them to be "unschooled, ordinary men." Evidently these guys couldn't figure our how non-credentialed ordinary fishermen who were not "religious professionals" could be leading such a vast and growing movement.

It goes on to say that the only thing they knew for sure is that these men had "been with Jesus." Can you imagine? What a compliment! Peter and John were not qualified as ministers because they were educated in a prestigious seminary, or had come from the right family line. Rather, their sole qualification was that they had the influence of Jesus all over their lives!

My prayer is this: "God - help me never to become a 'professional minister'. When people get to know me, may they say ONE thing about me above all else - that they can tell I spend a lot of time with Jesus."

After washing His disciples' feet in John 13, Jesus said, "As I have loved you (through servanthood) so you should also love each other...." Granted, personally spending 3 1/2 years with Jesus would have topped any seminary education. But at the end of the day, these guys were still just blue-collar types who learned as they served. Join us this Sunday at Valley for "Vintage - Part 3" as we discover why ministry is something we are ALL called to.....and feel free to chime in with your thoughts related to this right here at Raw and Relevant!

The End of the World as We Know It?

Upon rolling out of bed earlier this morning, I turned on the news - switching back and forth between FOX and CNN. Riots continue in Iran over the alleged "rigged" election. A rogue North Korean vessel believed to be headed for Singapore and suspected of transporting illegal nuclear devices is about to be intercepted by the USS John McCain. The hunt for Bin Laden drags on in Pakistan. The U.S. prepares to "fight" a dragging economy by burying our children's financial future under $12 trillion (yes, trillion) in deficit spending over the next 10 years. The unemployment rate begins to approach double digits...and taxes are being INCREASED across the board. It makes a person wonder if whether our house and senate members ever sat through even the most basic course in free market economics.

As a follower of Jesus, I'm not immune from wrestling with angst over these realities. I trust that God is in charge, and yet I long for a world where peace is the rule rather than the exception. I long for a world where individuals voluntarily take care of one another's needs rather than relying on the government to do so. I long for a planet where racism is replaced by equality, and where God's kingdom comes and His will is done on earth as it is in heaven.

Herein lies the paradoxical reality of following Jesus. We live with the tension that on the one hand, a form of the "kingdom" of God is already present and is being manifest through Christ's Church bringing grace and healing to the sinful and wounded. On the other hand, those of us who take the Bible at face value realize that as history unfolds, God's Word predicts increasing wickedness rather than righteousness leading up to the return of Jesus. Jesus said that as the end approaches, "nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom." Paul wrote that in the last of the "last days", people would become more violent and self-serving than ever. I have always wrestled with the reality that Jesus' reign was inaugurated at His first coming, will be consummated at His second coming - and WE live in the "already but not yet" phase of it all. There is so much possibility for peace and healing right NOW if people would but turn to Jesus and follow Him. Yet both Biblical prophecy and common-sense observation suggests that things aren't improving - and won't get drastically better on earth until Jesus comes again.

I would be interested in knowing where YOU stand. What do you think?

Evangelism - How Scary is THAT?

Whether you consider yourself a follower of Jesus or not - "evangelism" can be a scary word. For many Christians, the idea of sharing the message of Jesus with people can be paralyzing. Questions tremor in our minds. "What if I say the wrong thing? What if I get rejected? What if I come across as being a hypocrite?" and so on.

For the non-follower of Jesus, the word evangelism might envoke thoughts of cheesy TV preachers trying to rope you in so they can get your money. Or it may remind you of that fundamentalist uncle who always seems to be trying to cram Jesus down everybody's throat.

The reality is, evangelism simply means "spreading the good news". In one sense, everybody is an evangelist. Most normal human beings enjoy sharing "good news" with their friends and neigbhors. An MRI reports good results. An estranged child finds his or her way home. A person's neighborhood narrowly misses being enveloped by a forest fire. Good news - from the miraculous to the mundane - is something we like to share.

Unfortunately, sometimes Christians do a poor job communicating the good news of Jesus. As a pastor who talks about Jesus all the time, I regret that I have failed MANY times to accurately represent Him. This week at Valley, we will be diving into an incredible story to discover what evangelism is - and isn't. I invite you to join us for part or all of our current series "Vintage: Ancient Values for a Relevant Faith." I would also be interested in hearing about your experience with this scary word....evangelism....

What does CHURCH mean to You?

What do you think of when you hear the word "CHURCH"? Do images of fire-breathing pulpit-slammers and holy-rolling emotionalism come to mind? How about painfully boring and predictable repetitions of creeds and slogans? Have you ever been sitting in church and asked yourself the question: "Is this REALLY what Jesus had in mind?" What exactly to they mean by the term "church SERVICE" anyway?

No matter what your past experiences, I think Jesus DID have something different in mind. And while no church is perfect - and some traditions CAN be very Biblical and helpful in spiritual development - it is my opinion that there are a few things a person should look for in choosing a solid church.

First, a person should be concerned with whether a church passionately and faithfully preaches and teaches the Bible - and specifically the GOSPEL of grace.

Secondly, a solid church will be concerned with playing a significant role in God's universal CHURCH in the local community and the world. The early church gave much attention to caring for one another's needs as brothers and sisters in Christ - building one another up and "spurring each other on toward love and good deeds."

Thirdly, one should be concerned with whether the church in question has a clear passion for impacting the CULTURE - rather than fearfully circling the wagons and retreating into a realm of separatism. In other words, a Biblical church should strive to be IN but not OF the world-system, taking every opportunity to bring the life-changing hope of the Gospel to the spiritual, physical and emotional needs of everyone without prejudice.

In his great book "The Radical Refomission", Mark Driscoll points out the crucial need for local churches committing to this triune focus on the GOSPEL, the CHURCH and the CULTURE - and spells out the consequences of leaving one or more out of the picture. Driscoll argues that when Christians focus on....

GOSPEL plus CULTURE while ignoring the CHURCH - we get parachurch ministry. This is not to say that all parachurch ministries fail to work in partnership with or as arms of the local church. He simply points out that many parachurch ministries don't last because they are formed as rebel movements against perceived or real failures within the organized local church rather than initiating reform from within.

He then adds that when we focus on....

CULTURE and CHURCH without the GOSPEL - we get liberalism. Theological liberalism has all but destroyed many once-vibrant mainline denominations. By neutering the Gospel of the miraculous and the eternal, it becomes little more than a network of social do-good efforts aimed at meeting temporal needs. Christ's words then take on special significance when He said, "What good will it profit a person to gain the whole world (materially speaking) and yet lose his own soul?"

Finally, he adds that when a church focuses on....

CHURCH and the GOSPEL while ignoring CULTURE - we get fundamentalism. Modern Christian fundamentalism is that movement which began in the early 20th century as a response to the rise of secular humanism. Honorable in its original intentions, the fundamentalist movement has often become a culturally-irrelevant band of complainers who can scarcely appreciate any beauty or truth in anything outside of their own circles and angrily condemn the very sinners Jesus came to save.

At Valley Church, we aim - however imperfectly - to care deeply about all three of these realities. Proclaiming the Bible and the Gospel it reveals, meeting the needs of one another as best we can through generous love, and caring about the culture so much as to seek to live out Christ's kingdom values over and against the myopic selfishness of secular society. I'm sure a person could pick apart 100 different ways in which we are failing to achieve these goals at any given time. But we ARE trying - and will continue to try by the grace of God.

As beggars at the door of God's mercy, we at Valley are being transformed into grateful followers of Jesus day by day. I would invite you to come join us beginning this weekend at one of our three gatherings - 8am, 9:30am or 11am on Sundays - 5063 Maple Road in Vacaville. Who knows? You might just begin to start entertaining a POSITIVE concept of "church" to replace the one you now live with. I'd also be interested to know your opinion about "church" as you see it. Feel free to chime in....

Vintage Faith in a Cutting-Edge World

I am thrilled to begin a brand new teaching series at Valley on June 14. It's called "Vintage - Ancient Values for a Relevant Faith." In relation to that series, I've asked a few people, how they would complete the following sentence: "If I could change or improve my church, I would......." Then I ask them to think beyond the programs and events they are currently involved in or benefit from. Think beyond the personalities they interact with. D.L. Moody is said to have prayed the following on a regular basis: "God, my generation has yet to see the impact of just one man wholly committed to Jesus. Let me be that man!" What if this was the prayer of an entire church? What if - by learning from the Book of Acts - we surrendered ourselves more completely to BEING the hands and feet of Jesus? I invite you to come hang out with us beginning June 14. Let this be the summer God radically changes your perspective.....

Show Me the Money!

This weekend I am preaching on the subject of giving and generosity. Sadly, speaking about handling money is one of the most unpopular topics for pastors to preach on. Often if we touch the subject at all, we do so with the awkwardness of a 16-year old chess club member asking a cheerleader to the junior prom! And the televangelists don't help us any. Many people filter their views about Christianity through the skewed lense they see in the Big-Haired, Rolex-wearing, Benz-driving guys begging for money on TV. Please understand, I'm not judging you if you drive a Benz or wear a nice watch.....unless you are simultaneously begging for money!

Back on topic, the reality is that generosity (with our money, talent and time) is a deeply spiritual issue and is addressed in hundreds of places in the Bible. Yet (along with "Hell" and the Book of Leviticus) generosity is usually one of our least favorite subjects. This should not be so! As the soon-to-be-installed new lead pastor of our church, it is my responsibility to teach the whole counsel of God - both the comfortable and the uncomfortable. You might be thinking, "Isn't that a dangerous thing to tackle before you've even been officially installed - especially in the midst of an economic recession?" My answer would be "NO WAY!" (C'mon, I recently taught a 4-week series on SEX - and nobody ran me off for that!)

Next month, our church will celebrate the 30th year of ministry of our founding pastor - and shortly thereafter he will hand the ball off to me. I am humbled by this and reminded of what life was like 30 years ago when he began at Valley Church. America was facing deep economic recession, the wake of an unpopular war, and the heat of moral upheaval generated by the 1960's and 70's. (Does any of this sound familiar?). And through it all, Valley has become one of the most influential and impacting churches in our city. Ultimately it has been all God's doing. But God works through people! Specifically, people who learn to be increasingly generous with the precious resources God loans to us in this life - our time, talents and treasure. Our founding pastor never let the challenges of the day quench his faith in God's ability to do great things - and I pray for that same grace for myself and the people who join with me on the next leg of our journey!

If you don't have a church, come join us this week at Valley or visit us online at www.valleychurch.com. And keep checking back for our new web site coming soon!

Tolerance for Everyone....except Christians?

Unless you live under a rock, you’ve undoubtedly heard about the controversies stirring in California over the recent passing of Prop 8, and the current debate over HR 1913. The former was the passage of a law defining legal marriage in California as only being recognized between a man and a woman. This of course brought much outrage from those on the political and ideological left. The latter relates to criminalizing the advancement of any negative opinion regarding the gay lifestyle, defining almost any such expression as “hate speech.”

Why are the self-proclaimed prophets of tolerance in California’s political far-left so ardent in their desire to suppress freedom of speech among those who view homosexual behavior as a moral issue rather than an issue of civil rights? It is a question worth investigating.

In one sense, I can affirm their distrust of much of what they’ve seen from organized religion. While I don’t believe the vast majority of Christians are hateful toward homosexuals, there have been a handful in the vocal minority of self-professing religious people who have written and spoken some very ugly, un-Christlike things about fellow human beings who practice a gay lifestyle. Unfortunately, the arrogance and vitriol of this vocal minority has discredited many of those who disagree with the homosexual lifestyle but desire to engage in respectful, honest dialogue over the issue.

Theoretically, HR 1913 could criminalize any effort to publically teach that homosexual behavior is wrong or immoral according to the Bible. This means that pastors, teachers and other Christian leaders could be prosecuted for a hate crime simply for publically affirming their disagreement with homosexual behavior based on Biblical convictions.

Whatever a person’s view on the issue of homosexuality, a legislative maneuver like this should cause all red-blooded Americans significant outrage. Case in point: as a Christian myself, I realize that most self-professed followers of Christ are not the archaic, right-wing bigots they are frequently caricatured as in much of the media. Yet while I disagree with those generalities, I will ALWAYS defend a person’s right to say it. The same laws that protect my right to read and teach the Bible as I see it also protect the right of others to insult me.

As I alluded to above, the key issue in this debate is that homosexuality has become accepted by many as a civil rights issue as opposed to an ethical one. Many would argue that even though honest scientists admit that the jury is still a long way out regarding whether homosexuality is a chosen behavior versus a natural orientation, gays and lesbians are being given the status of actual minorities who DO deserve protection against slanderous hate speech provided in civil rights laws.

As a pastor, I am certainly against public defamation of particular individuals. In my opinion, no law-abiding citizen should be personally targeted for any act of intimidation or harassment for any reason – especially by someone who claims to be a Christian. However, to attempt to incriminate a Christian leader for teaching that homosexuality is one of a myriad of sinful behaviors in the world seems unconscionable. What do you think?

Relationships and Random Kindness

I'm sitting in Peet's coffee on a Saturday morning waiting for a friend to arrive. As I wait, I'm engaged in one of my favorite pasttimes: people-watching. I know its rather nosey, but when I see people walk in for their morning cup of caffiene, I'm astutely aware that each of these people have a story as unique as their DNA.

As a pastor, I'm constantly thinking about how our individual stories intersect with God's Story - the unfolding drama of his love affair with mankind. Sometimes I wish I had the ability of Jesus to be able to see into the recesses of a person's heart so as to know exactly how to encourage them. However, while I am a human being like Jesus, I don't have the God-thing going for me. Therefore, I am bound by the need to engage in relationships in order to befriend someone on this deeper level.

The need for building relationships runs against the grain of our "efficiency-centered" worldview. From a human perspective, caring enough to build relationships is not effecient for several reasons. For one thing, time is a factor. Investing in another person relationally takes time and patience - requiring much more effort than drowning our hours away in front of a computer or TV screen. A second factor making relationships inefficient is the limit of our own capacities. A friend of mind describes this reality in terms of Legos. As finite humans, we have a limited number of connectors. Once our capacity to connect fills up, we simply don't have room for new connections - at least not deep ones.

Yet I think this is OK. Jesus modeled this for us in that while He was Almighty God, He voluntarily limited Himself as a human. Jesus only had a handful of really close friends. Yet, He multiplied His ministry through that handful of friends to the extent that 2000 years later, 2.3 billion people claim allegience to Jesus. This is good news for us in our finiteness! Jesus said that we are His body and that each of us plays a vital role in relationally investing in those for whom He gave His life!

Don't be discouraged if you don't feel "efficient" enough to have a million deep relationships. Just make sure you're loving well those already in your life - and be open to God bringing more along in His timing. Look for little ways to bless those who God puts in your path. Secular culture calls this "random acts of kindness". Followers of Jesus see it as "divine appointments" - believing that no encounter with another human being is random.

Even as I write this blog from my cell phone, the friend I was supposed to meet has not shown up. Yet, it's no accident that I'm here. What you don't know is that the writing of this blog has transpired over the course of more than an hour. In that time, I ran into some old classmates from Bible College that just "happened" to be cruising through town. Then a "random" lady named Brenda walked up to my table a few minutes later and said she was a Christian and that she felt God had laid a message on her heart that she felt compelled to tell me. I invited her to tell me and she spoke the following:

"I feel that God wants you to know that you are going to be a spiritual shepherd to many people - and that God sees the way you've served Him with joy, even through difficult times. He is going to use you to rebuild the broken lives of others and to lead many into a deeper understanding of Jesus. God wants you to know that He notices your service and desires to richly reward you. I don't know if that makes any sense to you, but I felt that God wanted me to tell you that." I was blown away by this woman's words. She doesn't even know me, yet steps out of her comfort zone to encourage me. She had no clue that I'm about to take on a new role as the point leader of our church. After 14 years in youth ministry and heading into the simultaneous thrill and insecuruty of leading a church - her words could not have made MORE sense!

So I sit here at Peet's, aware more than ever that even when an appointment fails to show up, I was here for a reason. I'm not typically one of those types who places much credence in so-called "messages from God". But this one was biblical, delivered humbly and precise to the situation at hand. I thank God for strengthening my own faith today through Brenda. She was His mouthpiece in this divine appointment - reminding me that nothing is ever random with God! I'm thankful that the fear of inefficiency didn't stop her from stepping out in faith to encourage a "random" guy blogging on his cell phone at Peet's coffee on a Saturday morning. Now go BE that divine appointment in someone else's day!