Thank You

As we look forward to 2012, I wanted to take a few minutes to say "thank you" to a few people.  Many people touched my life in 2011, so if I miss you for some reason I apologize in advance.

First, I thank God.  I thank God for all He has blessed me with -- beginning with the gift of salvation.  

I thank God for my family and friends (including my friends at A+B).  It has been a difficult year, but it has also been a wonderful year in so many ways.  I am so proud of Pam and excited about the way God has used her this year.  Many of you know about her role in the HC women's ministry and watching the babies on Sunday, but there are so many other things she does that impact the lives of others.  

Pam and I are so blessed that God has trusted us with Jonathan, Christian and Danielle.  We are excited to see each of them now as young adults, and are blessed that they still enjoy spending time with us and being a family.  

I also thank God for allowing me to serve Him the way I do.  I still have trouble sometimes believing that God would allow someone like me to serve Him at all.  But then again, I guess I am just one in a long line of God's misfits.  He has also shown me this year, maybe more than in any year before, that it is often the most simple acts of obedience that have the greatest impact.       

I thank God for my friend Tim, who was released from the hospital after many, many weeks -- just on time to spend Christmas at home.  I have been inspired by Tim's strength and faith throughout his ordeal.  It will be interesting to see how Tim's ministry unfolds in the future.  I have no doubt that God will use Tim's experience to reach people in even more powerful ways.

I thank God for my friends who have spent many Wednesday nights studying the Word with me.  I have enjoyed getting to know each of you better, and y'all really keep me on my toes!

I thank God for each of the men who have been getting together faithfully every Saturday morning -- and for those who will be joining us in the future!  We have only been meeting for a couple of months, but God has been stirring the hearts of the men in this group.  These are men who are hungry for the Word and for the things of God -- and I really believe God is up to something big.  How blessed I am to have been included!

I thank God for the good things that are taking place in the life of my Mom.  It has been a hard year, and she has a lot to deal with.  But, things are beginning to fall into place and she is handling everything so well.  Now, if we can just convince her to move to Texas!!

This might sound a little odd, but I thank God for Facebook.  I have gotten reconnected with so many people I have known through the years.  But one of the real blessings has been the number of people I went to high school with who turned out to be people of faith.  I knew that a few of my classmates were Christians back then, but had no idea about most  -- or at least where so many are as adults.  

I have had a chance to minister to a few of those folks (including through this blog), but virtually all of them have ministered to me -- whether they knew it or not.  I was truly taken aback by the number of people from high school who have encouraged me both by their faith and by their appreciation for God's call on my life. 

I thank God for my church family and for our pastors and staff.  Thank you Pastor Dan for trusting me and for releasing me to do the things at the church that God seems to be leading me to do.  Thank you Pastors Dave, Dusty and Sherry for your encouragement and your support.  What a joy it is to serve with each of you!

Thank you Pastor David (V.) for leading the mens' group.  Good things are happening because you listened to God.  Better things are yet to come.  Thank you Larry, Duncan, Stephen, Jon, David (E.), Mark, Jon (2), Frank, Phillip, Paul for your faithfulness and transparency.

Thank you Phil and Nancy (and many others) for your friendship and your support.  I thank God for new friends!  

There is so much more to say, and even more to be thankful for.  Don't get me wrong -- 2011 has by no means been perfect.  I have had my share of problems and challenges this year.  But this I know -- God is good!

May the Lord bless you and keep you; may the Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you; and may the Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.

Happy New Year!

Ben's Message

Ben had a heart condition from birth.  He died a few days ago -- on Christmas day.  He was 18.  He had something he wanted people to know, so he made these two videos a few days earlier.  I really have nothing to add, except please watch them both ... to the end.

God bless.




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmlTHfVaU9o

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=a4LSEXsvRAI

Reginald Fessenden

Sometime around 1904, the United States Navy began transmitting time signals and weather reports on AM Radio.  These transmissions were made in the Northeast, with the intention of providing information to ships in the Atlantic Ocean.  At the time, AM Radio was a new technology, and this new technology was not yet capable of transmitting voice -- only Morse code.

Now imagine.  It is December 24, 1906 -- Christmas Eve -- and you are a ship captain somewhere in the Atlantic off of the Eastern seaboard of the United States.  You probably have family and friends at home, wherever that may be, who are at that very moment celebrating Christmas.  Maybe you have children or grandchildren who are wide-eyed and wound up in anticipation of Christmas morning.  But you are, for all practical purposes, alone.  Your world is cold and dark. 

Imagine that you are listening to the radio -- waiting for the periodic signals from the U.S. Navy.  You are waiting to hear tapping sounds that you will be able to translate into words to confirm the time or to get the latest weather report.  But tonight is different from other nights on the Atlantic.  Instead of the tapping sound of Morse code -- instead of dots and dashes -- you hear something unexpected and indeed unbelievable.  You hear music. 

First, you here "Ombra mai fu" -- composed by George Frederic Handel (who, of course, also composed what is known as "Handel's Messiah").  Then you hear "O Holy Night" played softly on a violin.  And finally, you hear a voice.  It is the voice of Reginald Fessenden, and he is reading from the Gospel of Luke:  "Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to men of good will."  Luke 2:14.  He is reading from the account in Luke of an extraordinary and unimaginable day.  It is the day when in the City of David a savior was born into the world -- the Christ, the Messiah -- Jesus.  It is a day when mankind was given an undeserved gift from the creator of the universe -- a gift of hope and the gift of forgiveness.

Today we live in a world that is not unlike that night on the Atlantic on Christmas Eve in 1906.  Today, we find ourselves in a lonely, cold, dark world.  In fact, it is a world that seems to be getting colder and darker all the time.  For many all hope seems to be lost.

But, of course, there is still in the darkness a voice of hope.  And, it is just as powerful as it has ever been.

I hope that among the "happy holidays" this year people will hear voices wishing them a "Merry Christmas."  But not, as some might think, as some silly backlash against the secularization of Christmas.  I hope that "Merry Christmas" will lead to a deeper conversation about hope, about forgiveness, and about the gift of salvation.  It is my prayer that when we say "Merry Christmas" people will see from our expressions that we do not mean it as some trite greeting or farewell, but instead they will see it as a heart-felt desire for God's blessings in their lives.  I hope ...  no, I pray that this Christmas God will use your voice to remind people that He is with us; that He is Immanuel.

The Highest

If you are a partner at Heartland Church I hope you were able to attend the service today.  Our HC Kids knocked it out of the park with a great skit, followed by a song that was worthy of American Idol.  The mens' quartet was phenomenal -- as always (good old fashioned gospel!).  And, during second service one of our youth leaders baptized both his mother and his older sister.  How cool is that?

But, just a week before Christmas, the message today was not really much of a Christmas message.  There was no talk of mangers, wise men or even the miracle of the virgin birth.  There was no discussion of Advent or its meaning.  There was no talk about the true meaning of Christmas, or the obligatory outcry against its commercialization.

Instead, the message was about keeping the most important thing ... well, the most important thing.  It was asking us why it is, indeed how it is possible, that we can get more excited about winning a prize or seeing our favorite player win the Heisman Trophy than we are about the fact that God came to earth in human form and died on the cross for our sins.

The message was about being grateful for how blessed we are instead of feeling entitled.  It was about having an attitude of gratitude for the things we take for granted and have come to expect, and not just for the unexpected blessings.  And ultimately, the message was about having the right perspective.

A couple of months ago we started (or maybe restarted?) a mens' Bible study at HC.  (We meet every Saturday at 7:30 a.m. if you are interested in joining us.)  It is an awesome feeling to stand in the trenches  with other men as we struggle to understand what it means to put God first in our lives and then endeavor to live it.

Our Saturday mornings together and this latest message series have reminded me of a simple but profound realization I had a number of years ago.  As I was getting more involved in the church and more serious about my faith, I actually took the time to try to understand and count the cost following Jesus.  See Luke 14:28 - 30.

The more I began to understand the cost of truly following Jesus, the more I wanted to have confidence in my faith.  During this time, I read Lee Strobel's "The Case for Christ", along with books and articles by other apologists to satisfy myself that there was a rational basis for my faith in Jesus.  In other words, I wanted to know that faith in Jesus was more than a good feeling.  I wanted to know that my faith was intellectually supportable.  I wanted to be sure.

And the reason I wanted to be sure was this:  I came to the realization that if the Bible was true, if Jesus really was the Son of God, if Jesus really died on the cross for our sins, if His way was the right way, and in fact the only way, then everything about my life had to change.  I realized that my attitudes had to change.  I realized that my relationships had to change.  I realized that my priorities had to change.  I realized that basically the way I looked at the world had to change -- that I needed to learn to see the world as God sees the world.

It seems like I have been working at making those changes for a long time now, but sometimes I think myself a slow learner.  Or perhaps I'm just too reluctant to loosen my grip on some of the things that putting God first means I need to give up.  I am sure I could come up with a pretty long list, but one of the things I have been too reluctant to give up has been "worry."  For example, I have been far too worried for far too long about what God's plan for my future looks like.  I have worried about what unpleasant things might be waiting for me around the next corner (despite whatever perceptions you might have, ministry, is not necessarily always either glamorous or easy!).

But, I am happy to say that I am getting better.  I am learning to trust Him more.  I am learning to look forward to the blessings that He has waiting for me around the next corner -- even if I don't quite know what they look like right now -- instead of fearing the hard things that lie ahead.  I am realizing more and more that the "unpleasant" things usually have a purpose.  I am beginning to see that those things I like the least about my new life in Christ are usually the things that help me grow, that make me more effective, and ultimately that strengthen my faith.

The bottom line is this:  I have a great family, a great career, and a great church.  But above all, I serve a great God!  I am incredibly blessed.  You are too.  





    

I Am Second ... or Maybe Third

Most of you are probably familiar with "I Am Second" but, if not, I highly recommend that you check out their web site.  You can find a link to the site on the right side of this page under "links to other sites I like."

The "I Am Second" web site includes a number of compelling video testimonies from people, some famous -- some not, who are trying their best to put God first in their lives.  A few of these people have faced relatively little adversity in their lives.  Most, though, at one time or another found themselves in extremely dark places -- in places where God alone could rescue them.

Lately I have been thinking a good deal about a number of people I know who at times seem to have a strong faith and know the Word of God, but at the same time do not seem to put themselves second or third.  These are people whose actions much of the time -- or even most of the time -- seem inconsistent with a Christ-centered life.  Not that I am by any means perfect.  As I have said before in this blog, just ask my wife!

One of the things that irritates me so much about people like this is that their actions have the very real potential to drive others away from the church and, more importantly, away from God.  When we profess publicly to be people of faith and yet our actions say differently, the potential for spiritual mischief is enormous.  It really is true that actions speak louder than words.

There is a great book out called "unChristian" that resulted from a survey of young people outside of the church.  Among other things, 85% of the young outsiders surveyed viewed Christians as hypocritical.  And, "hypocritical" is exactly what I am talking about.

But there is something even more disturbing to me about these professed Christians whose lives seem to be so out of sync with God -- and that is my reaction to them.  What I mean by that is my reaction is all too often to become frustrated, and worse, to become judgmental.  I find at times that I get so frustrated with the symptoms I am observing that I give little or no thought to the real underlying problem.

At times Christians act unChristian out of ignorance.  Sometimes even people who have grown up in the church are simply unaware that their actions and attitudes are not in sync with the Word of God.  It may be that they are fairly new to the faith, or it maybe because they attended a church that put too much emphasis on God's blessings and not enough emphasis on the responsibilities that go along with the Christian walk.

Sometimes Christians just lack self awareness.  Sometimes we don't have a firm grasp on how others perceive us.  Sometimes we spend too much time telling others how to act and not enough time modeling the Christian life ourselves.

But, much of the time when we see people acting in unChristian ways it is because they are struggling with some significant issue in their own lives.  Sometimes the worries of life -- the difficult job situation, the troubled marriage, the rebellious child -- cause us to lose focus and to act in ways that the Holy Spirit, if we took time to listen, would tell us are just wrong.

When we see our family and friends acting in unChristian ways or carrying unChristian attitudes we have several choices.  We can do nothing -- which is usually the easy thing.  We can be judgmental and condemning of their behavior.  Or, we can "deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray...."  This is where things get tough.

Going to our Christian brothers and sisters to talk about their unChristian behavior is a difficult thing.  It takes wisdom, it takes discernment and it takes guidance from the Holy Spirit.

I am not by any means suggesting that as a general matter we should be running around telling other Christians how to act.  In fact, I seem to remember a little story about splinters and planks that counsels against doing that.  What I am saying, I guess, is two things.  First, there is a time and a place -- a season -- for everything.  Sometimes we just need to speak into other people's lives, even if the things we have to say are difficult and unlikely to be well received (at least initially).

Second, we need to have a little grace for people.  You never know what is at the root of bad behavior or bad attitudes.  We often have no idea about a person's past life experiences or even painful things that are happening to them at that very moment.  And, of course, we do need to be mindful of our own imperfections.

By the way, if you enjoy this blog and are or want to be a regular reader I want to encourage you to become a follower or to sign up for my e-mail alerts.  Its easy to do, and then you won't have to stumble on a Facebook post to know there is something new!

God bless, and Merry Christmas!

THE CHRISTMAS PRESENT

STOP!!

BE Still!

TAKE a deep breath.

Relax.

OK?

Here is a question for you:  what's the best Christmas present that you could possibly give to anyone this year?  While your thinking about that, here is my Christmas rant.

It seems to me that a normal part of the Christmas experience these days is the battle between Christians and those who want to kill off Christmas, or at least turn Christmas into a fully secular holiday.  Forgive me, but I am growing tired of this particular distraction/tradition.  Honestly, I get tired of reading story after story this time of year about this business or that school district taking the "Christ" out of "Christmas."  

Actually, come to think of it, the battle has really moved from there.  Now people are basically taking Christmas out of the vocabulary entirely.  It seems like everything these days is part of this nondescript, non-specific "holiday" season.  There are "holiday trees," "holiday parties," "holiday gifts" and, for you shoppers out there, "holiday sales." 

But, I digress.

We can get as excited as we want about the secularization of Christmas, but in the end the secularization of Christmas is just a symptom of a much bigger problem -- the secularization of America.  The problem is not politicians or political correctness -- it is that we are losing the battle for souls in this country.  

The problem is that the church has become ineffective.  The problem is that we have allowed generation after generation to have a casual relationship with Jesus.  The problem is that we have not pushed American Christians to truly put God first in their lives.

The problem is that most Christians in America are indistinguishable from their neighbors.  The problem is that we are viewed as hateful and hypocritical.  The problem is that the church has all too often lead with a message of condemnation instead of a message of the incredible love of Jesus.

The problem is that the church thinks that it can regain America by electing conservative politicians.  The problem is that we have forgotten that the real battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

The problem is that the church has been ineffective in teaching the Gospel.  The problem is that we have allowed the message of the Bible to blend in with and be confused by popular philosophy and culture.  The problem is that many American "Christians" believe that there are many paths to heaven.

The problem is this:  that too many of us are simply unwilling to share our faith with unbelievers.  It may be for any numbers of reasons -- embarrassment, lack of confidence, laziness, feelings that we are unworthy, lack of preparation ... you name it.  

I think it is critically important for each of us to meditate on the true meaning of Christmas  -- on who Jesus is and why he came.  That should be something we think about 365 days a year.

But, I think its even more important that we not get so focused on our own celebration of Christmas that we lose sight during this season of why we are here.  The church exists primarily to prepare God's people for works of service for His Kingdom, and the primary work that we should be focused on is to make disciples of all nations -- including the United States.

During Christmas time, or any time of the year, there is one gift that we can give to other people that surpasses any other.  It is a gift that money cannot buy and that all of the power in the world cannot take by force.  That gift is the gift of Jesus Christ.  It is the gift of eternal life.  It is the knowledge that Jesus loves us so much that He sacrificed Himself for our sins.

It is the knowledge that no matter who we are, no matter what mistakes we have made and no matter how unworthy we feel, there is a God who loves us, a God who forgives us, and a God who will run to us when we are ready to turn to Him.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-p5I1ySPhg&feature=fvst