Category: Discipleship

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Land That I Love!

The United States of America holds some of the most beautiful, awe-inspiring sights people could behold. While my favorites have always included the Pacific Northwest, yours could be Glacier National Park, Niagara Falls, Garden of the Gods, Gulf of Mexico or the Kona Coast. Once you catch a glimpse of these places, you almost feel like God has opened a window into heaven where we witness his majesty, or you wonder if the Garden of Eden was anything like what we’ve seen.

But the beautiful, heavenly-like places are in danger as the damage caused by humanity’s careless and calloused footprint threatens its very existence. Trash by campers and hikers ignoring the “Leave No Trace” plea eventually deface the value of the beauty we’re drawn to. Careless and reckless actions, like setting off fireworks in wooded areas or failure to monitor a campfire, has burned forests to the ground. From oil spills to industrial runoff the waterways have been contaminated. The lack of respect shown to the land has continued to devalue the beauty before us.

During the summer of 1987, my brother and I spent the holiday weekend at Alabama Gulf Coast. One of the things I remember the most was the number of glass beer bottles floating in the ocean waters. Was it an accident? Probably not as numerous bottles were floating in the waters. Even thirty plus years later, I can’t get my head wrapped around such indifference to the environment. Why trash the Land that I Love?

I’m not sure I can answer that question, but maybe the physical picture of the “land that I love,” is a reflection of the spiritual element. The land is trashed because our own lives have been trashed. We don’t respect the land before us because we don’t respect ourselves and each other. So we speak with hateful, demeaning and dehumanizing words, while justifying it in the process.

Words matter. They can hurt people or help heal them. They can destroy someone’s confidence or build them up. They can be used either to backstab or to protect one’s backside. They can be like salt water or like fresh water. They can curse our fellow man or glorify God (see Jas. 3:9-12). Words are an expression of our spiritual vitality.

Jesus says that what we say emerges from our hearts (Mk. 7:20-23). Just listen long enough to the words people say to each other. If they are filled with kindness, compassion and generosity then their hearts are pure. If you’re like me, you’ve probably got your fill of the disrespect, vile and demonizing language being not only freely used but also even being rationalized. And the result is the “Land” is devolving into nothing more than a cesspool of our own verbal excrement.

If you find yourself sick of the trash, then it’s time to clean it up. I’m not addressing the “swearing” or “cussing” though we could discuss that too. I’m talking about the cruel way we speak of each other, and about people in general. Stop using such language. Stop believing others are “speaking their minds” when they’re revealing their hearts. Stop buying into the lie that words don’t matter. It’s trashing our society, our community, our churches and destroying the Land that I Love.

Soli Deo Gloria!
(i.e. only God is glorified!)

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Seeking a Clear Vision

In Mark 8:22-26 Jesus heals a blind man. The short narrative has an interesting twist to it that has confused readers for centuries. In short, Jesus’ healing appears to have failed. In his first attempt to heal the blind man, he can see but everything is blurred (similar to me walking around without my contacts or glasses). Attempting again to heal the blind man leads to the full healing we expected all along.

The seemingly botch healing for Jesus on the first try is disturbing. Did he have a power failure? Did Jesus experience a faith crisis? Was the faith of the blind man responsible for Christ’s inability to heal? Bible students have struggled to understand this healing. But it’s also possible that Mark left a couple of clues to understand this miracle.

The first clue is a second healing of a blind man in Mark 10:46-52. Blind Bartimaeus calls to Jesus by both his personal name and Messianic title, Son of David, and begs for healing. While the crowd tries to quiet the man, Jesus calls for the man to come to him. The request is made for healing and Jesus graciously complies. He heals Bartimaeus just like we expect.

The two blind men stories seem to be bookends to a section where Jesus is traveling from Caesarea Philippi (i.e. a city 55 miles northeast of Galilean territory) to Jerusalem. So the “failed” attempt by Jesus to heal the blind man is placed before Peter’s confession of Jesus in the Gentile city of Caesarea Philippi and the “successful” healing occurs in Jericho before Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Both stories seem to hold this section together and thus need to be read together.

The second clue is contained between the two healing stories. Three times Jesus predicts his crucifixion. In each situation the 12 fail to see what Jesus is saying leading Jesus to reteach the disciples (see Mk. 8:17-38; 9:30-37; 10:32-45).

What is clear is how blurry eyed his 12 disciples are when it comes to the mission of Jesus. Either they push back on his prediction or they’re consumed by their own agendas. Thus, the bookend stories are as much about the disciple’s inability to see spiritually as it is about a blind man unable to see physically. The second healing is the hope for the disciples that their vision for Jesus has been corrected.

Our vision for Jesus osculates between being crystal clear and blurry-eyed; sometimes we see Jesus clearly and other times we’re squinting to make out an image. When we embrace humble service and reject authoritarian power, we see Jesus clearly. When we act through encouragment instead of through criticism, we see Jesus clearly.  When we forgive instead of harbor anger, we see Jesus clearly. When we love and pray for our enemies instead of retaliating against them, we see Jesus clearly. When we are driven by compassion because defining “neighbor” has nothing to do with proximity and location, then we see Jesus clearly. When we speak our words with loving kindness instead of venomous cruelty, we see Jesus clearly. And when we finally see Jesus clearly, the world will see Jesus.  

Soli Deo Gloria!
(i.e. only God is glorified!)

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Following In HIs Footsteps

To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example that you should follow in his steps . . . when they hurled insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.
(1 Peter 2:21-23)

When Peter was instructing slaves on how to respond to abusive masters, he pointed them to Jesus. He’s the example they should follow. In the midst of insults, threats and violence Jesus never struck back. He trusted God. Did it work out for him? No. He was executed. But he trusted God and is the example set not only for slaves but for all of us.

Peter understood the role of following Jesus. By the time he wrote his first letter he’d been following Jesus for some thirty years. Also, he understood failure in following Jesus because he himself tripped and fell early on in his discipleship.

Mark 8-10 unveils that early journey of the disciples. The trip begins in the northern Gentile region of Caesarea Philippi (named for Caesar Augustus and Philip of Macedon [i.e. Alexander the Great’s father]), and was a political hotbed too. Here Peter makes his confession and gets into a heated discussion with Jesus over the role of his Messiahship. As Jesus heads back to Jerusalem he passes through Galilee where the disciples argued over their own greatness. Finally, when they were headed up to Jerusalem, James and John made their ego-driven request for the seat of power. Let’s take a moment and unpack each of these moments.

* Caesarea Philippi (Mk. 8:31-38). In clarifying his role as the confessed Messiah, Jesus points to discipleship. He links his impending death, his first prediction, to those who wish to follow him. If Jesus is going to the cross and his disciples are going to follow him, then following in his footsteps means suffering even to the point where you’re willing to sacrifice your own life. Discipleship demands us to choose to loose life in order to gain it, which is exactly what Jesus did by going to the cross.

* Capernaum (Mk. 9:30-37). Instead of contemplating Jesus’ second prediction for his death, they decided to argue over who is the greatest among the Twelve. So Jesus, assuming the role of authority and of a Rabbi by sitting down, takes a child into his arms and tells them to become like this child. Such a move says nothing about innocence but about status. Unlike today where children are often propped up and showcased, first century children were rarely seen and never heard from. They had no say and no power in society. At best they were a symbol of hope (e.g. oldest son will inherit a double portion). Becoming a child means giving up rights, power and status, which is exactly what Jesus did by allowing himself to be vulnerable to the suffering he experienced at the cross.

* Jerusalem (Mk.10:32-45). After Jesus makes his third, final and most graphic prediction of his death, James and John requests seats of power and authority. Jesus’ response asks them if they can drink the cup he drinks from and be baptized with the baptism he undergoes. While they agree they can, they don’t grasp Jesus’ point. The “cup” and “baptism” is his suffering that was at his door and the disciples will participate in that suffering as well. Jesus’ final conclusion to the discussion is claiming that he came to serve not to be served, and to give his life for others.

This past week I was watching a mini-documentary that followed one person’s journey through the Holy Lands. They called it “Following in the Footsteps of Jesus.” They went to the Jordan River, Jerusalem, temple mount and Gethsemane. I can imagine that something powerful occurs when you step into those historical places. Then again, something even more powerful occurs when followers follow Jesus in his footsteps by embracing his sufferings.

Soli Deo Gloria!
(i.e. only God is glorified!)

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The Apologetix* of “Weird Al” Yankovick

For forty years “Weird Al” Yankovic has cranked out parody after parody of hit songs, and some of them are better than the original song he’s mocking. With his accordion he broke through with a parody of the Knack’s “My Sharona” with his “My Bologna.” As his fame grew and his musical talents developed, his parody’s deepened as well. During the 80’s he caricatured Huey Lewis and News, Madonna, The Kinks and Cindy Lauper. He continued playing his accordion by arranging pop songs into polkas which were often as popular as his parodies. He even delved into writing some of his own songs.

Taking something original to spoof as an exaggeration for the sake of humor is the heart of a parody. They are a distorted reflection of the initial song. Others have chosen this form of artistic style, but none seem to have the longevity and endearing passionate success as “Weird Al” Yankovic.

Parodies are a lot of fun, especially if you’re familiar with the song it’s spoofing. On the other hand a parody of Christianity is a sad expression of faith, and too many Christians spend their days spoofing Christ instead of providing an authentic-original Christ to the world.

Beyond the easy target of charlatans who claim God is telling them to bilk or con millions out of the people, let’s bring this closer to home. Because even in our defense of the Gospel, we may be just a parody of Christ’s expectations for our lives.

If we sing with all gusto, “The Old Rugged Cross,” but refuse to carry our own cross (Lk. 9:23), we may be a parody of Christ ● If we plead with God and others for forgiveness, but refuse to forgive (Mt. 6:15), we may just be spoofing Jesus ● If we look in the mirror and only see what we want to see instead of the blemishes that need fixed (Jas. 1:24) then we may be making a mockery of Christianity ● If we condemn people for failing to follow the “whole council of God” but pick and choose which commands we’ll obey (Mt. 7:1), then we may be misrepresenting God’s Word ● If we pride ourselves on what we do for God, but fail to realize who we are before God (Lk. 18:9-14), then maybe we’re simply satirizing the Christian faith ● If we show no compassion for the poor, but demonstrate plenty of concern for the wealthy (Jas. 2:1-9) then we may be distorting Christ’s presence in the world ●  If we are willing for everyone to wash our feet, but are unwilling to wash anyone else’s feet (Jn. 13:14), then we may be insulting Jesus ● If we’re willing to hold to doctrinal purity at the expense of the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23), then we may be lampooning the Gospel ● If we can quote the Great Commission (Mt. 28:16-20), but resent it when God brings the Great Commission to our back door, then we may be perverting the very Gospel God expects us to preach.   

All of us run the risk of simply making a parody out of the genuineness of Christ and his teachings. When we “parody,” it’s not funny and it’s not even fun. People want the authentic and real Jesus and it’s our challenge to deliver a real, authentic, genuine melody of Christ.

Soli Deo Gloria!
(i.e. only God is glorified!)

*Apologetix is a Christian band who parodies pop songs into Christian songs. Their name is derived from “apologetics” which is a defense of the gospel.

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Reflections on a Politician without being Political

With the passing of John McCain we’ve seen the closing of an era if not an icon. My senior year in college saw McCain enter the US Senate, representing the State of Arizona to which he held that position until his death last week. He was a decorated Vietnam POW war hero. He championed conservative policies. And he was the Republican pick for the presidency in 2008.

As I reflect on his passing, I can’t help but draw on some of his strengths worth highlighting. He was by no means a perfect man, as noted below, but there were still good qualities about this man who served his country.

● He Readily Admitted His Failures . . . somewhat surprising, his wife of forty years, Cindy, was not his first wife. In 1965 he married Carol Shepp. But seven years after returning from Vietnam they divorced so that he could marry Cindy Hensley. One could easily make a number of excuses as to why his marriage to Carol failed. He was tortured as a POW and surely suffered from what we know today as PTSD. Upon his return to the states he started “acting out” by having one “fling” after another. Yet he readily owned up to his mistakes by admitting that divorcing Carol was his “. . . greatest moral failure.” In a society that downplays such failures, glosses over them, and even defends or denies them, it’s refreshing to hear painful regret coming from the highest levels of our nation.

● He Was Guided By Principles, Not By Party . . . while McCain was a Republican, he often broke with his party for what he believed to be “a greater good.” It earned him the nickname, “Maverick.” He pushed to cut spending, he pressed for campaign finance reform, and he voiced his displeasure for the strategic approach to the Iraq War. All of which came in opposition to his own party, alienating himself from his own fellow Republican Senators. In a time when party loyalty trumps the American people, McCain put the American people’s needs above party loyalty.

● He Reached Across the Aisle . . . two ways exist to get things accomplished in D.C. The first is to hold a majority where you never need bi-partisan support. Since that rarely happens, the second way is to implement a more honorable approach: work with both parties for a solution. McCain was often conciliatory with the Democrats including reconciling with John Kerry over the Vietnam War and readily praising his opponent in the 2008 election as being an honorable man whom he disagreed with on policy. In an era of villainizing opponents, it’s been refreshing to see someone intentionally work with liberals and conservatives alike.

● He Suffered Worse than Any of Us . . . he spent five years as a POW with two of those years in solitary confinement. He suffered a broken leg and both arms when his plane was shot down, and after being “rescued” by the enemy, they crushed his shoulders. While in prison, the Vietnamese refused to offer any hospital care for him. And when they discovered that he was the son of an Admiral, they were willing to release him. McCain refused preferential treatment but insisted those imprisoned the longest get released first. Next time you’re having a bad day, just remind yourself that “John McCain had it worst.”

McCain was far from perfect but he modeled virtues embraced by the Christian faith. We confess our sins (James 5:16; 1 John 1:8-9). We uphold principles over party loyalty (1 Corinthians 1:10-17; Philippians 3:4b-11). We seek unity (1 Corinthians 12:12-13; Galatians 5:13-15; Ephesians 4:11-13; Philippians 2:1-4). And finally, the One we follow calls us to suffer for his Name’s sake (Luke 9:23; Acts 5:41; 9:16).

Soli Deo Gloria! |
(i.e. only God is glorified!)

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Go Greyhound! Unless It’s a Knight

I must have been about eight or nine years old. Dad had worked some 16 years for the company he loved, Greyhound Bus Lines, when they updated their logo to a colorful and patriotic red, white, and blue wave behind the famed dog (their new logo may have been influenced by the nation’s bicentennial celebration). That same Christmas, Deanna, David and I were given Greyhound t-shirts with the oversized logo, and printed across the front were bold words, “Go Greyhound.”  It was a touch of old and new. The logo was newly revised, but the tag line maintained the campaign started in the 1950’s, “Go Greyhound, and Leave the Driving to Us.”  

The t-shirt quickly became one of my favorites, rivalling wearing time with my Cincinnati Reds t-shirt of “Mr. Red Legs” running through the wishbone “C,” a shirt I have packed away in a box. I wore my Greyhound shirt proudly, partly because my dad worked for the company, and partly because my dad gave me the shirt. So it was no surprise that when the first opportunity to wear the shirt publically presented itself, I jumped at the chance to wear it. 

Steve and Tim were playing a high school basketball game, in which hundreds (?) of people were certain to show up for the game. Our gym was always packed, loud, and exciting. We were the Knights and our colors were black and white. I should have worn black and white. Mom had crocheted me a granny-squared, black and white vest that I usually wore to the games to show my support (yes, it’s in the same box as the Reds t-shirt). But that night, I wanted to show everyone my new, cool t-shirt.  So I put it on and planned on going to the game. Instead, I was told in no uncertain terms to change my shirt. Mom, Steve, and Tim, in very strong words of warning, telling me I was not to wear that t-shirt to this game. 

I was a little shocked. I didn’t understand why, but I thought I knew better. I went upstairs and grabbed my heavy coat. I put it on, zipped it up, and thought that when I got to the game, I could take my coat off and parade around in my new colors.  With mom running the scoreboard and my brothers playing in the games, I was free to do as I pleased. And I did exactly that. I paraded my shirt with the bold lettering, “Go Greyhound,” written across my chest. Within five minutes, all my friends were laughing at me and the adults who knew better were smirking. Suddenly, mom and my wiser brothers’ warning came clear. They weren’t against me wearing the shirt to a ballgame, they were against me wearing the shirt to that ballgame: we were playing the Gaston Greyhounds, and my shirt in bold lettering was cheering, “Go Greyhound(s).” I went to the bathroom to turn my shirt inside out, and then hid the rest of the night under the bleachers. 

We might expect an eight year old to mistakenly wear the wrong shirt in support of the wrong team. But in your walk of faith, have you ever wore a shirt that ended up supporting Satan and his cause? Yes, you’re loyal to Jesus, but your actions deceives your heart. Greed, lust, slander, hate, bitterness, anger, unforgiving, apathy, and divisiveness are all actions that betray your loyalty to Jesus.  Paul might say it like this, “We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?” (Rom. 6:2b). 

I no longer have the Greyhound t-shirt, though I do wish it was packed away in a box of mementos. I think about that shirt every now and then, and even more so about the man who gave it to me. Even more important is that Jesus gave us something to wear (Col. 3:12), are we wearing it or choosing to wear his enemies colors?                                                                                                              

Soli Deo Gloria!
(i.e. only God is glorified!)

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A Time for Silence

I’ve always been intrigued about the story of Laban. Jacob’s decision to return to Canaan is motivated, at least in part by God’s will (Gen. 31:3). But another factor was his deteriorating relationship with his father-in-law, Laban (Gen. 31:2). Without warning, Jacob uproots his family, getting a three day jump before Laban finds out that his son-in-law, daughters, and grandchildren are long gone. Like a posse, Laban pursues Jacob for seven days. Like water reaching the boiling point, Laban fumes over Jacob’s double-crossing. With seven days to think, Laban rehearses his speech; he’ll repay Jacob for the pain and damage caused. 

But the night before Laban overtakes Jacob and sets to confront him, his sleep is disturbed by a visit from God. “Be careful,” warns God, “not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad” (Gen. 31:24). Wow!  God puts a cork on Laban’s bottled anger and oozing thoughts of retaliation. I’ve often wished God would intervene like that whenever someone had a score to settle with me. Even more, I’ve often wished God would intervene and stop me from saying or doing something I later regretted. 

The trouble with “words” is that they emerge from a problem with the heart. Jesus made it clear that it’s not what goes into a person that makes him/her unclean but what comes out of the mouth (Mk. 7:15). So whatever is going on in the heart will emerge from the mouth. We might hope the words are as sweet as honey, but we often hope in vain as what emerges is as vile as projectile vomiting. 

In the New Testament list of “big” sins, the spoken sin always finds a voice. For instance, Romans 1:29 speaks of those filled with wickedness, evil, greed, depravity, envy, murder, strife, deceit, and malice. Yes these are big sins, but so are the ones associated with the mouth: gossip, slander, and boasting (Rom. 1:30). I may not be guilty of the former, but of the latter . . .? In the list found in 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, Paul includes slanderers alongside the prostitutes and drunkards who will not inherit the Kingdom of God. While the acts of the flesh (NIV’s “sinful nature”) stand in opposition to walking by the Spirit, they do not include the spoken words; they do talk of “fits of rage” (Gal. 5:20).  Paul tells us to get rid of all slander (Eph. 4:31), obscenity, foolish talk, and coarse (dirty) joking (Eph. 5:5); such traits disqualify a person from any inheritance in the kingdom of God. James, recognizing that the tongue, i.e. mouth, can be as wild as an unbroken stallion, says to bridle it and keep a tight rein on it (Jam. 1:26). 

James’ larger context is that the person who believes they’re religious or spiritual, yet cannot control the words he/she says is only fooling themselves; God cannot be fooled. Therefore, one of the signs that our religion is either pure or corrupted is found in the way we use words, because what we say reflects our hearts. Our heart is the throne-room. Who sits on that throne is revealed by what we say. And there is only one throne in our throne-room, and only enough room exists for one ruler. Since I doubt you’ll ever get the help to bite your tongue like Laban did, we have to ask ourselves, who’s ruling our hearts? What we’ve been saying speaks volumes about who exactly rules our hearts.

Soli Deo Gloria!
(i.e. only God is glorified!)

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Does Your Talk Match Your Walk?

The demon possessed little girl was trafficked by men who used her curse as their gift to make money. She spoke the truth, at least in this case. Actually, she shouted the truth as she followed Paul and Silas around Philippi the first week they were in town. What she said was true; these two men were from God telling everyone how to be saved (Act. 16:17). But something beyond the words was very wrong with her message. So after a number of days of following the men with her vocal insight and commentary, Paul turned to her and in Jesus’ name cast out the demon.

At this point in the story we need to stand in the conflict between the girl’s message and the girl’s life. Beyond the fallout for Paul (i.e. falsely accused, arrested, beaten, jailed), one might question his action. If the girl is speaking the truth, does it really matter what was hidden deep within life? All that mattered was that the truth was being spoken, right?

Years ago I had a conversation with an elder concerned about the Involvement Minister. Over a seven year period he began questioning the man’s ethics. Actions taken could not be reconciled with the explanations given. The elder told me that every class the minister taught and every sermon preached he listened, hoping he’d say something conflicting with (his interpretation) of what was clearly taught in Scripture. In my youthful zeal I told him, “I don’t think it’s always about what the person says in the pulpit that matters, but how they live outside of the pulpit.”

Paul exorcises the demon from the girl, and part of me thinks he over-reacted. She wasn’t lying. She was pointing out exactly who Paul and Silas were. She was clarifying their mission. She was right. What was wrong with that?

For Paul almost everything was wrong. Beyond the basic information being true, the source of the information was corruptibly wrong. Her information was not revealed to her by the Spirit of God, but through the demon destroying her life. Paul didn’t need that kind of endorsement, if he needed any at all. Maybe that’s the key to this little girl’s story. It mattered to Paul whether or not this little girl possessed by the demon not only spoke the truth but was allowing the truth to speak through her life. Since the demon wasn’t about to repent or change, Paul wanted nothing to do with the demon. He cast the demon out of the girl.

We call this “Talking the Talk” versus “Walking the Walk.” Red flags are raised when we find someone who says the right words but whose life is lived in contrast to the spoken words. Jesus might have called them “actors,” people who were pretending to be his follower without any semblance of allowing him to shape their life.  We call them hypocrites.

The conversation with the elder eventually led to action, though not because of anything I said. The Involvement Minister was discovered in fraudulent activity regarding church funds and was immediately dismissed. His wrongful actions far outweighed his truthful words.

Jesus talked about fruit inspectors (Mt. 7:15-19). He said to examine what kind of fruit people are bearing in their lives. If you cannot see how Jesus has changed their life, then maybe the person should be questioned. Maybe the speaker should be tuned out. Maybe the church should stop putting such individuals on a pedestal and start putting Jesus back on the pedestal.

In a time when people will say anything to get you to listen and to buy into their agenda, we need to use more scrutiny. Just because a person knows the right words to use when speaking to the public, doesn’t mean they live by those words. If the walk does not match the talk, then maybe we should stop listening to the talk.

Soli Deo Gloria!
(i.e. only God is glorified!)

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Spiritual Disciplines Everyone Can Do

Spirituality in a person’s life can be difficult to balance and to manage. We believe the giants of faith can walk on water, move mountains, or are beyond temptation. But everyone fights in the battle. Everyone struggles with sin. Everyone lives with the scars. While everyone drinks from the spiritual wells, some wells are deeper than others. So the question might be, how can we deepen the wells we drink from to enrich our spiritual life? Here are some common suggestions anyone can do to improve their spiritual walk with God.

● Worship . . . The Church gathers every week to worship God and to break bread. While together we sing, pray, give, commune at the Table, and are encouraged and challenged by exhortations from God’s Word. Because it’s an assembly, accountability and fellowship is built into this one hour. Unfortunately, church and the church gatherings have been devalued and even attacked; it’s often viewed as irrelevant. However, for spiritual purposes, never underestimate the discipline and value of spending Sunday with God and with each other.

● Prayer . . . From the simple prayer before a meal to the quiet time you spend with God, prayer allows us a direct line to God. We can share, not only our struggles and pains, but our dreams and visions too. It’s really about a relationship with God, and he wants us to come to him with no pretense (Mt. 6:7). We can talk to God and open up about our lives. We can approach him in full confidence knowing that he will not reject us because he wants to have a relationship with us.

● Fasting . . . Of all the spiritual disciplines, fasting has probably taken the biggest hit. Who wants to go without eating? The value of fasting is the discipline of saying “no” to your body for something it wants but doesn’t need. Most of us have conditioned our bodies to get hungry at a certain time when the truth is what we experience is “false hunger pains.” Paul talks about making his body a slave (1 Cor. 9:27) so that he can avoid his body enslaving him on its desires. While many people cannot fast an entire day or a few days, one can skip meals, limit snacks, or even limit fluid to juices.

● Confession . . . They say “confession is good for the soul.” They may be right. Getting things “off our chest” helps lighten the load, and makes our burdens easier to bear. James links confession with prayer (5:16) telling us that the two disciplines work in tandem with each other. We confess to each other and pray for one another.

● Serving . . . While volunteering has taken a hit lately, finding ways to give back to the community, the church and/or to God takes attention off of self and places it onto others. It’s a way to empty ourselves so that we can keep our own selfishness at bay. More so, secretly doing service keeps our motives in check.

● Reading . . . We live in a time where more volumes have been written than we’ve previously known, but fewer people are reading. An amazing paradox stands that the most common way God has revealed himself has been through his written word, and yet we don’t like to read. Beyond prayer, the simplest way to encounter God every day is to open up our Bibles and begin reading. While we’re in the mood to read, why not look at the ocean of books, periodicals and blogs put out there on a regular basis. While a lot of stuff published isn’t worth the time or effort, much of it is. Find or ask someone you respect where the good stuff to read is.

● Generosity . . . As we continue to look outside of ourselves, being generous reminds us that we do not own the material things but that we’re stewards of the resources God has given us. In order for money to lose its control over our lives (1 Tim. 6:10), money must be viewed as a means for ministry not as a stockpile for wealth. By letting go we’re building trust in God that he’ll take care of our needs and use us to bless others.

By no means are these the only spiritual disciplines for our lives. Echoing the Hebrews writer (Heb. 11:32), I don’t have time to talk about joy, quiet time, role of music, simplicity, and more. However, these are good starting blocks to develop your spiritual walk with God. They only demand what you’re willing to give, but what they give back will deepen the spiritual wells you drink from.

Soli Deo Gloria!
(only God is glorified!)

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The Least of These

They never saw Jesus. Surely if they saw him they would have acted. Clearly if Jesus was present the food would have been given and shared. But no one saw the Son of Man, they just saw a homeless man on the side of the road dressed in ragged clothes, needing a bath, and holding a sign asking for food.

Rationalizing is easy. They’re too lazy to actually work. They’re manipulating the welfare system. They’ve blown their money on drugs and alcohol. They’re reaping what they’ve sown. If I dehumanize them, I don’t have to feel guilty when I ignore them.

So Jesus offers a glimpse into the scene on the day of his Return. He divides everyone into two groups as if dividing sheep from the goats. One group is welcomed into his kingdom, while the other group was rejected. One group was called “righteous,” and the other group was called “cursed.” The one group took action, while the other did nothing. Significant to the story, and to history of the church, the Return scene in Matthew 25 is rooted in compassion for the poor, not in specific doctrinal differences that divide the Christian community. In other words, Jesus is more interested in your level of compassion and less concerned about how many times you’ve taken the Lord’s Supper.

One of my fondest memories my two trips to Honduras was feeding the homeless with Amber Foster of Breaking Chains. She made a huge pot of soup and we drove to three locations to distribute the soup to the hungry. They were kind and gracious. They snorted glue from empty Coke bottles. Though we were in a dangerous part of town, I never felt like I was in danger.

I imagine plenty of people could rationalize a reason for Americans to avoid participating in such a ministry. It’s dangerous as the gang activity is high; Americans are at risk on foreign soil. If you get hurt what kind of medical care will you get? Or the government is supposed to take care of the poor. But one night under an overpass as we reached out to homeless families and offered them something to eat and kind words of encouragement, left a lasting impression.

The other day, I left SOMC after visiting a church member, the local hospital. Since it was near lunch time and I was driving past Burger King on my way back to the office, I decided to get a bite to eat. The sign on the door said, “Accepting Applications,” and I took notice of it as I entered the restaurant. I ordered my burger, fries and drink “to go.” With my drink and bag of food in hand, I exited the establishment, got in my car and started my trip back to the church building. As I turned left out of the parking lot, I stopped at the red light. To my left was a homeless man holding a sign asking for food scribbled on a piece of cardboard. Our eyes met. I had the bag of food and drink next to me, unopened. The light turned green and I took my eyes off the man and focused on the road before me. As I reached into the bag for the hamburger, I rationalized . . . “he’s too lazy to work, and he’s probably manipulating the system, and more likely, he’s blown his money on booze.”

As I drove away in silence, something in the back of my mind kept saying, “whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me” (Mt. 25:45).

Soli Deo Gloria!
(i.e. only God is glorified!)