Slim Fast, Runny Noses, Midgets, and Jesus

This morning, on my way to church, I stopped at our local Quick Trip. For those reading this that live outside the Kansas City area, Quick Trip is much like a 7-11 convenience store/gas station. I ran in, grabbed a Slim-Fast shake (also called ‘breakfast’), and took my place in line in order to check out. The poor fella working behind the counter was a bit stressed as he was obviously doing the job of two or three employees. Usually there is more than one, but apparently not today. As he rushed about grabbing cigarettes for some and lottery tickets for others, all while consistently welcoming every person that walked in with a “Welcome to Quick Trip”, he began to cough. I watched him and greatly appreciated that he covered his mouth with his arm each time a coughing fit came about.

When all others were helped and I finally had made my way to the counter, I said something observantly clever like, “Wow, you sure are busy”. He grunted something under his breath and then began coughing again. This time, however, when he removed the crevice of his arm from covering his inopportune and unrelenting hacking, he had unknowingly smeared a bit of something on his cheek. The something that I’m talking about was not pretty. It was a greenish-yellow color and seemed to have the consistency of tapioca pudding.

Perhaps you think this is a made up story? I guarantee you it’snot.

I realize now, I was being presented with a test.

You see, if I was the one with a glob of gelatinous sinus scum on my face and I was completely unaware that it was glistening in the gleam of the fluorescent lights and jiggling for all the Sunday morning world to see, I think I’d want to know about it. But would the embarrassment of being told, by a complete and utter stranger, that a slippery secretion produced by mucous membranes had escaped the safety of his nostrils be too much for him? Would it not be best for a friendly co-worker, who would more than likely be coming back from break any moment now, be the one to share the precise details of this unfortunate phenomenon? What was I to do?

Ruthlessly fighting the urge to regurge, I paid for my shake and left. I stared at the counter the whole time. I said nada. I wimped out. I just left the kid in his slimy, unknowing bliss.

Now I’m haunted. Did I do the right thing? I’ve always said that if I was in a similar situation with my zipper down or a nagging piece of spinach between bicuspids I’d desperately want someone to clue me in. But don’t I want that to be somebody that I know? Don’t we earn the right to talk into one another’s lives?

What about the snot of sin?

Is it our place to walk up to complete strangers and tell them that they have a sin problem? Or should we earn the right to talk to them by building relationship with them first? I mean, everywhere I look I’m faced with people who are in blatant sin. Those who call themselves ‘Christian’, and whom I have relationship with because of the mere fact we are brothers/sisters in Christ are ones that I feel I can more openly discuss sinful issues with. However, those not in ‘the family’ per se, those not having made a commitment to follow Jesus, what about them? Is it my job to point out what awful sinners all the sinners are? I’m not so sure.

What did Jesus do?

Some Christians believe that the way of the Master was to point out people’s precise sin problem. But when I read of how Jesus behaved with sinners, I see Him responding differently. I see Him lovingly living out His Message.

For example, remember the midget in the tree? This height-challenged tax collector was a pretty bad guy. A sinner. What did Jesus do? He simply told Zack that He wanted to have lunch with him. The next verses describe this horrible sinner completely turning his life around! Jesus even says, “Salvation has come to this home today” (you can read this cool story for yourself in Luke 19).

Sure, when the religious folks – those supposedly already following Jehovah – were sinning, Jesus was all over them. Telling the truth in love is definitely one of the ways of the Master, but it is important to look at who His audience was at those times.

So yeah, maybe I wimped out. I probably should have done that kid a favour and clued him in on the gloop clinging to his cheek. However, it has reminded me that entering in and building authentic relationships with others is extraordinarily important and desperately needed. It’s needed, if for no other reason than to occasionally have someone who loves me and shares my desire for pleasing the Lord, hold a mirror up to me from time to time.

Sadistic?

It’s been a weird week for me. I’ve had more tiredness (perhaps due to Daylight Savings time?), more burn-out, and I suppose just more need for refreshing than in quite a while. I received three different reports from people that they had heard ‘rumors’ about me (One rumor was that I drink to get drunk and party with folks in the church all the time. The other rumors were basically the same type of thing having to do with being a false Christian, tattoos, drunk, lover of gays, etc. Each time I receive reports like these I struggle with wanting to defend myself in order to have a good reputation with ‘men’ and the enemy beats on me pretty good about it).

I told my wife this morning that I was looking forward to just spending some time alone with God today and reading the Word… for me personally… not to prepare for the weekend’s message. So, as I began the daily reading plan for today, I found myself chuckling. I think God has a sense of humor that’s downright satirical sometimes… if I didn’t know Him and His loving character better I might even say ‘sadistic’.

First, I was sent to the Book of Numbers (the fourth Book of the Old Testament) chapter 28 and began reading through a long list of specific instructions on certain offerings (burnt offerings, grain offerings, Sabbath offerings, nodding off…erings). This is incredibly in-depth material, and although super important to the Israelites at the time, seemingly unpractical for me presently. I was anxiously in anticipation of getting through this stuff and getting to my New Testament reading for the day. So, once I had trudged through Numbers I proceeded, as instructed, to Luke 3:23-38. Praise the Lord… It was a riveting genealogy! You know, one of those passages of the Bible that goes on and on with unending and delightful substance like, “the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the son of…”.

It was at this moment that I prayed a short and powerfully holy prayer that sounded something like: “Lord, what’s up? Did you not get the part where I’m feeling like I need some refreshing? Do you not get that I could have gone out and ‘fleshed out’ (that’s a made-up term meaning gotten drunk or something even stupider in an attempt to drown away depression and burn-out)? Do you not understand that I could have sought help from Oprah? I mean, c’mon Lord! I actually made the effort to open up the Bible and read it. Couldn’t You at least have it say something significant and maybe just a tiny bit relevant?”

Like I said, it was powerfully holy.

Then I turned to the verse I was supposed to read in Proverbs, which had within it, (“He who is steadfast in righteousness will attain to life”11:19).

The word “steadfast” jumped out at me. Steadfast means, “firm in purpose, resolution, faith, attachment, etc”.

“Okay, Lord. I’ll keep going. I’ll be steadfast. But You better start speaking pretty soon Buddy.”

The final portion of Scripture to be read would be a short chapter from the Book of Psalms (62). It starts out: “My soul waits in silence for God only; From Him is my salvation. He only is my Rock and my Salvation, my Stronghold; I shall not be greatly shaken.”

The writer (some guy named David) then goes on to talk about how bad guys are always coming down on him. He even says that "They delight in falsehood; They bless with their mouth, but inwardly they curse". He then basically repeats that first line again: "My soul, wait in silence for God only, for my hope is from Him. He only is my Rock and my Salvation, my Stronghold; I shall not be shaken."

At this point, I'm starting to get it. Unfortunately, I don't have time to write of all God opened my heart to in this chapter, but for the sake of my point in this blog, allow me to simply say... He spoke to me in a pretty cool way.

Proverbs 62 ends this way: "Once God has spoken; Twice I have heard this: That power belongs to God".
The Message translates that this way: "God said this once and for all; How many times have I heard it repeated? 'Strength comes straight from God'."

I don't know if anyone reads these ponderings of mine. I guess it doesn't really matter. What I do know is this: God wants Michael to be steadfast (firm in purpose), and He longs for my soul to wait on Him. Sometimes I don't hear Him speaking. Sometimes I think He's playing a cruel joke. Sometimes I want to slam shut the Bible and say, "This Book sucks and is not only boring, but totally doesn't apply to where I'm at!" However, when I wait, when I remain steadfast, when I press on, I hear Him say again and again "Strength comes straight from God". I can't explain how that happens or why it is so stinkin' true in my life. But following my devotion time today...

I felt okay... I feel okay.

I feel strengthened.

I feel refreshed.

So, thanks God. Sorry about saying I thought You might be a bit sadistic. You're not... and I know that. I'll end this with a 'shout-out' to You, like David's in this powerful Psalm:
"Love to you, Lord God!" (Psalm 62:12 - The Message).

John 13:35

Studying for my message this week I found myself re-reading a book I had read less than two years ago: "Mother Teresa: No Greater Love" (New World Library - Novato, California September 1997.) This book came out in January of 1997 and just a short nine months later this astounding woman went home to be with her first Love, Jesus. I'm totally blown away by how this woman radically influenced such a variety of people... by just being a woman who loved God and loved others, regardless of what they looked like.

Mother Teresa influenced millions of people, of that there is no doubt. However, I wonder how she would have responded to the famous image of her face being tattooed upon somebody’s neck? If you ask me, I think it is beautiful - in so many ways.

I wonder why he was drawn to Mother Teresa? Was it her service of the poor, her humility, her love and devotion for her Savior or the Catholic Church? I wonder what this young man’s experience of Jesus is? What about the church? Has he ever been? I wonder how he feels about the people and community of God that Mother Teresa was deeply embedded within? How would he respond to the word Christianity? What does this say about spirituality today?

Mother Teresa once said, "Love each other as God loves each of you, with an intense and particular love. Be kind to each other: It is better to commit faults with gentleness than to work miracles with unkindness."

This past week I spent some hours in a tattoo shop. One of my favorite things to do is notice people’s artwork, and ask them what significance it has to them personally? Does their tattoo speak of a heart of longing, significance, hope, life, death, attention, desire, love or loss?

Looking at this picture, I wonder how this guy would respond?

I know that if I saw this guy face to face, I'm pretty sure he'd wonder why I was staring. I hope he'd be surprised to find that the reason I was staring might be far from what he was imagining.

What can I say; I love, and am fascinated by, God’s children.

One last tidbit from the book that totally rocks me (page 23-24) :
"One day I picked up a man from the gutter. His body was covered with worms. I brought him to our house, and what did this man say? He did not curse. He did not blame anyone. He just said, 'I've lived like an animal in the street, but I'm going to die like an angel, loved and cared for!' It took us three hours to clean him. Finally, the man looked up and said, 'Sister, I'm going home to God.' And then he died. I've never seen such a radiant smile on a human face as the one I saw on that man's face. He went home to God. See what love can do!...Jesus said, 'As often as you did it for one of my least brothers, you did it for Me'(Matthew 25:40 RSV). And this is where you and I fit into God's plan."

Dumbing Down the MESSAGE

Someone recently commented on a recent ‘shift’ in my teaching/preaching style at Desperation Church. They brought up various ‘physical object lessons’ that I’ve been using in my messages, such as cardboard boxes, jelly-bean filled oranges, conch shells, and even live jazz saxophone players. They were asking why I’ve started preaching in this way, and even asked if I was trying to ‘dumb-down’ the Message. Let me try and explain:

I’ve stated in earlier blogs how I’ve been studying the writings of a Messianic Jewish teacher by the name of Lois Tverber. Her insights, as well as other Messianic Jewish writers have greatly influenced me over the past five years or so. One of the things that I’ve learned is that Jesus, being Jewish and being called ‘Rabbi’, must have taught in ways that are pretty foreign to our culture today. Yet His teaching style would not have been foreign to the way that Jewish Rabbis taught in that day. This revelation has caused me to look at how I am communicating to others, and seeking to emulate His teaching style as often as I possibly can with my meager abilities.

You see, Jesus was a Master Communicator – I’m pretty sure everyone would agree with that. You don’t draw the kinds of crowds He was drawing if you can’t put your thoughts together in a way that people can understand, let alone “be amazed at His teaching” (Matthew 7:28). He spoke with authority. He spoke boldly. And, something that I’ve always loved, He told stories. Now, along with stories that used images to teach, rabbis would frequently use situations to go along with their teaching. For example, we know that Jesus washed His disciple’s feet. Another distinguished rabbi, named Gamaliel, got up and served his disciples at a banquet one time. When they asked him why he did such a humble deed he said;

“Is Rabbi Gamaliel a lowly servant? He serves like a household servant, but there is one greater than Him who serves. Consider Abraham who served his visitors . But there is one even greater than Abraham who serves. Consider the Holy One, blessed be He, who provides food for all his creation!”

Abraham was the most revered of all of their ancestors, and Gamaliel reminds them of when God and two angels came to his tent in Genesis 18, that he prepared a meal and served it to them. Then he hints that God Himself serves when He gives us our food. God Himself is a model of serving others rather than wanting to be served.

Jesus also used visual lessons many times, for instance, when He called a child and had him stand there as He taught.

He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes a little child like this in My name welcomes Me” (Matt 18:2-5).

What is this Master Communicator doing here? He is using the child as a concrete example to show the humility that His followers must have, and the importance of not leading the innocent astray. Jesus may have used another example in this particular teaching as well, which I think is ubber-cool! Capernaum was the center of production of millstones, and was right on the Sea of Galilee, and was where Jesus did much of His teaching. Jesus continues...

“But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea” (Matt 18:6).

Considering where He was saying this, can’t you just imagine how He may have had His hand on an 800-pound basalt millstone as He gestured to His neck, and then to the Sea of Galilee?

Bruce Wilkinson, in his book “Secrets Of The Vine” suggests that when Jesus gave His famous “I Am the Vine” talk in John 15 that He very well may have been walking through an actual vineyard at the time. Can you just see Jesus talking about vines and the need for us to be those who are bearing fruit, while He is holding up a bunch of grapes?

What if while He was talking about the faith of a mustard seed, He was holding up an actual mustard seed for all to see? Listen, we know at other times He used fig trees and even a boy’s lunch to make strong points, right?

Do you think Jesus was guilty of dumbing down His Message?

My point: I’m not trying to dumb down anything. I don’t think Jesus was either. I suppose not everyone enjoyed Jesus’ teaching, and there’s probably no way everyone will be pleased with mine or anyone else’s teaching styles and methods. However, trying to be like Jesus… even in His teaching style… doesn’t seem like all that bad of a goal for anybody.

Galations 1:10 - NIV
"Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ."

It's Me

Okay,... my post today is not really mine, but the post of a good friend. He's an awesome writer, but more than that, he's an awesome man of God... and friend. He's going through some 'stuff' right now, and he wrote this. It impacted me big time, and I wanted to pass it on. So, thanks Nate for your heart and witness to so many,... especially me.


I have four children, all of them wonderful and unique. They teach me so much on a daily basis about what it means to be a father, son and husband. It is an ever present reminder of how important it is to have our eyes and ears open to see/hear what it is God is trying to tell us.


Last night as my wife and I sat at the dinner table talking our youngest daughter - almost two - strolled up to us and put her little fingers up on the table. She is talking more and more now and calls each of her siblings by name. While she was standing there, fingers reaching up to grab the table, I asked her, "who is that?" She simply responded by saying two sweet words, "It's me!". We've tried to get her to repeat her name as she does with her brother and sisters but each time she just says, "It's me!" There was no need for her to say her name to her daddy. She just looked up at us with those big, blue eyes as if to say, "you know who it is".


We are navigating some difficult times right now, searching for direction and clarity as to what God would have us do. It can be frustrating to not have all the answers - to live day to day and not be able to see past tomorrow. But there is a greater purpose at work in us as we walk this path that seems to be so crooked. "God why do we seem to be wandering from this place to that? Please make our way straight (easy) so that we can give our lives purpose and direction". Some of that is a selfish request on my part. I want to enjoy a certain amount of structure and stability in my life. But I think that these moments we will later relish as moments when God was actively at work drawing us to Himself. Telling us - "Your focus and direction needs to be in Me". I read this poem yesterday that spoke to my wife and I in a powerful way:


He may wait til He explains
Because we know that Jesus reigns
It puzzles me; but, Lord You understandest
And will one day explain this crooked thing.
Meanwhile, I know that it has worked out Your best -
Its very crookeness taught me to cling.
You have fenced up my ways, made my paths crooked,
To keep my wandering eyes fixed on You,
To make me what I was not, humble, patient;
To draw my heart from earthly love to You.
So I will thank and praise You for this puzzle,
And trust where I cannot understand.
Rejoicing You do hold me worth such testing,
I cling the closer to Your guiding hand.

There are times when I bow my head to pray, not really knowing what to say or really even having the words to speak to my Heavenly Father. In these times I think it's enough to reach up and simply say, "Father, it's me".