Feel Fantastic, Refresh Yourself

According to Rain Wilson's web-site, this beautiful little dispenser was found in a men's restroom somewhere in Arizona. I thought it was pretty awesome and am currently trying to find where I can order one for Desperation Church's Men's restroom.

Wouldn't it be great if you KNEW you were going to get refreshed and feel fantastic each time you went to church?

Wouldn't it be great if you could truly 'feel fantastic' and 'refresh yourself' for only twenty-five cents?

Truthfully, going to church won't always be 'refreshing' and attending services isn't always 'fantastic', is it? I find that one gets out of something what they are willing to put into it.

Sometimes we look at life as a choice between following Jesus or being happy, but it's really not that way at all. In fact, I'd suggest that we can't be truly happy without following Him. When Jesus gave His sermon on the mountainside, He said, "How blessed are the poor in spirit... How blessed are the meek... How blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness... How blessed are those who make peace" (Matthew 5:3-9). That's a lot of blessedness. Although this sermon is translated from the Greek language, Jesus was Jewish, which means that He knew Hebrew as well. The word for "blessed" in Hebrew is ashrey. It doesn't just mean "blessed"; it also means "happy," or literally, "How happy!".

Ashrey actually comes from a root Hebrew word for "straight" or "right." I find that interesting, because in the end, the way of happiness and the way of righteousness always turn out to be the same path.

Do we want to 'feel fantastic'? Do we want to 'refresh ourselves'? Do we want to be happy? Then maybe we should stop seeking happiness. Perhaps we should seek righteousness instead? Seek what is right, believe what is right, receive what is right, do what is right, walk in what is right, live by what is right. Didn't Jesus say that all the rest would be added unto us? What if God's way is really the way of true joy? I honestly think that if we'll follow it,... we'll be blessed, and not only blessed, but happy... and not only happy, but we'll actually be able to say, "Ashrey!" (How happy!) - with an exclamation point!

Wow... feeling fantastic... experiencing total refreshment... and it won't happen in a restroom, or even cost twenty-five cents. Pretty sweet!

John 4:23

In my morning devotion I read an old Jewish story that tells of a mute shepherd boy who slips into the back of a synagogue toward the end of the Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) service. He is totally frustrated that he cannot join in with the fervent prayers of the Holy Day. The service approaches its climax as the entire congregation cries out seven times, "Adonai Hu HaElohim!" (the Lord, He is God). At this exact moment the shepherd boy pulls from his pocket a little whistle that he had carved from a peach pit to call his sheep. At the final repetition of the mighty declaration, he lets out a shrill blast that lingers long after the words end. The congregation gasps in unison and gazes at him in horror. He has desecrated this holy moment! But the wise old rabbi smiles at the lad. "Finally," he says, "we are ready to end the service, because we have prayed with all our heart."

This mute kid was worshipping with what the Jews call, 'kavvanah'.

You see, the form of prayer is important, but kavvanah - the heart's intention to worship God - is indispensable. I believe that we are all involved in a constant struggle to maintain kavvanah in the midst of our busy routines and schedules. Sometimes even religious routine can inhibit kavvanah. But like the old rabbi, we must recognize that some "distractions" may actually serve to draw us closer to God. Some "distractions" might be perfectly appropriate... when they come from hearts of those who authentically love and adore God.

May I care way more about the God I'm worshipping than the way I worship.

May I be open to the unexpected people or events that may come to shake up my little routine and restore my focus on the true Love of my life, Jesus Christ.

Today, may nothing else matter to me in comparison to my deepest desire, which is to hang out (fellowship, abide, cling to, intimately commune) with the Lord - Adonai.

"Everything in me waits for Adonai more than guards on watch wait for morning (Psalm 130:6).

Two Birds With One Stone

I rode my motorcycle to work today. A drive that should have taken me 5 minutes took me 30 minutes. Why? Because, I accomplished two important goals with one simple ride. But before I get into that, let me explain...

Thursdays are my study day. I seclude myself in my study and I pour into the Bible and various other books that help me understand this supernaturally unique Book.

Can I be real honest? It's a day that I totally love... and at the same time, sorta dread.

I love it because reading God's Word is something that I've always thought was cool. I truly believe that the Bible is God's Love Letter and that it has the distinctive power to speak to right where I'm living... today. I dread this day too, because I find that I'm often reading and studying for the express purpose of making it clear for others... and not for my personal edification or enjoyment. With that comes a serious measure of 'stress' and a number of questions: 'Will this make sense to anyone other than me?' 'Am I interpreting this correctly?' 'Who am I going to offend this time if I reveal what I'm truly finding here?'

I suppose over the years the love of studying has out-weighed the dread of it. Perhaps due to the fact that, even in the midst of in-depth study, serious stress, and heart-felt questioning... God seems to always speak directly to me. He consistently encourages me. He constantly convicts me. He faithfully shows up... to be with me.

So... I sorta dread it. But I mostly love it.

When Jesus arrived in a city called, Bethany with many of His disciples (Luke 10:38), Martha knew that she was going to have a lot of work to do. In her culture, women often measured their worth by how well they performed "women's chores" like cooking and cleaning.

But Mary chose to sit at Jesus' feet and listen to His teaching, remember? In her culture, people sat on chairs for normal occasions or reclined on couches for banquets. Folks only sat "in the dust" at someones feet (as rabbis put it) if they were that person's disciple. Mary was, therefore, making a pretty radical statement, because women were not supposed to become disciples according to the culture of the day. Women were rarely trained as disciples. In one recorded exception, Beruryah (the wife of Rabbi Meir), had became so well educated that she was like a rabbi herself. Nevertheless, most men would not listen to her simply because she was a woman. Jesus, however, welcomes Mary as His disciple, to learn at His feet.

Remember how Martha wanted help with the chores, but Jesus commended Mary for seeking to be a disciple? "Mary has chosen the right thing, and it won't be taken away from her"(Luke 10:42).

Too often we are like Martha, consumed by the things our culture demands that we accomplish. What if Jesus wants us, most of all, to take the time to learn at His feet - to be His disciples?

I think a disciple's main goal is to become like their rabbi (teacher), not to simply gather information in order to teach it to others.

This is a huge issue with me... and I'd be willing to bet with other persons who are required to teach, preach, and share the Gospel Message. I firmly believe that I must be a man who sits at the feet of Jesus in order to, first and foremost, become like Him as I learn from Him what He's trying to teach ME. Secondly, I take those truths and do my best, with the help of the Spirit of Jesus, to make them applicable to those He's put in my life.

I rode my motorcycle to work today. A drive that should have taken me 5 minutes took me 30 minutes. Why? Because, I accomplished two important goals with one simple ride:

First, I got myself to work. This is a practical necessity for me. I've got to get to my place of employment. Riding a motorcycle helps me do this in a very cost-effective way.

Second, I enjoyed the ride. On a beautiful day like today, I can just soak up nature. I feel the freedom of the air whipping me in my face. I have no radio, no cell phone, nothing but a few moments of quiet, which leads to a perfect environment for a much-needed conversation with God.

Is it possible to kill two birds with one stone? Sure it is. I'm finding that it's as I study, as I sit at the Master's feet, that I not only am being fed personally, but I'm also able to learn things that I can hopefully pass on to others.

However, the goal for such times is to simply be with, and be like, my Jesus.

Selah

What Are You Waving This Flag Day?

Maybe you didn’t know this, but in the United States, Flag Day is celebrated on June 14. It commemorates the adoption of the flag of the United States, which happened on that day by resolution of the Second Continental Congress in 1777. In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson issued a proclamation that officially established June 14 as Flag Day; in August 1949, National Flag Day was established by an Act of Congress.

Happy Flag-Day! Most folks don’t care much for Flag Day, the gift openings are too predictable.

This morning I was doing a Messianic Jewish devotion, and read Romans 15:20 in the Jewish New Testament: “I have always made it my ambition to proclaim the Good News where the Messiah was not yet known”. The word ‘ambition’ stuck out to me, because I find that people can be pretty ambitious about a lot of things; To some, reaching specific goals in their careers is what is most important. To others it might be some sports aspiration or perhaps seeing their children succeed in a certain area. To still others it might simply be obtaining a certain relationship with someone special. One of these objectives might not be better than the other, but when all is said and done, the question that really seems to count is whether we have lifted Jesus, the Messiah, to the place of highest importance in our lives?

There was a Messianic Jewish leader who lived in Russia in the nineteenth-century, named Joseph Rabinowitz. Reading his stuff today, I found how he radically expressed the ambition of his life with a simple story. I want to share it with you in his own words:

“My position is to be compared with one who went out to the ocean in a ship and suffered a shipwreck with all on board. Now all of those who are shipwrecked try to get to some firm ground on which to save themselves. If one after struggling for life finds a rock, the moment he feels he is on firm ground, he will shout to those still struggling in the sea. And if some are beyond the reach of his voice, he will try to raise something – a stick or flag – to attract their attention and call them to head for the rock. Now that is my position. Russia is like the ocean, the Jews there are like shipwrecked people, and since, by God’s mercy, my feet are on the Rock [Yeshua], I have tried to do what that person I spoke of tried to do. I am shouting to my shipwrecked people to come to the Rock.”

Here it is, June 14th, 2010 – Flag Day. What if we saw this as another opportunity to be reminded that we are to have a revolutionary ambition to wave a flag for the cause of Jesus Christ to this drowning world we live in? What if we were even a bit fanatical about it?

Do you think I’m being too extreme?

Did you know that being a fanatic about the flag is nothing to be ashamed of? On this date, June 14, 1908 Theodore Roosevelt was dining outside Philadelphia, when he noticed a man wiping his nose with what he thought was the American Flag. In outrage, Roosevelt picked up a small wooden rod and began to whip the man for "defacing the symbol of America." After about five or six strong whacks, he noticed that the man was not wiping his nose with a flag, but with a blue handkerchief with white stars. Upon realization of this, he apologized to the man, but hit him once more for making him "riled up with national pride."*

Gang, today may we get a little bit riled up and remember that we are called to signal to the shipwrecked people God lets us meet that Jesus is the Rock on which it is safe to build their lives. I pray our arms would get incredibly sore from waving the right flag today.

*americanhistory.suite101.com/article.cfm/usa_flag_day_june_14

WARNING: This Blog Could Disturb You... it does me.

So, there's a new movie coming out. Before you read this blog, you might want to watch the trailer. Just click here.

We live in a strange, difficult, and dare I say "wonderful" season to be a God-follower. It seems that there was a time when bashing religion and those who believe in something unseen was only done in a small number of circles within a minority of lecture halls of hardly any Universities. That is no longer the case. Multitudes of people are not satisfied with merely walking away from formalized religion, but are dead-set on exposing it's perceived falseness to the world. Hours upon hours are exhausted in this pursuit, and in some cases millions of dollars are spent.

How do we stand against such an onslaught of cynicism?

Perhaps a better question is, "How can we expect our children/the next generation to stand under this barrage, when it seems to only be growing rapidly by the day?" Fast forward ten years. What is Christianity going to look like? Who'll be left that's under 30?

I've been working nights at a second job. I'm blown away by how many young people come into my workplace that I know. You see, a number of years ago I taught at a local Christian School in the town that I am now working (Excelsior Springs, Missouri). The school was ultra legalistic and my wife and I felt we should pull our kids and that I needed to distance myself from it. A few months later the entire school just went away for other absurd reasons (but that's another story). Anyway,... I'm seeing all these students that I used to teach. They walk in and recognize me and we begin talking about where they are at. Do you know that I have not met even one that is currently attending church. Three that I've met are living with their boyfriend/girlfriend. All of them are pretty much done with God. These were 'Christian' kids.

I suggest that what we've done... what we're doing... isn't working.

I know. Let's try and make Jesus 'cooler'... more 'hip'... more 'relevant'. Oops, wait a second... we tried that and now the skeptics are making fun of us too. Whether its in their late-night cartoons (ie. 'The Simpsons', 'Family Guy', 'Southpark'), their stand-up routines, or their 'mockumentaries' (ie. Bill Maher's 'Religulous') we're taking quite a beating.

Listen to these quotes from the aforementioned Bill Maher:

"Faith means making a virtue out of not thinking. It's nothing to brag about. And those who preach faith and enable and elevate it are intellectual slave holders, keeping mankind in a bondage to fantasy and nonsense that has spawned and justified so much lunacy and destruction."

"Religion is dangerous because it allows human beings who don't have all the answers to think that they do. Most people would think it's wonderful when someone says, 'I'm willing Lord, I'll do whatever you want me to do.' Except that since there are no gods actually talking to us, that void is filled in by people with their own corruptions and limitations and agendas."

Do you hear how certain he is? How he comes off sounding like the garbage coming out of his face is fact? Do you see why I use words like 'barrage' and 'onslaught'? Our generation is not just being bombarded with a message to 'sin'... they're being stormed with a message that God is not only a figment of imagination, but you're an idiot if you believe in Him.

So what do we do?

I'm not sure, but I've got some thoughts. I know I'm not going down without a fight. I know I'm not letting my kids and future grandkids get sucked into this without preparing them for the battle that lies ahead for them. I know that I need help. I know that I need to pray more than I do. I know that I need to stop screwing around with the unimportant and wake up to the fact that the enemy of God is kicking our ***. I know that being authentic and having a genuine relationship with Jesus - that supersedes a mere facade - is desperately needed to be what is seen in me by my kids.

So yeah... I do believe it is a strange, difficult, and even "wonderful" season to be a God-follower. I think that because in the midst of all of this, God has been showing His great love and care for us by interrupting our lives and admonishing us to wake up, grow up, man up and walk this thing out like never before,... like lives actually depended on it.

The thing is, gang: They do.