The Voice of God...from the Church Parking Lot

Given as our church gatherings take place on Sunday nights, I find myself often out and about working on Sunday mornings to prepare matters for the evening.  Inevitably I see so much that is going on around town on a Sunday.  It is a vantage point I enjoy in my incessant processing of matters of this new community I live in.  Of course with my passion and desire to see Christ glorified in, around, over, under, and through ALL THINGS, I love seeing the number or cars in the parking lots of those true Bible-based churches in my community.  It is evidence that there is likely a good amount of biblical content being taught, and songs sung, and relationships built and service opportunities being fulfilled.  And in these things I rejoice.

What's in a Name?

No matter where you currently are they are all around you.  The NAMES of so many brands and products whose logos you recognize are always all around us.  And without any statement being vocalized, we hear all of these various names and brand shouting for our attention.  They are ever in competition with one another. 

Kanye West and Standing Up - the Yeezus Tour

 

I wasn't there when it happened, so excuse some of my massive ignorance on the matter.  However, when I heard of news that rapper Kanye West halted his show recently in Australia and demanded that everyone stand up, I perked up.  It isn't so exceptional a thing to perceive.  After all, I have been to concerts and heard some seemingly far less self-absorbed artists requesting the same of their respective audiences.  But the news that he stopped the show altogether as two people in the massive audience weren't standing made me a bit curious.  Apparently as he continued to call them out and they refused to stand he got all the more agitated.  But there was a fundamental problem: neither of the two WERE ABLE to stand.  In fact the prosthetic limb one of them eventually held up helped indicate the inability.  While the shiny wheels likely glistening from the reflection of the stage lights, if not Kanye's bling, from the wheelchair in which this show-goer sat, indicated to all others the inability to stand.

But Kanye apparently hadn't noticed this.  And so he persisted that they stand, until this news was made apparent to him.  I wasn't there, but oh I wish I had been able to view this.  And while I know little of the scene, and less of the man, it has struck me as to how this entire picture appears but a microcosm of something much larger.  

This show (in Australia) was one of a larger tour simply known as the "Yeezus Tour."  It doesn't take anyone with any simple working knowledge of pop culture to know that Kanye West seems to have some significant desire to put himself up against Jesus.  The name of the tour certainly indicates something of that.  Further, he has been known to dress up an individual like Jesus who at one point during the concert walks out on stage.  It's been said by those who follow West and follow his tour that his efforts are not to glorify Christ, but rather to make a full out mockery of Christ.  Whether or not that is the case I do not know.  I can only say that there are significant inconsistencies between the Christ I read about and the Kanye West I read about that would at least lead me to question whether or not he really is a Christian as he says.  I am at least led to wonder if then West's efforts are really more self-driven, rather than an effort to glorify Christ.  To which, if I, or you, or anyone has to wonder, Kanye West needs to clarify his stance because of all these inconsistencies, since then his message is not being clearly understood.

So hear me when I say that this whole picture (and tour for that matter) strikes me as every bit ironic.  Kanye West is not worthy of glory and honor such that men, mortals every bit LIKE HIM, should stand up and essentially praise him.  Indeed, the words of this man were not effective to bring all to their feet in his presence.  Some just weren't able in that moment to rise up and praise him.  

I see something marvelous in Scripture about Jesus.  When he crossed the broken, the lame, the crippled...He HEALED THEM.  He and He alone was able to get anyone and everyone to stand in HIS PRESENCE.  That very fact speaks to some infinitely greater power in Jesus than in this one of the "Yeezus" Tour.  And as Jesus went on His way He was ever compassionate to meet people in their misery, brokenness, and pain.  It was this compassion of Jesus that is so bright shining, and unique, and powerful, all of which makes the lights and lasers of a Kanye West show appear as darkness at best. 

Kanye tried, he persisted, he put all else on hold in effort to get the two to stand.  But their limitations made his command appear ineffectual.  It is because Kanye West is a human and by definition then, ineffectual (at least unto getting what he demanded in this case).  And even stopping his singing, his dancing, his music, his everything to focus on getting these two to stand still did not enable him to bring about what he demanded. 

But the limitations of Jesus' audience never got in the way of the desire Jesus had to get them standing.  Jesus' power not only healed, but even caused the dead to come back to life, without even being near the deceased (Mark. 9:18-26).  And when the "tour of Jesus" stopped and one in his audience was dead, Jesus could use His own voice and speak and cause the dead to rise (John 11:43-44).  And even as Jesus was doing all this, He didn't have to pause His ability to keep the hearts of those around Him beating.  Nor did He have to cease to "hold together" the universe by His power (Col. 1:17).  Jesus was able to focus on everything on a massive, galactic, spiritual and physical, temporal and eternal scale, and even then was still able to bring about the resurrection of life in Lazarus. 

And so it stands for this, and an infinite number more reasons that Jesus rules and reigns and will do so forever and ever.  Indeed the picture of the coming day where "every knee will bow, and every tongue confess[ing] that Jesus Christ is LORD" is a most powerful one that daily Kanye West needs to consider.  And the reality is, I need to consider it, and you need to consider it.  And then we all need to ask for grace to learn to live in light of it.  This is the good news: Christ has no equal.  And He stands alone worthy of all glory and honor and praise.  So stand up and PRAISE JESUS!

 

Your "Christian" Faith is Too Safe

I've been a Christian for a good number of years now.  I have met a lot of Christians.  We like to do Christian things.  We like to get together and talk about Christianity, about the world in which we live and how in light of that we are to live out our Christian faith.  We like to listen to Christian radio stations.  We have enjoyed reading our Christian books.  We attend our Christian colleges.  And we like to attend church and learn about how to become better Christians.

Looking in the Face of Darkness

The following is my reflection after sitting down and having a deep, detailed discussion with an individual who has been immensely hurt by others and by self.  I found my heart far more gripped than my head by what I can only describe as the "Darkness" I felt like I was looking into.  The following is a brief reflection over what still causes my heart immense pain...and HOPE!!!

Stepping Outside the Moment to Gain a Longer Term Perspective

I love riding my bike.  I can't get enough of it.  There is rarely a day that goes by where I don't ride my bike.  I ride in all conditions, not just when the weather is optimal.  And I seek to get better at it.  Years ago I connected a speedometer/odometer to my bike which also has the capacity to measure my cadence as well as heart rate.  This is how a biker, or wanna-be biker can get better.  By assessing some or all of the aforementioned I can find if indeed I am improving and focus on areas in which I need to really direct more discipline.

I'd Be Stupid Not To

I remember well the first time I saw her.  I was exceptionally moved.  I couldn't help but be overwhelmed in that moment.  There I looked at her and with some hesitation I approached her.  But I had to approach her, she caused me to marvel.  Then I decided rather than just stand there and gawk, I'd probably do well to say something.  And so I began.  I tried not to show my awkwardness and just speak, but I couldn't help but fumble a bit over my words.  Her presence had captivated me.  And as the brief introductory window we had to meet one another had ended, I found myself longing for another chance to meet with her and talk and get to know her better.  I would not be content to do anything but pursue after her. 

Nobody Believes Me

I am a broken record.  And the revolving of this record on the turn-table of life plays one tune: the Supremacy of Jesus.  I marvel again and again and again at the brilliance of Jesus, with the slight window through which I have been able to look and gain but glimpses of Him.  And still I marvel.  He is more brilliant and bright-shining than I ever knew.  

Walking Wounded

i walk alone
with my gait a bit less fluid
make no mistake
this walk has left me wounded

few know the pains i feel
so very real, as they tear my flesh apart
where in my heart
the burdens go deep and wide
and crash down upon me like a rolling tide

see, few understand the levels of hurt i bear
because i go from here to there
and give of myself
divesting of health and wealth

and as people walk away 
not committing in the least bit to what they think and say
they want to be a part of
but who don't dare to love
to the degree
i see (in the Word)
their walking away rips me apart with claws
and feels like the sentence of death handed down from the law

yet here i have found
that riches abound
in a manner
so far grander
because i behold a great glimpse
where here hints
and shades
of what purpose He's made
cause me to know HIM
which moves me to show HIM
even as here I really, deeply, more expediently, and truthfully grow in HIM

and the season
in which i am told to wait
that if i really pondered
i'd only continue to hate
is actually for my good
as I am conformed
taking what is otherwise so humanly, temporally, selfishly malformed
and causing it to be transformed
(my heart)

and here as i wait
i no longer hesitate
to marvel at the work HE performs
where in seasons of storms
the rains that fall
will one day cause a crop to grow
and that all
who look on may know
the brilliance
of the radiance
in the benevolence
OF CHRIST

and amid the slow passing of time
with the pain in my gait
still for CHRIST and CHRIST alone
will my soul faithfully wait

Our Dislike of Authority

"Authority" is not a favorite word, at least of anyone I know.  We chafe against authority in our lives at all different stages.  As a kid it was never tops on our list to subject ourselves to the dictator-like directives that mom and/or dad gave us.  Their known authority, or self-proclaimed authority was nothing more than a limiting factor on all that we felt entitled to do.  We just never seem to find any respite from the authorities over us at various stages of life.  Your boss, the police officer trailing your car down the freeway, the IRS and an endless list of others are ever imposing their authoritative grip on your time, your mind, your bank account and there is nothing you can do to change this.  We instead cry out for autonomy, and live as though we have it.

The Necessity of Reorienting Myself...Daily

I'm stuck.  I'm stuck in this world.  And I am subjected to constantly thinking in this mind I have that has so much of "this very world" all over it.  I cannot escape it.  I am stuck here.  I have known no other worlds.  I was born into this world.  I will one day die in this world.  And everything in between will be done in this world.  

Well Done Good and Faithful Son, Student, Employee...Christian?

I've always taken responsibility very seriously.  And it seemed that proportional to the power over me, I generally responded respective to the weight of the leadership above me.  For instance, I am sure I did a few things as a kid that my parents wouldn't have approved of, but overall I learned early the importance of responding to what they asked of me.  So whether it was the dishes that needed to be done, or the lawn that needed to be mowed, I generally responded very responsibly with what was entrusted to me.   Of course there was school as well.  I was never the smartest of kids, but I found out quickly that I did well to do what was asked of me in the classroom and what work was required of me outside the classroom.  These teachers I encountered at all different levels held a tremendous amount of power over me and my potential future.  Responding to what they were asking of me, in a manner that honored them would ultimately serve me well.

The Entrance Into Life

Every Wednesday you can find me there.  While my time there is pretty limited, I try to make myself available to help in any capacity I can from about 10 to 11:30am.  I usually spend my time going to visit residents, some of whom I regularly frequent, others who I may not again see.  I marvel at the stories I hear, the faces I see, the pains and the simple joys all coupled together.  There is something real that happens every time I ask questions about life that those in this particular nursing home I frequent that leaves me speechless and realizing how little I know. 

Your Jesus is Helpless

I found myself in a cafe today, when a gentleman overheard my conversation with another person and chimed in.  We were merely making small talk about bicycles.  The next thing I know I am hearing about this man's two bikes.  He went in detail about the type of tires he likes to use.  He emphasized to me the need to look into similar tires for my bike.  I just listened and spoke where I was given opportunity.  

When I Can't Work for God

Ever since the dawn of time and the constructive work of God to take some dust from the ground, form a man out of it and then breathe into him, God has designed for man to work.  There is no mistaking the purposes of God.  Adam was given a plethora of tasks: be fruitful and multiply and have dominion over some of creation (Gen 1:28), to take care of the Garden (Gen 2:15), name the animals (Gen 2:19).  This is a part of the good purposes of God in His creation.  Of course Adam and Eve, these representatives for the rest of humanity, also brought upon themselves and all thereafter the curse of God that resulted in work being difficult, and less than enjoyable (Gen 3:17-19).  But make no mistake about it, God's design includes work.

The Purpose of God's Faithfulness (observing Paul in prison)

We often give opposing things and people way too much credit for what they didn't do. We give them credit for what they haven't purposed.  We all too quickly point out the apparent sin in the lives of those who face opposition, or difficulty, because as we know and understand God, we believe living in a certain agreement with His rules seemingly provides us with an immunity to anything that is undesirable, painful, or oppressive in nature.  And we are quick to locate the specific sin in our lives for which we assume God has this cause against us for which we are apparently suffering.  But that is not necessarily the case, and indeed likely isn't at all the case. Difficult situations display something far greater than plans and purposes and results of the sinful and even our sin. 

Chasing After the Rejection of God

It is so easy to look at the failures of many of those before us at a different time and in a different place and quickly observe the folly of their foolishness.  As of late I have been reflecting on the Israelites and their freedom from Egypt.  For a group of people who saw things that nobody else ever saw they sure are quick to forget about the LORD.  Consider the ten plagues that God brought upon Egypt.  For all that could only be described as divinely miraculous, these people soon thereafter forgot about what God had done.  And though they advanced between two walls of water at the parting of the Red Sea, these same people shortly after found themselves doubting the same God who did that.  

So Many Trivial Treasures

There are many things we all chase after most of which are trivial.  So many conversations in which we engage (both internally in our minds, and externally with others) are focused on the job we work, the house we live in, the car we drive, the money we make (or wished we made), the sports we watch, the recreational activities we engage, and so many similar fleeting things.  We know better that these things don't ultimately satisfy us, but we continue going to these various "wells" of refreshment hoping that it will give us that same thrill and somehow sustain us.

When All is Stripped Away

There is rarely the time in this life where we recognize the sufficiency of God.  The fact of the matter is that we don't often have any concept of how needy we are, nor how sufficient He is.  And this is because too many of our "things" get in the way.  As the life of Moses came to an end it was Joshua who was left with the responsibility of leading the people of Israel into the promised land.  It may not seem like such a big responsibility, but consider a few things: 1) there were an estimated 1.5 to 2 million people he was leading, 2) there stood in the promised land nations and cities of people who will war against Israel, 3) Joshua had never led before, and 4) Moses, his friend, and leader is gone.  We get the indication that Joshua was exceptionally frightened by what was upon him and in front of him because three times in verses 1-9 of the first chapter of Joshua we hear these words "Be strong and courageous."  God is the one who said this and He did so because He knows what Joshua knows: that Joshua is neither strong nor courageous.

Not This Life, But the LIFE TO COME

Pain is a wonderful reminder of our vulnerability.  It exposes just how needy we are.  It grips us with a deep desire for both how things were in a day prior, and births from somewhere within a hope that one day we will find relief.  It causes us a brokenness in us where others can finally see the person who cries, who suffers, and who "can't do" the simple, mundane things previously taken for granted.  And pain exposes the innate desire of every human who has ever lived: to be happy.

Perspective on Living by Faith

If you have been a Christian for any time you have probably met them.  They are everywhere.  They are these "super-Christians" for whom everything seems to go just as they want, or as they planned.  And while maybe it doesn't (and of course it doesn't) they at least convince us that more faith is the key to our life's journey, even as theirs has been changed by such faith.  They use phrases like, "Well you need to believe more," and "Put all your faith in God," especially to encourage us on through our trying seasons.  They ultimately cause us to think that there is quite a bit less faith in us such that God will not answer us until our faith rises to a higher level.  While I believe there can be some truth to that, I do not think we understand faith rightly if that is all we can say to people.

Does Christ Really Have ALL AUTHORITY?

I have found myself wrestling with the words of Jesus from Matthew 28:18 lately where He says, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me."  I have never given much thought to these words, in fact I knew they were there but always made the verses following the focus of my attention.  But the entire commission that Christ gave unto His Apostles was based on the authority that He claimed (note: He uses the word "therefore" in v. 19 to create a link back to what He said in v. 18 about His authority).  

God's Throne: To Approach or Not to Approach?

I've never dared to during any term of a recent or current president, or felt the need to hop the fence outside the White House and go to the front door and demand to talk to the president to ask for what I wanted and needed.  Indeed, I'd probably be tackled, and afterwards face some considerable legal action against me.  Now consider: the presidency of the United States is every bit nothing in comparison to the throne of God.  There have been 44 U.S. presidents...but ONE GOD.  The office of president was first assumed in 1789...but GOD has reigned for eternity, from before time.  And every 4 years we at least hold another election to determine the next president of the U.S...but in 10 billion years GOD will remain and He will be on THE THRONE and will be on this throne FOREVER.

Consumers of What?

Nobody has to labor to prove it, we know it.  We are all consumers.  We constantly find ourselves consuming our favorite foods, our favorite shows and movies, and time with our favorite people.  Of course the world around us knows we are consumers and we feed their desire to acquire more money so they can consume as they will, when we consume what they place before us.  

But something troubles me.  Something that has been happening for sometime in the church.  The church has bought the lie that we need to appeal to the consumerism among us and go to all lengths to get people to attend at which time then we might impact their lives with our message.  I'd expect this philosophy from the world, but not of the church.  Yes, our intention is every bit on par, namely to make Christ known.  But our failure is in having way too many things up in the faces of these who consume what we place in front of them such that their sight of Christ is obstructed.  They see but a part of Christ (if they see any part at all) and while they might be intrigued by His seeming glories, they are not sure what to do with Him.  And so again they continue to consume with more readiness, in increasing measure, all the peripheral things we've put before them. 

The fact is many churches we walk into any more will say much of what they have, what they do, how to get involved.  You will likely hear more about those throughout the course of the service than of Christ.  When is the last time you walked into a church and someone said, "We have JESUS!"  And when is the last time we even asked the question, "Do they have JESUS here?"  But likely we don't ask such a question.  Maybe that is because our all-consuming propensity is engaged and satisfied, or at least distracted by things so far less than Christ.

My soul, your soul, and every soul out there is hungry and we are all hungry for the same.  We are hungry for Jesus.  I am less convinced that any sort of appeal to "consumers" needs to be done in order to connect with people.  We are already connected with so many people.  Relationships are the antidote for the poison of consumerism.  We will only continue to be consumers, there is no denying that.  But we will not cause people to get close to Christ, neither will we get close to Christ by consuming so many peripheral things.  When we put Christ on display, when He is present in our meetings, in our relationships, in all our efforts, where He becomes the object of our everything, that is when lives will be changed.  So...be sure you are consuming Jesus.  Be sure you are helping others consume Jesus.  He is everything we need and will desire, we just need to better see Him.  Learn to sift through all the things you have regularly consumed that are nothing more than a front door to viewing HIM.