My Hands Hurt

Sometimes saying goodbye hurts my hands.

I tend to grip those I love so tightly that, when they leave, God has to tear them from my bony fingers.  You think I would have learned my lesson. 

Well, it's happening once again.  Freedom River's Associate Pastor Jamie Havlicsek, his wife Cara Shey and their brand-new baby girl Emerson are moving on.  

The Lord has used them to do some great things at our goofy little church.  Their role in the growth and maturity of our Youth is hard to describe.  God has also blessed Jamie with some amazing talents, especially in graphic arts and music.  With her beautiful voice, Cara Shey has been a huge part of our Worship Team.  There will be a huge hole at FRCC when they leave.

But most of all, we'll miss them because they are our friends.

Goodbyes are never easy.  Luke writes in Acts 20:36-38 about Paul's tearful farewell to the Ephesian elders.  

They knelt.  

They prayed.  

They cried.  

They hugged.  

They hurt.  

Commentators say it was "considerable weeping" and that they "threw themselves on Paul's neck."  Apparently, saying goodbye hurt their hands too.

As followers of Christ, it's OK to hurt when someone you love moves on.  We just have to lean on Jesus all the more at times like these.

Still, sometimes saying goodbye hurts my hands. 

The Big 5-0

"50".  

It's an interesting number.  Half a hundred.  It's the number of... 

-states in the Union.  

-ways to leave your lover.

-first dates in Barrymore/Sandler movie.

-cents in a rapper's name.

-Cardinal pitcher Adam Wainwright's jersey.

As of Saturday May 3rd, it's now my age.

Do I feel any different?  Nope, not really.  Actually feel better now than I have in years.

Recently, my grandmother celebrated her 94th birthday.  Her sister is two years older.  So rather than worry about heading to the twilight years, I probably ought to see my life as only half over.

Hey, Moses didn't really get started until he was 80!

Are You Talkin' to Me?

There he was, minding his own business.  Doing his farm chores like any other morning.  Making sure he was out of sight of the occupying enemy army.  He wanted no piece of that action.  Hey, he's a farmer, not a fighter.

Suddenly, he realizes he's not alone.  No, it's not an enemy soldier.  It's...GULP...the Angel of the Lord!  And if that's not crazy enough, the Angel greets the young farmer, "The Lord is with you, mighty warrior!"

"Are you talkin' to me?" 

"Mighty warrior?" Gideon thought.  "You've got the wrong guy.  My name's Gideon, 'fearful farmer.'  Not 'mighty warrior.'"

Nope.  Gideon's wrong.  He is EXACTLY who the Lord is looking for.  Because when Jesus is on our side, we always have the enemy outnumbered.  Always.

So when you least expect, you might want to look over your shoulder.  You never know when the Lord might be calling you, "mighty warrior."

"Are you talkin' to me?"

Maybe so.

Check out Judges 6 when you have a chance.

iLove My iPod

iLove my iPod.  

This wonderful little gadget has opened an amazing new world to me.  Not long after getting my first Nano (yeah, I'm already on iPod #2), I realized that this probably belonged in every worship leader's toolbox.  I mean, I actually carry around my ENTIRE music library wherever I go.  Sure makes praise band practices go much more smoothly.  No more "Oops, I forgot to bring that CD with me" excuses.

iLove my iPod.

And as they say in those Ginsu Knife commercials, "but that's not all!"

The iPod has allowed me to hear some of the great preachers of the 21st Century.  Every week I hear Andy Stanley, Mark Driscoll, Pete Briscoe, Stephen Davey, Craig Groeschel and John Piper...without ever leaving the state!

iLove my iPod.

iThink iLove my iPod a little too much. 

Life Is Hard, God Is Good

Election season is the season of promises. Candidates continually crank out one promise after another. "I promise to cut your taxes." "I promise to save Social Security." "I promise to protect America from terrorists." "I promise to end the war." It's been said that we should vote for the the politician that promises the least...they'll be the least disappointing!

On the other hand, promises fill the pages of the Bible. Some estimate the number of promises in Scripture at more than 5-thousand. Honestly, that number doesn't matter. The more important number is 100...as in God keeps 100 percent of His promises. God is not only a promise maker, but a promise keeper.

In 1 Thessalonians 2:17-3:13, Paul proclaims three promises. Each of them flowing from the main idea: Life is hard, God is good.

The first is the Promise of Pain. That's one promise in the Bible that we don't talk about very much. I don't hear too many folks "claiming" this promise! Paul sent Timothy to encourage the Thessalonians as they endured tremendous persecution. The apostles writes, "you know that such troubles are going to happen" (3:3). The word "trouble" is the Greek word "thlipsis," which carries a sense of suffering through external oppression. Let's call it "crushing pressure."

Paul say that this crushing pressure is "going to happen." The NASB says "we have been destined for this." The Amplified reads that this is "our appointed lot." The Message renders "It's part of our calling." This crushing pressure is our destiny. It's our divine appointment. It's part of our calling. In other words, it's unavoidable.

Suffering is a mega-theme throughout the Bible. Everywhere you look, people are in pain. A couple of quick examples. Paul and Barnabas tell the new churches that "they must enter into the Kingdom of God through many tribulations" (Acts 14:22). Jesus Himself told His disciples, "Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows" (John 16:33). In both cases, it's that same word "thlipsis." Crushing pressure.

Here's the bad news. Life is hard. We will ALL suffer. Every last one of us. Believer and unbeliever. It's doesn't matter. The good news. God is good.

Next, Paul proclaims the Promise of Perseverance. He worries that the Tempter (Satan) has "gotten the best of you and that all our work had been useless." The Tempter is CONSTANTLY tempting each one of us. Oh, he's good. He knows the best bait to lure and tempt us. But you don't have to give in. He used his best bait on Jesus Himself. But Christ never caved. Ever. And because stood strong, He's right there helping us when we're tempted (Heb 2:18).

This is all part of the process known as sanctification. That's the process each Christ-follower is undergoing. God is molding us into the image of Jesus. And it's a life-long process. It started when God got a hold of your life. It won't end until this life is over. The problem is sanctification is hard. But it's worth it.

Life is hard. God is good.

Finally, Paul proclaims the Promise of His Presence. He refers to "that day when our Lord Jesus comes" (3:13). Jesus IS coming back! It's not a fairy tale. It's no pipe dream. It's not wishful thinking. It's not something Christians made up to get themselves through hard times. A quick survey of the New Testament reveals 23 specific references to Jesus' return. Christ Himself explicity spoke His Second Coming at least 14 times! We dont' know how, when or where...but Jesus is coming back. Paul is telling the Thessalonians to stand strong, hang in there, it's worth.

Life is hard. God is good.

So what do we do with all this? As we said before, will ALL suffer. But we do have a choice. We can suffer alone. Or we can suffer with Jesus at our side, giving us the strength to persevere. As we look forward to His return, should we sell everything, move to Montana and wait on some mountain? Absolutley not! We stay right here and share the love and grace of Jesus with a lost and dying world. And we encourage our brothers and sisters in the family of God to hang in there.

Life is hard. God is good.

From sermon at Freedom River CC on April 27, 2008.

Walk This Way

Let's go for a walk. And why not? We see walking as a metaphor for life as we step through Scripture. In 1st Thessalonians 2:1-12, Paul gives us "walking lessons" as he teaches the Thessalonians how to "Walk This Way". Hey, he was ahead of Stephen Tyler and Aerosmith by a couple of millenia.

First, we're to Walk This Way with Transparency. Paul writes to the Thessalonians that "we were not preaching with any deceit or impure purposes or trickery" (1Thess 2:3). Apparently, the apostle's critics told the church that it was all just a scam, just some spiritual slight of hand. They charged that Paul had a hidden agenda. He fires back and says nothing could be further from the truth. He and his team were absolutely and utterly transparent when they ministered in Thessalonica.

The apostle wasn't concerned about pleasing anyone except God. As a matter of fact, Paul was more than happy to let the Lord be his supernatural cardiologist. "He is the one who examines the motives of our hearts" (2:4). We're transparent before God. We're transparent before you.

Secondly, we're to Walk This Way with Integrity. His integrity was seen in the way he didn't accept payment from the church for his ministry to them. Paul pulled double shifts making tents, "night and day we toiled to earn a living" (2:9) so he wouldn't be a financial burden to them. He didn't want money to get in the way of the Gospel. The message of Jesus is too important. Paul goes so far as to say "we were pure and honest and faultless" in their dealings with the Thessalonians (2:10).

Thirdly, we are to Walk This Way in Community. The apostle writes that "we gave you not only God's Good News but our own lives, too" (2:8). Paul and his team didn't just show up like consultants, pass along a few pithy comments and move on. No, they invest their lives into this church. As a matter of fact, the word "lives" is actually "psuche" in Greek, which means not just life, but heart and soul as well. He also reminds them "we worked among you" (2:9). Not "at you," not "to you," not "near you." They worked AMONG the Thessalonians, in their midst.

He continues this idea of walking in relationship by writing, "We pleaded with you, encouraged you, and urged you to live your lives in a way that God would consider worthy" (2:12). The phrase "to live your lives" is probably better translated as "to walk around." It's actually the same word the Bible uses to describe Jesus walking on the water. We're to live life on the move.

But we don't walk alone. Jesus promises to never leave us on our own (Matt 28:20). And we are to provide encouragment to one another. I love the idea of encouragement. It literally means "to put courage into someone." It's translated from the Greek word "parakaleo." And it carries with it a strong sense of coming alongside someone when they need it the most. The Holy Spirit is referred to as the Paraklete, the One who comes alongside and encourages.

We're to Walk This Way...TOGETHER! There are no Lone Ranger Christians (hey, even Kimosabe had Tonto). We need each other. God Himself said "It's not good for the man to be alone" (Gen 2:18). Get plugged into a local church. Get involved in a small group. You need them. They need you.

Paul is calling us to Walk This Way...
with Transparency
with Integrity
in Community.

Now, let's get to walking!

From sermon at Freedom River CC on April 13, 2008.

Something’s Gotta Give

Look around. There’s somebody in the room. Or should I say something. It’s an 800 lb. gorilla of money and giving in the local church. So often, churches approach the topic at extremes. Either they never talk about it. Or they put their people on a HUGE guilt trip.

But let’s face facts. The issue of money and giving cannot and must not be avoided. It also must not be abused. You see, Jesus talked about our money more than He talked about heaven and hell combined.

Paul addressed giving in his second letter to the Corinthians. A year earlier, they had heard of the desperate financial situation of the church in Jerusalem. The early Christians in Israel’s capital were under tremendous persecution. As a result, they were broke and needed help. The much-wealthier Corinthians offered to help. In 2nd Corinthians 9, Paul let’s them know that he’ll soon be heading to Jerusalem, so they should get their money together.

In 2nd Corinthians 9:6-15, God gives us 5 principles for Grace Giving.

I. God calls us to give LAVISHLY (v6)
Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. (2Corinthians 9:6 NIV)

Remember: A stingy planter gets a stingy crop; a lavish planter gets a lavish crop. (2Corinthians 9:6 The Message)

God calls us to give LAVISHLY because He is a LAVISH Giver.

Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us… (Ephesians 3:20 NIV)

You can’t out give God!

II. God calls us to give INTENTIONALLY (v7a)
Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. (2Corinthians 9:7 NIV)

When Paul writes “decided in his heart,” that simply means that your offering is between you and Jesus. That's why it's called Grace Giving! It's a heart issue. Remember Jesus words in the Sermon on the Mount:

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:21 NIV)

We need to make up your mind and be intentional. Plan and purpose to give. That means planning AHEAD of time. Uh oh, there's the "b" word...BUDGET! We need to remember that under the principle of Grace Giving, the tithe is standard or guideline. It is NOT a legalistic requirement.

I invite you to take the test God describes in the book of Malachi.

“Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house. Test Me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.” (Malachi 3:10 NIV)

You see, 90% with God goes further than 100% without Him.

Let's be clear about what giving to God is NOT...
-It is NOT “Powerball for Jesus”
-God NOT some divine vending machine
-It is NOT the price of admission to church
-It is NOT a way to pay for music, the sermon, or childcare
-It is NOT tipping Jesus
You CAN’T bribe God. Remember: Jesus looks at heart

God calls us to give INTENTIONALLY because He is an INTENTIONAL Giver.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11 NIV)

You can’t out give God!

III. God calls us to give HILARIOUSLY (v7b)
Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. (2Corinthians 9:7 NIV)

God calls us to give willingly...not out of guilt. He's less concerned about WHAT we give and more concerned about WHY we give.

God LOVES a cheerful giver. I mean, He's absolutely CRAZY about cheerful givers. The Greek word for cheerful is actually "hilarious". Yup, that's right. Jesus wants us to be hilarious givers.

God calls us to give HILARIOUSLY because He is a HILARIOUS Giver.

He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all—how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things? (Romans 8:32 NIV)

You can’t out give God!

IV. God calls us to give RELENTLESSLY (v8)
And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. (2Corinthians 9:8 NIV)

"God is able" doesn't sound very "Almighty" to me. Once again, our English translations don't do justice to the richness of the original text. It actually means that God is AMAZINGLY and POWERFULLY able. Let me take a stab at translating one of my favorite verses in the Bible.

And God is amazingly and powerfully able to overflow all grace and resources to you, so that in all things and at all times, and possessing all that is necessary, you may overflow in every excellent work. (2Corinthians 9:8 Jay’s Translation)

God calls us to give RELENTLESSLY, because He is a RELENTLESS Giver.

And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:19 NIV)

You can’t out give God!

V. Be a fire hose of God’s grace (v9-14)
As it is written: "He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor; his righteousness endures forever." (2Corinthians 9:9 NIV)

Or as Eugene Peterson paraphrases it in The Message...

As one psalmist puts it, he throws caution to the winds, giving to the needy in reckless abandon. His right-living, right-giving ways never run out, never wear out. (2Corinthians 9:9 The Message)

Here's the scoop. God gives to us so that we can give. We're blessed to be a blessing. Jesus explains the responsibility of being the recipient of divine blessing.

From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked. (Luke 12:48 NIV)

VI. God calls us to give SACRIFICIALLY (v15)
Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift! (2Corinthians 9:15 NIV)

God gave His one & only Son Jesus ...an AMAZING, indescribable sacrifice!

“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16 NIV)

God calls us to give SACRIFICIALLY because He is a SACRIFICAL Giver.

You can’t out give God!

VII. God is the ULTIMATE Giver
God is a…
-LAVISH…
-INTENTIONAL…
-HILARIOUS…
-RELENTLESS…
-SACRIFICIAL Giver

You can’t out give Him. He’s an extravagant Giver and He DARES YOU to try to out give Him. Take the 3 month tithe challenge. Pledge to give your first 10% to God for the next three months. I promise you that two things will happen. First of all, Satan will immediately try to discourage you. Secondly, God will bless you in such a way that He'll blow your socks off. Somehow. Someway.

But as my good friend John Logan says, "If you haven’t given yourself to God, He doesn’t want your money." Have you given yourself to Jesus?

God is an extravagant Giver…and He’s making us into His image! And that means He's making us into givers too. God doesn’t need your money. He wants your HEART!

From sermon at Freedom River CC on March 9, 2008.