Where Is God When The Chips Are Down?

It's so easy to believe that God is with us when things are going well. We readily acknowledge that he loves us and always has our best interest at heart. We say things like "He has all the hairs on our head numbered" and "if God is for us, who can be against us".

Then when things get a little tough our tendency is to be like "Oh God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me!" That's right, we even get religious enough to pray in King James.

Why do we do this? And where is God when the chips are down?

Maybe the answer actually has a lot to do with the chips. Not Lays or buffalo. In case you were wondering, "When the chips are down" is a reference to betting. What do we do when the chips get low and we are losing? How do we respond and react?

Well that depends what kind of hand you have. If you have a royal flush, which is the best poker hand possible, then you bet it all and don't sweat it because you can't lose. If you are holding a pair of Kings you might have some confidence but most people would still sweat it, especially when the chips are down.

Well as of today, the chips are officially down. The Blue Chips that is. While our economy has been shaky to say the least, today we saw the largest single drop in the Dow in history. As a result, there are many people who are struggling and some that are surely asking the question "God where are you?"

So what do we do when the chips are down? Well to go back to the earlier illustration, it depends on what you are holding. What is it that you are trusting in? Do you have a sure thing? If our trust is in anything other than Christ, it's time to sweat.

If our hope and trust is in Christ alone then we simply cannot lose. Now this might sound like the trite, idealistic answer but I don't think so. I think it is actually very realistic and it is times like these that show us where our treasure truly is.

I mean what is the worst case scenario in a situation like this? You might think "well our economy collapses and we see times equal to the great depression." That could be a realistic concern I guess, but again, where is our trust? I can't help but think about the fact that even if I were to lose my house and what little savings I have, I would still be better off than how some brothers and sisters live on a regular basis.

At our church, we are currently in the process of helping to build a home for a family in Guatemala. They are followers of Christ, in fact the father is a pastor, and they currently live in a shanty that you can only imagine if you were to see it. They rarely are able to eat meat with their meals and often have only one meal a day. This is everyday life for the Mundo family, who believe in and serve the same Jesus as I do.

So, where is God when the chips are down? He is still on the throne, in complete and total control, reminding us daily that this world is not our home. Our hope and trust should be in Him and if that is the case we simply cannot lose.

Don't get me wrong, like everyone else I enjoy the luxuries that we experience in the good old U.S. of A, and there is nothing wrong with that. However, when our hope and joy in life are tied to that, then we are in trouble.

Like Christ himself, believers throughout history have struggled and faced trying times. In fact, I think there are no better words in times like these than that of the Apostle Paul who wrote in his letter to the Philippians:

Philippians 4:4-7
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

This command is not circumstantial and neither is the promise found at the end. May Christ alone be our hope and as we fully trust in Him, may he be our peace. Even when the chips are down...

Church In Your Skivies

So I was thinkng about going to this conference that is kind of noted for being on the cutting edge of where things are going in the church. It has a reputation for being the conference to go to if you are a part of the next generation of leaders among Christians.

So I go to the website and couple of things catch my eye. First off, they have this promotion where you can sign up once a day to win a free plane ticket anywhere in the U.S. and they pick a winner like once a week up until the time of the conference. Although I went ahead and signed up, because I am a sucker for free stuff, I have to admit this raised some questions in my mind.

Why give away plane tickets to get people to come to your conference?

I wonder what you could do with the amount of cash spent on 5 plane tickets anywhere in the U.S.? ($2,500?)

Another thing that I noticed is that the conference was a little bit pricey by my standard. Now I am admittedly cheap when it comes to these things but 3 bills for a conference plus gas and hotel for a couple days adds up quick. If you take a couple people you are dropping $1500 fast. But I guess if this is the conference to be at and if you really want to be on the cutting edge then maybe it's worth it.

So I decided to check out the speakers. To my surprise the conference that has been noted for being a forerunner among next generation christian thinkers and leaders, had a lineup that was more like a typical Willow Creek leadership conference. Can you say sell out?

For starters I see Jim Collins (author of Good to Great) among the main speakers. Now that's fine I guess, but I didn't start a business, I planted a church. Not to mention I have already heard him speak at a Willow Conference, which left me asking the same question. And listen, I know that all truth is God's truth and blah blah blah so save it. I'm just saying this doesn't seem like anything new to me.

So all that to say I decided to save God's money. But as I said earlier, I did sign up for the free plane ticket. Well, apparently I didn't win that, but I got the consolation prize...a personal phone call from some confernce pusher trying to get me to buy their stuff.

After some hey bro's and small talk, I told him that I wasn't planning on going and he asked me why. I went on to explain my disappointment with what was being offered and that I would be saving God's money this year. He was real quick to let me know that they had a real hot up and coming leader who was going to be speaking and he was a name that I was going to be hearing a lot from in the near future. So he asked me if I had heard of this guy. "He pastors a church that has grown to over 3,000 in two years!" like that is everyone's goal and this guy should be my super hero or something. I felt like saying...well I probably shouldn't write what I felt like saying, let's just say I overcame the temptation.

What in the world is going on with the church today? Is it all about who is the biggest and how to grow the fastest? Adding video venues seems to be what's "hot" now so let's all jump on that band wagon or better yet why not stay home in your pajamas and just watch it on the TV or internet. Honestly that is what I would rather do. Why get up on Sunday morning and go somewhere to watch TV when you can do it at home in your skivies while eating donuts and checking in on Sportscenter during the boring parts?

Really, what's next? Holographic virtual pastors? Drive through communion windows? ATMs in the church, oops too late that one's already been done!

Ok, now I am rambling or maybe venting, so I guess I should stop. There just comes a point where you say enough is enough, will someone stop the madness? And just as soon as it seems like you find someone who will take up the mantle, they either sell out for the cash or start believing crazy stuff like Bin Laden is going to be in heaven or that Oprah is actually a prophet of God!

Deep breath.

Alright I better pray, God keep me humble and help me to simply do all that you have called me to do in the midst of the madness. May we never think we are better than anyone or that we have all the answers. May we respond to wolves, critics, frauds and fanatics with the same love that you showed those that you encountered. And may we represent you well as we just try to figure this all out. Thank you for your love and grace which we all desperately need.

Trusting God

Our culture has set us up to be people who work our whole lives in order to get to a place where we do not have to trust or depend on anyone. In fact for most of us (myself included) simply living in America has kept us from understanding what it really means to trust God. Don't get me wrong I think it is great that we get to experience the blessing of the prosperity of our country.

The problem is that as a result we have become spoiled (again, myself included). Therefore when we experience a small trial or the need to step out by faith into the realm of the unknown, we struggle. It's as if we are stretched to the limit and we wonder how we will ever make it.

Now in no way do I want to minimize our struggles, but rather help us put them in perspective. We tend to forget that there are people in this world who genuinely don't know if they will have food to eat the next day. There are those who have seen friends and loved ones maimed and even killed for the same faith that we have the freedom to enjoy publicly day in and day out. Some of these people treasure mere pages of the Bible because it is nearly impossible to own a Bible in their countries.

Do we really know what it means to trust God?

I dare you to do the following:

Go to this link and try this simple one question test:
www.globalrichlist.com/index.php

Then pray this prayer found in Proverbs...

Proverbs 30:7-9
"Two things I ask of you, O LORD; do not refuse me before I die: Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, 'Who is the LORD?' Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.

Surprised by your ranking? Scared to pray the prayer?

Me too...

God help us to trust you more as we learn what it means to give ourselves away just as you did for each of us.

Testamints

I'll never forget the first time that I walked into a "Christian" bookstore and low and behold there it was, right before my eyes "Christian" candy. "Christian" breath mints to be exact, complete with the cheesy Christian cliche name "Testamints". My initial response was "you have to be kidding me, Testamints!" After a double take just to be sure, my worst fear was confirmed, I was not having some bizarre acid flashback/hallucination, someone was actually producing and marketing "Christian" breath mints.

Of course my vivid imagination immediately conjured up the marketing piece for this product. The scene is the pearly gates and there is Peter with a long line of people waiting their turn to stand before God and upon entering Peter cordially makes the offer "Testamint?"

I wish that were the end but of course Testamints were followed by other ingenious offerings such as Scripture cookies, the "Christian" version of fortune cookies, and a whole array of treats offered by the "sweet Jesus confection company". Don't get me started, oh yah I guess I already am...

So what is the purpose of this post? I guess to pose a simple question; what is it that makes something "Christian"? Is it the fact that we slap some label on it? I don't think that works with people let alone candy, music, movies and the many other things we lump into this category. Furthermore, why do "we" need such things? Why is it that Christians need their own candy, coffee shops and what next, maybe commodes?

I know that we are to be in the world but not of the world but aren't these things in effect taking us out of the world? We now go into a "Christian" bookstore to buy our books, music, movies and treats. At some churches you can also buy such things, along with a latte and a pastry but don't worry they take visa.

Anyhow, I think Scripture clearly teaches us to not be "of the world" but doesn't it also teach us to be "in the world". In fact Jesus prayed this very thing in John 17 where He asked the Father not to remove his followers from the world but to protect them in the midst of it. His prayer was that we would be protected from the evil one and that the Father would "sanctify us by truth" and He goes on to say "your Word is Truth".

To sanctify is to set apart. We are to be set apart by truth, not by labels and our own "Christian" subculture that we create. By doing such things we have in effect set ourselves apart and limited our effectiveness in reaching this world. But we are proud that we are set apart, untainted by this world.

Does it mean anything that Jesus stepped out of the perfect place in heaven with the Father to enter our world, full of sin, selfishness and hate? I believe He did this to not only pay the price for our sins but to also leave us with an example. He stepped into our so that we would follow His example and step into the world around us. In fact, He tells us so much...

"As you have sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world"
Jesus (John 17)

May we be people who follow the commands of Jesus as well as His example. There are people all around us who are waiting for someone to step into their world and offer them...not a testamint or some other trinket...but love and hope! Jesus prayed for the Father to protect us, we should be OK at Starbucks, Barnes and Noble or the local pub for that matter, if it that is where God leads us to go and make His presence known.

Therefore let us be people who are willing to obey the call to be in the world but not of it. May God give us grace and wisdom to know how to EFFECTIVELY do this very thing, for His name and His cause.

rest for the weary

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
Jesus

My guess is that if you were to survey a group of Christians to see if this passage accurately represented the way they feel as a result of their faith in Christ and involvement in their local church, the results would be less than favorable. In fact if I were a gambler I would lay fat wad of cash that this is the case.

Why is it that so often the things that Jesus speaks of, promises, and personally exemplifies and represents, end up foreign to our modern day Christian experience? Could it be that Jesus' life and teachings are so radical and counter cultural that often his own followers and the very institution that claims to represent him, find it hard to believe and teach such radical claims? Has Christianity become more about us and our agenda rather than about Him and His mission? As a result who is it that benefits and who is it that suffers?

When we water down, change or alter the message of Jesus in any way, everyone loses. The Church has done a great job of telling people what their responsibilities are and what it means to be "radical" for Christ. We are reminded that the "faithful" are those who are at Church every time the doors are open and who serve in 12 different ministries.

As a result we have become a very religious people and religion makes you tired and sometimes bitter and mean as well. Jesus confronted religion and the one's who taught such things and put such heavy loads on people in the process. Look at what he said about them...

"They tie up heavy loads and put them on men's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them. "Everything they do is done for men to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; they love to be greeted in the marketplaces and to have men call them 'Rabbi.'"

So what am I saying, what should we do? How about we begin by following Jesus and His Word? Let's be sure that our focus is His focus. If this is the case, then we should experience joy, freedom, fullness of life and rest for our souls.

If you are spiritually tired I would suggest you ask yourself a few questions.
-Why are you doing the things you are doing? Out of passion or obligation?
-Who are you trying to please? Jesus or someone else?
-Are you doing too much? If so, prayerfully consider what should go.
-Jesus is gentle and humble in heart, is that represented by those in leadership of the fellowship you attend? If not, find somewhere else to go.
-Lastly, are you motivated by love?

We love Him because He first loved us. His love is unconditional. For those of us who know Him, we should know that we are accepted and loved, not because of what we do or don't do but because we belong to Him.

May His love motivate us to do what we do and may His love allow us to accept ourselves just as He accepts us. Find rest in Him, for His yoke is easy and His burden in light.

Oh and sorry for the month between posts...I needed rest.

Grace and peace.

Jesus, Rob Bell and the Pharisees

Lately I have been personally challenged to rethink much of what goes on in "church" today. For too long I, like many others, had taken many things at face value rather than weighing them against the only anchor that we have for Truth, the Bible. As a result of my journey, I believe that there is a lot being done in the name of Jesus that He probably would not want His name associated with. I could go into a long explanation here, but quite frankly I am a bit tired and that is not the purpose of this post.

What I want to say is that I am not surprised in the least bit that many people today are walking away from the institutionalized "church". Religion has done a lot of damage in our day and there are many people, pastors and ministries that have given Christ and His Church a bad name. As a result there are scores of people who have become disillusioned with the organized "church".

That being said, I am not one who has lost hope. In fact I believe that there are those of us who God has called to help renew hope in our day. Not hope in religion or hope in the institutionalized church, but hope in Christ and His Church. When I say "His Church", I mean His people, those who are His followers and who live out the very example of love that He set before us. It is our responsibility to represent Him and we should represent Him well.

A little over a year ago I had the opportunity to sit down with Rob Bell, pastor of Mars Hill Bible Church, and ask him a few questions. Although I may not agree with everything he says, writes or preaches, I must admit that I am in agreement with his answer to my question below...

As a pastor what would you say to someone who has become disillusioned with organized church or what they have seen of Christianity?

I would wager that the things that most turn them off are the things that most turn Jesus off. There is not one instance in Jesus’ teachings where he gets angry with somebody who isn’t a follower of his or someone who doesn’t love God. His anger is always for religious people who claim to speak for God but live in another way.

So if you find hypocrisy absolutely revolting so did Jesus. If you find people who think they are the moral police of culture repulsive, so did Jesus. If you find people who are ready to throw stones at the next sinner very hard to take, so did Jesus. And if you think that people who use Jesus to accumulate political power, to coerce people to live according to their laws, well Jesus had a problem with such things as well. I would say that your anger is shared by Jesus. He’s angered by all the same things.

Maybe it's hard for you to think of Jesus being angered by these things. I have been reading through the gospel of Mark recently and I found it interesting that on more than one occasion, Jesus did get angry at the stubborn, hypocritical religious people of His day. Read Mark 3:1-6 and you will see Jesus frustrated and angry with these people.

It is important for us to realize that Jesus was angry but never sinned. It's O.K. if legalistic people frustrate you. There is nothing wrong with being angry when people represent Jesus in ways that would not be true to His character or teaching. The key is to heed the words of Paul in Eph. 4:26, "...In your anger do not sin."

So when we meet people who have written off Christianity or have given up on the church we must be very slow to judge. They may be frustrated by some of the very things that frustrated Jesus. For this reason I would suggest that we follow His example. He showed unconditional love to all people and never once compromised the Truth. Truth expressed in love makes all the difference.

May we be people who hold fast to the Truth and love those who are desperately in need of it!

Codename Jesus

I know very well the Bible verses that talk about the opportunity that we have to represent Jesus to people around us. The Apostle Paul says that we are ambassadors (representatives) of Christ. Jesus' followers were even referred to as Christians, which literally meant "little Christ". Then there are people who will say things like "you may be the only Jesus that those people will ever see..."

I believe all of this to be true but even so, I must admit that there are times that I forget the deep reality of this. Do you know what I mean? You believe something to be true, try to live it out, and maybe even teach it to others but somehow you lose the depth of the reality of that particular truth. Then God does something to remind you in a powerful way just how real it is.

That is what happened to me today. I had the opportunity to sit and listen to testimonies of How God had used regular people to show Himself to others in the midst of difficulty, pain and struggle. One woman shared the names of those who had really been a blessing to her and went on to say that they were really just codenames for Jesus. In other words it was Jesus who met her in her time of need and He did it through these individuals.

Wow! Now that brings the reality of this truth home in a powerful way. When you hear something like that and see a person who has experienced the love of God expressed through His people, you cannot help but be both encouraged and challenged.

It is true that God still uses people today to accomplish His purposes! He often reaches out through regular, everyday people just like me and you. That being said, I can't think of anything more challenging. Not only do we have an opportunity to make an impact but we have a responsibility to do so. As those who know and follow Christ, we must consider the importance of how we use our time, gifts and talents.

Are we available to be used by Him? Do we make a point of purposely building relationships with those God has put around us? Lastly, is there anyone we know who might say that _______ _______ (fill in your name) is really just a codename for Jesus in my life? I am challenged to pray and strive to be this kind of person.