How long until the savior turns into the new satan?

Please don't see this as an attack, rather a musing.

I see so many headlines, message board posts, blogs, and bulletins that carry exclamations of relief, hope, change, and prosperity for the world's future with Obama at the helm. I have no problem with people's support of the President elect, but I wonder how long his ratings will stay up? How long will it be before this new "savior" becomes a target for cruel words, scathing reviews, personal insults, or heads shaking in frustration? It happens to every president we have had in the past, and it will happen to Obama too. Whether you are a conservative or liberal, right or left wing, Rep or Dem, elephant or donkey, you paint a permanent bulls eye on yourself when you assume leadership of this country. People like you one day and herald you as the change we have all been waiting for (like that isn't said every four years!) and the next day you are fodder for an angry public and rival politicians.

Don't treat Obama like he is Jesus. He won't save the world. I would say the same thing about McCain or Nader or Pat Robertson. These politicians are not the ultimate change we are looking for. We have to look to Christ for that. Pray for this nations' leaders, but don't worship them. I don't care if you have Obama stickers on your car or "Bush for Life" tattooed on your chest, my thoughts would be the same. Pray for righteous leadership. Pray for protection. Pray for divine wisdom. Pray for personal transformation and radical relationship with the Creator for all of our nations' leaders. If you place your hope in politics you will get burned (at least every four to eight years).

I believe Israel did that once. They told Samuel they were tired of trusting in God and they wanted someone they could see and touch. "Give us a king old man!" Sam cringed, God warned, but they persisted. Their loyalty was misplaced and they got burned. Don't make the same mistake. I don't hate Obama and I didn't unswervingly love McCain either. I respect them both. I will not demonize anyone. I pray the Obama will be an amazing leader that listens to the voice of God. I trust that God can speak and lead through anyone who listens, but it is God that will never fail me--not politicians.

David's words ring true here:

"Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God. They collapse and fall, but we rise and stand upright. O LORD, save the king! May he answer us when we call."

(Psalm 20:7-9)

Soul Story

Every soul has a story. For each person, whether loved or hated by surrounding society, there is a reason for how they live, love, hate, think, rebel, influence, speak, write, create, and dress the way they do. No person is void of a story. And no story is without meaning. There is meaning and worth and purpose to each life because God has imprinted us with a reflection of His image. We have inherent worth because of the majesty and glory of the Creator and because of the blood of His Son that was spilled for our sake. How often do we forget this as Christians when we look at those in this world without Christ? It is easy to see God’s reflection in a newborn infant or an innocent toddler, but do we think the same thing when we look at those who truly drive this culture: celebrities, musical megastars, porn stars, film directors, entertainment tycoons? It seems a little more difficult for most Christians to look at Marilyn Manson or Eminem and see a child of God… but it isn’t any less true. We would rather boycott and picket than pray for them. Yet Christ died for them like He died for all of humanity. And who is it that the hurting, angry, questioning youth of this generation flock to for solace? It is these cultural forces that we flinch away from as if they are not human. These are the movers and shakers of our world—not politicians, legislators, teachers, or clergy—whether we like it or not. Where they go our society follows. And fear of this reality is what causes us to draw a line in the sand, behind which we point our fingers, scream words of “repentance” and try to hope our way into a safer society for our children.

A major problem lies within this approach: there is no “them and us” when it comes to the love of God. There are no lost causes except in the minds of Christians caught up unknowingly in the trap of arrogance, fear, and lies. We recognize that these stars hold sway over society even more than politicians and we get scared. We see the evil, the deception, the darkness, the immorality and we feel cornered so we lash out. What would happen if we prayed for them? What if we looked through all the darkness and saw the injured, depressed, broken, and questioning child of God? What if we got into their stories and prayed with purpose for those who hold such sway over our youth, our pop culture, and ultimately our society as a whole. We need not lash out; we need to listen. We need to pray between the lines of what is being shown if we truly believe that Jesus came to seek and save the lost. We don’t do this out of arrogance, but out of genuine compassion and love. We do not patronize or look down our noses because we follow Christ. We must remember that we are all broken without the love and grace of Christ. We instead should look these stories, these people, these beloved creations of God in the eyes and pray with intensity and passion that God would move on their behalf.

Feel Free to Comment!

Hey folks. Just wanted to remind those of you who read this that I would love to hear your thoughts on anything that I post. One of the reasons I created this blog is to create conversation--not just publish my thoughts. I want to know what you think too. So comment away! Thanks.

Pray for Christians in India!

Christians in India are facing intense persecution--so much so that it caught the eye of the New York Times. Christians are being forced to convert to Hinduism under threat of destruction of their property and even death. The violence recently escalated after the killing of a Hindu swami known for encouraging people to choose Hinduism over Christianity. It is the Christians that bear the unfair response to the death of this Hindu leader.

Read the article here

My heart grieves for my Indian brothers and sisters in Christ. My life is so easy as an American Christian, for which I am thankful, but often that leads me to forget about the millions of Christians around the world who follow Christ at the risk of their own lives. I never want to become apathetic to this reality, even if I don't live a life even remotely as taxing as theirs. I am part of their lives just as much as they are part of mine as we are all part of the Body of Christ.

God Almighty, hear the cries of your children in India as they unfairly treated, abused, and killed for following you! Be the Mighty Protector of your children in India! Move upon the hearts of their enemies to turn from this evil. Bring light and freedom into this country riddled with darkness and bondage. May Psalm 91 ring true for your people there. Be their refuge and their shield against the attacks of the evil one.

When Ministry Holds up a Mirror

God saw fit to place me into a place of awesome influence when He placed me in the lives of these students. Now, if I leave it at that I could comfortably stand back, admire this season of my life, smile and continue on as if it were just one of the millions of details that makes up my current existence. But God doesn't leave it at that. He had to go and have James write that infernal verse "With great power comes great responsibility" ...... oh wait... that was what Uncle Ben told Peter Parker as he died..... sorry.... geek moment....... Ahh! Here's what I was looking for: James 3:1 says,

"Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness."

So that throws a wrench into my comfort as a teacher! here I am minding my own business and God gently clears his throat and says, "Hey bro. You know that stuff you told the youth group that they should be doing.... don't you think that you should do it too? Just a thought." Of course He is right. And it is in these moments that you realize that ministry isn't just for the people you minister to. It is also a powerful tool for God to hold up as a mirror every once in a while to see if you are willing to Spirit driven heart surgery when your heart doesn't line up with His (even if your words do).

Thank God that his grace continues to work in the lives of those we call ministers (which should basically be everyone claiming to be a Christian right?). As much as it hurts my pride, my free time, or my ideas, I am very thankful that God holds up that mirror. If I am someone that any number of people in this world will look at expecting to see Christ exemplified, I better be willing to take a look at myself daily to make sure I don't have something embarrassing hanging from my nose or something ugly coming out of my mouth. (Yeah... you get the point).

Don't pirate music... get paid to listen

Now, instead of trading free tunes in the dark alleyways of the internet, music junkies can now get paid a cut of the money used to legally buy it online. What ever happened to the true music fans that actually support their favorite artists with their hard earned cash? The end result being they get to enjoy the art and know that they had a part in keeping it alive. Now we have to get paid as an incentive not to pirate music? Give me a break. Pretty soon we are going to be upset that restaurants aren't paying us to eat their food or that film production companies aren't paying us to see their films. What do you think? Read the article at share your thoughts.

http://www.newsvine.com/_news/2008/09/03/1820387-new-music-site-gives-fans-a-cut-of-tune-sales

Faith in Christ Break Down

No, my faith is not breaking down! This is about breaking faith in Christ down into its fundamental pieces in order to better understand it.

In youth group we are starting a series on apologetics. We want to explore the fundamentals of our faith and discuss how we know it is true and how we can share it understandably with others. To begin the series we are having the group share what they think are the foundations of Christianity. So I pose the same question to you:

If you had to highlight the ten most important foundations/doctrines/truths of Christianity, what would you say they were? Of course, there are not only ten indispensable truths in all of Christianity, but I would be interested to see what you would highlight as your "Top Ten."

Responses?

I'm Invisible... Can You See Me?

Apparently we are not far off from being able to literally use invisibility cloaks (all my Harry Potter fans make some noise!). Scientists have discovered how to bend light "the wrong way" to create invisibility. This is pretty hard to imagine or even to believe but this article seems pretty legit. It blows my mind that this is not just science fiction anymore. Check it out. Tell me what you think. Could society ever responsibly use technology like this?

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/science/article4499914.ece

All Hail the One True God of Metal!

The following is my own paraphrase of Psalm 150. It was an assignment given to me at our first staff meeting with Pastor Dan. We had to rewrite a psalm of our choice in words that would speak to us so I chose to write mine in the vernacular of a hardcore/metal show. It was because of this that Pastor Dan bestowed upon me the greatest nickname I have ever received: Metalbrook. I don't know why I hadn't thought of that name earlier.

Psalm 150: All Hail the One True God of Metal!

1) Praise the one from whom darkness flees!
Raise your fists and open hands
and pump them towards the sky!
2) This breakdown is for Him,
the One who whose hand crushes evil,
brings justice, spreads wonders!
3) Crank the amps till your ears ring
and blast the low end like thunder to God Almighty!
4) Make a circle in the pit
and throwdown like it was your last chance.
He gave you that breath that you're out of.
5) Let the double kick blast beats shake the ceiling;
the cymbals shatter the windows!
He likes it loud.
6) Scream the chorus, voices ringing, throats sung raw.
If you can breath,
you better scream these words to Him
for He is worthy!

My mind = hyperactive toddler

Man! How long will it be until my brain kicks into the supposed "grown-up" mode where it can stay focused on work and responsibilities for more than fifteen minutes at a time? I thought I would have grown out of it in college, but my mind's eye is habitually distracted by shiny objects all over the mentalshpere (new word--I coined it... I think).

Am I doing something wrong? Do I have to eat more boring bran cereal in the morning to get my big-person-brain? Maybe I should start watching C-SPAN and Bloomberg television, and I can read the Economy section in the newspaper. (Ugh... my brain just threw up a little bit on itself).

The problem isn't just that my mind wanders. It is that I feel as if I get distracted to the point of not being able to do what I am called to do to the fullest extent. I don't want to get in the way of myself or in the way of what God wants to do in and through me.

Maybe the problem is that I just don't feel completely and utterly passionate about this season of life yet. (Notice I said yet!) Life is starting to settle down a little bit, but who am I kidding... everything is still brand friggin new for me: full time ministry, full time bill paying, full time husbandry (I'm talking about the act of being a husband... not about the act of tree trimming and bush planting), and all that stuff.

How long will it take? I know it will probably take a while. Yet I, like most of my generation, am spoiled by the fast-food-express-microwave-no-wait-30-second-attention-span paradigm of our culture. How does one detach themselves from that? I belong to God's kingdom, not this one I conveniently rent my earthly dwelling from.

So... is it me? my personality? immaturity? transition? my culture? my sugar intake? my music selection (oh God please don't let it be this one!)?

Oh well.... time to go suck it up and be an "adult" I guess.

Wish me well.

Live Like it Will Burn Tomorrow

They will say, "Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation" ....

But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are don on it will be exposed.

Since these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness [?], waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn!

[2 Peter 2: 4, 8-12]

How does the knowledge that it could all burn tomorrow effect my life today, right now, at this moment? Do I even allow it to effect me? I don't live in fear of it. In fact I see that Peter thinks we are awaiting it... actually hastening its coming. But aside from not fearing it, do I ever engage the thought that Jesus' return could be at any moment? One day there will be a throwdown between God and this world... and it could happen three minutes from now or 5 days or 8 months or 32 years.... any time. But does that knowledge do anything to the way I act now? I don't think it always does... but it should. The countdown is happening, but no one can see the timer...

Tick tock...... tick tock.....

I can focus all my energy on trying to figure out how much longer it will keep ticking so I can keep living as if it isn't ticking.

--or--

I can focus just enough on the ticking to know that it is there, and that there is a countdown for me, you, and the rest of the world and let that influence my words, thoughts, actions, and passions.

Tick tock.... tick tock.... .... .... (Do you smell it burning yet?)

Since these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness [?], waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn!

Do I love like it is almost over? Do I live and leave imprints? Do I search for divine direction with desperation? Do I hear the ticking? Do I stand out like a pure and bright brush stroke on a tar covered canvas, or do I blend in--not quite white, not really black, more of a gray? Do I hope for opportunities to reveal Him to a hurting world or do I hide from them? Do I hear the ticking? I do not fear it, but do I fear for those who cannot hear it? The ultimate throwdown is coming? Am I selling tickets hoping for crowd casualties or am I directing traffic away from the epicenter towards the One who will shelter them from the blast? Tick tock.... am I listening?

Proof! Raise the rock fist!

Yes, I actually was in a metal band! I am the guy smackin the heck out of the drums in the back. Oh and my wonderful wife is the one who is being "blessed" by the most Metal Birthday song ever. The quality of the video and performance may not be the most amazing in the world but for only having been together for three months and not really being able to hear what we were playing, I would say we did pretty well.

Enjoy the vid

LIFE Movie Awards- Bury the Ocean

Awaiting "Arrival"

It is a strange transition that I find myself in right now. I have been a student for so long that I find myself somewhat scattered by the lack of homework and pressure that exists within the world of academics. Now I must adjust to no longer being a professional student, but being a youth pastor by profession. Though I will never cease being a student because of my love to learn and stretch my mind, things are definitely different now. I sit in my office wondering how long it will take me to really engage this new position God has placed me in. It isn't that I have completely disengaged, but it doesn't feel like the type of engaging I would do when working on assignments for some class. Maybe it is just the lack of grades that makes it difficult (however that question opens up another can of worms about whether I define myself by my accomplishments and acknowledgment, which I am sure I will discuss some other time). Maybe it is merely the newness of everything that is leaving my head spinning (graduation, marriage, moving, full-time ministry, entrance into the truly adult world of bills/groceries/insurance/etc). Maybe it is God plowing the soil of my mind and heart preparing me for new growth. It is most likely all of the above.

All I can say is that I am definitely ready for some sense of arrival to whatever destination I am in the process of traveling to. Even if it is just a fraction of a percentage of feeling that, I still want it. But will there ever really be a time in which I "arrive." Nope... not on this earth anyway. Even though I say I want to feel the satisfaction and comfort of arrival, I also get bored easily if I am not constantly challenged or in the process of creating something. Has God made us all like that? Does He ever want us to feel as if we have finally arrived in our existence? I doubt that too. Wouldn't that take the fun out of everything--if we all of a sudden felt like we had nothing left to strive for the rest of our days, that every small and every giant goal and ambition had been marked off our bucket lists? Perhaps I digress into a different topic all together while trying to answer my own question. Nonetheless I don't think I will ever "arrive" in all of eternity because that would mean the end of creating and experiencing which is what God is all about.

So maybe I am not awaiting "arrival" so much as I am waiting for the feeling of fitting these new surroundings.

Yeah... that has to be it. Forget arriving. I just want to fit.